NCERT Solutions for The Last Bargain(Poem) Class 8 Honeydew English
Book Solutions1
Who is the speaker in the poem?
Answer
The speaker in the poem is a poor man who is looking for
work, a daily wager.
2
"The king, sword in hand" suggests
(i) wealth
(ii) power
(iii) more power than wealth
Mark the appropriate item in the context of stanza 1.
Answer
(ii) power
3
The old man offered the speaker a lot of money. Why did
he turn down the offer?
Answer
The old man offered the speaker a lot of money. However, he
turned it down because he realized that money cannot give him what he actually
desires. He had not till then realized that what he actually desired was happiness.
When the old man was counting the gold coins, the speaker realized that once
the money was finished or the work the old man wanted to hire him for was done,
he would again be out of work. More than that, he would be bound in this bargain.
It did not satisfy him and therefore, he turned it down.
4
Find in the poem, lines that match the following. Read
both one after another.
(i) I have nothing to give you except goodwill and cheer.
(ii) Her happiness was no more than sorrow in disguise.
(iii) The king's might was not worth much.
Answer
(i) 'I hire you with nothing.'
(ii) 'Her smile paled and melted into tears'.
(iii) 'But his power counted for naught'.
5
How did the speaker feel after talking to the child on
the beach?
Answer
In the evening the man met a child who was playing with sea
shells near the sea beach. After talking to the child on the beach the speaker
felt extremely happy. Because by playing with him he did not lose anything.