Introduction:-
The poem “No Men arc Foreign” by James
Kirkup is a strong plea for peaceful co-existence and universal brotherhood.
God has made us all equal and the colour of our blood is the same. Human
emotions are the same. too. Thus people all over the world are brothers and
sisters and the manmade Ku-Tiers e4 class or creed arc unnatural and
undesirable.
THEME
The theme of the poem “No Men are Foreign”
is the oneness of mankind underneath the superficial differences of colour,
race, nationality and faith. It presupposes that all human beings are brothers
and sisters. Those who spread hatred and wage wars are criminals and deserve to
be condemned. The poem also deals with the supremacy of love, accord,
friendship and amity among all the people in this world.
TITLE
“No
Men are Foreign” is an apt title for the poem, because it deals with the theme
of universal brotherhood. Human beings all over the world have identical
behaviour and the differences based on the manmade concepts of caste, creed, barriers
etc. are unnatural. Every human being responds positively to love. Hence no
human being is a foreigner or an outsider.
MESSAGE
This is a peace poem and gives a strong
message to stop all wars and look upon humanity as a unified entity. The poet warns
the rulers of all the countries that when they wage wars they not only injure
the interests of those whom they hate but also injure themselves. They should
know that peace brings prosperity and wars bring destruction. Hence, those who
spread hatred and cause wars against their brothers and sisters in different
parts of the world actually harm the cause of peaceful mutual co-existence.
LITERARY DEVICES
Alliteration
Alliteration is the close repetition of
consonant sounds at the beginning of successive words (initial alliteration)
and within words (internal alliteration).
Examples:
a single body breathes
(‘
b’ sound is repeated at the beginning of each word)
Or sleep, and strength
(‘ s’ sound is repeated)
Metaphor
A
figure of speech in which a word or phrase (which is not linked directly) is
used to describe an object or action through comparison.
Examples:
Beneath all uniforms, a single body
breathes
‘Uniforms’ here basically stand for militaries
that different countries in the world have. These uniforms may be different in
colour, design, shape and culture, but people donning them are the same
anywhere in the world.
war’s long winter starv’ d
Here the starvation experienced during
unproductive and harsh winters describes the want and hunger faced during
war-time. Both these conditions lead to ultimate destruction.
Repetition
Poets often repeat single words or phrases,
lines, and sometimes, even whole stanzas at intervals to create a musical
effect; to emphasize a point; to draw the readers’ attention or to lend unity
to a piece. In “No Men are Foreign” James Kirkup repeats the word ‘Remember’
five times in the poem to emphasize the serious message the poem has to convey.
Similarly, the last line of the last stanza (“Remember, no men are foreign, and
no countries strange”) though reversed, is the same as the first line of the
first stanza (“Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign”). This
repetition emphasizes the core message of the oneness of mankind.
RHYME SCHEME
The poem doesn’t have any specific rhyme
scheme. It is written in free verse.
Important Word-Meanings of difficult words
from the lesson- NO MEN ARE FOREIGN
WORD MEANING
Word-Meanings : Foreign = of other
country/the other country, दूसरे देश का या दूसरा देश ; beneath =under, नीचे ;
uniform = (here) skin, चमड़ी I Aware = conscious, जागरूक ; fed = given food to
eat, भोजन करना ; harvest = reaping corn,फसल एकत्र करना ; starved = die with
hunger, भूख से मरना l Strength = power:बल या शक्ति ; land =country, देश ;
recognise = know,पहचानना l Dispossess –
to put out of possession, अधिकार मुक्त कर देना ; betray = cheat,धोखा देना
; condemn = criticise, निंदा करना I Defile = make dirty/pollute, प्रदूषित करते है
ं; outrage = excessive violence, अत्यधिक अत्याचार; innocence = hannlessness, पवित्रता
I
Short and Simple Summary of the lesson in
English– NO MEN ARE FOREIGN / Summary in simple Words/ Critical appreciation of
the lesson – NO MEN ARE FOREIGN
Summary:
‘No Men Are Foreign’ is a beautiful poem
giving a message of unity and hannons among all people and nations of the
world. The poet says that (in this world) no men are strange and no countries
are foreign. We are all human beings. We have a common soul. It is true that
our skin may be of the different colour but our soul is the same. We may belong
to a different country and speak a different language but we all enjoy the
beauty of nature.
