Embark on a journey of understanding and empathy with "No Men are Foreign", an insightful poem that is a part of the Class 9th English curriculum. This powerful poem, often referred to as Class 9 Poem 6 English, is a brilliant exploration of unity and brotherhood. The No Men are Foreign Class 9 summary provides a clear and comprehensive understanding of the poem's message, making it accessible for students, parents, and teachers.

In the realm of Class 9th English, No Men are Foreign stands out as a poignant reminder of our shared humanity. The summary of No Men are Foreign Class 9 delves into the themes and emotions woven into the poem, offering a detailed yet easy-to-understand analysis. This summary is particularly helpful for students looking to grasp the core message and nuances of the poem.

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Additionally, the No Men are Foreign poem is enriched with various poetic devices. Understanding these devices is crucial for a complete appreciation of the poem's literary beauty. The No Men are Foreign poetic devices section highlights these elements, helping students recognize and appreciate the poem's artistic qualities.

For a more detailed breakdown, the No Men are Foreign summary stanza wise provides a line-by-line explanation. This detailed analysis is perfect for students who wish to delve deeper into the poem's meaning and structure.

The No Men are Foreign Class 9 summary, along with the question-answer segments and explanations of poetic devices, make for an enriching educational experience. These resources help students not only in understanding the poem for academic purposes but also in appreciating its profound message about the oneness of mankind. No Men are Foreign teaches a valuable lesson in empathy and unity, making it a significant poem in the Class 9 English syllabus.

CHAPTER 6: NO MEN ARE FOREIGN

NO MEN ARE FOREIGN SUMMARY

-by James Kirkup

Stanza- 1

Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign

Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes

Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon

Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.

Explanation: The poet says that no person is stranger to us. There is nothing like a person being strange, who is not from our area or not from our native place. There is nothing like a country to be a foreign one that is not ours. There may be a difference in the way we eat, the way we talk and the way we dress ourselves but all these things still count to uniformity. We all are human beings. We may belong to different religions or castes, we may have different colours, we may speak different languages but above all these, we are only human beings. All the differences don't matter as we are brothers. We share a common land upon which we all walk, we all do our respective work, we all live and survive. At the end of our lives, we all shall lie on the same earth.

Stanza- 2

They, too, aware of sun and air and water,

Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war's long winter starv'd.

Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read,

A labour not different from our own.

Explanation: In this stanza, the poet says that they, whom we call strangers or foreigners, also use the sun, air and water as we do. They too are aware of them and there is no difference in the way we use them. Thereby, the poet asserts that there is no foreigner among us. They get the crops and their eatables from the field as we do. They like peace as we do. During the war, even they have to face hardships and they die due to starvation as we would have. So, there is nothing like foreigners because all the things go parallel. They use their powers of hands to get the things done, as we do. Like us, they also speak to communicate with one another. So, where does the strangeness lie? Where do the foreigners lie? We are similar in every respect. Therefore, the poet stresses that there is nothing as to be called strange or foreign.

Stanza- 3

Remember they have eyes like ours that wake

Or sleep, and strength that can be won

By love. In every land is common life

That all can recognise and understand.

Explanation: In this stanza, the poet says that how can someone be a stranger or a country be foreign with so much of similarity. He says that all of them, whom we call strangers, have eyes like that of ours. They too see the world like us. They too follow the course of earth everyday and sleep as well as wake-up. They too are sensitive like us. They have strength like us. They are courteous to love and sympathy, like us and even they can be won by it. Even they submit themselves to the lovely feelings. Over all, we can see that there is no difference in the way we live. Wherever we go, life has a similar mechanism, which is easily identifiable and can be understood with much ease. Summing up all these, the poet is right in saying that no men are strange and no country is foreign.

Stanza- 4

Let us remember, whenever we are told

To hate our brother, it is ourselves

That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.

Remember, we who take arms against each other

Explanation: The poet has proved the fact that there is nothing like strange or foreign. Everything has a similar frame. We all are same and nothing is there that can be used to prove dissimilarity. Still, there are some people among us, who disapprove of it, who try to break the feeling of brotherhood by provoking one against the other and destroying social as well as global harmony. These few people excite us to take the arms against our brothers, to hate them and to kill them. And, if we, in the fit of that provoking, do something wrong to our brothers, then we are harming our own spirits only. We are abusing our own serenity Peace. Our brothers, whom we should align, are subjected to the misdeeds that we do to them. We just degrade our own charm and this is a slap on the face of humanity. So, the poet says not to commit any such wrong deed and not to degrade humanity.

Stanza- 5

It is the human earth that we defile.

Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence

Of air that is everywhere our own,

Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.

Explanation: The poet further says that taking arms against our brothers not only pollutes our spirit but it also pollutes the whole earth we live upon. The hatred, jealousy inside our heart surpasses the good qualities and the innocence of the people. Whatever we do, in the state of provocation, is never justified and we make the surrounding polluted with our misdeeds. In the impression of strangeness and foreigners, we commit a grave mistake. We must not do any of the blunders under the pseudo (false)-impression of possession and self.

Conclusion of No Men are Foreign Class 9 Summary

No Men are Foreign summary wants to say that we should not indulge in war. Also, we all are the same in every way.

NCERT SOLUTIONS FOR CLASS 9 CH 6 ENGLISH

Questions (Page No. 81)

(Thinking about the Poem)

No Mean Are Foreign Question Answer

Question 1.

       i.          “Beneath all uniforms…” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?

     ii.          How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?

Answer:

       i.          The poet is speaking about the various kinds of dresses and outfits people wear.

     ii.          The poet says that the uniforms (outfits) must be different but there is a human body beneath those uniforms and all of us will lie in the same earth when we die.

Question 2. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.

Answer: The poet points out five ways in which we are all alike. Here are the words from the poem:

–      no men are strange

–      no countries foreign

–      a single body breathes

–      the land our brothers walk upon (the same planet)

–      (the same earth) in which we all shall lie

Question 3. How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.

Answer: Following are the common features which we can find in stanza 2:

–      aware of sun and air and water – which means all humans have the need and awareness of the sun, water and air)

–      fed by peaceful harvests – all humans are fed by peacefully harvested food and grains

–      Their hands are ours, – they too have hands similar to ours

–      in their lines we read a labour not different from our own – their hands also show the hard work and labor they perform

Question 4. “…whenever we are told to hate our brothers…” When do you think this happens? Why? Who ‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?

Answer: We are told to hate other humans from different country, religion or social group during wars and fights. These are told by selfish people who want wars and revenge instead of peace. They instill bad thoughts and feelings for other humans for their own benefit and cause riots. No, we should not do as told at such times. We should try to make the world more peaceful.

The poet says that we should always remember that the people we are told to fight against are also human beings like us. We are all the same. There is no foreign land and there are no ‘foreign’ men.