Std 8 English chapters › Unit 3 · Question Answers ↓ · Take the lesson test ↓
In short: The poem says that sticks and stones hurt only the body and the wounds heal, but hurtful words leave scars on the mind and heart that we remember for a long time.
(काठ्या-दगडांनी फक्त शरीराला इजा होते आणि त्या जखमा भरतात; पण दुखावणारे शब्द मनावर आणि हृदयावर व्रण सोडतात, जे दीर्घकाळ लक्षात राहतात, असे ही कविता सांगते.)
- Type: Poem
- Poet: Barrie Wade
- Speaker: Someone who has been hurt by words
- Unit: 3
Summary in English
The poem begins with an old saying: sticks and stones may break my bones. But the speaker adds that words can also hurt. Sticks and stones break only the skin, but words are like ghosts that keep haunting us.
Words fall like slanting, curved swords that pierce and stick inside us. Bats and bricks may hurt our bones, but words can make us feel deeply ashamed.
The pain from words leaves a scar on a tender mind and heart. Cuts and bruises have healed, but it is the hurtful words that the speaker still remembers.
मराठीत सारांश (Summary in Marathi)
कविता एका जुन्या म्हणीने सुरू होते: काठ्या आणि दगड माझी हाडे मोडू शकतात. पण वक्ता म्हणतो, शब्दसुद्धा दुखावू शकतात. काठ्या-दगड फक्त त्वचा फोडतात, पण शब्द भुतांसारखे आपल्याला सतत छळत राहतात.
शब्द तिरक्या, वक्र तलवारींसारखे पडतात आणि आपल्या आत घुसून रुततात. बॅट आणि विटांमुळे हाडांना वेदना होऊ शकतात, पण शब्द आपल्याला खोलवर लाजवू शकतात.
शब्दांच्या वेदनेचा व्रण कोमल मनावर आणि हृदयावर राहतो. कापलेले आणि खरचटलेले बरे झाले, पण वक्त्याला आजही आठवतात ते दुखावणारे शब्दच.
Theme and Message (मध्यवर्ती कल्पना)
Hurtful words wound more deeply and for longer than physical injuries, so we must speak kindly.
दुखावणारे शब्द शारीरिक जखमांपेक्षा अधिक खोल आणि दीर्घकाळ घाव करतात; म्हणून आपण प्रेमाने बोलावे.
Figures of Speech (अलंकार)
- Metaphor (रूपक): 'words are ghosts' and 'word-swords'.
- Alliteration (अनुप्रास): 'sticks and stones', 'bats and bricks'.
- Antithesis (विरोधाभास): body wounds that heal are contrasted with word wounds that stay.
Useful Words (शब्दार्थ)
| Word | मराठी अर्थ | Use it in a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| haunt | सतत छळणे, पाठ न सोडणे | Bad memories haunt him. |
| pierce | भोसकणे, आरपार जाणे | The arrow pierced the target. |
| mortify | लाजवणे, शरमिंदा करणे | His rude remark mortified her. |
| scar | व्रण | The cut left a scar on his hand. |
| bruise | खरचटणे, मुका मार | He got a bruise on his knee. |
| tender | कोमल, हळवे | Children have tender hearts. |
For the Exam (परीक्षेसाठी)
- According to the textbook, the rhyme scheme of stanza 1 is abcb. Work out stanzas 2 and 3 in the same way.
- To summarise a poem: find the speaker, the main point of each stanza, and the overall message, and write in short, simple sentences.
3.3 Truth: English Workshop Question Answers
Every English Workshop activity for this poem, as games. Score points, earn stars and challenge a friend on WhatsApp! (खेळा, गुण मिळवा आणि मित्रांना आव्हान द्या!)
🤔 Think as you read
What does the poem say about words?
Answer: Bodily wounds heal, but hurtful words stay in the mind. (शब्दांचे घाव खोल असतात.)
In the first two stanzas, words are compared to ___.
Answer: They haunt like ghosts and pierce like swords.
Where do painful words leave their scars?
Answer: Cuts and bruises heal, but the words are remembered.
Q2. Figures of speech
👉 Tap the figure of speech.
‘Sticks and stones may break my bones’ has ___.
Answer: The ‘s’ sound repeats: sticks, stones. ‘Bats and bricks may ache through bones’ also has alliteration (b).
‘Sticks and stones’ in stanza 1 and ‘Stones and sticks’ later show ___.
Answer: The same words come back for effect. ‘But words can … me’ is repeated too.
‘Words are ghosts that haunt me’ is a ___.
Answer: A direct comparison without ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Q3 (A). Synonyms game
🎯 Tap a word and its synonym from the poem.
Similar words
Q3 (B). Antonyms game
🎯 Tap a word and its opposite from the poem.
Opposite words
Q4. Answer in your own words
👉 Tap the best answer.
(a) What objects can injure your body?
Answer: These break skin and bones.
(c) What heals faster: body, or mind and heart?
Answer: Cuts and bruises heal, but hurtful words are remembered for long.
(d) Why are harsh words called ‘ghosts’?
Answer: Like ghosts, they haunt us again and again.
(e) What should we keep in mind when we speak?
Answer: Choose kind words.
Q5 and Q7. Rhyme scheme and appreciation
👉 Tap the correct answer.
Stanza 1 is abcb. What is the rhyme scheme of stanzas 2 and 3?
Answer: Only lines 2 and 4 rhyme: me/me, tender/remember.
How many stanzas does the poem have?
Answer: Three stanzas of four lines each.
✍️ Q7 and Q8. Appreciation and summary. Try, then compare
Title: Truth Poet: Barrie Wade Stanzas: 3 Rhyme scheme: abcb
Theme: Hurtful words cause deeper and longer-lasting pain than physical injuries.
Figures of speech: alliteration, repetition, metaphor.
Summary: The speaker says that sticks and stones can break bones, but words hurt too. Physical injuries only break the skin and heal with time, but harsh words are like ghosts and swords that stay inside us. They leave scars on the tender mind and heart. The poem reminds us to think before we speak and to choose our words with care.
✍️ Q6. Kind words that healed you. Try, then compare
When I failed my Maths unit test, I felt ashamed and cried in the corner. My teacher sat beside me and said, ‘One test does not decide who you are. I know you can do better.’ Those few kind words gave me courage. I practised every day and scored well in the next test. I still remember her words whenever I feel low.
Think and Write (विचार करा, लिहा)
- Write about a time when kind words made you feel better.
- Why does the poet call words 'ghosts'?
- Make a list of five kind sentences you can say to a friend who is upset.
Online test · 15 questions
3.3 Truth: Lesson Test
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शिक्षकांसाठी: धडा शिकवून झाल्यावर ही test वर्गाला पाठवा. प्रत्येक विद्यार्थ्याचे गुण तुम्हाला आपोआप मिळतील.
These are original study notes by englishresources.in to help you revise. Read the lesson in your Balbharati textbook first: these notes do not replace it and do not reproduce its text.