We should remember that our eyes that wake,
sleep and love are alike all over the world. It is a fact that wherever we may
be but we can defeat strength with love. We should keep in mind that if we hate
others it means that we hate to ourselves. In the end the poet says that people
are polluting this earth by their deeds. We should protect our atmosphere and
keep in mind that this universe is the creation of God and we all are one.
Summary (2) :
‘No Men are Foreign’ is a thought provoking
poem by James Kirkup. It tells us that there is no difference between different
people and the countries they live in. Therefore wars and the bloodshed that
takes place in the name of caste, class, creed and country are futile and must
be condemned. The uniforms worn by people in different parts of the world may
be different, but the bodies beneath them are the same. The earth that one
walks upon is the same for all people from different countries. All will one
day or the other die and return to earth only. People in every part of the
world get the sunshine, air and water in equal measures. They too prosper
during peace but have to suffer poverty and hunger during the war like us. They
do the same jobs to earn their livelihood as we do. They are built just like us
and sleep or wake up in a manner similar to ours. They too can be won over by
love- Thus, human life is the same in every part of the world. We must remember
that when we hate, betray and condemn others or forcibly take away land and
property from them, we actually harm ourselves. Our weapons of war make the
earth dirty and spoil its atmosphere. Wars thus cause misery and destruction.
In this way, the poem gives us the message of mutual and peaceful co-existence
and warns us not to fight or hate others.
‘No Men Are Foreign’ संसार के सभी लोगों और राष्ट्रों
के बीच एकता और समरसता का संदेश देने वाली एक सुंदर कविता है । कवि कहता है कि इस संसार
में कोई भी व्यक्ति अजीब नहीं है और कोई भी
राष्ट्र परदेस नहीं है । हम सभी इंसान है । हम सभी की आत्मा एक समान है । यह सच है
कि हमारी चमड़ी तो अलग-अलग रंगों की हो सकती है परंतु हमारी आत्मा तो एक जैसी है । हो
सकता है कि हम किसी दूसरे देश में रहते हो और कोई दूसरी भाषा बोलते हो लेकिन हम सभी
प्रकृति का पूर्ण रूप से आनंद लेते है ।
हमें
यह याद रखना चाहिए कि हमारी आँखें जो जागने सोने और प्यार करने का कार्य करती है ।
सारे संसार में एक समान है ।यह एक तथ्य है कि चाहे हम कहीं पर भी रहें हम ताकत को प्यार
से पराजित कर सकते है । हमें अपने मन में यह बात रखनी चाहिए कि यदि हम दूसरों से घृणा
करते है तो इसका अर्थ यह है कि हम स्वयं से ही घृणा करते है । अंत में कवि कहता है
कि लोग अपने कार्यों से इस धस्ती को प्रदूषित रहे हैं । हमें अपने पर्यावरण को बचाना चाहिए और यह बात ध्यान
में रखनी चाहिए कि यह सारा ब्रम्हांड भगवान की सृजना है और हम सभी एक हैं ।
Following is the complete question bank for
– NO MEN ARE FOREIGN
Read the extracts and answer the questions
that follow.
STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION
Read the following extracts and answer the
questions that follow in one or two lines.
(I)
Remember, no men are strange, no countries
foreign,
Beneath all uniforms, a single body
breathes
Like ours; the land our brothers walk upon
Is
earth like this, in which we all shall lie.
Emphasising the value of universal brotherhood,
the poet draws our attention to the absence of any differences amongst the
people of different countries. He asks us never to forget that people living in
other countries are not strange or unfamiliar. Under their different types of
clothes, all human beings are the same. All human bodies live and breathe in a
similar fashion. We are all brothers because we walk upon the same earth that
we have divided into countries. Also, we all shall meet this same earth in the
end when we shall be buried in it after death.
