1. Read the given extract and answer the following questions.
The wind blows out weak fires.
He makes strong fires roar and flourish.
His friendship is good.
We praise him every day.
a. How does the wind affect the weaklings?
b. What is the effect of the wind on strong fire?
c. Trace a word from the extract that means “prosper”?
Answers
The wind blows out weak fires
He makes strong fires roar and flourishes
His friendship is good
We praise him every day
a)The poet, Subramanya Bharathiar, personifies weak-hearted timid persons who do not have the strength to face and overcome the challenges of life to weak fires. Like how the wind will pull down a weak fire, the poet says that if we are not strong in our life, we will also be pulled down by the various challenges of life.
b) People who are mentally strong enough to withstand any pressure in life and ready to face any challenge will have the inner strength to overcome or fight with the issue and come out successfully. Like how a heavy fire can spread and rage even more due to the movement of wind; if we are strong, challenges will make us even stronger and resilient to face any situation in the world to successfully flourish in it.
c) The word from the 'extract' that means ‘prosper’ is ‘flourish’. As the poet personifies a strong wind to that of the mind of mentally strong people, he says like how strong wind will increase a strong fire, strong people will also become stronger and flourish or prosper in their life.
Answers:
a) The poet personifies the weak- hearted persons to the weak fire. So, when the fire is weak, it is easy for the wind to put it out. The weak-hearted persons who are weak mentally can be easily destroyed by the challenges in life. Thus, the wind can destroy the weaklings.
b) If the fire is strong, the wind cannot affect it hard. If the person is strong at heart, he or she cannot be disturbed easily by the outside challenges in the world. So, the strong fire represents a strong-hearted person, who cannot be diminished by the wind, instead the same wind can make it stronger.
c) The equivalent word for “prosper” is “flourish”. The wind flourishes the strong fire. It makes the fire roaring and makes it stronger.