Std 10 English chapters › Unit 4
In short: The speaker meets people with disabilities who are still cheerful, and learns to thank God for his own blessings instead of complaining.
(अपंगत्व असूनही आनंदी असलेल्या लोकांना कवी भेटतो, आणि तक्रार करण्याऐवजी स्वतःला मिळालेल्या देणग्यांसाठी देवाचे आभार मानायला शिकतो.)
- Type: Poem
- Poet: Joy Lovelet Crawford (as printed in the textbook)
- Speaker: A person who learns to be grateful
- Unit: 4
4.1 The World is Mine: 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 try each activity here before you check the answer.
Chit-chat: discuss in groups
✍️ Discuss with your group first.
Show sample answers
- I often complain that I do not get enough pocket money or time to play.
- I have a bicycle, a smartwatch and my own study table, which my younger brother does not have.
- At present, I want a new cricket bat more than anything.
- The proverb means that we complain about small things until we see people who have much less than us. Then we realise how lucky we are.
Warming up: Fill in the gaps in the poem
👉 Choose the missing word for each line, then tap Check my answers.
Answer key
| Line | Missing word |
|---|---|
| Count your garden by the … | flowers |
| Never by the leaves that … | fall |
| Count your days by golden … | hours |
| Don't remember clouds … | at all |
| Count your nights by stars, not … | shadows |
| Count your life with smiles, not … | tears |
| And with joy, on every … | birthday |
| Count your age by friends, not … | years |
Suggested title: “Count Your Blessings”
Warming up: What makes me happy or sad?
✍️ Fill in your own table first.
Show a sample answer
| What makes me extremely happy 😊 | What makes me extremely sad ☹️ |
|---|---|
| Getting good marks | Seeing someone hungry |
| Playing with friends | Fighting with friends |
| Spending time with my family | When someone in my family is ill |
| Helping someone in need | Seeing animals being hurt |
Warming up 3: Turn the sad world into a happy world
| Sad world | Happy world |
|---|---|
| hatred | love |
| injustice | justice |
| poverty | prosperity |
| intolerance | tolerance |
| selfishness | selflessness |
| fear | courage |
| jealousy | goodwill |
| enmity | friendship |
| differences | unity |
| unrest | peace |
| dirt | cleanliness |
| sorrow | joy |
Short questions from the poem (margin questions)
- Describe the young girl in the bus.
She was lovely, with silken hair, and seemed very cheerful. When she rose to leave, the speaker saw that she had only one leg and walked with a crutch, yet she smiled. - What did the speaker not realise while chatting with the lad?
That the charming, calm lad selling sweets was blind. - Why did the blue-eyed boy not join the others in their game?
Because he could not hear. - What does the speaker thank God for?
For legs to go where she wants, eyes to see the sunset’s glow and ears to hear what she wants to know.
Q1. Complete the sentences
- The poet saw a lovely girl hobble down the aisle of the bus.
- The poet wanted to buy some sweets from the lad.
- The poet told the boy to join others to play but he couldn’t because he could not hear.
- The poet requests God to forgive him.
Q2. Match the following
👉 Choose the correct ending, then tap Check my answers.
Answer key
| A | B | Pair |
|---|---|---|
| (a) The beautiful girl… | had a handicap in her legs. | a – iv |
| (b) The lad who was selling sweets… | was very thankful to the speaker in the poem. | b – iii |
| (c) The child, watching others play… | was hearing impaired. | c – ii |
| (d) The poet says "The World is Mine" because… | he can experience the beauty and gifts of his life. | d – i |
Q3. What does “The World is Mine” mean? Importance of the title
The poet means that she is truly blessed and rich, because she has legs to walk, eyes to see and ears to hear. With these gifts, she can enjoy everything the world offers. The title is very suitable. Each stanza shows a person without one of these gifts who is still cheerful, and each stanza ends with “the world is mine”. The title reminds us to be thankful for what we have instead of complaining.
Q4. Answer in your own words
✍️ Write your own answers first.
Show model answers
(a) Theme: We should be grateful for what we have and stop complaining. People with disabilities face life bravely and cheerfully, and they teach us to count our blessings.
(b) Should people with a handicap beg for money? No. Like the lad in the poem who sells sweets, they can work and live with dignity. Society should give them training, jobs and support, so that they can earn their own living.
(c) Which is better? Option (ii) is better: we should encourage a disabled person to do the work himself or herself in a different way. Doing everything for them makes them dependent. Encouragement builds their confidence and self-respect.
Q5 and Q6. Rhyme and Figures of Speech: Question Answers
Q5 (a). Pairs of rhyming words
whine – mine · hair – fair · aisle – smile · charm – harm · kind – blind · blue – do · dear – hear · go – glow – know
Q5 (b). Rhyme scheme of the first two stanzas
Stanza 1: aabbcc (hair–fair, aisle–smile, whine–mine). Stanza 2: ddeecc (charm–harm, kind–blind, whine–mine). The poem is written in rhyming couplets.