1. What makes men strange and countries
foreign?
Geographical boundaries segregate
countries. We consider countries other than ours to be ‘foreign’ and the people
living in these countries to be ‘strange’.
2.
Explain: ‘Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes’.
The line means that though the outward
appearance of people varies because of the difference in their attire, there is
an inherent similarity between all human beings. All people live and breathe in
a similar fashion. Militaries in the world may don different uniforms but they
comprise of human beings who essentially are the same anywhere in the world.
3. Who is referred to as ‘our brothers’ in
this stanza?
The people who live in countries other than
ours have been referred to as our brothers because basically, we all have
similar emotions, hopes, joys and sorrows.
4.
Explain: “In which we all shall lie.”
The
poet says that at the end of our respective lives, we all shall lie buried in
the same earth. He means to draw our attention to the common fate that awaits
us regardless of our nationality.
5.
What lesson can we learn from these lines?
These lines teach us the lesson of peace,
universal brotherhood and harmony. We learn that since all people in the world
are like our brothers and sisters, there are no enemies or strangers to be
afraid of.
(II)
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are
fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines,
we read
A
labour not different from our own.
All
the people of the world are nourished and nurtured equally by the elements of
Nature like sun, air and water. Everyone is united by the sameness of spirit.
Like us, the people in other countries too enjoy the harvests in peaceful times
and dread starvation caused by long-drawn wars. They too toil to earn the
livelihood and their destiny is similar to ours.
1. Who does ‘they’ refer to in the first
line?
‘They’ refers to the people of countries other
than ours, whom we consider being strange.
2.
What are they aware of?
‘They’ to are aware of the benefits of sun,
air and water. Like us, they also draw sustenance from these elements of
nature.
3. Explain the expression: ‘Their hands are
ours’.
‘Their hands are ours’ means that they too
work hard like us with their hands to earn their livelihood. It also means that
human beings have basically the same physiognomy.
4. Which poetic device has been used in
“war’s long winter starv’d”? Why has war’s winter been called long?
The poetic device used in “war’s long winter
starv’d” is a ‘metaphor’. Here the starvation caused by the harsh winter season
has been compared indirectly to the destructive period of wartime. The winter
of war has been called ‘long’ because unlike the natural phenomenon of the
winter season, it is a self-inflicted trouble that not only robs the warmth of
peace but also seems unending.
5.
Explain: ‘A labour not different from our own’.
This expression means that the hard work
done by the people who live in other countries is not different in any way from
the one that we do. All of us have to toil and work hard in a similar way for
survival.
(III)
Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won By
love.
In every land is the common life
That
all can recognise and understand.
The
poet asks us to remember that the so-called ‘strange’ and ‘foreign’ people
experience sleep and wakefulness like us. Like us, they too can be won over by
love and not by force.T heir experiences of life are similar to that of ours.
Hence, we all find something familiar in each other’s life and identify with
each other.
1.
Who do the words ‘they’ and ‘ours’ refer to?
‘They’ refers to people of different
countries whom we consider to be strange. ‘Ours’ refers to the people living in
our own country whom we consider to be like us.
2.
Explain: ‘they have eyes like ours that wake or sleep’.
The
poet is trying to bring home the idea that those people whom we consider
strange or foreign are similar to us in every way. They sleep and wake up each
new day just like us. Even though the colour and shape of their eyes is
different from ours, they perform a similar function.
3.
According to the poet, how can we win other people?
The poet says that the strength of other
people can be won by love and kindness, not by force or war.
4.
What do you understand by ‘common life’?
‘Common life’ means life anywhere in the world
that has similar patterns and features – birth and death, joys and sorrows,
youth and old age, and so on and so forth. This commonness of ‘common life’ is
experienced by all the people of the world regardless of the country in which
they live.
