Try Again Questions & Answers | Class 7 English | CBSE NCERT

(b) — The opening lines tell us about King Bruce of Scotland, who flung himself down in a lonely mood.

(b) — A "sinking heart" is an idiom for losing courage or hope.

(c) — Though he was a monarch with a crown, his heart was sinking, showing that power does not protect one from sadness.

crown

He had flung himself down in a lonely mood to think, because his heart was beginning to sink after his failures.

The mood at the start is sad, lonely and gloomy, which prepares us for the King's despair and makes his later change of heart more striking.

(b) — The stanza says he had been trying to do a great deed "to make his people glad".

(b) — His repeated attempts at the great deed had all failed, so he became sad.

(b) — Repeating the word shows that he made many attempts before finally failing.

False — he was trying it "to make his people glad".

His intention was noble — he wanted to do something great that would make his people glad.

I feel sympathy for him, because unlike a selfish ruler he was working hard for his people's happiness, and his sadness came from caring too much.

(a) — Throwing himself down is the outward sign of his inner grief and despair.

(b) — 'Low' intensifies 'despair'; the King was as hopeless as a man could be.

(b) — 'Pondered' means to think about something carefully.

all up

After brooding over his repeated failures, he decided to give up trying to do the great deed altogether.

The word 'low' shows the depth of his hopelessness — his spirits had sunk to the lowest point, making his decision to quit understandable.

(b) — Just at that moment, a spider dropped with its silken, filmy clue.

(b) — Here 'clue' means the spider's thin thread of silk, fine like a film.

(b) — The stanza says he stopped "to see what the spider would do", showing curiosity.

clue

It creates the image of something very delicate and soft — a thin, glistening thread, almost invisible, from which the spider hangs.

It is the turning point of the poem. The dropping spider catches the despairing King's attention, and watching it will change his decision to give up.

(b) — The stanza says it was a long way up to the ceiling dome, where its cobweb home was.

(b) — 'Divine' here means to work out or guess; King Bruce could not imagine how the spider would get home.

(b) — The long way up and the extremely fine rope made the climb seem impossible.

False — the stanza says "King Bruce could not divine" it.

It is the spider's web, described as its home — a small house it had spun for itself high above.

Both face a great task that looks impossible — the spider must climb a long way up a fine thread, and the King must achieve a great deed after failing again and again.

(b) — 'Cling' means to hold on tightly and 'crawl' to move slowly, showing its careful upward climb.

(a) — 'Endeavour' means a determined effort to achieve something.

(b) — The spider slipped and fell sprawling, ending up as near to the ground as ever.

endeavour

It tells us that despite all its effort, the spider was back where it had started — the fall had wiped out all its progress.

Alliteration — the repetition of the same 'c' sound at the beginning of the closely connected words.

(a) — Repeating 'up, up' emphasises how quickly and eagerly the spider climbed again.

(b) — The lines say it had "not a second to stay, to utter the least complaint" — no time for self-pity.

(b) — The stanza says "there it lay, a little dizzy and faint."

dizzy and faint

It fell still lower than before and lay there, slightly dizzy and faint, as anyone would after a bad fall.

Its perseverance and self-control shine through — it neither complains nor gives up, but rises instantly to try again.

(b) — After recovering from the dizziness, the spider resumed its climb.

(b) — The stanza says it "travelled a half-yard higher".

(b) — 'Tread' means to walk on; the spider had to walk along a delicate thread.

False — it was a delicate thread to tread and a road where its feet would tire.

Its road was a single, delicate thread, long and hard to grip, so the journey upward was tiring and difficult.

The repetition of the 't' and 'd' sounds (alliteration) turns the line into a kind of tongue twister and mirrors the difficulty of the climb.

(c) — The stanza says "Nine brave attempts were counted".

(b) — The lines say "again it quickly mounted" after each fall.

(a) — The spider's up-and-down journey went sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

brave

Because the spider kept trying without fear or complaint, despite falling again and again — its courage made the attempts brave.

I learn that failure is only permanent if we stop trying. Each fall teaches us something, and effort repeated with courage finally succeeds.

(b) — The King cried, "Sure... that foolish thing will strive no more to climb."

(c) — 'Toil' means to work hard, here describing the spider's laborious climb.

(b) — Seeing it "tumble every time" despite toiling "so hard", the King assumes it will now give up, as he himself plans to.

False — the very next stanza begins "But up the insect went once more", proving him wrong.

Judging by his own state of mind — he had just decided to "give it all up" — the King assumed that anyone who falls repeatedly must stop striving.

