Meadow Surprises

 AP/ NCERT Solutions , Textual Notes for Grade 7 Honeycomb
Poem Meadow Surprises

Working with the Poem

1. Read the lines in which the following phrases occur. Then discuss with your partner the meaning of each phrase in its context.

(i) velvet grass

(ii) drinking straws

(iii) meadow houses

(iv) amazing mound

(v) fuzzy head

(i) velvet grass indicates that the grass is as soft as velvet.

(ii) drinking straws means the butterflies which drink the nectar from the flowers seem as if they are drinking it with straws.

(iii) meadow houses refer to the houses of rabbits, i.e. the burrows of ants, i.e. anthills and nests.

(iv) amazing mound means the mounds created by the ants for dwelling.

(v) fuzzy head indicates the flowers of the dandelion, which now floats in the air when we blow it.

2. Which line in the poem suggests that you need a keen eye and a sharp ear to enjoy a meadow? Read aloud the stanza that contains this line.

The line that suggests that you need a keen eye and a sharp ear to enjoy a meadow is:

“You may discover these yourself, if you look and listen well.”

3. Find pictures of the kinds of birds, insects and scenes mentioned in the poem.

Answer: Do it yourself.

4. Watch a tree or a plant, or walk across a field or park at the same time every day for a week. Keep a diary of what you see and hear. At the end of the week, write a short paragraph or a poem about your experiences. Put your writing up on the class bulletin board.

This week, I watched a tall oak tree outside my window. Every day, it waved its branches in the breeze, and birds played hide-and-seek among the leaves. The grass below rustled with tiny creatures, and the sky painted a new masterpiece each evening. Nature's dance, a daily delight.

5. Read the following poem about the world of nature, which is as busy as the world of human beings.

Busy World

Bees are buzzing, frogs are hopping,

Moles are digging. There’s no stopping

Vines from climbing, grass from growing,

Birds from singing, winds from blowing,

Buds from blooming. Bees are humming,

Sunbeams dancing, raindrops drumming.

All the world is whirling, dizzy,

Summertime is very busy!