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A Concrete Example Class 8 Poem: Summary and Q&A

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EnglishCBSE Class 8 · Chapter 2

A Concrete Example Class 8: Poem Summary, Devices and Questions

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

A Concrete Example is a humorous poem by Reginald Arkell in Poorvi, Unit 1. The speaker describes neighbour Mrs. Jones's garden, full of stones, a crazy path, a pond, a rockery and a sundial, with tiny plants squeezed between. The twist: the speaker is standing on the 'lovely' flower they discussed.

What A Concrete Example is about

A Concrete Example by Reginald Arkell is the poem in Unit 1 (Wit and Wisdom) of Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook. It is a light-hearted, gently mocking look at a neighbour, Mrs. Jones, whose garden is mostly stones rather than plants.

The poem has three six-line stanzas, each opening with the refrain 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones'. The rhyme scheme is AABBCC (rhyming couplets). Its humour builds to a final twist of situational irony: after a quarter of an hour talking about a flower, the speaker learns they are standing on it.

The title is a pun: 'concrete' means the hard building material (Mrs. Jones's stony garden) and also 'clear, specific', since the poem is a concrete example of her peculiar gardening.

CBSE sets no Class 8 paper; your school sets the exam. Expect extract questions on a stanza, devices (alliteration, refrain, irony, pun, imagery), tone and rhyme scheme, plus short and long answers.

Weightage: CBSE sets no Class 8 English paper or marks: Class 8 is assessed by your school, which teaches from NCERT Poorvi. School papers usually mix extract questions, short answers (about 40-50 words) and longer answers (about 100-150 words), plus grammar and writing from the "Let us learn" and "Let us write" sections.Source: docs/research/cbse-8-2026-27.md (NCERT book list, Reprint 2026-27)

A Concrete Example: explanation

In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.

Stanza 1: a garden full of stones. The speaker introduces the next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones, whose garden is 'full of stones'. It has a 'crazy path' (an irregular path of uneven stones), a lily pond and a rockery, and just beyond them a sundial with a strange device that Mrs. Jones thinks is rather nice. The speaker's light tone hints that this is not an ordinary, leafy garden; stone features crowd it, and the owner is proud of odd decorations.

Stanza 2: tiny plants. In the gaps between her stones, Mrs. Jones tucks tiny, fragile plants, so small that, to the speaker, they 'don't mean anything at all'. The speaker exaggerates for humour, wondering how she gets them into the gaps, unless she plants them with a pin. The joke shows the contrast between the heavy stones and the almost invisible plants, and the speaker's amused disbelief.

Stanza 3: the twist. Mrs. Jones once invited the speaker to see her stones. They stood and talked about a flower for a full quarter of an hour. Finally the speaker asked where this lovely flower was, and Mrs. Jones replied that the speaker was standing on it. The ending is funny because the speaker has been praising, or at least discussing, a flower that is so tiny it went unnoticed and was even trampled.

Central idea: The poem gently mocks an obsession with a stony, over-decorated garden and shows how differently two people can see the same thing. Its humour comes from exaggeration, the refrain and the ironic final line, and the title itself is a pun on 'concrete'.

Themes and message

Humour and gentle mockery

The speaker teases Mrs. Jones's garden with exaggeration (plants planted 'with a pin') and an ironic ending. The tone is light-hearted and amusing, not cruel.

From the text: 'unless she plants them with a pin'

Different perspectives

Mrs. Jones treasures her stones, sundial and tiny plants, while the speaker finds them odd and insignificant. The same garden looks wonderful to one person and ordinary to another.

From the text: 'which Mrs. Jones thinks rather nice'

Expectation versus reality (irony)

We expect a 'lovely' flower to be noticeable, but it is so small the speaker is standing on it. The gap between expectation and reality creates situational irony and the poem's punchline.

From the text: 'You’re standing on it,” she replied.'

The speaker and the people in the poem

The speaker

Mrs. Jones's next-door neighbour who describes her garden.

  • Observant and humorous
  • Gently mocking but polite (visits and talks about the flower)
  • Unaware until the end that the flower is underfoot

'I can’t think how she gets them in'

Mrs. Jones

The neighbour with the stony garden.

