Class 8 “Hope” is the Thing with Feathers Poem Question and Answers | Book Skylark

Given are here, question and Answers based on the poem “Hope” is the thing with feathers’ given in the Class 8 English textbook ‘New Skylark’.

Also See…
Explanation of “Hope” is the thing with feathers’
Notes on “Hope” is the thing with feathers’

“Hope” is the Thing with Feathers” Poem Question and Answers

Understanding the Text

A. Fill in the blanks with words from the poem.

1. ……….. is like a bird that perches in the soul.
2. Hope sings a ……….. that has no words.
3. The song of Hope could be heard even in the ………..
4. The ……….. feels ……….. as it cannot embarrass Hope.
5. Hope has never asked for a ……….. from the poet.

Answers:

1. Hope is like a bird that perches in the soul.
2. Hope sings a tune that has no words.
3. The song of Hope could be heard even in the Gale.
4. The storm feels sore as it cannot embarrass Hope.
5. Hope has never asked for a crumb from the poet.

B. Answer the following questions.

1. Where does Hope perch?
2. How does the poet describe the song of Hope?
3. What is the storm that could abash the little bird called Hopе?
4. Where is the tune heard? What does it do to the people who hear it?
5. What does it mean by ‘Yet-never-in Extremity, / It asked a crumb-of me?

Answers:

1. Where does Hope perch?
   Ans. Hope perches in the soul, which means it lives deep inside a person’s heart or mind.
2. How does the poet describe the song of Hope?
   Ans. The poet says that Hope sings a tune without words, and it never stops singing, no matter what happens.
3. What is the storm that could abash the little bird called Hope?
   Ans. The storm means very difficult or painful times in life. These are so hard that they can even shake or weaken Hope for a moment.
4. Where is the tune heard? What does it do to the people who hear it?
   Ans. The tune is heard in the strong wind (Gale), in the coldest land, and on the strangest sea. It gives courage and comfort to the people who hear it, even in hard times.
5. What does it mean by ‘Yet – never – in Extremity, / It asked a crumb – of me’?
   Ans. It means that Hope never asks for anything in return, not even a tiny bit (a crumb), even when we are in the worst situations.

Answer Set – 2

1. Where does Hope perch?
   Ans. Hope perches (sits) in the soul of a person.
2. How does the poet describe the song of Hope?
   Ans. The poet says Hope sings a tune without words that never stops.
3. What is the storm that could abash the little bird called Hope?
   Ans. It is a very strong, painful storm (a “sore” gale) so powerful that it might embarrass or frighten the little bird of Hope.
4. Where is the tune heard? What does it do to the people who hear it?
   Ans.
   • The tune is heard even in the Gale (stormy wind), the chilliest land, and on the strangest sea.
   • It comforts, warms, and gives courage to everyone who hears it.
5. What does it mean by “Yet—never—in Extremity, / It asked a crumb—of me”?
   Ans. Even in the worst and most difficult times (“extremity”), Hope never asked the poet for anything—not even a tiny scrap (“crumb”). Hope gives freely without expecting a reward.

Answer Set – 3

1. Where does Hope perch?
   • Hope perches in the soul. It lives inside a person, giving them strength and comfort.
2. How does the poet describe the song of Hope?
   • The poet describes the song of Hope as a tune without words. It is a soft, continuous song that never stops, even though it doesn’t have actual words.
3. What is the storm that could abash the little bird called Hope?
   • The storm that could abash (or embarrass) the little bird called Hope is a sore or very strong storm. This represents difficulties or challenges in life that might try to weaken hope, but the bird (hope) doesn’t get affected.
4. Where is the tune heard? What does it do to the people who hear it?
   • The tune of Hope is heard in the chilliest land and the strangest sea. It helps people feel comforted and warm, giving them hope during tough and uncertain times.
5. What does it mean by ‘Yet-never-in Extremity, / It asked a crumb-of me’?
   • This means that hope never asks for anything in return, no matter how difficult or extreme the situation. It is selfless, giving strength and comfort without expecting anything from the person.

C. Answer these questions with reference to the context.

1. ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers
   a. What has ‘Hope’ been compared to in this poem?
   b. How has this comparison been reflected throughout the poem?
   c. What is the song that ‘Hope’ sings? Why does it only sing the tune and not the word?
   
2. That could abash the little Bird
   a. What could abash the little Bird?
   b. What is that thing that could abash the bird be a metaphor for?
   c. What happens to the thing that tries to abash the little bird?

Answers:

1. ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers

• a. Hope has been compared to a bird with feathers.
• b. The poet describes Hope as a bird that lives in our soul, sings sweet songs, and never gives up, even in hard times. This shows that hope is always there, helping us, just like a small bird that keeps singing.
• c. The song is the feeling of hope and comfort. It sings a tune without words because hope is a feeling, not something we say out loud. It’s something we feel quietly inside.

2. That could abash the little Bird

• a. A very strong storm could abash (or shake) the little bird. This means that big problems or troubles might try to weaken hope.
• b. The storm is a metaphor for hard times in life, like sadness, fear, or big problems that try to make us lose hope.
• c. The storm or trouble fails to stop the bird from singing. The bird (hope) keeps singing bravely, which shows that hope is strong and never gives up.

