The NCERT Solutions for the poem that you are now looking at have been prepared based on the revised NCERT syllabus and the associated benefits of the CBSE to help students make learning more effective and perform better in examinations. Each question in the textbook is accompanied by a straight, exact, and to-the-point answer, helping students understand the poem's meaning, the literary devices used, and the moral lessons to take away.
"No Men Are Foreign" by James Kirkup is one of the poems contained in chapter 6 of the Class 9 English Beehive poetry textbook. The poem conveys that while the country of origin, race or culture may differ, we are all human; we need to be peaceful, empathetic and show respect for others no matter their culture or nationality; while we may be ethnically different, we are the same in experiencing the same feelings and share similar sufferings, therefore we are not truly foreign to one another.
Get the Class 9 English Chapter 6 NCERT Solutions in PDF format for free and reflect on this powerful poem promoting universal brotherhood:
The poem "No Men Are Foreign" illustrates that regardless of their origins, people from all around the world are alike. And while they may reside in different nationalities and speak different languages, they all feel the same joys, sorrows, and other potential fears that might come their way. The poet writes that "they" (individuals of different races) simply seek things that make them happy and fulfil their pleasures. We need to remember that the poem underlines essential themes and concepts.
Major points to note include:
Ans. (i) The poet is speaking about different cultures and civilisations of the world. All men are similar in many ways. There are differences in dresses, religions, ways of living but all have one common entity of being humans. Beneath each uniform, is the same human being everywhere. (ii) The poet suggests that all people on earth are the same. They breathe, eat, walk in the same way. They all are aware of the sun, the air and the water. They all love peace and hate war. They have similar eyes that wake or sleep. The line 'No men are foreign and no countries strange' expresses this fact. 2. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.
Ans. (a) No men are strange. (b) No countries are foreign. (c) A single body breathes beneath all uniforms. (d) The land is same everywhere. (e) The land where we all shall lie, is also the same. 3. How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.
Ans. (a) They too are aware of sun, air and water. (b) They too are fed by peaceful harvest. (c) Their hands are like ours. (d) A labour not different from our own. 4. "...whenever we are told to hate our brothers ..." When do you think this happens? Why? Who 'tells' us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?
Ans. This happens when some politicians having vested interest or the religious leaders incite the masses to serve their own interests. They provoke the innocent people to indulge in anti-social activities. The perpetrators of war, who have selfish motives to conquer others incite 'brothers' to hate each other. They tell us to prepare for wars.
No, we should not obey them. We should always remember that we all are alike. By developing hatred for others, we harm ourselves only. The poet also says that we all are brothers and sisters. We should do everything at our own discretion.
(Session 2025 - 26)