Try Again Class 7 Question Answer
Gist of the Poem
The poem tells the story of King Bruce of Scotland, who becomes discouraged after repeated failures. While sitting alone, he watches a spider trying again and again to reach its web. The spider finally succeeds after many attempts. Inspired by the spider’s perseverance, King Bruce decides to try again and succeeds. The poem encourages readers to keep trying and never lose hope.
Summary of the Poem
The poem, written in a narrative style, tells the story of King Bruce of Scotland, who was feeling low after failing multiple times to achieve something great for his people. In a moment of despair, he observed a spider trying to reach its web high above. The spider mounted every time it fell after getting close to its goal. It made nine attempts and finally succeeded. The king said that the spider had conquered and so would he. Inspired by the spider’s determination, King Bruce decided to strive. When he tried this time, he ultimately succeeded.
Difficult Words (English – Hindi)
| Word | Hindi Meaning |
|---|---|
| Flung | फेंक दिया / गिर पड़ा |
| Monarch | सम्राट / राजा |
| Crown | मुकुट |
| Sink | निराश होना |
| Deed | कार्य |
| Succeed | सफल होना |
| Despair | निराशा |
| Grieved | दुखी |
| Pondered | गहराई से सोचा |
| Silken | रेशमी |
| Filmy | पतला |
| Clue | धागा |
| Ceiling | छत |
| Divine | समझ पाना |
| Cling | चिपकना |
| Crawl | रेंगना |
| Endeavour | प्रयास |
| Slippery | फिसलन भरा |
| Sprawl | फैलकर गिरना |
| Complaint | शिकायत |
| Dizzy | चक्कराया हुआ |
| Faint | कमजोर |
| Steady | स्थिर |
| Delicate | नाज़ुक |
| Tread | चलना |
| Mounted | ऊपर चढ़ा |
| Attempts | प्रयास |
| Strive | प्रयास करना |
| Toils | कठिन परिश्रम करता है |
| Anxious | चिंतित |
| Inch | इंच |
| Pinch | अंतिम क्षण |
| Native | अपना |
| Cot | घर (यहाँ जाला) |
| Defied | चुनौती दी |
| Conquered | विजय प्राप्त की |
| Braced | दृढ़ किया |
| Failed | असफल हुआ |
Let Us Do These Activities Before We Read
I. Who inspires you to do your best?
Sample Answer: My parents and teachers inspire me to do my best. Their encouragement motivates me to work hard, overcome difficulties, and never lose hope.
II. Work in pairs, identify what you see in the pictures given below. What can we learn from them?
Picture 1 – Bees building a beehive.
What we can learn –
- Hard work.
- teamwork.
- unity.
Picture 2 – A spider weaving its web.
What we can learn –
- Perseverance.
- patience.
Picture 3 – A flock of birds flying in the sky.
What we can learn –
- Cooperation.
- leadership.
- harmony.
Picture 4 – A bird weaving its nest.
What we can learn –
- Patience.
- effort.
- skill.
Picture 5 – group of ants working together
What we can learn –
- Discipline.
- dedication.
- determination.
Picture 6 – A tree full of ripe fruits
What we can learn –
- Selfless giving.
- patience.
- growth.
Let Us Discuss
I. Complete the summary of the poem by filling in the blanks with suitable words from the text given in the box below. Share your answers with the teacher. An example has been given.
[ tried, mounted, despair, attempts, great, conquered, low, strive.]
ANSWER :
The poem, written in a narrative style, tells the story of King Bruce of Scotland, who was feeling 1. low after failing multiple times to achieve something 2. great for his people. In a moment of 3. despair, he observed a spider trying to reach its web high above. The spider 4. mounted every time it fell after getting close to its goal. It made nine 5. attempts and finally succeeded. The king said that the spider had 6. conquered and so would he. Inspired by the spider’s determination, King Bruce decided to 7. strive. When he 8. tried this time, he ultimately succeeded.
II. Complete the following sentences suitably.
1. We can say that the poet uses the narrative style becauseThe poem tells the story of King Bruce and the spider.2. The central idea of the poem is Perseverance and never giving up.
III. Pick three examples from the poem for each of the following.
1. Lines that describe the spider’s efforts
Examples from the poem:
- “It soon began to cling and crawl / Straight up with strong endeavour.”
- “Again it fell and swung below, / But again it quickly mounted.”
- “Steadily, steadily, inch by inch, / Higher and higher he got.”
2. Alliteration
Examples from the poem:
- strong endeavour
- silken, filmy
- Bravo, bravo!
IV. Why does the poet repeat the following words or phrases in the poem?
ANSWER : The poet repeats these words or phrases because –
- tried and tried – repeated efforts.
- steadily, steadily – continuous progress.
- up, up – repeated upward movement of the spider.
V. Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct answer.
ANSWER :
1. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABAB
2. ‘Bravo’ is an example of interjection.
3. The poet uses ‘twas and ‘tis for the sake of rhythm.
VI.
1. Read the following sentences and identify metaphors and similes. Write M for metaphor and S for simile.
| S. No. | Sentence | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| (i) | He ran as fast as a cheetah. | S |
| (ii) | The world is a stage. | M |
| (iii) | The night was as dark as coal. | S |
| (iv) | He sang like an angel. | S |
| (v) | Her voice was music to his ears. | M |
| (vi) | The classroom was a zoo. | M |
| (vii) | The baby slept like a log. | S |
| (viii) | Her smile was as bright as the sun. | S |
| (ix) | The lake was a mirror, reflecting the sky. | M |
2. Read the following sentences and transform the similes to metaphors and metaphors to similes. Two examples have been given.
