Class 7 English Chapter 2 Try Again Notes and Book Solutions based on NCERT Poorvi. Get an easy summary, poem explanation, word meanings and textbook question answers for CBSE Class 7 English.
Unit 1 – Learning Together
Try Again
Complete Chapter Notes + All In-text Solutions
Reprint 2026–27
📖 Full Poem – Try Again
In a lonely mood to think;
‘Tis true he was monarch, and wore a crown,
But his heart was beginning to sink.
For he had been trying to do a great deed,
To make his people glad;
He had tried and tried, but couldn’t succeed
And so he became quite sad.
As grieved as man could be;
And after a while he pondered there,
“I’ll give it all up,” said he.
Now just at that moment a spider dropped,
With its silken, filmy clue;
And the King, in the midst of his thinking, stopped
To see what the spider would do.
And it hung by a rope so fine;
That how it would get to its cobweb home,
King Bruce could not divine.
Straight up with strong endeavour;
But down it came with a slippery sprawl,
As near to the ground as ever.
Up, up it ran, not a second to stay,
To utter the least complaint;
Till it fell still lower, and there it lay,
A little dizzy and faint.
And travelled a half-yard higher;
‘Twas a delicate thread it had to tread,
And a road where its feet would tire.
Again it fell and swung below,
But again it quickly mounted;
Till up and down, now fast, now slow,
Nine brave attempts were counted.
Will strive no more to climb;
When it toils so hard to reach and cling,
And tumbles every time.”
Ah me! ‘tis an anxious minute;
He’s only a foot from his cobweb door,
Oh say, will he lose or win it?
Higher and higher he got;
And a bold little run at the very last pinch
Put him into his native cot.
“All honour to those who try;
The spider up there, defied despair;
He conquered, and why shouldn’t I?”
And gossips tell the tale,
That he tried once more as he tried before,
And that time did not fail.
— Eliza Cook
🌟 Chapter at a Glance
🌱 Let us do these activities before we read.
I Who inspires you to do your best?
II Work in pairs, identify what you see in the pictures given below. What can we learn from them? Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.
💡 Easy Explanation of the Poem
Part 1 – King Bruce feels sad
King Bruce had tried many times to do something great for his people. He failed and became very sad. He felt that he should give up.
Part 2 – The Spider appears
A spider appeared and began climbing towards its web. It fell again and again, but it did not stop trying.
Part 3 – Nine attempts
The spider made nine brave attempts. Every time it fell, it tried again. King Bruce watched it carefully.
Part 4 – The Spider succeeds
Finally, the spider reached its cobweb. King Bruce became inspired by its determination.
Part 5 – King Bruce tries again
Bruce decided to try again. This time he succeeded. The spider taught him that perseverance can lead to success.
📚 Let us discuss
I Complete the summary of the poem by filling in the blanks with suitable words from the text given in the box below. Share your answers with the teacher. An example has been given.
2. great
3. despair
4. mounted
5. attempts
6. conquered
7. strive
8. tried
II Complete the following sentences suitably.
III Pick three examples from the poem for each of the following:
- “It soon began to cling and crawl”
- “Up, up it ran, not a second to stay”
- “But again it quickly mounted”
- “tried and tried”
- “slippery sprawl”
- “Steadily, steadily”
IV Why does the poet repeat the following words or phrases in the poem?
V Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct answer from within the brackets.
🎨 VI Metaphor and Simile
1. Read the following sentences and identify metaphors and similes. Write M for metaphor and S for simile.
2. Read the following sentences and transform the similes to metaphors and metaphors to similes. Two examples have been given.
Knowledge is a spreading branch of a mighty tree.
His courage was like a beacon guiding us through the storm.
🧠 Let us think and reflect
I Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
As grieved as man could be;
And after a while he pondered there,
“I’ll give it all up,” said he.
Now just at that moment a spider dropped,
With its silken, filmy clue;
(i) Select the phrase which shows the physical expression of the King’s emotional state.
(ii) Why does the poet use the word ‘low’ before despair?
(iii) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.
In the line, ‘And after a while he pondered there’, the word ‘pondered’ means _____________________.
(iv) Choose the correct option from the words given in the brackets.
The phrase ‘silken filmy clue’ creates an image of something that is _____________________ (long and light/very delicate and soft).
But up the insect went once more,
Ah me! ‘tis an anxious minute;
He’s only a foot from his cobweb door,
Oh say, will he lose or win it?
(i) Choose the correct option to complete the analogy.
toil: hard::_______________: _______________
(ii) List any two characteristics of the spider highlighted in the line, ‘But up the insect went once more’.
(iii) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.
The expression ‘Ah me!’ in the extract indicates a sense of _______________.
(iv) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
Readers are able to relate to this extract because ____________.
II Answer the following questions.
📘 Let us learn
I Write the opposites of the following words taken from the poem.
| Word | Opposite |
|---|---|
| 1. up | down |
| 2. fast | slow |
| 3. glad | sad |
| 4. win | lose |
| 5. succeed | fail |
II Choose the correct meaning of the underlined words in the following sentences from the box given below. Frame sentences of your own for these words.
