NO MEN ARE FOREIGN-
Extra Questions and
Notes
INTRODUCTION
Have
you ever thought of some people as strange, or other countries as “foreign”? We
have many ways to think of other people as different from “us”, as “them”.
“They” may belong to a different country, or speak a different language. In
this poem, however. the poet reminds us of the many ways in which we are all
the same: for we are all human.
(क्या आपने
कभी सोचा है कि कुछ लोग अजीब होते है और कुछ देशों को हम ‘विदेश’ कहते है ं? हम कईं
प्रकार से दूसरे लोगों को अपने से भिन्न मान सकते हैं और अपने -आपको उनसे भिन्न ।
हो सकता है “उनका संबंध
किसी दूसरे देश के साथ हो और वे कोई दूसरी भाषा बोलते हों । इस कविता के माध्यम से
कवि हमें कई विधियों के बारे में बताता है, जिससे हम अपने-आपको दूसरे के
समान मान सकते हैं । इनमें सबसे बड़ा कारण हमारा इंसान होना है ।)
THEME
The
theme of the poem “No Men are Foreign” is the oneness of mankind underneath the
superficial differences of colour, race, nationality and faith. It presupposes
that all human beings are brothers and sisters. Those who spread hatred and
wage wars are criminals and deserve to be condemned. The poem also deals with
the supremacy of love, accord, friendship and amity among all the people in
this world.
TITLE
“No Men are Foreign” is an apt title for the
poem, because it deals with the theme of universal brotherhood. Human beings
all over the world have identical behaviour and the differences based on the
manmade concepts of caste, creed, barriers etc. are unnatural. Every human
being responds positively to love. Hence no human being is a foreigner or an outsider.
MESSAGE
This
is a peace poem and gives a strong message to stop all wars and look upon
humanity as a unified entity. The poet warns the rulers of all the countries
that when they wage wars they not only injure the interests of those whom they
hate but also injure themselves. They should know that peace brings prosperity
and wars bring destruction. Hence, those who spread hatred and cause wars
against their brothers and sisters in different parts of the world actually
harm the cause of peaceful mutual co-existence.
Summary:
‘No
Men Are Foreign’ is a beautiful poem giving a message of unity and hannons
among all people and nations of the world. The poet says that (in this world)
no men are strange and no countries are foreign. We are all human beings. We
have a common soul. It is true that our skin may be of a different colour but
our soul is the same. We may belong to a different country and speak a
different language but we all enjoy the beauty of nature.
We
should remember that our eyes that wake, sleep and love are alike all over the
world. It is a fact that wherever we may be but we can defeat strength with
love. We should keep in mind that if we hate others it means that we hate to
ourselves. In the end, the poet says that people are polluting this earth by
their deeds. We should protect our atmosphere and keep in mind that this
universe is the creation of God and we all are one.
SUMMARY IN HINDI
‘No
Men Are Foreign’ संसार के सभी लोगों और राष्ट्रों के बीच एकता
और समरसता का संदेश देने वाली एक सुंदर कविता है । कवि कहता है कि इस संसार में
कोई भी व्यक्ति अजीब नहीं है और कोई भी
राष्ट्र परदेस नहीं है । हम सभी इंसान है । हम सभी की आत्मा एक समान है । यह सच है
कि हमारी चमड़ी तो अलग-अलग रंगों की हो सकती है परंतु हमारी आत्मा तो एक जैसी है ।
हो सकता है कि हम किसी दूसरे देश में रहते हो और कोई दूसरी भाषा बोलते हो लेकिन हम
सभी प्रकृति का पूर्ण रूप से आनंद लेते है ।
हमें यह याद रखना चाहिए कि हमारी आँखें जो जागने सोने और प्यार करने का
कार्य करती है । सारे संसार में एक समान है ।यह एक तथ्य है कि चाहे हम कहीं पर भी
रहें हम ताकत को प्यार से पराजित कर सकते है । हमें अपने मन में यह बात रखनी चाहिए
कि यदि हम दूसरों से घृणा करते है तो इसका अर्थ यह है कि हम स्वयं से ही घृणा करते
है । अंत में कवि कहता है कि लोग अपने कार्यों से इस धस्ती को प्रदूषित रहे हैं
। हमें अपने पर्यावरण को बचाना चाहिए और
यह बात ध्यान में रखनी चाहिए कि यह सारा ब्रम्हांड भगवान की सृजना है और हम सभी एक
हैं ।
STANZAS
(I)
Remember,
no men are strange, no countries foreign,
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.
