Class 8 English Honeydew Poem 4 Summary is available here. This summary is created by the subject experts of CBSE Wale. The poem is included in the Honeydew reader book, which is the main English textbook for Class 8 students. By reading this summary, students can better understand the poem and improve their English language skills.
The Last Bargain Class 8 English Honeydew Poem 4 Summary
The Last Bargain Short Summary
This poem is about a person who is searching for a job. The person wants a job where they can still be free. They get three job offers but they refuse them all. The first offer is from a king who wants to give them power in return for their work. The second offer is from a rich man who wants to give them lots of gold. The third offer is from a beautiful girl who wants to give them smiles. Finally, they find a child playing on the beach who offers them nothing in return for their work. The person accepts this offer because they can still be free.
The Last Bargain Short Summary In Hindi
यह कविता एक ऐसे व्यक्ति के बारे में है जो नौकरी की तलाश कर रहा है। व्यक्ति ऐसी नौकरी चाहता है जहां वे अभी भी मुक्त हो सकें। उन्हें नौकरी के तीन प्रस्ताव मिलते हैं लेकिन वे सभी को मना कर देते हैं। पहला प्रस्ताव एक राजा की ओर से है जो उन्हें उनके काम के बदले में सत्ता देना चाहता है। दूसरा प्रस्ताव एक अमीर आदमी का है जो उन्हें ढेर सारा सोना देना चाहता है। तीसरा ऑफर एक खूबसूरत लड़की का है जो उन्हें मुस्कान देना चाहती है। अंत में, वे एक बच्चे को समुद्र तट पर खेलते हुए पाते हैं जो उन्हें उनके काम के बदले में कुछ भी नहीं देता है। व्यक्ति इस प्रस्ताव को स्वीकार करता है क्योंकि वे अभी भी मुक्त हो सकते हैं।
The Last Bargain Summary
The Last Bargain is a famous poem written by Rabindranath Tagore, which tells the story of a man who is looking for a job that allows him to work without losing his freedom. Despite receiving tempting offers from powerful, rich, and beautiful people, the man rejects all of them. He finally accepts an offer from a child, which he considers to be the last and best bargain.
In the poem The Last Bargain, the speaker receives the first offer from a King in the morning. The King is more powerful than wealthy, so he offers the speaker power in exchange for his services. However, the speaker does not think that power is valuable enough because it may fade away quickly. Therefore, the speaker decides to decline the King’s offer.
The speaker receives the second offer from a rich man in the middle of the day. The rich man offers the speaker a large amount of gold in exchange for his services. However, the speaker does not feel attracted to the offer of wealth and gold. He realises that money will be spent soon and cannot buy everlasting happiness. Therefore, the speaker declines the rich man’s offer as well.
Later that day, the speaker in the poem The Last Bargain encounters a beautiful girl surrounded by natural beauty and flowers. She offers him smiles in return for his services, but the speaker perceives her happiness as a disguise for sorrow. He does not feel that her offer is suitable for him and therefore declines it as well.
As the speaker continues walking, he eventually arrives at the seashore where he discovers an innocent child playing with seashells. The speaker joins in and plays with the child. The child offers the speaker nothing in return for his labour, but the speaker happily accepts the offer. He realises that playing with the child allows him to keep his freedom and experience pure and everlasting happiness. This final offer becomes the last bargain, which the speaker accepts because he refuses to compromise his freedom.