Sentence: We made every endeavour to finish our project on time.
Sentence: Farmers toil hard in their fields.
Sentence: I strive to improve my English every day.
Sentence: The players braced themselves for the difficult match.
III The poem uses words that show distance.
For example:
Classify the words or phrases in the box given below based on the distance (far or near) and write in the space provided. You may take the help of a dictionary.
| Far | Near |
|---|---|
|
middle of nowhere remoteness yonder afar light year farther |
proximity vicinity adjacent a stone’s throw hairline |
👅 IV Read the following line from the poem.
Create more tongue twisters of your own.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
🎧 Let us listen
I You will listen to a story about an ant. Read the questions given below and before you listen, guess the answers to these questions.
(i) determination (ii) strength (iii) wisdom
(i) It was stuck under a rock.
(ii) It was too heavy to carry.
(iii) It was pulled by other ants.
(i) playing with the ant
(ii) searching for food
(iii) picking up leaves
(i) proud (ii) inspired (iii) relaxed
(i) by advising the ant continuously
(ii) by standing still near the ant
(iii) by joining the ant in her efforts
II Now, listen to the story once again and as you listen, check whether your answers are correct.
🗣️ Let us speak
Narrate a personal experience about a time when you were motivated by someone or something to carry on and never give up. Your perseverance helped you.
Use the following sentence prompts as a guide for your narration.
| Part | Useful beginning |
|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | I remember a time when I felt like giving up. It was when… |
| 2. Describe the challenge | The challenge I faced was… |
| 3. Feeling disheartened | At first, I felt discouraged and thought about giving up because… |
| 4. The source of motivation | Someone/something inspired me to keep going. It was… |
| 5. Taking action | After feeling inspired, I decided to… |
| 6. The result | In the end, I was able to… |
| 7. Reflection | This experience taught me that… |
✍️ Let us write
King Bruce was inspired by the spider that kept on trying till it was successful. Think about the steps you can take to overcome a difficult situation and write them down.
Now, write a letter to your cousin on how you plan to overcome any difficult situation. Also, advise not to quit and persevere.
Remember to use transition words like ‘To begin with…,’ ‘Next…,’ ‘After that…,’ ‘Then…,’ ‘Finally,…’ to share the steps of your plan.
20, Rajendra Nagar
Jeevanpur
23 August 20XX
Dear Monika,
Thank you for your letter asking me about how I plan to overcome a difficult situation.
To begin with, I will understand the problem clearly. Next, I will make a simple plan to solve it. After that, I will work regularly and ask my teachers or parents for help when needed. Then, I will learn from my mistakes and keep practising. Finally, I will continue trying until I reach my goal.
I would advise you not to quit when things become difficult. Remember that success often comes after many attempts. Just like the spider in the poem, we should keep trying.
Yours affectionately,
Deepa
🔎 Let us explore
I Collect folk songs in your own language that connect us with nature and compile them as a class project.
II Did you know that spiders are not insects? They belong to a group called the arachnids. Observe a spider and an ant from a distance and note down the differences between them. Share your observations with your classmates. Ask your Science teacher for more information to know about spiders better.
| Spider | Ant |
|---|---|
| Has eight legs. | Has six legs. |
| Belongs to arachnids. | Belongs to insects. |
| Has two main body sections. | Has three main body sections. |
| Usually has no wings. | Some ants may have wings during certain stages. |
III Let us learn how to weave a spider web.
- Take three sticks (each about eight inches long) and a roll of old wool.
- Tie the sticks together in the centre with the wool.
- Start weaving the web by putting a loop around every stick.
- Complete the web and tie the thread in a knot on the stick where the web is complete.
⭐ Quick Revision Notes
Important Characters
King Bruce: Sad at first, but later becomes brave and determined.
Spider: Persistent, patient and hardworking.
Important Words
| Word | Easy Meaning |
|---|---|
| despair | complete loss of hope |
| pondered | thought deeply |
| endeavour | serious effort |
| toil | work very hard |
| strive | try very hard |
| braced | prepared oneself for difficulty |
| perseverance | continuing to try despite difficulties |
Poetic Devices
Simile: Comparison using like or as.
Metaphor: Direct or implied comparison without like or as.
Alliteration: Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words.
Repetition: Repeating words to emphasise an idea.
Central Message
Never give up. Failures may come many times, but determination, patience and continuous effort can lead us to success.
🧠 Remember These Lines
This is the main lesson of the poem. We should respect people who keep trying even when success does not come immediately.
Practise Class 7 English Chapter 2 with this easy NCERT Poorvi worksheet. Includes important questions and revision exercises to help students understand the chapter and prepare for tests and exams.
Class 7 English Chapter 2 Try Again Notes, Class 7 English Try Again Notes, Try Again Class 7 Notes, Class 7 English Chapter 2 Book Solutions, Class 7 English Poorvi Chapter 2, NCERT Class 7 English Try Again, CBSE Class 7 English Chapter 2, Try Again Question Answers