Weigh Your Words by E. F. Hayward | Class 9 Kaveri: Full Explanation, Word Meanings, Themes & Questions
Can a single sentence remain in somebody’s memory long after the speaker has forgotten it? E. F. Hayward’s short, thoughtful poem “Weigh Your Words” suggests that it can. Words may comfort, encourage and build trust, but careless remarks and unrealistic promises may also cause lasting pain. The poet urges us to examine our language before we speak, to mean what we say and to respect the feelings of others.
This complete Class 9 Kaveri guide offers a stanza-wise summary, a two-column line-by-line explanation with contextual word meanings, close analysis of metaphors and the ABAB rhyme scheme, model examination answers, extract-based practice, higher-order questions and original MCQs. Students can use it both to understand the poem and to prepare clear, text-supported answers for school examinations. Most importantly, its lesson applies to everyday conversations, friendship and online communication: thoughtful words matter more than plentiful words.
Lesson at a Glance
Information | Details |
Title | Weigh Your Words |
Poet | E. F. Hayward |
Textbook | Kaveri, Class 9 (CBSE) |
Genre | Didactic or reflective lyric poem |
Structure | 4 quatrains; 16 lines |
Rhyme scheme | ABAB in each stanza |
Speaker | An advisory first-person voice addressing all readers |
Core ideas | Think before speaking; sincerity; accountability; emotional sensitivity |
Key images | Weighing words, a clean conscience, an aching heart, indelible writing |
Exam focus | Meanings, stanza interpretations, metaphor, symbolism, rhyme, inference |
Contents — Click to Jump to a Section
Stanza-Wise Summary of Weigh Your Words
The poem develops one moral argument in four short steps: measure your speech, honour trust, recognise emotional consequences and prefer meaningful words.
Stanza 1 — Speak only what you mean
The speaker asks readers to consider the weight of their words before uttering them. Honest, deliberate speech cuts down empty talk and protects one’s conscience from guilt.
Stanza 2 — Do not make careless promises
A casual remark or an unconsidered promise may be believed by a trusting person. When expectations collapse, the listener may suffer even if the speaker never meant harm.
Stanza 3 — Spoken words leave marks
The speaker warns that the sting of an idle word may be invisible to its author. Hurtful language can leave emotional marks that are difficult to remove, even after an apology.
Stanza 4 — Quality is more important than quantity
The poem returns to its opening image of weighing speech. Fewer but more carefully chosen sentences would carry greater significance and express more genuine feeling.
Related Class 9 reading: Words by Charles Swain: Class 9 Kaveri poem explained contrasts another poem about the value and influence of words.
Line-by-Line Explanation with Word Meanings — Two-Column Guide
The original line appears in the left column; the right column provides a faithful explanation, difficult word and phrase meanings, and a note on the poet’s technique. Line numbering follows the uploaded Kaveri extract.
Stanza 1 — Thinking before speaking
Original lines | Explanation and notes |
Line 1 If we would “weigh” the words we say, | Explanation: Before saying anything, we should consider its truth, necessity and likely consequences; speech is assessed as carefully as an object on a scale. Word and phrase meanings: weigh = judge or consider carefully; words we say = spoken statements Literary / examination note: Metaphor: words are treated as objects that can be weighed. |
Line 2 And speak but those we mean, | Explanation: We should express only what we sincerely intend. The poet discourages lies, exaggeration, insincere compliments and irresponsible declarations. Word and phrase meanings: but = only; mean = genuinely intend Literary / examination note: The line develops the value of sincerity. |
Line 3 We’d save a lot of talk each day, | Explanation: If we chose our words carefully, much unnecessary conversation and gossip would disappear. Speech would become concise and purposeful. Word and phrase meanings: We’d = we would; save = avoid wasting; a lot of talk = excessive speech Literary / examination note: Contrast between much talk and meaningful speech. |
Line 4 And keep our conscience clean. | Explanation: Honest, responsible communication saves us from guilt and regret because we have not deceived or needlessly injured others. Word and phrase meanings: conscience = inner moral sense; clean = free from guilt Literary / examination note: Metaphor: a clean conscience represents moral peace. |
Stanza 2 — Careless promises and trust
Original lines | Explanation and notes |
