About the Poet
Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894) was an English poet who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional and children's poems. She is perhaps best known for her poem Goblin Market.
Let's Share: Pre-Reading Activities
1. Fill in the blanks with suitable words:
(b) The sky gets clear after rain.
(c) An arrow is shot from a bow.
(d) White is the colour of peace.
2. Look at the pictures. Which particular word comes to your mind after seeing the two pictures?
The Poem: Text & Bengali Meaning
Word Nest:
| English Word | Meaning in English | Bengali Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| prettier | more beautiful | আরও সুন্দর |
| overtops | rises above, lies above | উপরে ওঠা, ছাড়িয়ে যাওয়া |
Activity Solutions
Activity 1 Tick [✓] the correct alternative:
(b) Clouds are prettier than (ii) boats and ships.
(c) The poet talks about a bow that bridges (i) heaven.
(d) The poet mentions that the road is from (iii) earth to sky.
Activity 2 Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
(b) The sailing boats and ships are less beautiful than clouds that sail across the sky.
(c) Bridges are built over the rivers.
(d) The bow builds a road from earth to sky.
Activity 3 Answer the following question:
Answer: Boats and ships sail on the surface of water and are driven by engines or wind pushing against their physical structure. Clouds, on the other hand, sail freely and weightlessly across the vast sky, floating gently with the wind, which makes their movement more graceful and beautiful.
Activity 4 Fill in the following chart with information from the text:
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Boats sail | on the rivers |
| Clouds sail | across the sky |
| The bow | bridges heaven |
| The bow | overtops the trees |
Activity 5 Answer the following questions in complete sentences:
Answer: The rainbow, which the poet calls "the bow that bridges heaven," is prettier than boats, ships and clouds.
(b) What are the clouds compared to?
Answer: The clouds are compared to sailing boats and ships. The poet says that just as boats and ships sail on water, clouds sail across the sky.
(c) How do you think the rainbow builds a road from the earth to the sky?
Answer: A rainbow forms an arch in the sky. One end of the rainbow appears to touch the earth while the other end reaches up into the sky. This curve creates an illusion of a beautiful, colourful road connecting the earth to the sky.
(d) Which, according to the poet, is the prettiest of all objects mentioned in the poem?
Answer: According to the poet, the rainbow (the bow that bridges heaven) is the prettiest of all objects mentioned in the poem.
Activity 6(a) Read the passage and pick out the countable and uncountable nouns:
Passage: Standing on the sea-shore, the four friends were watching the night sky. They looked at the stars in wonder. They felt the soothing breeze and heard the waves roaring in the deep sea.
| Countable Nouns | Uncountable Nouns |
|---|---|
| friends, stars, waves | sky, wonder, breeze, sea |
Activity 6(b) Circle the collective nouns and underline the abstract nouns in the following sentences:
(ii) Honesty is the best policy. (Underline Honesty - Abstract Noun)
(iii) A troop came marching on. (Circle troop - Collective Noun)
(iv) The old man is known for his wisdom. (Underline wisdom - Abstract Noun)
Activity 6(c) Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the given verbs in the brackets:
(ii) My father did his work last night. (do)
(iii) They go to the playground. (go)
(iv) The football match was seen by many people. (be)
Activity 7(a) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words from the help box:
Help Box: sail, pretty, bridges, earth
(i) She has a pretty blue skirt.(ii) Bridges help us to cross rivers.
(iii) Ships sail across the ocean.
(iv) We must plant trees to save our earth.
Activity 7(b) Make meaningful sentences of your own with the following words:
across : The children ran across the playground to meet their friends.
bridge : The Howrah bridge is a famous landmark in West Bengal.
road : We should always follow traffic rules while crossing the road.
Let's Talk Discuss how you would spend a rainy day holiday:
On a rainy day holiday, I would love to sit by the window with a warm cup of tea and watch the raindrops fall. I would read my favourite storybook and listen to the soothing sound of rain. In the afternoon, I might make paper boats and float them in the water puddles outside my house with my siblings.
Writing Skills
Activity 8(a) Write a paragraph in about sixty words describing a rainbow you see after a heavy shower:
Yesterday evening, after a heavy shower, I saw a beautiful rainbow in the clear, cloudless sky from my rooftop. It looked like a magical, multi-coloured bow across the horizon. The vivid seven colours — violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red — were clearly visible. The sight filled my heart with joy and wonder. I felt as if a colourful bridge had been built from earth to heaven, just as the poet described.
Activity 8(b) Write a paragraph in about sixty words describing what you see standing on a bridge:
Standing on a bridge, I can see many interesting things below. The river water flows gently, sparkling in the sunlight. Small boats with fishermen float by peacefully. I can see tiny fish swimming just beneath the surface. On the riverbank, children are playing and people are walking. The view from the bridge is very calming and beautiful.
Let's Work Together
Project Draw pictures of things you need on a rainy day and write sentences:
An umbrella protects us from getting wet in the rain. We should always carry it during the rainy season.
A raincoat keeps our body and clothes dry. It is easy to wear when we go out in the rain.
Gum boots protect our feet from muddy and dirty water. They are very useful during the rainy season.