NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 6 No Men Are Foreign

The poem No Men Are Foreign by James Kirkup is a beautiful message about unity, peace, and brotherhood. It teaches us that all human beings are the same, no matter where they come from. The poet wants us to understand that dividing people based on nationality, race, or religion leads to hatred and war.

We will provide NCERT solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 6 – No Men Are Foreign along with a detailed explanation of the poem’s meaning and important questions. If you are looking for No Men Are Foreign question answers, this explanation will help you understand the poem easily.

Check Out: PW Class 9th Books

NCERT Solutions Class 9th English Poem Chapter 6 My Childhood and Poem No Men Are Foreign

Thinking about the Text

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

Question 1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?

Answer: Abdul Kalam’s house was on Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

Question 2 . What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.

Answer: I think Dinamani is the name of a newspaper because Kalam says that when his brother-in-law would tell his stories of the War, he would later try to trace it in the ‘headlines’ of Dinamani. This implies that Dinamani would have been a newspaper.

Question 3 . Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?

Answer: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan were Abdul Kalam’s school friends.

Ramanadha Sastry took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his father. Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims. Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for Southern Railways.

Question 4 . How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?

Answer: Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by catching bundles of newspapers thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi and distributing them.

Question 5 . Had he earned any money before that? In what way?

Answer: Yes, he had earned money before that too. He used to collect tamarind seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A day’s collection would let him earn one anna.

Read More: NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Poem Chapter 1

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words)

Question 1. How does the author describe: (i) his father (ii) his mother (iii) himself?

Answer: i) The author describes his father as honest and self-disciplined. His father used to avoid inessential comforts and luxuries. The author tells that his father never had a formal education or much wealth, but he possessed great wisdom and was very generous.

ii) The author describes his mother as an ideal helpmate to his father. She used to feed a lot of outsiders along with her family members. iii) The author describes himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks born to tall and handsome parents.

Question 2 . What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?

Answer: He says that he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father; and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother.

Read More: NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Poem Chapter 2

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher, and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

Question 1: “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.

(i) Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)? (ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.) (iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text? (iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?

Answer:

(i) The social groups that he mentions are Hindus and Muslims. Yes, these groups were easily identifiable by their dressing, tradition, culture, etc. For instance, Kalam used to wear a cap on his head which identified him as a Muslim. Ramanadha Sastry wore a sacred thread. (ii) They were not aware of their differences. They also naturally share friendships and experiences. Kalam’s mother and grandmother would tell events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet as bedtime stories. All his friends belonged to orthodox Hindu families. During the annual Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony, his family would arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha, which was near his house. (iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Yes, we can identify such people in the text. The new school teacher and Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife were very aware of the differences among the social groups, but Sivasubramania Iyer and Lakshamana Sastry tried to bridge these differences. (iv) Two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved are explained below: When Lakshamana Sastry got to know about the way the new school teacher had made Kalam sit on the back bench because he was a Muslim, he asked the teacher to apologize or quit the school. The new teacher not only regretted his behaviour but also was reformed by Lakshamana Sastry’s strong sense of conviction. Kalam’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, asked Kalam to his home for a meal. His wife was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to her pure kitchen. Sivasubramania Iyer served Kalam food with his own hands and sat down beside him to eat his meal. The next time he invited Kalam to his home, Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife served him food with her own hands inside the kitchen.

Question 2: (i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?

(ii) What did his father say to this? (iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?

Answer: (i) Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram because he wanted to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.

(ii) His father said, ““Abul ! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest?” (iii) His words meant he understood that Kalam had to leave his house and get a good higher education to grow. He spoke these words because he knew the harsh reality of life that the children needed to move away from their home and parents to make a career and earn.

Thinking about Language

I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:

Erupt, surge, trace, undistinguished, casualty Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used. Now answer the following questions.

Answer: Sentences in the text where these words occur are:

Erupt: “For reasons I have never been able to understand, a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market.” Surge: “Half a century later, I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time.” Trace: “My brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell me stories about the War which I would later attempt to trace in the headlines in Dinamani.” Undistinguished: “I was one of many children — a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents.” Casualty: “The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station.”

Read More: NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Poem Chapter 3

Question 1: What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?

Answer: Things that can erupt are: volcanoes, emotions, anger.

– A volcano erupted in the Mauna Kea last night. – Ranjan’s anger erupted as a result of Ashima’s continuous nagging. Things that can surge are: prices, wave, crowd, storm, etc.

Question 2: What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text?

Answer: The meanings of the word ‘trace’ are:

– to draw an outline – to copy – to find out The meaning that is closest to the word in the text is ‘finding out’.

Question 3: Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word distinguished and say what undistinguished must mean.)

Answer: No, I cannot find the word undistinguished in my dictionary.

The meaning of the word distinguished as given in the dictionary is specific, distinct. Thus, undistinguished must mean ‘not specific’, ‘not distinct’.

II.

Question 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

Answer:

Question 2: Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un – or in – to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).

• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks. (un + distinguished) • My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts.(in + essential) • The area was completely unaffected by the war.(un + affected) • He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance . (in + equality, in + tolerance) Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un- or in-. The prefix in-can also have the forms il-, ir-, or im- (for example: illiterate –il + literate, impractical –im + practical, irrational –ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.

Answer:

III. Passive Voice

Study these sentences:

• My parents were regarded as an ideal couple. 

• I was asked to go and sit on the back bench. 

• Such problems have to be confronted . 

The italicised verbs in these sentences are made up of a form of the verb be and a past participle. (For example: were + regarded, was + asked, be + confronted) These sentences focus on what happens, rather than who does what. Notice that the doer of the action is not included in the sentences. If necessary, we can mention the doer of the action in a by-phrase. For example: 

• The tree was struck by lightning. 

• The flag was unfurled by the Chief Guest .

IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.

1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal. 

2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time. 

3. On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point. 

4. Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday. 

5. Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years. 

6. Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.

Answer:

1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes were given away by the Principal. 

2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time. 

3. On Republic Day, vehicles were not allowed beyond this point. 

4. Second-hand books were bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday. 

5. Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years. 

6. Our National Anthem was composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 5

Summary of No Men Are Foreign

The poet, James Kirkup, tells us that no one in this world is a stranger. We all share the same land, air, and emotions. The differences created by humans such as borders, language, and culture are unnecessary because, in the end, we all belong to the same planet.

The poem urges us to remove hatred and live peacefully with one another. It highlights that war and discrimination harm everyone. By treating others as "foreign" or "different," we harm ourselves.

Why Should You Read No Men Are Foreign?

Many students wonder why they should read this poem. Here are some reasons why No Men Are Foreign is important:

• It teaches us about peace and unity.

• It helps us understand that hatred harms us as well as others.

• It makes us think about the consequences of war.

• It encourages kindness and acceptance in society.

When you understand this poem, students can learn valuable life lessons that go beyond the classroom.

Check Out: Class 9 Sample Papers

Class 9 English Poem Chapter 6 FAQs

1. What is the main theme of the poem No Men Are Foreign?

The main theme of the poem is universal brotherhood. The poet emphasizes that all humans are the same and that we should not discriminate based on nationality, race, or religion.

2. What does the poet mean by "Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes"?

The poet means that all soldiers, no matter which country they belong to, are human beings with the same emotions, fears, and needs.

3. How does the poet prove that all men are the same?

The poet proves this by highlighting that we all breathe the same air, walk on the same earth, and share similar emotions and needs.

4. What poetic devices are used in No Men Are Foreign?

The poem uses metaphors, alliteration, and repetition to emphasize its message of unity and peace.