EnglishCBSE Class 8 · Chapter 11

Harvest Hymn Class 8: Poem Summary, Devices and Questions

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Harvest Hymn by Sarojini Naidu, in Poorvi Unit 4, is a song of thanks sung by farming folk at harvest time. Men praise Surya (the Sun) and Varuna (rain), women praise Prithvi (the Earth), and all voices together offer their lives and labour to Brahma, the Lord of the Universe.

What Harvest Hymn is about

Harvest Hymn by Sarojini Naidu is the poem in Unit 4 (Environment) of Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook. A hymn is a song of praise. Here, villagers celebrate the harvest by thanking the forces of nature and the Creator.

The poem has four eight-line stanzas sung by different groups, like a choir:
1. Men's voices to Surya (the Sun), 'lord of the lotus', for the bounty that prospered their sowing.
2. Men's voices to Varuna (rain), 'lord of the rainbow', for the mercy that fostered their grain.
3. Women's voices to Prithvi (the Earth), 'queen of the gourd-flower', the mother who feeds all.
4. All voices to Brahma, Lord of the Universe, offering their lives and labour.

The tone is reverent, joyful and grateful. The language uses archaic words (thou, thee, thine, art) and devices such as alliteration, repetition, metaphor, personification and imagery. The even-numbered lines rhyme.

CBSE sets no Class 8 paper; your school sets the exam. Expect extract questions, stanza-wise ideas, devices and symbols, vocabulary (munificent, beneficent, succour, ineffable), archaic words, farm tools, silent letters and a creative slogan.

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)

Harvest Hymn: explanation

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

Stanza 1: Men's voices to Surya (the Sun). The men call the Sun the lord of the lotus and of the harvest, the bright and generous lord of the morning. His generosity made their sowing successful and helped their corn grow. They offer songs and garlands, the golden crops of their fields and their fruit. Calling him the giver of warm, ripening light, they praise Surya with cymbals and flutes.

Stanza 2: Men's voices to Varuna (rain). They now address Varuna, lord of the rainbow and of the harvest, the great and kind lord of the sea. His mercy cared for the furrows in their fields and nourished their grain. They bring thanks and garlands and the riches of their valleys, freshly gathered and ripe. Calling him the sender of rain and dew, they praise him with cymbals and pipes.

Stanza 3: Women's voices to Prithvi (the Earth). The women praise the Earth as queen of the gourd-flower and of the harvest, a sweet, all-powerful mother. Her generous bosom feeds everyone, and from her womb all their riches are born. They offer their love and garlands, bringing back gifts that came from her own rich giving. Calling her the source of their many joys, they praise Prithvi with cymbals and drums.

Stanza 4: All voices to Brahma. Everyone together praises the Lord of the Universe and of their very existence, the eternal Father, the indescribable Om. He is both the seed and the scythe of their harvests: the beginning and the end of the farming cycle. He is their hands, heart and home. They offer their lives and labour, and ask for his help, guidance and care. Hailing him as the life and blessing of all life, they praise Brahma with cymbals and prayer.

Central idea: A good harvest is a gift of nature (sun, rain and earth) and of the divine. The farmers respond with humble gratitude, celebration and the offering of their own hard work.

Themes and message

Gratitude to nature

Farmers thank the Sun, rain and Earth for the harvest, recognising that food depends on nature's gifts.

From the text: 'Thine is the bounty that prospered our sowing,'

Celebration and community

Men, women and finally all voices sing together with cymbals, flutes, pipes and drums. The harvest unites the whole village in joy.

From the text: 'We praise thee, O Surya, with cymbal and flute.'

Dignity of labour

The farmers offer not only crops but their 'labours' as tribute. Hard work is sacred and is itself a form of worship.

From the text: 'We bring thee our lives and our labours for tribute,'

The cycle of life

The divine is both the 'Seed' (beginning) and the 'Scythe' (harvest, end). Life moves in cycles, like the seasons.

From the text: 'Thou art the Seed and the Scythe of our harvests,'

The speaker and the people in the poem

The men (first chorus)

Sing stanzas 1 and 2 to Surya and Varuna.

Grateful for sunshine and rain
Celebrate with music (cymbal, flute, pipe)

'We bring thee our thanks and our garlands for tribute,'

The women (second chorus)

Sing stanza 3 to Prithvi, the Earth.

See the Earth as a nurturing mother
Offer love along with garlands

'We bring thee our love and our garlands for tribute,'

All voices (full chorus)

Sing stanza 4 to Brahma, Lord of the Universe.