D. Think and answer.

1. ‘Hope’is a precious possession of an individual. Give reasons to justify this statement.

Answer:

Yes, hope is a precious possession because it lives inside us and gives us strength in difficult times.

Even when everything feels bad, hope keeps us going like a little bird singing in our hearts.
It never asks for anything in return, and it comforts us when we feel sad, scared, or alone.

That’s why hope is very special and valuable — it helps us stay positive and strong, even when life is hard.

Another Answer:

Yes, Hope is indeed a precious possession of an individual. This is because:

• Hope helps us through difficult times: In the poem, the poet describes how Hope keeps singing even in the strongest storm, coldest land, and roughest seas. This shows that hope is something that helps us keep going, even when things are hard.
• Hope never asks for anything in return: The poet says that hope never asks for a crumb from us, meaning it never demands anything. This shows that hope is something we can always count on, even when we have nothing to give.
• Hope gives warmth and comfort: The poet mentions that the song of hope is sweetest in the Gale (storm). This shows that hope provides us with comfort and strength, especially when life is tough.
• Hope is always present: Just like a bird that never stops singing, hope is something that never leaves us. Even in the worst times (Extremity), hope stays with us and continues to guide us.

E. Read and appreciate the poem.

1. Read the poem in class with proper stress and intonation. Then, critically analyse it and write the imagery and figure of speech that the poet has used while describing ‘Hope.

Answer:

✅ Imagery (Pictures created in the reader’s mind):

Emily Dickinson uses beautiful images to help us imagine hope as:

• A bird with feathers sitting inside our soul
• A bird that sings a sweet tune during a storm
• A bird that keeps singing in the coldest land and the strangest sea

These images make us feel how strong and comforting hope is, even in the worst times.

✅ Figures of Speech Used:

Figure of Speech	Example	Meaning / Effect
Metaphor	“Hope is the thing with feathers”	Hope is compared to a bird. It shows that hope is light, free, and comforting.
Personification	Hope sings, perches, asks nothing	Hope is given human-like or bird-like actions. This makes it easier to understand.
Imagery	“chillest land”, “strangest sea”	These phrases paint pictures in our minds and show how hope travels with us everywhere.
Alliteration	“strangest Sea”, “sings the song”	Repeating beginning sounds makes the poem musical and pleasant to read aloud.

Playing with Words

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the box to complete the similes.

Word box: tortoise, ice, rock, feather, cheetah, fox, silk, fire

1. Her hair is as smooth as ………..
2. This bag is as heavy as a ………..
3. Akash ran as fast as a ………..
4. Parineeti is as clever as a ………..
5. Her hand felt as cold as ………..
6. The tea is as hot as ………..
7. Harshit is as slow as a ………..
8. My head feels as light as a ………..

Answers:

1. Her hair is as smooth as silk.
2. This bag is as heavy as a rock.
3. Akash ran as fast as a cheetah.
4. Parineeti is as clever as a fox.
5. Her hand felt as cold as ice.
6. The tea is as hot as fire.
7. Harshit is as slow as a tortoise.
8. My head feels as light as a feather.
   

G. Complete the sentences by adding the prefixes un-, in-, im- or non- to the words given in the brackets.

1. The protagonist of the story is an ………… (mortal).
2. An ………… (advertent) administrative error resulted in the deletion of the data.
3. Selja is not ………… (different) to the plight of others.
4. It is ………. (proper) to shout in public places.
5. Romi’s behaviour at the party was ………. (acceptable).
6. Buy the ………. (stick) frying pan, so you can cook at ease.
7. He got everyone’s ………. (verbal) assent to his proposal.
8. He was ……….. (qualified) for this job.

Answers:

1. The protagonist of the story is an immortal (mortal).
2. An inadvertent (advertent) administrative error resulted in the deletion of the data.
3. Selja is not indifferent (different) to the plight of others.
4. It is improper (proper) to shout in public places.
5. Romi’s behaviour at the party was unacceptable (acceptable).
6. Buy the non-stick (stick) frying pan, so you can cook at ease.
7. He got everyone’s verbal (verbal) assent to his proposal.
8. He was unqualified (qualified) for this job.

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Learning the Language

H. Write the dependent and independent clauses in the following sentences.

1. This is the place where my father was born.
2. I was tensed about the exam results, but I passed with flying colours.
3. I do not know when my mother will arrive.
4. Rohit has a younger sister, who lives in the US.
5. You seem to understand what the teacher is teaching.

Answers:

1. This is the place where my father was born.
   • Independent clause: This is the place
   • Dependent clause: where my father was born
2. I was tensed about the exam results, but I passed with flying colours.
   • Independent clause: I was tensed about the exam results
   • Independent clause: I passed with flying colours
     (Note: There are two independent clauses joined by “but”.)
3. I do not know when my mother will arrive.
   • Independent clause: I do not know
   • Dependent clause: when my mother will arrive
4. Rohit has a younger sister, who lives in the US.
   • Independent clause: Rohit has a younger sister
   • Dependent clause: who lives in the US
5. You seem to understand what the teacher is teaching.
   • Independent clause: You seem to understand
   • Dependent clause: what the teacher is teaching

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