The Stick Together Families (Poem)

The Stick-together Families

Edgar Albert Guest

Warm up

At the heart of life lie the relationships you have with other people: with family, classmates and friends close-by and far away. All relationships are based on some commonly accepted values like respect, honesty, consideration and commitment. Think about all the important relationships in your life and complete the table given below.

Relationship	What I value most about this relationship	Things that may/do cause unpleasantness in this relationship	What could I do to improve this relationship?
Grandparents
Parents
Siblings
Friends
Teachers

The Poem

The stick-together families are happier by far
Than the brothers and the sisters who take separate highways are.
The gladdest people living are the wholesome folks who make
A circle at the fireside that no power but death can break.
And the finest of conventions ever held beneath the sun
Are the little family gatherings when the busy day is done.

There are rich folk, there are poor folk, who imagine they are wise,
And they're very quick to shatter all the little family ties.
Each goes searching after pleasure in his own selected way,
Each with strangers likes to wander, and with strangers likes to play.
But it's bitterness they harvest, and it's empty joy they find,
For the children that are wisest are the stick-together kind.

There are some who seem to fancy that for gladness they must roam,
That for smiles that are the brightest they must wander far from home.
That the strange friend is the true friend, and they travel far astray
They waste their lives in striving for a joy that's far away,
But the gladdest sort of people, when the busy day is done,
Are the brothers and the sisters who together share their fun.

It's the stick-together family that wins the joys of earth,
That hears the sweetest music and that finds the finest mirth;
It's the old home roof that shelters all the charm that life can give;
There you find the gladdest play-ground, there the happiest spot to live.
And, O weary, wandering brother, if contentment you would win,
Come you back unto the fireside and be comrade with your kin.

Glossary

• conventions (n) – a large formal meeting of people who have a similar interest
• shatter (v) – to break suddenly into very small pieces
• astray (adv.) – away from the correct path or correct way of doing something
• mirth (n) – laughter, humour or happiness
• comrade (n) – a friend

A. Based on your understanding of the poem, answer the questions in a sentence or two.

1. The gladdest people living are the wholesome folks who make
   A circle at the fireside that no power but death can break.
   a. Who are the gladdest people living?
   b. Where do they gather?
   c. What can break their unity?

2. And the finest of conventions ever held beneath the sun
   Are the little family gatherings when the busy day is done.
   a. When do they have their family gatherings?
   b. Where do they have their family conventions?
   c. What does the poet mean by ‘finest conventions’?

3. There are rich folk, there are poor folk, who imagine they are wise,
   And they're very quick to shatter all the little family ties.
   a. What do the rich and poor folk imagine themselves to be?
   b. What do they do to their families?
   c. Whom does ‘they’ refer to?

4. There are some who seem to fancy that for gladness they must roam,
   That for smiles that are the brightest they must wander far from home
   a. Why do they roam?
   b. According to them, when do they get bright smiles?

5. But the gladdest sort of people, when the busy day is done,
   Are the brothers and the sisters who together share their fun.
   a. Who are the gladdest people?
   b. When do they share their fun?
   c. What does ‘who’ refer to?

6. It's the stick-together family that wins the joys of earth,
   That hears the sweetest music and that finds the finest mirth;
   a. Who wins the joys of the earth?
   b. How do they find their joy?
   c. What does the poet mean by ‘stick-together family’?

B. Based on the understanding of the poem, fill in the blanks using the words and phrases given below to make a meaningful summary of the poem.

brothers and sisters, rich and the poor folk, bitterness, joint family, shatter their family, separate ways, share their fun, the joy of earth, charm of life, stick-together families

The poet brings out the difference in the attitudes of children living in joint family and nuclear family. The stick-together families are the happiest of all. Whereas the brothers and sisters of nuclear families take separate ways. The gladdest people are the children from joint family who circle near the fireside. No power other than death can break them. The rich and the poor folk imagine themselves to be wise and in the process they shatter their family ties. Each of them goes searching for pleasure in their own selected way. They harvest only bitterness and find empty joy. But the wisest among them are the children of the stick-together families. When the busy day is done, they together share their fun. The stick-together family wins the joy of earth. The old house shelters all the charm of life. The poet invites wandering brothers to come and join the stick-together families in their fireside and have fun.

C. Answer the following questions in about 80–100 words.

1. The stick-together families are the happiest of all. Explain.
2. Bring out the difference between the children of the joint family and nuclear family.

Figure of Speech

Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is given human qualities or abilities.
E.g. It’s the stick-together family that wins the joys of earth,...

Imagery

Imagery means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses.
E.g. That hears the sweetest music...

Metaphor

Metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated, but which share some common characteristics.
E.g. It’s the old home roof that shelters....
There you find the gladdest play-ground...

D. Answer the following

1. There are rich folk, there are poor folk, who imagine they are wise,...
   Pick out the words in alliteration.

2. Mention the rhyme scheme of the poem.

Listening

E. Listen to the passage and fill in the blanks with appropriate answer.

1. A person is valued based on his ___.
2. ___ does not happen overnight.
3. A close family bond is like a ___.
4. A strong foundation for any individual comes from being with a ____.
5. A gift not only with __, but __ who care and love us beyond themselves.

Speaking

F. “The building actually rests on the well laid out foundation and hence is strong and still.” How can this be related to a family? Discuss with your partner and share your views in the class.

Writing

G. Write a four-line poem with rhyming words describing your family.

Read and Enjoy

Memories of My Dad

Rebecca D. Cook

He wasn’t a hero
Known by the world,
But a hero he was
To his little girl.

My daddy was God,
Who knew all things.
And better than Santa,
With the gifts he’d bring.

I knew his voice
Before I could speak.
And loved it when
He would sing me to sleep.

He taught me life’s lessons
Of right from wrong
And instilled in me values
That I might be strong.

And so, dear Dad
My best memory to recall
Is the gift of your presence,
The greatest gift of all.

Practice Practice Exercises

a. Who are the gladdest people living ?

b. Where do they gather?

c. What can break their unity?

a. When do they have their family gatherings?

b. Where do they have their family conventions?

c. What does the poet mean by ‘finest conventions'?

a. What do the rich and poor folk imagine themselves to be?

b. What do they do to their families?

c. Whom does 'they' refer to?

a. Why do they roam?

b. According to them, when do they get bright smiles?

a. Who are the gladdest people?

b. When do they share their fun?

c. What does 'who' refer to?

a. Who wins the joys of the earth?

b. How do they find their joy?

c. What does the poet mean by 'stick-together family'?

The poet brings out the difference in the attitudes of children living in joint family and nuclear family. The are the happiest of all. Where as the of nuclear families take The gladdest people are the children from who circle near the fireside. No power other than death can break them. The imagine themselves to be wise and in the process they ties. Each of them goes searching for pleasure in their own selected way. They harvest only and find empty joy. But the wisest among them are the children of the stick-together families. When the busy day is done, they together The stick-together family wins The old house shelters all the The poet invites wandering brothers to come and join the stick-together families in their fireside and have fun.

1. The stick-together families are the happiest of all. Explain.

2. Bring out the difference between the children of the joint family and nuclear family

1. There are rich folk, there are poor folk , who imagine they are wise , Pick out the words in alliteration.

2. Mention the rhyme scheme of the poem.

1. A person is valued based on his

2. does not happen overnight.

3. A close family bond is like a .

4. A strong foundation for any individual comes from being with a .

5. A gift not only with but who care and love us beyond themselves.