Line 5 The idle words we often speak, | Explanation: People frequently utter remarks without weighing their purpose or effect. A trivial remark to the speaker can have real consequences for someone listening. Word and phrase meanings: idle = thoughtless, unnecessary or without serious purpose; often = frequently Literary / examination note: The adjective idle carries criticism of careless speech. |
Line 6 And promises we make, | Explanation: We may assure others of things without asking whether we can keep our word. Each promise can create an expectation and carries responsibility. Word and phrase meanings: promises = commitments or assurances; make = give Literary / examination note: The poet expands the warning from remarks to commitments. |
Line 7 If given credence, by the weak, | Explanation: If emotionally vulnerable or unusually trusting listeners believe these words and promises, they may depend upon them. “Weak” refers here to susceptibility or vulnerability, not necessarily physical weakness. Word and phrase meanings: credence = belief or trust; given credence = accepted as true; the weak = vulnerable or impressionable people Literary / examination note: The conditional clause shows how harm depends on another person's trust. |
Line 8 May cause some heart to ache. | Explanation: A broken promise or misleading statement can bring disappointment and lasting sadness to the person who believed it. Word and phrase meanings: cause = bring about; ache = feel prolonged pain; heart = feelings Literary / examination note: Metaphor: the aching heart stands for emotional suffering. |
Stanza 3 — Words that cannot be erased
Original lines | Explanation and notes |
Line 9 We never know the pain and sting | Explanation: The speaker may not recognise the intensity of the pain that harsh or careless words inflict; the listener's hurt can remain hidden. Word and phrase meanings: pain = suffering; sting = a sharp hurt or wound Literary / examination note: Tactile imagery transfers the sensation of a sting to emotional injury. |
Line 10 An idle word may start; | Explanation: Even a single thoughtless remark can begin sadness, embarrassment, resentment or a damaging misunderstanding. Word and phrase meanings: idle word = careless remark; start = set in motion Literary / examination note: The single word highlights how small causes can have large effects. |
Line 11 We never can erase one thing, | Explanation: After our speech leaves a painful impression, we may not be able to remove it entirely. Regret and apologies may help, but they cannot guarantee forgetfulness. Word and phrase meanings: erase = rub out or remove completely; one thing = an emotional mark Literary / examination note: Metaphor: emotional consequences are compared to permanent writing. |
Line 12 We’ve written on a heart. | Explanation: The poet imagines feelings as a page on which words are recorded. What someone hears can stay in their memory and shape their future emotions. Word and phrase meanings: We’ve = we have; written on a heart = left a deep emotional impression Literary / examination note: Extended metaphor: the heart becomes a surface for writing. |
Stanza 4 — Fewer words, greater meaning
Original lines | Explanation and notes |
Line 13 ’Tis best to “weigh” each sentence well, | Explanation: The speaker repeats the poem's governing advice: examine every complete statement before speaking it, paying attention to accuracy, kindness and the likely outcome. Word and phrase meanings: ’Tis = it is; weigh = consider carefully; well = thoroughly Literary / examination note: Repetition of weigh links the conclusion to the opening. |
Line 14 And as I’ve said before, | Explanation: The speaker signals that the final point repeats and strengthens an earlier teaching. The message is a deliberate summary, not a new argument. Word and phrase meanings: I’ve = I have; before = earlier Literary / examination note: Direct self-reference reinforces the advisory voice. |
Line 15 Tho “we’d not have so much to tell, | Explanation: Thoughtful restraint might reduce how much we say; fewer unnecessary stories, boasts, gossip and complaints would remain. Word and phrase meanings: Tho = though; we’d = we would; so much to tell = many things to say Literary / examination note: Concession: the speaker acknowledges a smaller quantity of speech. |
Line 16 ’Twould mean a whole lot more. | Explanation: Those fewer words would have greater sincerity, significance and communicative power. The poem values depth over verbal volume. Word and phrase meanings: ’Twould = it would; a whole lot more = considerably more; mean = convey or signify Literary / examination note: Concluding contrast: quantity versus quality. |
Contextual Word and Phrase Meanings
All expressions below are listed in the order in which students encounter them in the poem.
