Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 9 English Tulip Book Poem 10 The Child’s Prayer Question Answers
The Child’s Prayer Question Answers: Looking for important questions and answers of JKBOSE Class 9 English Tulip Book Poem 10 The Child’s Prayer? 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 The Child’s Prayer 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 The Child’s Prayer Textbook Questions
Understanding the poem
1. Who is the speaker in the poem and to whom is it addressed?
Ans. The speaker in the poem is a child (a young person with pure and innocent aspirations). The poem is addressed to God (as evident from the line “Save me, my God, from all snares of evil”). It is a prayer where the child expresses his wishes and seeks divine blessings and guidance.
2. What does the child wish to be? List his wishes in the order they are described in the poem.
Ans. The child wishes the following-
To be like a kindly candle light – spreading gentle illumination
To vanish the world’s darkness – removing ignorance and suffering
To fill every corner with light of day – spreading hope and knowledge everywhere
To adorn his land – beautifying and honoring his country like blossoms adorn a garden
To love the candle of knowledge – being passionate about learning like a moth loves light
To love and serve the poor – making service to the needy his life’s mission
To show sympathy to the weak and those in pain – being compassionate
To be saved from snares of evil – avoiding temptations and wrong paths
To walk the virtuous ways – living a righteous and moral life
3. Why does the child want to be: a) candle; b) moth; c) blossom?
Ans.
a) Candle:
The child wants to be like a candle because it spreads light and removes darkness by sacrificing itself. It symbolizes selfless service, bringing hope, knowledge, and gentle warmth to others while dispelling ignorance from society.
b) Moth:
The child wants to be like a moth because it has passionate, intense love for light. Just as a moth circles light with complete zest and dedication, the child wants to love knowledge with the same unwavering devotion and enthusiasm.
c) Blossom:
The child wants to be like a blossom because flowers beautify and adorn the garden. Similarly, the child wishes to bring honor, glory, and beauty to his beloved country, enhancing his nation’s reputation through his good deeds and service.
4. What is the child’s mission?
Ans. The child’s mission is to love and serve the poor and needy. He wants to show sympathy towards the weak and those who are suffering. He prays to God to give him strength to follow the virtuous path and protect him from evil. His aim is to spread goodness, knowledge, and kindness in society.
Learning about the literary devices
1. Identify metaphors and similes in the following lines:
My tender hopes arise to the lips I pray:
Kindly candle light may my life be!
As the moth goes round the shining light in zest
So let me love the candle of knowledge best!
Save me, my God, from all snares of evil:
Ans.
Metaphor:
“Kindly candle light may my life be” – Life is directly compared to candle light (without using ‘like’ or ‘as’)
“candle of knowledge” – Knowledge is directly compared to a candlelight.
“snares of evil” – Evil temptations are compared to traps/snares
Simile:
“As the moth goes round the shining light… So let me love” – The child’s love for knowledge is compared to a moth’s attraction to light using ‘As…So’
Discussion
What are the various prayers that you make in the morning assembly at the school?
Discuss their meaning with your class mates.
Ans. Morning Assembly Prayers and Their Meaning
In morning assembly, we pray for wisdom, discipline, peace, good health, and success. These prayers remind us to be honest, kind, hardworking, and respectful. They teach us moral values and help us start the day with positive thoughts and gratitude.
Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 9 English Tulip Book Poem The Child’s Prayer Extra Question and Answers
Extract-Based Questions
A
My tender hopes arise to the lips I pray:
Kindly candle light may my life be!
May through me world’s darkness vanish away
And every corner fill with light of day!
1. Who is the speaker in these lines?
Ans. The speaker in these lines is a child who is praying to God, expressing his pure and innocent wishes for his life.
2. What does the child wish his life to be like?
Ans. The child wishes his life to be like a kindly candle light – soft, gentle, and illuminating, spreading brightness and hope to others.
3. What does the child want to vanish from the world?
Ans. The child wants the world’s darkness to vanish. This darkness symbolizes ignorance, suffering, evil, and despair.
4. What is meant by “fill with light of day”?
Ans. “Fill with light of day” means to spread knowledge, hope, happiness, and goodness in every corner of the world, removing all darkness and negativity.
5. Which poetic device is used in “Kindly candle light may my life be”?
Ans. Metaphor is used in this line, where the child’s life is directly compared to candle light, symbolizing illumination, guidance, and selfless service.
B
May I adorn my land, to me so dear
Even as the blossoms make the garden fair!
1. What does the child wish to do for his land?
Ans. The child wishes to adorn and beautify his land, showing deep love and pride for his country.
