2.5 Autumn
Complete textbook exercise solutions for the poem "Autumn" by Kalidas — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Nine.
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Warming Up!
- Summer: The sun shines brighter than before. Hot winds blow, and many trees shed their leaves to conserve water. Rivers and ponds start drying up.
- Winter: We see mist in the morning. The weather turns cold and chilly. Dewdrops can be seen on leaves, and days become shorter.
- Monsoon: New grass sprouts. Tender leaves shoot out on plants or trees. There are sudden showers and hailstorms. The earth looks lush and green.
(a) Name the six seasons according to the Indian calendar. Which of the seasons is equivalent to Autumn?
The six seasons according to the Indian calendar are: Vasant (Spring), Grishma (Summer), Varsha (Monsoon), Sharad (Autumn), Hemant (Pre-winter), and Shishir (Winter).
The season equivalent to Autumn is Sharad.
(b) What changes do we see in the life of human beings when the season changes? Write with reference to their (a) clothes (b) diet (c) celebrations.
- (a) Clothes: In summer, people prefer wearing light, loose cotton clothes to stay cool. During winter, heavy woollen clothes, sweaters, and jackets are worn to keep warm. In the monsoon, raincoats and synthetic fabrics that dry easily are preferred.
- (b) Diet: In summer, the diet consists of cooling foods, cold drinks, watermelons, and mangoes. In winter, people consume heat-generating foods like nuts, soups, and jaggery-based sweets. In the monsoon, hot beverages and freshly cooked, warm foods are favored to boost immunity.
- (c) Celebrations: Spring is celebrated with festivals like Holi and Gudi Padwa. The monsoon brings agricultural festivals like Pola and Raksha Bandhan. Autumn features grand festivals like Navratri, Dussehra, and Diwali, celebrating the harvest and pleasant weather.
(Sun, alarm, bird, car, wind, stars, machine)
- (a) The weary car was also petrol-hungry.
- (b) The playful wind whistled among the trees.
- (c) The annoying alarm screamed at 5 am.
- (d) The naughty stars winked at me from above.
- (e) The rising Sun stretched its arms.
- (f) The cheerful bird sang as it perched on a tree.
- (g) The tireless machine hummed as it worked hard.
Margin Questions
◆ Why is Autumn called a 'maiden fair'?
Autumn is personified and called a 'maiden fair' because, like a young, graceful, and beautiful girl, the season is fresh, pleasant, and brings a slender grace to nature after the heavy monsoons.
◆ What is the cooing of birds compared to?
The cooing of the birds greeting the autumn season is compared to the musical, tinkling song of a girl's bracelet.
◆ How does Autumn dress up at night?
At night, Autumn dresses up by wearing a diadem (crown) made of multitudinous stars, and her silken robe is made of the white moonlight set free from the clouds.
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English Workshop
During daytime:
- (1) "With nodding rice - stems in her hair"
- (2) "And lilies in her face."
- (3) "In flowers of grasses she is clad;"
At night:
- (1) "A diadem adorns the night / Of multitudinous stars;"
- (2) "Her silken robe is white moonlight,"
- (3) "And on her face (the radiant moon) / Bewitching smiles are shown:"
| Entity | A (Poetic words) | B (Your own words) |
|---|---|---|
| the 'Autumn' | a maiden fair | a beautiful young girl |
| stars | multitudinous stars | countless / numerous stars |
| moonlight | silken robe of white moonlight | soft, bright moonlight |
| cooing of birds | a bracelet's tinkling song | sweet, musical bird sounds |
- Simile: "Birds greet her with their cooing glad / Like a bracelet's tinkling song." (The birds' cooing is explicitly compared to a tinkling bracelet using the word 'Like').
- Metaphor: "Her silken robe is white moonlight" (The moonlight is directly stated to be her silken robe, without using 'like' or 'as').
The rhyme scheme of the poem is a b a b for all the stanzas.
(a) Why is the maiden Autumn said to wear rice stems in her hair?
Autumn is the harvest season. During this time, the rice crops in the fields mature and sway gracefully in the breeze. Therefore, the poet visualizes the personified Autumn maiden wearing these mature, nodding rice stems as beautiful ornaments in her hair.
(b) How can the tender maiden Autumn become a full grown woman? What change in nature does this imply?
As the autumn season progresses, the gentle and pleasant weather slowly turns colder, harsher, and more mature, paving the way for winter. This transition signifies the end of the harvest, the ripening of nature, and the aging of the year. Thus, the poet implies that the slender maiden Autumn will soon mature into a full-grown, serious woman (Winter).
(c) Why do you think, birds greet the autumn season gladly?
The birds greet the autumn season gladly because the heavy, dark, and difficult days of the monsoon are finally over. The sky is clear, the weather is pleasant, and the autumn harvest provides them with an abundance of food, such as grains and seeds.
Similarities between the Monsoon and a King:
1. Both arrive with grand announcements (thunder / royal trumpets).
2. Both are accompanied by an army (dark clouds / soldiers).
3. Both bring prosperity and wealth to the land (rain for crops / gold for citizens).
4. Both command awe and respect from everyone.
Poem: The Monsoon King
The Monsoon King arrives in state,
With rolling thunder at the gate.
His royal carriage, dark and proud,
Is woven from a stormy cloud.
His lightning sword flashes so bright,
To banish all the summer's heat and blight.
He blesses the earth with a silver shower,
And gives the dying fields new power.
Question 7: Students should select a nature poem in their mother tongue (e.g., 'Shravanmasi Harsh Manasi' by Balkavi in Marathi) and attempt a rough English translation or summary.
Question 8: Read the famous ode 'To Autumn' by John Keats independently.