My Dear Soldiers Questions & Answers | Class 7 English | CBSE NCERT

(b) — The whole poem is a tribute to soldiers who guard the country's borders day and night.

(c) — "You still hold on to your deed" means the soldiers continue to perform their duty of protecting the land.

(d) — The poet speaks directly to the soldiers, as if they were present before him, which is apostrophe.

hold on to your deed.

The poet contrasts the citizens, who sleep peacefully at night, with the soldiers, who remain awake and carry on guarding the borders. The contrast shows that our peaceful sleep is possible only because of the soldiers' constant vigilance.

It makes me feel grateful and respectful towards the soldiers. They give up their own rest and comfort so that we can sleep in safety, and this quiet sacrifice deserves our appreciation every single day.

(b) — The stanza names the windy season, snowy days and the scorching sun's sweltering rays.

(b) — "days" and "rays" end with the same sound, forming the rhyme of the stanza.

(b) — The soldiers are explicitly compared to yogis using the word "as".

False — they are "there guarding all the time awake", in windy, snowy and scorching conditions alike.

Yogis are calm, disciplined and detached from worldly comforts, walking alone on hard paths. The comparison shows that soldiers patrol lonely stretches with the same calm discipline, patience and detachment from personal comfort.

"Sweltering rays" means the burning, sweat-inducing heat of the sun. The word paints a vivid picture of extreme weather, showing that soldiers endure fierce heat without giving up their post.

(c) — The stanza mentions heights, valleys, deserts, marshes, seas and the air, but not forests.

(b) — Keeping watch over the seas and securing the air are the tasks of the Navy and the Air Force.

(b) — "Prime" means the best, most vigorous period, here the best years of young life.

"Prime of your youth given to the nation!!"

The soldiers climb the heights (mountains), stride the valleys, defend the deserts and guard the marshes; they also keep surveillance in the seas and secure the air.

The double exclamation expresses the poet's deep emotion and admiration. He is overwhelmed that soldiers hand over the very best years of their young lives to the nation, and he wants readers to feel the weight of this sacrifice.

(c) — The closing lines, "We pray for you brave men!! May the Lord bless you all!!", are a prayer for the soldiers' well-being.

(b) — "Feat" refers to the brave and remarkable deeds of the soldiers.

(b) — The poet uses the wind chimes as a metaphor; the land itself seems to speak through them, honouring the soldiers' brave deeds.

vibrate.

The poet imagines that even the wind chimes of the land tremble with pride and echo the brave deeds of the soldiers. It suggests that the whole land, including its nature, honours and remembers their courage.

Soldiers risk their lives far away from their families so that we can live safely. Praying for them is a way of expressing gratitude, remembering their sacrifice and wishing for their safety, which keeps the bond between citizens and soldiers alive.

The speaker is the poet, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, speaking as a citizen of India. We can say so because he calls India "my land" and says "We pray for you", speaking on behalf of all his countrymen.

The 'great sons of my land' are the soldiers who defend the country's borders. According to the note in the book, the phrase refers to all soldiers — men and women — serving the nation.

The line means that soldiers remain firmly committed to their duty of guarding the nation at all times. It highlights their dedication, because they do not abandon their post even while everyone else sleeps.

The poet writes, "Windy season or snowy days / Or scorching sun's sweltering rays", listing biting winds, freezing snow and burning heat. Despite all this, soldiers are "there guarding all the time awake".

The poet says soldiers go "Treading the lonely expanses as yogis". Just as yogis wander alone with calm discipline and detachment from comfort, soldiers patrol vast, lonely stretches with quiet patience and self-control.

The line means that soldiers dedicate the best and most energetic years of their young lives to the service of the country. Instead of chasing personal comforts, they hand over their youth to the nation's safety.

The poem mentions the heights (mountains), the valleys, the deserts and the marshes; soldiers also keep watch over the seas and the air.

The Navy and the Air Force guard the seas and the sky. The line "Surveillance in seas and by securing the air" tells us this.

In the line "Wind chimes of my land vibrate your feat", the poet makes the land itself honour the soldiers. The wind chimes seem to echo and celebrate their brave deeds, showing that the whole country admires them.

The poem ends with the lines "We pray for you brave men!! May the Lord bless you all!!" This tells us that the poet feels deep gratitude and affection for the soldiers and wishes for their well-being.

The theme of the poem is patriotism and sacrifice. It is a tribute to the soldiers who give up their youth, comfort and safety so that the nation can live in peace and freedom.

The tone of the poem is admiring, respectful, grateful and prayerful. The poet praises the soldiers' dedication, thanks them for their sacrifice and finally prays for their well-being.

The repetition of 'you' (the soldiers) and 'we' (the citizens) creates a direct conversation between the two groups. It makes every reader feel personally involved and responsible for the soldiers' well-being.

