NINE GOLD MEDALS
Let’s understand the poem
Read the poem silently and answer the following questions:
1. What is this poem about?
Ans: The poem is about the specially abled people and their humanity.
2. Who came from all over the country?
Ans: The athletes came from all over the country.
3. Why did they come there?
Ans: They came there to play games. They came there for to run for the gold, for the silver and bronze.
4. Who are usually awarded the three medals – gold, silver and bronze?
Ans: Athletes who come first, second and third in the games are awarded with the gold, silver and bronze respectively.
5. What was the event for which they had come?
Ans: The event was of Special Olympics in which they were participated in hundred-yard dash and run game.
6. What had they done before they came down to these games?
Ans: They had taken many weeks and months of training before they came down to these games.
7. What did the spectators do around the old field?
Ans: The spectators gathered around the old field.
8. Why did they gather around the old field?
Ans: They gathered around the old field to cheer the athletes.
9. Why did their excitement grow high?
Ans: The final event of the day was approaching so their excitement grew high.
10. What were all lined up? For whom?
Ans: The blocks were lined up for those who would use them.
11. What was the event? second line, third stanza.
Ans: The event was to run hundred-yard dash.
12. How many athletes were there?
Ans: There were nine athletes.
13. Which word in the third line, third stanza. says that the athletes had taken firm decision to win a medal?
Ans: The word ‘resolved’ in the third line, third stanza says that the athletes had taken firm decision to win a medal.
14. Where were those nine athletes?
Ans: Those nine athletes were in back of the starting line.
15. What were they poised for?
Ans: They were poised for the sound of the gun.
16. Why was the pistol exploded?
Ans: To signal the start of the game, the pistol exploded.
17. What did the runners do?
Ans: The runners charged ahead.
18. Who among the nine runners was unable to run?
Ans: The smallest/youngest among the nine runners was unable to run.
19. Why was he unable to run?
Ans: He stumbled and staggered and fell on the ground so he was unable to run.
20. Where did he fall?
Ans: He fell to the asphalt.
21. Why did he fall?
Ans: He stumbled and staggered so he fell. He lost his balance.
22. Who does “he” in the fifth stanza stand for?
Ans: “He” in the fifth stanza refers to the youngest/smallest athlete.
23. Why did the boy cry out in frustration and anguish?
Ans: The boy fell and all his efforts and dreams dashed so he cried in frustration and anguish.
24. What dashed in the dirt? What makes the poet say so?
Ans: The young boy’s all dreams were dashed in the dirt. The poet says so because the boy lost all his hopes of winning.
25. What did the other runners do?
Ans: The other runners turned around and went back to help him.
26. How do you feel about their stopping here? Should athletes do like this?
Ans: It feels so good to know that other runners stopped and helped him. This shows they are were selfless and instead of thinking of winning they gave importance to humanity and helping the boy. Atheltes should definitely learn and do the same.
27. Who does “him” stand for in the sixth stanza?
Ans: In the sixth stanza him is referred to the youngest/smallest athlete.
28. What had they done for the boy to complete the race?
Ans: To complete the race the other athletes joined hands and continued and walked the hundred-yard dash hand-in-hand.
29. Why did they go back to him?
Ans: They went back to him to help and make him stand on his feet.
30. What did they do first?
Ans: They brought the young boy to his feet. In other words, they helped him stand again.
31.. What did they do next?
Ans: They walked together taking hand in hand.
32. What happened to the hundred-yard dash?
Ans: The hundred-yard dash was reduced to a walk.
33. What did they carry with them?
Ans: They carried a banner of the event with them.
34. What did the banner say?
Ans: The banner had “Special Olympic” written on it.
35. What did the race end with?
Ans: The race ended with all the nine athletes winning the race with gold medals.
36. How did they come to the finish line?
Ans: They went to the finish line by talking hand-in-hand.
37. What do you mean by “a standing ovation”?
Ans: The nine athletes holding hands made the audience feel amazed by their gestures. Their act of humanity and unity gain them a standing ovation. Standing ovation is a form of applause where people stand from their seats after witnessing amazing performance.