Word / phrase | Meaning in context |
weigh | think carefully about the worth, meaning or consequences of words |
speak but those we mean | say only what we genuinely intend |
we’d | contraction of we would |
save a lot of talk | avoid empty, unnecessary or excessive speech |
conscience | our inner awareness of right and wrong |
keep our conscience clean | remain morally at peace and free from guilt |
idle words | careless, purposeless or insincere remarks |
promises we make | commitments or assurances given to others |
given credence | believed or taken to be true |
credence | belief, acceptance or trust |
the weak | people made vulnerable by trust or emotional sensitivity |
heart to ache | experience sadness, hurt or disappointment |
pain and sting | emotional suffering and sharp distress |
idle word may start | a thoughtless utterance may begin a harmful reaction |
erase | remove as if rubbing out writing |
written on a heart | left a deep, sometimes lasting emotional impression |
’Tis | contraction of it is |
weigh each sentence well | scrutinise the purpose and effect of every statement |
I’ve | contraction of I have |
Tho | shortened form of though or although |
so much to tell | so many things to say |
’Twould | contraction of it would |
a whole lot more | much greater meaning or significance |
Major Themes in Weigh Your Words
Careful speech as a moral responsibility
To weigh words is to recognise that communication affects other people. The speaker asks us to judge the truth, necessity and kindness of our statements before uttering them.
Sincerity and integrity
The phrase “those we mean” insists on a match between thought and speech. Empty assurances and exaggerations weaken trust; honest expression keeps the conscience clean.
Promises and vulnerability
The second stanza shows that listeners may place genuine hope in what others say. People who are vulnerable or especially trusting may be hurt when commitments are casually broken.
Unseen and lasting emotional pain
The speaker cannot always see the sting produced by a remark. The metaphor of words written on a heart conveys emotional memory and the difficulty of fully reversing hurt.
Quality over quantity
The final couplet contrasts saying less with meaning more. Purposeful, honest language is presented as superior to uncontrolled verbosity.
Empathy in everyday life
The lesson extends to friendships, family conversations, classrooms and messages on social media: empathy means pausing to consider how words might sound to another person.
For another Class 9 lesson that examines the significance of language, read Carrier of Words: Class 9 summary and vocabulary.
Poetic Devices with Textual Support
Device | Short textual reference | Explanation and effect |
Metaphor | “weigh” the words | Thoughtful judgment is compared with measuring an object on a balance; the abstract becomes concrete. |
Metaphor | “conscience clean” | Moral peace is pictured as cleanliness, highlighting the relationship between truthful speech and self-respect. |
Metaphor / symbolism | “heart to ache” | The heart stands for emotion; an ache signals sadness rather than literal bodily injury. |
Tactile imagery | “pain and sting” | Words are imagined as capable of a sharp, physical-seeming wound, intensifying the warning. |
Extended metaphor | “erase” / “written on a heart” | Emotional memory is compared to writing that cannot simply be rubbed away. |
Repetition | “weigh” in lines 1 and 13 | The recurring verb frames the whole argument and makes the moral instruction memorable. |
Enjambment | Lines 9–10 | The thought moves from the first line to the next without a full stop, linking cause and effect. |
End rhyme | say/day; mean/clean | Alternating end sounds establish the consistent ABAB rhyme scheme across four quatrains. |
Rhyme Scheme and Stanza Form
Each stanza is a quatrain (four-line verse). The alternating ABAB rhyme makes the moral advice memorable and gives the poem a steady, conversational rhythm.
Stanza | Rhyming words | Pattern |
Stanza 1 | say/day; mean/clean | ABAB |
Stanza 2 | speak/weak; make/ache | ABAB |
Stanza 3 | sting/thing; start/heart | ABAB |
Stanza 4 | well/tell; before/more | ABAB |
Why the Language Is Effective
The poet uses familiar ideas—weight, cleanliness, pain, and writing—to explain an abstract moral subject. These concrete images make the emotional consequences of speech easier for young readers to understand.
To review how sound contributes to poetry, explore Sound-Based Poetic Devices: The Music of Poetry.
