ACTIVITIES 

1. Read the poem and choose the correct options to complete the sentences.

(a) The poet was in deep sorrow. A proud man came and helped him by

(i) offering him kind words

(ii) ignoring him

(iii) giving him gold

(iv) giving him pleasant company

Answer: (iii) giving him gold

(b) When the poet lay in want and grief, the one who helped him was

(i) a rich man

(ii) a poor man

(iii) a proud man

(iv) a holy man

Answer: (ii) a poor man

(c) The poor man gave the poet

(i) a cold look

(ii) sympathy

(iii) gold

(iv) not a kind word

Answer: (ii) sympathy

(d) When the poet’s sorrow passed, he went to the proud man and

(i) gave him back the gold

(ii) ignored him

(iii) didn’t give back the gold

(iv) helped him

Answer: (i) gave him back the gold

(e) The poet refers to sympathy as ‘heavenly’ because sympathy

(i) is a feeling found in proud people

(ii) is found only in rich people

(iii) is an ordinary human feeling

(iv) is a blessing from God

Answer: (iv) is a blessing from God.

2. (a) Here are some questions to help you find out how much you have understood the poem:

(i) How did the proud person help the poet when the poet was unhappy?

Answer: The proud person helped the poet by giving him gold, but did not offer any kind words or sympathy.

(ii) What did the poor man do when he found the poet lying in pain and sadness?

Answer: The poor man gave the poet bread, cared for him, and looked after him throughout his suffering.

(iii) Why does the poet think that he cannot help the poor man back in the same way?

Answer: The poet feels he cannot help the poor man in the same way because true sympathy and care cannot be repaid as money can.

(iv) Why is the poor man’s help greater than gold?

Answer: The poor man’s help is greater than gold because it comes from his heart with compassion—true caring is more valuable than wealth.

(v) “Oh, gold is great, but greater far Is heavenly sympathy.”Why does the poet think so?

Answer: The poet believes “heavenly sympathy” is greater than gold because it brings comfort, love, and hope, which are far more precious than material riches.

Updated On: 07/11/2025