2. Why is the land described as “dear” to the child?
Ans. The land is dear because it is his motherland, and he feels emotionally attached to it.
3. What comparison is used in these lines?
Ans. The child compares himself to blossoms that make a garden beautiful.
4. Which poetic device is used in the line “Even as the blossoms make the garden fair”?
Ans. A simile is used here, indicated by the words “even as.”
5. What quality of the child is revealed through these lines?
Ans. These lines show the child’s patriotism and desire to serve his nation selflessly.
C
As the moth goes round the shining light in zest
So let me love the candle of knowledge best!
1. What does the moth symbolize in the poem?
Ans. The moth symbolizes deep love, attraction, and dedication towards knowledge.
2. What is meant by “the candle of knowledge”?
Ans. “The candle of knowledge” means education, wisdom, and learning that remove ignorance.
3. Why does the child compare himself to a moth?
Ans. The child compares himself to a moth to show his strong desire to seek knowledge.
4. Which poetic device is used in these lines?
Ans. A simile is used, as the child compares himself to a moth using “as” and “so”.
5. What wish of the child is expressed in these lines?
Ans. The child wishes to love knowledge passionately and follow it throughout his life.
D
To love and serve the poor my mission be;
For the weak and those in pain my sympathy!
Save me, my God, from all snares of evil:
To walk the virtuous ways, grant me the will!
1. What does the child declare as his mission in life?
Ans. The child declares that his mission in life is to love and serve the poor, showing compassion and dedication to those in need.
2. For whom does the child have sympathy?
Ans. The child has sympathy for the weak and those who are suffering from pain and difficulties.
3. What does the child pray to God for?
Ans. The child prays to God to save him from all snares (traps) of evil and to grant him the willpower to walk on the path of virtue and righteousness.
4. What are “snares of evil”?
Ans. “Snares of evil” are the traps, temptations, and negative influences that can lead a person away from the right path towards wrongdoing and immorality.
5. What values does this extract highlight?
Ans. This extract highlights values of compassion, service to humanity, sympathy for the suffering, spiritual strength, moral courage, and the desire to lead a virtuous and righteous life.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Who is the speaker in the poem?
