Geography Lesson – Class 8 English NCERT Solutions

Explore the solutions for “Geography Lesson,” Class 8 English NCERT. This thoughtful poem by Zulfikar Ghose offers students a unique perspective on how our world looks from different heights. The poem teaches us an important lesson about human nature and geography – while nature follows a logical pattern in its development, human conflicts and divisions appear meaningless when viewed from above. It encourages young readers to think about the bigger picture and question why humans create artificial barriers despite being part of one beautiful planet.

Summary of the Poem

The poem “Geography Lesson” describes what a person sees from an airplane at three different heights. At the first level, the city’s layout appears logical and well-planned, unlike its chaotic appearance from the ground. At ten thousand feet, the speaker understands why cities developed near rivers and in valleys. Finally, at six miles high, while the Earth’s round shape and its vast oceans become visible, the speaker cannot comprehend why humans create divisions, build walls, and engage in conflicts. The poem beautifully contrasts the natural logic of geography with the illogical behavior of humans.

हिंदी सारांश: “Geography Lesson” कविता में एक व्यक्ति विमान से अलग-अलग ऊंचाइयों पर दिखने वाले दृश्यों का वर्णन करता है। पहले स्तर पर, शहर का नक्शा तार्किक और सुनियोजित दिखाई देता है, जो जमीन पर अव्यवस्थित लगता है। दस हजार फीट की ऊंचाई पर, कवि को समझ आता है कि शहरों का विकास नदियों के किनारे और घाटियों में क्यों हुआ। अंत में, छह मील की ऊंचाई पर, पृथ्वी का गोल आकार और विशाल समुद्र दिखाई देते हैं, लेकिन कवि यह नहीं समझ पाता कि मनुष्य विभाजन क्यों करते हैं, दीवारें क्यों बनाते हैं और संघर्ष क्यों करते हैं। कविता प्राकृतिक भूगोल की तार्किकता और मानव व्यवहार की अतार्किकता के बीच सुंदर तुलना करती है।

Word Meanings

Working with Poem

1. Find three or four phrases in stanzas one and two which are likely to occur in a geography lesson.

The poem contains several phrases that you might find in a geography textbook. These include:

• “scaled six inches to the mile” – This refers to map scaling, a fundamental concept in geography
• “cities where the rivers ran” – This describes the pattern of human settlement near water bodies
• “valleys were populated” – This explains how landforms influence human habitation
• “logic of geography” – This phrase directly relates to geographical principles

2. Seen from the window of an aeroplane, the city appears:

The correct answer is: (ii) as neat as a map

From high above in an airplane, the city’s seemingly chaotic layout transforms into an organized pattern. The poet describes how what appears “haphazard, unplanned and without style” from the ground shows an “inevitability” when viewed from above. This aerial view reveals the city’s true organization, much like looking at a well-drawn map.

3. Which of the following statements are examples of “the logic of geography”?

The following statements demonstrate the logic of geography:

• (i) There are cities where there are rivers – This shows how water resources influence human settlement
• (iii) It is easy to understand why valleys are populated – This illustrates how terrain affects human habitation
• (v) The earth is round, and it has more sea than land – This is a fundamental geographical fact visible from high altitude

4. Mention two things that are (i) clear from the height (ii) not clear from the height.

(i) Clear from the height:

• The Earth’s spherical shape becomes evident at six miles high
• The proportion of water to land on Earth’s surface is clearly visible
• The logical pattern of city development near rivers and in valleys

(ii) Not clear from the height:

• The reasons behind human conflicts and hatred
• The purpose of building walls to divide cities
• The motivation behind human violence and killing

Multiple Choice Questions

1. “There seemed an inevitability about what on the ground had looked haphazard”. In this sentence what is meant by the word “haphazard”?

The correct answer is: (3) It means – Without plan or order

“Haphazard” describes something that appears random or disorganized. In the poem, the city seems chaotic and unplanned when viewed from ground level, but this perception changes when seen from above.

2. Why did men kill each other?

The correct answer is: (2) It is difficult to understand

From the airplane’s height, human conflicts seem particularly senseless. The poet emphasizes that while natural geographical patterns are logical and clear from above, human behavior like violence and conflict appears inexplicable from this broader perspective.

3. In the poem what was said not to be clear from the sky?

The correct answer is: (4) All of the Above

The poem specifically mentions that from high above, it was unclear:

• Why humans find reasons to hate each other
• Why they build walls across cities
• Why they kill one another

4. Name the poet of the poem “Geography Lesson”?

The correct answer is: (1) The name is Zulfikar Ghose

Zulfikar Ghose, a noted British-Pakistani poet and novelist, wrote this insightful poem that combines geographical observation with deep human understanding.

5. When was it understood that the earth was actually round?

The correct answer is: (2) It was understood that the earth was actually round at a height of six miles

According to the poem, when the jet reached a height of six miles, the Earth’s curved shape became clearly visible, along with the observation that there was more water than land on its surface.

6. What was understood after the jet reached ten thousand feet?

The correct answer is: (4) All of the Above

At ten thousand feet, several geographical patterns became clear:

• Why cities developed along rivers
• Why valleys were chosen for human settlement
• The overall logic of how geography influences human settlement patterns