Class 9 English, Kaveri Textbook, Canvas of Soil, NCERT Solutions, Question Answers, English Study Material, Class 9 Notes, Extract Based Questions, Poetic Devices, Writing Skills, Exam Preparation, NCERT Class 9
Class 9 – Kaveri CANVAS OF SOIL
Class 9 – Kaveri
1. Reflect and Respond (NCERT Page 86)
I. What do you see in a garden? Think of the colours you see and where you see them.
Answer: In a garden, we see flowers, plants, trees, grass, soil, butterflies, bees and birds. We notice green in the leaves and grass; red, yellow, pink and white in flowers; and brown in the soil and tree trunks. Bright colours appear in blooming flowers, while soft shades of green are seen in the plants.
II. Speak about the similarities between a garden and a painting.
Answer: A garden, like a painting, is full of colours and beauty. Both show nature in a pleasant and attractive way. Harmony is common to both a garden and a painting. Like a garden, a painting too gives joy and peace to the viewer.
2. Check Your Understanding (NCERT Pages 87–89)
I. Complete the summary of each stanza.
1. The ______ is portrayed as a rich palette where gardeners’ ______ flourish in the form of ______ awaiting spring.
Answer: Earth; dreams; seeds.
2. The garden flowers ______ into a beautiful display of different ______, resembling a ______ by Mother Nature, in the light of morning.
Answer: Turn; blossoms; painting.
3. Each garden is likened to a wide ______, integrating art and ______. Through the efforts of gardeners, gardens transform into still-life ______.
Answer: Canvas; life; paintings.
II. Select the appropriate title for each stanza.
Answer: Stanza 1 – Earth and Possibilities (Title 4).
Answer: Stanza 2 – Nature’s Work of Art (Title 1).
Answer: Stanza 3 – Gardens as Living Canvases (Title 3).
III. Match the poetic devices in Column 1 with Column 2.
Column 1 Correct match
1. Imagery (iv) colours, brushstrokes, blossoms, shades of green
2. Metaphor (vi) garden as a painting, plot as canvas, seeds as brushstrokes
3. Rhyme scheme (ii) AABB
4. Tone (i) appreciative
5. Mood (vii) joyful
6. Speaker (v) a gardener
7. Alliteration (iii) ‘Blossoms bloom’
3. Extract-Based Questions
Extract 1
“Brushstrokes of seeds, planted true,
Awaiting spring’s vibrant hue.”
I. Which option uses a metaphor?
Answer: B. She has a heart of gold.
II. Complete: The phrase ‘planted true’ is significant because it implies ______.
Answer: Sincerity, care and honesty in the act of sowing seeds, reflecting dedication and hope for growth.
III. Why has the poet used ‘hue’ instead of ‘colours’?
Answer: The word ‘hue’ suggests softness, freshness and artistic beauty. It suits the imagery of a painting and the renewal of spring.
IV. Complete the analogy: Summer: hot :: Spring: ______.
Answer: Vibrant.
V. Assertion (A): Gardeners wait for spring. Reason (R): Gardens are worth painting in spring. Choose the correct option.
Answer: B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
Extract 2
“Each plot, a canvas-wide,
Where art and life coincide.”
I. What does ‘Each plot’ refer to?
Answer: It refers to every piece of land in a garden where plants are grown.
II. Choose the option that imitates the rhyme scheme of the extract.
Answer: A. Beautiful and clear / Laughter and cheer.
III. Select the line that conveys that gardening blends aesthetic beauty with natural growth.
Answer: “Where art and life coincide.”
IV. Complete:
The plot is likened to a canvas, suggesting that ______.
Answer: A garden is a space where creativity and nature come together like an artwork.
V. Why has the poet used ‘wide’ instead of ‘long’ in ‘canvas wide’?
Answer: ‘Wide’ suggests openness, freedom and vast creative possibilities, like those offered by a painter’s canvas.
4. Give Reasons for the Comparisons Made in the Poem
1. A painter is compared to a gardener because ______.
Answer: Both create beauty through patience, skill and careful effort.
2. A palette is like earth as ______.
Answer: The soil holds endless possibilities of colour and life, just as a palette holds colours for a painting.
3. The brushstrokes are like seeds because ______.
Answer: Seeds, like brushstrokes, are starting points from which beauty gradually emerges.
4. A canvas is similar to a garden plot as ______.
Answer: Both serve as a base where creativity and growth take shape.
5. Answer the Following Questions
Q1. How does the metaphor ‘Brushstrokes of seeds’ enhance the understanding of gardening as an art form?
Answer: The metaphor compares sowing seeds to making brushstrokes in a painting. It presents gardening as an art that requires creativity, vision, patience and care.
Q2. What can you infer about the poet’s perspective on the relationship between nature and creativity from the lines ‘Each plot, a canvas wide, / Where art and life coincide’?
Answer: The poet believes that nature and creativity are closely connected. Human effort and natural growth come together harmoniously, turning gardens into living works of art.
Q3. Does the imagery in the poem successfully paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind? Give a reason.
Answer: Yes. The poet uses visual and artistic words such as colours, brushstrokes, canvas and blossoms. These words help readers imagine a garden as a beautiful painting.
Q4. How would mentioning yellow, besides red, blue and green, add to the imagery?
Answer: Yellow would add brightness and warmth to the imagery. It may suggest sunlight, cheerful flowers and the joy of nature.
Q5. What does the line ‘Gardens become paintings still’ suggest about the timelessness of nature’s beauty?
Answer: It suggests that a garden remains beautiful like a painting even after the gardener has finished the work. Nature’s beauty can be admired and preserved in memory.
Q6. Justify the title ‘Canvas of Soil’.
Answer: The title is suitable because the poem presents the soil as a canvas on which gardeners create living works of art with seeds, care and imagination.
I. Write some advantages of having a flower garden and a vegetable garden at home.
Answer: A flower garden adds colour, fragrance and beauty to the surroundings. It creates a pleasant atmosphere, attracts birds and butterflies and can help reduce stress. A vegetable garden provides fresh vegetables, encourages healthy eating, saves money and teaches patience and responsibility.
II. Would you prefer a flower garden or a vegetable garden at home? Why?
Answer: I would prefer a vegetable garden because it is useful as well as healthy. It provides fresh vegetables for my family, encourages us to eat nutritious food and helps us understand how plants grow. It also teaches patience, care and responsibility.
7. Writing Task (NCERT Page 94)
Write two to three paragraphs describing the details and colours in a garden you have visited.
Answer: The garden I visited was filled with a calm yet lively blend of colours. Different shades of green formed the background, from the pale green of new leaves to the deep green of mature plants. Bright red flowers stood out against the green leaves, adding warmth and energy. Soft blue blossoms appeared here and there, creating a soothing contrast with the brighter colours.
A closer look revealed beautiful details in texture and form. The flower petals felt smooth and delicate, while some had a slightly velvety surface. The leaves varied in shape and shade: some were long and glossy, while others were broad and matte. Sunlight filtered gently through the trees, making some colours appear brighter and others softer. The play of light and shade made the garden look lively, peaceful and beautiful.
