The Kites – Class 6 English NCERT Solutions

Explore the solutions for “The Kites,” Class 6 English NCERT. This beautiful poem by Daphne Lister teaches children about imagination, dreams, and the joy of simple pleasures. Through the metaphor of kite flying, it encourages kids to dream big and see the world from different perspectives.

Summary of the Poem in English

The poem “The Kites” is a delightful piece that captures the imagination of a child watching kites in the sky. The poet compares colorful kites to birds flying in the wind-swept sky. The child wishes to be small and light like air so they could climb onto a kite and sail up high. They dream of drifting on paper wings and listening to the wild wind’s songs. The child imagines how fun it would be to look down at the park and town rooftops from above, while people below would stand and stare, wishing they could be up there too.

कविता का हिंदी सारांश

“पतंग” कविता एक बच्चे की कल्पना को दर्शाती है जो आसमान में उड़ती पतंगों को देख रहा है। कवि रंगीन पतंगों की तुलना पक्षियों से करता है जो हवा में उड़ रहे हैं। बच्चा हवा की तरह हल्का होना चाहता है ताकि वह पतंग पर चढ़कर ऊपर उड़ सके। वह कागज के पंखों पर तैरने और हवा के गीत सुनने का सपना देखता है। बच्चा कल्पना करता है कि कितना मज़ेदार होगा जब वह ऊपर से पार्क और शहर की छतों को देख सकेगा, जबकि नीचे के लोग ऊपर देखकर यह चाहेंगे कि काश वे भी वहाँ होते।

Word Meanings

Let Us Do These Activities Before We Read

1. Answer the following questions:

(a) Have you ever flown a kite or seen someone fly it? Where? When?

Yes, I have flown kites during the festival of Makar Sankranti in January. I flew kites on my building’s terrace with my friends and family. It was a wonderful experience watching colorful kites dot the sky while enjoying the winter sunshine.

(b) Describe the kite—colour(s), shape, design of tail, any other detail.

My kite was diamond-shaped with a beautiful combination of red and yellow colors. It had a long flowing tail made of light paper strips in white color. The spine of the kite was made of thin bamboo, and it had a small bow at the top to help it catch the wind better.

(c) What did you think when you saw the kite up in the sky?

When I saw the kite soaring high in the sky, it felt magical. The kite looked like a tiny bird dancing freely in the vast blue sky. It made me feel peaceful and happy watching it float and swoop in the gentle breeze.

2. About Kite Festivals:

(a) Share the things with your teacher that you saw and what the people were doing.

At the kite festival, I saw hundreds of colorful kites in the sky. People were flying kites of different shapes and sizes. Some were having kite-flying competitions, while others were teaching children how to fly kites. Many families were enjoying picnics while watching the spectacular show in the sky.

(b) Would you like to participate in this kind of festival? Why?

Yes, I would love to participate in a kite festival because it seems very exciting and fun. It would give me a chance to learn new kite-flying techniques, meet other kite enthusiasts, and be part of a traditional cultural celebration. I could also see many unique and creative kite designs.

(c) What kind of kite would you like to fly?

I would like to fly a traditional diamond-shaped kite with bright rainbow colors. It would have a long, decorative tail and special designs drawn on it. I would choose this type because it’s easy to control and looks beautiful in the sky.

3. Look at the picture and complete the sentences:

(a) I can see kites, birds and sky in the picture.

(b) The weather in the picture is windy.

(c) The kite is flying high in the sky.

(d) The child is looking from below.

(e) The tail of the kite has ribbons.

4. Now, think and answer:

(a) List two more things that you want to add to the picture.

I would add: – More children flying kites together – Some trees in the background

(b) If I were the child, I would…

If I were the child, I would run around joyfully while flying the kite and try to make it go as high as possible in the sky.

(c) If I were the kite, I would…

If I were the kite, I would dance freely in the wind, making beautiful patterns in the sky and trying to touch the clouds.

Let Us Discuss

1. Read the poem silently. Mark the statements as True or False:

(a) The child is looking at the kites. – True

(b) The kites look like birds of different colours. – True

(c) It was a rainy day. – False

(d) The child wants to be like a kite. – False

(e) The child wishes to climb on a kite. – True

(f) The kite is made of cloth and plastic. – False

(g) The child wants to ride the kite. – True

(h) The child knows they would have fun. – True

(i) The child wants to look at the kite from a rooftop. – False

(j) The child would like to look at people down below. – True

(k) The child knows that the people would stare. – True

2. Complete the following sentences:

(a) The kites have been compared to birds because they fly gracefully in the sky and look like colorful birds soaring high.

(b) The child wishes to be as light as air. The child wishes this to be able to climb on a kite and fly.

Question about Simile:

Do you think that the use of simile in this poem helps us imagine better when we read the poem?

