• Chapter Name: Canvas of Soil
• Textbook Name: Class 9 English Kaveri
• Related Stud material: Class 9 Kaveri NCERT Solutions

Canvas of Soil (Poem) NCERT Solutions Class 9 English

Page No. 86

Reflect and Respond

I. Work in pairs. Discuss what all you see in a garden. Think of the colours you see and where you see them.

Answer

In a garden, we can see colourful flowers, green plants, tall trees, grass, butterflies, birds, and small insects. We may also see pathways, benches, fountains, and flower pots.

Different colours can be seen in different parts of the garden:

• Green – in leaves, grass, and plants
• Red – in roses and other flowers
• Yellow – in sunflowers and marigolds
• Pink – in lilies and roses
• Blue – in some flowers and the sky above the garden
• Brown – in tree trunks and soil

II. Look at the picture of a garden and a painting given below. Speak about any similarities between the garden and the painting.

Speak using the following:

• Just as a garden ________, similarly, a painting ________.
• A garden and a painting, both _______.
• ________ is common to both a garden and a painting.
• Like a garden, a painting too __________.

Answer

• Just as a garden is full of colours and beauty, similarly, a painting is filled with attractive colours and designs.
• A garden and a painting, both look beautiful and pleasing.
• Creativity and colours is common to both a garden and a painting.
• Like a garden, a painting too brings happiness and peace to people.

Page No. 87

Check Your Understanding

I. Read the poem again and complete the summary of each stanza by filling in the blanks.

1. The ________ is portrayed as a rich palette where gardeners’ __ __ __ a __ s flourish in the form of _________, awaiting spring.

2. The garden flowers ______________ into a beautiful display of different b __ __ __ __ __ ms, resembling a ______________ by Mother Nature, in the light of morning.

3. Each garden is likened to a wide ________, integrating art and ________. Through the efforts of gardeners, gardens transform into still-life ________.

Answer

1. The earth is portrayed as a rich palette where gardeners’ dreams flourish in the form of seeds, awaiting spring.

2. The garden flowers bloom into a beautiful display of different blossoms, resembling a painting by Mother Nature, in the light of morning.

3. Each garden is likened to a wide __ __ n __ __s, integrating art and life. Through the efforts of gardeners, gardens transform into still-life paintings.

II. Select the appropriate title for each stanza from those given below. There are two extra titles.

1. Nature’s Work of Art
2. Sweet-smelling Blossoms
3. Gardens as Living Canvases
4. Earth and Possibilities
5. The Painter’s Canvas

Answer

First Stanza - 4. Earth and Possibilities

Second Stanza - 1. Nature’s Work of Art

Third Stanza - 3. Gardens as Living Canvases

III. Match the poetic devices in Column 1 to the examples in Column 2. Discuss your responses in pairs. Then share the responses with your classmates and teacher.

Answer

Page No. 89

Critical Reflection

I. Read the given extracts from the poem and answer the questions that follow.

1. Brushstrokes of seeds, planted true,
Awaiting spring’s vibrant hue.

(i) The poet has used a metaphor in ‘Brushstrokes of seeds’. Which option from those given below uses a metaphor?

A. Her mother’s heart heard her heartfelt request with kindness.
B. She has a heart of gold.
C. Her heart did a dance of joy on seeing the new doll.
D. She has a very kind heart.

Answer

B. She has a heart of gold.

(ii) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase ‘planted true’ is significant because it implies __________.

Answer

The phrase ‘planted true’ is significant because it implies that the seeds are planted carefully, honestly, and with hope for healthy growth.

(iii) Why has the poet used the word ‘hue’ instead of ‘colours’ in the extract?

Answer

The poet has used the word ‘hue’ instead of ‘colours’ because ‘hue’ sounds more poetic and artistic. It highlights the beauty, richness, and variety of colours that appear during spring.

(iv) Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from the extract.
Summer: hot :: Spring : _________

Answer

vibrant

(v) Read the Assertion (A) and the Reason (R) and select the option that is correctly suited.

(A): Gardeners wait for Spring.
(R): Gardens are worth painting in Spring.

A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false but (R) is true.

Answer

A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

2. Each plot, a canvas wide,
Where art and life coincide.

(i) What does ‘Each plot’ refer to in this extract?