Tone, Mood, Speaker and Significance of the Title
Tone, Mood and Speaker
The speaker's tone is advisory and reflective in the first stanza, more cautionary in the middle stanzas, and confidently instructive at the close. The mood moves from calm self-examination to concern for emotional hurt, then ends on a constructive note. The speaker includes the reader through “we”, making the lesson shared rather than accusatory.
Why the Title Matters
The title “Weigh Your Words” is an instruction and a metaphor. Literally, weighing means evaluating the mass of an object. Figuratively, it means judging the importance, accuracy and impact of speech. Because this image appears at the beginning and returns at the end, it unifies the poem.
Cause-and-Effect Learning Chart
This chart turns the poet’s message into everyday choices students can apply.
Speech habit | Possible effect | Better choice |
Thoughtless remark | A listener feels judged or embarrassed | Consider feelings before speaking |
Hasty promise | Someone trusts it and develops hopes | Promise only what can reasonably be fulfilled |
Unkind words | An emotional memory may linger | Apologise sincerely and change behaviour |
Conscious word choice | Fewer words carry clearer meaning | Prefer truth and empathy to empty talk |
Examination Questions and Complete Model Answers
A. Very Short-Answer Questions — 10
1. Who wrote “Weigh Your Words”?
Answer: E. F. Hayward.
2. How many stanzas and lines does the poem have?
Answer: It has four stanzas, with four lines in each: sixteen lines in total.
3. What does “weigh” mean in the title?
Answer: It means to think carefully about the meaning and consequences of words.
4. What does “but” mean in “speak but those we mean”?
Answer: It means “only”.
5. What does “conscience” refer to?
Answer: It refers to our inner sense of right and wrong.
6. Give one meaning of “idle words”.
Answer: Careless or purposeless remarks.
7. What does “credence” mean?
Answer: Belief or acceptance that something is true.
8. What does the “heart” symbolise?
Answer: It symbolises human emotions and feelings.
9. Identify the rhyme scheme of the first stanza.
Answer: ABAB: say/day and mean/clean.
10. Which value does the final line place above talking much?
Answer: Meaningful, sincere and well-considered communication.
B. Short-Answer Questions — 10
1. How can carefully chosen words help us keep a clean conscience?
Model answer: Careful word choice encourages honesty, accuracy and sensitivity. When we avoid deception, harsh accusations and commitments we cannot honour, we give others fewer reasons to feel injured or misled. We also protect ourselves from avoidable guilt. The “clean conscience” is thus a metaphor for the moral peace that follows responsible communication.
2. What is the difference between “idle words” and meaningful speech?
Model answer: Idle words are spoken without much purpose or thought, often to fill silence, impress someone or make a casual promise. Meaningful speech is deliberate, sincere and useful. The poet does not ask people to be silent all the time: he recommends reducing unnecessary statements so that their remaining words have more value.
3. How are careless promises connected with emotional pain?
Model answer: A promise may be made lightly by one person but trusted seriously by another. The listener may organise hopes or decisions around it. If the promise is not honoured, that trust can turn into disappointment or grief. The second stanza teaches that a speaker must consider the listener’s expectations as well as personal intentions.
4. Explain “given credence, by the weak” without taking “weak” literally.
Model answer: The phrase describes careless words and promises being accepted as true by vulnerable or especially trusting people. “Weak” need not describe physical strength or intelligence; in this context it indicates a person who may be less guarded against disappointment. The poet asks stronger communicators to be considerate rather than exploit such trust.
5. Why does the poet compare the effect of language with a sting?
Model answer: A sting causes a sharp, sudden hurt, and a cruel remark can produce a similar emotional reaction. The sensory comparison gives an invisible feeling a recognisable physical form. It also implies that a brief incident may leave discomfort after the original cause has passed.
6. What is suggested by the idea of writing on a heart?
Model answer: The heart represents a person's inner life, while writing suggests something recorded and remembered. The metaphor means that speech can leave durable emotional impressions. People may forget the exact conversation yet remember how someone made them feel. It explains why the poet insists on caution before speaking.
7. How does the structure reinforce the poem’s message?
Model answer: The poem has four balanced quatrains with a regular ABAB rhyme scheme. Its argument advances logically from self-control to promises, emotional harm and a final principle. The repeated word “weigh” appears in the first and last stanzas, enclosing the poem within a single moral instruction.
