A picture containing text Description automatically generated

THE REBEL 

Summary

-by D.J.Enright

The Rebel is a poem written by D.J.Enright. The poet talks about a rebellious child. When everybody cut their hair short, the rebel grew long hair and when others grew long hair, he cut his hair short. When others were talking in the class, he remained silent, and when others were silent, the rebel created a disturbance. When all the students wore uniforms, the rebel wore fantastic clothes; when others wore attractive clothes, the rebel dressed soberly. The rebel spoke in preference of cats in a group of dog lovers; he also spoke in preference of dogs, in a group of cat lovers. He expressed the importance of rain in the summer season and missed the sunshine in the rainy season. When others went to a meeting, he stayed home and read a book; when others stayed home, he went for the meeting. When others agreed on something, he denied; when others denied, he agreed. The poet says it is good to have rebels, but it is not good to be one.

A picture containing indoor, chessman, set Description automatically generated

Being a rebel is not easy!

Conclusion

The Rebel Summary In English. The poem, The Rebel describes the character of a rebel, a person who does not conform to the norms of the society. The rebel is described as a person who would contradict others in order to be different.

NCERT SOLUTIONS

Questions (Page No. 34-35)

(Working with the Poem)

Question 1. Answer the following questions:

  1. If someone doesn’t wear a uniform to school, what do you think the teacher will say?
  2. When everyone wants a clear sky, what does the rebel want most?
  3. If the rebel has a dog for a pet, what is everyone else likely to have?
  4. Why is it good to have rebels?
  5. Why is it not good to be a rebel oneself?
  6. Would you like to be a rebel? If yes, why? If not, why not?

Answer:

  1. I think the teacher will scold the student if he/she does not wear a uniform to school.
  2. When everyone wants a clear sky, the rebel wants the sun to show up.
  3. If the rebel has a dog for a pet, everyone else is likely to have cats as pets.
  4. It is good to have rebels because they make the society livelier, and they teach us to accept and respect the differences amongst the thought processes of people around us.
  5. It is not good to be a rebel oneself because a rebel is always criticized by the society and people take time to accept rebels.
  6. Yes, I would like to be a rebel because I want to change those norms of the society that do not serve humanity.

Question 2. Find in the poem an antonym (a word opposite in meaning) for each of the following words.

  1. long
  2. grow
  3. quietness
  4. sober
  5. lost

Answer:

  1. long – short
  2. grow – cut
  3. quietness – disturbance
  4. sober – fantastic
  5. lost – found

Question 3: Find in the poem lines that match the following. Read both one after the other.

  1. The rebel refuses to cut his hair.
  2. He says cats are better.
  3. He recommends dogs.
  4. He is unhappy because there is no sun.
  5. He is noisy on purpose.

Answer:

  1. The rebel lets his hair grow long.
  2. The rebel expresses a preference for cats.
  3. The rebel puts in a good word for dogs.
  4. The rebel regrets the absence of sun.
  5. The rebel creates a disturbance.