Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 9 English Tulip Book Poem 1 No Men Are Foreign Question Answers
No Men Are Foreign Question Answers: Looking for important questions and answers of JKBOSE Class 9 English Tulip Book Poem 1 No Men Are Foreign? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practicing JKBOSE Class 9 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the board exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring No Men Are Foreign Question answers now. The questions listed below are based on the latest JKBOSE exam pattern. All the exercises and Questions Answers given at the back of the lesson have also been covered.
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Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 9 English Tulip Book Poem No Men Are Foreign Textbook Questions
Understanding the Poem
1. What does the poet mean by “uniforms’ in the poem?
Ans. By “uniforms,” the poet means the different clothes, military uniforms, or national costumes that people wear based on their country, profession, or culture. These uniforms represent superficial differences that divide people into various nationalities or groups. The poet emphasizes that beneath all these different uniforms, there is “a single body” that “breathes like ours,” meaning we are all fundamentally the same human beings despite external differences.
2. What according to the poet makes all the people alike on the earth?
Ans. According to the poet, all people are alike because they share the same physical body, live on the same earth, and need the same basic things like sun, air, and water. Everyone is fed by peaceful harvests, works with their hands in similar ways, and has eyes that wake or sleep. All humans share common life experiences, emotions, and labor that everyone can recognize and understand regardless of nationality or culture.
3. What outrages the innocence and beauty of this earth?
Ans. Wars and armed conflicts outrage the innocence and beauty of the earth. The poet describes how “hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence of air that is everywhere our own.” When people take arms against each other, they defile the human earth that we all share. War pollutes the pure air, destroys the land, and violates the natural beauty and peace of our common planet.
4. What message do you get from the poem?
Ans. The poem’s main message is that all human beings are essentially the same regardless of nationality, race, religion, or culture, so no one should be considered foreign or strange. The poet warns that when we hate or fight others, we ultimately harm ourselves and defile our common earth. The poem strongly advocates for universal brotherhood, peace, and love, urging us to reject the artificial divisions and recognize our shared humanity.
Learning about the literary devices
1. Do you find any rhyme scheme in the poem?
Ans. No, the poem does not follow a regular or consistent rhyme scheme. It is written in free verse (blank verse), which means it does not have a fixed pattern of rhyming words at the end of lines. However, the poem has a rhythmic quality created through repetition of the word “Remember” and the repeated refrain “no men are foreign, no countries strange,” which gives it a memorable, prayer-like quality.
2. What is the style used by the poet in the poem?
Ans. The poet uses free verse with simple, direct language that makes the message accessible to all. The style features powerful repetition of “Remember” (anaphora) and the refrain “no men are foreign, no countries strange” to emphasize the central message. The poet uses vivid imagery like “hells of fire and dust” and inclusive pronouns like “we” and “our” to create shared responsibility and make the persuasive, didactic message memorable and emotionally impactful.
Discussion
1. What are the things that divide people today? Do you think that negotiations can resolve conflicts? If yes, how? if no, why? What should be done in the latter case?
Ans.
In today’s world, despite technological advancement and globalization, several factors continue to divide humanity:
Religion and Religious Extremism: Different religious beliefs and interpretations often create barriers between communities, sometimes leading to communal violence and hatred.
Nationalism and Patriotism: Excessive national pride can create an “us versus them” mentality, making people view other nations as enemies or threats.
Race and Ethnicity: Racial discrimination and ethnic conflicts persist in many parts of the world, with people judged by skin color or ethnic origin rather than character.
Economic Inequality: The growing gap between rich and poor creates social divisions, with wealth concentrated in few hands while millions struggle in poverty.
Political Ideology: Different political beliefs (democracy vs. authoritarianism, capitalism vs. socialism) create deep divisions both within and between nations.
Caste and Class Systems: Social hierarchies based on birth or economic status continue to segregate communities, especially in traditional societies.
Language and Culture: Linguistic and cultural differences sometimes create misunderstandings and barriers to communication.
Territory and Borders: Disputes over land, resources, and national boundaries lead to tensions and conflicts between nations.
Gender Discrimination: Inequality between genders divides societies and denies equal opportunities to women.
Misinformation and Propaganda: False narratives spread through media and social platforms create distrust and hatred between groups.
Can negotiations resolve conflicts?
Yes, negotiations can resolve most conflicts if approached with genuine intent, mutual respect, and willingness to compromise. Here’s how:
How Negotiations work
Negotiation is a peaceful way of solving disagreements where opposing groups meet to talk and find solutions together instead of fighting. When people negotiate, they communicate openly about their problems and listen carefully to understand what the other side wants and why they are upset. The main benefit of negotiation is that it stops violence and saves lives by using words instead of weapons. Both parties must be ready to compromise, which means giving up some demands to reach an agreement that works for everyone. Sometimes neutral mediators help guide the discussion and suggest fair solutions that both sides can accept. Through patient dialogue, enemies can slowly build trust and move from hatred to cooperation. Good negotiations don’t just fix surface problems but address the real reasons for conflict like poverty, unfair treatment, or lack of resources. When successful, these talks create lasting peace agreements that follow international laws and prevent future wars. Negotiation proves that even bitter enemies can resolve their differences peacefully when they choose conversation over combat, protecting innocent people and building a better future for all.