8. What contrast is established in the last two lines?
Model answer: The poet contrasts the quantity of speech with its quality. People who weigh their words may have “not ... so much to tell”, but what they do say would “mean a whole lot more”. The conclusion suggests that restraint increases meaning, clarity and sincerity rather than reducing communication’s value.
9. How is the poem relevant to online communication today?
Model answer: Messages and social-media comments can be sent quickly, forwarded widely and saved indefinitely. The poet’s advice applies directly: pause before posting, check whether a statement is true, avoid empty assurances and imagine the listener’s feelings. A few careful words often prevent larger misunderstandings and emotional damage.
10. Is the poem against speaking freely? Explain.
Model answer: No. The poem values purposeful expression rather than unthinking verbosity. It encourages people to speak honestly and meaningfully, not to suppress legitimate feelings or questions. Its concern is the irresponsible use of language: words that do not reflect intention, mislead listeners or create avoidable pain.
C. Long-Answer and Analytical Questions — 5
1. Discuss how “Weigh Your Words” links speech, conscience and social responsibility.
Model answer: The poem treats language as a moral action rather than a casual habit. At first, the speaker urges people to “weigh” their words and express only what they mean. This sincerity would reduce empty conversation and keep the conscience “clean”, a metaphor for freedom from guilt. In the second stanza, responsibility becomes social: unconsidered promises can be trusted by vulnerable listeners, who may be hurt when they are not fulfilled. The third stanza makes the warning more powerful through imagery of pain, sting and writing on a heart. Speech can leave a mark even when a speaker forgets it. Finally, the poet values meaningful restraint above talkativeness. Taken together, the stanzas suggest that ethical communication requires truthful intention, empathy for an audience and a willingness to accept the consequences of one's statements.
2. Analyse the imagery of emotional wounds in the third stanza.
Model answer: The third stanza is the poem's most vivid account of linguistic harm. The combination of “pain and sting” likens harsh speech to a bodily injury, suggesting that a brief remark can produce sharp distress. The speaker also admits that we may never know the suffering a careless word initiates. This uncertainty is crucial: an absence of visible tears does not prove that the listener is unharmed. The words “erase” and “written on a heart” extend the imagery into the metaphor of permanent writing. Emotional experience becomes a page on which language leaves marks. An apology may begin healing, yet it does not guarantee that memory will disappear. These images justify the poet's repeated instruction to consider words carefully before they are spoken.
3. How does the opening stanza prepare the reader for the final stanza?
Model answer: The opening stanza introduces the central metaphor of weighing words and identifies two benefits of careful speech: less meaningless talk and a clean conscience. This gives the poem a positive moral starting point. In the middle stanzas, the speaker demonstrates why such care is needed, describing broken hopes and emotional pain caused by idle words. The final stanza returns to the verb “weigh”, deliberately echoing the opening. The poet then develops the idea of “saving talk” into a clearer contrast: there might be fewer things to tell, but the words would mean much more. Thus, the poem progresses from advice through warning to a strengthened conclusion. The structural repetition unifies its message and ensures that readers remember the value of measured speech.
4. Evaluate the significance of trust and promises in the second stanza.
Model answer: The second stanza expands the poem's subject beyond everyday chatter to the expectations created by speech. A promise is not merely a sentence; it is an assurance on which another person may rely. The poet notes that idle remarks and promises may be given “credence” by “the weak”. In context, these are people who may be emotionally vulnerable or especially trusting. The speaker warns that when such trust is misplaced, a heart may ache. His point is not that listeners are foolish for believing others, but that speakers have a duty to be reliable. The stanza therefore links language to relationships: trust grows through honest commitments and is damaged by casual assurances that are not honoured. Responsible speakers should promise thoughtfully and act consistently with their words.
5. Explain how the poem remains relevant to students and modern communication.
Model answer: Although written in traditional, rhyming stanzas, “Weigh Your Words” addresses a timeless challenge. Students speak with classmates, teachers and family members and also communicate through texts, group chats and social media. A joke intended as harmless may embarrass a friend; a rumour may damage trust; and an impulsive promise may create false hope. The poem's metaphors help explain why such incidents matter. Words need to be “weighed”, while hurtful speech can be “written on a heart”. The solution is not total silence but thoughtful expression: verify facts, consider the audience, speak sincerely and apologise when necessary. The concluding contrast between having less to tell and meaning more encourages careful communication. The poem ultimately presents empathy and self-control as practical everyday skills.
