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🏅 Poem: Nine Gold Medals

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Check Your Understanding 3Critical Reflection 2Answer the Following Questions 7All Exercises 12
Q1

I Match the words and phrases in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2.

Column 1 Column 2
1. dashed in the dirt(i) walk or move with difficulty
2. stumbled(ii) destroyed
3. staggered(iii) a hard black substance used to make roads and paths
4. anguish(iv) step awkwardly, lose balance and almost fall
5. asphalt(v) extreme pain or suffering
  • 1. dashed in the dirt : (ii) destroyed
  • 2. stumbled : (iv) step awkwardly, lose balance and almost fall
  • 3. staggered : (i) walk or move with difficulty
  • 4. anguish : (v) extreme pain or suffering
  • 5. asphalt : (iii) a hard black substance used to make roads and paths
Q2

II Identify the gist of each stanza. Write the number of the stanza in the boxes given.

  1. Spectators cheered participants... and waited enthusiastically for the final event to start.
  2. All runners dashed ahead as soon as they heard the gun shot; suddenly, one of the athletes tripped...
  3. The race finished with nine athletes holding hands and winning the well-deserved gold medals...
  4. Participants got ready at the starting line and nine determined athletes waited for the sound of the gun.
  5. Athletes from various parts of the country had gone through months of training; had big dreams...
  6. The eight athletes stopped to help the young fallen athlete stand up, forgetting that they were competing.
  7. Nine athletes held the banner and walked hand in hand; this gesture represented the ethos of Special Olympics.
  8. The young athlete felt his dreams were shattered and cried in pain and disappointment...
  1. Stanza 2
  2. Stanza 4
  3. Stanza 8
  4. Stanza 3
  5. Stanza 1
  6. Stanza 6
  7. Stanza 7
  8. Stanza 5
Q3

III Let us appreciate the poem.

  1. Two examples of alliteration from the poem are (i) ________________ and (ii) ________________.
  2. Give three examples of visual imagery from the poem.
  3. Give an example of auditory imagery from the poem.
  4. How does the use of imagery make the poem more appealing?
  5. How does the poet's tone change from the beginning to the end of the poem?
  6. What is the overall mood created by the poem?
  7. What is the message being conveyed by the poem?
  1. 1. Alliteration: (i) stumbled and staggered, (ii) dreams and his efforts dashed in the dirt.
  2. 2. Visual Imagery: (i) Runners poised at the starting blocks; (ii) The young runner stumbling and falling to the asphalt; (iii) Nine runners walking hand-in-hand with beaming faces.
  3. 3. Auditory Imagery: "the pistol exploded" / "a cry of frustration and anguish" / "standing ovation".
  4. 4. Vivid imagery allows readers to clearly visualize the emotional drama on the track, making the transformation from tense rivalry to touching empathy deeply moving.
  5. 5. The tone shifts from competitive excitement and tension at the start, to distress upon the fall, and finally into profound warmth, celebration, and triumph.
  6. 6. Inspiring, compassionate, uplifting, and heartwarming.
  7. 7. True sportsmanship is defined by empathy, human kindness, and solidarity rather than winning at the expense of others.
Q4

I Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

1. The eight other runners pulled up on their heels
The ones who had trained for so long to compete
One by one they all turned round and went back to help him
And brought the young boy to his feet.

  • (i) The phrase 'pulled up on their heels' means that the runners ________________.
    A. moved aside
    B. stopped running
    C. tried to run faster
    D. jumped ahead
  • (ii) Mention one character trait common to all the eight other runners.
  • (iii) What is the tone of the poet in these lines?
  • (iv) How might the young athlete have felt on being helped by the others?
  • (v) Would you consider this incident as a turning point in the poem? If yes, why? If no, why not?
  • (i) Answer: B. stopped running
  • (ii) Answer: Empathy / Compassion
  • (iii) Answer: Admiring, respectful, and deeply appreciative.
  • (iv) Answer: Reassured, deeply comforted, and relieved from the overwhelming despair of his fall.
  • (v) Answer: Yes, because it instantly transforms an individual sprint competition into a collective display of unity and compassion.
Q5

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

That's how the race ended, with nine gold medals
They came to the finish line holding hands still
And a standing ovation and nine beaming faces
Said more than these words ever will.

  • (i) How did the nine contestants feel when they reached the finishing line together?
  • (ii) Why do you think all the nine contestants were given gold medals?
  • (iii) Complete the sentence appropriately.
    The holding of hands signifies a feeling of ________________.
  • (iv) The spectators giving a 'standing ovation' indicates that they were ________________.
    A. amazed
    B. speechless
    C. distracted
    D. thoughtful
  • (v) Explain the last line of the extract.
  • (i) Answer: Overjoyed, proud, united, and completely fulfilled.
  • (ii) Answer: Because each athlete crossed the finish line together, proving that selflessness and mutual support are worthier of the highest honor than individual speed.
  • (iii) Answer: unity, brotherhood, and collective triumph.
  • (iv) Answer: A. amazed
  • (v) Answer: The pure joy radiating from the nine athletes' faces and the emotional response of the crowd conveyed a message of love and empathy that words alone could never fully capture.
Q6

1. Describe how the setting established in the first two stanzas of the poem create a vivid atmosphere for the events that follow.

1. Answer: The opening stanzas portray an electric stadium packed with cheering spectators and athletes from across the country who had trained for months. This intense, high-stakes athletic atmosphere highlights the gravity of the race, making the sudden act of collective compassion all the more dramatic and impactful.

Q7

2. How do you think the youngest athlete might have felt when he fell?

2. Answer: He felt devastated, embarrassed, and crushed with acute grief as he watched all his grueling months of practice and dreams of victory vanish instantly in the dirt.

Q8

3. Why were the athletes eager to begin the race?

3. Answer: The hundred-yard dash was the premier final event of the games, and each competitor had dedicated months of rigorous training to test their abilities and compete for gold, silver, and bronze.

Q9

4. What does the transformation of the hundred-yard dash to a walk symbolise?

4. Answer: It symbolises the subordination of ruthless competition to universal empathy and cooperation. It signifies that journeying together and ensuring no one is left behind is far more noble than sprinting ahead alone.

Q10

5. How might the poem be different if the focus was solely on individual achievement rather than collective support?

5. Answer: The narrative would have been just another conventional sports story where one runner wins glory while a fallen child is left abandoned in despair, entirely losing its emotional resonance and philosophical message of human solidarity.

Q11

6. How does the poet's use of language and tone enhance the reader's engagement with the poem?

6. Answer: The poet uses clear ballad-like narrative storytelling, vivid imagery, and conversational pauses ("as sure as I'm standing here telling this story") that build genuine suspense before resolving into a warm, inspiring climax.

Q12

7. What might be the poet's purpose of writing this poem?

7. Answer: The poet's purpose is to champion the true spirit of the Special Olympics—where compassion, shared humanity, and lifting others up outshine individual rivalry and make everyone a winner.