(i) Knowledge spreads like the branches of a mighty tree.
Knowledge is a spreading branch of a mighty tree.
(ii) His courage was a beacon, guiding us through the storm.
- His courage was as bright as a beacon guiding us through the storm.
• His courage was like a beacon guiding us through the storm.
ANSWER :
-
(iii) The book was a treasure chest, filled with endless adventures.
Simile: The book was like a treasure chest, filled with endless adventures. -
(iv) Her laughter was a melody that brightened the darkest days.
Simile: Her laughter was like a melody that brightened the darkest days. -
(v) The mountain stood as a guard, watching over the valley below.
Metaphor: The mountain was a guard, watching over the valley below. -
(vi) The night was like a velvet cloak, wrapping the world in mystery.
Metaphor: The night was a velvet cloak, wrapping the world in mystery. -
(vii) Her thoughts were like butterflies in a summer meadow.
Metaphor: Her thoughts were butterflies in a summer meadow.
Let us think and reflect
I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow
Extract 1
He flung himself down in low despair,
As grieved as man could be;
And after a while he pondered there,
“I’ll give it all up,” said he.Now just at that moment a spider dropped,
With its silken, filmy clue;
(i) Select the phrase which shows the physical expression of the King’s emotional state.
Answer: “He flung himself down.”
(ii) Why does the poet use the word ‘low’ before despair?
Answer: The word “low” emphasises the King’s deep sense of despair and hopelessness.
(iii) In the line, “And after a while he pondered there”, the word “pondered” means..
Answer: B. thought.
(iv) The phrase ‘silken filmy clue’ creates an image of something that is….
Answer: very delicate and soft.
Extract 2
“…when it toils so hard to reach and cling,
And tumbles every time.”But up the insect went once more,
Ah me! ’tis an anxious minute;
He’s only a foot from his cobweb door,
Oh say, will he lose or win it?
(i) Choose the correct option to complete the analogy.
toil : hard :: ______ : ______
Answer: D. jump : tumble.
(ii) List any two characteristics of the spider highlighted in the line, “But up the insect went once more”.
Answer:
- Determined
- Persistent (Never gives up)
(iii) The expression “Ah me!” indicates a sense of
Answer: B. stress.
(iv) Complete the sentencewith an appropriate reason.
ANSWER : Readers are able to relate to this extract because everyone faces failures and challenges in life but must continue trying.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. How does the first stanza help in setting the mood of the poem?
Answer: The first stanza sets a sad and hopeless mood by showing that King Bruce is lonely and discouraged because of repeated failures.
2. Describe how King Bruce’s attitude changes from the beginning towards the end of the poem.
Answer: At the beginning, King Bruce is disappointed and wants to give up. After watching the spider’s repeated efforts and success, he becomes confident, determined, and decides to try again. Finally, he succeeds.
3. The poet describes every action of the spider in great detail. What does this tell us about his attitude towards the spider?
Answer: It shows that the poet admires the spider’s patience, determination, and perseverance.
4. How does the spider inspire us to overcome despair and not give up?
Answer: The spider keeps trying even after falling many times and finally succeeds. It teaches us to overcome despair, continue making efforts, and never give up.
5. The poem teaches us that failures are stepping stones to success. Explain.
Answer: Both the spider and King Bruce fail many times, but they continue trying until they succeed. This shows that failures help us learn and lead us towards success.
6. The spider’s journey tells us that anyone can be a source of inspiration in our lives. Elaborate.
Answer: King Bruce learns an important lesson from a small spider. The poem shows that inspiration can come from anyone or anything if we observe carefully and learn from their actions.
Let us learn
I. Write the opposites of the following words taken from the poem.
ANSWER :
| Word | Opposite |
|---|---|
| up | down |
| fast | slow |
| glad | sad |
| win | lose |
| succeed | fail |
II. Choose the correct meaning of the underlined words in the following sentences from the box given below. Frame sentences of your own for these words.
ANSWER:
| Word/Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| toil | work very hard and/or for a long time |
| braced | prepared themselves for something difficult |
| endeavour | an attempt to do something new or difficult |
| strive | to try very hard to achieve something |
III The poem uses words that show distance.
For example: a long way up, inch by inch, higher and higher, half-yard higher
Classify the words or phrases in the box given below based on the distance (far or near) and write in the space provided. You may take the help of a dictionary.
| Far (दूर) | Near (पास) |
|---|---|
| middle of nowhere | proximity |
| remoteness | vicinity |
| yonder | adjacent |
| afar | a stone’s throw |
| light year | hairline |
| farther |
Let us listen
I. You will listen to a story about an ant. Read the questions given below and before you listen, guess the answers to these questions. (Transcript for the teacher on pg. 40)
ANSWER :
What was the ant known for? – (i) determination
Why was the ant unable to take the roti home? – (ii) It was too heavy to carry.
What was the bird doing? – (iii) picking up leaves (and twigs)
How did the bird make the ant feel? – (ii) inspired
How did the fellow ants help? – (iii) by joining the ant in her efforts