The Last Bargain Summary In Hindi
द लास्ट बार्गेन रवींद्रनाथ टैगोर द्वारा लिखी गई एक प्रसिद्ध कविता है, जो एक ऐसे व्यक्ति की कहानी बताती है जो एक ऐसी नौकरी की तलाश में है जो उसे अपनी स्वतंत्रता खोए बिना काम करने की अनुमति देती है। शक्तिशाली, धनी और सुंदर लोगों से लुभावने प्रस्ताव मिलने के बावजूद, आदमी उन सभी को अस्वीकार कर देता है। वह अंत में एक बच्चे से एक प्रस्ताव स्वीकार करता है, जिसे वह अंतिम और सबसे अच्छा सौदा मानता है।
द लास्ट बार्गेन कविता में, वक्ता को सुबह राजा से पहला प्रस्ताव मिलता है। राजा धनवान से अधिक शक्तिशाली होता है, इसलिए वह अपनी सेवाओं के बदले वक्ता को शक्ति प्रदान करता है। हालाँकि, वक्ता यह नहीं सोचता है कि शक्ति पर्याप्त मूल्यवान है क्योंकि यह जल्दी से दूर हो सकती है। इसलिए, अध्यक्ष ने राजा के प्रस्ताव को अस्वीकार करने का निर्णय लिया।
वक्ता को दिन के मध्य में एक अमीर आदमी से दूसरा प्रस्ताव मिलता है। अमीर आदमी वक्ता को उसकी सेवाओं के बदले बड़ी मात्रा में सोना प्रदान करता है। हालांकि, वक्ता धन और सोने की पेशकश के प्रति आकर्षित महसूस नहीं करता है। उसे पता चलता है कि पैसा जल्द ही खर्च हो जाएगा और वह हमेशा की खुशी नहीं खरीद सकता। इसलिए वक्ता अमीर आदमी के प्रस्ताव को भी अस्वीकार कर देता है।
उस दिन बाद में, द लास्ट बार्गेन कविता में वक्ता का सामना प्राकृतिक सुंदरता और फूलों से घिरी एक खूबसूरत लड़की से होता है। वह उसकी सेवाओं के बदले में उसे मुस्कान प्रदान करती है, लेकिन वक्ता उसकी खुशी को दुःख के भेष के रूप में देखता है। उसे नहीं लगता कि उसका प्रस्ताव उसके लिए उपयुक्त है और इसलिए उसे भी अस्वीकार कर देता है।
जैसा कि वक्ता चलना जारी रखता है, वह अंततः समुद्र के किनारे पहुंचता है जहां वह एक मासूम बच्चे को सीपियों से खेलता हुआ पाता है। वक्ता इसमें शामिल होता है और बच्चे के साथ खेलता है। बच्चा वक्ता को उसकी मेहनत के बदले में कुछ नहीं देता, लेकिन वक्ता खुशी-खुशी उस प्रस्ताव को स्वीकार कर लेता है। उसे पता चलता है कि बच्चे के साथ खेलने से उसे अपनी स्वतंत्रता बनाए रखने और शुद्ध और चिरस्थायी खुशी का अनुभव करने की अनुमति मिलती है। यह अंतिम प्रस्ताव अंतिम सौदा बन जाता है, जिसे वक्ता स्वीकार कर लेता है क्योंकि वह अपनी स्वतंत्रता से समझौता करने से इनकार करता है।
The Explanation of the Poem “The Last Bargain”
Stanza 1
“Come and hire me,” I cried, while in the morning
I was walking on the stone-paved road.
Sword in hand the King came in his chariot.
He held my hand and said, “I will hire you with my power,”
But his power counted for naught, and he went away in his chariot.
Important Word Meaning
Hire: To hire means to employ someone to perform a particular job or task in exchange for payment or compensation.
Stone-paved road: A stone-paved road is a type of road or pathway that is constructed using natural or synthetic stones.
Sword: A sword is a long-bladed weapon that is used for cutting, thrusting, or stabbing.
Chariot: A chariot is a type of two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle that is typically pulled by horses.
Naught: The word “naught” is an old-fashioned way of saying “nothing”. It means having no value, worth, or significance.
Explanation
This stanza is describing the speaker’s encounter with a King while walking on a stone-paved road in the morning. The speaker calls out, asking for someone to hire him. The King, holding a sword and riding in a chariot, approaches the speaker and offers to hire him with his power. However, the speaker does not find the King’s power valuable enough and declines the offer. The King ultimately leaves in his chariot, and the speaker continues his search for a job that allows him to work without losing his freedom.
Poetic Devices
Repetition – The poet has repeated the words ‘hire’, ‘chariot’ and ‘power’ have been repeated.
Consonance – There is a prominent sound of the consonant ‘d’ in He held my hand and said.
