Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Poem-9 from Class 8 English_FL. The title of our lesson is Benjamin Jones Goes Swimming. Before we dive into the poem, let us complete the pre-reading task. Think carefully about these questions. Have you ever participated in a competition? How did you feel at the start of the competition? Did you win a prize? How did you feel then? Take a moment to share your experience with the class. Now, let us move to the introduction. This poem describes an incident in a humorous manner. It tells the story of Benjamin Jones who participated in a swimming competition. He was not a good swimmer, still he wanted to try and win. Did he win the prize at the end? You will find the answer when we read the poem. Pay close attention to the rhyming words. You will truly enjoy this poem. Let us read and enjoy.
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Benjamin Jones in confident tones told his wife, On the Fourth of July I think I will compete in the free-for-all meet I bet I can win, if I try. But his wife said, My word! How very absurd! You have not gone swimming for years. With others so fast, you are sure to be last, And I will blush to the tip of my ears. Well, the Fourth quickly came, and waiting acclaim were wonderful swimmers galore. Each poised in his place for the start of the race, while spectators crowded the shore. The contest began, and Benjy, poor man was passed on the left and the right.
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His pace was so slow that a crab saw his toe and thought it would venture a bite. Ben noticed the crab as it started to grab and perhaps the result can be guessed. The thought of his toe in the claw of his foe made him swim like a swimmer possessed. And the crowd on the shore sent up a great roar as Ben took the lead in the dash. While his wife on the dock received such a shock she fell in the lake with a splash. By Aileen Fischer. Now let us understand the poem stanza by stanza. In the first stanza, Benjamin Jones speaks in confident tones to his wife. He tells her that on the Fourth of July, he plans to compete in a free-for-all swimming meet. He is so sure of himself that he bets he can win the race if he just tries. Notice the end rhyme here: July and try. The poet uses a conversational tone to show Benjamin's overconfidence right from the beginning.
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In the second stanza, his wife reacts with surprise. She says, My word! How very absurd! She points out that he has not gone swimming for years. She warns him that with others being so fast, he is sure to come in last place. She adds that she would be so embarrassed that she would blush to the tip of her ears. The rhyme here is years and ears. The poet uses exaggeration to show her embarrassment, which adds to the humor. In the third stanza, the Fourth of July arrives quickly. There is waiting acclaim, meaning praise and excitement, for the wonderful swimmers galore, which means a large group of swimmers. Each swimmer is poised, meaning stood ready, in his place for the start of the race. Meanwhile, spectators, or onlookers, have crowded the shore. The rhyme is galore and shore. The poet sets a lively scene of anticipation before the race begins.
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In the fourth stanza, the contest begins. Benjy, poor man, is immediately passed on both his left and right sides. He is swimming very slowly. The poet uses a humorous image: his pace is so slow that a crab sees his toe and thinks it will venture a bite, meaning try to bite it. This is a funny exaggeration showing how slow he is. The rhyme is right and bite. In the fifth stanza, Ben notices the crab starting to grab his toe. The poet says perhaps the result can be guessed. The sudden fear of his toe being caught in the claw, or sharp nails, of his foe, or enemy, makes him swim incredibly fast. He swims like a swimmer possessed, meaning controlled by an extraordinary spirit or sudden burst of energy. The rhyme is guessed and possessed. This is the turning point of the poem.
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In the final stanza, the crowd on the shore sends up a great roar of excitement as Ben suddenly takes the lead in the dash. Meanwhile, his wife, who is standing on the dock, receives such a shock at his sudden victory that she falls into the lake with a splash. The rhyme is dash and splash. The poem ends on a highly comic note, showing how fear and surprise led to an unexpected win. Now, let us look at the glossary provided in your textbook. I will read each word and its exact meaning so you can understand them clearly. Confident means sure. Free-for-all meet means anyone can participate. Absurd means foolish. Blush means feel shy. Acclaim means praise. Swimmers galore means a large group of swimmers. Poised means stood ready. Spectators means onlookers. Contest means competition. Venture a bite means to try to bite. Grab means catch hold of. Claw means sharp nails of an animal’s or bird’s foot. Foe means enemy. Like a swimmer possessed means a swimmer controlled by an extraordinary spirit. Please remember these exact definitions as they will help you in your exams.
