NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 9 The Seven Ages
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 9 Free PDF Download
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Q. What according to you are the stages of a person’s life? What characteristics would you associate with each stage? (e.g., childhood: innocence, joy)
Ans. Do it yourself.
Note: Read the poetry, The Seven Ages, given in the book.
Q. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions by selecting the correct choice.
(i) All the world’s a stage is an extended metaphor for ________.
(a) the life shown in well known plays.
(b) seeing the well known plays.
(c) life of well known actors.
(d) life of man that comes to an end.
Ans. (d) life of man that comes to an end.
(ii) All ‘have their exits and their entrances’. Exits and entrances refer to ________.
(a) birth and death
(b) beginning and end of play
(c) coming and going of actors
(d) death and birth
Ans. (a) birth and death
(iii) The seven roles that a man plays correspond to his________.
(a) chronological age in life
(b) desires
(c) mental development through life
(d) idea of a perfect life
Ans. (a) chronological age in life
Q. Having read this extract, identify the stages of a person’s life as Shakespeare has done. Write down these stages in your note book, and sum up the characteristics of each stage in two or three words. e.g.
| Stage | Characteristic feature |
| infancy | crying |
Ans.
| Stage | Characteristic feature |
| school going | whining |
| lover | pining |
| soldier | brave |
| judge | wise and experienced |
| old age | physically and mentally diminished |
| incapacity | second childishness |
Q. Work individually, and rank the seven stages in order of attractiveness. If you think being a schoolboy is most attractive stage, you could rank it number 1. Then, work in groups of four and compare your individual rankings.
Ans. Do it yourself.
Q. Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct option.
1. All the world’s a stage
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages
(i) And one man in his time plays many parts……
Replace the underlined word with the correct option which has the same meaning as used in the given lines.
(a) scenes
(b) roles
(c)'jobs
(d) tasks
Ans. (b) roles
(ii) The word ‘merely’ reveals that the poet regards/views human life as ________.
(a) impressive
(b) inconsequential
(c) magnificent
(d) uninspiring
Ans. (b) inconsequential
(iii) Pick the option that does not match with the poetic device used in the phrase ‘All the world’s a stage’.
(a) A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
(b) The lightning was fireworks in the sky.
(c) Heavy is the heart that wears the crown.
(d) The movie was a roller coaster ride of emotions.
Ans. (d) The movie was a roller coaster ride of emotions.
2. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound.
(i) The tone of the poet in line ‘His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide/ For his shrunk shank’ is largely.
(a) nostalgic
(b) humorous
(c) pessimistic
(d) regretful
Ans.(a) nostalgic
(ii) Select the option that displays the changes very old age witnesses.
I. Round belly
II. Full of wisdom
III. Loss of vigour
IV. Lean & bony
V. Hoarse voice
(a) I, III, IV
(b) II, III, V
(c) II, III, IV
(d) III, IV, V
Ans. (d) III, IV, V
Q. You already know the two literary devices generally used by writers and poets for comparison, i.e., metaphor and simile. e.g.
(a) He was a lion in the battle. (metaphor)
(b)He fought like a lion. (simile)
In (a) the writer talks of the soldier in terms of a lion. The comparison is implied. In (b) the writer compares the soldier to a lion with the use of the word like, (as may also be used for such comparisons).
Read the poem again and note down the metaphors and similes. Complete the following chart.
| Reference | Metaphor | Simile |
| world | all the world's a stage | |
| men, women | ||
| schoolboy | ||
| lover | ||
| voice | ||
| soldier | ||
| reputation |
Ans.
| Reference | Metaphor | Simile |
| world | all the world's a stage | |
| men, women | the men and women merely players | |
| schoolboy | creeping like snail | |
| lover | Sighing like furnace | |
| voice | childish treble, pipes and whistles in his sound | |
| soldier | bearded like the pard | |
| reputation | bubble |
Which comparison(s) do you find most interesting? Why?
Ans. I find the simile of the schoolboy creeping like a snail most interesting as this is what I, as a student, used to do!
Q.In this poem, life is compared to a play. Just as in a play, a man acts many parts, so also in life, a man plays many roles. Can you think of some other comparison for life? (For example, life could be compared with the seasons in nature, the days of the week, the lessons in a school day.) Select one of these comparisons (or choose one of your own), and write about the similarities that life has with it. (80-100 words)
Ans. Life can be compared to a river. The initial stage is lively, full of playfulness, jumping and prancing about, just like childhood. The next stage is of flowing through valleys, gathering stones and silt which are symbols of experiences and knowledge. This is the youth stage. The middle age is symbolised by the slow meandering of the river in the plains depositing fertile soil along its banks. This denotes the sharing of one’s wisdom and giving back to the community. The last stage is the merging of the river with the ocean which is symbolic of old age where one merges with the large ocean which symbolises after life.
Q. Your teacher will select seven readers and seven “mimers,” one pair for each of Shakespeare’s seven ages. At the start of the reading, all seven “mimers” stand in front of the class and the readers are at their desks. For each age, the reader stands up and reads, while the corresponding “mimer” mimes what is being read.
Ans. Do it yourself.
