Magnifying Glass — Class 8 English Poorvi Questions and Answers
Magnifying Glass by Walter de la Mare celebrates the wonders revealed by close observation. This Class 8 English Poorvi guide explains its six stanzas, textbook answers, poetic devices, vocabulary, listening exercise and sample speaking and writing activities.
Source: NCERT Poorvi, Grade 8, Unit 5, printed pages 222–232; listening transcript 250–251; supplied reprint 2026–27. Open-ended and personal responses are examples to adapt. These explanations are study support, not an official NCERT answer key.
The Poem
Read the poem on printed pages 222–223 of your NCERT book alongside this guide. Its 24 lines are arranged as six quatrains (four-line stanzas). The supplied copy prints “The stumble” in stanza 4; the intended grammar is “They stumble”.
The image illustrates the idea of close observation; it is not a measured optical experiment. The poem’s water-drop and chalk imagery also goes beyond what every ordinary hand lens can show. Do not look at the Sun through a magnifying glass or telescope.
Poem Overview – Theme & Message
Magnifying Glass celebrates the wonder of close observation. The speaker holds an ordinary round lens and discovers that it can “make Magic talk” — revealing a whole universe of detail hidden inside the smallest things. A scrap of chalk appears to reveal countless tiny shell-like forms, an inch of moss becomes a forest, and a drop of water swarms like a beehive. In stanzas 3–4 the speaker watches a spider spin silk from its spinnerets and notices its fierce claws and the many eyes of trapped flies. The poem’s message is that the natural world is endlessly marvellous when we look closely, and that the same scientific curiosity that magnifies a tiny moss could one day make even the distant moon feel within reach. There are no human “characters” — the poem is a single delighted observer sharing a sense of awe at nature seen through a lens.
About the Poet – Walter de la Mare
Walter de la Mare is the poet credited in NCERT. Here he uses familiar natural objects, vivid comparisons and exclamations to communicate a speaker’s curiosity and delight.
Central Idea & Stanza-wise Summary
Central idea: Careful observation can reveal extraordinary detail in ordinary things. The lens helps the speaker imagine connections between very small objects and the wider universe.
- Stanza 1, lines 1–4: the round glass seems magical as a scrap of chalk reveals many tiny shell-like forms.
- Stanza 2, lines 5–8: moss appears as rich as a forest, while a drop of water is compared to a busy hive.
- Stanza 3, lines 9–12: the patient observer watches a spider produce silk from its spinnerets.
- Stanza 4, lines 13–16: the spider’s claws and the flies entering its web provoke surprise.
- Stanza 5, lines 17–20: even the tiniest object becomes more marvellous under close examination.
- Stanza 6, lines 21–24: the speaker imagines lenses bringing the Moon so close that walking there seems possible. This is playful exaggeration, not a literal travel claim.
Summary in English
Magnifying Glass by Walter de la Mare is a joyful poem about the power of a simple lens to reveal the hidden wonders of nature. The speaker describes a “round glass” that seems to “make Magic talk”. Looking through it, ordinary things are transformed: a scrap of chalk shows a myriad of tiny shells, an inch of moss becomes a whole forest of flowers and trees, and a drop of water looks like a buzzing hive of bees. In stanzas 3–4, the speaker watches a deft spider shooting silk from its spinnerets to weave its web. Magnified, the spider’s claws appear “tigerish” and the silly flies caught in the net are seen with all their many eyes. The fifth stanza states the poem’s big idea: there is no object so small that the glass cannot make it more marvellous, so that it surpasses even its own ordinary self. The poem closes with a leap of imagination — if such lenses were turned towards the moon, it would seem so near that one could walk there in a single afternoon. Through wonder, vivid imagery and an excited tone, the poem celebrates curiosity, close observation and the endless marvels waiting to be discovered in the smallest corners of the natural world.