Imagery – The poet has given the visual description of the king – Sword in hand the king came in his chariot.
Enjambment – The sentences are being continued to the next line without a break. It can be seen in the first line.
Alliteration – It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the letter ‘h’ in He held my hand.
Assonance – There is a prominent sound of the vowel ‘i’ in “Sword in hand the king came in his chariot” and in “I will hire you with”.
Stanza 2
In the heat of the mid-day the houses stood with shut doors.
I wandered along the crooked lane.
An old man came out with his bag of gold. He
Pondered and said, “I will hire you with my
Money.” He weighed his coins one by one,
But I turned away.
Important Word Meaning
Mid-day: Mid-day refers to the middle part of the day, specifically the time around noon when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
Wandered: To wander means to walk aimlessly, without a specific destination or purpose.
Crooked lane: The phrase “crooked lane” refers to a street or path that is not straight, but rather has twists and turns, making it difficult to navigate. In the context of the poem, the speaker is walking along this lane, which may symbolise the challenges and uncertainties of life’s journey.
Pondered: “Pondered” means to think about something carefully and deeply, typically before making a decision. In the given stanza, the old man thinks deeply about hiring the speaker with his money.
Weighed: “Weighed” refers to the act of measuring the weight of something using a scale or a balance. In the context of the stanza, the old man weighed his coins one by one to show off his wealth and offer it to the speaker as payment for his services.
Explanation
In this stanza of the poem, the speaker is walking on a crooked lane during the hot mid-day, and all the houses have their doors shut. As he walks, an old man comes out with a bag of gold and offers to hire the speaker with his money. The old man takes out the coins from his bag and weighs them one by one, but the speaker refuses the offer and turns away.
Poetic Devices
Alliteration: It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the letter, ‘H’ in “He weighed his” and ‘O’ in “old man came out”.
|Assonance: There is a prominent sound of the vowel ‘i’ in I will hire you with.
Repetition: The poet has repeated the word ‘one’.
Refrain: The phrase “I will hire you with my” has been repeated.
Imagery: The poet has given the visual description of the place in the first two lines.
Symbolism: Here, ‘bag of gold’ is a symbol of huge wealth.
Stanza 3
It was evening. The garden hedge was all a flower.
The fair maid came out and said,
“I will hire you with a smile.”
Her smile paled and melted into tears, and she went
Back alone into the dark.
Important Word Meaning
Hedge: A hedge is a row of closely planted shrubs or small trees forming a barrier or boundary. It can also refer to a fence made of closely planted bushes or shrubs.
Fair maid: A fair maid refers to a young woman who is beautiful and attractive in appearance.
Paled: The word “paled” in this context means that the smile lost its brightness or intensity. It suggests that the fair maid’s smile, which was initially bright and inviting, faded away and turned into tears.
Explanation
In this stanza, the scene is set in the evening when the garden hedge was full of flowers. The fair maid appears and offers to hire the speaker with a smile. However, as soon as she smiles, it turns into tears and she goes back alone into the darkness. This could suggest that the fair maid may have been going through some emotional turmoil and was unable to keep up a facade of happiness. It also emphasises the fleeting nature of happiness and how it can quickly turn into sorrow.
Poetic Devices
Assonance: There is a prominent sound of the vowel ‘i’ in “I will hire you with.”
Consonance: There is a prominent sound of the consonant ‘l’ in “Her smile paled and melted.”
Symbolism: ‘Smile’ here is a symbol of beauty.
Imagery: The poet has given the visual description of the scene throughout the stanza.
Repetition: The poet has repeated the word ‘smile’.
Stanza 4
The sun glistened on the sand, and the sea waves broke waywardly.
A child sat playing with shells.
He raised his head and seemed to know me and said, “I hire you with nothing.”
From henceforward that bargain struck in child’s play made me a free man.
Important Word Meaning
Glistened: “Glistened” means to shine or sparkle brightly, typically because of reflecting light. In the given stanza, the poet describes the sun glistening on the sand, meaning that the sand was shining or sparkling because of the reflection of sunlight.