United and humble
Ask for help, guidance and care

'Grant us thy succour, thy counsel, thy care.'

Poetic devices

Device	Example	Effect
Alliteration	'Lord of the lotus'; 'our lives and our labours'; 'the Seed and the Scythe'; 'our Hands and our Heart and our Home'	Creates a musical, chant-like rhythm suited to a hymn.
Repetition (anaphora)	'Thine is the bounty ... / Thine is the bounty'; 'The gold of our fields and the gold of our fruit'; 'we hail thee, / We praise thee'	Emphasises gratitude and gives each stanza a pattern like a prayer.
Metaphor	'Thou art the Seed and the Scythe of our harvests'; 'the gold of our fields'	The divine is the beginning and end of the farming cycle; golden crops are precious wealth.
Personification	'Sweet and omnipotent mother, O Earth!'	The Earth is shown as a loving mother who feeds her children.
Imagery	'The wealth of our valleys, new-garnered and ripe'	Paints a picture of fields full of freshly harvested crops.
Apostrophe (direct address)	'O Surya', 'O Earth', 'O Bramha'	The singers speak directly to the deities, as in a prayer.

Key quotations

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

Bright and munificent lord of the morn!
Men's voices: Addressing Surya.
The Sun is generous, giving light every morning.
The gold of our fields and the gold of our fruit;
Men's voices: Offering to Surya.
Ripe crops are as precious as gold; repetition of 'gold'.
Thine is the mercy that fostered our grain.
Men's voices: Thanking Varuna.
Rain is seen as a merciful gift that nourishes crops.
Sweet and omnipotent mother, O Earth!
Women's voices: Praising Prithvi.
Personification: Earth as an all-powerful, loving mother.
Thou art the Seed and the Scythe of our harvests,
All voices: Praising Brahma.
The divine is the beginning and the end of life's cycle.
We bring thee our lives and our labours for tribute,
All voices: Final offering.
Work and life themselves are offered as worship.

Key concepts

Structure, voices and rhyme

Four stanzas of eight lines, each addressed to a different power and sung by a different group:

Stanza	Voices	Addressed to	Called	Music
1	Men	Surya (Sun)	lord of the lotus, of the morn	cymbal and flute
2	Men	Varuna (rain)	lord of the rainbow, of the main	cymbal and pipe
3	Women	Prithvi (Earth)	queen of the gourd-flower, mother	cymbal and drum
4	All	Brahma	Lord of the Universe, Om	cymbal and prayer

Rhyme: the even-numbered lines rhyme (morn/corn, fruit/flute), so each stanza follows ABCBDEFE. The changing voices make the poem feel like a choral song, and 'All Voices' at the end shows unity.

Worked example

Which stanza is sung only by women, and which words in its first two lines show that it is addressed to a female power?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Voices: men (stanzas 1 and 2), women (stanza 3), all (stanza 4).
Stanza 3 opens 'Queen of the gourd-flower'.
The next line calls the Earth 'mother'.

Answer: Stanza 3, sung by women's voices to Prithvi. 'Queen' (of the gourd-flower and of the harvest) and 'mother' ('Sweet and omnipotent mother, O Earth!') show that the power addressed is female.

Symbols and meanings

Surya (the Sun): light, energy and warmth; 'mellowing radiance' ripens crops.
Varuna (rain): mercy and nourishment; sends rain and dew for the grain.
Prithvi (the Earth): fertile land and motherhood; the source of all life.
Brahma: the Creator; 'Seed and the Scythe', beginning and end.
Gold: ripe crops and fruit as true wealth.
Garlands, cymbals, flutes: worship and celebration.

Worked example

Why is the Earth called a 'mother'?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

She feeds everyone ('plentiful bosom').
Crops are born from her ('womb').

Answer: Like a mother, the Earth feeds and nurtures all living things; crops, the farmers' riches, are born from her.

Vocabulary and archaic words

Archaic pronouns: thou (you, subject), thee (you, object), thy (your), thine (yours), art (are).
Other old words: morn (morning), main (the sea), morrow (tomorrow), hither (here), quoth (said), betwixt (between), yonder (over there).

Key words: munificent (generous), beneficent (kind), bounty (generous gift), radiance (brightness), mellowing (ripening, softening), furrows (lines cut in soil by a plough), new-garnered (freshly gathered), omnipotent (all-powerful), opulent (rich, plentiful), manifold (many and varied), ineffable (too great to describe), succour (help), counsel (advice).

