Std 10 English chapters › Unit 1
In short: A teenager prays to God for guidance to make the right choices, the strength to resist wrong things, and the courage to stand up for what is right.
(एक किशोरवयीन मुलगा योग्य निर्णय घेण्यासाठी मार्गदर्शन, चुकीच्या गोष्टींना नकार देण्याची ताकद आणि योग्य गोष्टीसाठी उभे राहण्याचे धैर्य देवाकडे मागतो.)
- Type: Poem (a prayer)
- Poet: J. Morse
- Speaker: A teenager speaking directly to God
- Unit: 1
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer: English Workshop Question Answers
Answers to every activity in the Std 10 English Kumarbharati textbook (Maharashtra Board), written by a practising English teacher. Read the poem in your textbook first, then check your answers here.
Warming up: Apostrophe (complete the sentences)
Apostrophe means speaking directly to someone who is absent, or to a thing or an idea, as if it could hear you. Sample answers:
- O, Life! How beautiful and full of surprises you are!
- Dear God, please give me the strength to work hard for my board exams.
- Books! You are my best friends; you never leave me alone.
- Exams! I wish you were a little less frightening.
- O, you beautiful sky! How I wish I could fly across you like a bird.
मराठी टीप: Apostrophe (संबोधन) मध्ये आपण समोर नसलेल्या व्यक्तीशी, वस्तूशी किंवा कल्पनेशी थेट बोलतो. वाक्य उद्गारवाचक (!) चिन्हाने सुरू करा.
Q1. Complete the sentences by choosing the correct word
👉 Tap the correct word. You get instant feedback. (योग्य शब्दावर टॅप करा.)
According to the poet, ___ are brought by each new day.
Answer: new beginnings. Each new day gives us a fresh start and new chances to choose well.
We must decide to take the road which leads to ___.
Answer: great success. The poet wants the right road, the one that leads to a good life.
The poet prays to the Lord to help him stand for what is ___.
Answer: right. He asks for courage to do what is morally right, even when it is hard.
The poet wants to see that his teenage years have been the ___ years of his life.
Answer: best. He hopes to look back on his teenage years as the best years of his life.
Q2. Find the rhyming words from the poem
🎯 Game: tap two words that rhyme. Find all the pairs! (यमक जुळणारे दोन शब्द निवडा.)
Rhyming pairs from “A Teenager’s Prayer”
Answer key: rhyming words
make – take | success – distress | see – me | way – day | see – me (last stanza)
मराठी टीप: प्रत्येक कडव्यातील दुसऱ्या आणि चौथ्या ओळीचे शेवटचे शब्द यमक जुळवतात. “see – me” ही जोडी कवितेत दोनदा येते.
Q3. Choose the correct rhyme scheme of the poem
The rhyme scheme of the poem is:
Answer: (iii) abcb. In every stanza only the 2nd and 4th lines rhyme (make – take, success – distress, and so on). The 1st and 3rd lines do not rhyme.
Q4. Match the lines with the figures of speech
👉 Choose a figure of speech for each line, then tap Check my answers.
Answer key with reasons
| Line from the poem | Figure of speech | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Decisions, I must make | Inversion | The normal word order "I must make decisions" is changed. |
| Please open up my eyes, dear Lord | Apostrophe | The speaker talks directly to God, who is not physically present. |
| Travel down the darkened road | Alliteration | The "d" sound is repeated in "down" and "darkened". |
| I can choose to take the road of life | Metaphor | Life is compared to a road without using "like" or "as". |
मराठी टीप: “darkened road” हा सुद्धा वाईट मार्गाचा रूपक आहे, पण जोड्या लावताना “down – darkened” मधील “d” ध्वनीची पुनरावृत्ती म्हणून Alliteration हेच उत्तर द्या. Textbook मधील आणखी एक Alliteration चे उदाहरण: “life is lived”.
Q5. Plan an interview (group discussion points)
✍️ Discuss in your group first: format, length, do’s, don’ts and types of questions. Then compare.
Show sample answer
| Point | Sample answer |
|---|---|
| Format | Introduction and greeting → easy warm-up questions → main questions → closing question → thanks. |
| Length | 10 to 15 minutes, about 8 to 10 main questions. |
| Do’s | Take an appointment, prepare questions in advance, be polite, listen carefully, take notes, ask follow-up questions, thank the person at the end. |
| Don’ts | Don’t ask very personal or embarrassing questions, don’t interrupt or argue, don’t ask too many yes/no questions, don’t go beyond the time given. |
| Types of questions | Open questions (How did you…?), closed questions (Did you…?), follow-up questions, questions about facts, feelings and future plans. |
Q6. Prepare questions to interview a successful teenager
✍️ Write your own 10 questions first. Then compare with the sample.
