In this humorous story by P.G. Wodehouse set at St Austin’s College, a poetry competition becomes the talk of the school. Reynolds, recovering from German measles in the infirmary, is informed about the competition by his visitor, Smith. While........
The Prize Poem - New Mulberry (ICSE) - Class 8 - English
Unlock this entire course for just
₹849
🚀
Renews every month. Cancel anytime
Back Questions - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
Every story has some essential elements that allow the reader to understand the events that happen in the story. In the table given below, match the story elements to the examples.
Elements of a story | Examples |
|---|---|
a. The characters are individuals in a story, a play or a film. | i. The competition was compulsory; three entries had the same verse. |
b. The setting is the location of the action. | ii. Smith, Reynolds, Morrison, Mr Perveval |
c. The conflicts are the problems that exist within the plot of a story. | iii. The competition was not compulsory any Longer; only those who wanted to write poetry could take part. |
d. The climax is the highest moment of suspense and excitement; the turning point of the story. | iv. The three poets looked at one another in |
e. The resolution is the part of the plot that is the solution to the problem or conflict. | v. St Austin’s College |
Elements of a story | Examples |
|---|---|
a. The characters are individuals in a story, a play or a film. | ii. Smith, Reynolds, Morrison, Mr Perveval |
b. The setting is the location of the action. | v. St Austin’s College |
c. The conflicts are the problems that exist within the plot of a story. | i. The competition was compulsory; three entries had the same verse. |
d. The climax is the highest moment of suspense and excitement, the turning point of the story. | iv. The three poets looked at one another in |
e. The resolution is the part of the plot that is the solution to the problem or conflict. | iii. The competition was not compulsory any Longer; only those who wanted to write poetry could take part. |
Powered by Chatterbot AI
‘If it gets the prize,’ repeated Reynold, with asperity, ‘You’ll have to teel the Old man all about it.’
a. Which prize is being referred to here?
b. Who chose the subject for the competition? What was the subject that year?
c. How did the students react to the announcement of the competition?
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓‘This is a very extraordinary communication. Exceedingly so. Yes, very.’
‘Who is it from?’
a. Between whom did this conversation take place? Who is speaking these lines? Who is the speaker addressing?
b. Who was the ‘extraordinary communication’ from?
c. Why did the speaker say that the communication was ‘extraordinary’?
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓‘And did you, Smith, also find this poem on a piece of paper in the field?’ There was a metallic ring of sarcasm in his voice.
a. Who was the author of the poem? How had it reached the field?
b. Why was there a ‘metallic ring of sarcasm’ in the speaker’s voice?
c. What reply did the speaker receive from Smith?
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓How did Smith expect the Headmaster to respond to their deception?
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓How did the Headmaster respond to the deception? Why did he respond in the way he did?
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓We are told that at the next Board Meeting, Mr Perceval gave a very convincing speech. What do you think he said?
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Trace the events of the plot that led the three pupils to the Headmaster’s office.
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Extended writing: It is commonly quoted that laughter is the best medicine. What lessons can one learn from this story?
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Extra Questions - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
'How comes it that each of your compositions for the Poetry Prize commences with the same four lines?’
'How comes it that each of your compositions for the Poetry Prize commences with the same four lines?’
a. Who asked this question, and to whom was it posed?
b. How did three different students end up with the same opening lines in their poems?
c. What was the consequence of this discovery?
a. This question was asked by the Headmaster of St Austin’s College, Mr. Perceval, to Smith, Montgomery and Morrison.
b. The three different students ended up with the same opening lines in their poems because Reynolds originally wrote the lines and intended for Smith to use them for the competition. However, two copies of the poem were lost out of Reynolds's infirmary window and were subsequently found by Montgomery and Morrison.
c. The consequence of this discovery was that the Headmaster, initially perplexed and expecting deception, realized the humorous situation and the unfairness of making students uninterested in poetry participate in the contest. As a result, the rules for the Sixth Form Poetry Prize were altered, allowing only those who genuinely wanted to write poetry to participate.
Powered by Chatterbot AI
‘It was near the infirmary that I found the paper, and Reynolds is in there.’
a. Who made this connection, and why was it significant?
b. Why was Reynolds in the infirmary, and what was his role in this incident?
c. How did finding the poem near the infirmary contribute to the solved mystery?
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Extra Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Extra Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Extra Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Extra Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Extra Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Extra Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Extra Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Extra Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓How did Montgomery and Morrison insert Reynolds lines into their poem?
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Extra Questions and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Back Exercises - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
A genre is a style or category of literature. Poetry is a genre of literature, and odes and sonnets are sub-genres of poetry. Given below are clues to the names of other literary genres. Solve the clues and fill in the crossword.