Emphasising the value of universal
brotherhood, the poet draws our attention to the absence of any differences
amongst the people of different countries. He asks us never to forget that
people living in other countries are not strange or unfamiliar. Under their
different types of clothes, all human beings are the same. All human bodies
live and breathe in a similar fashion. We are all brothers because we walk upon
the same earth that we have divided into countries. Also, we all shall meet
this same earth in the end when we shall be buried in it after death.
1.
What makes men strange and countries foreign?
Geographical
boundaries segregate countries. We consider countries other than ours to be
‘foreign’ and the people living in these countries to be ‘strange’.
2. Explain: ‘Beneath all uniforms, a single
body breathes’.
The
line means that though the outward appearance of people varies because of the difference
in their attire, there is an inherent similarity between all human beings. All
people live and breathe in a similar fashion. Militaries in the world may don
different uniforms but they comprise of human beings who essentially are the
same anywhere in the world.
3.
Who is referred to as ‘our brothers’ in this stanza?
The
people who live in countries other than ours have been referred to as our
brothers because basically, we all have similar emotions, hopes, joys and
sorrows.
4. Explain: “In which we all shall lie.”
The poet says that at the end of our
respective lives, we all shall lie buried in the same earth. He means to draw
our attention to the common fate that awaits us regardless of our nationality.
5. What lesson can we learn from these lines?
These
lines teach us the lesson of peace, universal brotherhood and harmony. We learn
that since all people in the world are like our brothers and sisters, there are
no enemies or strangers to be afraid of.
(II)
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long
winter starv’d.
Their
hands are ours, and in their lines, we read
A labour was not different from our own.
All the people of the world are nourished and
nurtured equally by the elements of Nature like sun, air and water. Everyone is
united by the sameness of spirit. Like us, the people in other countries too
enjoy the harvests in peaceful times and dread starvation caused by long-drawn
wars. They too toil to earn the livelihood and their destiny is similar to
ours.
1.
Who does ‘they’ refer to in the first line?
‘They’ refers to the people of countries other
than ours, whom we consider being strange.
2. What are they aware of?
‘They’
to are aware of the benefits of sun, air and water. Like us, they also draw
sustenance from these elements of nature.
3.
Explain the expression: ‘Their hands are ours’.
‘Their
hands are ours’ means that they too work hard like us with their hands to earn
their livelihood. It also means that human beings have basically the same
physiognomy.
4.
Which poetic device has been used in “war’s long winter starv’d”? Why has war’s
winter been called long?
The
poetic device used in “war’s long winter starv’d” is a ‘metaphor’. Here the
starvation caused by the harsh winter season has been compared indirectly to
the destructive period of wartime. The winter of war has been called ‘long’
because unlike the natural phenomenon of the winter season, it is
self-inflicted trouble that not only robs the warmth of peace but also seems
unending.
5. Explain: ‘A labour not different from our
own’.
This
expression means that the hard work done by the people who live in other
countries is not different in any way from the one that we do. All of us have
to toil and work hard in a similar way for survival.
(III)
Remember
they have eyes like ours that wake
Or
sleep, and strength that can be won By love.
In
every land is the common life
That all can recognise and understand.
The poet asks us to remember that the
so-called ‘strange’ and ‘foreign’ people experience sleep and wakefulness like
us. Like us, they too can be won over by love and not by force.T heir
experiences of life are similar to that of ours. Hence, we all find something
familiar in each other’s life and identify with each other.
1. Who do the words ‘they’ and ‘ours’ refer
to?
‘They’
refers to people of different countries whom we consider to be strange. ‘Ours’
refers to the people living in our own country whom we consider to be like us.
2. Explain: ‘they have eyes like ours that
wake or sleep’.
The poet is trying to bring home the idea that
those people whom we consider strange or foreign are similar to us in every
way. They sleep and wake up each new day just like us. Even though the colour
and shape of their eyes is different from ours, they perform a similar
function.
3. According to the poet, how can we win other
people?
