Class 9 English - PUNJAB
Poetry: A Legend of the Northland
A Legend of the Northland is a narrative poem by Phoebe Cary that tells the story of a little woman in the cold Northland who angered Saint Peter because of her greed when he asked her for a single piece of cake. As punishment, Saint Peter turned her into a woodpecker that builds its boring bird nest by pecking hard dry wood for food. This chapter holds significant importance for Punjab PSEB Class 9 board exams as it tests students' understanding of poetic devices, theme interpretation, and moral values such as generosity, selflessness, and the severe consequences of greed through comprehensive short and long answer questions.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Legend
A traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated, often carrying an important moral lesson.
Greed and Selfishness
The central negative trait displayed by the little woman who could not part with even a tiny scrap of her baked cakes to feed a hungry traveler.
Poetic Justice
The literary device where virtue is rewarded and vice is punished, seen when Saint Peter transforms the greedy woman into a woodpecker.
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem, where 'A Legend of the Northland' primarily follows an ABCB rhyme scheme across its four-line stanzas.
Metaphor and Imagery
Descriptive language used to create vivid mental pictures of the freezing Northland, polar bears, and the magical transformation of the woman.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Punjab (PSEB) Class 9 English board examinations, poetry chapters typically carry around 6 to 10 marks. Common question types include short answer questions based on comprehension, stanza-based reference-to-context questions, identification of poetic devices like rhyme scheme and metaphors, and long-answer questions focusing on the central theme and moral lesson of the poem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the moral of the poem A Legend of the Northland?
The poem teaches us that we should never be greedy or selfish, and we must always show kindness and hospitality to the needy and hungry.
Why did Saint Peter punish the little woman?
Saint Peter punished her because she was extremely greedy and refused to give him even the smallest piece of cake from her large stock when he was faint with hunger.
Into what bird was the woman transformed and why?
She was turned into a woodpecker so that she would have to bore hard wood all day long to get meager food and shelter, symbolizing her hard and selfish nature.
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