Across | Down |
|---|---|
3. Imaginative stories that involve magic and adventure | 1. A short moral story that usually has animals for characters |
4. A group of words set to music and meant to be sung | 2. A short piece of writing on a particular subject |
6. A poem mourning the death of someone | 3. A story that is passed down from one generation to another. |
7. A story that revolves around the solution for a crime | 5. The genre of the story ‘The Prize Poem’ |
9. A humorous poem of five lines | 8. A detailed description of a person’s life written by someone else |
10. A form of text performed for an audience; a play | |
11. A very long poem narrating heroic deeds and events |
Across | Down |
|---|---|
3. Fairy tales | 1. Fable |
4. Song | 2. Essay |
6. Elegy | 3. Folklore |
7. Mystery | 5. Satire |
9. Limerick | 8. Biography |
10. Drama | |
11. Epic |
Using a word or a short phrase, give the meaning of the following phrases. Then use the phrases in sentences of your own.
a. without enthusiasm
b. speechless astonishment
c. fairly decent
d. waited for the storm to burst
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Exercises and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Fill in the black with the correct prepositions.
a. I will go to Delhi next week ________________ my parents.
b. She is ________________ the room. You could go and meet her there.
c. Place the slice of cheese ________________ the two slices of bread.
d. He lives ________________ Tokyo.
e. She is driving ________________ Mumbai.
f. I am expecting a guest ________________ 5 o’clock sharp.
g. I have been waiting ________________ 2 o’clock.
h. I collected money ________________ a good cause.
i. There have been a lot of changes made to the city ________________ the last decade.
j. I believe ________________ the goodness of man.
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Exercises and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Join the following pairs of sentences using the conjunctions given in brackets.
a. I knocked on the door. No one answered. (but)
b. Tom likes being in a boarding school. He misses his family. (although)
c. My family gave me a library membership card for my birthday. I love reading. (since)
d. We must harvest rainwater. We can recharge out wells. (so that)
e. We can play chess. We can do a jigsaw puzzle. (either …. Or)
f. You leave right now. You will miss the bus. (unless)
g. Daniel plays the piano. He plays the drums. (not only …… but also)
h. The athletes must be very tired. They have been working out all morning. (as)
i. Jane is not present. Jane’s parents are not present. (neither …. Nor)
j. I will return your book. I will finish reading it. (as soon as)
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Exercises and everything else
Unlock now 🔓The students in the story you have just read are asked to write a poem even though they do not have a talent for it. ‘We should only do those things we have a talent for.’ Express your views either for or against this statement. You may use the following cues.
- Decide on a stand or position.
- Draw up your arguments.
- Support them with evidence or proof to persuade readers.
- Disprove the stand or position of the opposing argument.
- Sum up and restate your arguments.
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Back Exercises and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Quiz - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
Vocabulary - Flashcards - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
About the Author - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, known as P.G. Wodehouse, was an English author and one of the most widely-read humorists of the 20th century. Born on October 15, 1881, in Guildford, England, he spent much of his early life in British colonies due to his father's job as a judge in Hong Kong.
Wodehouse wrote more than 90 books, 40 plays, and 200 short stories, earning him a reputation as a master of comic literature. His body of work includes novels, collections of short stories, and musical comedies. He is especially known for his Jeeves and Blandings Castle novels and short stories. His writing is characterized by complex plots, brilliant comic timing, and a unique style filled with wit and whimsy.
Surrounded by controversy during World War II for his broadcasts on Nazi radio, Wodehouse spent the rest of his life in the United States, becoming an American citizen in 1955. Despite the controversy, his popularity remained undiminished, and he continued to write until his death on February 14, 1975. His work continues to entertain, inspire, and amuse readers around the world to this day.
Summary - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
Unlock the full summary
Themes - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
1. Comedy and Absurdity:
One of the primary themes is the humour derived from the incongruities and misunderstandings brought about by the whims of fate. The chapter plays........
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Themes and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Plot - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
1. Introduction and Setup:
The story starts with a conversation between the aspiring poet, Reynolds, and his visitor, Smith, in the infirmary. Smith shares news..........
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Plot and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Important Lines - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
1. ‘Prize poem,’ said Smith, without enthusiasm. He was not a poet.: This line characterizes Smith and sets up the primary conflict for Smith and other students who are not naturally inclined towards poetry.
2. ‘If you like I’ll do you a poem, and you can send it up. If it gets the prize...’: Here, Reynolds proposes the plan that sets the comedic..........
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Important Lines and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Vocabulary - The Prize Poem | New Mulberry (ICSE) | Class 8 Literature | English
Infirmary: hospital
The injured soldier was taken to the infirmary for treatment.
Convalescing: recovering from illness
After a week in the hospital, she is now convalescing at home.
Ornament: (here) student
The ornamental student........................................
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Vocabulary and everything else
Unlock now 🔓All this awesome.
Now on your phone.