  • Proud of her unusual garden
  • Fond of stone features and odd devices
  • Enthusiastic: invites the speaker to see her stones

'once asked me round to see her stones'

Poetic devices

DeviceExampleEffect
Refrain'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,'Repeated at the start of every stanza, it gives rhythm and keeps the focus on the neighbour.
Alliteration'next-door neighbour'; 'puts little plants'; 'lily ... lovely'Repeated initial sounds add music and playfulness.
Situational irony'You’re standing on it,” she replied.'The outcome is the opposite of what we expect, creating the humorous twist.
Pun (title)'A Concrete Example''Concrete' means both hard building material (stones) and a clear, specific example of her gardening habits.
Hyperbole/imagery'unless she plants them with a pin'Exaggerates how tiny the plants are and helps us visualise the peculiar garden.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

  • has got a garden full of stones

    The speaker: Opening description of Mrs. Jones's garden.

    Sets up the poem's central joke and the pun in the title.

  • which Mrs. Jones thinks rather nice

    The speaker: About the sundial with a strange device.

    Shows the difference between her taste and the speaker's.

  • they don’t mean anything at all

    The speaker: About the tiny plants between the stones.

    Gently mocks how insignificant the plants seem.

  • unless she plants them with a pin

    The speaker: Wondering how she plants such small plants.

    Hyperbole that creates humour.

  • You’re standing on it,” she replied.

    Mrs. Jones: Answering 'Where is this lovely thing?'

    The punchline: situational irony.

Key concepts

Rhyme scheme, refrain and form

Three stanzas of six lines each. The rhyme scheme is AABBCC (rhyming couplets): Jones/stones, pond/beyond, device/nice in stanza 1. The refrain 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,' opens each stanza.

Tip: to find a rhyme scheme, give the first line's end sound 'A', the next new sound 'B', and so on.

Worked example

Write the rhyme scheme of stanza 2 and give the rhyming pairs.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Jones/stones = A A.
  2. small/all = B B.
  3. in/pin = C C.

Answer: AABBCC: Jones/stones, small/all, in/pin.

Irony and pun

Irony highlights the difference between what is expected and what happens. Situational irony: the outcome is the opposite of expectation (the speaker hunts for the lovely flower while standing on it).

A pun uses a word with two meanings or similar-sounding words for humour. 'Concrete' = (1) hard material like stone, (2) clear and specific. The book's pencil examples: 'kept making sharp points' (pencil tip and argument points), 'finally got to the point'.

Worked example

Explain the pun: 'The baker stopped making bread because he wasn't earning enough dough.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. 'Dough' = the soft mixture of flour and water used to make bread.
  2. 'Dough' is also an informal word for money.

Answer: 'Dough' means both the flour mixture a baker uses and, informally, money. The baker stops baking because he is not earning enough money, and the bread-making meaning of the word makes the sentence funny.

Tone and imagery

The tone is humorous, amusing, light-hearted and gently mocking (the book's option: mocking, humorous, light-hearted; or humorous, amusing, light-hearted), not mournful. Imagery (crazy path, lily pond, rockery, sundial) helps readers visualise the garden's peculiar nature. Repeating 'stones' emphasises Mrs. Jones's obsession with a stony garden.

Worked example

How many times does the word 'stones' end a line in the poem, and what does this repetition tell us about Mrs. Jones?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. 'stones' rhymes with 'Jones' in the second line of every stanza: three times.
  2. The repetition shows her garden is defined by stones: an obsession with a stony garden, not pride in growing plants.

Answer: Three times, once in each stanza, always rhyming with 'Jones'. The repetition ties Mrs. Jones to her stones and stresses her obsession with a stony garden rather than with growing plants.

