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Class 8 English - (L3) The Arrow and the Song


Welcome to PoraGhar Axom! Here you will find the most accurate and complete Assam Jatiya Bidyalay (AJB) Class 8 English - The Arrow and the Song Question Answers and Notes. We have provided the Assamese translation, word meanings, and textbook solutions to help you score 90%+ in your exams.

"The Arrow and the Song" (Poem) Summary /(āĻŽূāϞ āĻ­াā§ą)

The Arrow and the Song is a beautiful and meaningful poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In this poem, the poet shares a profound message about the impact of our words and actions on others. The poet compares an arrow shot into the air to harsh words spoken in anger, and a song breathed into the air to kind and pleasant words.

When he shoots the arrow and breathes the song, he loses sight of both because they travel too fast. However, years later, he finds the arrow stuck in an oak tree unbroken, representing how harsh words leave a lasting, hidden scar. On the other hand, he finds the song completely intact in the heart of a friend, showing that kind words and good deeds always find a beautiful resting place and are cherished forever.

Line-by-Line Translation (āĻĒাāĻ ā§° āĻ…āύুāĻŦাāĻĻ)

I shot an arrow into the air,

āĻŽāχ āĻŦāϤাāĻšāϞৈ āĻāĻĄাāϞ āĻ•াঁāĻĄ় āĻŽাā§°ি āĻĒāĻ িāϝ়াāϞোঁ,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

āχ āĻĒৃāĻĨিā§ąীāϤ āĻĒā§°িāϞ, āĻŽāχ āύাāϜাāύো āĻ•'āϤ;

For, so swiftly it flew, the sight

āĻ•াā§°āĻŖ, āχ āχāĻŽাāύ āĻ–ā§°āϟāĻ•ীāϝ়াāĻ•ৈ āω⧰ি āĻ—ৈāĻ›িāϞ āϝে, āĻĻৃāώ্āϟিāϝ়ে

Could not follow it in its flight.

āχāϝ়াā§° āω⧰āĻŖāĻ• āĻ…āύুāϏ⧰āĻŖ āϕ⧰িāĻŦ āĻĒā§°া āύাāĻ›িāϞ।

I breathed a song into the air,

āĻŽāχ āĻŦāϤাāĻšāϤ āĻāϟা āĻ—াāύ āĻ—াāχāĻ›িāϞোঁ,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

āχ āĻĒৃāĻĨিā§ąীāϤ āĻĒā§°িāϞ, āĻŽāχ āύাāϜাāύো āĻ•'āϤ;

For who has sight so keen and strong,

āĻ•াā§°āĻŖ āĻ•াā§° āĻĻৃāώ্āϟি āχāĻŽাāύ āĻĒ্ā§°āĻ–ā§° āφ⧰ু āĻļāĻ•্āϤিāĻļাāϞী,

That it can follow the flight of song?

āϝিāϝ়ে āĻ—াāύ⧰ āω⧰āĻŖāĻ• āĻ…āύুāϏ⧰āĻŖ āϕ⧰িāĻŦ āĻĒাā§°ে?

Long, long afterward, in an oak

āĻŦāĻšুāϤ, āĻŦāĻšুāϤ āĻĻিāύ⧰ āĻĒিāĻ›āϤ, āĻāϜোāĻĒা āĻ“āĻ• āĻ—āĻ›āϤ

I found the arrow, still unbroke;

āĻŽāχ āĻ•াঁāĻĄ়āĻĄাāϞ āĻŦিāϚাā§°ি āĻĒাāϞোঁ, āϤেāϤিāϝ়াāĻ“ āύāĻ­āĻ™াāĻ•ৈ āφāĻ›িāϞ;

And the song, from beginning to end,

āφ⧰ু āĻ—াāύāϟো, āφ⧰āĻŽ্āĻ­āĻŖিā§° āĻĒā§°া āĻļেāώāϞৈāĻ•ে,

I found again in the heart of a friend.

