National War Memorial: NCERT Class 6 English Poem (Poorvi)

etmantra3 Nov 20266 min read

Some places ask us to slow down, speak softly and remember. This short poem takes children to the National War Memorial in New Delhi, where the names of brave soldiers are kept and a flame burns for them. It is a poem to read slowly, learn by heart and say with pride.

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From NCERT’s new English book Poorvi for Class 6, unit “Culture and Tradition”. Unit 5.

What your child learns

Words of respect: honour, homage, courage, sacrifice, memorial
Rhyming pairs in a poem: pride and confide, glows and shows
The apostrophe in Bharat's (belongs to) and let's (let us)
Reciting a serious poem slowly, with feeling, and learning it by heart

What the poem is about

The chapter begins with a few facts: the National War Memorial in New Delhi was set up in February 2019 by the Government of India to honour our brave soldiers. The poem then describes the memorial. It stands at the heart of the country, full of pride, and every stone and every name on it holds a soldier's story. The soldiers served on land, in the skies and on the seas, and they stood together for Bharat.

The poem also speaks of the eternal flame that glows in silence as a mark of respect for their courage. Its message is simple: we must never forget the sacrifice of our soldiers, and we should always remember them with pride and respect. The book asks children to read the poem aloud, recite it together, learn it by heart and, if they can, plan a visit to the memorial.

New words, with Hindi meanings

memorial: a place or structure built to help people remember someone (हिंदी: स्मारक)
behold: to see or look at something special (हिंदी: देखना)
heartland: the central, most important part of a country (हिंदी: हृदय-स्थल)
honour: to show great respect to someone (हिंदी: सम्मान करना)
etched: cut or carved into a hard surface like stone (हिंदी: उकेरा हुआ)
confide: to share something private or special (हिंदी: मन की बात कहना)
eternal: lasting for ever, never ending (हिंदी: अमर, शाश्वत)
homage: respect shown in public, often for someone who has died (हिंदी: श्रद्धांजलि)
courage: being brave when facing danger (हिंदी: साहस)
sacrifice: giving up something precious, even one's life, for others (हिंदी: बलिदान)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Who built the National War Memorial, and why?
What is written on the stones of the memorial?
Where did the soldiers serve, according to the poem?
What does the eternal flame do, and why is it there?
Have you ever stood in silence to remember someone or something? When was it?

Answers for parents

The Government of India built it in New Delhi to honour our brave soldiers. It was set up in February 2019.
The names of soldiers are carved on the stones, and each one holds a soldier's story.
They served on the battlefields on land, in the skies and on the wide oceans, standing side by side for Bharat.
It glows quietly all the time. It is there to pay respect to the soldiers' courage.
For example: Yes, at our school assembly we stood in silence for two minutes to remember the people who gave their lives for the country.

Grammar corner: The apostrophe: 's for 'belongs to' and for short forms

An apostrophe with s can show that something belongs to someone: Bharat's heartland means the heartland of Bharat. An apostrophe can also show a short form, where letters are left out: let's means let us, and it's means it is. Read the whole sentence to know which one it is.

The soldier's name is carved on a grey stone.
Let's walk quietly near the flame.
It's a place where we remember our brave soldiers.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: The flame that never goes out is called an ___ flame.
Match each word with its rhyme: pride, glows, mind (choose from: shows, remind, side).
Rewrite with an apostrophe: the courage of the soldier.

Answers: 1. eternal · 2. pride - side, glows - shows, mind - remind · 3. the soldier's courage

Try this

Learn the poem by heart, two lines a day, and recite it to the family at dinner. Then make a small 'wall of honour' on a sheet of paper: write the names of people your family admires, such as a soldier, a doctor or a grandparent, with one line on why each one is brave. Read it out slowly, the way the poem asks us to remember.

Tip for parents

Ask your child in Hindi first: 'सैनिक हमारे लिए क्या करते हैं? हम उन्हें कैसे याद करते हैं?' Let them answer in Hindi or a mix, then help them say one line in English, such as 'Soldiers keep us safe. We remember them with respect.' Praise every try, and say the hard words together: sacrifice (बलिदान), courage (साहस), memorial (स्मारक).

Questions parents ask

What is the poem National War Memorial about?

It describes the National War Memorial in New Delhi, where the names of brave soldiers are kept on stones and an eternal flame glows for them. It asks us always to remember their courage and sacrifice with pride and respect.

Is National War Memorial in the new NCERT book?

Yes. It is Chapter 16 of NCERT's new Poorvi book for Class 6, in Unit 5 (Culture and Tradition).

Which words rhyme in the poem National War Memorial?

The poem is written in rhyming pairs of lines, such as behold and retold, pride and confide, wide and side, glows and shows, and mind and remind.

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