Farm tools: plough (turns soil, pulled by oxen), spade (digs), trowel (small digging tool), rake (collects hay or leaves), sickle (short curved blade for harvesting), scythe (long curved blade for tall grass).

Worked example

Replace the archaic words: 'Thou art my friend; thine is the victory.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Thou = you; art = are.
thine = yours.

Answer: You are my friend; the victory is yours.

Silent letters and presenting

Silent n after m at the end of a word: hymn, column, autumn, solemn.
Silent b after m: womb, tomb, bomb, climb, comb.
Also silent k before n: knife, know, knowledge.

Presentation phrases: greet ('Good morning to all of you...'); introduce ('Today we are here to tell you about...'); outline ('We will start off with... Following this...'); details ('Now I'll move on to...'); conclude ('In conclusion...'); thank ('Thank you for listening').

Worked example

Underline the silent letters: hymn, climb, autumn, knot.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

n after m: hymn, autumn.
b after m: climb; k before n: knot.

Answer: hym(n), clim(b), autum(n), (k)not.

Writing a creative slogan

A slogan is a short, catchy phrase that spreads a message.

Tips: focus on one idea; use simple words; be brief (usually under 10 words); use rhyme, alliteration or a pun; end with energy (an exclamation can help).

Examples for thanking farmers: 'No Farmer, No Food: Say Thank You Today!'; 'They Sow, We Grow: Thank a Farmer!'; 'From Their Fields to Our Meals: Gratitude to Farmers'.

Worked example

Write a slogan for your school's 'No Food Waste Week'.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

One idea: every grain is the result of farmers' hard work, so do not waste it.
Make it short and rhythmic.

Answer: 'Every Grain Tells a Farmer's Story: Waste Not, Thank Them Lots!'

Harvest Hymn 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.

Food waste and gratitude

Suppose you see classmates throwing half their lunch into the bin every day.

How could the poem's message help you persuade them?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Food needs sun, rain, earth and farmers' labour.
Wasting it disrespects all of these.
Suggest smaller portions; share extra food.

Answer: I would remind them that the poem's farmers offer their 'lives and labours' to grow food. Throwing it away wastes the Sun's energy, rain, soil and human effort. Taking smaller portions or sharing extra food honours that work.

Memory hook: Every grain has a story: don't bin it.

Harvest festivals

Imagine a new student from another state asks why your family celebrates Pongal, Baisakhi, Bihu or Onam.

How would you explain using the poem?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Harvest festivals thank nature for crops.
Like the hymn: songs, music, offerings.
Community celebration.

Answer: I would explain that, like the villagers in 'Harvest Hymn', we celebrate to thank the Sun, rain and Earth for a good harvest. We cook special dishes, sing, play music and celebrate together, just as the poem's men, women and all voices do.

Memory hook: Harvest festivals are thank-you songs to nature.

Caring for soil and water

Say your apartment complex wastes water washing cars daily while nearby farms face a dry season.

How does the poem connect to this?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The poem treats rain as mercy and Earth as mother.
Water and soil are precious, not unlimited.
Use a bucket instead of a hose; harvest rainwater.

Answer: The poem calls rain a merciful gift and the Earth a mother. Wasting water forgets how precious it is to farmers. I could suggest washing cars with a bucket and setting up rainwater harvesting in our complex.

Memory hook: Treat rain like a gift, not a tap.

Topics in this chapter

Harvest Hymn: Symbols, Devices and the Chorus

How the school exam asks Harvest Hymn

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

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Extract-based (5 x 1 mark)	A stanza or part of one with MCQs on meaning, devices, symbols and who is speaking.	Note the voice (men, women, all) and the deity addressed; name devices with examples.
Short answer (2 marks, 40-50 words)	Why is rain hailed? What is the 'wealth of our valleys'? Why is the Earth called mother?	Answer with the line and its meaning.
Long answer (5 marks, 100-150 words)	How the poet creates a joyous rural atmosphere; why it is a hymn; gratitude in our lives.	Structure, devices and imagery with examples; personal link.
Vocabulary and speaking	Synonyms from context, archaic words, farm tools, silent letters.	Use clue words in the sentence to infer meaning.
Writing: slogan	A slogan to thank farmers or on an environmental theme.	Short, simple, catchy; one main idea.