Writing a notice; apologising politely

Notice (Let us write): a short, formal announcement put up for a group of readers. The book's points: mention the purpose, date, time, venue and any other information (whom to contact, when and where); use formal language in the third person; write it in a box. Format: name of the organisation, the word NOTICE, date, a title, the body, then the writer's name, signature and class/designation. / / Apologising (Let us speak): the speaker might have felt sorry for stepping on Mrs. Jones's flower. With friends and family we use informal phrases ('I'm really sorry...', 'Sorry, I didn't mean to...'; replies: 'That's alright', 'These things happen'). With a principal or teacher we use formal phrases ('I'm extremely sorry for... I promise it won't happen again', 'I owe you an apology for...'; replies: 'I accept your apology. Please ensure you...').

Worked example

You are the Secretary of your school's Eco Club. Draft a notice (about 50 words) inviting students of Grades 6-8 to a 'Rock Garden Clean-up Drive'.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Box; organisation name; NOTICE; date; title.
  2. Body: purpose, date, time, venue, what to bring, whom to contact; third person, formal.
  3. Name, signature, designation.

Answer: GREEN VALLEY SCHOOL, PUNE / NOTICE / 10 July 20XX / ROCK GARDEN CLEAN-UP DRIVE / The Eco Club will hold a clean-up drive in the school rock garden on 18 July 20XX, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Students of Grades 6-8 are invited to join. Gloves and bags will be provided. Interested students may give their names to the undersigned by 15 July. / Aarav Mehta / Secretary, Eco Club

A Concrete Example in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Looking closely

Suppose your friend proudly shows you a tiny bonsai on her balcony, and at first you can't even find it among the pots.

How does the poem's ending relate to this, and what should you do?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The speaker missed the flower and stood on it.
  2. Small things can be precious to their owners.
  3. Look closely, ask, show interest.

Answer: Like the speaker who stood on Mrs. Jones's treasured flower, I might overlook something small that matters a lot to my friend. I should look carefully, ask her to point it out and show genuine interest in her hobby.

Memory hook: Look down before you look away.

Gentle humour

Imagine a classmate has decorated his desk with many tiny stickers, and others start teasing him.

What kind of humour does the poem model, and where is the line?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The poem's mockery is light-hearted, not cruel.
  2. The speaker still visits and talks politely.
  3. Joke with, not at; stop if it hurts.

Answer: The poem uses gentle, good-natured humour: the speaker jokes but stays friendly and polite. With the classmate, a light joke he can laugh at is fine, but teasing that hurts or excludes him crosses the line.

Memory hook: Laugh with, not at.

Words with two meanings

Suppose you are writing a school magazine headline about the new cricket nets and want it to be catchy.

How could you use a pun like the poem's title?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Pun: one word, two meanings.
  2. Example: 'Net gains'.
  3. Check both meanings fit.

Answer: A headline like 'Net Gains for Our Cricketers' is a pun: 'net' refers to the practice nets and to overall benefit ('net gain'), just as 'concrete' in the title means both stones and a clear example.

Memory hook: One word, two jobs.

Topics in this chapter

How the school exam asks A Concrete Example

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question typeHow it is askedMethod
Extract-based (5 x 1 mark)A stanza with questions on meaning, devices (refrain, alliteration, irony), rhyme scheme and inference.Quote or name the exact words; for devices, name the device and give the example.
Short answer (2 marks, 40-50 words)Why is the ending funny? What is the significance of the title? How does the speaker feel about the garden?Point plus evidence from the poem.
Long answer (5 marks, 100-150 words)How does the poet create humour? Different perspectives on the same garden.Discuss three devices (refrain, hyperbole, irony, pun) with examples, then the overall effect.
Summary completionFill a summary with exact words from the poem.Use the poem's exact words (stones, crazy path, sundial, delicate, pin, flower, lovely, standing).

Tricks to remember A Concrete Example

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • Garden features

    'Crazy Lily Rocks the Sundial': crazy path, lily pond, rockery, sundial.

    Use it when: Stanza 1 details.

  • Rhyme scheme

    'Couples dance in pairs': AABBCC (rhyming couplets).

    Use it when: Form questions.

  • Devices

    'R-A-I-P-H': Refrain, Alliteration, Irony, Pun, Hyperbole.

    Use it when: Listing devices.

A Concrete Example: extract-based questions

Read the extract, answer every part on paper, then open the answers.