Q6. Lines that contain figures of speech
| Figure of speech | Line from the poem |
|---|---|
| Inversion | “it seemed he knew not what to do” (normal order: he did not know) |
| Interrogation | “why don’t you join the others dear” |
| Onomatopoeia | “O God, forgive me when I whine” (whine sounds like a complaining cry) |
| Apostrophe | “O God forgive me when I whine” (the poet speaks directly to God) |
👉 Quick check: tap the figure of speech.
"O God, forgive me when I whine"
Answer: Apostrophe. The poet speaks directly to God, who is not present.
"why don't you join the others dear"
Answer: Interrogation. A question is asked.
Q7. Four lines that contain imagery
- “Today on a bus, I saw a lovely girl with silken hair”
- “I saw her hobble down the aisle”
- “I saw a child with eyes of blue”
- “With eyes to see the sunset’s glow”
Writing Skills: Question Answers
Q8. Dialogue among three classmates
✍️ Continue the dialogue in your notebook first.
Show a model dialogue
Student 1: Do you know how many problems I have to face when I decide to go anywhere? I cannot climb stairs or catch a bus easily.
Student 2: I can’t hear anything. In class, I have to read the teacher’s lips, and I miss many instructions.
Student 3: So sad! You both can’t walk or hear, but my problem is more serious. I can’t see this beautiful world.
Student 1: But you read so well in Braille, and you remember everything the teacher says!
Student 2: And you, my friend, are the best at chess in our school, even in a wheelchair.
Student 3: You are right. Each of us has a special strength. Let’s help one another. I can tell you what the teacher says, and you can describe the pictures to me.
Student 1: Yes! Together we can face any difficulty.
Q9. Complete the story and suggest a title
✍️ Write your own story first.
Show a model story
Two Friends, One Journey
A polio victim, Ramu, and a strong but visually challenged man, Shyamu, were close friends. They wished to go to a temple three kilometres away, but Ramu could not walk, and Shyamu could not see the way. Both felt sad. Then Ramu had an idea. “Shyamu, you are strong, and I have good eyes. Carry me on your shoulders, and I will show you the way.” Shyamu happily agreed. Ramu sat on his shoulders and guided him: “Turn left… a stone ahead… now walk straight.” Slowly but happily, they reached the temple and offered their prayers together. People who saw them were amazed at their friendship.
Moral: Unity is strength. (A friend in need is a friend indeed.)
Q10. Tips for reciting a poem
Stand straight and look at the audience · speak with confidence and fluency · pronounce words clearly with the right intonation · pause at commas and full stops · stress important words · change your voice and tone to match the feeling · enjoy the rhythm and music of the lines.
Q11. Translate into Marathi (medium of instruction)
- अपंग व्यक्तीचा समाजात आदर केला पाहिजे.
- खरा मित्र तुमच्या कमतरतांकडे दुर्लक्ष करतो, तुमच्या चुका सुधारतो आणि तुमच्या सामर्थ्याचा पुरेपूर वापर करण्यासाठी तुम्हाला प्रोत्साहन देतो.
- माणसाला ज्या गोष्टींना सामोरे जावे लागते त्या सर्व तो बदलू शकत नाही; पण सामोरे गेल्याशिवाय काहीच बदलता येत नाही.
Q12. Letter to your father to attend the school gathering
✍️ Write your own letter first.
Show a model letter
Room No. 8, Girls’ Hostel,
New English School,
Ambajogai 431 517
20th December 2026
Dear Baba,
I hope you and Aai are well. I am writing to invite you to our school’s Annual Social and Cultural Gathering on 5th January 2027 at 5 p.m. in the school hall.
It is a mega event. There will be dances, a drama, a singing competition, a fancy dress show and a prize distribution. I am taking part in three activities: a group folk dance, an English skit and the elocution competition.
Baba, I feel a little nervous about performing on the stage. If you are there in the audience, I will feel more confident and do my best. Please take leave from work for that evening and come.
I am waiting eagerly to see you.
Your loving daughter,
Sneha
Q13. Project: poster for an Eye / Blood Donation Camp
DONATE BLOOD, SAVE LIVES!
Blood Donation Camp
Organised by: NSS Unit, New English School
Date: 14th June (World Blood Donor Day) · Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Venue: School Hall
Who can donate: healthy adults aged 18 to 65
“Your one unit can save three lives.”
Poem Appreciation: “The World is Mine”
“The World is Mine” is a poem by Joy Lovelet Crawford. Each stanza ends with the refrain “O God forgive me when I whine… the world is mine”. The poem is written in rhyming couplets, and the rhyme scheme of the first stanza is aabbcc. The speaker meets a cheerful girl with one leg, a charming blind boy selling sweets and a child who cannot hear. Each time, she feels ashamed of complaining and thanks God for her legs, eyes and ears. My favourite lines are “With eyes to see the sunset’s glow… I’m blessed, indeed, the world is mine”, because they show true gratitude. The poet uses apostrophe, interrogation, onomatopoeia, repetition and imagery. The language is simple and the tone is thankful. The central idea is that we should count our blessings and stop complaining. I like this poem because it teaches us to respect people with disabilities and to value what we have.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote the poem 'The World is Mine'?