Show sample interview plan and questions
Sample (imaginary) interview plan:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Interviewer | Myself, a Std 10 student |
| Interviewee | Riya Patil, 16, state-level chess champion |
| Topic | Balancing sports and studies |
| Venue | School library |
| Date | 15 December |
| Duration | 15 minutes |
- When did you start playing chess, and who introduced you to it?
- How many hours do you practise every day?
- How do you manage your studies along with your practice?
- Which match was the most difficult for you, and why?
- How do you handle the pressure before a big tournament?
- Who is your role model, and what have you learnt from them?
- How did you feel when you won the state championship?
- How have your parents and teachers supported you?
- What are your plans for the next five years?
- What advice would you give to teenagers who want to succeed in sports?
Q7. Appreciation of the poem “A Teenager’s Prayer”
The poem “A Teenager’s Prayer” is written by J. Morse. It is a prayer in which a teenager speaks directly to God. The poem has five stanzas of four lines each, and its rhyme scheme is abcb. The language is simple and the tone is humble and sincere. The central idea is that the teenage years are full of important decisions, and with God’s guidance a young person can choose the right path. The speaker knows that one road leads to success and the other leads to distress. He asks God to open his eyes so that he can see clearly and stand for what is right. He also prays for the strength to say “no” to temptation and to keep his body clean and fit. My favourite line is “Please open up my eyes, dear Lord”, because it shows that the speaker wants clear thinking and not just easy help. The whole poem is an example of apostrophe, as it is addressed to God. Inversion, metaphor (“the road of life”) and alliteration (“life is lived”) make the poem musical and meaningful. The poem reminds us that every new day brings new beginnings. I like this poem because it speaks about the choices that every teenager like me faces. It inspires me to choose wisely and make my teenage years the best years of my life.
मराठी टीप: Appreciation मध्ये हे मुद्दे क्रमाने लिहा: शीर्षक, कवी, कडवी व rhyme scheme, भाषा, मध्यवर्ती कल्पना, आवडती ओळ आणि का, अलंकार, संदेश, तुमचे मत. 12 ते 15 वाक्ये पुरेशी.
Q8. Write your own prayer asking God for guidance in your teenage years
✍️ Write your own 4 to 8 line prayer first. Then see a model.
Show a model prayer
Dear Lord, as I grow day by day,
Please light my path and show the way;
When friends pull hard towards the wrong,
Make my heart both brave and strong.
Let me learn and work and share,
And treat each person with love and care;
And when these teenage years are through,
Let me say I walked with You.
Tip: write your own prayer. Simple words and a rhyme at the end of every two lines are enough.
Q9. Teenagers who have achieved something extraordinary
The textbook asks you to write about teenagers you know (family, friends, neighbourhood or class). Write about real people from your own life. If you need an idea of the format, here are well-known Indian teenage achievers:
| Name | Field | Achievement as a teenager |
|---|---|---|
| R. Praggnanandhaa | Chess | Became a chess Grandmaster at the age of 12 (2018). |
| Shafali Verma | Cricket | Played for the Indian women’s team at the age of 15 (2019). |
| Sheetal Devi | Para-archery | Won gold at the Asian Para Games at the age of 16 (2023). |
| D. Gukesh | Chess | Became the youngest World Chess Champion at the age of 18 (2024). |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote the poem ‘A Teenager’s Prayer’?
The poem ‘A Teenager’s Prayer’ in the Std 10 English Kumarbharati textbook is written by J. Morse.
What is the rhyme scheme of ‘A Teenager’s Prayer’?
The rhyme scheme is abcb. In every stanza only the second and fourth lines rhyme, for example make and take, success and distress.
Which figure of speech is used in ‘Please open up my eyes, dear Lord’?
Apostrophe. The speaker addresses God directly, who is not physically present.
What is the central idea of ‘A Teenager’s Prayer’?
The teenage years are full of important choices. With God’s guidance, self-control and courage, a young person can choose the right path and make these years the best years of life.
How many stanzas are there in ‘A Teenager’s Prayer’?
The poem has five stanzas of four lines each, 20 lines in all.
Summary in English
A teenager speaks directly to God. Every new day brings new choices, and the speaker knows that some roads lead to a good life while others lead to trouble. The teenager asks God for guidance to choose well, for the strength to keep body and mind pure and to say no to temptation, and for the courage to stand up for what is right.
The poem ends with a hope: when the teenage years are over, the speaker wants to look back on them as the best years of life, lived with God’s help.
