Question and answers of the poem “Swallows travel to and fro” as given in the class 8 English textbook ‘Lavender’ explanation. You can also see its explanation and notes.
Swallows Travel To and Fro Poem Q&A
A. Choose the correct option
1. What does the image of swallows flying to and fro signify?
Ans: That no matter where we are, we have a connection with each other through Nature.
2. According to the poem, when steady breezes blow, what do they bear?
Ans: They bear the emotions of love and kinship across distances.
3. What is the significance of the phrase ‘Severed souls by day and night’ in the poem?
Ans: It tells us that people who are separated by distance can find connection with each other through Nature.
4. What is the main message of the poem?
Ans: There is a universal bond and shared delight between people and the natural world.
B. Answer these questions
- What are the things mentioned by the poet that are the same everywhere?
Ans: The poet mentions the same sunshine, moonshine, breezes, dew, rain, and the beauty of flowers everywhere. - What, according to the poet, does one find wherever one may go?
Ans: According to the poet, one always finds something familiar and comforting in nature, no matter where they go. - What does the poet wish to convey through the last three lines of the poem?
Ans: The poet conveys that even if people are far apart, they can still feel connected through shared experiences, emotions, and the universal beauty of nature.
Reference to the context
1. Breezes hasten, swallows fly… See the same sunshine above.
a. What does the line Breezes hasten, swallows fly mean?
Ans: iv. The breezes and the swallows travel freely from one place to another without any restrictions.
b. What do the ‘towered clouds’ do continuously?
Ans: The “towered clouds” move continuously across the sky, symbolizing constant motion in nature.
c. What do the last two lines of the stanza mean?
Ans: iv. That two people in different locations are connected by the same natural experiences.
2. Dew and rain fall everywhere… And makes all the countries one.
a. Which figure of speech is used in the stanza very vividly?
Ans: ii. Imagery
b. Explain: And the live air, fanned with wings/ Bright with breeze and sunshine.
Ans: i. It refers to the movement of the air being stirred or ‘fanned’ by the wings of swallows.
c. According to the poet, what are the things that you will find everywhere?
Ans: The poet says dew, rain, ripened harvests, flowers, sunlight, and moonlight are found everywhere.
d. What is the underlying significance of these lines?
Ans: ii. That people of the world live in different countries but experience the same natural environment.
Time to think and answer
- According to the poet, how are the people of the world connected? Do you agree with the poet? Why or why not?
Ans: People are connected through shared experiences in nature, like sunlight, breezes, and moonlight. Yes, I agree because nature creates a universal bond that transcends physical distances and reminds us that we all belong to the same world. - What does the line ‘Something kindred greets us still’ convey?
Ans: This line conveys that wherever we go, we find something similar or familiar in nature that touches our hearts and reminds us of home.
Time to enjoy
1. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Ans: The rhyme scheme is AAAB, CCDD in each stanza.
2. Find examples of personification in the poem.
Ans: examples of personification are:
- “Breezes hasten” (Breezes are described as moving quickly like humans).
- “Bearing perfume, bearing love” (The breeze is given the human quality of carrying emotions).
- “Towered clouds forever ply” (Clouds are shown to move purposefully).
What feelings are evoked in you when you read the poem ‘Swallows Travel To and Fro’?
Ans: The poem evokes feelings of peace, unity, and comfort. It reminds me of the beauty of nature and how it connects us all, even when we are far apart.
3. The poet repeats the title of the poem ‘Swallows Travel To and Fro’ in the first line of the first stanza. Why do you think he does so?
Ans: The repetition emphasizes the constant movement of the swallows, which symbolizes the ongoing connection and unity that nature creates between people across distances.
