Unit 7 Poem - The Stick-together Families - Edgar Albert Guest
A. Based on your understanding of the poem,
answer the questions in a sentence or two.
- The gladdest people living are the wholesome folks who make a circle
at the fireside that no power but death can break.
o Who are the gladdest
people living?
The gladdest people living are those who stay
together as a family and form a strong bond.
o Where do they gather?
They gather around the fireside in their home.
o What can break their
unity?
Only death has the power to break their unity.
- And the finest of conventions ever held beneath the sun are the
little family gatherings when the busy day is done.
o When do they have their
family gatherings?
They have their family gatherings after a busy day.
o Where do they have their
family conventions?
They have their family conventions at home.
o What does the poet mean
by ‘finest conventions’?
The poet refers to family gatherings as the ‘finest conventions’ because they
bring true happiness and unity.
- There are rich folk, there are poor folk, who imagine they are wise,
and they're very quick to shatter all the little family ties.
o What do the rich and
poor folk imagine themselves to be?
The rich and poor folk imagine themselves to be wise.
o What do they do to their
families?
They break the small yet important family bonds.
o Whom does 'they' refer
to?
‘They’ refers to the rich and poor people who break their family ties.
- There are some who seem to
fancy that for gladness they must roam, that for smiles that are the
brightest they must wander far from home.
o Why do they roam?
They roam because they believe happiness lies
elsewhere.
o According to them, when
do they get bright smiles?
According to them, they get the brightest smiles when they wander away from
home.
- But the gladdest sort of people, when the busy day
is done, are the brothers and the sisters who together share their fun.
o Who are the gladdest people?
The gladdest people are the brothers and sisters who stay together and share
their fun.
o When do they share their fun?
They share their fun when the busy day is over.
o What does 'who' refer to?
‘Who’ refers to the brothers and sisters who enjoy being together.
- It's the stick-together family that wins the joys of earth, that
hears the sweetest music and that finds the finest mirth.
o Who wins the joys of the earth?
The stick-together family wins the joys of the earth.
o How do they find their joy?
They find
their joy in staying united and enjoying the small moments of life together.
o What does the poet mean by 'stick-together family'?
The poet refers to a family that stays united and values their bond as a
‘stick-together family’.
B. Based on the understanding of the poem,
fill in the blanks using the words and phrases given below to make a meaningful
summary of the poem.
1.
brothers and sisters
2.
bitterness
3.
joint family
4.
share their fun
5.
rich and the
6.
poor folk
7.
shatter their family
8.
charm of life
9.
separate ways
10.
the joy of earth
11.
stick-together families
The poet brings out the difference in the attitudes of
children living in joint family and nuclear family. The ________________ are
the happiest of all. Where as the _________________ of nuclear families take
______________. The gladdest people are the children from _______________ who
circle near the fireside. No power other than death can break them. The
_______________ imagine themselves to be wise and in the process they
______________ ties. Each of them goes searching for pleasure in their own
selected way. They harvest only ____________ and find empty joy. But the wisest
among them are the children of the stick-together families. When the busy day
is done, they together ______________. The stick-together family wins
_______________. The old house shelters all the ______________. The poet
invites wandering brothers to come and join the stick-together families in
their fireside and have fun.
Answer:
The poet brings out the difference in the attitudes of
children living in joint families and nuclear families. The stick-together families are the happiest of all,
whereas the brothers and sisters of nuclear
families take separate ways. The gladdest
people are the children from joint family who
circle near the fireside. No power other than death can break them. The rich and the poor folk imagine themselves to be
wise and in the process they shatter their family
ties. Each of them goes searching for pleasure in their own selected way. They
harvest only bitterness and find empty joy.
But the wisest among them are the children of the stick-together families. When
the busy day is done, they together share their fun.
The stick-together family wins the joy of earth.
The old house shelters all the charm of life.
The poet invites wandering brothers to come and join the stick-together
families in their fireside and have fun.
C. Answer the following questions in about
80 - 100 words.
- The stick-together families are the happiest of all. Explain.
The stick-together families are the happiest because they stay united, support each other, and share their joys and sorrows. The poet emphasizes that people who remain with their families experience the true happiness of life. Unlike those who wander in search of pleasure, stick-together families enjoy companionship, warmth, and love. Their bond is strong, and only death can break it. This unity brings them the sweetest music, finest joy, and a sense of belonging that makes life truly fulfilling. - Bring out the difference between the children of the
joint family and nuclear family.
The children of a joint family experience love, togetherness, and emotional security as they grow up with their siblings, parents, and extended family. They gather around the fireside, share their happiness, and create lifelong bonds. On the other hand, children from nuclear families tend to take separate paths, often seeking joy outside their home. They might imagine that happiness lies elsewhere, but they end up feeling lonely. The poet suggests that those who stay together with their families find real happiness and warmth in life.
D. Answer the following:
- There are rich
folk, there are poor folk, who imagine they are wise,...
Pick out the words in
alliteration.
The words in alliteration are "rich folk" and "poor
folk" (repetition of the "f" sound).
- Mention
the rhyme scheme of the poem.
The rhyme scheme of the
poem follows the AABB pattern, meaning that each pair of consecutive
lines rhyme with each other.
Passage:
Family is where we all belong to and from where our identity comes from.
A person is valued based on his family and upbringing.Family is a bond, a long
lasting relationship that holds a bond with each other. There are many values
that one has to learn to get thefamily bonding in the right manner. Bonding
does not happen overnight. It forms withevery second, every minute that you
spend with your loved ones. The understanding,the acceptance, the belonging and
the security all enclosed together is how a family bond is formed. A close
family bond is like a safe harbour, where we feel secure and where we trust
that we have someone always there to whom we could turn to when we need them the
most.It is through a family that we learn the values of love, trust, hope,
belief, cultures,morals, traditions and every little matter that concerns to
us. A strong foundation for any individual comes from being with a supportive
family. Family is one among the greatest gifts that we get from God. To have
parents, who support us, teach us values in life, and gives us a strong
foundation in character, teach us the importance of love and being loved, trust
to be there for one another and many other morals that could be obtained only
from a family. A gift not only with lovable parents, but siblings who care and
love us beyond themselves. We cannot buy or demand all these things in life, as
we are being given to understand their importance. To be part of a happy
family, one should always thank God for the blessing we have in lives, as
having a family who cares and loves us is the greatest blessing that any person
could get in life.
E. Listen to the passage and fill in the blanks with
appropriate answers, rewriting each question.
- A person is valued based on his family and
upbringing.
- Family
bonding does not happen overnight.
- A close family
bond is like a safe harbour.
- A strong
foundation for any individual comes from being with a supportive family.
- A gift not only
with lovable parents, but siblings who care and love us beyond
themselves.
G. Write a four-line poem with rhyming words describing
your family.
My family is a gift so dear,
Filling my heart with love and cheer.
Through every joy and every test,
With them beside me, I feel blessed.