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Let us now move to the comprehension questions. I will answer each one in two or three sentences as directed. Question one: What did Benjamin inform his wife? Benjamin informed his wife that on the Fourth of July, he intended to compete in a free-for-all swimming meet. He told her in confident tones that he was sure he could win the race if he tried. Question two: Why did Benjamin’s wife discourage him? His wife discouraged him because he had not gone swimming for many years. She believed that since the other competitors were very fast, he would surely finish last, and she would feel extremely embarrassed. Question three: How did Benjamin win the swimming competition? Benjamin won the competition not through skill, but through sudden fear. When a crab tried to bite his toe, the terror of being caught by its claw made him swim with extraordinary speed, allowing him to overtake everyone and take the lead. Question four: What do you learn from this poem? We learn that unexpected situations can bring out hidden abilities. Sometimes fear or a sudden shock can push us to perform beyond our usual limits, and we should never judge our potential too quickly.
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Next, let us tackle the appreciation section. Question one: The poem is in the style of what? Looking at the options provided in your textbook, the correct choice is satire. The poem uses gentle satire and humor to mock Benjamin's overconfidence and his wife's embarrassment, while showing how a ridiculous situation leads to an unexpected victory. Question two: Appreciate the following expressions in three to four sentences each. First, with others so fast, you are sure to be last. This line highlights the wife's realistic and slightly pessimistic view. It uses a clear contrast between fast and last to emphasize Benjamin's lack of recent practice. It sets up the expectation that he will fail, which makes his eventual win more humorous. Second, his pace was so slow that a crab saw his toe and thought it would venture a bite. This is a brilliant example of humorous exaggeration. The poet paints a funny picture where Benjamin is moving so slowly that a sea creature mistakes his toe for food. It effectively shows his lack of speed in a vivid, comic way. Third, she fell in the lake with a splash. This line provides a perfect comic ending to the poem. The wife's sudden shock at her husband's unexpected victory causes her to lose her balance. The splash mirrors the sudden, chaotic energy of the race's finish, leaving the reader with a lasting laugh.
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Question three: Compose a four-lined poem with any humorous situation. Here is a model answer you can use. I tried to bake a chocolate cake, but used salt instead of sugar by mistake. My family took one bite and ran away, they said it tasted like the sea that day. Now, let us carefully complete the exercises section. Part A asks us to fill in the blanks based on our understanding of the poem. I will read each sentence and give you the exact answer. One: Benjamin told his wife that he would compete in the free-for-all meet on the Fourth of July and win if he tried. Two: It was a free-for-all competition. Three: Benjamin’s wife said that he would come last because he had not gone swimming for years and the others were very fast. Four: The swimmers galore waited for the start of the race on the day of the competition. Five: The competition took place on the Fourth of July. Six: Other swimmers passed Benjamin on the right and the left because his pace was extremely slow. Seven: The crab thought of biting Benjamin’s toe because he was moving so slowly that his toe looked like an easy target. Eight: Benjamin won the race as the fear of the crab biting his toe made him swim with sudden, extraordinary speed. Nine: His wife fell into the water because she received a great shock when she saw him suddenly take the lead.
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Part B asks us to make a list of all the rhyming words in the poem. Remember, there are rhyming words at the end of lines and sometimes within lines. Here is the complete list. In the first stanza, July and try rhyme. In the second stanza, years and ears rhyme. In the third stanza, galore and shore rhyme. In the fourth stanza, right and bite rhyme. In the fifth stanza, guessed and possessed rhyme. In the sixth stanza, dash and splash rhyme. These rhyming pairs give the poem its musical, humorous rhythm. Notice how the poet consistently uses end rhymes to maintain a steady beat throughout the narrative. This technique makes the poem easy to memorize and highly entertaining to listen to. Let us quickly review what we have covered today. We explored the humorous poem Benjamin Jones Goes Swimming by Aileen Fischer. We read the complete poem, understood each stanza, learned the exact glossary meanings, and answered all comprehension and appreciation questions. We also completed the fill in the blanks exercise and identified all the rhyming words. Remember to practice reading the poem aloud to appreciate its rhythm and humor. Pay attention to how the poet uses exaggeration and surprise to create comedy. This poem teaches us that sometimes fear can unlock hidden strengths, and it reminds us to enjoy the lighter side of life. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]