Word Meanings (शब्दार्थ)
| Word / Phrase | English Meaning | हिंदी अर्थ |
|---|---|---|
| round glass | the magnifying glass / lens | आवर्धक काँच, लेंस |
| myriad | a very large number; countless | असंख्य, अनगिनत |
| shells | hard outer coverings of sea creatures | सीपियाँ, शंख |
| scrap | a tiny bit or piece | टुकड़ा, अंश |
| chalk | soft white stone used for writing | खड़िया, चॉक |
| moss | small soft green plant on damp surfaces | काई |
| hive | a home/colony of bees | मधुमक्खी का छत्ता |
| lie in wait | to wait quietly and watchfully | घात लगाकर प्रतीक्षा करना |
| deft | skilful and quick in movement | निपुण, चतुर |
| jets | shoots out (a stream) | तेज़ी से बाहर निकालना |
| woven | made by interlacing threads | बुना हुआ |
| web-silk | the fine silk thread of a spider’s web | जाले का रेशम-धागा |
| spinnerets | organs from which a spider spins silk | मकड़ी के रेशम निकालने वाले अंग |
| tigerish | fierce, like a tiger | बाघ जैसा, क्रूर |
| stumble | to trip or fall accidentally | लड़खड़ाना, फँस जाना |
| marvellous | wonderful, amazing | अद्भुत, विस्मयकारी |
| surpass | to go beyond; to exceed | बढ़कर निकल जाना, मात देना |
| eyeing | looking at closely | ध्यान से देखना |
| ‘Twould | it would (old short form) | यह होता (पुरानी संक्षिप्त रूप) |
Before reading — sample responses
I.1–3: The pictures show people examining details with magnifying glasses. Say which activity you recognise from your own experience and explain what small detail the person needs to see. A magnifier makes suitable nearby objects appear larger.
I.4: Microscopes, binoculars and telescopes can magnify views, though they are used differently. II: “I would examine a fallen leaf to compare the veins I can see with and without a lens.” This is one possible personal answer.
NCERT Exercise Solutions – Complete
Let us discuss
I. Complete the summary of the poem given below with suitable words from the poem.
The poem describes the magic of seeing the world through a 1. ______. It reveals how tiny things like 2. ______ and 3. ______ can appear vast and complex. Even a 4. ______ of water can seem like a hive of 5. ______. The poet is impressed at how the spider spins its 6. ______ from its 7. ______. The poem ends with the idea that, through lenses, the 8. ______ could seem within reach.
1. round glass (magnifying glass) 2. chalk 3. moss 4. drop 5. bees 6. web-silk (web) 7. spinnerets 8. moon
II. Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct answer from the brackets.
1. The main idea of the poem is the transformative power of close observation through the magnifying glass. (close observation / wonders in nature)
2. The tone of the poem is wonder and curiosity. (wonder and curiosity / peaceful and emotional)
3. The poem has six stanzas with four lines in each stanza. Each stanza is a quatrain.
4. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABCB. (ABCD / ABCB)
III. Pick examples from the poem for the following poetic devices.
| Poetic device | Example from the poem |
|---|---|
| 1. Simile | “A drop of water / Like hive of bees.” (a drop of water is compared to a beehive using like) |
| 2. Alliteration | “woven web-silk” (repetition of the w sound); “make Magic” repeats the m sound. |
| 3. Metaphor | “Of but an inch of moss / A forest—flowers and trees” (the inch of moss is directly called a forest, without using like/as). |
IV. The poem is rich in visual imagery, painting vivid pictures of small, everyday things magnified into something grand.
1. In the line, ‘A myriad shells show in a scrap of chalk’, the magnifying glass reveals the countless tiny shell-like fossil particles hidden inside an ordinary piece of chalk — showing that even a plain white scrap is made of a multitude of beautiful microscopic forms.
2. In the line, ‘A forest—flowers and trees’, the poet uses the imagery of nature to emphasise how a mere inch of moss, when magnified, looks as rich, dense and complex as a whole forest, suggesting that great grandeur lies hidden inside the smallest living things.