The
poet says that the strength of other people can be won by love and kindness,
not by force or war.
4. What do you understand by ‘common life’?
‘Common life’ means life anywhere in the world
that has similar patterns and features – birth and death, joys and sorrows,
youth and old age, and so on and so forth. This commonness of ‘common life’ is
experienced by all the people of the world regardless of the country in which
they live.
(IV)
Let
us remember, whenever we are told
To
hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That
we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember,
we who take arms against each other.
The poet says whenever we are asked by our
leaders or rulers to hate and exploit the people of other countries, we must
remember that this hatred would have a negative effect on us. We would find
ourselves cheated as it would deprive us of the S bliss of universal
brotherhood. We would condemn ourselves to a life of enmity and strangeness.
1. Who do you think tells us to hate our
brothers?
The
opportunist and power-hungry leaders and politicians, who are at the helm of
affairs during wartime, tell us to hate our brothers.
2.
Why do we sometimes hate our brothers?
We sometimes hate our brothers because we
allow vested and unscrupulous politicians and religious leaders to instigate
us. We are taken in by their lies about our differences and begin to consider
our brothers as strange and foreign.
3. How shall we dispossess ourselves?
We shall dispossess ourselves by hating our
brothers in other parts of the world when we are told by the politically
motivated people to do so. These brothers are not foreign or strange just
because they belong to different countries, races and cultures.
4. What advice does the poet give us in these
lines?
The
poet advises us to ignore the directions of those who incite us to hate and
exploit others because by doing so we harm ourselves.
(V)
It is the hurt earth that we defile,
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.
The poet again reminds us that war is futile
as it spoils the very earth for which we take up arms against each other. The
deadly weapons emit fire and ashes that spread all over and pollute the
environment. This robs the air of its purity and the world become a more
difficult place to live in. It is, therefore, important not to consider any
human being as foreign and any country as strange. We must build mutual respect
and trust.
1.
What is ‘human earth’?
‘Human
earth’ is the human world that is comprised of all countries, races, cultures
and creeds.
2. How do we define human earth?
We
defile or pollute the human earth by using arms and ammunition to cause
widespread death and destruction. Modern day weapons and modem industries cause
irreparable damage to the environment.
3. Whom do we harm by going to war?
By going to war, we harm ourselves as much as
we harm the enemy. The environmental pollution makes this earth an equally
unhealthy place to live in for both sides that go to war.
4. Explain: ‘hells of fire and dust’ and ‘the
innocence of air’.
‘Hells of fire and dust’ stands for the
devastation created and caused by the arms and ammunition used in wars.
‘Innocence of air’ means the freshness and purity of air that nature has
blessed us with. It also indicates the innocence of the human mind. The dust
and smoke thus caused pollute the very air we breathe.
5. What does the poet want to convey by
telling us that “It is the human earth that we defile”?
The
poet wants to convey that wars cause massive destruction of life and property.
They ruin the clean and green environment of the earth and breed hatred and
enmity. Hence, no one benefits from war because the damage caused to earth is
to be borne equally, for we all share the same earth.
STANZAS
STANZA 1
Remember,
no men are strange, no countries foreign
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.
हिंदी अनुवाद – कवि कहता है कि हमारे लिए कोई भी
व्यक्ति अजनबी नहीं है और कोई भी देश विदेश नहीं है I हम सभी
मानव होने के नाते एक समान है और प्रत्येक के नीचे एक ही प्रकार का शरीर होता है l हमारी
भाँति हमारे भाई भी इस धरती पर चलते है और इसी धरती में ही हम सभी को समा जाना है I
Questions
:
(a) What should we remember?
(b) What uniforms is the poet talking about?
(c) Where do our brothers walk?
(d) Where shall we all lie at the end of our
life?
(e) Name the poem and the poet.
Answers :
(a) We should remember that no men are strange
and no country is foreign.
(b) The different uniforms by different kind of
people.
(c) They walk on this earth.
(d) We all shall lie in the earth at the end of
our life.
(e) The name of the poem is ‘No Men Are Foreign’
and the name of the poet is ‘James Kirkup’.
STANZA 2
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s lone
winter starv’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines, we
read
A
labour not different from our own.