Extract 1: Stanza 2: the tiny plants

They are so delicate and small,
they don’t mean anything at all.
I can’t think how she gets them in,
unless she plants them with a pin.

  1. (1) · 1 mark · MCQ

    The line 'unless she plants them with a pin' is an example of:
    (a) simile (b) hyperbole (c) personification (d) metaphor

  2. (2) · 1 mark · Very short answer

    What is the rhyme scheme of these lines?

  3. (3) · 1 mark · Very short answer

    Pick an example of alliteration from the extract.

  4. (4) · 1 mark · MCQ

    What does the speaker think of the plants?
    (a) They are beautiful (b) They are so small they seem insignificant (c) They are poisonous (d) They are too large

  5. (5) · 1 mark · Very short answer

    What is the tone of the extract?

Show the answersAnswers
  1. (b) hyperbole
  2. AABB.
  3. 'plants ... pin' (the repeated 'p' sound).
  4. (b) They are so small they seem insignificant
  5. Humorous and gently mocking (light-hearted).

Extract 2: Stanza 3: the twist

We stood and talked about a flower
for quite a quarter of an hour.
“Where is this lovely thing?” I cried.
“You’re standing on it,” she replied.

  1. (1) · 1 mark · Very short answer

    The stanza begins: 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones, / once asked me round to see her stones.' Why did Mrs. Jones invite the speaker?

  2. (2) · 1 mark · Very short answer

    How long did they talk about the flower?

  3. (3) · 1 mark · MCQ

    The last line shows:
    (a) verbal irony (b) situational irony (c) a metaphor (d) a rhetorical question

  4. (4) · 1 mark · Very short answer

    Both stanzas of the poem open with the same line, 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,'. Which line is the refrain?

  5. (5) · 1 mark · Short answer

    How might the speaker have felt on hearing the reply?

Show the answersAnswers
  1. To see her stones (her stony garden).
  2. For quite a quarter of an hour (about fifteen minutes).
  3. (b) situational irony
  4. 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,'
  5. Embarrassed and amused, realising the 'lovely' flower was too tiny to notice.

A Concrete Example: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: Why is the ending funny? · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

Why is the last line of the poem humorous? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. They discussed a 'lovely' flower for a quarter of an hour.
  2. Speaker was standing on it: opposite of expectation (situational irony).

Answer: After talking about a 'lovely' flower for a quarter of an hour, the speaker asks where it is, only to be told they are standing on it. The flower is so tiny that it went unnoticed and was even trampled, an unexpected twist that creates situational irony and laughter.

Example 2: Significance of the title · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

Explain the double meaning of the title 'A Concrete Example'. Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Literal: concrete/stones fill the garden.
  2. Symbolic: a clear, specific example of her peculiar gardening habits.
  3. Pun creates humour.

Answer: Literally, 'concrete' suggests the hard stones that fill Mrs. Jones's garden. Symbolically, the poem gives a clear, 'concrete' example of her peculiar, stone-obsessed gardening habits. Using one word with two meanings is a pun, which adds to the poem's humour.

Example 3: Speaker's attitude · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

What is the speaker's attitude towards Mrs. Jones's garden? Support your answer from the poem. Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Amused, gently mocking.
  2. Plants 'don't mean anything'; 'plants them with a pin'.
  3. Polite: visits and talks.

Answer: The speaker is amused and gently mocking. They find the tiny plants so insignificant that 'they don't mean anything at all' and joke that she must plant them 'with a pin'. Yet they stay polite, visiting her garden and talking about her flower for a quarter of an hour.

Example 4: Two perspectives · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

How does the poem show that two people can see the same thing very differently? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Mrs. Jones proud: thinks the sundial 'rather nice'; invites to see her stones.
  2. Speaker: finds plants insignificant; doesn't notice the flower.

Answer: Mrs. Jones is proud of her garden: she thinks the strange sundial 'rather nice' and invites the speaker to admire her stones and a treasured flower. The speaker, however, sees only stones and plants so small they seem meaningless, and does not even notice the flower underfoot.