(IV)
Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who take arms against each
other.
The
poet says whenever we are asked by our leaders or rulers to hate and exploit
the people of other countries, we must remember that this hatred would have a
negative effect on us. We would find ourselves cheated as it would deprive us
of the S bliss of universal brotherhood. We would condemn ourselves to a life
of enmity and strangeness.
1.
Who do you think tells us to hate our brothers?
The opportunist and power-hungry leaders
and politicians, who are at the helm of affairs during wartime, tell us to hate
our brothers.
2. Why do we sometimes hate our brothers?
We
sometimes hate our brothers because we allow vested and unscrupulous
politicians and religious leaders to instigate us. We are taken in by their
lies about our differences and begin to consider our brothers as strange and
foreign.
3.
How shall we dispossess ourselves?
We
shall dispossess ourselves by hating our brothers in other parts of the world
when we are told by the politically motivated people to do so. These brothers
are not foreign or strange just because they belong to different countries,
races and cultures.
4.
What advice does the poet give us in these lines?
The poet advises us to ignore the
directions of those who incite us to hate and exploit others because by doing
so we harm ourselves.
(V)
It
is the hurt an earth that we defile,
Our
hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of
air that is everywhere our own.
Remember, no men are foreign, and no
countries strange.
The
poet again reminds us that war is futile as it spoils the very earth for which
we take up arms against each other. The deadly weapons emit fire and ashes that
spread all over and pollute the environment. This robs the air of its purity
and the world become a more difficult place to live in. It is, therefore,
important not to consider any human being as foreign and any country as
strange. We must build mutual respect and trust.
1. What is ‘human earth’?
‘Human earth’ is the human world that is
comprised of all countries, races, cultures and creeds.
2.
How do we define the human earth?
We defile or pollute the human earth by
using arms and ammunition to cause widespread death and destruction. Modern day
weapons and modem industries cause irreparable damage to the environment.
3.
Whom do we harm by going to war?
By
going to war, we harm ourselves as much as we harm the enemy. The environmental
pollution makes this earth an equally unhealthy place to live in for both sides
that go to war.
4.
Explain: ‘hells of fire and dust’ and ‘the innocence of air’.
‘Hells of fire and dust’ stands for the
devastation created and caused by the arms and ammunition used in wars.
‘Innocence of air’ means the freshness and purity of air that nature has
blessed us with. It also indicates the innocence of the human mind. The dust
and smoke thus caused pollute the very air we breathe.
5.
What does the poet want to convey by telling us that “It is the human earth
that we defile”?
The poet wants to convey that wars cause a
massive destruction of life and property. They ruin the clean and green
environment of the earth and breed hatred and enmity. Hence, no one benefits
from war because the damage caused to earth is to be borne equally, for we all
share the same earth.
COMPREHENSION OF STANZAS
STANZA 1
Remember, no men are strange, no countries
foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like
ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is
earth like this, in which we all shall lie.
हिंदी अनुवाद – कवि
कहता है कि हमारे लिए कोई भी व्यक्ति अजनबी नहीं है और कोई भी देश विदेश नहीं है I
हम सभी मानव होने के नाते एक समान है और प्रत्येक के नीचे एक ही प्रकार का शरीर
होता है l हमारी भाँति हमारे भाई भी इस धरती पर चलते है और इसी धरती में ही हम सभी
को समा जाना है I
Questions :
(a)
What should we remember?
(b)
What uniforms is the poet talking about?
(c)
Where do our brothers walk?
(d)
Where shall we all lie at the end of our life?
(e)
Name the poem and the poet.
Answers :
(a)
We should remember that no men are strange and no country is foreign.
(b)
The different uniforms by different kind of people.
(c)
They walk on this earth.
(d)
We all shall lie in the earth at the end of our life.
(e)
The name of the poem is ‘No Men Are Foreign’ and the name of the poet is
‘James Kirkup’.
STANZA 2
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are
fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s lone winter starv’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines, we
read
A labour not different from our own.