Tricks to remember Harvest Hymn

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

Order of deities
'Sun, Rain, Earth, Creator: S-V-P-B': Surya, Varuna, Prithvi, Brahma.
Use it when: Stanza questions.
Who sings and plays what
'Men: Flute and Pipe; Women: Drum; All: Prayer' (cymbal in every stanza).
Use it when: Recall questions.
Archaic pronouns
'Thou does, thee receives, thy owns, thine is owned': subject, object, your, yours.
Use it when: Archaic word questions.
Silent letters
'After M, N and B sleep': hymn, autumn; climb, comb.
Use it when: Pronunciation items.

Harvest Hymn: extract-based questions

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

Extract 1: Thanking Varuna

Thine is the mercy that cherished our furrows,
Thine is the mercy that fostered our grain.
We bring thee our thanks and our garlands for tribute,
The wealth of our valleys, new-garnered and ripe;
O sender of rain and the dewfall, we hail thee,
We praise thee, Varuna, with cymbal and pipe.

(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
Who sings these lines?
(a) Women's voices (b) Men's voices (c) All voices (d) The poet alone
(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
What does 'new-garnered' mean?
(3) · 1 mark · Short answer
Why is Varuna called 'sender of rain and the dewfall'?
(4) · 1 mark · MCQ
The repetition of 'Thine is the mercy' shows:
(a) doubt (b) deep gratitude (c) anger (d) humour
(5) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Which musical instruments are mentioned?

Show the answersAnswers

(b) Men's voices
Freshly gathered (just harvested).
He represents rain, which waters the furrows and nourishes the grain.
(b) deep gratitude
Cymbal and pipe.

Extract 2: Mother Earth

Queen of the gourd-flower, queen of the harvest,
Sweet and omnipotent mother, O Earth!
Thine is the plentiful bosom that feeds us,
Thine is the womb where our riches have birth.
We bring thee our love and our garlands for tribute,
With gifts of thy opulent giving we come;

(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
'Omnipotent' means:
(a) everywhere (b) all-powerful (c) all-knowing (d) very old
(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Name the device in 'Sweet and omnipotent mother, O Earth!'
(3) · 1 mark · Short answer
What are the 'riches' that have birth in the Earth's womb?
(4) · 1 mark · MCQ
'With gifts of thy opulent giving we come' suggests that the women:
(a) bring gold from the market (b) return to the Earth what she gave them (c) want more gifts (d) are poor
(5) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Identify the silent letter in 'womb'.

Show the answersAnswers

(b) all-powerful
Personification (also apostrophe: direct address).
The crops and harvest that grow from the soil.
(b) return to the Earth what she gave them
b

Harvest Hymn: exam-level solved questions

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

Example 1: Why the Sun is praised · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

Why do the men praise Surya, and what do they offer him? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Bounty prospered sowing; nurtured corn.
Mellowing radiance ripens crops.
Offer songs, garlands, golden crops, fruit; music.

Answer: The men praise Surya because his generous light made their sowing succeed and helped their corn grow; his 'mellowing radiance' ripens the crops. They offer songs, garlands and the golden produce of their fields and fruit, praising him with cymbals and flutes.

Example 2: The Seed and the Scythe · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

Explain the metaphor 'Thou art the Seed and the Scythe of our harvests'. Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Seed = beginning, sowing, creation.
Scythe = harvest, end.
Divine present in the whole cycle.

Answer: The seed begins the farming cycle and the scythe ends it at harvest. By calling the Lord both, the singers say he is present from creation to completion of every harvest, and of life itself. Everything starts and ends with the divine.

Example 3: From music to prayer · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

The first three stanzas end with 'cymbal and' flute, pipe or drum, but the last ends with 'cymbal and prayer'. Why might the poet make this change? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Stanzas 1-3: instruments of a village festival.
Stanza 4: all voices, Lord of the Universe.
Celebration deepens into worship.

Answer: The first three stanzas end with instruments: flute, pipe and drum, the music of a village festival. The last, sung by all voices to the Lord of the Universe, ends with 'prayer'. The celebration grows into worship: the people now offer their lives and labours, so devotion replaces music.

Example 4: Lord of the rainbow · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

Varuna is called 'lord of the rainbow'. Why is this a fitting title for the giver of rain? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

A rainbow appears when sunlight shines through raindrops.
It links Varuna to the beauty and promise of rain.
For farmers, rain means water for furrows and grain.

Answer: A rainbow appears when sunlight shines through raindrops, so it is a sign that rain has come. Calling Varuna 'lord of the rainbow' links him to the beauty and promise of rain. For farmers, rain means water for the furrows and grain, so the rainbow is a joyful, hopeful sign.