V. Complete the following sentences with a reason.
1. The poet uses exclamation marks in lines ‘The tigerish claws he has!’, ‘With all those eyes!’ and ‘In an afternoon!’ because it conveys his sudden excitement, surprise and delight at the astonishing details the glass reveals, and makes the reader feel his sense of wonder and discovery.
2. In the phrase ‘Magic talk’ the poet uses personification to describe the magnifying glass because it gives the abstract idea of Magic the human ability to talk, as though hidden wonders could speak — to highlight how amazing and almost living its power of revelation feels.
3. … This is because it supports the theme of the transformative power of close observation, as the speaker reveals that even the most ordinary, tiny object hides extraordinary, marvellous detail when looked at carefully through the glass.
4. In the final stanza the poet shifts from small, everyday objects being magnified to a celestial body like the moon because he wants to stretch the idea of magnification to its limit — suggesting that the same curiosity and lenses that reveal the tiny could also bring the vast and distant within reach, ending the poem on a note of soaring scientific imagination and hope.
Let us think and reflect
I. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow.
(i) Identify whether the following statement is true or false: The poet uses his magical powers to make the round glass powerful.
False. It is not the poet’s own magical power; it is the magnifying glass (a scientific lens) that reveals the hidden details. The “magic” is only a way of describing the wonderful power of the lens itself.
(ii) Select the line from the extract that expresses the presence of intricate patterns in ordinary objects.
“A myriad shells show / In a scrap of chalk” — it shows the countless intricate, shell-like patterns hidden inside a plain piece of chalk.
(iii) What does the comparison of ‘an inch of moss’ to a ‘forest’ suggest about the speaker’s view of the world through the magnifying glass?
It suggests that the speaker sees the natural world as endlessly rich and detailed even at the smallest scale. Through the glass, what seems ordinary and tiny is in fact as complex, beautiful and full of life as something grand — the small and the great mirror each other.
(iv) How does the poet feel about the ability of the magnifying glass to reveal hidden wonders? A. Satisfied B. Fascinated C. Grateful D. Determined
B. Fascinated — the excited, wondering tone and the exclamations show that the poet is deeply fascinated by what the glass reveals.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. What is the significance of the spider in the poem?
The spider is the poem’s best example of how magnification transforms an ordinary creature into something dramatic. Through the glass, the speaker sees the spider as a skilful artisan jetting silk from its spinnerets, with “tigerish” claws and a deadly net. The spider shows that even a common, easily overlooked arachnid is full of fascinating structure, skill and fierce beauty when observed closely.
2. How might the speaker’s view of the natural world change if there was no use of a magnifying glass?
Without the glass, the speaker would see only plain, ordinary things — a dull scrap of chalk, a small patch of moss, an unremarkable drop of water, a tiny spider. The hidden wonders, intricate patterns and amazing detail would remain invisible, and the world would seem far less marvellous. The lens is what awakens his wonder and curiosity.
3. Why does the poem end with the idea of the moon being within reach?
The poet ends with the moon to extend his theme to its grandest scale. If a small lens can bring the tiny world so vividly close, then powerful lenses pointed at the moon could make even that distant world seem so near that one could “walk there in an afternoon”. It expresses boundless scientific optimism — that curiosity and lenses can shrink the gap between us and the farthest things.
4. What is the speaker’s attitude towards nature and the act of observation?
The speaker is full of delight, curiosity and awe. He treats observation as a kind of magic and adventure, patiently watching (“I lie in wait and watch”) and marvelling at every detail. His attitude is that nature is endlessly wonderful and that careful, attentive looking is the key to discovering its hidden marvels.
5. Which is your favourite part of the poem? Why? — Sample response
My favourite part is the closing image of “eyeing the moon” and walking there “in an afternoon”. I love it because it takes the poem from the smallest things — a scrap of chalk, an inch of moss — all the way to the moon in a single leap of imagination. It shows that the same curiosity that explores tiny things can also dream of reaching the stars, which feels both playful and inspiring.