हिंदी अनुवाद– सभी
को धूप, हवा और जल का ज्ञान है और उनका समृद्ध फसलों के द्वारा पोषण होता है और अब
शीत काल के भुखमरी वाले दिन बीत गए हैं l हम सभी एक समान हैं l
Questions :
(a)
Who do they refer to in this stanza?
(b)
What are they fed by ?
(c)
What are they starved by?
(d)
How is a labourer different from us?
(e)
Name the poet.
Answers :
(a)
They refer to the other people of the world.
(b)
They are fed by peaceful harvests.
(c)
They are starved by long winter
(d)
A labour is little different from any one of us.
(e)
The name of the poet is ‘James Kirkup’.
STANZA 3
Remember
they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won
By love. In every land is common life ‘
That all can recognise and understand.
हिंदी अनुवाद – याद
रखो कि अन्य देशों में रहने वाले लोगों की ऑंखें भी हमार्री ही आँखों की तरह जागती
और सोती हैं I और हम उन लोगों के बल को भी प्यार की ताकत से जीत सकते हैं I
प्रत्येक देश में जीवन एक समान है और हम इसको अच्छी तरह से पहचान और समझ सकते हैं
I
Questions
(a) What do the eyes do ?
(b) How
can strength be won ?
(c)
What is common in every land ?
(d)
What can all recognise and understand ?
(e)
Name of the poem .
Answers :
(a)
The eyes wake and sleep.
(b)
Strength can he win with love.
(c)
Life is common in every land.
(d)
All can recognise and understand that life is common in every land.
(e)
The name of the poem is ‘No Men Are Foreign’.
Go to the NCERT Solution “Packing”
STANZA 4
Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That
we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who lake arms against each other
हिंदी अनुवाद – आओ
, हम हमेशा याद रखें कि जब कभी भी हमें अपने भाइयों से घृणा करते हैं और हम अपने
आपको ही अधिकार मुक्त करते हैं और अपने आपको ही धोखा देते हैं और अपना ही अपमान
करते हैं I याद रखो हम एक-दूसरे के खिलाफ
हथियार उठाते हैं I वे हम अपने खिलाफ उठाते हैं I
Questions :
(a) Who
are we told to hate?
(b)
Whom do we hate when we hate other?
(C)
What are we doing to our fellow beings?
(d)
Write the Name of the poem.
(e)
Write the Name of the poet.
Answers
:
(a)
Who are told to hate our brothers?
(b)
When we hate others we hate ourselves.
(c)
We are disposing of; betraying and criticising our fellow beings.
(d)
The name of the Poem is ‘No Men Are Foreign’.’
(e)
The name of the Poet is ‘James Kirkup’.
STANZA 5
It is the human earth that we defile.
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the
innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no
countries strange.
हिंदी अनुवाद – हम
अपने कार्यों से धरती माता को प्रदूषित करते जा रहे हैं I हम ज्वाला और धूल से इस
वायु की पवित्रता को , जो हमारे जीवन का आधार है , नष्ट करते जा रहे हैं I याद रखो , कोई भी व्यक्ति विदेशी नहीं है और
कोई भी देश अजीब नहीं हैं I
Questions :
(a)
What are we doing to the earth?
(b)
What is outraging this earth?
(c)
What can we call our own?
(d) Is
there any strange country?
(e)
What should we remember?
Answers :
(a)
We are polluting this earth.
(b)
Hells of fire and dust are outraging this earth.
(c) We
can call the air our own.
(d)
No,.there is not any strange country.
(e) We
should remember that no men are foreign and no country is strange.
Additional Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. What should we remember about men?
Ans. We should remember that no men are
strange.
2. What should we remember about countries?
Ans. We should remember that no countries
are foreign.
3. Where do we all walk upon?
Ans. We all walk upon the same earth.
4. Where shall we all lie in the end
Ans. In the end, we all shall lie in the
earth.
5. What are all men fed by?
Ans. All men are fed by peaceful harvests.