हिंदी अनुवाद– सभी को धूप, हवा और जल
का ज्ञान है और उनका समृद्ध फसलों के द्वारा पोषण होता है और अब शीत काल के भुखमरी
वाले दिन बीत गए हैं l हम सभी एक समान हैं l
Questions :
(a) Who do they refer to in this stanza?
(b) What are they fed by?
(c) What are they starved by?
(d) How is labourer different from us?
(e) Name the poet.
Answers :
(a) They refer to the other people of the world.
(b) They are fed by peaceful harvests.
(c) They are starved by long winter
(d) A labour is little different from any one of
us.
(e) The name of the poet is ‘James Kirkup’.
STANZA 3
Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or
sleep, and strength that can be won
By
love. In every land is common life ‘
That
all can recognise and understand.
हिंदी अनुवाद – याद रखो कि अन्य देशों में रहने
वाले लोगों की ऑंखें भी हमार्री ही आँखों की तरह जागती और सोती हैं I और हम उन
लोगों के बल को भी प्यार की ताकत से जीत सकते हैं I प्रत्येक देश में जीवन एक समान
है और हम इसको अच्छी तरह से पहचान और समझ सकते हैं I
Questions
(a) What do the eyes do ?
(b) How
can strength be won ?
(c)
What is common in every land ?
(d)
What can all recognise and understand ?
(e)
Name of the poem .
Answers :
(a) The eyes wake and sleep.
(b) Strength can he win with love.
(c) Life is common in every land.
(d) All can recognise and understand that life is
common in every land.
(e) The name of the poem is ‘No Men Are Foreign’.
STANZA 4
Let
us remember, whenever we are told
To
hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who lake arms against each other
हिंदी अनुवाद – आओ , हम हमेशा
याद रखें कि जब कभी भी हमें अपने भाइयों से घृणा करते हैं और हम अपने आपको ही
अधिकार मुक्त करते हैं और अपने आपको ही धोखा देते हैं और अपना ही अपमान करते हैं I याद रखो हम एक-दूसरे के खिलाफ
हथियार उठाते हैं I वे हम अपने खिलाफ उठाते हैं I
Questions
:
(a) Who
are we told to hate?
(b) Whom do we hate when we hate others?
(C) What are we doing to our fellow beings?
(d)
Write the Name of the poem.
(e) Write the Name of the poet.
Answers :
(a) Who are told to hate our brothers?
(b) When we hate others we hate ourselves.
(c) We are disposing of; betraying and
criticising our fellow beings.
(d) The name of the Poem is ‘No Men Are
Foreign’.’
(e) The name of the Poet is ‘James Kirkup’.
STANZA 5
It
is the human earth that we defile.
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.
हिंदी अनुवाद – हम अपने कार्यों से धरती माता को
प्रदूषित करते जा रहे हैं I हम ज्वाला और धूल से इस वायु की पवित्रता को , जो हमारे
जीवन का आधार है , नष्ट करते जा रहे हैं I याद रखो , कोई भी
व्यक्ति विदेशी नहीं है और कोई भी देश अजीब नहीं हैं I
Questions
:
(a)
What are we doing to the earth?
(b) What is outraging this earth?
(c) What can we call our own?
(d) Is
there any strange country?
(e) What should we remember?
Answers
:
(a) We are polluting this earth.
(b) Hells of fire and dust are outraging this
earth.
(c) We
can call the air our own.
(d) No,.there is not any strange country.
(e) We
should remember that no men are foreign and no country is strange.
Additional Very Short
Answer Type Questions
1.
What should we remember about men?
Ans.
We should remember that no men are strange.
2.
What should we remember about countries?
Ans.
We should remember that no countries are foreign.
3.
Where do we all walk upon?
Ans.
We all walk on the same earth.
4.
Where shall we all lie in the end
Ans.
In the end, we all shall lie in the earth.
5.
What are all men fed by?
Ans.
All men are fed by peaceful harvests.
6.
What do you mean by peaceful harvest?
Ans. By peaceful harvests, we mean the crops
grown during the period of peace.
7.
What do you mean ‘wars’ long winter?
Ans.
It means the painful days of the war when we are kept indoors.
8.
What are we doing to the human earth?
Ans.
We are polluting the human earth.
9.
Why should we not hate others?
Ans.