Let us learn
I. Fill in the blanks in the sentences with the words given in the box below. (woven, myriad, deft, stumble, surpass, marvellous)
With his 1. ____ description, the author has written the story beautifully 2. ____ with fascinating details. When you read the story, you will surely enjoy the 3. ____ storytelling technique that attracts all kinds of readers. What makes the story interesting is the superb way of describing the 4. ____ emotions and feelings of the characters. The reader will 5. ____ upon the unexpected twists and turns that 6. ____ all our understanding and make us wonder at the narrative power of the author.
1. marvellous 2. woven 3. deft 4. myriad 5. stumble 6. surpass
II. Match the phrases in Column 1 with suitable words in Column 2 to make collective nouns.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| 1. a swarm of | (iv) locusts |
| 2. a constellation of | (vi) stars |
| 3. a grove of | (v) trees |
| 4. a troupe of | (iii) dancers |
| 5. a battalion of | (ii) soldiers |
| 6. a fleet of | (i) ships |
III. Match the idiomatic expressions with ‘eye’ given in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2.
| Column 1 (idiom) | Column 2 (meaning) |
|---|---|
| 1. apple of one’s eye | (v) a person who is very precious or important |
| 2. in the blink of an eye | (iii) something that happens very quickly |
| 3. keep an eye on something or somebody | (i) watch something or someone closely |
| 4. turn a blind eye | (ii) act as if you do not see or notice |
| 5. see eye to eye | (vi) agree with each other |
| 6. bird’s-eye view | (iv) an overall look at something |
IV. Choose the nouns to which you can add the suffix ‘-ish’ to make adjectives. (girl, glass, book, silk, boy, water, moon, scrap)
Common expected choices: girl → girlish; book → bookish; boy → boyish. Forms such as waterish and moonish also occur in dictionaries but are uncommon; include them only with their meanings and your teacher’s guidance. Everyday adjectives include watery, glassy, silky and scrappy; these do not use the requested suffix. Do not assume that every noun plus -ish is equally conventional.
Let us listen — Indian inventions
Transcript-supported true statements: 1, 5 and 6. The father expresses surprise and learns new information; the daughter speaks with excitement and admiration. Statements 2, 3 and 4 are false: she is not indifferent to USB, he responds to the game’s deeper meaning, and he is not simply confirming everything she says.
Textbook mismatch: The instruction asks for four true statements, but the dialogue on pages 250–251 clearly supports only these three. Do not mark an unsupported fourth statement merely to meet the count. Statement 1 broadly summarises the father’s reaction; he already has some recollection about fibre optics.
The task checks what the speakers say. Scientific inventions often involve several contributors; the dialogue is a simplified account, not a complete history of radio, fibre optics or USB.
Let us speak — sounds and sample presentations
I. /f/ and /v/
For both sounds, bring the lower lip near the upper teeth. /v/ uses voice (throat vibration); /f/ does not. Practise fan–van and fine–vine. /f/: forest, flowers, from, deft, afternoon, itself. /v/: vase, valour, victory, woven, even, marvellous, hive.
Pronunciation correction: The printed list places of under final /f/, but it is normally pronounced with /v/. Contrast of with off, which ends in /f/.
II. A planet visit — sample
“I would like to visit Mars to learn about its rocks and past water. This would require astronaut training and a carefully planned mission. My five essential categories would be a suitable protective suit, life-support equipment, food and water supplies, communication equipment and scientific instruments. A real mission would need much more than five individual items.”
III. An invention — sample
“I would design a soil-moisture reminder for our school garden. A sensor would show when soil is dry, helping us avoid guessing when to water. We would compare its readings with observations, test it on several pots and improve the design. It would be a model to investigate, not a proven product.”
Let us write — Science Fair dialogue
Setting: the school Science Club after class, one week before the fair. Tone: friendly and cooperative. This is an original sample to adapt.
