Life Grade 8 · English Reader
Chapter 4 · A Poem

Life

A hopeful, resilient look at life's passing clouds and lasting sunshine

🌤️
Tec — The Education Consultancy | Grade 8 English Lesson & Worksheet

LIFE, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall?

Rapidly, merrily,
Life's sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily,
Enjoy them as they fly!

What though Death at times steps in
And calls our Best away?
What though sorrow seems to win,
O'er hope, a heavy sway?
Yet hope again elastic springs,
Unconquered, though she fell;
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.

Manfully, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell despair!

— Charlotte Brontë
About the Poet: Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855) was an English novelist and poet, best known for her novel Jane Eyre. Along with her sisters Emily and Anne, also celebrated writers, she grew up in Yorkshire, England, and endured significant personal hardship and loss throughout her life, including the early deaths of several siblings. Despite this, much of her writing, including this poem, reflects a resilient, hopeful outlook on life's difficulties.

Vocabulary

sages — wise people, especially those regarded as having deep knowledge or experience
oft — often
transient — lasting only a short time; temporary
lament — to express sorrow or regret about something
flit — to move quickly and lightly
sway — controlling influence or power
elastic — able to spring back into shape; resilient
buoyant — cheerful and optimistic; able to stay afloat or recover easily
manfully — bravely; with courage and determination
quell — to put an end to; to suppress or overcome

Worksheet — Life

Comprehension · Vocabulary · Poetic Appreciation — Grade 8

Name:
Class:
Date:
Score:
A. Questions
1. According to the poem, what does "a little morning rain" often foretell?
It often foretells a pleasant day ahead, symbolising how brief difficulties can be followed by better times.
2. How does the poet describe the "clouds of gloom" that appear in life?
She describes them as transient, meaning they do not last and will eventually pass.
3. What does the poet compare hope to, and how does she describe hope's resilience?
She compares hope to something with "golden wings" that is elastic and buoyant — even if it falls, it springs back unconquered and remains strong enough to carry us through hardship.
4. What is the poet's final message about facing life's trials?
She urges the reader to face trials bravely and fearlessly, believing that courage can gloriously and victoriously overcome despair.
B. Multiple Choice Questions
1.According to the poem, life is not as dark as what group of people claim?
Poets
Sages✓
Children
Travellers
2.What word does the poet use to describe the clouds of gloom in life?
Eternal
Transient✓
Powerful
Unbearable
3.What does the shower in the poem help to do?
Wash away the roses
Make the roses bloom✓
Flood the garden
Bring more clouds
4.What does the poet say hope has, allowing it to keep bearing us well?
Sharp claws
Golden wings✓
A heavy shield
Iron chains
5.What does the poet believe can "quell despair"?
Wealth
Courage✓
Luck
Silence
6.Who wrote the poem "Life"?
Emily Dickinson
Charlotte Brontë✓
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Eleanor Farjeon
C. True or False
  • 1. The poet believes life is exactly as dark and dreamlike as some wise people claim.
    TrueFalse
  • 2. The poet describes life's gloomy moments as temporary.
    TrueFalse
  • 3. The poet urges readers to enjoy life's sunny hours gratefully and cheerily.
    TrueFalse
  • 4. According to the poem, once hope falls, it never rises again.
    TrueFalse
  • 5. The poem acknowledges that Death and sorrow are real parts of life.
    TrueFalse
  • 6. The poem ends on a hopeless, defeated note.
    TrueFalse
D. Match the Words with Their Meanings
1. sages → (c)
2. transient → (a)
3. lament → (e)
4. buoyant → (b)
5. quell → (d)
a. lasting only a short time; temporary
b. cheerful and optimistic; able to recover easily
c. wise people
d. to put an end to; to suppress or overcome
e. to express sorrow or regret about something
E. Theme
1. What is the central theme of "Life"?
The poem's central theme is hope and resilience — it argues that life's hardships and sorrows are temporary, and that courage and hope can help us overcome even the darkest moments.
2. How does the poem's structure — moving between gloomy images and hopeful ones — support its overall message?
Open-ended — accept answers noting that by repeatedly acknowledging real hardships (rain, gloom, Death, sorrow) before returning to hope and courage each time, the poem builds a balanced, believable optimism rather than ignoring life's difficulties altogether.
F. Figurative Language
1. "Yet hope again elastic springs, / Unconquered, though she fell; / Still buoyant are her golden wings." Identify the figure of speech used here and explain its effect.
This is personification — hope is given human and bird-like qualities (falling, having golden wings, being "unconquered"), which makes the abstract idea of hope feel like a living, resilient companion who can be relied upon.
2. "If the shower will make the roses bloom, / O why lament its fall?" What figure of speech or comparison is being used here, and what does it suggest about hardship?
This uses rain and blooming roses as an extended metaphor for hardship and its positive outcomes, suggesting that difficult experiences, like rain, can ultimately lead to growth and beauty, so they should not be mourned.
3. The poem uses a repeated adverb pattern, such as "Rapidly, merrily," and "Manfully, fearlessly." What effect does this technique create?
Open-ended — accept answers noting that the rhythmic pairing of adverbs creates an energetic, encouraging tone, almost like a chant urging the reader to actively embrace both life's joys and its challenges with a specific attitude.
G. Critical Thinking
1. Do you agree with the poem's view that hardships are always "transient" and eventually lead to something good? Why or why not?
Open-ended — accept a reasoned personal opinion either way, as long as it engages thoughtfully with the poem's central claim about hope and resilience.
2. Can you think of a time when a difficult experience in your own life eventually led to something positive, as the poem suggests? Describe it briefly.
Open-ended — accept any honest, reflective personal response connecting to the poem's theme of hardship leading to growth or renewal. (Teacher's discretion.)
Tec Tec — The Education Consultancy | Grade 8 English Lesson & Worksheet