Chapter 2.3 - The Worm
In this poem, the poet tells the reader, who is in a hurry, to turn his foot aside so that he does not crush the helpless worm. The reader may be filled with scorn and hatred for the worm, but it was created by God.
The same God who made human beings and all other things that move has also given a portion of His unlimited love to the poor worm.
God has given the sun, the moon and the stars free to all the creatures He created. The grass that grows over the earth was made for worms as well as for human beings.
The poet urges the reader to allow the worms to enjoy their brief life with its humble pleasures. He tells us not to take away a life which we cannot give.
(1) Poem and poet:
The Worm by Thomas Gisborne.
(2) Theme:
Respect every creature big or small, for each has their own role to play in this universe.
(3) Tone:
Serious and thought-provoking: in the imperative.
(4) Structure and stanzas:
Stanzas of four lines each; short lines.
(5) Rhyme and Rhythm:
Rhyme scheme: abab, cdcd and so on. The last words of the first and third line and second and fourth line of every stanza rhyme. Rhythm is smooth.
(6) Language and Imagery:
Archaic language; no imagery
(7) Figures of Speech:
Apostrophe, Inversion.
nestles : is close to
rolling : extending in long gentle slopes
fragrance : pleasant smell
symposium : a meeting at which experts have discussion on a particular subject
presses on : persuades someone to do something
discriminate : treat one person or group better or worse than another, in an unfair way
gender : fact of being male or female
laments : expresses grief and sorrow
subjugated : controlled and dominated over
glorified : praised
testify : provide proof / evidence
pioneer : a person who is among the first to take up a cause especially in a new region.
civilizing : educating
under the aegis : with the protection or support of (a particular organization or person)
dimensions : aspects
elimination : getting rid of
throw light on : to give information or explanation about
legal : related to law
potential : the qualities that exist and can be developed
Warming up!
(1) ‘Worms play a very important role in maintaining ecological balance. They are friends of farmers.’ Form groups and discuss the significance of worms in the above two roles.
Ans: Worms serve an important role in maintaining the environment’s balance. Firstly, they enhance soil health by breaking down organic matter like dead leaves, turning it into nutrient-rich soil. This enriches the soil, making it more fertile for crops, which benefits farmers. Secondly, their burrowing activities help improve soil aeration and water infiltration, reducing soil erosion and flooding risks. This helps in maintaining a stable environment. In short, worms are nature’s recyclers and engineers, making them valuable friends for both agriculture and the broader ecosystem, ensuring that the land remains productive and sustainable.
(2) Think and write down how the following creatures can be useful :
(a) Dragonfly :
Ans: eats mosquitoes and flies: controls unwanted insects.
(b) Spider :
Ans: keeps insect population under control.
(c) Ants :
Ans: turn and aerate the soil; help in seed dispersal.
(d) Honeybees :
Ans: provide honey; help in pollination.
(e) Earthworms :
Ans: loosen the soil; turn organic garbage into fertilizer.
Differences
Ans: In the first panel, a woman is trudging along balancing pots of water on her head and a baby on her hip. In the next panel, a woman is teaching children at a school.
(3) Little creatures in nature can also be your teachers. Think and write what we can learn from the following.
(a) Bees :
Ans: organization; hard work; self-sacrifice
(b) Ants :
Ans: team work; hard work; discipline
(c) Spiders :
Ans: patience; perseverance
(d) Caterpillars :
Ans: patience; acceptance of change
(4) Breeding worms to use them to convert organic waste into fertilizer is called vermiculture or vermicomposting. Find out more about Vermiculture and how you can carry out the same in your garden / backyard, to fertilize your plants at home.
Ans: Vermiculture, or vermicomposting, is a sustainable way to recycle organic waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer using earthworms. To do this in your garden or backyard, start with a container like a wooden box or plastic bin with holes for aeration. Layer it with shredded newspaper, cardboard, or dry leaves as bedding. Add kitchen scraps like fruit and vegetable peels, avoiding dairy or meat. Introduce red wiggler earthworms, readily available in gardening stores. Keep the bedding moist but not soggy and cover it. In a few months, the worms will consume the waste, turning it into nutrient-packed compost, perfect for enriching your home garden soil naturally.
In Between The Lesson
Q1. Why should we take care even of small worms?
Ans: The poet urges us to remember that every creature on this earth is created by God for some purpose. We must hence respect every creature, big or small, for each has its own role to play in this universe. Besides, we have no right to lightly take away a life which we cannot give back.
Q2. What other creations of God are mentioned?
Ans: The other creations of God that are mentioned in the poem are the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, blades of grass and humans.
Q3. Explain the thought in the last two lines in simple words.
Ans: The thought in the last two lines is that we have no right to lightly take away a life which we cannot give back.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Read the poem aloud and you will find some old outdated words that we do not use in everyday language now.
However, some writers / poets use them to impart an old-fashioned flavour to suit the background of their write-up. Such words are called Archaic words.
Give the modern words for the archaic words from the poem.
thy
Ans: your
being
Ans: life
bestow’d
Ans: gifted or given as a gift
thee
Ans: you
thou
Ans: you
cans’t
Ans: can
Read any poem / sonnet by William Shakespeare. Pick out archaic words and guess what they mean.
