Solutions for "The Winner" by Georgia Heard
"The Winner" by Georgia Heard is a simple yet beautiful poem that captures the pure joy of children playing outdoors in the evening. It describes their energy and excitement, and how the arrival of night naturally brings their game to an end. The poem helps us see the beauty in everyday moments and the natural rhythm of day and night.
Table of Contents
The Poem: The Winner
we play ball
next to the creek
in our neighbour’s field.
We run so fast
I
can’t
even
catch
my
breath.
When blue dark turns to black,
cold grass aches our feet,
trees creep close—
game’s over.
Night wins!
Let us discuss
I. Read the given lines from the poem. Write the meaning of the lines by identifying the words/expressions in them.
| Lines from the poem | Meaning |
|---|---|
| next to the creek | Beside a small stream of water. |
| I can't even catch my breath | Feeling breathless from running very fast. |
| When blue dark turns to black | The time when evening turns into night. |
| trees creep close | In the darkness, the trees seem to be moving nearer. |
II. Read the poem. Complete the following based on the poem.
The children play ball in the neighbour's field. They run so fast that they run out of breath. They continue to play till the evening when the blue sky turns black and the trees are not clearly visible. They can feel their feet ache now that it is cold. Finally, they stop playing and go home as it is night.
Let us think and reflect
I. Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow.
1. We run so fast / I / can't / even / catch / my / breath.
- (i) Complete the sentence: The speaker needs to catch her breath because C. running fast results in being breathless.
- (ii) Is the speaker alone? Why do you say so? No, the speaker is not alone. The poem uses the word "we," which means more than one person is playing.
- (iii) What does the pattern in the lines tell us? The way the lines are broken into short, quick words mimics the feeling of being out of breath.
2. When blue dark turns to black, / cold grass aches our feet, / trees creep close— / game’s over. / Night wins!
- (i) Give one reason why the grass is cold. The grass is cold because the sun has set and the night has begun.
- (ii) Complete the sentence suitably: The children's feet are aching because the cold grass makes them hurt.
- (iii) Why does ‘Night' win? Night wins because A. the time for play has ended.
Let us learn
1. Poetic Devices in 'The Winner':
- Pattern: The short lines "I / can't / even / catch / my / breath" create a pattern that shows how the speaker is breathing heavily.
- Personification: Giving human qualities to things that are not human. In the poem, "Night wins!" gives the night the human ability to win a game.
2. Water Bodies Word Web:
A creek is a type of water body. Here are some others:
Let us listen
Listen to the riddles and write which sport is being referred to in the table below.
| Riddle | Sport |
|---|---|
| 1 | Football |
| 2 | Kho-Kho |
| 3 | Swimming |
| 4 | Yoga |
Let us speak
Enact the roles of a parent and a child in these situations:
- Situation 1: Coming home late after play.
Child: "Sorry, Mom, I didn't see it was so late! We were having so much fun."
Parent: "I was worried. Please be sure to come home on time tomorrow." - Situation 2: Sharing details of the games you played.
Child: "Dad, you won't believe it! I scored a goal today in football!"
Parent: "That's fantastic! Tell me all about it. How did you do it?" - Situation 3: Bringing a new friend home after playtime.
Child: "Mom, this is my new friend, Rohan. We played cricket together."
Parent: "Hello, Rohan! It's a pleasure to meet you. Would you like some juice?"
Let us write
Write a paragraph about your playtime.
My Evening Playtime
Every evening at 5 PM, I go to the park near my house to play with my friends, Aman and Priya. We love playing hide-and-seek and football. My favourite game is football because I love running and scoring goals. Playing with my friends makes me feel very happy and full of energy. We gain teamwork and friendship from these games. We play until the streetlights turn on, which is our signal that it's time to finish and go home.
