Exploring different literary analyses in DAV Class 7 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 5 Dream a World enhances critical thinking.
DAV Class 7 English Literature Chapter 5 Question Answer – Dream a World
Pre-Reading Task
Question 1.
If you want to make this world a better place to live in, what would you like to add to it? What would you like to be eliminated?
Answer:
To make this world a better place to live in I would like to add peace, brotherhood and equality to it and eliminate illiteracy, poverty, hunger, greed, misery, conflicts and rivalries.
Question 2.
Work in groups of four or five and make two separate lists of additions and deletions that you and your friends want.
Answer:
| Addition | Deletion |
| Friendship | illiteracy, poverty |
| Equality | hunger, greed |
| Peace | misery, wars |
| Brotherhood | conflicts, hatred, rivalries. |
I. Understanding the Poem
A. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the following summary:
In the poet’s dream world, no man will __________. The earth _____________ by love and peace will prevail everywhere. There will be no difference between _______________ Joy and happiness will be spread everywhere. Man will not be spiritually weakened by ______________ will not make human life miserable. People will share the ______ equally. Misery will be banished.
Answer:
In the poet’s dream world, no man will scorn the other. The earth will be blessed by love and peace will prevail everywhere. There will be no difference between black and white. Joy and happiness will be spread everywhere. Man will not be spiritually weakened by greed. Avarice will not make human life miserable. People will share the jays equally. Misery will be banished.
B. Read the following extract from the poem and answer the questions that follow:
And joy, like a pearl,
Attend the needs of all mankind.
(a) What has joy been compared to?
(b) What is the significance of this comparison?
Answer:
(a) Joy has been compared to pearl.
(b) A pearl shines, it is sparkling white. So it has been compared to joy which will shine in this mortal world and bring joy in human’s life; by sufficing all their needs.
C. Personification is a literary device in which objects or qualities are represented as human beings. What qualities have been personified in the following expressions?
(a) love will bless the earth
(b) wretchedness will hang its head
Which word/words in each expression suggests/suggest that the quality has been personified?
Answer:
(a) love will bless the earth brotherhood.
(b) wretchedness will hang its head grief.
D. Word Power
A few phrases from the text have been placed in Column A with their meanings in Column B in jumbled form. Match the phrases in Column A with their appropriate meanings in Column B:
Answer:
| Column A | Column B |
| (a) saps the soul | 1. weakens or destroys our spiritual power |
| (b) avarice blights our day | 2. an extreme desire for wealth makes our daily life tense and miserable |
| (c) bounties of earth | 3. the generous gifts offered to us by the land on which we live |
| (d) wretchedness will hang its | 4. misery and suffering will no longer exist head |
| (e) attend to the needs | 5. take care of the requirements |
II. HOTS
The poet has described some features of his dream world. Work in groups of four or five and make a list of the steps that need to be taken to translate the poet’s dream into reality.
Answer:
Group Discussion
Std. A: I would like to share poet’s dream on this platform.
Std. B: Yes, even I would like to add that poet wants to make this earth a beautiful place.
Std. C: Poet, Lanston Hughes, wants to promote peace and happiness eveiywhere.
Std. D: It’s not a difficult task. Only we need to have will power to do so.
Std. A: Peace can also be bestowed if there is no demarcation on the basis of caste, colour, creed or religion.
Std. B: Mahatma Gandhi was also the biggest promoter of peace, my dear friends. Std. C: And also if we have a helpful attitude towards each other.
Std. D: If we all abstain from violence of any kind and help the needy and poor, much of grief and sorrow would be taken away from this world.
Std. A: God has given enough for everybody. But Man has created boundaries of all sorts and keeps on fighting for no reason at all.
III. Life Skills
A new child has joined your class. He is black. No one wants to befriend him. You feel concerned for him. How will you ensure that he gradually becomes a part of your class?
Answer:
I am the class monitor. It’s my duty to ensure that there is congenial environment in the class which encourages learning. If any such thing is taking place, then I will be the first one to befriend this child. I will ensure that he understands everything and will also help him in studies. Seeing all this, all other children would also be encouraged to befriend him.
IV. Values
Greed and avarice are two negative human qualities we need to shun. Do you agree? If yes, how do you think we can ensure that we do not fall victims to such qualities?
