(i) To whom do we offer a hymn?

(ii) When and where do we sing a hymn?

(iii) Why do we offer it?

Work in pairs. Read the sentences given below. Match the underlined archaic words in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

‘Thou art my friend, and I trust thee. Thy kindness is great, and everything that is mine is thine.’

Under the golden 1. radiance of the evening sun, the villagers gathered to pay 2. tribute to their 3. cherished elder, who had dedicated his life to their well-being. His wise 4. counsel had guided generations, steering them through challenges. Known for his 5. munificent spirit, he never hesitated to share his resources generously.

1. The speakers recognise the lord’s kindness and praise him for nourishing the field.

2. The speakers praise the generosity of the creator of the universe who ensures a rich harvest.

3. The speakers devote their lives and work as a mark of respect to the lord and seek his support, wisdom, and care.

4. The speakers pay homage to the Earth and appreciate her role in supporting life, by dedicating their harvest.

1. The setting of the poem is a rural landscape, possibly during a __________________________ (harvest/religious) festival.

2. The tone of the poem is respectful and celebratory because it praises ___________________ (the men and women/nature and the Lord) with deep respect and gratitude.

3. In the line ‘Thou art our Hands and our Heart and our Home’, the letter ‘h’ is capitalised in ‘Hands’, ‘Heart’ and ‘Home’ because ___________________. (it represents the hard work of farmers/God resides in them)

• Bright and munificent lord of the morn!

• We bring thee our lives and our labours for tribute

imagery alliteration simile metaphor personification

1. “We bring thee our songs and our garlands for tribute…”

We bring thee our songs and our garlands for tribute,
The gold of our fields and the gold of our fruit;
O giver of mellowing radiance, we hail thee,
We praise thee, O Surya, with cymbal and flute.

(i) What does the act of bringing songs and garlands as tribute suggest about the people’s relationship with the divine?

A. They fear the gods and wish to calm them in any way possible.

B. They have a deep sense of reverence and gratitude towards the divine.

C. They are forced to perform rituals without understanding the divine.

D. They depend on the gods for their daily needs and activities.

(ii) Complete the following sentence suitably.

The word ‘gold’ in the phrases ‘the gold of our fields’ and ‘the gold of our fruit’ symbolises ________________.

(iii) How does the description ‘O giver of mellowing radiance’ help us understand Surya’s role in the harvest?

(iv) Fill in the blank by selecting the correct option from those given in the brackets.

The use of cymbal and flute signifies ________________. (joy and celebration/meditation and worship)

Lord of the Universe, Lord of our being,
Father eternal, ineffable Om!
Thou art the Seed and the Scythe of our harvests,
Thou art our Hands and our Heart and our Home.

(i) In the phrase ‘Lord of our being,’ what does the word ‘being’ most likely refer to?

A. Our physical body

B. Our entire existence

C. Our spiritual practices

D. Our earthly possessions

(ii) Identify whether the following statement is true or false.

The imagery of ‘the Seed and the Scythe’ symbolises the divine’s role as both the beginning (creation) and the end (harvest) of the agricultural cycle.

(iii) Identify the phrases from the extract that mean the following:

A. The divine as a timeless, everlasting presence

B. Beyond human comprehension or description

(iv) How do we know that these lines from the extract are spoken as a chorus?

1. Why do the farmers hail the God of rain?

2. What is being referred to as ‘wealth of our valleys’? Why?

3. State one reason why the women refer to the Earth as a ‘source of manifold gladness’.

4. Why does everyone in the poem offer their ‘labours for tribute’?

5. Why has the poet presented the poem as voices of men, women, and all voices?

6. How does the poet create the joyous atmosphere of rural India at harvesting time?

7. Why is the poem presented as a hymn?

1. The king was beneficent to the poor because he took good care of them.

2. He was munificent towards the needy and donated a lot for their health care.

3. When he lost his job, all his friends gave him succour by supporting him with money.

4. When the sun’s rays came into the dark room, the whole room was full of radiance.

5. The little girl was speechless with ineffable joy when she got her birthday gift from her aunt.

1. morrow 2. hither 3. quoth

4. betwixt 5. yonder

1. Rakesh was on his way home from school when he bought the cherries.

2. Rakesh was looking for Grandfather without finding him in any of his favourite places around the house.

3. Rakesh and Grandfather gazed at the tree as though it had performed a miracle.

The forms of tenses in the given statements are Simple Past Tense (1 and 3), Past Progressive Tense (2), and Past Perfect Tense (3).