It shows that he is projecting his own despair onto the spider. Because he has given up, he expects the little creature to give up too.

(b) — After nine counted attempts, the spider went up yet again.

(b) — The poet's sigh 'Ah me!' conveys the tension of the anxious minute when success hangs in the balance.

(b) — The stanza says, "He's only a foot from his cobweb door".

door

Because the spider is only a foot from its goal after so many falls, and no one — not even the poet or the King — knows whether it will win or lose this final attempt.

The question draws the reader into the suspense of the moment, making us root for the spider and feel the tension of its last attempt.

(b) — Climbing inch by inch means advancing slowly but steadily, without giving up.

(c) — 'Native cot' is the poet's affectionate name for the spider's own little home, its web.

(a) — The phrase refers to the final, decisive moment of the climb when everything was at stake.

bold

It climbed steadily, inch by inch, going higher and higher, and then made a bold little run at the very last moment, which carried it into its cobweb home.

The repetition stresses the patience and steadiness of the spider — success came not by luck but by calm, persistent effort.

(b) — 'Bravo' is an interjection used to express praise and applause.

(b) — To 'defy' something is to boldly resist it; the spider resisted and overcame despair.

(b) — Inspired by the spider's victory, the King resolves that he too can conquer if he tries.

honour

He learnt that honour belongs to those who keep trying. The tiny spider had defied despair and conquered, so he too should try again instead of giving up.

In the first stanza his heart was sinking and he was lonely and sad; here he is excited, applauding loudly and full of fresh determination to try again.

(a) — To 'brace' oneself is to prepare firmly for something difficult.

(b) — The line "gossips tell the tale" suggests this is a legend handed down by word of mouth.

(c) — "And that time did not fail" means he succeeded at last.

True

He braced his mind, tried once more as he had tried before, and that time he succeeded in his great deed.

Because it is an old legend rather than a recorded fact; the story of King Bruce and the spider has been passed from person to person over generations.

King Bruce was the monarch of Scotland. His problem was that he had tried again and again to do a great deed for his people but could not succeed, which left him sad and in despair.

He had "tried and tried" without success until his heart began to sink. Feeling as grieved as man could be, he decided, "I'll give it all up."

He noticed a spider dropping from the ceiling on its silken, filmy thread, and he stopped his gloomy thinking to see what the little creature would do.

The spider was trying to reach its cobweb home high up near the ceiling dome, hanging by a rope so fine that the King could not guess how it would get there.

It began to cling and crawl straight up with strong endeavour, but it came down with a slippery sprawl, as near to the ground as ever.

It never wasted a second complaining. It quickly steadied itself and mounted again — "Up, up it ran, not a second to stay, to utter the least complaint."

In one attempt it travelled a half-yard higher, though the delicate thread it had to tread would tire its feet.

Nine brave attempts were counted, up and down, now fast, now slow, before it went up once more and succeeded.

He cried, "Sure, that foolish thing will strive no more to climb, when it toils so hard to reach and cling, and tumbles every time."

He cried, "Bravo, bravo! All honour to those who try; the spider up there, defied despair; he conquered, and why shouldn't I?"

He braced his mind, tried once more as he had tried before, and that time he did not fail.

The title captures the poem's central message: the spider succeeds because it tries again after every fall, and King Bruce too succeeds only when he tries once more.

'Native cot' refers to the spider's own cobweb home, its little resting place high up near the ceiling, which it finally reached.

'Endeavour' means a sincere and determined effort. Example: The spider climbed up with strong endeavour.

'Toil' means to work very hard. The spider "toils so hard to reach and cling" on its way to the web.

up × down; glad × sad; win × lose; succeed × fail.

It tells us that the King sat in a large, high-roofed hall or room, so high that the spider's web was a long way up from the ground.

The poem uses a metaphor: just as the spider repeatedly attempts to reach its web, Bruce is trying to achieve a great deed for his people. Both must keep trying till they succeed.

The poem teaches that failures are stepping stones to success. The spider's nine falls do not matter; what matters is the tenth attempt, which carries it home.

It inspires me not to lose heart when I fail in studies or games. Like the spider, I should rise after every fall, keep trying steadily, and success will surely come.

At the beginning, King Bruce is in deep despair. He flings himself down in a lonely mood, "as grieved as man could be", because his repeated attempts at a great deed for his people have failed. Though he is a monarch wearing a crown, his heart is sinking, and after brooding he decides, "I'll give it all up." His mood is hopeless until the spider catches his eye.