Answer

‘Each plot’ refers to every piece or area of land in a garden where plants and flowers are grown.

(ii) Select which option imitates the rhyme scheme of the extract.

A. beautiful and clear laughter and cheer
B. beautiful and clear laughter and tears

Answer

A. beautiful and clear laughter and cheer

(iii) Select the line from the extract that conveys that gardening blends aesthetic beauty with natural growth.

Answer

“Where art and life coincide.”

(iv) Complete the following sentence appropriately.
The plot is likened to a canvas suggesting that ___________.

Answer

The plot is likened to a canvas suggesting that gardening is a form of artistic creation where nature becomes a beautiful painting.

(v) Why has the poet most likely used the word ‘wide’ instead of ‘long’ in ‘canvas wide’?

Answer

The poet has used the word ‘wide’ to suggest openness, vastness, and endless creative possibilities in the garden. It creates a broader and more artistic image in the reader’s mind.

II. Give reasons for the comparisons made by the poet in the poem.

1. A painter is compared to a gardener because __________.

Answer

A painter is compared to a gardener because both create beauty using creativity, patience, and imagination.

2. A palette is like earth as __________.

Answer

A palette is like earth as both hold and display colours that create beautiful artistic expressions.

3. The brushstrokes are like seeds because __________.

Answer

The brushstrokes are like seeds because both help in creating beauty and life through careful placement and effort.

4. A canvas is similar to a garden plot as __________.

Answer

A canvas is similar to a garden plot as both serve as spaces where creativity and beauty are expressed.

III. Answer the following questions.

1. How does the metaphor ‘Brushstrokes of seeds’, enhance the understanding of gardening as an art form?

Answer

The metaphor ‘Brushstrokes of seeds’ compares the act of planting seeds to a painter making brushstrokes on a canvas. This comparison helps readers understand that gardening is not merely physical work but also a creative and artistic activity. Just as a painter carefully chooses colours and strokes to create a beautiful painting, a gardener carefully plants seeds to create a colourful and lively garden. The metaphor beautifully connects art with nature.

2. What can you infer about the poet’s perspective on the relationship between nature and creativity from the following lines?
‘Each plot, a canvas wide,/Where art and life coincide.’

Answer

From these lines, it can be inferred that the poet believes nature and creativity are deeply connected. The poet sees gardens as artistic spaces where life and beauty come together. Gardening is presented as an act of creativity similar to painting. The poet appreciates how humans and nature work together to create something meaningful and beautiful.

3. Do you think the imagery in the poem successfully paints a vivid picture in the reader’s mind? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Answer

Yes, the imagery in the poem successfully paints a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. The poet uses colourful words and artistic comparisons such as “palette of earth,” “brushstrokes of seeds,” and “blossoms bloom” to create clear and attractive images. The mention of different colours and shades helps readers imagine a lively and beautiful garden. The poem makes nature appear like a colourful painting full of life and creativity.

4. Support the view that the poet’s mention of the colour yellow, besides red, blue and green, would have lent effectively to the imagery.

Answer

The mention of yellow along with red, blue, and green would have made the imagery even richer and brighter. Yellow is often associated with sunlight, warmth, happiness, and blooming flowers like sunflowers and marigolds. Including yellow would have added more brightness and energy to the garden’s description. It would have made the picture of the garden more colourful and realistic in the reader’s imagination.

5. Considering the line ‘Gardens become paintings still’, what can you interpret about the poet’s view on the timelessness of nature’s beauty?

Answer

The line ‘Gardens become paintings still’ suggests that the poet believes nature’s beauty is timeless and everlasting. Even though seasons change, the beauty of gardens remains memorable and artistic like a painting. The poet feels that gardens capture moments of beauty that can continue to inspire people forever.

6. Justify the title of the poem, ‘Canvas of Soil’.

Answer

The title ‘Canvas of Soil’ is appropriate because the poem compares a garden to a painting. The soil is described as a canvas on which gardeners create beauty using seeds, flowers, and plants, just as painters create art using colours and brushes. The title reflects the poet’s idea that gardening is a creative and artistic activity. It also highlights the close relationship between nature, imagination, and artistic expression.

Page No. 91

Vocabulary in Context

I. The poet refers to the shades of green, red, and blue in the poem. Let us read some of the names of different shades of these colours.