"Windy season or snowy days" and "scorching sun's sweltering rays" both repeat the 's' sound, creating alliteration.

"Windy season or snowy days / Or scorching sun's sweltering rays" is an example of imagery. The words create a visual picture of extreme weather, helping us see the harsh conditions in which soldiers guard the borders.

"asleep" and "awake" are opposites. The poem says, "When we are all asleep / You are there guarding all the time awake."

'Surveillance' means keeping a close, careful watch over a place. In the poem, it refers to the soldiers' constant monitoring of the seas to keep the country safe.

The poem highlights the soldiers' dedication — they guard the borders "all the time awake" — and their spirit of sacrifice, as they give the "prime" of their youth to the nation.

It demands great physical and mental endurance. Soldiers must give up regular sleep, comfort and time with their families, and stay alert in every season so that the rest of the country can live without fear.

I can write a thank-you note or letter to soldiers on days like Armed Forces Flag Day, respect and applaud soldiers when I meet them, and share their stories of bravery with friends and family so that their sacrifice is never forgotten.

The theme of patriotism and sacrifice is conveyed through vivid pictures of the soldiers' life. Lines like "Windy season or snowy days / Or scorching sun's sweltering rays" show the harsh weather they endure, while "Treading the lonely expanses as yogis" shows their loneliness and discipline. The images of climbing heights, striding valleys, defending deserts and guarding marshes show how widely they serve, making us respect their sacrifice.

The poet highlights the soldiers' commitment by showing that their duty never stops. They guard "all the time awake" while "we are all asleep", and no season — wind, snow or scorching heat — keeps them from their post. They serve on every kind of terrain, from mountains and valleys to deserts, marshes, seas and the air. The line "Prime of your youth given to the nation!!" sums up their total, lifelong commitment.

The line means that soldiers offer the best years of their young lives to the country. Youth is the time when people ordinarily build careers, comforts and families, but soldiers spend it in hardship on lonely borders. The double exclamation shows the poet's wonder at this voluntary sacrifice, reminding readers that the nation's safety rests on this gift of youth.

A tribute is an expression of respect and gratitude, and every part of the poem serves this purpose. The poet addresses the soldiers as "Defenders of borders" and "great sons of my land", praising their wakefulness while citizens sleep. He salutes their endurance in every weather and terrain, honours their sacrifice of youth, and finally prays: "We pray for you brave men!! May the Lord bless you all!!" The entire poem is thus an offering of respect.

In this simile, soldiers patrolling vast, empty stretches of land are compared to yogis. The comparison is apt because yogis wander alone, calm and disciplined, detached from comfort and focused on their chosen path — just as soldiers walk lonely border lands for long periods, patiently and selflessly, without complaint. Both lead lives of discipline and sacrifice for a cause larger than themselves.

The poem says, "When we are all asleep / You still hold on to your deed" and the soldiers are "guarding all the time awake". The contrast between the sleeping citizens and the wakeful soldiers shows that our peace and rest are bought by their sleeplessness. It conveys the poem's central message of gratitude: the safety we take for granted is the result of the soldier's constant vigilance.

Soldiers face danger, loneliness and harsh weather so that we can live in peace. Praying for them is the least a citizen can do to repay their sacrifice — it expresses gratitude and keeps their memory alive in our hearts. The closing prayer, "We pray for you brave men!! May the Lord bless you all!!", also builds a bond of love between the nation and its defenders, assuring soldiers that people care for them.

Here the poet imagines that the wind chimes of the land vibrate, or ring, with the news of the soldiers' brave deeds. The wind chimes stand for the voice of the whole land and its people. Through this metaphor, the poet suggests that nature itself, along with every citizen, echoes and celebrates the courage of the soldiers — their 'feat' resounds everywhere.

The poem teaches dedication — soldiers "still hold on" to their deed even while we sleep. It teaches sacrifice, as the soldiers give the "prime" of their youth to the nation. It teaches endurance, for they guard in "windy season or snowy days" and "scorching sun's sweltering rays". Finally, it teaches gratitude and care for others, as the poet ends by praying, "May the Lord bless you all!!"

The title suits the poem because it is a direct, affectionate address to the soldiers. The word "My" shows the poet's personal bond with them as a fellow citizen of the land, and "Dear" expresses his love and gratitude. Throughout the poem he speaks to them as "You", and the whole poem is his heartfelt message of thanks and blessing to them.

The soldier portrayed in the poem is the ideal defender of the nation. He is ever vigilant — while "we are all asleep", he "still hold[s] on to [his] deed", guarding the borders "all the time awake". He is hardy and fearless, standing firm through "windy season or snowy days" and the "scorching sun's sweltering rays". He is disciplined and patient like the yogis, "treading the lonely expanses" without complaint. He is versatile, for he climbs the heights, strides the valleys, defends the deserts, guards the marshes, keeps "surveillance in seas" and secures the air. Above all, he is self-sacrificing: the "prime" of his youth is "given to the nation". Modest and duty-bound, he asks nothing in return, which is why the poet can only offer him the whole nation's prayers and blessings. Such a soldier is brave, selfless, disciplined and devoted — a true 'great son of the land'.

