Samacheer Kalvi 10th English Solutions Poem 6 No Men Are Foreign

Poem 6 – No Men Are Foreign

Tamilnadu Samacheer Kalvi 10th English Guide No Men Are Foreign Textbook Questions and Answers

A. Based on the understanding of the poem, read the following lines and answer the questions given below.

1. “Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie”
(a) What is found beneath all uniforms?
(b) What is same for every one of us?
(c) Where are we all going to lie finally?
(d) What is the alliterated words in the 2nd line?
(e) What is the figure of speech in the 2nd and 3rd line?
Answers:
(a) Human body is found beneath all uniforms.
(b) The earth we walk up on is the same for every one of us.
(c) We are all going to lie beneath the earth.
(d) beneath; body; breathes
(e) Simile

2. “They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv ’d.
(a) What is common for all of us? (or) What are they aware of?
(b) How are we fed?
(c) Mention the season referred here.
Answer:
(a) The sun, air and water are common for all of us.
(b) We are fed by peaceful harvest.
(c) The winter season

3. Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read A labour not different from our own.
(a) Who does “their” refer to?
(b) What does the poet mean by lines we read?
(c) What does not differ?
Answers:
(a) ‘Their’ refers to the other people of the world whom we consider as strange and foreign.’
(b) The poet by the words, lines we read’ means that their destiny is similar to ours. The lines of their hands also show their capacity of doing hard work or labour.
(c) Labour does not differ.

4. “Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn ”
(a) Who tells us to hate our brothers?
(b) What happens when we hate our brothers?
(c) What do we do to ourselves?
Answers:
(a) The evil rulers tell us to hate our brothers.
(b) When we hate our brothers, we hate ourselves.
(c) We dispose, betray and blame ourselves.

5. “Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries Strange ”
(a) What outrages the innocence?
(b) Who are not foreign?
(c) What is not strange?
(d) Who defiles the earth?
Answers:
(a) War, which is futile spoiling the very earth with hells of fire and dust outrages the innocence.
(b) Any human being who breathes the same air is not foreign.
(c) The world which becomes a more difficult place to live in and any country in this world is not strange.
(d) The men who fight with each other defile our earth.

Additional Questions and Answers

1. Remember they have eyes like ours that wake Or sleep, and strength that can be won By love
(a) What do they have like ours?
(b) What do the eyes do?
(c) How can strength be won?
Answers:
(a) They have eyes like ours.
(b) The eyes wake up or sleep.
(c) Strength can be won by love.

2. In every land is common life
That all can recognize and understand
(a) What is common in every land?
(b) What can all recognise and understand?
Answers:
(a) Life is common in every land.
(b) All can recognise and understand that life is common in every land.

3. Remember we who take arms against each other
It is the human earth that we defile
(a) Who defiles the earth?
(b) Whose earth is this?
Answers:
(a) We who take arms against each other defile the earth.
(b) This is our earth. It is the human earth.

4. Or sleep, and strength that can be won.
Pick out the words that are in alliteration in this line.
Answer:
The alliterated words are: Sleep, Strength

5. Remember, we who take arms against each other.
Write down the words that are in assonance here.
Answer:
The words in assonance are : arm, against.

6. Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes like ours;
(a) Who does all refer to?
(b) What does the poet denote?
Answer:
(a) All refers to the people from the another countries.
(b) The poet denotes universal brotherhood and equality.

7. Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d
What is the poetic device employed here?
Answer:
The poetic device employed here is transferred epithet’. It is used in the phrase – “winter starv’d”.

8. Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence.
(a) What is the figure of speech used here?
Answer:
Metaphor is used here. ‘Hells of fire’ is a metaphor.

9. Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Remember, they have eyes like ours that wake
Remember, we who take arms against each other
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange
What is the figure of speech used in these lines?
Answer:
The figure of speech used here is ‘repetition’.

B. Based on your understanding of the poem complete the following by choosing the appropriate words/phrases given in brackets:

This poem is about the ………………….. (1) …………………… of all men. The subject of the poem is the …………………. (2) …………………. race, despite of the difference in colour, caste, creed, religion, country, etc. All human beings are the same. We walk on the ……………… (3) ……………….. and w/-e will be buried under it. Each and every one of us is related to the other. We all are born the same and die in the same way. We may wear different uniforms like ………………….. (4) ………………… during wars the opposing side will also have the same …………………… (5) ……………….. like ours. We as human do the same labour with ……………….. (6) ………………… and look at the world with the …………………. (7) ………………… Waging war against others as they belong to a different country is like attacking our own selves. It is the ………………… (8) ………………….. we impair. We all share the same ……………………. (9) …………………….. We are similar to each other. So the poet concludes that we shouldn’t have wars as it is …………………… (10) ……………………. to fight against us.
(unity of human, dreams and aspirations, same land, our hands, unnatural, breathing body, same eyes, brotherhood, language, human-earth)

Answers:

1. brotherhood
2. unity of human
3. same land
4. language
5. breathing body
6. our hands
7. same eyes
8. dreams and aspirations
9. human earth
10. unnatural

C. Based on your understanding of the poem answer the following questions in a paragraph of about 100-150 words.

Question 1.
What is the central theme of the poem “No Men are Foreign”.
Answer:
James Kirkup gives a positive message of hope to mankind. In spite of obvious divisions and variances, all are united together by the common bond of civilization and mankind. For their entrusted interests, some selfish people divide lands and people. They collaborate to create hatred and divisions among people. The poet validates the statement that people living in different countries are essentially the same by proclaiming that ‘no men are strange and no men are foreign’.

