Sympathy
Questions
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-
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
2. (a) Questions
i. How did the proud person help the poet when the poet was unhappy?
Answer:-
ii) What did the poor man do when he found the poet lying in pain and sadness?
Answer:-
iii). Why does the poet think that he cannot help the man back in the same way?
Answer:-
iv) Why is the poor man’s help greater than gold?
Answer:-
v) “Oh, gold is great but greater far is heavenly sympathy.” Why does the poet think so?
Answer:-
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.
ii) 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.
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, 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) A poor man passed my way(to move past/stopped 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:-
4. 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 .
5. 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 poorman’s/is/gold/greater/sympathy
Answer:- The poor man’s sympathy is greater than gold.
6. Summary of the poem Sympathy by Charles Mackay
Answer:-