The spider drops on its silken, filmy clue and begins to cling and crawl straight up with strong endeavour. It slips down with a slippery sprawl, then runs "up, up" without a second's complaint, falls lower and lies dizzy and faint. It steadies its head, climbs half a yard higher, falls and swings below, mounts again quickly — nine brave attempts in all — before a final, steady, inch-by-inch climb and a bold last run carry it into its native cot.

At first Bruce is the picture of despair: heart sinking, grieving, and ready to "give it all up". Watching the spider, he is first amused and wrongly predicts that the "foolish thing will strive no more to climb". But when the spider conquers, his despair bursts into admiration — "Bravo, bravo!" — and then into self-belief: "He conquered, and why shouldn't I?" He ends by bracing his mind, trying once more and succeeding.

The close description — the clinging and crawling, the slippery sprawl, the dizzy faintness, the half-yard higher, the inch-by-inch climb, the bold last run — shows that the poet watches the spider with deep interest and respect. He treats a tiny insect as a hero and teacher, admiring its courage ("nine brave attempts") rather than pitying its falls. His affectionate words like "cobweb home" and "native cot" reveal sympathy and tenderness.

The spider falls nine times, grows dizzy and faint, and its thread is so delicate that its feet would tire; yet it never complains or quits. Each time it falls, it quickly mounts again, and at last a bold little run puts it into its native cot. It proves that steady, patient effort defeats despair. Seeing a creature so small conquer so hard a task tells us that our own failures can be overcome the same way.

Every fall of the spider teaches it nothing that stops it — instead, each fall is followed by a quicker, steadier climb. After nine failed attempts, its tenth succeeds, so the nine failures literally became the steps to victory. King Bruce mirrors this lesson: having failed before, he tries once more after watching the spider, "and that time did not fail." The poem shows that failure is not the opposite of success but part of the road to it, provided we try again.

We usually expect inspiration from great people, yet here a tiny spider becomes the teacher of a king. It has no crown, no army and no learning — only perseverance. Its silent, repeated attempts pull Bruce out of despair and send him back to his task. Even a "gossips' tale" about a king and a spider, passed down generations, still inspires readers. The poem reminds us to stay open to lessons from the smallest creatures and the humblest events around us.

The first stanza paints a gloomy picture: the King flings himself down "in a lonely mood to think", and "his heart was beginning to sink" despite his crown. The contrast between his royal position and his sinking spirits creates sympathy in the reader. This low, despairing mood is important because it makes the later reversal — joy, applause and victory — far more striking. The sad opening thus prepares the ground for the poem's uplifting message.

First, metaphor: the spider's climbing stands for King Bruce's own struggle to achieve a great deed, deepening the message of perseverance. Second, repetition for emphasis: "tried and tried", "up, up it ran" and "steadily, steadily" stress effort and patience. Third, alliteration: "cling and crawl" and "'Twas a delicate thread it had to tread" repeat consonant sounds, adding music and even a tongue-twister effect. The poem's rhyme scheme (ABAB) and interjections like "Bravo!" and "Ah me!" add to its impact.

What a lesson this little creature has taught me! Nine times it fell, and nine times it climbed again without a word of complaint. If a spider can defy despair and conquer at last, then why shouldn't I? I shall brace my mind and try once more — and this time, I shall not fail.

King Bruce of Scotland is introduced as a monarch who wears a crown, yet the poem shows him as profoundly human. He is noble in purpose: the great deed he attempts is meant "to make his people glad", not for himself. He is also diligent — he had "tried and tried" before admitting failure. But he is not free from weakness; when success refuses to come, he sinks into "low despair", grieving "as grieved as man could be", and even decides, "I'll give it all up." His low point, however, is also the beginning of his growth. He is curious enough to stop his brooding and watch a spider at work. At first he misjudges the spider, calling it a "foolish thing" that will "strive no more to climb" — partly because he is projecting his own despair. Yet when the spider succeeds, his heart responds instantly: "Bravo, bravo! All honour to those who try." He has the humility to learn from a tiny creature and the courage to apply the lesson at once — he "braced his mind", tried once more, and "that time did not fail". Bruce thus emerges as a good but fallible king whose greatness lies in learning, humility and renewed effort.

