What a hymn is
A song of praise, sung together.
A hymn is a song of praise. This one is printed as voices, because it is meant to be sung by a crowd.
📚 Chapter Learning Kit
Harvest Hymn · Class 8 English · Poorvi
English 3 topics 105 leveled MCQs 51 flashcards 5 games Free
Shared by a Veda teacher · Generated with Veda AI · Oct 2026
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When it is sung
A village, at harvest time.
The setting is a village at harvest. The fields are reaped and the people have gathered to give thanks.
The shape
Four stanzas, three groups of singers.
There are four stanzas. The men sing two, the women sing one, and everybody sings the last.
Who sings it
All voices, together.
The fourth stanza is sung by all voices, because its subject is not a crop but everything.
Who it addresses
The lord of the universe.
It is addressed to the lord of the universe and the lord of our being. Being here means an entire existence.
Ineffable
Beyond description.
Ineffable means beyond description. A hymn that uses it admits its own praise cannot be enough.
📖 Smart notes
What you'll study, topic by topic
1
Three Voices: Surya, Varuna and Prithvi
A hymn of thanks sung at harvest. The men address the sun and then the rain, the women address the Earth, and each stanza names a gift, offers a tribute and ends with music.
- A hymn is a song of praise, so this poem is a song of thanks for a harvest.
- The poem is arranged as voices: the men sing two stanzas, the women sing one, and all of them sing the last.
- The first stanza is addressed to Surya, the sun, called the bright and munificent lord of the morn.
~32 min · full explanation, examples & memory tricks in the app
2
All Voices: Brahma, and the Shape of the Hymn
The last stanza is sung by everybody, to the lord of the universe. It calls him the Seed and the Scythe, capitalises Hands, Heart and Home, and is the only stanza that asks for anything.
- The fourth stanza is sung by all voices together, to the lord of the universe.
- He is called Father eternal and ineffable Om, where ineffable means beyond description.
- The line about the Seed and the Scythe makes him the beginning and the end of the farming cycle.
~34 min · full explanation, examples & memory tricks in the app
3
The Words of the Hymn: Old Forms, Rich Praise and Farm Tools
The hymn uses words that have dropped out of everyday English, and praise words that have to be learnt one by one. The chapter adds the six implements a field is worked with and the stages of a paddy crop.
- An archaic word is one that is no longer in common use.
- Thou means you as the subject, and thee means you as the object.
- Art means are, thy means your, and thine means yours.
~34 min · full explanation, examples & memory tricks in the app
❓ Leveled MCQ practice
Try the smart MCQs from this kit
105 questions laddered from warm-up to topper-level, each with an explanation. A taste:
A poem addressed to a god, offering praise and thanks rather than telling a story, belongs to a particular kind. What is a hymn?
Beginner
A A song about a journey
B A song of farewell
C A song of praise
D A song for children
Show answer & explanation
A song of praise
Usually offered to a god, and usually sung together.
Read these statements about the shape of the hymn. I. The hymn has three stanzas in all. II. The men’s voices sing the first two stanzas. III. The women’s stanza calls the Earth a sweet and omnipotent mother. Which statements are correct?
Advanced
A I and II only
B II and III only
C I and III only
D I, II and III
Show answer & explanation
II and III only
The men do sing the first two stanzas, and the women’s stanza does call the Earth a sweet and omnipotent mother. The hymn runs to four stanzas, not three, so the first statement is wrong.
Who sings the first two stanzas?
Beginner
A The children
B All the voices together
C The women’s voices
D The men’s voices
Show answer & explanation
The men’s voices
To the sun and then to the rain.
Who sings the third stanza?
Beginner
A The men’s voices
B The women’s voices
C All the voices together
D A single singer
Show answer & explanation
The women’s voices
It is addressed to the Earth.
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