Chapter 8 Paper Boats Class 7 English Poorvi Important Questions
Chapter 8 Paper Boats Questions Answers Class 7 English
Very Short Question Answer
Question 1. Who wrote the poem about paper boats?
Answer
Rabindranath Tagore.
Question 2. What does the child do with paper boats every day?
Answer
Floats them down a stream one by one.
Question 3. What does the child write on the paper boats?
Answer
Their name and village in big black letters.
Question 4. Why does the child write their name on the boats?
Answer
To let someone in a strange land know who they are.
Question 5. What does the child put in the paper boats?
Answer
Shiuli flowers from their garden.
Question 6. What does the child hope happens to the shiuli flowers?
Answer
They reach another land safely by night.
Question 7. What does the child see in the sky while launching boats?
Answer
Clouds with white bulging sails.
Question 8. Who does the child imagine sends the clouds?
Answer
A playmate in the sky.
Question 9. What does the child compare the clouds to?
Answer
Boats racing with their paper boats.
Question 10. What does the child do when night comes?
Answer
Buries their face in their arms and dreams.
Question 11. What does the child dream about their boats?
Answer
They float under the midnight stars.
Question 12. Who sails in the boats in the child’s dream?
Answer
Fairies of sleep.
Question 13. What do the fairies carry in the boats?
Answer
Baskets full of dreams.
Question 14. What is one moral of the poem?
Answer
Small actions can carry big dreams and hopes.
Question 15. What does the poem encourage us to stay?
Answer
Curious and joyful in simple things.
Question 16. What is the name of the flower the child puts in the boats?
Answer
Shiuli
Question 17. What does the child hope someone will learn from the boats?
Answer
Their name and village
Question 18. Who does the child imagine sends the clouds to race with the boats?
Answer
A playmate in the sky.
Question 19. What is the meaning of the word “launch” in the poem?
Answer
To set in motion.
Question 20. What is one moral of the poem?
Answer
Small actions carry big dreams.
Short Answer Questions
Question 1. What does the child do with their paper boats every day?
Answer
Every day, the child floats paper boats one by one down a running stream. This simple, joyful routine is a cherished part of their daily life, like a special ritual. The act of sending boats down the stream shows the child’s love for play and their excitement about where the boats might travel, sparking their sense of adventure.
Question 2. Why does the child write their name and village on the boats?
Answer
The child writes their name and village in big black letters on the boats, hoping someone in a faraway “strange land” will find them and know who they are. This act is like sending a message, showing their curiosity about the world and desire to connect with others, making the boats a personal way to reach out.
Question 3. What does the child put in the paper boats?
Answer
The child places shiuli flowers from the garden into the paper boats. These tiny, sweet-smelling flowers that bloom early in the morning are special, representing beauty and innocence. The child wishes that the stream will take the flowers safely to a distant place by night, spreading happiness to someone far away.
Question 4. How does the child imagine the clouds in the sky?
Answer
The child imagines the clouds in the sky as little boats with “white bulging sails,” racing with their paper boats. They think an unseen “playmate” in the sky sends these clouds to join in a playful game, making the activity feel like a magical adventure connecting their boats with nature’s beauty.
Question 5. What does the child dream about at night?
Answer
At night, the child dreams that their paper boats float on under the midnight stars, sailed by “fairies of sleep” carrying baskets full of dreams. This magical vision blends their real boats with a fantasy world, suggesting their hopes and imagination continue to travel, bringing wonder even in their sleep.
Long Answer Questions
Question 1. Discuss how the poem uses simple actions to create a sense of wonder and connection.
Answer
The poem uses the child’s simple action of floating paper boats to create a sense of wonder and connection by infusing it with imagination and hope. Writing their name and village on the boats turns a playful act into a message to the world, sparking wonder about who might find them. Adding shiuli flowers connects the child’s small world to nature’s beauty, inviting distant strangers to share in it. Imagining clouds as racing playmates and fairies sailing the boats under stars transforms the act into a magical adventure, linking the child to the sky and a dreamlike realm. These straightforward actions evoke a profound sense of curiosity, joy, and connection, showing how small deeds can bridge the child’s heart to faraway places and people.
Question 2. Explain the significance of the fairies and dreams in the final stanza.
Answer
In the final stanza, the fairies of sleep sailing in the paper boats with baskets full of dreams are significant because they elevate the child’s simple act into a magical, eternal journey. The fairies symbolise the gentle, imaginative spirit of childhood, carrying the child’s hopes through a dreamy, starlit night. The “baskets full of dreams” suggest that the boats now hold limitless possibilities, spreading wonder beyond the physical world. This imagery creates a peaceful, hopeful conclusion, showing that the child’s small creations continue to inspire and connect with others in a fantastical realm, even as they sleep.
Question 3. How does the child’s act of floating paper boats reflect their sense of adventure and hope?
Answer
The child’s habit of floating paper boats down the stream shows their adventurous spirit and hopeful heart. What seems like a simple game becomes a magical journey for the child. Each day, they carefully send off the boats, excited to imagine where the stream might take them. Writing their name and village on the boats shows their wish for someone in a faraway land to find them and feel a connection. By placing shiuli flowers inside, the child adds beauty and care, hoping these will reach someone and bring joy. The stream becomes a symbol of endless possibilities, carrying the child’s dreams into the unknown. Even at night, the child imagines the boats sailing under the stars, guided by fairies, showing how strong their hope and imagination are. This act shows that even small actions, like floating a paper boat, can hold big dreams, a deep sense of wonder, and a wish to connect with the wider world.
