Poem 3: The Quarrel

Poet: Eleanor Farjeon

Introduction: Quarrelling with brothers and sisters is very common. Sometimes we don't even know why we are fighting. This poem describes such a fight between siblings.

Summary

The poet quarrelled with her brother. She didn't know what they were fighting about. It started with something small but turned into something big. He said he was right, but she knew he was wrong. They started hating each other. The afternoon turned black (unpleasant).

Suddenly, her brother hit her on the back and said, "Oh, come along! We can't go on all night." He admitted he was in the wrong to end the fight. The poet realized that by admitting his mistake, he had become 'right' (the bigger person).

Word Meanings

Quarrelled: Fought slightly.
Slight: Small.
Turned black: Became unpleasant or spoiled.
Thumped: Hit heavily.
Get along: To be friendly.

Question 1:

With your partner try to guess the meaning of the underlined phrases.

And somehow we fell out. -> Started fighting / Quarrelled.
The afternoon turned black. -> Was spoiled / Became sad.

Question 2:

Read these lines from the poem: "I was right. / He was wrong. / So he was in the right." Discuss.

Ans: In the beginning, both felt they were right and the other was wrong. But later, the brother decided to end the fight by accepting he was wrong. By doing this noble act, he proved himself to be 'right' in a moral sense.

Grammar Rules: Pronouns

1. Pronoun

A word used instead of a Noun.

2. Types

- Personal: I, You, He, She, It, We, They.
- Possessive: Mine, Yours, His, Hers.
- Reflexive: Myself, Himself.

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