Example 5: How humour is created · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

How does Reginald Arkell create humour in 'A Concrete Example'? Answer in 100-150 words. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Refrain builds rhythm and focus on Mrs. Jones.
  2. Imagery of an odd stony garden (crazy path, sundial).
  3. Hyperbole: plants with a pin.
  4. Situational irony: standing on the flower.
  5. Pun in the title; light-hearted tone.

Answer: Arkell creates humour through several devices. The refrain, 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,' opens every stanza and builds a playful rhythm, as if the speaker keeps returning to a running joke. Vivid imagery of a 'crazy path', a rockery and a sundial with a 'strange device' paints a garden that is more stone than green. Hyperbole adds fun when the speaker wonders whether the tiny plants are planted 'with a pin'. The biggest laugh comes from situational irony: after a quarter of an hour discussing a lovely flower, the speaker learns they are standing on it. Even the title is a pun, since 'concrete' suggests both stones and a clear example of Mrs. Jones's habits. Together these create a gently mocking, light-hearted poem.

Example 6: Respecting others' tastes · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Do you think the speaker is fair to Mrs. Jones? What can we learn about respecting other people's hobbies? Answer in 100-150 words. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Speaker's mockery is gentle, not cruel.
  2. But dismisses tiny plants as meaningless.
  3. Mrs. Jones takes pride; invites the speaker.
  4. Lesson: hobbies matter to their owners; look closely; be kind.
  5. Balanced conclusion.

Answer: The speaker's humour is gentle rather than cruel, and they politely visit the garden and talk about the flower for a quarter of an hour. Still, they dismiss Mrs. Jones's delicate plants as meaning 'nothing at all' and joke about planting them with a pin, without trying to see what she values. Mrs. Jones clearly cares about her garden: she likes her strange sundial and proudly invites a neighbour to see it. The ending is a lesson in itself: the speaker misses the flower and even steps on it because they were not looking carefully. We learn that other people's hobbies may seem odd to us but matter deeply to them. We can enjoy a joke, but we should look closely, show interest and treat others' passions with kindness.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

What is the significance of the title 'A Concrete Example'? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks) (2 marks)

StepMarks
Content: literal meaning (stones/concrete in the garden) and symbolic meaning (clear example of her gardening habits); a pun.1
Expression: clear answer within the word limit.1

How does the poet create humour in the poem? Answer in 100-150 words. (5 marks) (5 marks)

StepMarks
Introduction: humorous, light-hearted poem about a stony garden.1
Two devices with examples (refrain, hyperbole 'with a pin', imagery).2
The ironic ending and/or pun in the title explained.1
Expression and organisation.1

Where students lose marks in A Concrete Example

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Calling the speaker Mrs. Jones

    Her name appears in every stanza.

    Wrong working

    Mrs. Jones describes her own garden.

    Right working

    The speaker is Mrs. Jones's next-door neighbour (the poet's voice).

    Do this: 'My next-door neighbour' shows the speaker is someone else.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Writing ABABCC or another wrong rhyme scheme

    Not checking line endings.

    Wrong working

    The rhyme scheme is ABABCC.

    Right working

    Jones/stones, pond/beyond, device/nice: AABBCC.

    Do this: Mark each end sound.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Explaining the title only literally

    Missing the pun.

    Wrong working

    The title means the garden is made of concrete.

    Right working

    It means both the stony garden and a clear, specific example of her habits: a pun.

    Do this: Always give both meanings.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Calling the tone mournful or angry

    Misreading 'mocking'.

    Wrong working

    The tone is sad because the flower is crushed.

    Right working

    The tone is humorous, amusing and light-hearted, with gentle mockery.

    Do this: Ask: is the poem meant to make us laugh?

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

Practice questions on A Concrete Example

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

    Who is the poet of 'A Concrete Example'?
    (a) Ruskin Bond (b) Reginald Arkell (c) Edward Lear (d) Walter de la Mare

    Hint

    Named under the poem.

    Answer

    (b) Reginald Arkell

  2. Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

    Name three features of Mrs. Jones's garden mentioned in stanza 1.

    Hint

    Path, pond, rockery, sundial.

    Answer

    Any three: a crazy path, a lily pond, a rockery, a sundial with a strange device.

