Harvest Hymn — Class 8 MCQs with Answers
Class 8 CBSE English · Chapter 11
48 practice questions · 16 Easy · 16 Medium · 16 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 8 CBSE English questions from Chapter 11, "Harvest Hymn". You get 6 timed quizzes made from 48 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 16 Easy, 16 Medium and 16 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that top scorers in CBSE Board exams get right.
To score well in "Harvest Hymn", focus on comprehension, grammar and writing skills. Each MCQ here is timed and uses exam-style marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped). This helps you stay accurate when time is short, just as real papers need. Every question has a short explanation, so a wrong answer becomes a quick lesson. It is the fastest way to fix gaps before a test.
Use this chapter for focused revision. Start with the Easy set to check your basics on Harvest Hymn, then move to Medium and Hard to practise applying them. Your accuracy, streaks and XP save automatically. This chapter also adds to your overall Class 8 English mastery score. 9 sample questions are solved in full below, with the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in free to start practising.
Harvest Hymn — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 8 English)
9 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation.
- Q1Easy
Who is the poet who wrote 'Harvest Hymn'?
A.William WordsworthB.Matthias ClaudiusC.John Betjeman✓ CorrectD.Ted HughesAnswer: C. John Betjeman
Explanation: The satirical poem 'Harvest Hymn' was written by the English poet John Betjeman.
- Q2Easy
'Harvest Hymn' is written as a parody of which kind of song?
A.A traditional harvest thanksgiving hymn✓ CorrectB.A modern pop songC.A national anthemD.A children's lullabyAnswer: A. A traditional harvest thanksgiving hymn
Explanation: Betjeman imitates the well-known harvest thanksgiving hymn 'We Plough the Fields and Scatter' and twists its meaning.
- Q3Easy
In the poem, what do the farmers spray and scatter over their fields?
A.Fresh waterB.Good seedC.Fertiliser aloneD.Poison✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Poison
Explanation: The opening lines describe how the farmers scatter 'the poison on the ground' instead of seed.
- Q4Medium
By calling the flowers 'wicked wild flowers', the farmer shows that he judges wild plants as bad simply because they —
A.are poisonous to eatB.bring him no profit✓ CorrectC.grow too slowlyD.attract too many touristsAnswer: B. bring him no profit
Explanation: Harmless wild flowers are branded 'wicked' only because they are useless for money, exposing the farmer's greedy outlook.
- Q5Medium
From the poem, we can best infer that the cottages destroyed by the fire were —
A.newly built by the farmersB.empty and uselessC.never really thereD.old family homes of earlier generations✓ CorrectAnswer: D. old family homes of earlier generations
Explanation: They are the cottages 'from which our fathers came', carrying the farmers' own family history — now burnt for profit.
- Q6Medium
The long list of Jaguars, deep-freeze and telly lounge is included mainly to show the farmers' —
A.greed and love of material comfort✓ CorrectB.kindness to their neighboursC.deep respect for traditionD.fear of falling into povertyAnswer: A. greed and love of material comfort
Explanation: The catalogue of luxuries stresses that profit and possessions, not care for the land, drive the farmers.
- Q7Hard
The deepest irony of 'Harvest Hymn' is that —
A.a song of thanksgiving is used to celebrate the very destruction of nature it should be grateful for✓ CorrectB.the farmers cannot actually singC.the harvest completely fails in the endD.the poem never mentions God at allAnswer: A. a song of thanksgiving is used to celebrate the very destruction of nature it should be grateful for
Explanation: A hymn should thank God for nature's gifts; here the form praises poisoning and burning the land, inverting its whole purpose.
- Q8Hard
The contrast at the heart of the poem is between —
A.summer and winter weatherB.rich farmers and poor farmersC.England and other countriesD.the natural, living countryside and man-made, profit-driven change✓ CorrectAnswer: D. the natural, living countryside and man-made, profit-driven change
Explanation: Living hedges, oaks and wild flowers are set against poison, concrete and cars — nature versus mechanised greed.
- Q9Hard
Betjeman lets the farmers speak in their own voice mainly so that —
A.the reader will admire their honestyB.the poem will sound like a news reportC.they condemn themselves through their own proud confession✓ CorrectD.the poem can avoid taking any viewAnswer: C. they condemn themselves through their own proud confession
Explanation: By boasting of their destruction, the farmers expose their own greed without the poet needing to lecture — self-condemnation is the sharpest satire.