The central theme of the poem is the patriotism and sacrifice of soldiers, and the gratitude that citizens owe them. The poet presents the soldier as the silent guardian of the nation's freedom: awake while others sleep, present in every terrain from mountain tops to deserts, seas and skies, and unmoved by wind, snow or scorching heat. The most touching idea is that soldiers hand over the best years of their youth — "Prime of your youth given to the nation!!" — for our sake. The poet's message is that this sacrifice must never be taken for granted. He therefore turns the poem into a nation's thank-you note, ending with the prayer, "We pray for you brave men!! May the Lord bless you all!!" The message for young readers is clear: respect soldiers, remember their hardship, and value the peace they protect, because every peaceful day of ours is built on their sleepless nights.

The poem teaches several lasting values. First, dedication to duty: the soldiers "still hold on to [their] deed" and stay "guarding all the time awake", showing that true commitment does not depend on comfort or recognition. Second, endurance and courage: they serve in "windy season or snowy days" and under the "scorching sun's sweltering rays", proving that hardship can be faced with a steady mind. Third, sacrifice: the "prime of your youth given to the nation" teaches us to place a larger cause above personal gain. Fourth, discipline and simplicity, reflected in the comparison of soldiers to yogis who walk lonely paths calmly. Finally, gratitude: the poet's closing prayer, "We pray for you brave men!!", shows that appreciating and blessing those who serve us is itself a value. Together, these values inspire students to be dutiful, patient, selfless and thankful.

The poem asks citizens to recognise what soldiers give up for the nation, and students can respond in many practical ways. We can begin with awareness — reading and sharing stories of soldiers' bravery, as the poem itself honours their "feat". We can express gratitude by writing thank-you letters to soldiers, preparing cards on Armed Forces Flag Day or Diwali, and applauding soldiers when we meet them. We can practise the poem's own values in daily life: doing our duty "all the time awake" by studying sincerely, being disciplined like the yogis, and not complaining about small hardships like weather or long hours. We can also care for soldiers' families around us by respecting and helping them. Finally, like the poet, we can keep soldiers in our prayers and thoughts — "May the Lord bless you all!!" — remembering that every carefree day we enjoy is protected by someone standing guard at the border.

15 December, 11 p.m. — Another night on this white, silent border. The wind cuts like a knife and the snow is knee-deep, but I remember that at this very hour my countrymen are sleeping peacefully under warm blankets — and that thought keeps me standing. When the poet wrote "When we are all asleep / You still hold on to your deed", he was writing about nights exactly like this one. My feet are numb and my rifle is cold against my gloves, yet my eyes stay on the dark ridge ahead, because a soldier's watch cannot blink. I think of my mother, my brothers, the children who will go to school tomorrow because I stand here tonight. Yes, I have given the prime of my youth to the nation, but I do not regret it; the nation's sleep is my reward. Somewhere far away, wind chimes may be ringing — and I hope someone is saying a small prayer for me tonight. Duty first. Jai Hind.

The poem builds patriotism by making readers see the soldier's sacrifice with their own eyes. It opens with a direct salute — "Oh! Defenders of borders / You are great sons of my land" — which immediately fills the reader with pride and respect. The vivid images of soldiers awake while "we are all asleep", and guarding through "windy season or snowy days" and "scorching sun's sweltering rays", create a sense of debt in young minds: someone is suffering so that we are safe. The sweeping line listing mountains, valleys, deserts, marshes, seas and air shows how vast and total the soldiers' service is. The emotional high point — "Prime of your youth given to the nation!!" — teaches young readers that love for the country means giving, not only receiving. Finally, the closing prayer, "We pray for you brave men!!", converts admiration into action: gratitude, remembrance and blessing. A young reader finishes the poem feeling proud of the country's defenders and eager to serve the nation in some way.

On one side, the poem is pure praise. It calls the soldiers "Defenders of borders" and "great sons of my land", describes their endless vigil — "guarding all the time awake" — in every weather and on every terrain, and honours their greatest gift: "Prime of your youth given to the nation!!" Even the wind chimes of the land "vibrate" with the echo of their "feat". On the other side, the poem quietly asks citizens to respond. The contrast between "we are all asleep" and the wakeful soldier reminds us that we owe our rest to their toil. The repeated words 'you' and 'we' make this a two-way conversation, and the ending — "We pray for you brave men!! May the Lord bless you all!!" — turns the poem's praise into a citizen's duty: to remember, thank and pray for the soldiers. Thus the poem is both a garland and a gentle reminder: it honours the braveheart, and it asks each of us never to take their sacrifice for granted.