Back to: Karnataka Board Class 7th English Guide and Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Quarrel by Eleanor Farjeon is a short poem in which the poet shares an incident when a fight broke our between her brother and her. They did not know why they were quarrelling. Initially, it will a small fight but soon it become strong. They blamed and hated each other.
The poet says that she knew that her brother was at wrong. Throughout the day they did not talk to each other and it was a bad time for the poet. But eventually, her brother came to her and told her that they cannot remain so. He accepts his mistake. The poet forgives him and the fight is finally settled.
Poem
Video
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYhPoRrUgmc&w=560&h=315]Part 1
I quarrelled with my brother I don’t know what about, One thing led to another And somehow we fell out. The start of it was slight, The end of it was strong, He said he was right, I knew he was wrong
The poet says that she quarrelled with her brother. She could not figure out how did it start. Something happened which led to other and they started abusing each other. It was a small fight initially. But it soon became strong.
Her brother said that he was right and the poet was wrong. However according to the poet, she was right and he was wrong. As we don’t know the cause of fight, we can’t figure out who was wrong.
Part 2
We hated one another. The afternoon turned black. Then suddenly my brother Thumped me on the back, And said, “Oh, come along! We can’t go on all night — I was in the wrong." So he was in the right.
That day, after the fight, they started hating each other. The whole afternoon they did not talk and hence it went bad for them. But suddenly, her brother patted on her back and said that they can’t remain so throughout the night. And that he wants to settle the matter.
The brother accepts his mistake and the poet forgives him. Finally the fight is settled. In the end, the poet says that now he was in the right. Probably, she considers his accepting mistake as a right decision. Or she is accepting that he was right and she herself was wrong. Whatever her thought maybe, the fight is settled and they are friendly again