We should not hate others because they all are our brothers.
10.
What do you mean by ‘hells of fire and dust’?
Ans. ‘Hells of fire and dust’ means the wars
that cause a lot of destruction.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Q1.”Beneath
all uniforms…” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about? (Textual)
Ans:-
The poet is speaking about the dresses or uniforms that armies of different
countries wear. Though these ‘uniforms’ are absolutely different in appearance
the bodies under them are the same. The poet tries to convey that the
differences among the people of different countries are superficial.
Essentially, all human beings are the same.
Q2.Whom
does the poet refer to as ‘our brothers’ and why?
Ans:-The
poet refers to the people living in other countries as ‘our brothers’. He says
so because the superficial dissimilarities of complexion, language, dress,
culture and nationality do not, and must not, segregate us as human beings.
Human wants, human needs, human hopes, human emotions are the same anywhere in
the world.
Q3.How
does the poet suggest (in the first stanza) that all people on earth are the
same? (Textual)
Ans:-In
the first stanza, the poet suggests that no human being is strange or
different. Beneath the superficial surface of our bodies, we all have similar
hearts, minds and souls. We all breathe and live in a similar manner. The earth
is our common asset and one day we all shall die and be buried in the same way.
Q4.What does the poet mean when he says, ‘in
which we all shall lie’?
Ans:-The
poet means that we all shall lie under the same earth. Here ‘lie’ means to be
buried after death. This is to highlight that all of us have to meet the same
fate, sooner or later, hence there is no point in hating each other.
Q5.
In stanza 1, find five ways in which we are alike. Pick out the words phrases
suggesting these similarities.
(Textual)
Ans:-Following
are the five phrases that suggest that we are all alike.
(1)
No men are strange
(2) No countries foreign
(3) a single body breathes like ours
(4)
the land our brothers walk upon is earth like this
(5)
in which we all shall lie
Q6.
Why does the poet call harvests ‘peaceful’ and war as ‘winter’?
Ans:-Harvests
are called ‘peaceful’ because they bring abundance and prosperity and they
thrive in peaceful times only. War, on to the other hand, is like the severe
and harsh ‘winter’ that ruins the crops and starves people. It is only the
peaceful times that bring harmony and contentment. War destroys everything and
forces people to face hunger, poverty, disease and death.
Q7.
How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.
(Textual)
Ans:-The common features listed in stanza 2
are:
Like
us, the people in other countries too enjoy
(i) sun (ii) air (iii) water (iv) peaceful
harvests
Like
us, they too hate starvation caused by long drawn wars
Like
us, they too work hard for their livelihood by using their hands.
Q8. ‘They have eyes like ours’. What similarity
does the poet find in the eyes of people all over the world?
Ans:-The
poet finds that eyes of men all over the world have similar sights and scenes
to see, and experience the phenomena of waking up and sleeping in a similar
way. Hence, the so-called strange and foreign people to have eyes just like us.
Even though the colour and shape of their eyes are different from ours, they
bring us identical experiences and perform a similar function.
Q9.”…whenever we are told to hate our
brothers….” When do you think this happens and why? (Textual)
Ans:-Whenever
their own importance or existence is in danger, politicians and religious
leaders make us believe that our existence and our interests are in danger and,
provoke us to hate our fellow human beings. This happens when we allow our
reason to be swayed by our fears and hatred.
Q10.
In one of the stanzas, the poet finds similarity in human hands. What is it?
Ans:-The
poet feels that people of all countries have to work hard in a similar fashion
to earn their livelihood. This is done by them with the help of their hands. It
is the hands that do all the work in the world and it is the hands that are a
source of all creativity.
Q11.Who
tells us ‘to hate our brothers’? Should we do as we are told at such times?
What does the poet say?
(Textual)
Ans:-The
politically motivated and power-hungry people tell us to hate our brothers
during wartime. The poet says that we should not get swayed by such
provocation. If we do so, it would result in our own dispossession, betrayal
and condemnation.
Q12.How
does man pollute this earth by going to war?
Ans:-Man
pollutes the earth by causing death and destruction and by spreading hatred and
enmity through wars. The war also causes irreparable damage to the earth’s
environment by polluting it with dust, debris and smoke caused by war weapons.
Q13.