Now, fill in the blanks with the correct form of Simple Past, Past Progressive, or Past Perfect Tenses of the verbs given in brackets. One example has been done for you.

(i) I was sitting (sit) with my grandparents in the garden, sharing the wonderful memories from my childhood. As we (ii) ______________ (talk), I (iii) ______________ (realise) how much wisdom they (iv) ______________ (impart) to me over the years. While I (v) ______________ (listen) to their stories for hours together, I (vi) ______________ (remember) the times we (vii) ______________ (spend) together planting flowers and learning about life. By the time I left, the sun (viii) ______________ (set), and I (ix) ______________ (feel) a deep sense of gratitude for the bond we (x) ______________ (nurture) through love, care, and countless memories.

• “Hey, not there,” said Grandfather, “I’ve sown mustard in that bed. Plant it in that shady corner, where it won’t be disturbed.”

• When Grandfather saw what had happened, he went after the woman and scolded her; but the damage could not be repaired.

• She did not try to avoid the tree: one sweep, and the cherry tree was cut in two.

Punctuation refers to the symbols used in writing to clarify meaning and separate sentences and their components. Proper punctuation ensures the clarity and flow of a text, guiding readers through its structure.

Common punctuation marks listed:

• Full stop (.)—ends a declarative sentence
• Comma (,)—separates components in a list, clauses, or phrases within a sentence
• Question Mark (?)—ends a direct question
• Exclamation Mark (!)—indicates strong emotion or emphasis
• Colon (:)—introduces a list, explanation or elaboration
• Semicolon (;)—connects closely related independent clauses or separates complex list items
• Apostrophe (’) — contractions and possession
• Quotation Marks (“ ”)—direct speech/quotations
• Dash (– or —)—emphasis or related thoughts

Now, punctuate the following paragraph appropriately.

every sunday roshni would visit her grandparents house on their farm
come sit grandpa would say patting the bench on their porch
roshni loved these moments where the world slowed down and stories flowed like magic grandma would bring tea her eyes twinkling with joy
im excited to hear about your younger days the adventures the lessons and the memories roshni said eagerly
grandpa smiled softly his wrinkled hands resting on the cane ah the old days… when everything was simple and happiness was all we had
roshni could feel the warmth of those memories he sat in silence bound not by words but by a timeless bond

1. What is the main step in preparing the soil for cultivation of rice?

(i) Ploughing the soil (ii) Clearing the soil (iii) Puddling the soil

2. How long does it take for rice seeds to grow into seedlings before being transplanted?

(i) 2–3 weeks (ii) 4–5 weeks (iii) 6–7 weeks

3. Why is drying rice grains important after threshing?

(i) To get rice seeds for plantation
(ii) To separate the rice grains easily
(iii) To store the rice grains for longer

• In the words given below the letter ‘n’ is silent when it appears with ‘m’ at the end of the word.

hymn, column, autumn, solemn

• In the words given below the letter ‘b’ is silent when it appears with ‘m’.

womb, tomb, bomb, climb, comb

Include the following:

• What is the dish called? Is it known by any other name in other parts of India?
• What ingredients are used to make the dish?
• How is the dish prepared?
• How is the dish served?
• What does the dish taste like?
• What is the special ritual related to the preparation of this dish?
• Describe any special memory associated with the preparation of this dish.

• Education is the Key, Unlock Your Destiny!
• Protect the Environment Today for a Better Tomorrow
• Learn, Grow, Succeed
• Go Green by Keeping the Planet Clean

Your school wishes to express gratitude to the farmers who play an important role in providing us the food on our plates. Draft a creative slogan to be put up on the school notice board.

Remember to

• focus on the main idea to be expressed
• use simple language
• be concise—express yourself in a few words

1. Read the information on Pearl Millet given below.

Pearl millet cultivation in India

It is the sixth major cereal in terms of area and production and has the highest drought tolerance potential of all millets.

Health benefits: Reduces cholesterol, promotes bone health, may be useful in supporting heart health and is a fibre-rich food.

Use the link given below to know more about other kinds of millets.

(i) Find out if millets are a part of your cuisine.

(ii) Find recipes with millets and compile them into a booklet.

(iii) Create a recipe of your choice.