NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Poorvi Chapter 5 A Funny Man

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Poorvi Chapter 5  A Funny Man

Let us discuss (Pages 61-62)

I. Work in pairs. Identify the true statements. Check your answers with the teacher.

1. The poet says that she had never heard such an amusing song.
Answer:
True (Stanza 5: “You never heard in all your life such a funny feeling sound”)

2. The funny man was quite ill- mannered.
Answer:
False (Stanza 2: “His manners were polite”)

3. The funny man wore two hats on his feet.
Answer:
True (Stanza 6: “why do you wear two hats upon your feet?”)

4. The funny man hopped on his head to reach home.
Answer:
True (Stanza 6: “hopped home on his head”)

5. The funny man gave a rose to the poet.
Answer:
False (Stanza 3: “He offered a currant bun, not a rose”)

6. The funny man smiled at the poet.
Answer:
True (Stanza 2: “He raised the shoe and smiled at me”)

II. Identify the words from the poem based on the meanings given. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher,
1. a small seedless raisin – C_R _ _ _T
2. moved unsteadily – S _ _ GG _ _ _ D
Answer:
1. currant
2. staggered

III. Complete the following sentences with a reason.
1. The tone of the poem is ___________ because ___________.
2. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ___________; and it gives a ___________ quality to the poem.
3. The poet has frequently repeated the word ‘funny’ in order to ___________
Answer:
1. The tone of the poem is light-hearted/ humorous because the man’s absurd actions create comedy.
2. The rhyme scheme of the poem is AABB; and it gives a musical /playful quality to the poem.
3. The poet has frequently repeated the word ‘funny’ in order to emphasise the man’s ridiculous, silly behaviour.

IV. Choose the correct answer from the options given in the brackets.
1. The poem uses vivid imagery to create a _______________________ (humorous and nonsensical/ confusing but thought-provoking) scene.
2. The structure of the poem is in ___________ (monologue/ dialogue) form.
3. The phrases ‘sounding sight’ and ‘hopped home’ are examples of ___________. (alliteration/simile)
Answer:
1. The poem uses vivid imagery to create a humorous and nonsensical (humorous and nonsensical/confusing but thought-provoking) scene.
2. The structure of the poem is in dialogue (monologue/dialogue) form.
3, The phrases ‘sounding sight’ and “hopped home’ are examples of alliteration- (alliteration/simile)

V. Rewrite the following line from the poem in the correct order.

Question 1.
But never had I seen before Such a funny sounding sight.
Answer:
But never before had I seen such a funny sounding sight.

Question 2.
Why has the poet used phrases like ‘funny sounding sight’ and ‘funny feeling sound’ with reference to the funny man?
Answer:
The poet uses these phrases to highlight the man’s absurdity. “Funny sounding sight” suggests his appearance is so strange it seems to produce sound, while “funny feeling sound” implies his song evokes physical amusement, blending senses for comic effect.

VI. Can you think of any real-world situations where people do similar things for fun, entertainment, or performance? Share with your classmates and the teacher.
Answer:
Several real-world examples mirror the funny man’s behaviour:
1. Circus clowns, who wear exaggerated costumes and do silly performances.
2. Street performers who juggle unusual objects or do balancing acts.
3. Comedians who use absurd props and illogical actions in their routines
4. Children’s entertainers who wear clothes backwards or shoes on hands for laughs.
5. Performance artists who create surreal, nonsensical acts to surprise audiences.
6. Minie artists who pretend invisible objects are real in humorous ways.
All these examples involve playful rule-breaking and unexpected behaviour designed to create laughter and amusement, just like the funny man in the poem.

Let us think and reflect (Pages 62-63)

I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
He said, “Allow me to present
Your Highness with a rose. ”
And taking out a currant bun
He held it to my nose.
I staggered back against the wall
And then I answered, “Well!”
(i) Why does the funny man address the poet as ‘Your Highness’?
Answer:
He addresses her as “Your Highness’ to mock formal politeness in a humorous way.

(ii) Choose a phrase from the extract which indicates a polite request.
Answer:
“Allow me to present” indicates a polite request.

(iii) Choose the option which shows a ‘currant bun’.

Answer:
Image 2 is of Currant Bun, (image 1 is of Bread, image 3 is of Donut and image 4 is of Loaf.)

(iv) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
When the poet says, ‘Well!’, it expresses surprise. This was so because _________________.
Answer:
the man offered a Currant Bun instead of a rose, which was unexpected

Question 2.
You never heard in all your life Such a funny feeling sound.
“My friend, why do you wear two hats Upon your feet?” I said.
He turned the other way about,
And hopped home on his head.
(i) Choose the line from the extract which tells us that the sound was unique.
Answer:
“You never heard in all your life such a funny feeling sound.”

(ii) Complete the sentence with .an appropriate reason.
The poet calls the funny man ‘my friend’ because ___________.
Answer:
The poet calls him ‘my friend’ because she finds him amusing and non-threatening.

(iii) What does the reaction of the funny man to the poet’s question tell us about him?
Answer:
His reaction shows he enjoys being absurd and doesn’t take things seriously.

(iv) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.
The last line of the extract makes the readers feel ___________.
A. dreamy
B. impatient
C. worried
D. cheerful
Answer:
D. cheerful

II. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Which character trait of the funny man was most appealing to you? Why?
Answer:
His playfulness is appealing because it creates joy without logic.

Question 2.
The funny man does unusual things in the poem. How does it affect the overall mood of the poem?
Answer:
The funny man does unusual things in the poem. His behaviour creates a light-hearted, humorous mood throughout the poem.

Question 3.
What alternative title would you suggest for the poem? Give reason(s) for your choice.
Answer:
I would like to title it as “The Topsy¬Turvy Man” – as it captures his upside-down actions.

Question 4.
Why do you think the poet has included dialogues in the poem?
Answer:
The poet has included dialogues in the poem as dialogues make the scene lively and help readers experience the interaction directly.

Question 5.
What does the poet wish to convey by highlighting the unusual behaviour of the funny man?
Answer:
The poet highlights the funny man’s absurd behaviour to show how breaking conventions can create joy and wonder. Through his illogical antics, the poem celebrates imagination and the freedom to be playfully unconventional.

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