What does the poet say about ‘hating our brothers’?
Ans:-The
poet strongly condemns ‘hating our brothers’. He feels that when we indulge in
such negativity, we actually harm ourselves. We deprive ourselves of the love
of our brothers and earn condemnation for such depravity.
Q14.
Why does the poet say that people of the world should live in peace and not go
to war?
Ans:-The
poet advocates living in peace because peace brings progress, prosperity and
cheer in this world. He advises mankind to shun wars because wars bring death,
exploitation, want, poverty and starvation. They also defile the earth and
pollute the very air we all breathe.
Q15.How
does the poet propose to win over other countries?
Ans:-The
poet proposes to win over other countries through the divine force of love. It
is a universal fact that this world responds positively to love and kindness.
So the poet plans to use it to end all hatred and war and create peaceful
heaven on earth.
Q16.Who,
according to you, is the speaker in this poem?
Ans:-The
speaker in this poem is the poet himself who stands for the goodness of the
human heart that propagates love, peace and universal brotherhood. He is a
champion of love, peace and joy.
Q17.In four stanzas out of five, the poet uses
the word “Remember”. Why do you think he has repeated this word so many times?
Ans:-By
repeating the word ‘remember’, the poet wishes us never to forget that our
ideas, emotions and experiences are similar to that of the people we
conventionally think of as ‘strange’ or ‘foreign’. He wants to emphasise that
all human beings are identical in nature and phases of human life are the same
anywhere in the world.
Q18. Mention any two ways in which people living
in other countries are similar to us.
Ans:-All
people of the world have eyes similar to ours. They too experience the
phenomena of sleeping and waking up like us. The emotion of love too is
experienced and responded to in a similar manner by all the people. Everyone’s
physical strength can be countered with the power of love.
Q19.
What is the central idea of the poem?
Ans:-The
central idea of the poem is that all human beings are similar and equal. Hence,
we should love one another and live in peace and harmony. Universal brotherhood
and harmonious co-existence will not only unite us but will also save our
mother earth from getting polluted and damaged.
Q20.
Why do countries engage in wars and to what effect?
Ans:-Vested
interests of the power-hungry people instigate the common man to hate
fellow-beings living in different parts of the world. This narrow approach
leads to wars and results in bloodshed and irreparable loss of innocent lives.
Q21.How does the title sum up the theme of the
poem “No Men are Foreign”?
Ans:-Right through the poem, the poet talks
about the concept of universal brotherhood and peaceful co-existence, without
any place for any kind of prejudice. He emphasises the fact that all human
beings are inherently the same and divisions based on nation, caste, colour,
creed or religion are baseless. James Kirkup, the poet, has beautifully
conveyed these ideas through the title of the poem “No Men Are Foreign”.
Q22.
“No Men are Foreign” is an anti-war poem. Comment.
Ans:-“No
Men Are Foreign” is a peace poem which propagates the idea of human brotherhood
and peaceful co-existence by annihilating all war and hatred. War harms both
the suppressed and the suppressor. It brings about death, destruction,
deprivation’ starvation and pollution. Hence, wars should be shunned forever.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
(to
be answered in about 100 – 150 words each)
Q1.
How does the poem justify that people in all countries of the world are
essentially the same?
Ans:-The
poet justifies the statement that people living in different countries are
essentially the same by asserting that ‘no men are strange’. 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
toiling for livelihood. Eyes too perform the similar function of sleeping and
waking up. Love wins us all and we all recognise 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,
essentially we all are the same.
Q2.
‘Wars have always brought total ruin in this world, yet they are fought
repeatedly.’ Discuss.
Ans:-
Wars are the result of over-ambition and greed of irresponsible rulers of the
world. They bring ruin both to the victor and the vanquished by shattering the
economy of the warring countries. In the past, wars were localised but now they
are global and hence more dangerous and destructive. The memories of the First
and the Second World Wars are still fresh in our minds. The horrific
after-effects of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 can still be seen.
Still, it is appalling to note that people of the world do not learn from
history. The danger of yet another war lurks all the time. The divisive forces
are even stronger in the present times and the mad race for armaments too is
scary. Hope lies in the strength of the common people who should refuse to be
fooled by vested and unscrupulous leaders. Instead, people of the world should
look at the world as a global village that offers innumerable opportunities and
reasons for peaceful coexistence.
