NCERT solutions for इंग्लिश पूर्वी कक्षा ८ chapter * - Harvest Hymn [Latest edition]

Work in pairs and share your responses with your classmates and teacher.

India celebrates many harvest festivals. When is the harvest festival celebrated in your region and how is it celebrated?

A hymn refers to a song of praise.

1. To whom do we offer a hymn?
2. When and where do we sing a hymn?
3. 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.’

Work in pairs. Read the paragraph and select the correct meaning for each underlined word from the options given below. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

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. radiance: (i) glow (ii) brilliance
2. tribute: (i) respect (ii) gratitude
3. cherished: (i) preserved (ii) loved
4. counsel: (i) advice (ii) decision
5. munificent: (i) rich (ii) generous

Write the stanza number for the main idea of each stanza given below. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

Fill in the blank by choosing the appropriate word or phrase from within the bracket.

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

Fill in the blank by choosing the appropriate word or phrase from within the bracket.

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.

Fill in the blank by choosing the appropriate word or phrase from within the bracket.

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)

Identify the poetic device used in the following line from the poem.

Bright and munificent lord of the morn!

Identify the poetic device used in the following line from the poem.

We bring thee our lives and our labours for tribute

Match the lines from the poem in Column 1 with their expressions in Column 2. Choose the appropriate poetic device from the box given below and write in Column 3.

Certain words or phrases are repeated in the same line of the poem.

For example, The gold of our fields and the gold of our fruit;

Find more such repetitions from the poem. What is the poet’s purpose of using repetition in the poem?

The poem uses symbolism to convey deeper meanings. Match the symbols in Column 1 with the meanings they convey in Column 2.

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow.

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

1. They fear the gods and wish to calm them in any way possible.
2. They have a deep sense of reverence and gratitude towards the divine.
3. They are forced to perform rituals without understanding the divine.
4. 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)

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow.

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

1. Our physical body
2. Our entire existence
3. Our spiritual practices
4. 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:

1. The divine as a timeless, everlasting presence
2. Beyond human comprehension or description

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

Why do the farmers hail the God of rain?

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

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

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

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

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

Why is the poem presented as a hymn?

Match the pictures of the farming implements given in Column 1 with their use given in Column 2. Then, fill in the blanks in Column 3 to complete the name of the implement.

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
1.	(i) A tool with a long handle with metal teeth for collecting hay or leaves.	S _ C K L _
2.	(ii) A small hand tool used for digging and making shallow furrows.	S C _ T H _
3.	(iii) A hand-held tool with a curved blade attached to a short handle. It is used for harvesting crops.	P L _ _ G H
4.	(iv) A tool pulled by oxen. It is used for turning over the soil in the field so that seeds can be sown or planted.	T R _ W _ L
5.	(v) A farm tool having a flat rectangular blade attached to a long wooden handle used for digging the soil.	R _ K _
6.	(vi) A hand-held tool with a long-curved blade attached to a long handle used for cutting tall grass.	S P _ D _

Choose the correct synonym for the underlined word in the given sentence from the box below. Circle the words or phrases in the sentence that helped you to infer the meaning.

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

synonym:

Choose the correct synonym for the underlined word in the given sentence from the box below. Circle the word or phrase in the sentence that helped you to infer the meaning.

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

synonym:

Choose the correct synonym for the underlined word in the given sentence from the box below. Circle the word or phrase in the sentence that helped you to infer the meaning.

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

synonym:

Choose the correct synonym for the underlined word in the given sentence from the box below. Circle the word or phrase in the sentence that helped you to infer the meaning.

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

synonym:

Choose the correct synonym for the underlined word in the given sentence from the box below. Circle the word or phrase in the sentence that helped you to infer the meaning.

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

synonym:

You have learnt about some archaic words. Some more archaic words are given below. Refer to a dictionary to find commonly used words which are similar in meaning.

1. morrow
2. hither
3. quoth
4. betwixt
5. yonder

Listen to the talk about paddy cultivation. As you listen, number the events in the correct order in which they happen.

1. Transplanting of seedlings
2. Ploughing of soil
3. Threshing of grains
4. Puddling of land
5. Harvesting of paddy
6. Irrigating the field
7. Milling of rice

Listen to the talk again. As you listen, choose the correct option to answer the question that follow.

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

Listen to the talk again. As you listen, choose the correct option to answer the question that follows.

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

Listen to the talk again. As you listen, choose the correct option to answer the question that follows.

Why is drying rice grains important after threshing?

In English, some letters are not pronounced in certain words. For example, in words like ‘knife’, ‘knowledge’, and ‘know’, the first letter ‘k’ is not pronounced. Let us look at a few more such examples.

• 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
  Now, say these words aloud.
• In the words given below the letter ‘b’ is silent when it appears with ‘m’.
  womb, tomb, bomb, climb, comb
  Now, say these words aloud.

In our country, harvest is celebrated with the preparation of delicious dishes. Work in groups and make a presentation on any popular dish made during the harvest festival in your region. Use the prompts given in the box to make your presentation. Make sure that all the members share their views.

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.

Creative slogans are used to spread a message to capture the reader’s attention. Some examples are given below:

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

You may write the slogan on a chart paper and decorate it.

Millets are a varied group of small-seeded grasses. They have more fibre and minerals than other cereals. Millets have been a part of the Indian cuisine for years. They have been rediscovered worldwide as superfoods.

1. Read the information on Pearl Millet given below.
   
   Use the link given below to know more about other kinds of millets.
   https://eatrightindia.gov.in/millets2023/assets/documents/Millets%20-%20Nutritious%20Cereal%20of%20India.pdf
2. Work in groups of four and do the following activities.
   1. Find out if millets are a part of your cuisine.
   2. Find recipes with millets and compile them into a booklet.
   3. Create a recipe of your choice.

Songs related to harvest season form a part of our culture and heritage. Talk to the elders in your house and learn a song sung on a harvest festival. Share it with your classmates and teacher. Then, compile all the songs to create a songbook with the help of teacher.