  3. Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level

    Which feature of Mrs. Jones's garden in stanza 1 could be used to tell the time, and how?

    Hint

    Sun and shadow.

    Answer

    The sundial: it shows the time by the position of the shadow cast by the sun on its face.

  4. Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

    Complete with exact words from the poem: The speaker and Mrs. Jones talked about a flower 'for quite a ______ of an ______'.

    Hint

    Stanza 3.

    Answer

    quarter; hour

  5. Q5 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level

    Which pair of words best describes how the speaker feels about Mrs. Jones's garden? / (a) amused and puzzled (b) angry and jealous (c) sad and lonely (d) frightened and confused

    Hint

    'I can't think how she gets them in'.

    Answer

    (a) amused and puzzled

  6. Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

    In one sentence each, say what a reader expects to see when the speaker asks 'Where is this lovely thing?', and what actually happens. Name the device this contrast creates.

    Hint

    Expected vs actual.

    Answer

    Expected: a beautiful, noticeable flower that the speaker can admire. Actual: the flower is so tiny that the speaker has been standing on it all along. The contrast between expectation and outcome is situational irony.

  7. Q7 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    Make your own pun on the word 'bright' and explain it.

    Hint

    Light and clever.

    Answer

    Sample: 'Our new torch is so clever, it is the brightest in the class!' 'Bright' means giving a lot of light and also intelligent, so the double meaning makes it funny.

  8. Q8 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    Suppose Mrs. Jones wrote a reply poem. What might she say about her garden? Write four lines (AABB).

    Hint

    Her perspective.

    Answer

    Sample: My neighbour laughs at all my stones, / But hears not what each pebble owns; / The tiniest flower, if you look near, / Is just as lovely as a rose, my dear. (Any four rhyming lines from her viewpoint.)

  9. Q9 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

    How does the refrain contribute to the poem? Answer in 40-50 words.

    Hint

    Rhythm, focus, humour.

    Answer

    Repeating 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,' at the start of every stanza gives the poem a catchy rhythm and keeps the focus on the neighbour. Each time it returns, readers expect a new funny detail about her garden, building towards the ironic final twist.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.How many stanzas does the poem have?Show answer

    Three stanzas of six lines each.

  2. 2.What does Mrs. Jones think of the sundial?Show answer

    She thinks it 'rather nice'.

  3. 3.How does the speaker joke about planting the tiny plants?Show answer

    That she must plant them with a pin.

  4. 4.How long did they talk about the flower?Show answer

    A quarter of an hour.

  5. 5.Where was the flower?Show answer

    Under the speaker's feet: the speaker was standing on it.

  6. 6.What details must a notice include, according to the book?Show answer

    Purpose, date, time, venue and other relevant information (whom to contact, when and where), in formal third-person language, written in a box.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

  • Poet: Reginald Arkell; Poorvi Unit 1, Wit and Wisdom.
  • Speaker: Mrs. Jones's next-door neighbour.
  • Stanza 1: stones, crazy path, lily pond, rockery, sundial with a strange device.
  • Stanza 2: tiny delicate plants between stones; 'with a pin' (hyperbole).
  • Stanza 3: quarter of an hour about a flower; 'You're standing on it' (situational irony).
  • Refrain: 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,'.
  • Rhyme scheme AABBCC; tone humorous, light-hearted, gently mocking.
  • Title pun: concrete = stone + clear example.

A Concrete Example: frequently asked questions

Who wrote 'A Concrete Example'?

Reginald Arkell. The poem is in Unit 1 (Wit and Wisdom) of Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook.

What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

AABBCC in each six-line stanza (three rhyming couplets).

Why is the title a pun?

'Concrete' means a hard building material, suggesting the stones in Mrs. Jones's garden, and also 'clear and specific': the poem is a concrete example of her gardening habits.

What is the refrain?

'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,' which opens each stanza.

What kind of irony ends the poem?

Situational irony: the speaker looks for the lovely flower but has been standing on it all along.

Based on: NCERT Poorvi, Textbook of English for Grade 8 (Reprint 2026-27); NCERT unit PDF: Poorvi Unit 1