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About the Poet
James William Foley (1874-1939) was an American poet who loved to write poems depicting little nuances of life.
Foley’s first book, A Little Book of Prairie Breezes, was published in 1902. Foley is best known for his poem,
‘A Letter Home’.
Time to answer
A. Choose the correct answer.
1. What keeps on spreading when you drop a stone in water?
a splash of water droplets of water
a big wave ripples
2. ‘Dropping an unkind word’ is an analogy for .
praising someone for the good things they have done
scolding someone for dropping stones in water
saying hurtful words to someone
thanking someone in spite of their unkindness
3. In a negative sense, what is being compared to a pebble?
an unkind word a word of kindness
a word of appreciation a blessing
4. What can be the summary of the poem?
that we should be mindful of the pebbles we throw into water
that we should be mindful of the pebbles we throw at people
that we should be mindful of what we speak
that we can throw stones at people as long as they don’t get hurt
B. Answer these questions.
1. What happens when we throw a stone in water?
2. What is the consequence of saying an unkind word?
3. Why does the poet lay emphasis on using one’s words cautiously?
4. How are the last two stanzas different from the others?
5. How does a word of cheer and kindness help the person receiving it?
6. What lesson did you learn from the poem?
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