6. What do you mean by peaceful harvest?
Ans.
By peaceful harvests, we mean the crops grown during the period of peace.
7. What do you mean ‘wars’ long winter?
Ans. It means the painful days of the war
when we are kept indoors.
8. What are we doing to the human earth?
Ans. We are polluting the human earth.
9. Why should we not hate others?
Ans. We should not hate others because they
all are our brothers.
10. What do you mean by ‘hells of fire and
dust’?
Ans.
‘Hells of fire and dust’ means the wars that cause a lot of destruction.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
(to be answered in about 30 – 40 words
each)
Q1.”Beneath all uniforms…” What uniforms do
you think the poet is speaking about?
(Textual)
Ans:-The poet is speaking about the dresses
or uniforms that armies of different countries wear. Though these ‘uniforms’
are absolutely different in appearance the bodies under them are the same. The
poet tries to convey that the differences among the people of different
countries are superficial. Essentially, all human beings are the same.
Q2.Whom does the poet refer to as ‘our
brothers’ and why?
Ans:-The poet refers to the people living
in other countries as ‘our brothers’. He says so because the superficial
dissimilarities of complexion, language, dress, culture and nationality do not,
and must not, segregate us as human beings. Human wants, human needs, human
hopes, human emotions are the same anywhere in the world.
Q3.How does the poet suggest (in the first
stanza) that all people on earth are the same? (Textual)
Ans:-In the first stanza, the poet suggests
that no human being is strange or different. Beneath the superficial surface of
our bodies, we all have similar hearts, minds and souls. We all breathe and
live in a similar manner. The earth is our common asset and one day we all
shall die and be buried in the same way.
Q4.What does the poet mean when he says, ‘in
which we all shall lie’?
Ans:-The poet means that we all shall lie
under the same earth. Here ‘lie’ means to be buried after death. This is to
highlight that all of us have to meet the same fate, sooner or later, hence
there is no point in hating each other.
Q5. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we
are alike. Pick out the words phrases suggesting these similarities.
(Textual)
Ans:-Following are the five phrases that
suggest that we are all alike.
(1) No men are strange
(2)
No countries foreign
(3)
a single body breathes like ours
(4) the land our brothers walk upon is
earth like this
(5) in which we all shall lie
Q6. Why does the poet call harvests
‘peaceful’ and war as ‘winter’?
Ans:-Harvests are called ‘peaceful’ because
they bring abundance and prosperity and they thrive in peaceful times only.
War, on to the other hand, is like the severe and harsh ‘winter’ that ruins the
crops and starves people. It is only the peaceful times that bring harmony and
contentment. War destroys everything and forces people to face hunger, poverty,
disease and death.
Q7. How many common features can you find
in stanza 2? Pick out the words. (Textual)
Ans:-The common features listed in stanza 2
are:
Like us, the people in other countries too
enjoy
(i)
sun (ii) air (iii) water (iv) peaceful harvests
Like us, they too hate starvation caused by
long drawn wars
Like us, they too work hard for their
livelihood by using their hands.
Q8.
‘They have eyes like ours’. What similarity does the poet find in the eyes of
people all over the world?
Ans:-The poet finds that eyes of men all
over the world have similar sights and scenes to see, and experience the
phenomena of waking up and sleeping in a similar way. Hence, the so-called
strange and foreign people to have eyes just like us. Even though the colour
and shape of their eyes are different from ours, they bring us identical
experiences and perform a similar function.
Q9.”…whenever we are told to hate our
brothers….” When do you think this happens and why? (Textual)
Ans:-Whenever their own importance or
existence is in danger, politicians and religious leaders make us believe that
our existence and our interests are in danger and, provoke us to hate our
fellow human-beings. This happens when we allow our reason to be swayed by our
fears and hatred.
Q10. In one of the stanzas, the poet finds
similarity in human hands. What is it?