a) A teacher
b) A child
c) A poet
d) A soldier
Ans: b) A child
2. To whom is the prayer addressed?
a) Parents
b) Teacher
c) God
d) Nation
Ans: c) God
3. The poem expresses the wishes of a
a) King
b) Saint
c) Child
d) Leader
Ans: c) Child
4. The child wants his life to be like a
a) Star
b) Candle
c) River
d) Mountain
Ans: b) Candle
5. The candle symbolizes
a) Wealth
b) Power
c) Knowledge and light
d) Darkness
Ans: c) Knowledge and light
6. What does the child want to remove from the world?
a) Fear
b) Poverty
c) Darkness
d) Hunger
Ans: c) Darkness
7. “Blossoms make the garden fair” means
a) Flowers destroy garden
b) Flowers decorate garden
c) Flowers dry garden
d) Flowers darken garden
Ans: b) Flowers decorate garden
8. The child wants to adorn his
a) Home
b) School
c) Land
d) City
Ans: c) Land
9. The moth represents
a) Fear
b) Ignorance
c) Love for knowledge
d) Weakness
Ans: c) Love for knowledge
10. The moth goes round the light with
a) Fear
b) Anger
c) Zest
d) Pain
Ans: c) Zest
11. “Candle of knowledge” refers to
a) Book
b) Light
c) Wisdom
d) Darkness
Ans: c) Wisdom
12. The child’s mission is to
a) Become rich
b) Rule others
c) Serve the poor
d) Gain power
Ans: c) Serve the poor
13. The child shows sympathy for
a) Rich people
b) Strong people
c) Weak and suffering people
d) Soldiers
Ans: c) Weak and suffering people
14. The child prays to be saved from
a) Hunger
b) Darkness
c) Evil
d) Poverty
Ans: c) Evil
15. “Snares of evil” means
a) Gifts
b) Traps of evil
c) Rewards
d) Light
Ans: b) Traps of evil
16. The poem promotes values of
a) Violence
b) Selfishness
c) Virtue and service
d) Pride
Ans: c) Virtue and service
17. The poem is translated from
a) Persian
b) English
c) Urdu
d) Arabic
Ans: c) Urdu
18. Who translated the poem into English?
a) Iqbal
b) G.R. Malik
c) Tagore
d) Wordsworth
Ans: b) G.R. Malik
19. The tone of the poem is
a) Angry
b) Sad
c) Prayerful
d) Humorous
Ans: c) Prayerful
20. The central theme of the poem is
a) War
b) Childhood games
c) Moral and spiritual growth
d) Nature
Ans: c) Moral and spiritual growth
True or False
State whether the following are true or false-
1. The child in the poem has selfish desires for wealth and fame.
2. Knowledge is compared to a candle in the poem.
3. The child shows no interest in helping poor people.
4. The poem teaches the value of patriotism.
5. The child wants to be protected from evil influences.
6. According to the poem, serving others is not important.
7. The child expresses love for his motherland.
8. The poem suggests that knowledge should be pursued passionately.
9. The child has no sympathy for weak and suffering people.
10. Light in the poem symbolizes knowledge and goodness.
Answer
1. False – (The child has selfless desires to serve others and the nation)
2. True
3. False – (The child’s mission is to love and serve the poor)
4. True
5. True
6. False – (Serving others is the child’s main mission)
7. True
8. True
9. False – (The child specifically prays for sympathy towards the weak and those in pain)
10. True
Fill in the Blanks
1. The poem “The Child’s Prayer” is written by ____________.
2. The child wishes his life to be like a kindly ____________ light.
3. The child wants the world’s ____________ to vanish away.
4. The child wishes to adorn his land like ____________ make the garden fair.
5. The child compares himself to a ____________ that goes round the shining light in zest.
6. “Candle of ____________” is a metaphor used in the poem.
7. The child’s mission is to love and serve the ____________.
8. The child prays for sympathy towards the ____________ and those in pain.
9. The child asks God to save him from all ____________ of evil.
10. The child prays for the will to walk the ____________ ways.
Answer
1. Sir Muhammad Iqbal
2. candle
3. darkness
4. blossoms
5. moth
6. knowledge
7. poor
8. weak
9. snares / traps
10. virtuous
Extra Questions
Answer the following-
Q1. What is the central idea of the poem?
Ans. The central idea of the poem is a child’s sincere prayer to become virtuous, knowledgeable, and helpful to others. He wishes to spread light, remove darkness, serve the poor, and follow the path of righteousness with God’s guidance.
Q2. How can we say that the poem is a prayer?
Ans. The poem is a prayer because the child directly addresses God and humbly asks for guidance, strength, and protection from evil. His wishes are pure and selfless, showing devotion and faith.
Q3. Describe the various comparisons made in the poem.
Ans. The child compares his life to a candle that spreads light, himself to a moth loving the candle of knowledge, and his service to blossoms that beautify a garden. These comparisons highlight knowledge, devotion, and goodness.
Q4. What does “world’s darkness” symbolize in the poem?
Ans. “World’s darkness” symbolizes ignorance, poverty, suffering, and evil in society. The child wants to remove this darkness by spreading knowledge, kindness, and virtue.
Q5. Why does the child pray for the will to walk the virtuous ways?
Ans. The child understands that it is not easy to remain good in a world full of temptations. Therefore, he prays to God for strong willpower to always follow the path of truth and righteousness.
Q6. How does the poem promote the importance of knowledge?
Ans. The poem highlights knowledge as a guiding light that removes darkness. By comparing it to a candle, the child shows that learning brings wisdom and leads to a virtuous life.
Q7. What message does the poem convey to young readers?
Ans. The poem encourages young readers to seek knowledge, serve the poor, love their country, and remain virtuous. It teaches that faith and good deeds can improve both individual character and society.
Q8. What does “grant me the will” reveal about the challenges of moral living?
Ans. “Grant me the will” reveals that moral living requires strong willpower and determination, not just good intentions. The child understands that knowing what is right is easier than doing it consistently. Temptations, difficulties, and personal weaknesses can derail even well-intentioned people, so divine strength is needed to maintain moral resolve and consistently choose righteousness.
Q9.How is the child’s prayer different from typical children’s wishes?
Ans. The child’s prayer is remarkably different because typical children wish for toys, games, personal comfort, or entertainment. This child, however, prays entirely for others’ welfare – to serve the poor, help the weak, spread knowledge, and beautify his country. His selflessness, social consciousness, and spiritual depth are extraordinary and unusual for a child.
Q10. What is the significance of the word “mission” in the poem?
Ans. The word “mission” is significant because it shows that serving the poor is not just a casual wish or hobby for the child but his life’s central purpose and calling. A mission implies dedication, commitment, purpose, and a sense of duty. It elevates service from optional charity to a fundamental life goal.