Here you will find all the questions and answers for NBSE class 10 Alternative English poem Prayer of the Meek. The additional question and answers will be added later. However, these notes should be used only for references. These materials should be modified/changed as per the needs.
SUMMARY OF THE POEM PRAYER OF THE MEEK BY LHUSI HARALU: The reference to the meek in the title is from the Bible: Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. This poem is in the form of a prayer to God, the Lord of all creation. On behalf of her countrymen, the poet asks God to be merciful to His people who have tried to follow His commands as best as they humanly can by offering the other cheek instead of fighting back when enemies have struck them; by giving their cloaks to those who have snatched their shirts; and by being extra patient with those who have harassed them, thus suffering persecution meekly.
But their peaceful resistance to war has been mistaken for weakness. They have been considered cowards and scorned for not retaliating with guns. Despite being misunderstood by their enemies, they thank God for keeping them humble and preventing them from doing wrong in His sight. In their helplessness in the face of war and persecution, they look towards God for strength to bear their sufferings. They do not ask God to punish their enemies. Instead, they ask Him to give them the grace to see how wrong they are to take control of the lives of their victims as if they were God. They pray that God may forgive their enemies and rid their hearts of hatred. They ask God to rid the world of war and to establish peace; to rid the world of pain and to protect everyone, even their enemies from bloodshed.
They ask God to give them the grace to forgive those who hate them so that the loving God may forgive them their sins. They hope that the love of Christ may be revealed in their relationship with their enemies. They ask that God may reign in their hearts and their land and they profess their belief in the sovereign kingship of God over all creation.
I. Choose the correct option.
1. Which of the following famous personalities is not known for taking up the path of peaceful resistance?
a. Martin Luther King Junior
b. Irom Sharmila
c. Winston Churchill
d. M.K. Gandhi
Answer: c. Winston Churchill
2. What is the tone of the poem you have just read?
a. Pious
b. Desperate
c. Fearful
d. Melancholic
Answer: a. Pious
3. Which of the following words is not a synonym of ‘high-handed’?
a. Bossy
b. Overbearing
c. Autocratic
d. Condescending
Answer: d. Condescending
4. What is the poet praying for?
a. For God to take vengeance upon those who have committed sins.
b. An end to all strife in the poet’s land.
c. For everyone to worship Lord |esus Christ
d. For the means and resources to get through the troubles unharmed
Answer: b. An end to all strife in the poet’s land.
5. What is the strength that the poet looks to God for?
a. The ability to bring peace to their land.
b. The strength to survive, to get through the struggles unharmed.
c. The strength to stick to their principles in trying times.
d. The strength to carry out God’s will and command.
Answer: d. The strength to carry out God’s will and command.
II. Explain with reference to context.
1.Lord of Heaven and earth, look down in mercy
And remember that we have tried, though imperfectly,
All our days
To live by Thy given code:
a. Who is the poet talking to?
b. What does the word ‘imperfectly’ imply?
c. What is the ‘given code’?
Answer: a. The poet is talking to God.
b. The word ‘imperfectly’ here implies that though they failed at times, but they did try to follow the commands of God.
c. The ‘given code’ is to turn the other cheek to someone who strikes us, to take our cloak off for someone who took our shirt, and walk weary miles along with someone who would harass us.
2. Yet we thank Thee, Lord, our Father for this lack
That has perforce stayed our hands fro* doing wrong
a. What does ‘lack’ mean here?
b. Why does the poet thank God?
c. Is the situation a happy one?
Answer: a. The ‘lack’ here means the inability of the poet and her family to pay back wrong for wrong and pain for the pain to those who caused harm to them.
b. The poet thanks God for not allowing their hands to do any wrong and to keep themselves humbled and broken in spirits. She is thankful for the strength they found to bear all in God.
c. The situation is not a happy one as the poet and her family suffered enough losses, but it certainly is a contentful one as they did what is right in the eyes of God by showing restraint.
3. The wrong they have done and
The waste they have caused
By their high-handed acts of playing God
a. Who is the poet talking about?
b. What is the waste that has been caused?
c. What does the phrase playing God mean?
Answer: a. The poet is talking to God.
b. The waste they have caused was taking the life of her brother during an internal conflict.
c. The phrase playing God means doing things that only God is sovereign enough to do. In the poem Prayer of the Meek, the poet is talking about the death of her brother at the hands of some people who didn’t have the authority to take one life.
III. Answer the following.
1. Why were the people mocked as cowards?
Answer: The people were mocked as cowards as they didn’t retaliate guns with guns. They instead tried to follow the commands of God and showed resistance to war after the brother of the poet was gunned down, which others mistook as cowardice.
2. What is the prayer for the enemy?
Answer: In the poem Prayer of the Meek, they do not ask God to punish their enemies. Instead, they ask Him to give them the grace to see how wrong they are to take control of the lives of their victims as if they were God. They pray that God may forgive their enemies and rid their hearts of hatred.
3. What is the poet’s idea of hell.
Answer: The poet’s idea of hell in the context of the poem Prayer of the Meek is the hatred that one has for another fellow man that many carries with them and cause pain for themselves and others. She asked God to cleanse their hearts and wipe those spots of hell.
V. Going beyond
1. Teach us to forgive those who hate us. How would this principle work in your context?
Answer: Although it can be a difficult and challenging process, forgiving those who harbour hatred for us can also be a strong and transformative act. When someone wrongs us, it is normal to feel angry, hurt, or upset; therefore, it is critical to recognise and respect these feelings. Self-compassion training and accepting that we are all fallible human beings who make mistakes are equally important, though. If the circumstances allow, we can attempt to express our emotions and comprehend the other person’s viewpoint. Even though practising forgiveness and letting go of the desire for vengeance can be challenging, doing so can ultimately result in harmony and healing in both our interpersonal relationships and our own hearts.
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V. Going Beyond
1. answer : Lovely answer