D. Extract-Based Questions with Answers — 5 Sets
Extract 1: And keep our conscience clean.
a) Which action, mentioned earlier, helps maintain a clean conscience?
Answer: Thinking about our words and speaking only what we genuinely mean.
b) Explain “conscience clean”.
Answer: The speaker means a mind free from guilt caused by false or careless speech.
c) Identify one literary device.
Answer: Metaphor: a guilt-free conscience is imagined as something clean.
Extract 2: If given credence, by the weak,
a) What may be “given credence”?
Answer: Idle words and promises made without sufficient thought.
b) Who are “the weak” in this context?
Answer: People who may be vulnerable or unusually trusting.
c) What can follow if they believe these statements?
Answer: Disappointment or emotional pain when statements prove misleading or promises are broken.
Extract 3: May cause some heart to ache.
a) What is the cause of the ache?
Answer: Belief in careless words or promises that disappoint the listener.
b) Is the ache necessarily physical?
Answer: No. It primarily refers to emotional sadness and hurt.
c) What does “heart” symbolise?
Answer: Feelings, hopes and emotional life.
Extract 4: We’ve written on a heart.
a) Who is included in “we”?
Answer: The speaker and people generally, including readers.
b) What does “written” mean here?
Answer: To leave a lasting emotional impression through spoken words.
c) Why is this metaphor effective?
Answer: It compares remembered feelings to writing that cannot easily be erased.
Extract 5: ’Twould mean a whole lot more.
a) What would mean more?
Answer: The fewer, carefully selected words we spoke.
b) Which earlier idea is repeated in this stanza?
Answer: The advice to weigh each sentence before speaking.
c) State the central contrast.
Answer: The quality and depth of communication matter more than the amount of speech.
E. Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) — 5
1. Can a well-meant comment still hurt someone? Explain the poet’s likely view.
Reasoned answer: Yes. The third stanza distinguishes the speaker’s awareness from the listener’s experience: we may “never know” the pain a word starts. Good intentions do not remove the need for care. A responsible person notices reactions, listens and corrects a hurtful remark when necessary.
2. Does careful speech mean that truth should always be softened?
Reasoned answer: Not always. The poem advocates sincerity, not dishonesty or avoidance. A difficult truth may need to be spoken, but it can be expressed respectfully, with clear reasons and attention to timing. Thoughtful speech balances truth with empathy.
3. Is silence always preferable to speech according to the poem?
Reasoned answer: No. The last stanza values words that “mean a whole lot more”, showing that meaningful language remains essential. Silence can avoid idle chatter, but it can also fail someone who needs help or honest guidance. The wiser choice is purposeful communication.
4. How might the meaning change if the poem used “count” instead of “weigh”?
Reasoned answer: “Count” would emphasise the number of words, while “weigh” conveys judgment of their meaning, truth and possible harm. Because the poem concerns quality and consequences, “weigh” is the stronger and more appropriate metaphor.
5. Why might someone remember a hurtful sentence longer than the speaker does?
Reasoned answer: The speaker may regard the comment as trivial, whereas the listener may connect it with self-worth, trust or an important memory. The heart-writing metaphor illustrates this difference in experience. Ethical speech requires imagining consequences beyond the speaker’s immediate intention.
25 Original Multiple-Choice Questions — Practice Test
Choose the single best answer in each case. The complete explanatory key follows all 25 questions.
