Class - 8 > Lesson - 3 > An April Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (explanation and Question and answer)

 Class - 8

Lesson - 3

An April Day

 

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In "An April Day" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the speaker notices and celebrates the beauty of nature in spring: the flowers, forests, saplings (baby trees); the morning and the evening; even the moon and stars. He closes by romantically asserting the everlasting nature of his love for this time of year.

(हेनरी वैड्सवर्थ लॉन्गफेलो द्वारा "एन अप्रैल डे" में  स्पीकर वसंत में प्रकृति की सुंदरता को नोटिस करता है और मनाता है: फूल, जंगल, पौधे (बच्चे के पेड़); सुबह और शाम; यहां तक कि चंद्रमा और सितारे भी। वह साल के इस समय के लिए अपने प्यार की चिरस्थायी प्रकृति पर रोमांटिक रूप से जोर देकर बंद हो जाता है।)

This poem has eight stanzas. Keep in mind that it's called "An April Day," so it's basically describing all the beautiful things that can be seen during one day in April. By taking a look at each, we can come up with a more detailed summary:

(इस कविता में आठ छंद हैं। ध्यान रखें कि इसे "एक अप्रैल दिवस" कहा जाता है, इसलिए यह मूल रूप से उन सभी सुंदर चीजों का वर्णन कर रहा है जो अप्रैल में एक दिन के दौरान देखी जा सकती हैं। प्रत्येक पर एक नज़र डालकर, हम एक अधिक विस्तृत सारांश के साथ आ सकते हैं )

Stanza 1: It's springtime and the sun is coming up. It's warm. The speaker goes out to the forest, where flowers are starting to bloom.

(यह वसंत का समय है और सूरज आ रहा है। यह गर्म है. स्पीकर जंगल में जाता है, जहां फूल खिलने लगते हैं।)

Stanza 2: There in the forest, there are all kinds of bright things to see, and it's not stormy.

(वहाँ जंगल में, देखने के लिए सभी प्रकार की उज्ज्वल चीजें हैं, और यह तूफानी नहीं है।)

Stanza 3: Baby trees are starting to pop up, and older trees are starting to perk up.

(बेबी पेड़ उगने लगे हैं, और पुराने पेड़ बढ़ने लगे हैं।)

Stanza 4: The speaker hears birds singing, and he sees their colorful wings.

(वक्ता पक्षियों को गाते हुए सुनता है, और वह उनके रंगीन पंखों को देखता है।)

Stanza 5: The sun starts to set and makes the whole woods and all the surrounding hills look beautiful.

(सूरज डूबने लगता है और पूरे जंगल और आसपास की सभी पहाड़ियों को सुंदर बनाता है।)

Stanza 6: Evening comes, and the speaker enjoys the beauty of the lake as well as the sky, moon, and stars above.

(शाम आती है, और स्पीकर झील की सुंदरता के साथ-साथ ऊपर आकाश, चंद्रमा और सितारों का आनंद लेता है)

Stanza 7: The lake beautifully reflects the whole scene that the speaker sees.

(झील खूबसूरती से पूरे दृश्य को दर्शाती है जिसे वक्ता देखता है।)

Stanza 8: The speaker says he will love the month of April for his whole life.

(वक्ता का कहना है कि वह अपने पूरे जीवन के लिए अप्रैल का महीना पसंद करेगा।)

Textual Questions:

Activity - 1

Tick the correct alternative:

(i) When the warm sun has returned again, it is nice to

(a) sing out loud

(b) visit the still wood √

(c) sail down the river

(ii) The sapling draws its sustenance from

(a) the blue sky

(b) rainwater

(c) earth's loosened mould √

(iii) The birds

(a) glance quick in the bright sun √

(b) sit on the branches of the trees

(c) peck at the grains from the ground

(iv) The green slope throws its shadow upon

(a) the mountain

(b) the hollows of the hills √

(c) the sand dunes

Activity - 2

Complete the following sentences with information from the text:

(a) Spring is the season of blossming of flowers.

(b) The coming-on of storms is foretold by many-folded dark clouds.

(c) The birds move along the forest opening. 

(d) The bright sunset fills the silver woods with light.

Activity - 4

Fill in the chart with information from the text: 

Who	Did what
(i) The first flower	sprang in a still wood
(ii) The forest glades	were teeming with bright forms
(iii) The sapling	drew its sustenance from the earth's loosened mould
(iv) The drooping tree	revived through stricken to the heart with winters cold

 Activity - 5

Answer the following questions:

(a) Why is it sweet to visit the wood during springtime?

Ans :-  One can enjoy the sights of the flowers, hear the softy warbled bird-song and see the multi-coloured wings of birds and butterflies.

(b) What does winter's cold do to the tree?

Ans :- The trees are stricken to the heart with winter’s cold.

(c) What time of the day do you think it is when "the green slope throws its shadows in the hollows of the hills"?

Ans :- When the sun sets.

(d) Why do you think the poem is titled "An April Day"? Suggest an alternative title.

Ans :- Because the poem describes a day in the month of April.

An alternative title may be “Sweet Spring”.

Activity - 6(a)

Fill in the blanks with the correct verb forms from those given in brackets:

(i) He has been working here for the last two years. (worked, is working, has been working)

(ii) The baby has been crying all morning. (cries, has been crying, had cried)

(iii) It had been raining for a long time before we went to school. (had been raining, rained, rains)

(iv) The passengers of the train had been sleeping fast when the accident occurred. (slept, had been sleeping, sleep)

Activity - 6(b)

Fill in the blanks with either the Future Continuous tense or Future Perfect tense of the verbs given in brackets:

(i) suppose it will be raining when we start. (rain)

(ii) He will be meeting us next week. (meet)

(iii) She will have reached Jamshedpur by then. (reach)

(iv) This book is not fat, I shall have read it by lunch time. (read)

Activity - 7

Make meaningful sentences of your own with the following words:

(a) harvest : When will you harvest your wheat?

(b) Teeming :  This river is teeming with fish.

(c) thrives : He thrives on hard work.

(d) glance : He gave her a sidelong glance.

Activity - 8(a)

write a paragraph in about eighty words on the changes that you see in nature when spring comes after winter.

The Glory of Spring

Spring comes immediately after winter. During winter everything in nature seems to be dying. The bare trees are stricken to the heart with winter's cold. The mild sun makes everything look pale.  The trees which get lifeless in winter by shedding all the leaves, send forth new and tender leaves. A Comfortable gentle breeze blows instead of the cold north winds. There is no fog in the night or morning.  The birds stop singing because of the cold wind. But with the advent of spring, countless flowers begin to bloom. Birds sing and bees and butterflies fly about .The sky is clear and deep blue in daytime and starry during night. Everything in nature looks bright and beautiful. Nature is vivacious then. The weather is most pleasant and charming. A comfortable gentle breeze blows instead of the cold north winds.

Activity - 8(b)

You have a separate routine of work in the morning and in the evening. Write page in your diary on that part of the day which you prefer more.

I wake up at 5.00 am. My day starts from going for a walk then I come back after 1 hour. I have breakfast around 8.00 am and then I get ready to go school. I attend school from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. Then, I go back home around 5.30. Then I have my badminton classes to attend. After that, I return home around 8.00 pm. Then, I study for 2 hours and have dinner at 10.00 pm. I go to sleep at 10.30 pm.

I like the morning part of the day because it is the time when I feel fresh and active.