Now, discuss in pairs, any two things that you can associate with these colours.

Answer

• Navy Blue – deep ocean, school uniform
• Apple Green – fresh leaves, raw mango
• Scarlet – rose flower, festive decoration
• Olive – olives, army uniform

II. You have studied painting-related words like palette, brushstrokes, shades, hue, colours, and canvas. Now, read the following paragraph and discuss in pairs what the underlined painting-related words might mean. Discuss this way:

I think ________ means ________ because the passage talks about _________.

Example: I think portrait means a picture of someone’s face because the passage talks about capturing a friend’s features.

In the art studio, young painters eagerly approached their easels, each framing a canvas that they had to work on. The teacher encouraged them to experiment with a diverse tonal range, playing with shades and hues to bring their paintings to life. One student focused on a detailed portrait, capturing his friend’s features, first with careful underpainting and then filling the final colours. Another student worked on a mural, depicting a Spring Day on the right wall of the classroom. The room continued to buzz with artistic energy.

Answer

1. Easels - I think easels means stands used to hold a canvas because the passage talks about painters working on their paintings.

2. Tonal range - I think tonal range means different shades and variations of colours because the passage talks about experimenting with shades and hues.

3. Portrait - I think portrait means a painting or picture of a person because the passage talks about capturing a friend’s features.

4. Underpainting - I think underpainting means the first basic layer of painting because the passage talks about filling the final colours later.

5. Mural - I think mural means a large painting made on a wall because the passage talks about a painting on the classroom wall.

Page No. 93

Listen and Respond

I. You will listen to a young girl describe her school garden. As you listen identify which of the following 1–3, she does not talk about. (Transcript for teacher on page 264)

Answer

The young girl does not talk about the fountain (Picture 2).

II. You will once again listen to the young girl. As you listen, circle the correct answer from the options given below.

Answer

Page No. 94

Speaking Activity

I. People wish to have a garden at home. Some like a flower garden and some a vegetable garden. Think and note some advantages of both these types, as gardens for homes.

Answer

Advantages of a Flower Garden

• It makes the surroundings beautiful and colourful.
• It spreads fragrance and creates a pleasant atmosphere.
• Flowers attract butterflies and birds.
• It helps people feel relaxed and happy.

Advantages of a Vegetable Garden

• It provides fresh and healthy vegetables.
• It saves money spent on buying vegetables.
• It encourages healthy eating habits.
• It teaches people the importance of farming and hard work.

II. Would you like to have a flower garden or a vegetable garden at home? Why?

Take turns with your partner and speak your points aloud, one by one, by using the given sentence prompts to express your preference, with reasons.

• I prefer _______ to ______ because ...
• For me , it is a ______ instead of a ______ due to ...
• If I had a choice I’d rather have a ______than a ______ as ...
• I would prefer ______ rather than ______ since ...

Answer

I would prefer a flower garden rather than a vegetable garden since flowers make the surroundings beautiful and refreshing. A flower garden fills the air with pleasant fragrance and attracts colourful butterflies and birds. It also creates a peaceful atmosphere and helps reduce stress.

Page No. 94

Writing Task

I. Write a descriptive piece of two to three paragraphs describing the details and colours in the garden you have visited.

• Focus on how different shades of blue, red, and green interact, create contrast, and bring the garden to life.
• Pay attention to details like the texture of petals, the varying greens of leaves, and the way light affects the colours.

Answer

I recently visited a beautiful garden filled with colourful flowers and lush green plants. The garden looked like a living painting. Different shades of red roses, pink lilies, yellow marigolds, and blue morning glories added brightness and beauty to the surroundings. The soft green grass covered the ground like a smooth carpet, while the tall trees provided cool shade. Butterflies moved from flower to flower, making the garden look even more lively.

The sunlight falling on the flowers made the colours appear brighter and more attractive. The petals of the flowers looked soft and delicate, while the leaves shone with different shades of green. Some leaves were dark green and glossy, while others were light green and fresh. A small fountain in the centre reflected the blue sky and added calmness to the atmosphere.

The garden was peaceful and refreshing. The sweet fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds created a joyful environment. The visit made me feel relaxed and close to nature. It was truly a memorable experience.