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 man helped the poet by giving him gold.
(ii) What did the poor man do when he found the poet lying in pain and sadness?
Answer: The poor man bound his head, gave him bread and watched over him night and day.
(iii) Why does the poet think that he cannot help the poor man back in the same way?
Answer: The poet thinks so because the poor man gave him sympathy and kindness which cannot be repaid easily.
(iv) Why is the poor man's help greater than gold?
Answer: The poor man’s help is greater because he gave love, care and sympathy.
(v) “Oh, gold is great, but greater far Is heavenly sympathy.” Why does the poet think so?
Answer: The poet thinks so because sympathy and kindness are more valuable than gold.
2. (b) Find in the poem lines that match the meaning of the following sentences.
(i) I was sad and very unhappy.
Answer: “I lay in sorrow, deep distressed,”
(ii) I was in need and was sad and hurt.
Answer: “I lay in want, and grief, and pain;”
(iii) He fed me and took care of me.
Answer: “He gave me bread, He watched me night and day."
(iv) Gold is valuable but sympathy and love are far more valuable.
Answer: “Oh, gold is great, but greater far Is heavenly sympathy.”
2. (c) Make sentences with the following phrases.
(i) looks were cold
Answer: His looks were cold when he spoke to the poor man
(ii) night and day
Answer: The doctor worked night and day in the hospital.
(iii) pay him back
Answer: I will pay him back for his kindness.
3. Below are some lines from the poem with some words underlined. Choose the correct meanings of the words from the options given in brackets.
(a) I lay in sorrow, deep distressed
(tired/unhappy/angry)
Answer: unhappy
(b) He gave me gold
(money/jewellery/sheets)
Answer: money
(c) And blessed his charity
(money/kind help/pride)
Answer: kind help
(d) A poor man passed my way
(to move past/stopped me)
Answer: to move past
(e) Is heavenly sympathy
(selfishness/godly goodness/pride)
Answer: godly goodness
(f) Greater far is heavenly sympathy
(the feeling of being sorry at another's sadness/the feeling of pain/a superior feeling)
Answer: the feeling of being sorry at another's sadness
5. Here are some of the main ideas of the lines of the poem, but in a jumbled order. Rearrange each set of words to get a complete sentence.
(a) deeply/distressed/was/he
Answer: He was deeply distressed.
(b) heard/a proud man/of/his grief
Answer: A proud man heard of his grief.
(c) looks/cold/were/his
Answer: His looks were cold.
(d) didn't offer/he/a/kindly word
Answer: He didn't offer a kindly word.
(e) the gold/him/back/paid/to/he
Answer: He paid back the gold to him.
(f) even/thanked/him/I
Answer: I even thanked him.
(g) gave him/bread/the poor man/and/him/looked after
Answer: The poor man gave him bread and looked after him.