That is the part of the title of the poem and it is the central theme too. Every single body breathes and functions in the same way as ours. Each one of us equally needs the sun, air and water. Human hands too are used for the similar purpose of labouring for livelihood. Even eyes perform similar purpose of sleeping and waking up. Love wins us all and we all identify its power.

In peace times, we all flourish and wars starve us. Hatred leads us astray and when we take up arms against each other, the entire earth is defiled and destroyed. Therefore, we all like peace which showers abundance and prosperity on us. Therefore, fundamentally we all are the same.

We should understand and try to recognise that the same soul runs through all the people. Let us work for the unity and affluence of all lands and all people. Let us not pollute and taint the earth which is ours. Hatred and narrow ideas pollute the minds of the people.

Conflicts and wars bring destruction and violence. We should remember that raising our arms against anyone means fighting against ourselves. The poet reminds us to remember, recognise and strengthen the common bond that unites mankind and humanity which is the main theme of this poem.

‘Sometimes one feels better speaking to a stranger than someone known.’

(OR)

Poem: No men are foreign
Poet: James Falconer Kirkup
Theme: Universal brotherhood

Human beings are same. We walk on the same land. We will be buried under it. We are related to each other. We all utilise the sunlight, air and water. We live by the food crops of the earth. All have their dreams and aspiration like us. We do the same labour with our hands. We look at the world with the same eyes. We hate ourselves, when we hate our brothers. We are similar to each other. We shouldn’t have war and fight against them.

(OR)

1. Human beings are same.
2. In the world, all are brothers.
3. We live and die in the same earth.
4. The sun, air, water are common to all.
5. We live by the earth food crops.
6. Land is common to all.
7. Love strengthens us.
8. During war, we hate our brothers.
9. So, learn to live in peace with all.

Question 2.
The poem “No Men are Foreign” has a greater relevance ¡n today’s world – Elucidate.
Answer:
Introduction:
The poem “No men are foreign” has a greater relevance ¡n today’s world. Let us see what are the relevance in today’s world.

Theme of the poem:
The poem tells us about unity of human race, despite the differences ¡n colour, caste, creed, etc. The poet tells that there are a lot of conflicts and disasters in and out of every country.

Today’s world:
This has totally affected the world peace and harmony. We defile our earth by means of war. Enmity and hatred must be given to peace and harmony. The earth is full of fire and dust created by means of war. We should not hate our brothers.

Conclusion:
In such situation of considering the earth as the single living place for all, we shall live together, strengthened by love. Thus the earth will be a better place and there will be no more of fire and dust.

(OR)

The poem ‘No Men are Foreign’ has a greater relevance in today’s world. There are a lot of fights and disasters in and out of every countries. The wars are always there between countries for one matter or the other. This has totally affected the world peace and harmony. No one wants to be defeated by the other.

No one bothers about the damage caused to the countries and the loss of lives of lot of people. People pay more attention to the differences and shoot troubles always. As there is no love and spirit of brotherhood, they wage war every now and then. Enmity and hatred must be given to maintain peace and harmony.

Let us consider the earth as the single living place for all who live on it. In such a situation we shall live together, strengthened by love, admiring one another with better understanding. Thus the earth will be a paradise and there will be no more hell of fire and dust.

(OR)

1. This poem has greater relevance to the present world.
2. There is endless war everywhere.
3. There is no spirit of brotherhood.
4. We look at others as different creations.
5. But we are the same and live on the same earth.
6. We have fights and confusions because of our nationalism and racism.
7. We can overcome this if we think about the oneness of mankind.
8. Our inventions destroy us.
9. Only understanding each other can save us.
10. Love alone can bind us and bring out of our blind thoughts.
11. The earth will be our paradise if we give up the differences.
12. Let “No Men are Foreign” be our motto to promote us to peaceful life.

No Men Are Foreign Summary of the poem

 

The poem ‘No men are foreign’ tells about that no people unity of the human race. The people of one country shouldn’t think of the people of other countries as strangers. The poet tells that they are all humans the same as we should not hate it, brothers. At last, the poet asks us to remember that no men are strange and no countries foreign.

About the poet: No Men Are Foreign by James Falconer Kirkup 

James Falconer Kirkup was born on April 23, 1918, in South Shields, Durham, England to James Harold Joseph and Mary Virginia. He attended Westoe Secondary School before studying Modem Languages at Armstrong College where he co-produced the poetry magazines Dint and Fulcrum, which featured his earliest verse. James Kirkup, who died on Sunday 10 May, aged 91, at his Andorran home, was an internationally celebrated English poet, travel writer, memoirist, novelist, playwright and translator. Dining the Second World War, Kirkup secured conscientious objector status, working as a farm labourer and for the Forestry Commission.

Glossary:

Condemn – express complete disapproval –
Labour – hard work
Betray – disloyal – துரோகம்
Defile – damage the purity or appearance
Outrage – the extremely strong reaction of anger shock