- a. Human beings
- b. Machines
In the poem the speakers are the machines themselves; therefore 'we' in the first stanza refers to the machines.
b
The poem is written from the machines' point of view; they address humans—engineers, workers and users—who build and use them.
The speakers are machines (they speak in the poem); the listeners are human beings (the makers/users of the machines).
Ores and mines yield metals such as iron (from iron ore), copper, tin, lead, and precious metals like silver and gold. (If the textbook lists specific metals, use those exact names.)
Common metals obtained from ores and mines include iron, copper, tin, lead, silver and gold.
Machines or machine parts that are formed by hammering/forging include parts made in a blacksmith's shop—tools, fittings, and some metal components that are hammered to shape. (If the textbook poem names specific machines, prefer those names.)
Examples include hand-forged tools and parts such as hammers, anvils, blacksmith-made components, and some machine parts shaped by forging.
Examples: water-powered mills or hydro turbines (water), steam engines or steamships (coal), and diesel/petrol engines, oil-fired generators (oil).
Machines running on water: water wheels and hydro turbines; on coal: steam engines/steam locomotives; on oil: diesel engines, internal-combustion engines.
Give examples for each function: pulling/pushing—tractors and tow-trucks; lifting—cranes and forklifts; driving—cars and trains; printing—printing presses and laser printers; ploughing—tractor-driven ploughs; reading/writing—computers, e-readers, typewriters.
Pulling/pushing: tractors, tugs; lifting: cranes, hoists; driving: cars, locomotives; printing: printing press; ploughing: tractors/ploughs; reading/writing: computers, typewriters, printers.
The poem gives machines a voice but they are tools without emotions. They 'accept' human evolution because humans designed and direct them; machines simply perform the tasks set by human intellect.
Machines do not possess feelings like humility; they accept human intelligence because they are created and programmed by humans and therefore obey human control.
Readers feel amazement at the machines' capabilities, respect for technological skill, and sometimes apprehension about how much control humans cede to machines—mixed admiration and warning.
The poem evokes wonder and admiration at machines' power and precision, and also a sense of caution or unease about human dependence on them.
- a. Once Machines are fed with fuel, they take a very long time to start.
- b. Once Machines are fed with fuel, they start quickly.
The phrase about a 'thousandth of an inch' refers to precise tolerances and quick responsiveness—machines start and work promptly when given fuel and the correct settings.
b
a) The human operators or masters. b) The jobs the humans set the machines to do. c) Using 'will' in both clauses expresses the machines' readiness and the promise of continuous service; in poetic usage it emphasizes willingness. d) Practically no; machines require downtime for repair and servicing. e) Rewritten line given above.
a) 'You' refers to human beings (the users/masters of machines). b) 'Our task' means the work assigned to the machines by humans. c) The future tense in both clauses expresses willingness and promise; in older/poetic usage 'will' in the if-clause can indicate volition or polite conditional. d) Not literally — while machines can run continuously, in practice they need maintenance, fuel and rest periods. e) "And now, if you will set us to our task, we will serve you four and twenty hours a day, 365 days a year."
Example procedure: 1) Select a stanza and write its lines. 2) Note the final word of each line. 3) Assign 'a' to the first line's end word, then 'b' to the next different end sound, etc.; repeated end sounds get the same letter. (Since this is a personal activity, provide the stanza from the textbook and apply this method to get the rhyme scheme.)
Student's personal response required. Method: copy the chosen stanza exactly, label end words of lines (a, b, c...) to determine the rhyme scheme (e.g., ABAB, AABB).
How to do it: 1) Re-read the poem and mark lines with sound patterns or comparisons. 2) Example templates (replace with exact textbook lines): Alliteration: 'made me mighty' (repetition of 'm' sound). Assonance: repetition of vowel sound in words close together. Personification: any line where a machine 'speaks' or 'feels' (machines claiming to 'serve' or 'hate'). Simile: any explicit comparison using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'as swift as ...'). Use the poem's exact lines for submission.
Students should locate lines in the poem that illustrate each device. Guidance/examples: Alliteration — repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words; Assonance — repetition of vowel sounds; Personification — giving human qualities to machines; Simile — a comparison using 'like' or 'as'.