Class - VII [Raintree Coursebook Theme - 4: Who Dares Wins!] Life is a Game

Summary: Life is a Game

Life is a Game is an inspiring, encouraging poem with advice on how to lead life with an active

and positive attitude. The speaker says that life is like a game and like a game, there is a

wonderful prize waiting to be won if you play it right. Life is about compromising and helping

each other out. It is also about small wins and losses. Very often, there are many battles that

need to be fought. But all those who sincerely put in efforts—regardless of whether there is

money or fame to be won—will definitely win. At this point, the speaker asks the readers

whether they are living life with the right attitude. The next stanza is a series of questions about

the reader’s attitude to life.

The speaker asks the reader whether they become weak and whine when they fail to win in the

manner they think they deserve. He asks the readers whether they make fun or discourage

someone who can do and does something better than you. These are clearly very negative

approaches to life. Then the speaker asks the readers whether they handle rejection with a

smile and a never-give-up attitude. Whether they laugh when they don’t do well. Whether they

continue believing in themselves when they whole world is against them. This cheerful and

positive behaviour is what the speaker recommends.

In the next stanza, the speaker asks the readers to work actively towards their goals. He says

that whatever your goal is, you should strengthen your will and work with enthusiasm and

excitement. You should put your heart and soul into everything you do. The speaker says that

you should not just talk about what you want, but do something to make it happen. Only when

you jump into your task with a promise to never give up, will you be playing the game (or living

life) right. 

Central Idea: The poem talks about how we should approach life with honesty, determination, and a strong will. It encourages us to keep trying even when things are hard and to face challenges with a positive attitude.

Themes:

1. Never Give Up: The poem encourages us to keep trying even if we fail, and to stay strong in the face of difficulties.
2. Play Fair: It reminds us to be honest and fair in life, rather than being jealous or bitter towards others.
3. Stay Positive in Tough Times: The poem asks if we can stay hopeful and true to ourselves when life gets tough.
4. Think About How You Live: It makes us reflect on how we approach life and whether we are doing our best.

Message: The poem tells us to face life’s challenges with courage and honesty. It says that true success comes from being fair, persistent, and positive, not from giving up or resenting others.

Title Justification: The title asks readers to think about how they approach life. "The game" represents life, and the poem challenges us to consider how we handle its challenges. It encourages us to play life with honesty, effort, and fairness. The title invites self-reflection on whether we face difficulties with a positive attitude or give up. Overall, it makes us question how we are living our lives and facing struggles.

Comprehension

A. Choose the correct answer

1. c 2. b 3. b 4. b

B. Read these lines from the poem and answer the questions

1. a. ‘Make a noise’ in the poem means either to cry or complain about something that went wrong or boast about what you are going to do about a situation.

b. Instead of crying about something or boasting about doing something, you should quietly work hard and overcome your obstacles and achieve your goals.

2. a. ‘Your purpose’ in the poem is the reader’s goals for life or purpose for living.
b. No, the poet does not mean you should set your purpose on fire.
c. When your purpose leaps into flame, it means that you are taking action and proceeding with the plan with red-hot determination.

C. Think and Answer

1. According to the speaker, the worst way of dealing with one’s failure is to become weak and whine about it. It is also bad to make fun or speak disrespectfully about the person who can and does better than you. This is not how we should behave when we lose. We must smile at our losses. We must understand that though we have failed this time round, we will not the next time. We must always have hope in ourselves. That is the only way we will try again and do better the next time.

2. ‘I shall do or die’ is a strong statement that says a lot about the person who says it and how they are feeling when they say it. It is a statement that is filled with determination, courage and will power. It is said by a person who will not accept defeat; nothing but victory is good enough for him. The person who says this wants something very much and will put in all the effort they can to make it happen. They are passionate and take pride in what they do.

D. Answer these questions
1. How are you playing the game? The poem talks about the right attitude
2. The refrain changes to ‘Then you will be playing the game’ in the last stanza.

LIFE IS A GAME POEM

A. Answer in brief.

How does the poet compare life to a game?

 Ans: The poet is of the opinion that any game played with honest and sincere efforts fetches a prize.

Similarly, if we play it right, life’s glorious prize will be ours. We need to play this game honestly and

fairly, regardless of wealth or fame.

B. Answer in detail.

What are the different questions that the poet puts forward about one’s attitude towards life?

 Ans: The poet has quite a few questions to ask us to check how we play the game of life. He wants

to know whether we become diffident at the time of loss and disappointments or whether we get

envious of others’ success and jeer at them or whether we are more sensible and face challenges and

difficulties with a smile and quietly accept our failures and move on. The poet finally wants to know if

we would hold on to our faith and strength even if the whole world turned us down.

C. Read the lines and answer the questions.

1. It is give and take, build and break,

 And often it ends in a fight.

 a. Where do you need to give and take?

 b. Why does it end in a fight?

 c. How should you deal with it?

 Ans: a. The poet suggests that in the game of life we should not be rigid. We need to

compromise and adjust to situations, if required.

 b. Often when we are too rigid, holding on to our beliefs and emotions, unwilling to

compromise, it leads to a fight.

 c. One should face them with a smile and deal with them in all fairness.

2. Get into the thick of it – wade in boys!

 Whatever your cherished goal;

 Brace up your will till your pulses thrill.

 a. What does it refer to in the above lines?

 b. How should you get into the thick of it?

 c. What does the poet mean by pulses thrill?

 Ans: a. It refers to your aspirations and the goals you have set in your life.

 b. One should take all possible efforts to achieve what one wants in life without giving up

or losing hope.

 c. By pulses thrill, the poet means one’s will and focus to attain the cherished goal must

make one’s heart and pulses excited enough to have only the goal in sight and the push

from within should make one work hard to attain it.

D. Answer in detail (Think and answer)

The poet sets certain rules to play the game of life. Are the rules easy to follow? Give reasons.

 Free response Suggested Ans: Yes, the rules set by the poet are the best to win the glorious prize of

life. Our parents and our teachers have also given us these rules to follow. They are easy to follow if

one is committed to being a good human being. In my opinion, each person is different. One has to

believe that certain rules are important to lead a meaningful life. One should be prepared for the ups

and downs the game of life brings forth. Once that is understood, with strong belief and trust, one

would take all efforts to achieve whatever one wants in life.