Deepa: (smiling) Our teacher said you had an idea for the fair.
Asma: (hesitating) A rainwater-harvesting model—but will it be interesting enough?
Deepa: Yes! We can show water travelling from a roof through a gutter into a tank.
Asma: I wanted to add a filter. Shall we say the filtered water is safe to drink?
Deepa: No. A simple classroom filter cannot prove that. We should label it a demonstration of collecting water.
Asma: Agreed. I can make the roof and tank from reused containers.
Deepa: I will prepare labels and explain where overflow goes.
Asma: Let’s ask our teacher to check the plan and help with cutting.
Deepa: Then we can test it for leaks before the fair.
Let us explore — lenses and astronomy
I. Visual aids
Compare the textbook’s hand-held magnifier, stand magnifier, magnifying spectacles and telescope by recording whether each helps with nearby details or distant objects. Select a model to describe; individual visual-aid needs should be assessed by an eye-care professional.
II. Telescope research
Choose ARIES at Devasthal, the Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle, the James Webb Space Telescope or the observatories on Maunakea. Record its location, observing purpose and official source. Start with NASA’s Webb mission page. Some telescopes use lenses, others primarily mirrors; the poem’s “lenses” should not be read as a description of every telescope.
III. Historical scholars — careful reading
Prepare brief notes on Aryabhata, Varahamihira and Bhaskara II, naming a work and contribution for each. Aryabhata’s explanation of Earth’s axial rotation must not be confused with a fully modern Sun-centred planetary model. The supplied text calls Bhaskara II a tenth-century scholar, but he lived in the twelfth century (1114–1185). Consult the University of St Andrews’ Bhaskara II profile and Aryabhata profile.
IV. Jantar Mantar
The book introduces Jai Singh II’s observatories in Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi. The UNESCO World Heritage inscription is for Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, not the Delhi observatory. See UNESCO’s Jaipur listing. Draw or describe one instrument and explain what it measures, using a verified source.
Additional ClearStudy questions
This practice is separate from the printed textbook exercises.
Short-answer questions (30–40 words)
Q1. What does the speaker mean by saying the glass can “make Magic talk”?
He means the magnifying glass works like magic: it reveals astonishing, hidden details inside ordinary objects, as though the lens itself were speaking and showing wonderful secrets that the naked eye could never see.
Q2. How does a drop of water appear through the magnifying glass?
Through the glass, a single drop of water appears full of busy, swarming life, “like hive of bees”. The simile suggests the drop is crowded with tiny moving creatures, making it look alive and active.
Q3. What does the speaker observe about the spider?
The speaker watches the deft spider shooting fine silk from its spinnerets to weave its web. Magnified, its claws look fierce and “tigerish”, and the flies trapped in the net are seen in vivid detail.
Q4. Why does the poet call the flies “silly”?
The poet calls the flies “silly” because they foolishly stumble straight into the spider’s web and get trapped, unable to see or avoid the danger that the magnifying glass makes so clear to the watching speaker.
Q5. What is the rhyme scheme and structure of the poem?
The poem has six four-line stanzas, or quatrains. The expected rhyme scheme is ABCB, with lines 2 and 4 rhyming in each stanza. “Glass/surpass” may be a near rhyme depending on accent.
Long-answer questions (100–120 words)
Q1. How does the poem ‘Magnifying Glass’ celebrate curiosity and close observation?
The poem turns a simple lens into a doorway of wonder. The speaker does not just glance at things — he “lies in wait and watch[es]”, studying each object patiently. Through the glass, a scrap of chalk becomes a myriad of shells, an inch of moss a forest, a drop of water a hive of bees, and a common spider a fierce, skilful hunter. Each magnified image is greeted with delight and exclamations. By showing how much beauty and detail lie hidden in the tiniest things, the poet teaches that the world is far richer than it first appears. The poem celebrates the scientific spirit — careful looking, questioning and the joy of discovery — and ends by dreaming that such curiosity could even bring the moon within reach.
