- 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-
Answer:- giving him gold.
b) When the poet lay in want and grief, the one who helped him was
Answer:- a poor man –
c) The poor man gave the poet
Answer:- sympathy
d) When the poet’s sorrow passed, he went to the proud man and
Answer:- gave him back the gold.
e) The poet refers to sympathy as ‘heavenly’ because of sympathy.
Answer:- is a blessing from God
- (a) Questions
i. How did the proud person help the poet when the poet was unhappy?
Answer:- When the poet was unhappy, the proud person helped him with money.
ii) What did the poor man do when he found the poet lying in pain and sadness?
Answer:- When the poor man found the poet lying in pain and sadness, the poor man didn’t leave his side. He bounded his head and gave him food to eat. The poor man took care of him day and night.
iii). Why does the poet think that he cannot help the man back in the same way?
Answer:- The poor man had no money to help the poet, but he had a soulful mind to help him. The poor man devoted his sympathy with the poet and took care of him all day and night to relieve him. The sympathy is heavenly that cannot be paid back.
iv) Why is the poor man’s help greater than gold?
Answer:- The poor man’s way of help is full of heavenly sympathy, while the rich man’s help was just an expression to show the power of his wealth. His help had no sympathy. So, the poor man’s help is greater than gold.
v) “Oh, gold is great but greater far is heavenly sympathy.” Why does the poet think so?
Answer:- Gold or money is exchangeable and can be measured. Whereas the sympathy that a man show with another is priceless. Sympathy complements humanity. That is why sympathy is godly goodness and therefore the poet also thinks so.
b) Find in the poem lines that match the meaning of the following sentences.
i) I was sad and unhappy- I lay in sorrow, deeply distressed.
i
i) I was in need and was sad and hurt – I lay in want and grief, and pain.
iii) He fed me and took care of me. – He bound my head, he gave me bread, He watched me night and day.
iv) Gold is valuable but sympathy and love are far more valuable.- Oh, gold is great but greater far is heavenly sympathy.
c) Make sentences with the following phrases:
i) Look was cold: The rich man helped him with money, but his looks were cold.
ii) night and day: The poor man worked hard night and day.
iii) pay him back: After his recovery, the man was able to pay the rich man back.
- 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, deeply distressed(tired/unhappy/angry)
Answer: distressed-unhappy
b) He gave me gold(money/jewelry/sheets)
Answer:- Gold- money
c) And blessed his charity(money/kind help/pride)
Answer:- Charity-kind help
d me)
Answer: passed- to move past.
e) Is heavenly sympathy(selfishness/godly goodness/pride)
Answer:- Heavenly- 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:- sympathy- the feeling of being sorry at another’s sadness.
- Lets’ have fun with words
The jumbled words below have been taken from the poem. Spell the words correctly. List their antonyms (if any ) alongside. Mention whether the words are nouns or adjectives . One has been done for you .
- As you know , the lines of a pome are not always written like prose . Here are some of the main ideas of the lines of the poem , but a jumbled order. Rearrange each set of words to get a complete sentence . Remember to start the sentence with a capital letter and end it with a full stop .
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 kind word.
e)The gold/him/back/paid/to/he
Answer:- He paid the gold back 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 looked after him and gave him bread.
h) than/the poor man’s/is/gold/greater/sympathy
Answer:- The poor man’s sympathy is greater than gold.
- Summary of the poem Sympathy by Charles Mackay
Answer:- Once the poet was full of grief and very depressed. A rich and proud man heard about the poet’s problems and came to help him. The proud man offered him money but did not offer him any words of sympathy.
When the poet recovered, he went back to the man and repaid all the gold. He also stood straight, offered the man thanks, and blessed him for this help. The poet was lying in sorrow and in pain. A poor man saw him and took care of him. He also offered him food to restore the poet’s health. He took great care of the poet until the poet regained his health. The poet wonders how to repay an act of selfless kindness. He realizes that having money to repay a debt is a great thing, but kindness is a heavenly act that cannot be easily repaid.