NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 5 My Dear Soldiers — Let us discuss
Book page 201 Updated on2026-09-05
Q1.
Complete the summary with an exact word from the poem. An example has been done for you. The poem is a tribute to the soldiers of the 1. land who defend the 2. _______________ of their country. It highlights their untiring commitment and sacrifices as they guard the nation. The soldiers remain vigilant and dedicated, whether it’s windy, snowy, or 3. _______________ hot. They walk on 4. _______________ stretches of land like the yogis. Their duty takes them to different terrains, including mountains, valleys, 5. _______________, and marshes. The poet acknowledges that they have given a major part of their 6. _______________ to protect the nation. The poet says the wind chimes show their respect to the soldiers’ 7. _______________. The poet concludes with prayers for their well-being and blessings.
Answer
Every blank is filled with a word taken straight from the poem:
Blank
Word
Line in the poem
1.
land (example)
“You are great sons of my land”
2.
borders
“Oh! Defenders of borders”
3.
scorching
“Or scorching sun's sweltering rays”
4.
lonely
“Treading the lonely expanses as yogis”
5.
deserts
“Defending the deserts or guarding the marshes”
6.
youth
“Prime of your youth given to the nation!!”
7.
feat
“Wind chimes of my land vibrate your feat”
Careful with 7: the poem's word is feat (a remarkable deed), not ‘feet’. They sound alike but mean quite different things.
Q2.
Select the correct option for the following questions. 1. The theme of the poem is _______. (i) patriotism and sacrifice (ii) heroism and awareness (iii) nature and hardship (iv) seasons and terrains
Answer
(i) patriotism and sacrifice
Why: the seasons and terrains in the poem (snow, scorching sun, heights, valleys, deserts, marshes) are not the subject — they are the setting that shows how hard the soldiers' duty is. The subject is the soldiers' love for the land and what they give up for it: “Prime of your youth given to the nation!!”
Q3.
2. The tone of the poem is _______. (i) admiring (ii) sad (iii) respectful (iv) grateful (v) prayerful — A. Only (v) B. (i) and (iii) C. (ii), (iii) and (v) D. (i), (iii), (iv) and (v)
Answer
D. (i), (iii), (iv) and (v)
Tone
Evidence from the poem
admiring
“You are great sons of my land”; “Wind chimes of my land vibrate your feat”
respectful
“Oh! Defenders of borders”; the comparison to yogis
grateful
“When we are all asleep / You still hold on to your deed”
prayerful
“We pray for you brave men!! / May the Lord bless you all!!”
sad
Not present — the poem never mourns; it praises and blesses. That is why option (ii) must be left out.
Q4.
Complete the following sentences by explaining why the poet has used the following poetic devices. 1. Imagery because ___________________________________________________.
Answer
Imagery because the poet wants us to see the soldier's day instead of merely being told about it — “snowy days”, “scorching sun's sweltering rays”, “Climbing the heights or striding the valleys”, “Defending the deserts or guarding the marshes” put a picture of every kind of hardship in front of our eyes.
What imagery does here: a plain sentence like ‘soldiers work in difficult places' is forgotten at once. A picture of a man striding through a marsh in the blazing sun is not. Kalam uses images of sight (snow, deserts, heights) and of touch (wind, sweltering rays) so that the reader almost feels the duty.
Q5.
2. Simile because the soldiers are likened to __________________________.
Answer
Simile because the soldiers are likened to yogis — “Treading the lonely expanses as yogis”.
Why the comparison fits: a yogi walks alone, endures cold and heat without complaint, wants nothing for himself and is completely devoted to a purpose. So does a soldier on a lonely stretch of border. The word as (like ‘like') is what makes it a simile rather than a metaphor.
Q6.
3. Metaphor because the poet uses wind chimes ______________________.
Answer
Metaphor because the poet uses wind chimes to stand for the whole land itself giving thanks — “Wind chimes of my land vibrate your feat” means that the country's very air rings with the soldiers' brave deeds.
Unpacking it: wind chimes make music only when the wind moves them. Kalam imagines the land hung with such chimes, so that every breeze sets the story of the soldiers ringing. Nobody has to sing their praise deliberately — the land does it by itself, all the time. No ‘like' or ‘as' is used, which is what makes this a metaphor.
Q7.
4. Repetition of the words ‘you’ and ‘we’ because _____________________.
Answer
Repetition of the words ‘you' and ‘we' because the poet wants to keep two groups constantly side by side — ‘you', the soldiers who stay awake and guard, and ‘we', the citizens who sleep safely and pray. The repetition turns the poem into a direct thank-you spoken to the soldiers, and reminds us at every line how much ‘we' owe ‘you'.
Notice the contrast the two words build: “When we are all asleep / You still hold on to your deed… We pray for you brave men!!”
Q8.
5. Alliteration such as ‘season or snowy’ and _________________________ to create _____________________.
Answer
Alliteration such as ‘season or snowy' and ‘scorching sun's sweltering' (also ‘Defending the deserts', ‘Surveillance in seas', ‘securing the air') to create a marching rhythm and a musical, chant-like effect that also stresses the harshness of the weather and the sweep of the terrain.
Say it aloud: “scorching sun's sweltering rays” — the repeated s hisses like heat itself. That is alliteration doing more than decoration; it carries meaning.