Q2. “The poem moves from the very small to the very large.” Discuss how this movement builds the poem’s meaning.
The poem deliberately journeys from the smallest objects to the grandest. It begins with a scrap of chalk, an inch of moss and a drop of water — things barely worth a second look — and magnifies them into shells, forests and beehives. Stanzas 3–4 focus tightly on a single spider and the tiny flies caught in its web. Then, in the final stanza, the poet suddenly lifts his gaze from these minute things to the distant moon, imagining that lenses could make it seem walkable “in an afternoon”. This widening movement shows that the same power of observation works at every scale: curiosity that reveals the wonder of a moss patch can also dream of exploring other worlds. The structure thus mirrors the limitless reach of human wonder.
ClearStudy MCQ practice
1. Who is the poet of ‘Magnifying Glass’? — (a) Arthur C. Clarke (b) Walter de la Mare (c) Robert Frost (d) William Wordsworth
2. The “round glass” in the poem refers to a — (a) mirror (b) telescope (c) magnifying glass (d) window
3. A scrap of chalk shows a myriad of — (a) bees (b) shells (c) trees (d) flies
4. An inch of moss looks like a — (a) hive (b) net (c) forest (d) drop
5. A drop of water is compared to a — (a) hive of bees (b) flock of birds (c) school of fish (d) bunch of flowers
6. The spider shoots silk from its — (a) claws (b) eyes (c) spinnerets (d) legs
7. The spider’s claws are described as — (a) gentle (b) tigerish (c) tiny (d) silken
8. “A drop of water / Like hive of bees” is an example of — (a) metaphor (b) simile (c) personification (d) alliteration
9. The poem ends with the image of walking on the — (a) sun (b) sea (c) moon (d) mountain
10. The overall tone of the poem is one of — (a) sadness (b) anger (c) wonder and curiosity (d) fear
Answer key: 1-b, 2-c, 3-b, 4-c, 5-a, 6-c, 7-b, 8-b, 9-c, 10-c
ClearStudy assertion–reason practice
Options for each: (a) Both A and R are true and R explains A. (b) Both A and R are true but R does not explain A. (c) A is true, R is false. (d) A is false, R is true.
1. A: The poet says the magnifying glass can “make Magic talk”. R: The lens reveals astonishing hidden details that seem almost magical. — (a)
2. A: “A drop of water / Like hive of bees” is a metaphor. R: The comparison uses the word “like” to liken the drop to a beehive. — (d) (It is a simile, not a metaphor, because it uses “like”.)
3. A: The poet uses exclamation marks in several lines. R: They express his sudden excitement and wonder at what he sees. — (a)
4. A: The poem ends with the image of the moon. R: The poet wants to extend the wonder of magnification to the vast and distant. — (a)
5. A: The flies in the poem are called “silly”. R: They cleverly avoid the spider’s web every time. — (c) (They are called silly because they foolishly fall into the net, not avoid it.)
FAQs
Who wrote the poem ‘Magnifying Glass’ in Class 8 Poorvi?
The poem ‘Magnifying Glass’ is written by the English poet Walter de la Mare (1873–1956). It appears in Unit 5, “Science and Curiosity”, of the Class 8 NCERT English textbook Poorvi.
What is the central idea of the poem ‘Magnifying Glass’?
The poem shows the almost magical power of a simple magnifying glass to reveal the hidden grandeur and detail inside tiny, ordinary things — a scrap of chalk, an inch of moss, a drop of water, a spider — awakening wonder, curiosity and the dream that lenses could even bring the distant moon within reach.
What is the rhyme scheme and structure of ‘Magnifying Glass’?
The poem has six four-line stanzas (quatrains), with the expected rhyme scheme ABCB. Its tone is one of wonder and curiosity.
Also read: Poorvi – All Chapters · Class 8 – All Subjects · NCERT Solutions Home. Official textbook: ncert.nic.in