मराठीत सारांश (Summary in Marathi)
एक किशोरवयीन मुलगा थेट देवाशी बोलत आहे. प्रत्येक नवीन दिवस नवे निर्णय घेऊन येतो; काही मार्ग चांगल्या आयुष्याकडे नेतात, तर काही संकटाकडे. योग्य निवड करण्यासाठी मार्गदर्शन, शरीर आणि मन शुद्ध ठेवून मोहाला नकार देण्याची ताकद, आणि जे योग्य आहे त्यासाठी ठाम उभे राहण्याचे धैर्य तो देवाकडे मागतो.
कवितेच्या शेवटी तो प्रार्थना करतो की किशोरवयाची वर्षे संपल्यावर मागे वळून पाहताना, देवाच्या साथीने जगलेली ती वर्षे आयुष्यातील सर्वात सुंदर वाटावीत.
Theme and Message (मध्यवर्ती कल्पना)
The teenage years are full of important decisions. With guidance, self-control and courage, a young person can choose the right path and make these years the best of their life.
किशोरवय हे महत्त्वाच्या निर्णयांचे वय आहे. मार्गदर्शन, संयम आणि धैर्य असेल तर तरुण योग्य मार्ग निवडू शकतो आणि ही वर्षे आयुष्यातील सर्वोत्तम बनवू शकतो.
Figures of Speech (अलंकार)
- Apostrophe (संबोधन): the whole poem speaks directly to God, who is not physically present. Example: “Please open up my eyes, dear Lord”.
- Inversion (शब्दक्रम बदल): the normal word order is changed to keep the rhyme. Example: “Decisions, I must make”.
- Metaphor (रूपक): life is shown as a road to walk on. Example: “the road of life”.
- Alliteration (अनुप्रास): the same sound is repeated at the start of nearby words. Examples: “down the darkened road”, “life is lived”.
Tip: see the full model poem appreciation above.
Useful Words (शब्दार्थ)
| Word | मराठी अर्थ | Use it in a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| guidance | मार्गदर्शन | I need my teacher’s guidance to choose a subject. |
| temptation | मोह | He resisted the temptation to copy in the exam. |
| courage | धैर्य | It takes courage to say no to your friends. |
| choice | निवड | Every day we make many small choices. |
| strength | ताकद, सामर्थ्य | Give me the strength to keep trying. |
| teenage | किशोरवयीन | The teenage years pass very quickly. |
For the Exam (परीक्षेसाठी)
- Poem appreciation is often asked: title, poet, theme, rhyme scheme, figures of speech and your favourite line. Mark the rhyming words in your textbook yourself so you can state the rhyme scheme confidently.
- A prayer is full of requests, so this poem is a good example of imperative sentences (requests and commands). Revise them in Lesson 2: Types of Sentences.
Think and Write (विचार करा, लिहा)
- Write about one difficult choice a teenager has to make today, in 3 to 4 sentences.
- Who guides you when you have to make a decision? Write a short paragraph.
- Write your own four-line prayer for a good year at school.
🎮 Practice Games: A Teenager's Prayer
Extra practice for revision, beyond the textbook activities. Play every game, then check your total score and stars at the end! (उजळणीसाठी खेळ.)
🎬 Poem flow
Put the ideas of the poem in order.
What does the teenager pray for?
- Each new day brings new beginnings and choices.
- Help me take the road that leads to success.
- Open my eyes so that I can see clearly.
- Give me strength to say no to temptation.
- Let me look back on these as the best years of my life.
🔤 Word meanings
🎯 Tap the English word and its Marathi meaning.
English ↔ मराठी
⚡ Quick quiz
👉 Tap the correct answer.
To whom is the poem addressed?
Answer: It is a prayer, so the whole poem is an apostrophe.
The poem has five stanzas. What is its rhyme scheme?
Answer: Only lines 2 and 4 of each stanza rhyme.
‘The road of life’ is an example of ___.
Answer: Life is compared to a road without ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Why does the teenager need guidance?
Answer: One road leads to success, the other to distress.
✅ True or false?
👉 Tap True or False.
The speaker asks God to make all his decisions for him.
Answer: He asks God to open his eyes so that he himself can choose well.
The speaker wants to keep his body clean and fit.
Answer: He prays for a pure body and mind.
🎯 Apostrophe or not?
🗂️ Apostrophe = speaking directly to someone absent, or to a thing or idea.
Is it an apostrophe?
Online test · 15 questions
1.1 A Teenager's Prayer: Lesson Test
Multiple choice · instant score with answers · certificate for 80% and above · free, no login
शिक्षकांसाठी: धडा शिकवून झाल्यावर ही test वर्गाला पाठवा. प्रत्येक विद्यार्थ्याचे गुण तुम्हाला आपोआप मिळतील.
These are original study notes and answers by englishresources.in to help you revise. Read the chapter in your Balbharati textbook first: these notes do not replace it. Only short phrases from the poem and the activities are quoted, for reference.