The Rainbow

The Rainbow - Christina Rossetti

Class 5 English Poem

Boats sail on the rivers,

And ships sail on the seas;

But clouds that sail across the sky

Are prettier far than these.

There are bridges on the rivers,

As pretty as you please:

But the bow that bridges heaven

And overtops the trees,

And builds a road from earth to sky,

Is prettier far than these.

New Words with Hindi and English Meanings

क्रम	Word	Meaning (English)	हिंदी अर्थ
1	Boats	Small water vessels	नावें
2	Sail	To move on water using wind	पानी में चलना/पाल चलाना
3	Rivers	Large natural streams of water	नदियाँ
4	Ships	Large water vessels	जहाज
5	Seas	Large bodies of salt water	समुद्र
6	Clouds	Masses of water vapor in the sky	बादल
7	Across	From one side to the other	पार / एक ओर से दूसरी ओर
8	Prettier	More beautiful	ज्यादा सुंदर
9	Bridges	Structures to cross over	पुल
10	Please	To make happy or satisfied	प्रसन्न करना / कृपया
11	Bow	An arc shape (like a rainbow)	धनुष / मेहराब
12	Overtops	Rises above	ऊपर उठना / पार करना
13	Builds	Constructs or makes	बनाना / निर्मित करना
14	Road	A path for traveling	सड़क / मार्ग
15	Earth	Ground, soil, or world	पृथ्वी
16	Sky	The space above the earth	आकाश

The Rainbow – Let Us Think

A. Answer the following

1. Explain the meaning of the word 'bow' used in the poem.

'Bow' in the poem refers to the **rainbow**, which looks like a curved bridge in the sky.

2. Which bridge does the poet like more and why?

The poet likes the **rainbow** more because it is more beautiful and magical than man-made bridges.

3. The word 'these' is used for different things in stanzas one and two. What are the things for which 'these' has been used in each stanza?

In the first stanza, 'these' refers to **boats and ships**.
In the second stanza, 'these' refers to **bridges on the rivers**.

4. State whether the following are True or False:

a. Ships sail on the river. – False
b. Boats sail on the sea. – False
c. Bridges are built on the river. – True
d. A road is built from earth to the sky. – False

The Rainbow – Think & Learn

B. Think and Discuss

1. What are the ways in which you can cross a river?

We can cross a river by boat, ship, bridge, swimming, or using a ferry.

2. Have you ever seen a rainbow in real life or in pictures? How did you feel?

Yes, I have seen a rainbow. I felt happy and amazed by its beautiful colors.

3. If you could walk on a rainbow, where do you think it would take you?

I think it would take me to the sky, above the clouds, and give me a magical view of the world.

Let us Learn

A. Rearrange the letters of each word to form a meaningful word from the poem:

Scrambled Word	Correct Word
1. sial	SAIL
2. vierr	RIVER
3. sae	SEA
4. oduscl	CLOUDS
5. risebgd	BRIDGES
6. nhveea	HEAVEN
7. eoptvros	TOPROVES
8. owb	BOW
9. droa	ROAD

The Rainbow – Work in Pairs

1. Find two pairs of words from the poem that rhyme.

Rivers – Givers, Seas – These.

2. Share the images that come to your mind while reading the poem.

I imagine colorful rainbows, sailing boats on calm rivers, ships on the sea, clouds floating in the blue sky, and a bright bow of colors connecting the earth and the sky.

3. Name a musical instrument that you will use if you have to sing the poem.

I will use a flute or a piano to create a soft and melodious tune for the poem.

4. Provide a new title for the poem.

“The Bridge of Colors”

h1>Let Us Listen – Rhyming Words

Sit in a circle and listen to the words read aloud by your teacher. Write five rhyming words for each word below:

Word	Rhyming Words
Ship	Chip, Trip, Flip, Dip, Clip
Tree	Bee, See, Free, Three, Key
Bow	Show, Glow, Throw, Flow, Snow
Rain	Train, Brain, Pain, Chain, Gain
Sun	Run, Fun, Bun, Gun, One
Sea	Be, Me, Knee, Fee, Tree
Sail	Tail, Mail, Fail, Rail, Hail
And	Band, Hand, Sand, Land, Stand
Sky	Fly, Try, My, High, Bye
Far	Car, Bar, Star, Jar, Guitar

Let Us Write

A. My Travel Experience

The poem “The Rainbow” mentions boats and ships and their journey across water bodies. You too may have travelled to different places. Share your experience of travelling to any one place with your class.