Answer:
I agree with the statement because these two qualities are the root cause of all fighting and war that goes on in the world—be it nations or just neighbours. Human beings in their greed want more and more of everything. Their needs are never fulfilled. In their efforts to have more other vices creep in. They engage in activities like murder, theft, etc.
Similarly nations want more and more land to be added to their existing boundaries or want more power. Hence they go to war killing and maiming thousands of people.
V. Writing Skills
Write a paragraph on the topic ‘Man was born free but eveiywhere he is in chains’ in about 80-100 words.
(OR)
Write a paragraph of about 80 words strongly emphasising the point that human beings should not be divided on the basis of colour, religion or language because all human beings have essentially the same feelings. Give your paragraph a suitable heading. (Refer to the poem “No Men are Foreign’ in the My English Reader.)
Answer:
Human beings should not be divided on the basis of colour, religion or language. People have the same emotions and feelings irrespective of caste, creed or sex. Their laughter has the same ringing sounds. Their basic needs are same. They all need air, food, water and shelter for their sustenance. God has not made any distinction amongst us then why should we do this. We all are equal in the eyes of God.
DAV Class 7 English Literature Chapter 4 Solutions – Dream a World
I. Reference to context:
Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow:
A. Where love will bless the earth And peace its paths adorn.
Question 1.
What does the poet want the earth to bless with?
Answer:
The poet wants the earth to be blessed with love.
Question 2.
What is the theme of the last line?
Answer:
There would be peace all around.
Question 3.
Name the figure of speech used here.
Answer:
Personification
B. “A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth,
And every man is free”.
Question 1.
Whom does the poet talk about?
Answer:
The poet is talking about the black and the white people.
Question 2.
What do you mean by bounties of the earth?
Answer:
Bounties of the earth means natural resources and beauty of the earth.
Question 3.
What does the poet mean by ‘man is free?
Answer:
The poet wants that man should be free from fear.
II. Answer the following questions in (30-40) words.
Question 1.
Why does man scorn others?
Answer:
The men who are powerful, have more resources and riches. They scorn those who are poor and less capable.
Question 2.
How does greed sap the soul?
Answer:
Greed is not a noble virtue. It makes a man selfish. A greedy man thinks only for his own welfare. Such selfish attitude weakens their soul.
Question 3.
How can every man be happy?
Answer:
Every man suffers from sorrow or pain. People can only be happy if they don’t have any fear.
Question 4.
How can this world be a better place to live in?
Answer:
The world which is bestowed with wonderful nature can be a better place to live in if men live together with love, co-operation and brotherhood.
Dream a World Summary in English
The poet Langston Hughes dreams of a world, where no man will scorn each other. Love and peace will glorify this earth. Everyone will have freedom. Greed and extreme desire for wealth will not make their lives tense and miserable. There will be no difference between the black and the white or any race.
Everyone will be free and share the gifts of nature on this earth. Misery will be eliminated and joy will suffice the needs of men.
Dream a World Summary in Hindi
कवि लैंगस्टन ह्यूज अपनी कविता में एक ऐसी दुनिया की कल्पना करते हैं जहाँ इंसान आपस में एक दूसरे से घृणा नहीं करेंगे। शांति और प्रेम इस धरती को गौरवान्वित करेंगें । यहाँ सभी लोग आजाद होंगें। धन की लालसा इंसान की जिंदगी को दुःखी व तनावग्रस्त नहीं बनायेगी। रंग व जाति के आधार पर लोगों में अन्तर नहीं होगा ।
सभी लोग खुश व आजाद होंगें और इस धरती के संसाधनों को एक दूसरे के साथ बाँटेगें। दुख की समाप्ति हो जाएगी और लोगों को पर्याप्त सुख मिलेगा ।
- Scorn – contempt – तिरस्कार;
- Bless – invoke God’s favour on – आशीर्वाद देना;
- Adorn – to decorate – सजाना;
- Greed – desire – लालच;
- Soul – spirit – आत्मा;
- Saps – to weaken – निर्बल बनाना;
- Avarice – extreme desire for wealth – अत्यधिक धन-लोलुप होना;
- Wretchedness – unhappy – शोक-संतप्त