Waywardly: “Waywardly” is an adverb that means to move or behave in an erratic or unpredictable way, often contrary to the desired course or direction. In the given stanza, the poet uses the word to describe the behaviour of the sea waves which are breaking unpredictably or without following a specific pattern.
Shells: In this context, shells refer to seashells, which the child is playing with on the beach.
Henceforward: “Henceforward” means from now on or from this point forward. In the context of the stanza, it means that from the moment the child offered to hire the speaker with nothing, the speaker became a free man.
Bargain: A bargain is an agreement between two parties where they agree to exchange goods, services, or money. It usually involves negotiating the terms and conditions of the exchange, such as the price, delivery date, or quantity. In this context, the child in the poem offered the speaker a “bargain” of hiring him with nothing, which made the speaker a free man.
Struck: In this context, the word “struck” means to make an agreement or a deal. The child’s statement “I hire you with nothing” can be seen as a metaphorical bargain or agreement that freed the speaker from the idea that he needed material possessions or external validation to be happy.
Explanation
In this stanza, the speaker describes the scene of a beach where the sun is shining and the waves of the sea are breaking irregularly. A child is sitting on the beach playing with shells. The child looks up, recognizes the speaker, and tells him that he will hire him with nothing. The speaker realises that the child’s playful gesture was an offer of freedom, and he accepts it. This seemingly insignificant interaction with a child on the beach transforms the speaker’s life by making him a free man. The stanza highlights the idea that true freedom and happiness come not from wealth or power but from simple, pure gestures of kindness and love.
Poetic Devices
Assonance: There is a prominent sound of the vowel ‘i’ in “I will hire you with nothing.”
Consonance: There is a prominent sound of the consonant ‘D’ in “He realised his head and seemed”, ‘S’ in “sun glistened on the sand, and the sea waves” and ‘N’ in “sun glistened on the sand, and”.
Imagery: The poet has given the visual description of the scene – |
“The sun glistened on the sand, and the sea
Waves broke waywardly”
Alliteration: It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the letter ‘M’ in “made me a free man.”, ‘H’ in “He realised his head.” and ‘W’ in “Waves broke waywardly.”
Repetition: The poet has repeated the word ‘child’.
Poet of the Poem “The Last Bargain”
The poet of the poem “The Last Bargain” is Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali poet, writer, composer, and philosopher.
About the Poet of the Poem “The Last Bargain”
Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali polymath and the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. He was a poet, philosopher, musician, writer, and painter. Born on May 7, 1861, in Calcutta, British India, Tagore belonged to a prominent family of intellectuals and artists. He began writing poetry at an early age and published his first collection of poems at the age of 17. His works include poetry, songs, essays, novels, plays, and short stories. Some of his notable works include Gitanjali, The Home and the World, and Ghare-Baire. Tagore’s writings often reflected his critique of the social and political system of his time and his belief in universal humanism. He died on August 7, 1941, in Calcutta, British India, at the age of 80.
Theme of the Poem “The Last Bargain”
The theme of the poem “The Last Bargain” revolves around the idea that true happiness and contentment cannot be achieved through material possessions or wealth.
Main Idea of the Poem “The Last Bargain”
The main idea of the poem “The Last Bargain” is that material possessions, such as wealth and power, are not as important as freedom and happiness. The speaker encounters three different characters who offer to hire him, but he ultimately refuses their offers because he values his freedom and independence more than material gain. The poem emphasises the idea that true happiness comes from within and cannot be bought with money or power.
Moral of the Poem “The Last Bargain”
The poem teaches us that material possessions and wealth are temporary and do not bring true happiness or fulfilment. The speaker realises this through his encounters with different people offering him wealth in exchange for his services. In the end, he learns that true freedom comes from being content with what we have and not being bound by the desire for material gain. Therefore, the moral of the poem is that contentment is the greatest wealth.