When negotiations might fail:
However, negotiations may not always succeed when one or both parties refuse to negotiate in good faith, show complete unwillingness to compromise, or are driven by deep-rooted hatred and historical trauma that block rational dialogue. They may also fail when extreme ideological differences leave no common ground, when powerful vested interests benefit from the continuation of conflict, or when one side seeks total domination rather than peaceful coexistence.
What should be done when negotiations fail:
When direct negotiations fail, the following approaches can be adopted:
1. Sustained Diplomatic Pressure: International community pressure, economic sanctions, and isolation can force parties back to negotiating table.
2. Grassroots Peace Movements: Civil society, NGOs, and people-to-people contact can build pressure for peace from below when leaders fail.
3. Education and Awareness: Long-term investment in education that teaches tolerance, empathy, and shared humanity can transform attitudes over generations.
4. Economic Interdependence: Creating economic ties that make conflict costly encourages peaceful coexistence through mutual interest.
5. International Intervention: As a last resort, UN peacekeeping forces or humanitarian intervention may be necessary to stop atrocities and create conditions for eventual peace.
6. Truth and Reconciliation: Processes that acknowledge past wrongs, provide justice, and facilitate healing can break cycles of revenge.
7. Cultural Exchange: Promoting arts, sports, and cultural exchanges helps humanize “the other” and build understanding.
8. Legal Mechanisms: International courts and tribunals can adjudicate disputes and hold perpetrators accountable.
2. How do wars affect our lives?
Ans. Wars harm every part of human life. They take away millions of lives and leave many people with lifelong injuries and mental pain. Homes, schools, hospitals, and roads are destroyed, making people poor and stopping development. Families are separated, and millions become refugees without safety or shelter. Education and cultural heritage are badly affected. Wars also damage nature and increase violence and human rights abuses. The suffering does not end with one generation, as children inherit fear, trauma, and hatred. As No Men Are Foreign reminds us, war hurts all of humanity, so peace is necessary for a safe and better future.
Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 9 English Tulip Book Lesson No Men Are Foreign Extra Question and Answers
Extract-Based Questions
A. Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.
Q1. What does the poet want us to remember?
Ans. The poet wants us to remember that no men are strange and no countries are foreign.
Q2. What is breathing beneath all uniforms?
Ans. A body like ours breathes beneath all uniforms.
Q3. Where do we walk on?
Ans. We walk on Earth.
Q4. What is the similarity between what we walk on and where we will lie when we die?
Ans. Both what we walk on and where we will lie is Earth.
Q5. What does the word ‘foreign’ mean?
Ans. ‘Foreign’ means something or someone that comes from another region, country, or culture.
B. They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read
A labour not different from our own.
Q1. What feeds both foreign men and us?
Ans. We and foreign men are fed by peaceful harvests.
Q2. What are foreign men aware of?
Ans. Foreign men, like us, are also aware of sun, air, and water.
Q3. How are our hands similar to the hands foreign men have?
Ans. Our hands and theirs do the same labour to survive in the world.
Q4. Which season is shown in this poem?
Ans. The season ‘winters’ is shown in this poem.
Q5. Name one thing from the extract that all human beings need to survive.
Ans. All human beings need food to survive.
C. Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won
By love. In every land is a common life
That all can recognise and understand.
Q1. Do foreign men sleep like us?
Ans. Yes.
Q2. Where do we get strength from?
Ans. We get strength from love.
Q3. What is recognisable in every land?
Ans. Common life is recognisable in every land.
Q4. What does the poet want us to remember?
Ans. The poet wants us to remember that all human beings have the same eyes which close when sleeping and open when awake.
Q5. Give an antonym of ‘strength’.
Ans. Weakness.
D. It is the human earth that we defile.
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.
Q1. Which line shows repetition?
Ans. “Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.”
Q2. What do humans defile with hatred and discrimination?
Ans. Humans defile the earth with distinctions made from hatred and discrimination.
Q3. What does “Our hells of fire and dust” symbolise?
Ans. “Our hells of fire and dust” symbolises war which causes mass destruction and pollution.
Q4. What does war cause?
Ans. War ruins the innocence of children and pollutes the environment.
Q5. What does the extract highlight?
Ans. The extract highlights the adverse effects of war on mankind and the environment.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. Who is the poet?
A. Rabindranath Tagore
B. Walt Whitman
C. James Kirkup
D. Robert Frost
Ans. C. James Kirkup
Q2. Which poetic device do we not see in the poem?
A. Alliteration
B. Metaphor
C. Anaphora
D. Enjambment
Ans. C. Anaphora
Q3. What is recognisable in every land?
A. Military
B. Language
C. Common Life
D. All of the above
Ans. C. Common Life
Q4. Which poetic device is present in this line: “Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign”?
A. Repetition
B. Alliteration
C. Metaphor
D. None of the above
Ans. A. Repetition
Q5. Which poetic device is present in this line: “Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes Like ours.”