Though it is a tiny insect, the spider is the true hero of the poem. It first appears hanging from a "silken, filmy clue", facing a climb so long and a thread so fine that King Bruce "could not divine" how it would ever get home. Its defining quality is perseverance: it "began to cling and crawl straight up with strong endeavour", and every time it came down "with a slippery sprawl", it started again at once — "not a second to stay, to utter the least complaint." It is patient, rising "steadily, steadily, inch by inch", and it is also courageous — the poet counts "nine brave attempts" before the tenth is made. It knows setbacks — it lies "a little dizzy and faint", and its feet would tire on the delicate thread — but weakness never becomes surrender. Finally, it is bold: at the very last pinch it makes "a bold little run" that puts it into its native cot. The poet treats it with affection ("cobweb home", "native cot") and presents it as a teacher of kings. Small, silent and unnoticed, it embodies the poem's message that success belongs to those who try and try again.

The central theme of the poem is perseverance — the message that we should never give up, however many times we fail. The poem presents this theme through two parallel stories. The spider falls from its fine thread again and again — "down it came with a slippery sprawl", it lay "a little dizzy and faint", and "nine brave attempts were counted" — yet it never stops trying, and a "bold little run at the very last pinch" puts it into its native cot. King Bruce, who had "tried and tried" to do a great deed and had decided to "give it all up", learns from this tiny creature. His exclamation, "All honour to those who try", states the theme directly, and his own story proves it: he tried once more as he tried before, "and that time did not fail". The poem adds that inspiration can come from anywhere — even a spider — and that failure is not final until we stop making attempts. Its message, "try again", is the essence of all success.

The poem teaches several values. Perseverance is the foremost: the spider repeats its climb after every fall until "a bold little run at the very last pinch put him into his native cot". Patience comes next: the successful climb is described as "steadily, steadily, inch by inch" — slow, calm, unhurried effort. Courage is celebrated when the poet calls the repeated failures "nine brave attempts" and praises the spider that "defied despair". Optimism is shown in the refusal to waste "a second to stay, to utter the least complaint" — no self-pity, only action. Humility and the willingness to learn shine in King Bruce, a crowned monarch who accepts a lesson from an insect and cries, "All honour to those who try." Finally, hope: Bruce's question "He conquered, and why shouldn't I?" converts another's success into self-belief. Together these values turn the simple story of a king and a spider into a guide for life.

Last year, I kept failing to clear the rope-skip test in physical education period. I would trip after ten or twelve jumps, and after a fortnight of failure, I almost decided to give up, telling myself I was simply not good at it. Then I remembered the spider in our poem — it fell nine times and climbed a tenth time, "steadily, steadily, inch by inch". I realised that my mistake was trying to rush all my jumps at once. So I began practising daily for fifteen minutes: first I counted out ten clean jumps, then twenty, then thirty, falling often but starting again "not a second to stay, to utter the least complaint". Whenever I tripped, I heard the poet's line, "All honour to those who try." After about three weeks, I cleared fifty jumps in the final test and even helped a friend who was struggling. The poem taught me that failure is only a signal to adjust the method and try again — and that success tastes sweetest to those who have fallen and risen, just like the spider and King Bruce.

The poet never directly says that Bruce's political struggle is like a spider's climb; instead, she lets the two stories run side by side so that the comparison emerges on its own. King Bruce "had tried and tried" to do a great deed to make his people glad and could not succeed. At that very moment, the spider drops on its "silken, filmy clue" and begins the same battle in miniature: a long way up, a rope "so fine", repeated falls, dizziness, faintness — exactly mirroring the King's sinking heart and repeated failures. The spider's "nine brave attempts" match Bruce's many trials, and its final success through a "bold little run" becomes the model for his own "once more". Because the spider is so small and weak while Bruce is a crowned monarch, the metaphor also carries a humbling message: the same law of effort applies to king and insect alike. This implied comparison (a metaphor, without 'like' or 'as') strengthens the poem's message about perseverance by making it visible, suspenseful and unforgettable.

The King: Bravo, bravo, little friend! I confess I called you a foolish thing when you tumbled the ninth time. You have taught me more in a few minutes than all my counsellors could in a year. Spider: (from its native cot) Your Majesty, I only did what spiders do — I fell, and I climbed again. The thread is fine, but my will to reach home is stronger. King: But did you not feel dizzy, faint, ready to give up? I was about to give up my great deed when you dropped in front of me. Spider: Truly, I lay dizzy more than once. But the ground is no place for one whose home is above. So I steadied my head and climbed — steadily, inch by inch. King: Your words are worth a crown's ransom. All honour to those who try! Tomorrow I shall gather my men and try once more as I tried before. Spider: And that time, Your Majesty, you will not fail — for the tenth attempt is always the bravest. The King: Then let it be recorded in Scotland that a king was schooled by a spider, and learned the noblest lesson of all: try, try again.