Question 4. How does the child’s imagination connect their paper boats to the clouds in the sky?
Answer
The child’s imagination links their paper boats to the clouds by turning a simple game into a magical adventure between the earth and the sky. As they float the boats down the stream, they look up and see small white clouds with bulging shapes, which they imagine are boats sailing through the air. These clouds become like friendly companions, sent by a hidden playmate in the sky to join their boats in a cheerful race. This playful idea makes the clouds feel like part of the child’s game, connecting the stream below with the sky above. By imagining the clouds as boats with sails, the child adds a dreamy, fun feeling to the scene. This shows how their imagination helps them find beauty and excitement in everyday moments. It also fits with the poem’s message that even small actions, like floating paper boats, can feel magical when seen through the eyes of wonder and creativity.
Question 5. What role do the child’s dreams play in the poem’s message about hope and connection?
Answer
The child’s dreams in the final stanza highlight the poem’s message of hope and connection by showing how their simple paper boats take on a magical life of their own. As night comes, the child falls asleep and dreams that the boats keep floating under the stars, now sailed by “fairies of sleep” who carry baskets full of dreams. This dream turns the boats into messengers of imagination, spreading joy and wonder far beyond the stream. The fairies and their dream-baskets show that the child’s hopes continue even in sleep, suggesting that their small act of floating boats can reach others in special, unseen ways. This mix of reality and fantasy shows the child’s deep belief that their boats matter, even if they don’t see where they go. It supports the poem’s message that imagination and small actions can have a big, lasting impact, encouraging readers to value their dreams and the power of simple, hopeful gestures.
Question 6. Why is the child’s use of shiuli flowers in the paper boats significant in the poem?
Answer
The child’s use of shiuli flowers in the paper boats is meaningful because it turns a simple game into a thoughtful and caring gesture. These flowers, small and sweet-smelling, bloom early in the morning and stand for beauty, freshness, and purity. By placing them gently in the boats, the child shows love and hope that someone far away might receive them. The flowers make the boats feel special, like little gifts from nature. This small act shows the child’s wish to share something beautiful and connect with others, even if they’ve never met. In the gentle, dreamy mood of the poem, the shiuli flowers add a feeling of kindness and wonder, reminding us that even simple actions can carry big hopes and dreams.
Question 7. What lessons about childhood imagination can we learn from the child’s actions in the poem?
Answer
The child’s actions in the poem show how powerful childhood imagination can be in finding happiness, building connections, and spreading hope through simple things. By sending paper boats down a stream each day, the child turns a small activity into an exciting adventure, writing their name and village in hopes that someone far away might see it. Adding shiuli flowers to the boats shows their wish to share something beautiful. When the child sees clouds in the sky as boats with “white bulging sails,” they imagine a fun race with a hidden friend above, blending nature with play. At night, the child dreams that fairies are sailing the boats under the stars, carrying dreams to far-off places. These small, thoughtful actions show the wonder and curiosity of childhood, where even tiny boats carry big hopes. The poem reminds us to keep that childlike spirit alive — finding joy in simple moments, using our imagination, and believing that our small efforts can bring people together and make a difference.
Question 8. Describe the role of nature in the poem and how it connects to the child’s imagination.
Answer
Nature plays a central role in the poem, acting as both a setting and a partner in the child’s imagination. The “running stream” carries the paper boats, symbolising a pathway for the child’s hopes to travel. The shiuli flowers from the garden add natural beauty to the boats, connecting the child’s actions to the earth’s cycles of dawn and growth. The clouds, seen as “white bulging sails,” become playful companions racing with the boats, blending the sky with the child’s game. These natural elements—the stream, flowers, and clouds—fuel the child’s imaginative world, transforming a simple activity into a magical adventure that links their dreams to the broader universe.
Question 9. What is the moral of the poem, and how does the child’s actions illustrate it?
Answer
The moral of the poem is that small actions can carry big dreams and inspire connections with others. The child’s actions illustrate this through their daily ritual of floating paper boats, each marked with their name and village, symbolising a hope to be known by someone far away. Loading the boats with shiuli flowers shows their desire to share beauty, a small but heartfelt gesture. Their imaginative vision of clouds racing and fairies sailing the boats under stars reflects how their simple play carries grand dreams of adventure and connection, demonstrating that even modest efforts can have far-reaching, meaningful impact.
Question 10. How does the child’s act of floating paper boats reflect their hopes and dreams?
Answer
The child’s act of floating paper boats reflects their hopes and dreams by serving as a small but meaningful way to reach out to the world. By writing their name and village on the boats, the child dreams of connecting with someone in a “strange land” who will learn about them, showing a longing for recognition and friendship. Loading the boats with shiuli flowers expresses their hope to share beauty and joy with others. The child’s dream of the boats sailing under midnight stars with fairies carrying dreams further reveals their imaginative vision of their creations travelling far, embodying their curiosity and desire to touch distant lives through simple acts.