Ans:-The poet feels that people of all
countries have to work hard in a similar fashion to earn their livelihood. This
is done by them with the help of their hands. It is the hands that do all the
work in the world and it is the hands that are a source of all creativity.
Q11.Who tells us ‘to hate our brothers’?
Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?
(Textual)
Ans:-The politically motivated and
power-hungry people tell us to hate our brothers during wartime. The poet says
that we should not get swayed by such provocation. If we do so, it would result
in our own dispossession, betrayal and condemnation.
Q12.How does man pollute this earth by
going to war?
Ans:-Man pollutes the earth by causing
death and destruction and by spreading hatred and enmity through wars. The war
also causes an irreparable damage to the earth’s environment by polluting it
with dust, debris and smoke caused by war weapons.
Q13. What does the poet say about ‘hating
our brothers’?
Ans:-The poet strongly condemns ‘hating our
brothers’. He feels that when we indulge in such negativity, we actually harm
ourselves. We deprive ourselves of the love of our brothers and earn
condemnation for such depravity.
Q14. Why does the poet say that people of
the world should live in peace and not go to war?
Ans:-The poet advocates living in peace
because peace brings progress, prosperity and cheer in this world. He advises
mankind to shun wars because wars bring death, exploitation, want, poverty and
starvation. They also defile the earth and pollute the very air we all breathe.
Q15.How does the poet propose to win over
other countries?
Ans:-The poet proposes to win over other
countries through the divine force of love. It is a universal fact that this
world responds positively to love and kindness. So the poet plans to use it to
end all hatred and war and create a peaceful heaven on earth.
Q16.Who, according to you, is the speaker
in this poem?
Ans:-The speaker in this poem is the poet
himself who stands for the goodness of the human heart that propagates love,
peace and universal brotherhood. He is a champion of love, peace and joy.
Q17.In four stanzas out of five, the poet uses
the word “Remember”. Why do you think he has repeated this word so many times?
Ans:-By repeating the word ‘remember’, the
poet wishes us never to forget that our ideas, emotions and experiences are
similar to that of the people we conventionally think of as ‘strange’ or
‘foreign’. He wants to emphasise that all human beings are identical in nature
and phases of human life are the same anywhere in the world.
Q18.
Mention any two ways in which people living in other countries are
similar to us.
Ans:-All people of the world have eyes
similar to ours. They too experience the phenomena of sleeping and waking up
like us. The emotion of love too is experienced and responded to in a similar
manner by all the people. Everyone’s physical strength can be countered with
the power of love.
Q19. What is the central idea of the poem?
Ans:-The central idea of the poem is that
all human beings are similar and equal. Hence, we should love one another and
live in peace and harmony. Universal brotherhood and harmonious co-existence
will not only unite us but will also save our mother earth from getting
polluted and damaged.
Q20. Why do countries engage in wars and to
what effect?
Ans:-Vested interests of the power-hungry
people instigate the common man to hate fellow-beings living in different parts
of the world. This narrow approach leads to wars and results in bloodshed and
irreparable loss of innocent lives.
Q21.How does the title sum up the theme of the
poem “No Men are Foreign”?
Ans:-Right through the poem, the poet talks
about the concept of universal brotherhood and peaceful co-existence, without
any place for any kind of prejudice. He emphasises the fact that all human
beings are inherently the same and divisions based on nation, caste, colour,
creed or religion are baseless. James Kirkup, the poet, has beautifully
conveyed these ideas through the title of the poem “No Men Are Foreign”.
Q22. “No Men are Foreign” is an anti-war
poem. Comment.
Ans:-“No Men Are Foreign” is a peace poem
which propagates the idea of human brotherhood and peaceful co-existence by
annihilating all war and hatred. War harms both the suppressed and the
suppressor. It brings about death, destruction, deprivation’ starvation and
pollution. Hence, wars should be shunned forever.
LONG
ANSWER QUESTIONS
(to be answered in about 100 – 150 words
each)
Q1. How does the poem justify that people
in all countries of the world are essentially the same?