The Std 10 textbook gives the poet's name as Joy Lovelet Crawford.
What is the theme of 'The World is Mine'?
We should be grateful for what we have and stop complaining, like the cheerful people with disabilities the speaker meets.
Whom does the speaker meet in the poem?
A lovely girl with one leg on a bus, a blind lad selling sweets, and a child who cannot hear.
What is the rhyme scheme of 'The World is Mine'?
The poem is written in rhyming couplets. The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is aabbcc.
Which figure of speech is 'O God, forgive me when I whine'?
It is an apostrophe, because the poet speaks directly to God.
Summary in English
The speaker describes three meetings. On a bus he admires a lovely girl and envies her, until she gets off and he sees that she has only one leg and walks with a crutch. Yet she is cheerful.
Next he stops to buy sweets from a boy who is friendly and charming, and then realises that the boy is blind. Later he meets a child who watches other children play but does not join in, because the child cannot hear.
After each meeting, the speaker asks God to forgive him for complaining. He has two legs, two eyes and ears that hear, so he feels truly rich: the world is his.
मराठीत सारांश (Summary in Marathi)
कवी तीन भेटींचे वर्णन करतो. बसमध्ये तो एका सुंदर मुलीचे कौतुक करतो आणि तिचा हेवा करतो; पण ती उतरते तेव्हा त्याला दिसते की तिला एकच पाय आहे आणि ती कुबडीच्या आधाराने चालते. तरीही ती आनंदी असते.
मग तो एका मुलाकडून मिठाई घ्यायला थांबतो; तो मुलगा मनमिळाऊ आणि गोड असतो, पण नंतर कवीला कळते की तो आंधळा आहे. पुढे तो एका मुलाला भेटतो जो इतर मुलांना खेळताना पाहतो पण त्यांच्यात सामील होत नाही, कारण त्याला ऐकू येत नाही.
प्रत्येक भेटीनंतर कवी तक्रार केल्याबद्दल देवाकडे क्षमा मागतो. त्याला दोन पाय, दोन डोळे आणि ऐकणारे कान आहेत, म्हणून तो स्वतःला खरोखर श्रीमंत मानतो: हे जग त्याचे आहे.
Theme and Message (मध्यवर्ती कल्पना)
Be grateful for what you have. People who face great difficulties with a smile teach us to stop complaining.
आपल्याकडे जे आहे त्याबद्दल कृतज्ञ राहा. मोठ्या अडचणींना हसतमुखाने सामोरे जाणारे लोक आपल्याला तक्रार करणे थांबवायला शिकवतात.
Figures of Speech (अलंकार)
- Apostrophe (संबोधन): the speaker speaks directly to God at the end of each stanza.
- Repetition (पुनरावृत्ती): the closing idea of each stanza is repeated as a refrain.
- Onomatopoeia (ध्वन्यनुकारी शब्द): a word that sounds like a complaining noise is used for grumbling.
- Interrogation (प्रश्नार्थक अलंकार): questions are asked to make the reader think.
Tip: for the appreciation question, pick your favourite line from the poem in your textbook and say which figure of speech it uses.
Useful Words (शब्दार्थ)
| Word | मराठी अर्थ | Use it in a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| envy | हेवा | Do not envy others; work hard instead. |
| crutch | कुबडी | After the accident he walked with a crutch. |
| charming | मोहक, मनमिळाऊ | She has a charming smile. |
| blessed | भाग्यवान, आशीर्वादित | I feel blessed to have good friends. |
| whine | कुरकुरणे, रडगाणे गाणे | Stop whining and start working. |
| forgive | क्षमा करणे | Please forgive me for being late. |
For the Exam (परीक्षेसाठी)
- For the appreciation, note the refrain at the end of each stanza and the apostrophe to God. Write the poet’s name exactly as it appears in your textbook.
- Revise exclamatory and interrogative sentences, which are common in this poem, in Lesson 2: Types of Sentences.
Think and Write (विचार करा, लिहा)
- List five blessings in your own life that you are grateful for.
- How should we treat people with disabilities?
- Write a four-line stanza of your own on being thankful.
🎮 Practice Games: The World is Mine
Extra practice for revision, beyond the textbook activities. Play every game, then check your total score and stars! (उजळणीसाठी खेळ.)
🎬 Poem flow
Put the three meetings in order.
Three meetings
- A lovely girl on the bus, who has only one leg
- A charming boy selling sweets, who is blind
- A child watching others play, who cannot hear
🧩 Who had which challenge?
Match each person with the challenge.
Person → challenge
🔤 Word meanings
🎯 Tap the English word and its Marathi meaning.
English ↔ मराठी
⚡ Quick quiz
👉 Tap the correct answer.
What does the speaker ask God after each meeting?
Answer: ‘Forgive me when I whine.’
Why does he say ‘the world is mine’?
Answer: He has legs, eyes and ears that work.
The main message of the poem is ___.
Answer: Count your blessings instead of complaining.
Online test · 15 questions
4.1 The World is Mine: 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 poem in your Balbharati textbook first: these notes do not replace it. Only short lines from the poem are quoted, for reference.