1. In the title, the verb “weigh” most nearly means:
(a) pronounce aloud
(b) consider carefully
(c) repeat frequently
(d) record in writing
2. What does “but” mean in “speak but those we mean”?
(a) however
(b) except
(c) almost
(d) only
3. According to stanza 1, careful speech would reduce:
(a) unnecessary talk
(b) useful learning
(c) friendships
(d) good advice
4. “Keep our conscience clean” suggests freedom from:
(a) physical tiredness
(b) all disagreement
(c) guilt and regret
(d) careful thought
5. “Idle words” are best understood as:
(a) poetic verses
(b) formal speeches
(c) thoughtless remarks
(d) secret plans
6. Why can a casual promise be harmful?
(a) A listener may seriously rely on it
(b) It always has legal consequences
(c) It makes everyone silent
(d) It changes the rhyme scheme
7. “Credence” refers to:
(a) anger
(b) entertainment
(c) doubt
(d) belief
8. Which group does “the weak” most reasonably describe in context?
(a) Those who speak loudly
(b) People who are especially vulnerable or trusting
(c) Those who refuse all help
(d) People who dislike books
9. What does “some heart to ache” chiefly indicate?
(a) emotional distress
(b) physical exercise
(c) intellectual curiosity
(d) sudden laughter
10. Which word creates a sharp physical sensation to suggest emotional hurt?
(a) conscience
(b) sentence
(c) promise
(d) sting
11. The phrase “written on a heart” is mainly a:
(a) literal medical description
(b) historical allusion
(c) metaphor for emotional memory
(d) statement about schoolwork
12. The use of “erase” suggests that hurtful words are:
(a) always forgotten immediately
(b) difficult to undo completely
(c) necessarily printed
(d) never spoken intentionally
13. What does the third stanza imply about the speaker’s awareness?
(a) The speaker may not know the listener’s pain
(b) Every listener reacts in the same way
(c) Apologies are forbidden
(d) A speaker never feels regret
14. “’Twould” is a shortened form of:
(a) we would
(b) there would
(c) they would
(d) it would
15. Which contrast is central to the final stanza?
(a) writing versus reading
(b) school versus home
(c) quantity versus quality of speech
(d) wealth versus poverty
16. How many quatrains are in the poem?
(a) four
(b) two
(c) three
(d) five
17. What is the rhyme scheme of each stanza?
(a) AABB
(b) ABAB
(c) ABBA
(d) AAAA
18. Which description best fits the poem’s purpose?
(a) A travel account
(b) A dramatic monologue about war
(c) A comic tale
(d) A moral reflection on language
19. The repeated use of “weigh” in the first and last stanzas chiefly:
(a) describes a weighing machine
(b) introduces a new character
(c) frames the central advice
(d) establishes a place
20. What connects idle words and casual promises in stanza 2?
(a) Both are always harmless
(b) Both can create hurt when believed
(c) Both must be written
(d) Both show complete silence
21. What makes the title especially appropriate?
(a) It sums up the need for considered speech
(b) It names a character in the poem
(c) It describes physical weights in a shop
(d) It identifies the setting
22. Which tone is most evident overall?
(a) boastful and mocking
(b) frightened and desperate
(c) advisory and cautionary
(d) celebratory and humorous
23. “We never know the pain and sting” reminds us that:
(a) every conversation is a conflict
(b) all words have the same impact
(c) everyone enjoys criticism
(d) another person's hurt may be unseen
24. Which online behaviour most closely follows the poem’s advice?
(a) Forwarding rumours immediately
(b) Checking a message before sending it
(c) Mocking a friend in public
(d) Making promises to gain approval
25. Which statement is the strongest inference from the poem?
(a) Responsible speakers consider how others may understand their words
(b) More words always communicate more wisdom
(c) Only promises can hurt a person
(d) The best speaker never says anything
MCQ Answer Key with Explanations
No. | Correct answer | Reason |
1 | (b) consider carefully | “Weigh” is a metaphor for evaluating speech before expressing it. |
2 | (d) only | Here “but” is the literary usage meaning “only”. |
3 | (a) unnecessary talk | The speaker imagines saving much empty daily talk. |
4 | (c) guilt and regret | A clean conscience symbolises moral peace. |
5 | (c) thoughtless remarks | Idle implies careless or purposeless language. |
6 | (a) A listener may seriously rely on it | Promises may create hopes that later lead to disappointment. |
7 | (d) belief | To give credence is to accept a statement as true. |
8 | (b) People who are especially vulnerable or trusting | The emphasis is emotional vulnerability and trust, not bodily strength. |
9 | (a) emotional distress | The heart stands for emotions, and aching for sadness. |
10 | (d) sting | “Sting” turns invisible sorrow into a vivid bodily sensation. |
11 | (c) metaphor for emotional memory | The heart is imagined as a page retaining painful impressions. |
12 | (b) difficult to undo completely | The poet warns that the emotional record may persist. |
13 | (a) The speaker may not know the listener’s pain | We may not know the pain an idle word begins. |
14 | (d) it would | The older contraction stands for “it would”. |
15 | (c) quantity versus quality of speech | The poem values fewer words that mean more. |
16 | (a) four | Its sixteen lines are arranged in four four-line stanzas. |
17 | (b) ABAB | Alternating end rhymes produce ABAB. |
18 | (d) A moral reflection on language | It is primarily a didactic, reflective poem about responsible speech. |
19 | (c) frames the central advice | The repeated metaphor connects the opening with the conclusion. |
20 | (b) Both can create hurt when believed | Whether remark or promise, careless speech can create painful expectations. |
21 | (a) It sums up the need for considered speech | The title encapsulates the dominant guiding metaphor. |
22 | (c) advisory and cautionary | The speaker advises and warns the reader about consequences. |
23 | (d) another person's hurt may be unseen | A listener’s emotional response may escape the speaker’s notice. |
24 | (b) Checking a message before sending it | Thoughtful review before sending reduces avoidable harm. |
25 | (a) Responsible speakers consider how others may understand their words | All four stanzas promote empathy, sincerity and care in speech. |
Ready Reckoner — Last-Minute Revision
Aspect | Remember this |
Poet | E. F. Hayward |
Form | Four quatrains, sixteen lines |
Rhyme | ABAB in each stanza |
Central advice | Weigh words before speaking |
Important phrases | Idle words; given credence; clean conscience |
Central metaphors | Weighing speech; words written on a heart |
Themes | Sincerity, empathy, promises, responsibility, meaningful speech |
Tone | Advisory and cautionary, ending constructively |
Ending | Fewer words may carry greater meaning |
Last-Minute Examination Tips
Explain “weigh” figuratively: consider the truth, purpose and consequences of speech.
Do not confuse “the weak” with physical weakness; discuss vulnerability and trust.
Distinguish the literal act of writing from the metaphor “written on a heart”.
Identify a poetic device and then explain its effect; naming it alone is incomplete.
Remember the ABAB rhyme scheme and the progression across all four stanzas.
Support analytical answers with short accurate references rather than long copied passages.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the central message of “Weigh Your Words”?
Think before speaking, be truthful and sensitive, and value the significance of words above their quantity.
2. Who is the poet of “Weigh Your Words”?
The poem is attributed in the supplied Class 9 Kaveri textbook extract to E. F. Hayward.
3. What is the rhyme scheme of “Weigh Your Words”?
Each stanza follows ABAB, with alternating end rhymes such as say/day and mean/clean.
4. What does “weigh your words” mean in simple English?
It means to pause and consider what you are about to say, why you are saying it and how it may affect someone.
5. What does “credence” mean in the second stanza?
Credence means belief or acceptance that a statement or promise is true.
6. Why is the heart described as a writing surface?
The metaphor shows that speech can leave emotionally important memories, sometimes difficult to erase.
7. What is the difference between “idle words” and honest words?
Idle words are careless or purposeless; honest words express a genuine intention and are chosen responsibly.
8. How should students answer questions on the poem’s literary devices?
Name the device, give a short accurate reference, and explain how it reinforces the poem’s warning about language.
Related Reading on English Mines
Explore these verified English Mines articles to deepen your knowledge of words, poetry and close reading.
Conclusion: Make Every Word Count
“Weigh Your Words” teaches that communication is not a race to speak more. A measured sentence can protect a friendship, honour a promise and leave another person feeling respected. Before speaking—especially when emotions run high—pause, consider your intention and imagine the listener’s experience.
Revise the four stanza meanings, learn the contextual vocabulary and practise the questions above. Carry the lesson beyond the classroom: choose words you can stand by.
Explore more literature and grammar lessons at English Mines™.
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Interactive Quiz — Weigh Your Words (35 Questions)
Put your understanding to the test. Complete the 35-question interactive assessment below, with instant explanations and a performance report.
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