Q3.
How does the poet James Kirkup prove that no men are foreign? How far is he
able to convince his reader about it?
Ans:-The
poet, James Kirkup, cites various examples to prove that no men are foreign.
The very title of the poem is thought-provoking and compels the reader to think
about the issue of people living in other countries as foreigners and
strangers. As the poem progresses, the poet repeatedly emphasises that all
human beings are identical in their nature and approach. All live on the same
earth; enjoy air, sun and water; love peace and are averse to war. They all
have common experiences and toil in a similar manner to earn the livelihood.
The logical reasoning put forth by the poet and the frequent reminders fully
convince the reader that no men are foreign. He gets the message that
alienation from fellow brethren is equally damaging to himself. He also
understands that by treating other men as foreign, the world stands exposed to
the risk of war which can lead to irreversible destruction and pollution of
mother earth. Q4. In what way do we dispossess, betray and condemn ourselves by
hating our brothers and taking up arms against them? By hating our brothers and
taking up arms against them, we ‘dispossess’ ourselves as we deprive ourselves
of their love. When we hate them, they too retaliate negatively and cease to
love us. Mutually, we deprive each other of the noble emotion of love. We
betray ourselves as our hatred leads to wars, and wars cause widespread death
and destruction. This leads to the piling up of trash that pollutes our own
mother earth. The dust and smoke from war choke the air that we breathe. So,
hatred of fellow beings, in fact, leads to betrayal of our own selves. Further,
this earns us condemnation as we violate the purity of the elements of nature.
We threaten our own existence by ruining the systems that sustain us. Hence,
hating our brothers and taking up arms against them does more damage to us.
Q4.How,
according, to the poet, the human earth is ‘defiled’ and the innocence of air
‘outraged’?
Ans:-
The weapons of war make the earth dirty and spoil its atmosphere. The deadly
ammunition destroys the fertility of the earth and makes it barren. Explosives
cause destructive fires sending ashes all over. This pollutes the land as well
as the air and the water. It leads to the spread of hunger and innumerable
diseases. Both earth and air lose their purity. Thus, the victor, as well as
the vanquished, find the Earth and its environment hostile and unfriendly. The
kind mother Nature becomes absolutely helpless and is unable to shower her
gifts on human beings. It is tarnished and robbed of its bounties. The
innocence of air is signified by its purity. But wars strip the air of this
innocence and fill it with smoke and dirt. The air then becomes unsuitable for
human survival. Thus ‘human earth’ is ‘defiled’ and ‘innocence of air’ is
‘outraged’ by wars.
Go
to the NCERT Solution “ Reach for the top Part I”
Value Based Questions and Answers of NO MEN
ARE FOREIGN
QUICK
REVIEW OF THE POEM
1.
What should we remember?
(A) No men are strange (B)
No countries are foreign
(C) both (A) and (B)
(D) none of the above
Ans. (C) both (A) and (B)
2.
A single body breathes beneath all ………..
(A) uniforms
(B) souls
(C) heads
(D) all of the above
Ans.
(A) uniforms
3.
In the end, we all shall lie in
(A) earth
(B) water
(C) fire
(D) air
Ans. (A) Earth
4.
What are all people aware of?
(A) sun
(B) air
(C) water
(D) all of the above
Ans. (D) all of the above
5.
What are we doing to the human earth?
(A) defiling
(B) saving
(C) decorating
(D) sustaining
Ans. (A) defiling
6.
We should we bate?
(A) our brothers
(B) our enemies
(C) decorating
(D) we should hate none
Ans. (D) we should hate none
7.
What message does the poet want to convey in the poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’?
(A) all men are our brothers (B) all
men are good
(C)all men are bad
(D) God is everywhere
Ans. (A) all men are our brothers
8.
Who is the poet of the poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’?
(A) James Kirkup (B) W.B.Yeats
(C) Robert Frost
(D) Phoebe Cary
Ans. (A) James Kirkup
9.
How can strength be won?
(A) by War (B)
by hatred
(C) by love
(d) by the strength
Ans. (C) by love
10.
What should we not do to others?
(A) love
(B) hate
(C) care
(D) meet
Ans. (B) hate
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