Treasure Trove A Collection of ICSE Poems Workbook Answers Chapter 10 Notes -Nine Gold Medals – ICSE Class 10, 9 English
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About the Poem
Sports is not only about winning medals. They are also about learning the values of cooperation, sharing, competing and complementing. In this poem ‘Nine Gold Medals’, the poet, David Roth has presented the idea of empathy and how human values are as important as the spirit of competition. The poem presents the situation of a race, where the contestants leave aside their desire to win the medal to help a smaller and weaker contestant.
They all go hand-in-hand to the finishing line. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s experience from his point of view. Simply stated, empathy is the ability to ‘put oneself in another’s shoes’. That is exactly what the eight contestants had done. One look at the fallen contestant had forced them to think ‘what would I have felt if I had fallen?’ and they knew exactly what they had to do. By awarding gold medals to all nine contestants, the authorities honoured their display of empathy, helpful nature and human values.
About the Poet
Kerrville New Folk award winner (1986), landslide top vote-getter at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival’s ‘Most Wanted Showcase’ (1996), and NAIRD INDIE nominee – Digging Through My Closet, singer/songwriter album of the year (1994), David Roth has often been cited for his entertaining stage presence, accomplished musicianship, and powerful singing and subject matter.
David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. In 2007, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Roth is best known as the original (1974-1985) and current (2006- present) lead singer of the Southern California-based hard rock band Van Halen. He is also known as a successful solo artist, releasing numerous RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum records. After more than two decades apart, Roth re-joined Van Halen in 2006 for a North American tour that became the highest grossing in the band’s history and one of the highest grossing of that year. In 2012, Roth and Van Halen released the critically successful comeback album, A Different Kind of Truth.
In addition to performing at music festivals, clubs and venues across the U.S. and Canada, David leads singing, songwriting, and performance workshops and is a presenter and emcee at a wide variety of conferences and retreats. He has been the artist-in residence for several years at New York’s Omega Institute, one of the country’s leading adult education centers, and has recorded six albums of his work.
Central Idea
Sports is not only about winning medals. They are also about learning the values of cooperation, sharing, competing and complementing. In this poem ‘Nine Gold Medals’, the poet, David Roth has presented the idea of empathy and how human values are as important as the spirit of competition. The poem presents the situation of a race, where the contestants leave aside their desire to win the medal to help a smaller and weaker contestant. They all go hand-in-hand to the finishing line.
Word Meanings
- Spectators – (here)persons watching especially an event or sports without taking part
- Block – the two starting blocks on the ground that runners push their feet against at the beginning of a race
- Resolved – determined
- Poised – ready
- Pistol – (here) a starting pistol used to signal the start of a race
- Stumbled – (here) hit his foot against something when he began to run and almost fell
- Staggered – lost balance
- Asphalt – black tarred road
- Anguish – pain and disappointment
- Dashed – destroyed
Paraphrase
The hundred-yard race is about to begin. The athletes take position at the starting blocks. They begin to run immediately after the starting pistol is fired. However, one of them is unable to run and falls on the track. The action has begun and already one episode has taken place. Notice how eight contestants are strong and run forward, while the ninth, who is the smallest, falls down. He cries out with the pain of disappointment. He has trained hard but does not get the opportunity to show his talent. All his dreams of winning the medal are broken and destroyed.
When the remaining eight contestants saw him fall, they, instead of continuing the race, came to the help of their fellow contestant. All the athletes had dreamt of winning the medal. However, they readily for got their dream and came forward to help the boy to his feet. Then all the nine contestants walked hand-in-hand to the finish line. The audience was so moved by the exemplary behaviour of the contestants that it stood up and clapped. There were now nine winners, instead of one, and each was given a gold medal. All the contestants displayed empathy turning the Special Olympics into a really ‘special’ one.
Summary
Olympics are held once every four years. Athletes from all over the world train hard to participate in this event. Winning a medal in the Olympics is the ultimate goal of every athlete of the world. However, the setting or the scene of this poem is that of ‘Special Olympics’. In these Olympics, differently-abled persons, who have some problem/s in a particular part of the body, participate in various sports events. The contestants put in a lot of preparation and practice. Everyone hopes to win a medal. The spectators are as excited as the contestants. They cheer and encourage the contestants.
Of all the events in Olympics, the hundred-meter race is the most prestigious. The athlete, who wins it, is remembered as the fastest man in the world. So, for Special Olympics mentioned in the poem this is the final event, hence the most prestigious. The hundred-yard race is about to begin. The athletes take position at the starting blocks. They begin to run immediately after the starting pistol is fired. However, one of them is unable to run and falls on the track. The action has begun and already one episode has taken place. Notice how eight contestants are strong and run forward, while the ninth, who is the smallest, falls down. He cries out with the pain of disappointment. He has trained hard but does not get the opportunity to show his talent. All his dreams of winning the medal are broken and destroyed.
When the remaining eight contestants saw him fall, they, instead of continuing the race, came to the help of their fellow contestant. All the athletes had dreamt of winning the medal. However, they readily for got their dream and came forward to help the boy to his feet. Then all the nine contestants walked hand-in-hand to the finish line. The audience was so moved by the exemplary behaviour of the contestants that it stood up and clapped. There were now nine winners, instead of one, and each was given a gold medal. All the contestants displayed empathy turning the Special Olympics into a really ‘special’ one. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s experience from his point of view. Simply stated, empathy is the ability to ‘put oneself in another’s shoes’. That is exactly what the eight contestants had done. One look at the fallen contestant had forced them to think ‘what would I have felt if I had fallen?’ and they knew exactly what they had to do. By awarding gold medals to all nine contestants, the authorities honoured their display of empathy, helpful nature and human values.
Critical Appreciation
Alliteration
- In a line in stanza 4, the consonant sound /s/ has been repeated in order to bring about a musical effect.
But the smallest among them, he stumbled and staggered.
This repetition of the same sound is called alliteration.
Here the sound /s/ has been repeated. Find another such line from stanza 5. - No specific rhyme scheme has been followed in the poem. Yet the poem has a rhythm of its own. Read it aloud to feel the rhythm. Here are a few examples.
- And a banner above that said ‘Special Olympics’
Could not have been more on the mark. - And a standing ovation and nine beaming faces
Said more than these words ever will.
- And a banner above that said ‘Special Olympics’
(stanza 8)
- Poetry says a lot in a few words. Here too, the poet has used the technique of not expressing directly and encouraging the readers to infer meanings on their own.
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