A. Simile
B. Alliteration
C. Both A and B
D. None of these
Ans. C. Both A and B
Q6. “Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.” What is the poetic device in this line?
A. Simile
B. Alliteration
C. Assonance
D. Symbolism
Ans. B. Alliteration
Q7. What is enjambment?
A. running lines of poetry from one line to the next without using any kind of punctuation to indicate a stop
B. running lines of poetry from one line to the next without using any kind of emotion to create dramatisation
C. running lines of poetry from one line to the next without using any kind of description to create imagery
D. None of the above
Ans. A. running lines of poetry from one line to the next without using any kind of punctuation to indicate a stop
Q8. “Remember they have eyes like ours that wake Or sleep.” What is the poetic device being used in this line?
A. Simile
B. Alliteration
C. Both A and B
D. None of these
Ans. A. Simile
Q9. “Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.” What is the poetic device in this line?
A. Simile
B. Alliteration
C. Metaphor
D. Both B and C
Ans. D. Both B and C
Q10. Where is enjambment seen in Stanza 5?
A. Lines 2 and 3
B. Lines 1 and 5
C. Lines 2 and 6
D. Lines 1 and 4
Ans. A. Lines 2 and 3
Q11. Which word in the poem can be used in the same context as the word ‘foreign’?
A. Outrage
B. Innocence
C. Strange
D. Strength
Ans. C. Strange
Q12. We should be united on the basis of:
A. Mutual respect
B. Equal treatment
C. Mutual love
D. All of the above
Ans. D. All of the above
Q13. What quality do we derive from the poem?
A. Brotherhood
B. Motherhood
C. Equality
D. Both A and C
Ans. D. Both A and C
Q14. What should we not do according to the poet?
A. Discrimination
B. Hating foreign men
C. Finding foreign men weird
D. All of the above
Ans. D. All of the above
Q15. What is the rhyming scheme of the poem?
A. ABABC
B. ABCDE
C. ABCAB
D. It is a freeverse
Ans. D. It is a freeverse
Q16. What does war not spread?
A. Hatred
B. Destruction
C. Defilement
D. Love
Ans. D. Love
Q17. Select the correct antonym of ‘foreign’.
A. Strange
B. Local
C. Extraterrestrial
D. Exotic
Ans. B. Local
Q18. Select the correct synonym of ‘defilement’.
A. Destruction
B. Ruin
C. Shredding
D. All of the above
Ans. D. All of the above
Q19. What is the poem’s view of war?
A. They are inevitable for progress
B. A necessary evil
C. War ruins shared humanity
D. They are inevitable for defence
Ans. C. War ruins shared humanity
Q20. What happens when we hate our brothers?
A. We defile the earth
B. We defile the universe
C. We defile politics
D. All of the above
Ans. A. We defile the earth
True or False
1.The poet says that beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes like ours.
2. According to the poem, the land our brothers walk upon is different from our earth.
3. All people are aware of the sun, and water.
4. People are fed by peaceful harvests according to the poem.
5. The poet says that their hands are different from ours.
6. The poem states that people have even like ours that wake or sleep.
7. Strength can be won by hatred according to the poet.
8. In every land, there is common life that all can recognize and understand.
9. When we are told to hate our brothers, we betray and condemn ourselves.
10. Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence of air that is everywhere our own.
Answers:
1.True
2. False (the land is earth like ours, in which we all shall lie)
3. True
4. True
5. False (their hands are ours)
6. True
7. False (strength can be won by love)
8. True
9. True
10. True
Fill in the Blanks
1. Remember, no men are __________, no countries foreign.
2. Beneath all __________, a single body breathes like ours.
3. The land our brothers walk upon is __________ like this, in which we all shall lie.
4. They, too, aware of sun and __________ and water.
5. They are fed by peaceful __________, by war’s long winter starv’d.
6. Their __________ are ours, and in their lines we read a labour not different from our own.
7. They have __________ like ours that wake or sleep.
8. Strength can be won by __________, in every land is common life.
9. Whenever we are told to hate our brothers, it is __________ that we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
10. It is the human __________ that we defile when we take arms against each other.
Answers
1. strange
2. uniforms
3. earth
4. air
5. harvests
6. hands
7. eyes
8. love
9. ourselves
10. earth
Extra Questions
Answer the following questions-
Q1. What kind of barriers do we have between our brothers and us?
Ans. We have artificial and man-made barriers between our brothers and us.
Q2. How does the war harm both humanity and the earth?
Ans. The war, according to the poet, harms innocent lives and defiles the earth with pollution.
Q3. Which common experiences does the poem highlight?
Ans. The poem highlights common experiences like breathing air, walking on earth, getting fed by peaceful harvests, doing the same labour, and sleeping.
Q4. Why does the poet highlight the experiences discussed in the previous question?
Ans. The poet aims at highlighting the shared experiences of all human beings to promote a sense of interconnectedness between us and foreign men.
Q5. Why does the poet use the idea of a ‘single breathing body’?
Ans. The poet uses the idea of a ‘single breathing body’ to invoke a feeling of global empathy. ‘A single breathing body’ denotes that every human being has a body, and the body breathes in and out to survive.