The Kite

Chapter Summary

The poem “The Kite” is written by Harry Behn and has been taken from Melody English Textbook and Honeysuckle English. The poet is just trying to persuade the readers to make kites with their friends and fly them in the blue sky. In this poem, the poet usually describes the beauty of kites. Newly-made kites look bright and beautiful when they go up in the blue sky. In the clear cloudless sky, the flying kites generally look very dipping and diving. The tails of kites generally make a sharp and cracking sound when it flies in the sky in the direction of the breeze.

The flying kites usually look like sailing ships in an ocean. The ship's sail goes up and down along with the waves’ crest just like the kites move with the winds’ directions. Kites climb up in the sky when there is a strong wind and drops down gradually when the winds stop blowing.

The thread of kites when gets loose it also becomes loose and the flier then rolls the thread back. The flier again runs the roller of string when the breeze starts blowing and this fills the kite's wings again and it climbs up the blue sky higher and higher.

The flying kites make the sky look beautiful and attractive but the kites look worn-out and ugly when it stings and are stuck on a tree top, are torn, and flap down the tree. The beauty of flying kites is enhanced when the sun shines bright with no clouds covering in the sky. At dawn, the flying kites look attractive as the sky is painted with different colours including red, orange, yellow, and blue.

List out the action words in the poem.

Dive, dip, snaps, ——————, ——————, ———————, ——————, ——————

A. falls, blows, rides, climbs, soars.

Find out the meanings of these words.

• Climbs: Here, the meaning of climb is to go upwards.

• Soars: The meaning of soars is flying aloft.

• Dip − If anyone enters into water momentarily then that action can be referred to as dip.

• Dive − When someone enters into the water generally with the headfirst intentionally then that action can be referred to as diving into the water (ncert, 2022).

• Rides − The meaning of rides is sitting on something’s back and controlling its movement in order to mount.

• Falls − Falls' meaning can be determined as to drop down from somewhere.

• Snaps − The meaning of snaps is to make a type of sound which is very sharp and crackling (ncert, 2022).

• Blows − The meaning of blows is to hit anything.

Read these lines from the poem

Then soars like a ship

With only a sail

The movement of the tailless kite is compared to a ship with a

sail. This is called a simile.

Can you suggest what or who the following actions may be compared to?

He runs like———————

A.He runs like a cheetah.

He eats like ———————

A.He eats like a bird.

She sings like ———————

A.She sings like a nightingale.

It shines like ——————

A.It shines like a diamond.

It flies like —————

A.It flies like a plane.

Try to make a kite with your friends. Collect the things required such as colour paper/newspaper, thread, glue, and a thin stick that can be bent. After making the kite sees if you can fly it.

The poem The Kite by Harry Behn depicts that kites can be usually made with colourful papers and then tied to a strong sting so that they can fly high in the sky. Kites-making after discussing it with friends, sisters and brothers can become very interesting. Making a kite with colour paper or newspaper, thread, glue, and a thin stick can make it fly very high. One can enjoy a lot after seeing many colourful kites flying in the blue sky when it is cloud-free.

FAQs

Q1. Who is the speaker of the line Then soars like a ship/ With only a sail? Name the text from where the above line has been taken.

Ans. The above line has been taken from the poem The Kite. The poet of this poem is Harry Behn.

Q2. How kites are made?

Ans. Making kites is very easy and interesting when done with friends, brothers, and sisters. This kite-making generally becomes the happiest memory of childhood that remains with an individual in his lifetime. Kites can be made with colouring papers, strings, and glues. It is very important to select waterproof plastic paper in kite making so that its do not get damaged if rain starts.

Q3. Give a proper explanation of the last 6 lines of the poem The Kite.

Ans. The above lines are the concluding lines of the poem that explain the beauty of kites. These last 6 lines of the poem depict that kites usually look bright and beautiful when they are newly made and are flying high in the sky. The beauty of the kites becomes more enhanced when the sun shines bright. The kite will look worn-out and ugly if it stings stuck on a tree and is torn and flapped from the high tree top.

Q4. How does a flying kite look in the blue sky?

Ans. Colourful kites when high in the blue sky look very beautiful soar. Kites never fly in one direction, it flies in the direction of the wind and never remains straight and always sway like tides or waves. The height of the kites is not same always and with the help of their tails, it generally flies high.

Q5. State a comparison of a kite with a ship.

Ans. The ship generally moves through the water when the wind pushes it. Kites also climb higher in the sky when the wind blows swiftly. The kite drops down when the wind stops blowing as the sting of the kites becomes loose when there is no wind blow. The kites again climb up into the blue sky when the breeze starts blowing.