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NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 5 My Dear Soldiers — Let us speak

Book page 204 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.
Work in pairs and practise reciting the poem ‘My Dear Soldiers’. Pause briefly at (/) and emphasise the highlighted words.
Answer

Recite it the way the book marks it — the slashes are breathing places, not full stops.

My / Dear / Soldiers / by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(pause and count 1-2-3 silently before beginning)

Oh! Defenders / of borders /
You are great sons / of my land /
When we are all / asleep /
You still hold on / to your deed /
Windy season / or snowy days /
Or scorching sun's / sweltering rays /
You are there / guarding all the time / awake /
Treading the lonely expanses / as yogis /
Climbing the heights / or striding the valleys /
Defending the deserts / or guarding the marshes /
Surveillance in seas / and by securing the air /
Prime of your youth / given to the nation!! /
Wind chimes of my land / vibrate your feat /
We pray for you / brave men!! /
May the Lord bless you all!! /

How to practise in pairs: one recites while the other follows the printed text and marks any slash that was missed or any word that was rushed. Then change roles.

Where to give weight: the contrast words — asleep / awake; the list of terrains, said a little faster to show how wide the duty is; and the last three lines, said slower and softer, because they are a prayer.
Q2.
Now, recite aloud in groups of 8–10. Remember — Use volume to add emotion to the poem. Maintain a steady pace. Use appropriate facial expressions to boost the meaning of the poem.
Answer

How to organise the group recitation

  1. Divide the lines. Two voices for the opening address; the whole group together for “Prime of your youth given to the nation!!”; the whole group, softly, for the closing prayer.
  2. Volume for meaning: soft for the tender lines (“When we are all asleep”), strong for the proud lines (“You are great sons of my land”), softest of all for “May the Lord bless you all!!”
  3. Steady pace. Practise with someone tapping a slow, even beat; the commonest fault in group recitation is racing.
  4. Faces and posture. Stand tall, shoulders back, chin level — the poem is about dignity, and the body should show it. Look up and out, not at the paper.
  5. Start and end together. Count 1-2-3 silently before the first word, and hold a two-second silence after the last one instead of relaxing at once.
Self-check: record one practice on a phone and listen to it. You will hear at once whether the group was together, and whether the ending sounded like a prayer or like a shout.
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