Team Work (Poem)

Unit 1 – Poem: Team Work

Warm Up

What is the most essential quality required to win the game given below?

Poem – Team Work

by Edgar A. Guest (1881–1959)

It’s all very well to have courage and skill
And it’s fine to be counted a star,
But the single deed with its touch of thrill
Doesn’t tell the man you are;

For there’s no lone hand in the game we play,
We must work to a bigger scheme,
And the thing that counts in the world to-day
Is, How do you pull with the team?

They may sound your praise and call you great,
They may single you out for fame,
But you must work with your running mate
Or you’ll never win the game;

Oh, never the work of life is done
By the man with a selfish dream,
For the battle is lost or the battle is won
By the spirit of the team.

You may think it fine to be praised for skill,
But a greater thing to do
Is to set your mind and set your will
On the goal that’s just in view;

It’s helping your fellowman to score
When his chances hopeless seem;
Its forgetting self till the game is o’re
And fighting for the team.

About the Author

Edgar Albert Guest began his illustrious career in 1895 at the age of fourteen when his work first appeared in the Detroit Free Press. His column was syndicated in over 300 newspapers, and he came to be known as “The Poet of the People”. Guest was made Poet Laureate of Michigan, the only poet to have been awarded the title. His poems often had an inspirational and optimistic view of everyday life.

Glossary

Word	Meaning
Deed	Act; Achievement
Scheme	Plan
Fame	Glory
Mate	Companion; Partner
Spirit	Will; Determination
O’re	A (poetic) abbreviation for over

A. Read the poem aloud

Fill in the wheel with its rhyming pair. Also try giving your own rhyming word. One is done for you.

• thrill – drill
• skill – still (your word)
• star – far
• scheme – dream
• fame – name
• mate – fate
• seem – team

B. Fill in the table of Contractions

Contraction	Full Form
It’s	It is
Doesn’t	Does not
There’s	There is
You’ll	You will
That’s	That is
I’ve	I have
He’d	He had / He would
Aren’t	Are not
He’s	He has / He is
Won’t	Will not
Can’t	Cannot

C. Answer the following questions

1. What qualities are needed to play a game?
2. What helps one win the game?
3. How is team spirit created?

D. Read the lines and answer

1. It’s helping your fellowman to score
   When his chances hopeless seem;
   Its forgetting self till the game is o’re
   And fighting for the team.

a) What does ‘it’ stand for here?
b) Write the rhyme scheme for the above lines.

1. They may sound your praise and call you great,
   They may single you out for fame,
   But you must work with your running mate
   Or you’ll never win the game;

a) Whom does ‘they’ refer to?
b) Which line talks about team spirit?
c) Pick out the rhyming words from the given lines.

E. Pair Work

Discuss with your partner and list out any five team games.

Practice Practice Exercises

a)What does ' it' stand for here?

b)Write the rhyme scheme for the above lines.

a) Whom does ‘they’ refer to?

b)Which line talks about team spirit?

c)Pick out the rhyming words from the given lines.

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2. .

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5.