MAK LABS — Std 8 English 3.1 The Plate of Gold

1Stories can be told even in the form of poetry. Such poems are called Narrative poems. Recall and name some narrative poems you have done / read earlier.

The Pilgrim
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
The Charge of the Light Brigade
The Inchcape Rock

2Read the poem below and fill in the gaps, choosing appropriate pairs of rhyming words, to make them meaningful.

(love - above / sand - land / be - eternity)

Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.

Thus the little minutes,
Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.

Little deeds of kindness,
Little words of love,
Make this earth an Eden,
Like the heaven above.

• What important message does the above poem convey?
The poem conveys the message that small, seemingly insignificant things and actions add up to create huge, impactful results. Little acts of kindness and love can transform our world into a beautiful place like heaven.

1Pick out words from the poem to complete the sentences meaningfully.

(a) Stephen Hawking was a renowned (famous) Astrophysicist.
(b) The Government made a proclamation (announcement) about their new taxation policy.
(c) Everyone stood aghast (horrified) when the terrible accident took place.
(d) She wrangled (bargained) with the hawker to reduce the price.
(e) Handicapped people should never be shunned (ignored and avoided).

2Make a list of archaic words from the poem and give their modern equivalents.

Archaic Word	Modern Equivalent
whereon	on which
writ	written
loveth	loves
thrice	three times
thou	you
thy	your
lovest	love
thine	yours
o'er	over

3Rearrange the following in the proper order and insert them into a flow chart as per the poem.

1. (d) A plate of gold fell in a temple from Heaven.

2. (f) The priests announced that the one who loved God most of all, would receive the gift from Heaven.

3. (b) Many claimants donated their wealth to receive the plate of gold.

4. (a) The plate turned to lead, when it was gifted to false-hearted claimants.

5. (c) For almost two years, no claimants received the plate of gold.

6. (h) A simple peasant, who had nothing to offer, came to that temple.

7. (e) The peasant offered comfort and courage to a blind miserable beggar, whom all had ignored.

8. (g) When the priest gave the plate of gold to that peasant, it shone with thrice its lustre.

4Which two sayings about God are conveyed through the poem 'The Plate of Gold'?

(b) God loves those, who love their fellow beings.
(d) Service to mankind is service to God.

5'But the peasant bowed and prayed to God ........... What could he have prayed for?

He could have prayed to thank God for His boundless love and grace. As a humble and selfless man, he likely prayed for the well-being and healing of the blind beggar and all the poor, suffering people gathered outside the temple, rather than praying for anything for himself.

6Imagine that you are the peasant. Compose a short prayer to God, after having received the plate of gold. Write it using stylish handwriting.

Dear God,

I thank You for Your endless grace and blessings.
I am but a humble servant, and this shining plate is merely a reflection of Your divine light, not my greatness.
Please grant me the strength and wisdom to always see You in the eyes of the poor and the suffering.
Help me to serve my fellow brothers and sisters with a pure and selfless heart forever.

Amen.

7Read other poems by Leigh Hunt, especially 'Abou Ben Adhem'. Compare the messages in that poem with those in 'The Plate of Gold'. What do you observe?

Both poems share a profound central message: loving one's fellow human beings is the truest and highest form of loving God. In 'Abou Ben Adhem', Abou's name leads the list of those whom God has blessed because he loved his fellow men. Similarly, in 'The Plate of Gold', the peasant receives the divine gift because he shows genuine compassion to a shunned beggar, proving that selfless service to humanity is the path to God's heart.

3.1 The Plate of Gold

Warming Up!

English Workshop