Ans:-The poet justifies the statement that
people living in different countries are essentially the same by asserting that
‘no men are strange’. Every single body breathes and functions in the same way
as ours. Each one of us equally needs the sun, air and water. Human hands too
are used for the similar purpose of toiling for livelihood. Eyes too perform
the similar function of sleeping and waking up. Love wins us all and we all
recognise its power. In peace times, we all flourish and wars starve us. Hatred
leads us astray and when we take up arms against each other, the entire earth
is defiled and destroyed. Therefore, we all like peace which showers abundance
and prosperity on us. Therefore, essentially we all are the same.
Q2. ‘Wars have always brought total ruin in
this world, yet they are fought repeatedly.’ Discuss.
Ans:- Wars are the result of over-ambition
and greed of irresponsible rulers of the world. They bring ruin both to the
victor and the vanquished by shattering the economy of the warring countries.
In the past, wars were localised but now they are global and hence more
dangerous and destructive. The memories of the First and the Second World Wars
are still fresh in our minds. The horrific after-effects of the bombing of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 can still be seen. Still, it is appalling to
note that people of the world do not learn from history. The danger of yet
another war lurks all the time. The divisive forces are even stronger in the
present times and the mad race for armaments too is scary. Hope lies in the
strength of the common people who should refuse to be fooled by vested and
unscrupulous leaders. Instead, people of the world should look at the world as
a global village that offers innumerable opportunities and reasons for peaceful
coexistence.
Q3. How does the poet James Kirkup prove
that no men are foreign? How far is he able to convince his reader about it?
Ans:-The poet, James Kirkup, cites various
examples to prove that no men are foreign. The very title of the poem is
thought-provoking and compels the reader to think about the issue of people
living in other countries as foreigners and strangers. As the poem progresses,
the poet repeatedly emphasises that all human beings are identical in their
nature and approach. All live on the same earth; enjoy air, sun and water; love
peace and are averse to war. They all have common experiences and toil in a
similar manner to earn the livelihood. The logical reasoning put forth by the
poet and the frequent reminders fully convince the reader that no men are
foreign. He gets the message that alienation from fellow brethren is equally
damaging to himself. He also understands that by treating other men as foreign,
the world stands exposed to the risk of war which can lead to irreversible
destruction and pollution of mother earth. Q4. In what way do we dispossess,
betray and condemn ourselves by hating our brothers and taking up arms against
them? By hating our brothers and taking up arms against them, we ‘dispossess’
ourselves as we deprive ourselves of their love. When we hate them, they too
retaliate negatively and cease to love us. Mutually, we deprive each other of
the noble emotion of love. We betray ourselves as our hatred leads to wars, and
wars cause widespread death and destruction. This leads to the piling up of
trash that pollutes our own mother earth. The dust and smoke from war choke the
air that we breathe. So, hatred of fellow beings, in fact, leads to betrayal of
our own selves. Further, this earns us condemnation as we violate the purity of
the elements of nature. We threaten our own existence by ruining the systems
that sustain us. Hence, hating our brothers and taking up arms against them
does more damage to us.
Q4.How, according, to the poet, the human
earth is ‘defiled’ and the innocence of air ‘outraged’?
Ans:- The weapons of war make the earth
dirty and spoil its atmosphere. The deadly ammunition destroys the fertility of
the earth and makes it barren. Explosives cause destructive fires sending ashes
all over. This pollutes the land as well as the air and the water. It leads to
the spread of hunger and innumerable diseases. Both earth and air lose their
purity. Thus, the victor, as well as the vanquished, find the Earth and its
environment hostile and unfriendly. The kind mother Nature becomes absolutely
helpless and is unable to shower her gifts on human beings. It is tarnished and
robbed of its bounties. The innocence of air is signified by its purity. But
wars strip the air of this innocence and fill it with smoke and dirt. The air
then becomes unsuitable for human survival. Thus ‘human earth’ is ‘defiled’ and
‘innocence of air’ is ‘outraged’ by wars.