Yes, the use of similes in the poem helps us imagine the scenes better. When the poet compares kites to “coloured birds” and describes being “light as air,” it creates clear mental pictures. These comparisons help us visualize how the kites move in the sky and understand the child’s wish to be lightweight enough to ride on a kite.

Let Us Learn

1. Complete the conversation with kite parts:

Bina: I love the long yellow tail at the end of my kite. What colour is your kite?

Saroj: My kite’s cover is pink. The spine is black.

Bina: Oh wonderful! My kite line is red. The reel that wraps it is green. I really like it.

Saroj: My kite line is red too. The tip of my kite has a blue nose.

2. Create a cinquain poem:

Here’s my cinquain poem about a butterfly:

Butterfly
Delicate, graceful
Fluttering, dancing, floating
Gently, beautifully
Wing-friend

3. About kite’s movement:

(a) Circle words matching ‘drift’ movement:
The words matching ‘drift’ movement are: slow, float, downward

(b) Study other words about kite’s movement:
– Glide: smooth horizontal movement
– Dive: quick downward movement
– Soar: upward movement
– Swoop: curved downward movement
– Circle: rotating movement

4. Using expressions:

(a) How expressions are used in poem:

• “Up in the air” shows height and freedom
• “Look right down” indicates viewing from above
• “Stay up there” expresses desire to remain high
• “Stand and stare” shows people’s amazement

(b) Make sentences using these expressions:

• Up in the air: The balloon went up in the air during the festival.
• Look right down: From the tall building, we could look right down at the city.
• Stay up there: The stars stay up there all night long.
• Stand and stare: People would stand and stare at the beautiful rainbow.

Let Us Listen

Questions about Kite Festival in India:

(a) Kite Festival is celebrated during the month of June.
Correction: Kite Festival is celebrated during the month of January (Makar Sankranti)

(b) The International Kite Festival is named Uttarayan in Eastern India.
Correction: The International Kite Festival named Uttarayan is celebrated in Western India (Gujarat)

(c) Uttarayan is mainly celebrated in Gujarat, but also in Maharashtra and Telangana.
True

(d) During the Kite Festival, we can see kites of different shapes, sizes and colours.
True

(e) In Karnataka, the Tourism Department organises the kite festival every year.
Correction: In Gujarat, the Tourism Department organizes the kite festival every year

(f) The Punjab region celebrates Basant Panchami and Baisakhi by flying kites.
True

(g) People of India also enjoy flying kites on Earth Day.
Correction: People of India mainly enjoy flying kites on Independence Day (15th August)

Let Us Speak

Share a kite-flying experience with your classmates.

Last Makar Sankranti, I had my first kite-flying experience. It was a sunny winter morning when my father taught me how to fly a kite. At first, it was difficult to control the kite – it kept diving and crashing! But slowly, I learned to manage the string tension. The best moment was when my kite soared high above our house. I could feel the pull of the wind and see my red kite dancing against the blue sky. My friends were also flying their kites nearby, and we had a wonderful time trying to keep our kites up the longest.

Let Us Write

1. I am a Kite – Creative Writing

I am a beautiful diamond-shaped kite with a bright rainbow pattern. My cover shimmers with red, yellow, and blue stripes, and I have a long, flowing tail that helps me balance in the wind. I belong to a cheerful little girl who takes great care of me. My favorite activity is soaring high in the sky, where I can feel the cool breeze and watch the world below. The birds are my friends – we often play tag among the clouds! Sometimes, other kites join me up there, and we create beautiful patterns together. My message to humans would be: “Look up and smile! There’s so much joy in simple things like watching kites dance in the sky.”

Let Us Think and Reflect

1. Questions based on the stanza:

(a) Circle the word that does not share the same feeling as ‘fun’:
Among joy, excitement, care, happiness – ‘care’ does not share the same feeling as ‘fun’.

(b) Which line tells us that the poet was somewhere above?
“To look right down” tells us that the poet was imagining being somewhere above.

(c) Choose the scene the child saw:
Option (ii) showing rooftops of houses matches what the child would see from above.

Let Us Explore

Different types of kites:

• Parafoil – A soft kite without rigid supports
• Delta – A triangular-shaped kite
• Rokkaku – A traditional six-sided Japanese kite
• Diamond-shaped kite – The most common traditional kite
• Box kites – Three-dimensional kites with multiple surfaces

Steps to make a simple diamond kite:

1. Gather materials: paper, thin sticks for frame, string, glue, scissors
2. Make a cross frame with the sticks
3. Cut paper in diamond shape slightly larger than frame
4. Fold edges over frame and glue
5. Attach string and make a tail
6. Decorate your kite
7. Add a message like “Soaring High!” or “Happy Flying!”