‘Home and Love’ poem is written by Robert Service. You can click here to see its explanation and notes. Here You would get Question and Answers to the Textbook exercises given in the book ‘Lavender Class 8 English.
Home and Love Poem Q/Ans.
Time to Answer
A. Choose the correct option.
1. What do the words ‘home’ and ‘love’ have in common?
- I. They both are never found together.
- II. They both have four letters.
- III. They are so tenderly complete.
- IV. A Home without Love is sweeter.
☐ I and II
☐ I and IV
☐ II and IV
☐ II and III
2. Which one is a synonym for ‘divine’?
☐ angelic
☐ devotional
☐ mythical
☐ earthly
3. What does a home without love signify?
☐ divinity
☐ graciousness
☐ bitterness
☐ pain
4. Which words are considered to be the sweetest by the poet?
☐ home and love
☐ wide and gracious
☐ hand and glove
☐ friendly and loving
Answers:
- II and III: They both have four letters and they are so tenderly complete.
- angelic: Synonym for ‘divine.’
- bitterness: A home without love signifies bitterness.
- home and love: Considered to be the sweetest words by the poet.
B. Answer these questions.
1. What does the line ‘The wide and gracious range of speech’ convey?
2. What is the theme of the poem?
3. According to the poet, what can make a person sing the whole day long?
4. Pick a few lines from the poem which might signify your feelings towards your home and family.
Answer:
- The line ‘The wide and gracious range of speech’ conveys the idea that despite the vastness of language, the words ‘home’ and ‘love’ stand out as particularly tender and complete.
- The theme of the poem is the importance and interdependence of home and love for happiness and fulfillment in life.
- According to the poet, having both home and love can make a person sing the whole day long.
- Lines that signify feelings towards home and family:
“And if you’ve both, well then I’m sure
You ought to sing the whole day long;
It doesn’t matter if you’re poor
With these to make divine your song.”
Another set of answers:
1. The line means in any language of the world.
2. The poem celebrates the divinity of the coexistence of home and love in a person’s life.
3. If anyone has both home and love, he can sing the whole day long.
4. ‘There are no words more simply sweet Than Home and Love.
Reference to the context
Read these lines from the poem and answer the questions that follow.
1. Just Home and Love! it’s hard to guess Which of the two were best to gain; Home without Love is bitterness; Love without Home is often pain. No! each alone will seldom do; Somehow they travel hand and glove: If you win one you must have two, Both Home and Love.
a. Why does the poet use the word ‘just’ before ‘home and love’?
b. What is considered to be pain?
- i. both home and love
- iii. love without home
c. What does the poet mean by these lines?
- Home without Love is bitterness;
- Love without Home is often pain.
d. What phrase does the poet use to tell us that love and home go together?
Answer:
a. The poet uses the word ‘just’ before ‘home and love’ to emphasise their simplicity and importance.
b. iii. love without home
c. The poet means that without love, a home becomes bitter, and without a home, love brings pain.
d. The phrase “somehow they travel hand and glove” suggests that love and home are inseparable and complement each other.
Another set of answers:
1. a. ‘Just’ is used to emphasise the sole strength of home and love over anything to make one happy.
b. iii
c. A home which is devoid of love lacks warmth and affection and thus relationships become bitter. A love that does not get a home to flourish suffers from pain, lack of protection and hardship.
d. hand and glove
2. And if you’ve both, well then I’m sure You ought to sing the whole day long; It doesn’t matter if you’re poor With these to make divine your song. And so I praisefully repeat, When angels talk in Heaven above, There are no words more simply sweet Than Home and Love.
a. What does ‘both’ refer to in the first line?
b. When should you sing the whole day long?
c. According to the poet, which words are sweeter than the words spoken by angels?
d. What message does the poet want to convey to people who have both love and home?
Answer:
a. ‘Both’ refers to having both home and love.
b. You should sing the whole day long if you have both home and love.
c. According to the poet, the words ‘home and love’ are sweeter than the words spoken by angels.
d. The poet wants to convey that having both love and home brings divine joy and contentment, regardless of one’s material wealth.
Another set of answers:
2. a. home and love
b. If you have both home and love in your life, you can sing all day long.
c. home and love
d. The poet wants to tell the people who have both home and love that even if they are poor, they can live happily.
Time to Think and Answer:
1. Do you really think that home and love are the primary requisites of a good life? Give reasons for your answers.
2. The poet lays emphasis on home and love together. Can’t both of them have significance alone? Give reasons for your answer.
3. In the poem, the poet has capitalised ‘Home’ and ‘Love. Why do you think the poet has done so?
Answers:
- Ans. Yes, I do believe that home and love are primary requisites of a good life. Home provides a sense of security, belonging, and comfort, while love nurtures emotional well-being, support, and connection with others. Together, they create an environment where one can thrive emotionally and mentally. Without these elements, life may feel empty or lacking in fulfilment.
- Ans. While both home and love can have significance alone, the poem emphasises their interdependence and suggests that they are more meaningful together. Home without love may lack warmth and emotional fulfilment, and love without a home or sense of belonging may feel unstable or incomplete. Together, they complement and enhance each other, creating a foundation for a fulfilling life.
Another answer: Home and love each have different significance. The home provides shelter and protection while feeling love in the family delivers affection, strength and will to live. But together they provide a divine, happy and peaceful atmosphere.
- Ans. Capitalising ‘Home’ and ‘Love’ may signify their importance and elevate them as central concepts in the poem. It could also serve to emphasise their symbolic significance beyond their literal meanings, highlighting them as foundational elements of human existence and emotional well-being.
Time to enjoy
1. The mood of a poem is the emotion evoked by the writer for the reader. For example, some poems are dark, because they convey the emotions of fear, gloom and despair. Some poems convey the feelings of cheerfulness, happiness, and some convey the mood of rage, resentment or protest.
What kind of feelings are evoked when you read the poem ‘Home and Love’? Write in about 75 words.
2. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
3. Identify the lines depicting the poet’s belief that home and love are meant to be together.
Answers:
1. Ans. Reading the poem “Home and Love” evokes feelings of warmth, comfort, and contentment. The poem’s emphasis on the interconnectedness of home and love elicits a sense of appreciation for the simple yet profound aspects of life. It inspires feelings of gratitude for the presence of loving relationships and a sense of belonging. Overall, the poem evokes a gentle and uplifting mood, reminding readers of the importance of cherishing the joys of home and love.
2. Ans. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABABCDCD, where the first and third lines of each stanza rhyme with each other, as do the second and fourth lines.
Another answer: Stanza 1: ababcdcd Stanza 2: fgfghdgd Stanza 3: ijkjeded (Official Solutions)
3. Ans. The lines depicting the poet’s belief that home and love are meant to be together include:
“Somehow they travel hand and glove:”
“If you win one you must have two,
Both Home and Love.”