Message of the Poem “The Last Bargain”
The message of the poem “The Last Bargain” is that true happiness and contentment cannot be found in material possessions such as wealth, power or beauty. The speaker learns this lesson through his encounters with various people who offer to hire him with their wealth, their smile, or nothing at all. In the end, he realizes that true freedom comes from within and that one should not be enslaved by the pursuit of material possessions. The poem encourages readers to seek happiness and contentment within themselves rather than in external factors.
Conclusion of the Poem “The Last Bargain”
In conclusion, the poem “The Last Bargain” by Rabindranath Tagore conveys a powerful message about the importance of valuing inner qualities and virtues over material possessions. The speaker learns through three encounters with different individuals that hiring someone or being hired with wealth, smile, or nothing does not hold any value in the face of the fleeting nature of life. Ultimately, the poem encourages readers to embrace the idea that true freedom and contentment lie in the pursuit of inner peace and self-fulfilment rather than in the accumulation of wealth and power.
Rhyme Scheme of the poem “The Last Bargain”
There is no rhyme scheme in The poem “The Last Bargain”. The poem is written in free verse.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To The Poem The Last Bargain
Question 1. How did the speaker react to the old man’s offer in the poem “The Last Bargain”?
Answer. The speaker in the poem “The Last Bargain” turned down the old man’s offer of hiring him with his wealth. The speaker realises that wealth is not something he needs since like power it does not last forever. He understands that money cannot make the old man young again nor it can cool the weather. Therefore, he turns away from the old man and his offer of wealth.
Question 2. Why does the speaker deny the king’s proposal in the poem “The Last Bargain”?
Answer. The speaker denies the king’s proposal in the poem “The Last Bargain” because he understands that wealth and power are not everlasting. He realises that he does not need wealth and power to be happy and free. The speaker understands that the old man and the king are both offering him things that do not have any real value in life. Instead, the speaker wants to be free and independent.
Question 3. Why did the king go away in his chariot in the poem “The Last Bargain”?
Answer. The king goes away in his chariot in the poem “The Last Bargain” because the speaker denies his proposal. The king had offered the speaker a job in exchange for his service, but the speaker refused, stating that he cannot be hired with power or wealth. The king understood the speaker’s point of view and left in his chariot.
Question 4. Who said “I will hire you with a smile” in the poem “The Last Bargain”?
Answer. In the poem “The Last Bargain,” the fair maid said, “I will hire you with a smile.”
Question 5. What did the old man want? Was he successful in his bargain in the poem “The Last Bargain”?
Answer. In the poem “The Last Bargain”, the old man came out of his house with a bag of gold and offered to hire the speaker with his money. He weighed his coins one by one to show off his wealth, but the speaker turned away from the offer. The old man seemed to be in search of someone who could work for him in exchange for money, but he was unsuccessful in his bargain as the speaker declined his offer, realising that wealth is not everything in life.
Question 6. Explain the meaning of “I hire you with nothing” told by the child in the poem “The Last Bargain”?
Answer. In the poem “The Last Bargain,” the child says, “I hire you with nothing” to the speaker. This means that the child is offering the speaker a job without any material rewards or compensation. The child is innocent and does not understand the concept of money or payment, and instead, offers the speaker a job purely out of kindness and friendship. The child’s offer becomes a valuable lesson for the speaker, who realises that true happiness and freedom come from serving others without any expectation of material rewards.
Question 7. Who is the speaker in the poem “The Last Bargain”?
Answer. Rabindranath Tagore is the speaker in the poem “The Last Bargain”.
Question 8. How did the speaker feel after talking to the child on the beach in the poem “The Last Bargain”?
Answer. In the poem “The Last Bargain”, the speaker felt liberated and became a free man after the child on the beach told him “I hire you with nothing”. The child’s simple statement made the speaker realise that true happiness and freedom cannot be attained through material possessions or wealth. This encounter with the child made a profound impact on the speaker’s life, leading him to understand the value of true freedom and contentment.
Question 9. Who is the poet of the poem ‘The Last Bargain?
Answer. The poet of the poem “The Last Bargain” is Rabindranath Tagore.
Question 10. Who came first to the speaker for the bargain in the poem “The Last Bargain”?
Answer. In the poem “The Last Bargain,” the king came first to the speaker for the bargain.