Task:

Write a short paragraph of 80-100 words about your journey to a place you visited recently. Include the following points:

• Time and destination
• Purpose of travel
• Whom you travelled with
• Things you liked or disliked during your travel
• Local dishes and snacks
• Monument, landmark, or scenery

Sample Answer:

Last month, I travelled to Jaipur with my family during the winter holidays. We went there to explore its historical monuments and vibrant culture. The journey by train was very comfortable, and I enjoyed the beautiful countryside views. I loved visiting Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, and City Palace. The colorful markets and the local snacks like kachoris and ghewar were amazing. I did not like the heavy traffic in some areas, but overall, the trip was wonderful. The sunset view from Nahargarh Fort was unforgettable.

C. Nouns and Verbs

The following words can be used as both nouns and verbs. Create two sentences for each word — one using it as a noun and another as a verb. Write the sentences in your notebook.

Words:

1. cut
2. bat
3. picture
4. cry
5. filter
6. dance
7. plant
8. paint
9. fly
10. face

Sample Sentences:

Word	As a Noun	As a Verb
cut	The cut on his finger was deep.	Please cut the paper into two pieces.
bat	The cricket bat is very heavy.	He will bat in the next match.
picture	I have a beautiful picture of the mountains.	I can picture myself living there.
cry	Her cry for help was loud.	Babies cry when they are hungry.
filter	The water filter needs cleaning.	Please filter the juice before serving.
dance	The dance performance was amazing.	They will dance at the party tonight.
plant	The rose plant is in full bloom.	We will plant new trees in the garden.
paint	The paint on the wall is fresh.	She will paint the house tomorrow.
fly	A fly is sitting on the table.	Birds can fly high in the sky.
face	He has a smiling face.	We must face our problems bravely.

D. Opposites Exercise

1. Write the opposites of the following words in the space provided. All your answers must begin with an 'S'.

Word	Opposite (with 'S')
a. large	small
b. weak	strong
c. fast	slow
d. rough	smooth
e. dull	sharp
f. curved	straight
g. finish	start
h. addition	subtraction
i. complicated	simple
j. mild	strong
k. blunt	sharp

2. Sentences using the Opposite Words:

• Small: The box is too small to hold all the books.
• Strong: He is strong enough to lift this heavy bag.
• Slow: The tortoise moves very slow.
• Smooth: The table has a smooth surface.
• Sharp: Be careful, this knife is very sharp.
• Straight: Draw a straight line using a ruler.
• Start: We will start the meeting at 10 AM.
• Subtraction: Subtraction is the opposite of addition.
• Simple: The instructions are very simple to follow.
• Strong (for mild): The medicine has a strong taste.

F. Kitchen Items – Colour and Mother Tongue Name

The following items, generally found in kitchens, add colour and taste to food. Write their colours and what you call them in your mother tongue in the table below:

Item	Colour	Name in Mother Tongue
Clove	Brown	लौंग
Cinnamon	Light Brown	दालचीनी
Dry Chilli	Red	सूखी मिर्च
Garlic	White	लहसुन
Curry Leaves	Green	करी पत्ता
Peppercorns	Black	काली मिर्च
Fennel Seeds	Greenish Brown	सौंफ
Cumin Seeds	Brown	जीरा
Mustard Seeds	Black / Yellow	सरसों

Kitchen Items – Colour and Names in Mother Tongue

Explore common spices and ingredients used in our kitchen. Fill in their colours and names in your mother tongue.

Item	Colour	Name in Mother Tongue
Clove	Brown	लौंग
Cinnamon	Light Brown	दालचीनी
Dry Chilli	Red	सूखी मिर्च
Garlic	White	लहसुन
Curry Leaves	Green	करी पत्ता
Peppercorns	Black	काली मिर्च
Fennel Seeds	Greenish Brown	सौंफ
Cumin Seeds	Brown	जीरा
Mustard Seeds	Black / Yellow	सरसों

Activity

Can you name 2 more kitchen spices from your home? Add their colours and local names in your notebook and share them in the comments!

Interactive Question

Which kitchen spice do you think adds the best flavour to food? Why?

Comment your answers below!

More Topics: न्याय की कुर्सी (Hindi Lesson)

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