4.1 The Winner - Class 6 - Poorvi

Jul 12
4 min read

Updated: Aug 16

Textbook: Poorvi – Class 6

Author: Georgia Heard

Genre: Poem / Nature & Play

📝 Summary

The poem The Winner by Georgia Heard paints a vivid picture of children playing outdoors near a creek in the evening. The poet captures the excitement, energy, and freedom of childhood as the children run and play ball until they are out of breath. As the day turns to night, the sky changes from blue to black, and the cold grass begins to ache their feet. The trees seem to creep closer as darkness falls, creating a sense of the day ending.

Finally, the children stop playing and accept that “Night wins,” marking the end of their joyful playtime. The poem beautifully captures the transition from day to night and how nature signals the end of a fun-filled day. Through simple yet expressive language and imagery, the poem celebrates childhood, the natural world, and the rhythm of time.

👤 Character Sketch

There are no specific characters in the poem, but the narrator (child) represents playful children enjoying nature and friendship. The narrator is energetic, observant, and aware of their surroundings, feeling the shift from day to night and recognizing the natural signs that playtime is over.

📚 Themes

Theme	Description
Joy of Childhood	The poem celebrates the fun and freedom of children playing outdoors.
Power of Nature	Nature—like the sky, grass, and trees—plays a big role in controlling time.
Passage of Time	The shift from day to night is used to show how time controls our lives.
Acceptance and Awareness	The children understand and accept when it’s time to stop and return home.

✨ Poetic Devices

Device	Example	Explanation
Imagery	“cold grass aches our feet”	Appeals to the sense of touch; creates a vivid picture.
Personification	“Night wins!”	Night is given a human trait of winning, emphasizing the end of the day.
Line Arrangement	“I / can’t / even / catch / my / breath”	The arrangement reflects the breathlessness of running.
Metaphor	“trees creep close”	Trees are described as if they are moving, creating a feeling of evening.

📖 Title Justification

The title “The Winner” is symbolic. It does not refer to a player winning a game, but instead to the night, which “wins” by bringing an end to the children’s play. It reminds readers that while human activity is lively and energetic, nature always takes its course, signaling when to stop. The title captures this poetic and reflective idea in a single phrase.

✅ One-Mark Questions

Where do the children play in the poem? 👉 They play next to the creek.
Why can’t the speaker catch their breath? 👉 The speaker is breathless from running fast while playing.
What happens when the sky turns from blue to black? 👉 The children realize it is time to stop playing as night falls.
How does the cold grass affect the children? 👉 The cold grass makes their feet ache.
Who is described as the winner in the poem? 👉 Night is described as the winner.

✅ Three-Mark Questions

What role does nature play in the poem? 👉 Nature acts as a guide and timekeeper in the poem. The changing sky, cold grass, and creeping trees signal to the children that it is time to end their play. Nature silently but powerfully brings the day to a close, showing how it influences human routines.
Explain how the poem shows the energy and excitement of childhood. 👉 The poem shows children playing with so much enthusiasm that the speaker says, “I can’t even catch my breath.” This line, along with the scene of playing ball next to the creek, captures the thrill and carefree joy of being a child. It reminds us of how children live fully in the moment.
What is the meaning of “Night wins” in the poem? 👉 “Night wins” is a poetic way of saying that the children must stop playing because night has arrived. The phrase personifies night as if it has won a game against the children’s desire to keep playing, emphasizing the power of time and nature.

🧠 Value-Based Question

Q. What can we learn about time and discipline from the poem “The Winner”?👉 The poem teaches us to respect natural cycles and the importance of knowing when to pause. Just as the children stop playing when night falls, we too must learn to balance fun with rest and responsibility. It reminds us to enjoy life but also to recognize when it's time to step back and reflect.

End

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