In CBSE Class 8 English Poorvi Book, Unit 1 (Wit and Wisdom), the poem “A Concrete Example” by Reginald Arkell is a light-hearted and humorous poem that gently mocks different perceptions of beauty.
The speaker describes his next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones, who has a very unusual garden. Instead of colourful flowers and lush greenery, her garden is mostly filled with stones. It includes a crazy winding path, a lily pond, a rockery, and a sundial with a strange device that Mrs. Jones finds very nice.
Mrs. Jones carefully plants tiny, delicate little plants between the stones. These plants are so small and fragile that the speaker jokes she must plant them with a pin. One day, Mrs. Jones invites the speaker to see her garden. They stand and talk about a “lovely flower” for quite some time. When the speaker asks where the flower is, Mrs. Jones replies with a smile, “You’re standing on it!”
This witty poem teaches us an important lesson about different perspectives of beauty. What one person finds beautiful (the delicate tiny flower), another may overlook or even step on without noticing. It highlights the power of wit, the value of small things in life, and how beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.
Watch the full explanation, summary, word meanings and NCERT solutions of Class 8 Poorvi Poem A Concrete Example here:
If you are a Class 8 student looking for easy summary, line-by-line explanation, important questions and answers, poetic devices, or complete NCERT explanation of the poem “A Concrete Example”, this video will help you understand the poem clearly and score better in exams.