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    This resource sheet provides information about an English class lesson on the poem "I Keep Six Honest Serving Men" by Rudyard Kipling. The poem uses the metaphor of "six honest serving men" to represent the questions what, why, when, how, where, and who. These questions help the speaker learn about the world objectively. However, over time the speaker has become complacent and stopped questioning, while children remain naturally curious.

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    This resource sheet provides information about an English class lesson on the poem "I Keep Six Honest Serving Men" by Rudyard Kipling. The poem uses the metaphor of "six honest serving men" to represent the questions what, why, when, how, where, and who. These questions help the speaker learn about the world objectively. However, over time the speaker has become complacent and stopped questioning, while children remain naturally curious.

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    3K views2 pages

    I Keep Six Honest Serving Men

    Uploaded by

    HALOLLOL
    This resource sheet provides information about an English class lesson on the poem "I Keep Six Honest Serving Men" by Rudyard Kipling. The poem uses the metaphor of "six honest serving men" to represent the questions what, why, when, how, where, and who. These questions help the speaker learn about the world objectively. However, over time the speaker has become complacent and stopped questioning, while children remain naturally curious.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    of 2

    ELPRO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

    Resource Sheet
    Session: 2020-21
    Name: Date :
    Subject: English Class: VI
    Prepared by: Mable Lobo Topic: L- 2 I Keep Six Honest Serving
    Men

    Summary

    This poem is about the poet’s way of learning about the world. The “serving men” are the
    questions he asks of the things around him: “what?” “why?” “when?” “how?” “where?” and
    “who?” These “men”/questions are honest because this is the best way to objectively learn
    the truth.
    The speaker seems open to learning new things and seeking the truth around the world. He
    essentially says that his questioning brain doesn’t actually function anymore, but is always
    “resting.”
    He no longer questions at all; he simply accepts his foundation of knowledge and does not
    challenge new claims or information as they come along.
    This is a satirical way of criticizing adults who become complacent about the world around
    them and become entirely “busy” and caught up in the motions of the daily grind without
    stopping to think about the significance of their actions or the events of the world around
    them.
    The second half of the second stanza and the final stanza are both talking about the refreshing
    curiosity of children. The speaker says he has become too lazy to take an active interest in the
    world around him, but his daughter (or some little girl he knows) has not.
    She is always looking around her and asking questions. This is like the two-year-old who
    can’t seem to stop asking “but why?” Saying that “different folk have different views”
    suggests that the speaker sees the child’s young toddler perspective as equal to his own,
    perhaps even superior.
    Overall, the poem is a reflection on the wisdom of children (who see the world around them
    with fresh eyes) and the stagnation of the adult spirit as life goes on.

    Answer the following:


    1. Who are the six honest serving men? Name them.
    Ans. The “serving men” are the questions the poet asks of the things around him. They are
    “what?” “why?” “when?” “how?” “where?” and “who?”.
    2. Why has the poet stopped questioning?
    Ans. The poet has stopped questioning because he has become busy with his daily activities and
    work.
    3. Why do you think the poet has become lazy?
    Ans. The poet has stopped questioning and is no longer curious about the things around him.
    Thus, he has lost interest in the world around him and become lazy.
    4. What message is the poet trying to convey through the poem?
    Ans. The poet is trying to say that adult spirit becomes stagnant as life goes on, however, small
    children are wise and are always curious about the world around them. The poet wants to convey
    the message that we should keep questioning and never lose the child in us.
    Reference to context

    1. Their names are What and Why and When

    And How and Where and Who.


    1. Name the poem and the poet.
    Ans. The poem is I Keep Six Honest Serving Men and the poet is Rudyard Kipling.
    2. Name the figure of speech used in the above lines.

    Ans. Alliteration (Alliteration is a series of words that begin with the same letter. Alliteration
    consists of the repetition of a sound or of a letter at the beginning of two or more words.)

    2. But after they have worked for me,


    I give them all a rest.
    I let them rest from nine till five,
    For I am busy then.
    1. Whom is poet talking about?
    Ans. The poet is talking about the six honest serving men/questions.
    2. What does the poet do from nine till five?
    Ans. The poet is busy with his work from nine till five and thus, gives rest to all the serving men.

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