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Raintree 4 If You Can’t Go Over or Under

 Summary: If You Can’t Go Over or Under

The poem “If you can’t go over or under” is about finding different solutions to

our problems. If one way does not work out, we should not waste our time

worrying about it, and should start looking for another way to achieve our

goal. The poem uses different examples to refer to problems and looking for

their solutions.

In the first stanza, a baby mole tries to plough through a stone, but fails

repeatedly. His grandfather then tells him that sometimes, it’s better to find

another route to reach where we want to go. If we cannot go over or under

the stone, we must go around it.

Similarly, if we come across a stone (problem), hitting our head against it will

not help us. We must find a way to go around the stone. In other words, we

must find another solution.

POEM: IF YOU CAN’T GO OVER OR UNDER

A. 1. The baby mole is trying to dig through a solid stone. What he is trying to do is a waste of time and

effort, because the stone is too strong for him to dig through.

2. (Suggested answer. Accept all logical answers.)

 Grandpap mole tells baby mole that if you have to go to the other side of the stone, and you can’t

go over it and under it, then it’s best to go around it. It means that it’s best to find another way

around the stone.

 Yes, it is good advice, because if one method does not work for us, we should find newer ways of

reaching our goal. We should realise our limits, and not waste time in pursuing that.

3. If we come across a place that we can’t get through, we should find another way to go to the other

side.

4. a. ‘To set your sails as the wind is blowing’ means that instead of avoiding the direction in which

the wind (life) is taking us, we should happily go that way.

b. In these lines, high mountains and blocked streets mean the problems that we face in life.


5. (Suggested answer. Accept all logical answers.)

The poem is about finding new ways to reach our goal. If one method does not work out, we

should not waste our time in trying to make it work. We should find other ways of achieving our

goals.

B. (Suggested answer. Accept all logical answers.)

I would like to give the poem the title “Go Round”, as these words are repeated often in the poem.

Also, these words give the main message of the poem, which is to find another way round our

problems.

C. a thick wall, high mountains, the wind, blocked streets, filled trains, closed door


IF YOU CAN’T GO OVER OR UNDER POEM
A. Answer in brief.
1. What was the baby mole trying to show he could do?
 Ans: The baby mole was trying to show that he could dig, so he dug along in the soft, warm dirt
till he hit something hard.
2. What did the baby mole hit while digging and what happened to him?
 Ans: The baby mole hit a solid stone while digging and he hurt his snout badly. He was dizzy and
half dead when his grandfather picked him up.
B. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. A baby mole got to feeling big,
 And wanted to show how he could dig;
 So he plowed along in the soft, warm dirt
 Till he hit something hard, and it surely hurt!
 a. What did the baby mole want to show?
 b. What did he do?
 c. What happened to him?
 Ans: a. The baby mole thought that he was big and wanted to show that he could dig.
 b. He dug the soft warm dirt with his snout.
 c. He hit a stone and hurt his snout.

2. “Young man,” he said, “though your pate is bone.
 You can’t butt your way through solid stone.
 This bit of advice is good, I’ve found:
 If you can’t go over or under, go round.”
 a. Who said this and to whom?
 b. What was baby mole trying to do with his head and snout?
 c. What did Grandpa mean by “If you can’t go over or under, go round.”
 Ans: a. Grandpa mole said this to the baby mole.
 b. He was trying to dig through the stone with his head and snout.
 c. He meant that if one way does not work out, we should find another way to solve our
problem.
C. Answer in detail. (Think and answer.)
What is this poem about and what advice does the poet give us?
 Ans: This poem is about finding different solutions to our problems. The poet, using different
examples, teaches us that if one way does not work out, we should not waste our time worrying
about it, and should start looking for another way to achieve our goal.

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