Example 5: Lords and a mother · 5 marks · Long answerHarder exam level

Compare the way the men address Surya and Varuna with the way the women address Prithvi. What relationship with nature does each show? Answer in 100-150 words. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Men: 'lord' titles; thanks for bounty and mercy.
Their offerings: songs, thanks, garlands, golden crops.
Women: 'queen' and 'mother'; bosom and womb images.
Their offering: love with garlands.
Contrast: honour for a ruler, love for a mother; together respect and affection.

Answer: The men address Surya and Varuna as lords: 'lord of the lotus', 'lord of the harvest', 'great and beneficent lord of the main'. They thank them for the bounty that 'prospered our sowing' and the mercy that 'fostered our grain', and they offer songs, thanks, garlands and 'the gold of our fields'. Their tone is one of respectful gratitude to powerful givers of light and rain. The women speak to Prithvi as 'queen' and, more tenderly, as a 'sweet and omnipotent mother'. Their images come from the body and the family: a 'plentiful bosom that feeds us' and a 'womb where our riches have birth'. They offer their love along with garlands. So the men see nature as a generous ruler to be honoured, while the women see the Earth as a mother to be loved. Together they show both respect and affection for nature.

Example 6: Gratitude today · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Most of us buy food in shops and rarely think about farmers or nature. Using the poem, explain why gratitude for food still matters and how we can show it. Answer in 100-150 words. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Poem: harvest depends on sun, rain, earth, labour.
Modern distance from farms.
Why gratitude matters: respect, less waste, care for environment.
Ways: no waste, support farmers, conserve water and soil, thank.
Conclusion.

Answer: The poem reminds us that every grain depends on the Sun's warmth, the rain's mercy, the Earth's fertility and the farmers' hard labour. Today most of us buy food in packets and forget this chain. Gratitude still matters because it changes how we act. If we value food, we will not waste it; if we respect farmers, we will support fair prices and buy local produce; if we honour the Earth, we will save water, avoid polluting soil and plant trees. We can show gratitude in simple ways: taking only as much food as we can finish, thanking those who cook and grow it, learning about harvest festivals and visiting a farm. Like the villagers who offered their songs and labour, we can offer our care for nature. A thankful heart makes us better guardians of the environment.

Where the marks are

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

What do all the voices ask for in the last stanza, and why might they ask for these? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks) (2 marks)

Step	Marks
Content: succour (help), counsel (advice) and care; having offered their lives and labours, they depend on the Lord's help and guidance for life and future harvests.	1
Expression within the word limit.	1

How is the last stanza of 'Harvest Hymn' different from the first three in its speakers, the power addressed and what is offered? Answer in 100-150 words. (5 marks) (5 marks)

Step	Marks
Introduction: stanzas 1-3 praise nature; stanza 4 is the climax.	1
Speakers and addressee: men and women to Surya, Varuna, Prithvi versus all voices to the Lord of the Universe.	2
Offerings: songs, garlands, crops, love versus lives and labours, with a request for succour, counsel and care; 'cymbal and prayer'.	1
Expression and organisation.	1

Where students lose marks in Harvest Hymn

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

Mistake: Mixing up the deities and stanzas
Four similar stanzas.
Wrong working
The women praise Varuna for the rain.
Right working
The men praise Surya and Varuna; the women praise Prithvi.
Do this: Learn the S-V-P-B order and the voices.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Taking 'gold' literally
Missing the metaphor.
Wrong working
The farmers offer gold ornaments.
Right working
'Gold' means golden ripe crops and fruit, their true wealth.
Do this: Ask what 'gold' stands for in a harvest.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Wrong meaning of 'main'
Reading it as 'most important'.
Wrong working
Lord of the main means the chief lord.
Right working
In old poetic English 'the main' means the sea.
Do this: Check archaic meanings.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Writing a long sentence as a slogan
Not keeping it concise.
Wrong working
We should always remember to thank the farmers because they grow our food with hard work.
Right working
'They Sow, We Grow: Thank a Farmer!'
Do this: Under 10 words; rhythm or rhyme.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Practice questions on Harvest Hymn