38. How were their faces then? Were they all happy? Why?
Ans: Their faces were beaming then. Yes, they all were happy because they helped and their act made them won gold medals.
39. What do you learn from such type of help of the athletes?
Ans: We learn one of the most values of life- humanity. It shows that humanity, unity and love is important than personal achievements. It shows the selfless attitude of other athletes.
Let's do the activities
Match column “A” with column “B”. “A” contains the stanza numbers and “B” contains the themes. Write the stanza numbers in the last column. One is done for you.
| Stanza
Numbers |
Themes of the stanzas | |
| 1 | nine resolved athletes at the back of the starting line– ready for the event | 3 |
| 2 | athletes from all over the country – to run for the medals– attended long trainings | 1 |
| 3 | pistol exploded – signal given – running ahead- the smallest one lost control- fell down | 4 |
| 4 | spectators gathered- cheer – final event- highly excited | 2 |
| 5 | the other runners – came back – helped him stand | 6 |
| 6 | nine runners – joined hands – walked instead of running–banner–Special Olympic | 7 |
| 7 | end of the race- nine gold medals – faces- looked happy | 8 |
| 8 | cried in frustration and terrible pain – thought his dream shattered | 5 |
3. Let’s arrange the jumbled sentences to get the summary of the poem. The first and the last sentences are already in order. Write the number of the sentence in the box provided for each.
Nine athletes came from all over the country to take part in a running race. 1
The pistol was exploded to signal a start. 4
All of them were running ahead. 4
They had already received training before coming there. 1
But the youngest of them lost control and fell down.5
The blocks were all lined up for the running race and they were in backof the starting line. 3
Being frustrated, he cried in severe pain. 5
They all joined hands and walked together to the end line holding abanner. 7
The other runners, instead of running, came to him and helped him stand. 6
They were all happy to help the youngest runner and all were awarded gold medals. 10
Let’s write
Write a paragraph for each stanza of the poem. Go through the above matching activity before you begin to write. One paragraph is written to help you.
The poem “Nine Gold Medals” has eight stanzas. The first stanza isabout how athletes from all over the country came to take part in arunning race. They had to run for medals. There were three kinds ofmedals- gold, silver and bronze. They had attended long trainings beforethis event.
The second tells that there were spectators who gathered around the old field and cheered all the young athletes. They were enthusiastic because the final event of the day was coming and they were high with the excitement.
The third stanza is about the format of the game. The blocks were lined up for the athletes. The game was of running a hundred-yard dash. In this stanza we can see that the nine athletes were firm in their places and attitude and stood in back of the starting line. They were ready to start the game and waited for the sound of the gun.
The fourth stanza is about the start of the game. When the pistol exploded it was then the signal for the start of the game. The runners were all charged up for going ahead. But something unexpected took place. The smallest of the nine athletes stumbled and fell to the asphalt. He lost his balance.
The fifth stanza is about the condition of the young boy who fell. He cried and lost his hopes of winning. He was in frustration. He felt that all his dreams and efforts were going to end and get mixed with the dirt. The poet also tells us how he felt and what could next happen in the next stanza.
In the sixth stanza we witness humanity. The other eight runners went to the boy and helped him stand. They were all trained to complete the race and win but at that moment helping the boy was the priority for them. One by one all the runners turned and went back to help him and made him stand on his feet.
In the seventh stanza we once again witness the power of humanity. Here we get to know how all the nine runner come together and walk hand-in-hand and the hundred-yard dash in reduced to walk. They all walk taking the banner that said Special Olympics which indeed was special with much of humanity.
The last stanza is about the end of the race. But that end was different there all the nine athletes won the gold medals. They all reached the finish line holding hands which show power of unity and humanity. The audience witnessed a special event where they saw power of humanity and unity. They witness the superirotiy of humanity above personal winning. The spectators were moved and stood and gave continuos applause to praise their act. The athletes were happy for not only winning the gold medals but for helping the boy.