Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 – No Men Are Foreign is a powerful poem by James Kirkup that speaks against war, hatred, and discrimination. The poet emphasises that all human beings, regardless of their nationality, religion, or culture, are fundamentally the same. They share the same body, the same earth, the same air, water, and sun, and experience the same joys and sorrows. The poem is a call for universal brotherhood and peace, urging people not to be manipulated into hating fellow human beings.
This poem is an important part of the CBSE Class 9 English Beehive syllabus and carries significant weight in school examinations. Questions from this poem test students' comprehension, ability to identify literary devices, and understanding of the poem's central theme of human equality. The poem also develops critical thinking as it encourages students to question blind obedience to authority and reflect on the consequences of war and hatred.
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive (Poem) Chapter 6 – No Men Are Foreign
Q.
(i) “Beneath all uniforms . ..” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
(ii) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?
Q.
In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.
Q.
How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.
Q.
“...whenever we are told to hate our brothers...” When do you think this happens? Why? Who ‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive (Poem) Chapter 6 – No Men Are Foreign
Question 1. (i) "Beneath all uniforms…" What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about? (ii) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?
Answer:
(i) The poet seems to be referring to the uniforms worn by soldiers of different countries, especially those that are at war with each other. "Uniforms" can also mean the traditional dresses of different countries, cultures, religions, and tribes — worn by people to show that they are distinct or different from others.
(ii) The poet highlights the basic similarity that lies beneath all the superficial differences created by society. All human beings share the same body structure and physiology. All experience the same joys and sorrows. All people eat, drink, breathe, wake, sleep, hate, love, and labour in the same manner. Everyone longs for peace and suffers equally during war and starvation.
Question 2. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.
Answer:
The following words and phrases from the first stanza suggest that we are all alike:
'no men are strange' — 'no countries foreign' — 'a single body breathes' — 'the land our brothers walk upon' — 'in which we all shall lie'
Question 3. How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.
Answer:
The second stanza mentions several features shared by all human beings on earth — sun, air, water, peaceful harvests, hands, labour, and starvation due to long wars. These are universal experiences that connect all people regardless of which country or culture they belong to.
Question 4. "…whenever we are told to hate our brothers…" When do you think this happens? Why? Who 'tells' us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?
Answer:
During times of war, people are ordered to hate those from other countries — people who are essentially their own brothers in humanity. The leaders of warring nations and politicians ask ordinary people to do so for their own personal and political gains.
We should not hate others simply because they belong to a different country or because someone in authority has told us to. We should not allow ourselves to become puppets in the hands of political leaders. We must analyse the situation and think for ourselves before picking up arms against others.
The poet says that whenever we are told to hate our brothers, it is actually ourselves that we hate, betray, condemn, and destroy. Those who take up arms against each other are in fact defiling the very earth they share with their so-called enemies.
FAQs – Chapter 6 No Men Are Foreign
Q1. What is the central theme of the poem No Men Are Foreign? The central theme is universal brotherhood and human equality. The poet argues that all human beings are the same beneath their superficial differences of nationality, religion, and culture. War and hatred are therefore acts of self-destruction, since we are all essentially one.
Q2. What does the poet mean by "no men are strange, no countries foreign"? The poet means that no human being is truly a stranger and no country is truly foreign. All people share the same earth, the same air, the same water, and the same fundamental human experiences. The idea of "foreignness" is an artificial construct created by society and politics.
Q3. What are the literary devices used in this poem? The poem uses repetition (the recurring phrase "remember"), imagery (sun, air, water, harvest), metaphor (uniforms representing divisions), and irony (hating others means hating ourselves). The rhyme scheme is loose but the rhythm is steady, giving the poem a chant-like quality.
Q4. Why does the poet ask us to "remember" throughout the poem? The word "remember" is used repeatedly to remind readers of the simple truth that all humans are alike. The poet wants us to consciously recall this truth whenever we are tempted to see others as different or inferior, especially during times of conflict.
Q5. What happens when we hate our brothers, according to the poet? According to the poet, when we hate our brothers we are actually hating ourselves. Since all human beings share the same earth, body, and experiences, acts of hatred and war ultimately destroy ourselves. The poet says that by taking up arms we defile the very earth we all live on and depend upon.