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

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level
Who wrote 'Harvest Hymn'?
(a) Toru Dutt (b) Sarojini Naidu (c) Rabindranath Tagore (d) Ruskin Bond
Hint
The Nightingale of India.
Answer
(b) Sarojini Naidu
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
Which deity do the women's voices praise?
Hint
Stanza 3.
Answer
Prithvi, the Earth.
Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
Give the meaning of: (i) munificent (ii) succour (iii) ineffable
Hint
generous, help, indescribable.
Answer
(i) generous (ii) help (iii) too great to be described
Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Write the modern equivalents: (i) thy (ii) hither (iii) betwixt (iv) yonder
Hint
Archaic words.
Answer
(i) your (ii) here (iii) between (iv) over there
Q5 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Name the farm tool: (i) short curved blade for harvesting crops (ii) pulled by oxen to turn soil (iii) long-toothed tool for collecting hay
Hint
S, P, R.
Answer
(i) sickle (ii) plough (iii) rake
Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Pick two examples of alliteration from the poem and say what they add.
Hint
Stanzas 1 and 4.
Answer
'Lord of the lotus' and 'our lives and our labours' (also 'Seed and the Scythe'). The repeated sounds create a musical, chant-like rhythm that suits a hymn sung in a group.
Q7 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Explain two compound words from the poem that describe the harvest or nature: 'new-garnered' and 'dewfall'. Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Break each word into its parts.
Answer
'New-garnered' means freshly gathered, describing crops that have just been harvested and stored. 'Dewfall' means the falling of dew, which Varuna is said to send along with rain. Both words help us picture a fresh, rich harvest season and the gifts of nature behind it.
Q8 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a fifth stanza were added, sung by children, thanking the farmers themselves. Write four lines in the poem's style (address, 'we bring thee', music).
Hint
Imitate the pattern.
Answer
Sample: Children's Voices: / Toilers of furrow, keepers of harvest, / Patient and tireless hands of the field! / We bring thee our thanks and our plates swept clean, / We praise thee, O Farmer, for all that you yield.
Q9 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Brahma is called 'ineffable Om'. Why do you think the poet chose the word 'ineffable' for the Lord of the Universe? Answer in about 50 words.
Hint
Ineffable = too great to describe.
Answer
'Ineffable' means too great to be described in words. After naming the Sun, rain and Earth with clear images, the poet reaches a power so vast, the 'Lord of the Universe' and 'Father eternal', that no picture can hold it. The word shows awe and humility before the Creator.
Q10 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Write two creative slogans for your school notice board: one on saving water, one about not wasting food.
Hint
Short, catchy, one idea.
Answer
Sample: (1) 'Save Every Drop: Let the Fields Not Stop!' (2) 'Take What You Eat, Eat What You Take!'

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.Which flower is linked with Surya in the poem?Show answer
The lotus ('lord of the lotus').
2.Which flower is linked with Prithvi?Show answer
The gourd-flower.
3.What does Varuna send?Show answer
Rain and dewfall.
4.Which instrument appears in every stanza?Show answer
The cymbal.
5.What do all voices ask for in the last stanza?Show answer
Succour (help), counsel (advice) and care.
6.How is the Lord described in stanza 4?Show answer
Lord of the Universe, Father eternal, ineffable Om.

Quick revision checklist

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

Poet: Sarojini Naidu; Poorvi Unit 4, Environment; a hymn (song of praise).
Four 8-line stanzas; even lines rhyme.
Men: Surya (lord of the lotus, morn) and Varuna (lord of the rainbow, main).
Women: Prithvi, queen of the gourd-flower, omnipotent mother.
All voices: Brahma, Lord of the Universe; 'Seed and the Scythe'.
Offerings: songs, garlands, golden crops, love, lives and labours.
Devices: alliteration, repetition, metaphor, personification, imagery, apostrophe.
Words: munificent, beneficent, succour, ineffable, omnipotent, opulent, manifold.
Archaic: thou, thee, thy, thine, art; silent letters in hymn, womb.
Writing: creative slogan thanking farmers.

Harvest Hymn: frequently asked questions

Who is the poet of 'Harvest Hymn'?

Sarojini Naidu. The poem is in Unit 4, Environment, of Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook.

Which deities are praised in the poem?

Surya (the Sun), Varuna (rain), Prithvi (the Earth) and Brahma, the Lord of the Universe.

Why is the poem divided into men's, women's and all voices?

To make it a choral hymn sung by the whole community, ending with everyone united in praise.

What does 'the Seed and the Scythe' mean?

The beginning (sowing) and end (harvest) of the farming cycle; the Lord is present in both.

What is the writing task?

A creative slogan for the school notice board expressing gratitude to farmers.

Based on: NCERT Poorvi, Textbook of English for Grade 8 (Reprint 2026-27); NCERT unit PDF: Poorvi Unit 4