Class 9 English - TELANGANA
Poetry: A Legend of the Northland
A Legend of the Northland by Phoebe Cary is a narrative poem based on a Northland legend. The poem tells the story of Saint Peter, who, while wandering on the earth preaching, reaches the cottage of a little woman baking cakes. Exhausted and hungry, he asks her for a single cake. However, her greed prevents her from giving him even a small piece. Angered by her selfishness, Saint Peter curses her, transforming her into a woodpecker that must bore into hard wood for its scanty food. This chapter teaches the moral value of generosity and highlights how greed leads to punishment.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Narrative Poem
A poem that tells a story through verses, featuring characters, a plot, a setting, and a clear moral lesson.
The Setting (Northland)
Set in the cold polar regions where winter nights are long and people cannot sleep through them easily due to the extreme weather.
Character Contrast
Contrasts Saint Peter, a holy wanderer who is tired and hungry, with the greedy woman who refuses to share her baked cakes.
Poetic Justice
The ultimate punishment where the selfish woman is turned into a woodpecker, doomed to scrape wood for food forever.
Theme of Generosity vs. Greed
Emphasizes that selfishness and lack of empathy towards the needy are grave flaws that invite severe consequences.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Telangana (TSBSE) Class 9 English examinations, poetry chapters typically carry around 4 to 8 marks. Questions usually include reading comprehension extracts (stanzas with short-answer questions), paragraph-based questions testing the central theme or moral, and character sketches or critical appreciation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central theme of 'A Legend of the Northland'?
The central theme is the punishment of greed and the importance of being generous, kind, and helpful to the needy.
Why did Saint Peter curse the little woman?
Saint Peter cursed her because she was extremely greedy and refused to give him even a tiny piece of cake from her large stock when he was weak with hunger.
Into what bird was the woman transformed and why?
She was transformed into a woodpecker because she had to bore into hard, dry wood to get her meager food, just as punishment for her selfish nature.
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