Ans: Students should do this on their own.
2. The poet uses a device where he directly addresses someone absent or abstract. Such a device is the Figure of Speech called ‘Apostrophe’.
For example : Turn, turn thy hasty foot aside.
Pick out any two other lines from the poem that contain an Apostrophe.
Ans:
(i) Turn, turn thy hasty foot aside
(ii) Let them enjoy their little day
(iii) O do not lightly take away
The life thou canst not give.
3. Think and answer in your own words in your notebook.
(a) Why does the poet appeal to us, to respect the life of a worm?
Ans: The poet urges us to remember that every creature on this earth is created by God for some purpose. We must hence respect every creature, big or small, for each has its own role to play in this universe. Besides, we have no right to lightly take away a life which we cannot give back.
(b) Why do you think God created worms? What is their ecological importance?
Ans: Every creature on this earth is created by God for some purpose. Worms play a very important role in maintaining ecological balance. They loosen and aerate the mud and bring up fertile, nutrient-rich soil. They turn organic garbage into organic fertilizers. Their bodies provide proteins Thus, though they are so small, they play a huge role in maintaining ecological balance, and this is the purpose for which God created them.
(c) ‘Live and let live’ is a famous proverb. Which lines from the poem support this proverb?
Ans: The lines from the poem that support the proverb Live and let live’ are:
Turn, turn thy hasty foot aside. Nor crush that helpless worm!
Let them enjoy their little day
Do not lightly take away The life thou canst not give!
(d) Does the poem urge us to protect only worms? What is the general message conveyed through this poem?
Ans: Though the poem is about the worm, the general message is that God has created all the creatures on earth, big and small, and every creature has a role to play. All beings have equal rights over the bounties of the earth. No one can take away a life that he/she cannot give.
4. Find from the library or internet other poems composed on tiny living creatures. Try to understand the message in each of them.
Ans: Students should do this on their own.
5. ‘Even small things in nature play a big role. So protect nature!’
Frame some slogans based on the above topic.
Ans:
(i) “Tiny Acts, Mighty Impact: Protect Nature!”
(ii) “Nature’s Small Wonders, Our Precious Guardians.”
(iii) “Little Beings, Big Difference – Preserve Nature!”
(iv) “Small Steps for Nature, Giant Leaps for Life.”
(v) “Nature’s Mini Marvels, Earth’s Lifesavers.”
(vi) “Embrace the Small, Defend It All – Nature Matters!”
(vii) “In Nature’s Details, Lies Our Future’s Fortunes.”
(viii) “Guard Every Creature, Secure Our Nature’s Future.”
(ix) “Cherish the Little, Safeguard the Whole – Nature Unites Us.”
(x) “Protect Nature’s Minutiae, Preserve Earth’s Symphony.”
Draft a short speech on the above topic, which you could give at your school assembly. Use the following steps while drafting.
- Greeting
- Salutation
- Self – introduction
- Introduction of the topic
- Body of the speech
- Conclusion
- Expression of gratitude to the audience
Ans:
SMALL BUT IMPORTANT
Respected principal, teachers, and my dear friends.
Good morning. Today is June 5th, World Environment Day, and on this important day, I, Sana Khan, would like to say a few words on the huge role played by the small things in nature.
Let me begin with the earthworm. The earthworm is rightly called the friend of the farmer, for it helps the farmer in immeasurable ways. It not only loosens and turns up the soil; it also converts garbage into organic fertilizer. Those minute creatures, ants, help in aerating the soil and in seed dispersal. Bees, in addition to providing honey, are indispensable in pollination. We owe our food to the work done by these little insects. Dragonflies and spiders keep down the insect population by eating insects. Frogs and fish eat the larvae of mosquitoes.
I could go on and on, extolling the virtues and uses of every little being on this earth. However, time does not permit me to do this, and I end my speech by requesting all of you here to understand and respect the importance and place of every little creature on this earth.
Thank you.
6. Paraphrase the poem in your own simple language. Write it down in your notebook.
Ans: In this poem, the poet tells the reader. who is in a hurry, to turn his foot aside so that he does not crush the helpless worm. The reader may be filled with scorn and hatred for the worm, but it was created by God.
The same God who made human beings and all other things that move has also given a portion of His unlimited love to the poor worm.
God has given the sun. the moon and the stars free to all the creatures He created. The grass that grows over the earth was made for worms as well as for human beings.
The poet urges the reader to allow the worms to enjoy their brief life with its humble pleasures. He tells us not to take away a life which we cannot give.
Frame a pointwise analysis of the poem ‘The Worm’. Use the following points.
(a) Poem and poet :
Ans: The Worm by Thomas Gisborne
(b) Theme :
Ans: Respect every creature big or small, for each has their own role to play in this universe.
(c) Tone :
Ans: Serious and thought-provoking: in the imperative
(d) Structure and stanzas :
Ans: Stanzas of four lines each: short lines
(e) Rhyme and Rhythm :
Ans: Rhyme scheme: abab, cdcd and so on. The last words of the first and third line and second and fourth line of every stanza rhyme. Rhythm is smooth.
(f) Language and Imagery :
Ans: Archaic language: no imagery
(g) Figures of Speech :
Ans: Apostrophe, Inversion