āĻŽāχ āĻĒুāύ⧰ āĻāϜāύ āĻŦāύ্āϧুā§° āĻšৃāĻĻāϝ়āϤ āĻŦিāϚাā§°ি āĻĒাāϞোঁ।

Word Notes (āĻļāĻŦ্āĻĻ āϟোāĻ•া)

swiftly  =  quickly, promptly (āĻ–ā§°āϟāĻ•ীāϝ়াāĻ•ৈ āĻŦা āϞ⧰াāϞ⧰িāĻ•ৈ)

flight  =  the action of flying (āω⧰āĻŖ āĻŦা āω⧰া āĻ•াā§°্āϝ)

breathed  =  took air into and sent out of the lungs (āωāĻļাāĻš āϞৈāĻ›িāϞ āĻŦা āύিāĻļাāĻš āĻā§°িāĻ›িāϞ - āĻāχ āĻ•āĻŦিāϤাāϟোāϤ āχāϝ়াā§° āĻ…ā§°্āĻĨ 'āĻ—াāύ āĻ—াāχāĻ›িāϞ' āĻŦা 'āĻ—ুāĻŖāĻ—ুāĻŖাāχāĻ›িāϞ')

sight  =  ability to see; vision; view (āĻĻৃāώ্āϟিāĻļāĻ•্āϤি āĻŦা āĻĻā§°্āĻļāύ)

afterwards  =  at a later time (āĻĒিāĻ›āϤ āĻŦা āĻĒাāĻ›āϞৈ)

keen  =  sharp; extremely sensitive in perception; eager (āϚোāĻ•া āĻŦা āĻĒ্ā§°āĻ–ā§°)

oak  =  a large tree (āĻ“āĻ• āĻ—āĻ› - āĻāĻŦিāϧ āĻĄাāϙ⧰ āĻ—āĻ›)

unbroke  =  not broken (āύāĻ­āĻ™া āĻŦা āĻ…āϟুāϟ)

Textbook Questions & Answers

Q1. Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
i) Write the full name of H.W. Longfellow.
Ans: The full name of H.W. Longfellow is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
ii) Who can follow the flight of a song?
Ans: No one has a sight so keen and strong that they can follow the flight of a song.
iii) Where did the poet find the arrow?
Ans: The poet found the arrow in an oak tree.
iv) Why didn't the poet know where the arrow fell?
Ans: The poet didn't know where the arrow fell because it flew so swiftly that his sight could not follow it in its flight.
Q2. What does the poet actually mean by 'the arrow' and 'the song'?
Ans: The arrow represents harsh or unkind words spoken in anger, which can travel quickly and cause hidden damage somewhere. The song represents kind, pleasant words or good deeds, which also travel into the world and ultimately find a lasting, beautiful resting place in the hearts of others.
Q3. Explain with reference to the context. "And the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend."
Ans: These lines are from the poem "The Arrow and the Song" written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In these concluding lines, the poet explains the lasting impact of kind words and good deeds. Just as he found his unguided song completely intact in the heart of a friend years later, the poet suggests that spreading kindness and positivity will always be cherished and remembered by the people around us.
Q4. Write rhyming words of the following:
sight  –  flight
song  –  strong
oak  –  unbroke
end  –  friend

FAQs on "The Arrow and the Song"

Q. Who is the poet of The Arrow and the Song?

Ans: The poem is written by the famous American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Q. What does the 'arrow' symbolize in the poem?

Ans: In the poem, the arrow symbolizes harsh, unkind words or negative actions that are released quickly in anger and cause hidden damage or pain to others.

Q. What is the central message of the poem?

Ans: The central message is that our words and actions have a lasting impact. Kind words (the song) bring joy and stay forever in people's hearts, while harsh words (the arrow) leave permanent scars.

Q. Where can I find the PDF notes for AJB Class 8 English Lesson 3?

Ans: You can easily download the PDF and read the complete question-answers from PoraGhar Axom using the download buttons provided at the top of the page.

We hope these Assam Jatiya Bidyalay Class 8 English notes were helpful. If you have any doubts regarding The Arrow and the Song, please drop a comment below! Visit PoraGhar Axom for more Assam Jatiya Bidyalay, SEBA, AHSEC, and Gauhati University FYUGP notes.

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