Key concepts: Harvest Hymn (Class 8 English)
'Harvest Hymn' is a satirical poem by John Betjeman that mocks modern industrial farming. It is written as a parody of the traditional harvest thanksgiving hymn 'We Plough the Fields and Scatter', but instead of thanking God for nature's gifts, the profit-hungry farmers boast of poisoning the soil with chemical sprays, burning hedges and oak trees, and filling their yards with Jaguars, deep-freezes and concrete sheds. Through irony and a cheerful, hymn-like rhythm set against images of ruin, Betjeman warns that greed and mechanised agriculture are destroying the countryside, its wildlife and its heritage.
- A parody of a hymn
- The poem copies the shape and tune of the harvest hymn 'We Plough the Fields and Scatter', but twists 'the good seed on the land' into 'the poison on the ground', turning praise into confession.
- Satire and irony
- The farmers cheerfully boast about the very destruction they cause, so they condemn themselves; a song meant for thanksgiving is used to celebrate ruin, which is deeply ironic.
- Environmental damage
- Chemical sprays kill wild flowers, burnt hedges and oak trees destroy the homes of birds and wildlife, and the soil is poisoned — the poem's central complaint against modern farming.
- Greed and materialism
- Jaguars in the yard, a telly lounge, a deep-freeze and concrete sheds show that profit and possessions, not care for the land, are what really drive the farmers.
- The dramatic 'we' voice
- The poem is spoken by the farmers themselves ('We spray... We fire...'), letting their proud confession expose their greed without the poet needing to lecture the reader.
- 'Wicked wild flowers'
- Harmless wild flowers are branded 'wicked' only because they bring no profit; this reversal of right and wrong exposes the farmers' warped, money-first values.
- Profit over heritage
- Burning the cottages 'from which our fathers came' and the boast that 'bungalows will pay' show land, wildlife and family history all sacrificed for money.
- Tone and rhythm
- A jaunty, sing-song hymn rhythm carries grim images of poison and fire; the gap between the happy tune and the ugly content sharpens the satire.
- Poet and purpose
- John Betjeman, an English poet, uses this gentle-sounding but sharp poem as environmental protest against intensive, chemical, machine-driven agriculture.
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Start this chapter free →Harvest Hymn — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 8 English Harvest Hymn?+
'Harvest Hymn' is a satirical poem by John Betjeman that mocks modern industrial farming. It is written as a parody of the traditional harvest thanksgiving hymn 'We Plough the Fields and Scatter', but instead of thanking God for nature's gifts, the profit-hungry farmers boast of poisoning the soil with chemical sprays, burning hedges and oak trees, and filling their yards with Jaguars, deep-freezes and concrete sheds. Through irony and a cheerful, hymn-like rhythm set against images of ruin, Betjeman warns that greed and mechanised agriculture are destroying the countryside, its wildlife and its heritage. Key ideas include A parody of a hymn, Satire and irony, Environmental damage, Greed and materialism, The dramatic 'we' voice, 'Wicked wild flowers'.
What does Class 8 English Chapter 11 (Harvest Hymn) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 48 NCERT-based MCQs on "Harvest Hymn": 16 Easy, 16 Medium and 16 Hard. Together they make 6 timed quizzes, and you never get the same set twice. Every question has an instant explanation. They help you prepare for CBSE Board exams.
Are these "Harvest Hymn" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "Harvest Hymn" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year. One year from the day you pay. You stay in Class 8 till 31 March; on 1 April your account moves up to Class 9 and the rest of your year carries over. No chapter is charged separately.
How should I revise "Harvest Hymn" for the exam?+
Start with the Easy quiz to check your basics, then try Medium and Hard to practise applying them. There are 6 timed quizzes on this chapter, so you can come back for a fresh set instead of one you have seen. Read each explanation, retry the questions you miss, and track your accuracy until it stays high.
Are these "Harvest Hymn" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. 9 sample questions are shown here in full, each with the correct option and a step-by-step "Why" explanation. Sign in free with Google to start practising, with instant scoring.
Is there negative marking in the "Harvest Hymn" quizzes?+
Yes. The timed quizzes use exam-style marking: +4 for a right answer, −1 for a wrong one and 0 for a skip. MHT-CET and CBSE board papers have no negative marking. Our mocks for those are scored their way.
What are the important questions from Harvest Hymn (Class 8 English)?+
The questions that matter most test A parody of a hymn, Satire and irony, Environmental damage, Greed and materialism, The dramatic 'we' voice, 'Wicked wild flowers'. This page shows 9 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations. Sign in to practise all 48 questions on the chapter as timed quizzes.
Is there an online quiz for Harvest Hymn?+
Yes — Class 8 English Harvest Hymn has timed online quizzes at Easy, Medium and Hard levels, with instant scoring and a worked explanation on every question. The first quiz on the chapter is free.