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The Kites

NCERT Class 6 · English Based on NCERT Class 6 English textbook · Free CBSE study kit

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Chapter Notes

Overview
This chapter is a poem by Daphne Lister that explores a child's imagination and desire to fly like a kite. It exists in the syllabus to help students appreciate poetic devices like simile and alliteration, and to encourage creative thinking about freedom and perspective. The ONE big idea a student must walk away with is that the poem uses vivid comparisons and sounds to make us feel the joy and wonder of flying like a kite.
Key Concepts (10)
Simile
A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'.
e.g. In the poem, 'See the kites fly, Like coloured birds' compares kites to birds using 'like'.
Alliteration
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words in a line or sentence.
e.g. In the poem, 'wind-whipped sky' repeats the 'w' sound. Another example is 'big bright blue bag'.
Rhyming words
Words that have the same ending sound, often used at the end of lines in a poem.
e.g. In the poem, 'fly' rhymes with 'sky', and 'air' rhymes with 'there'.
Stanza
A group of lines in a poem, separated by a space, like a paragraph in prose.
e.g. The poem 'The Kites' has four stanzas, each with four lines.
Cinquain poem
A five-line poem that describes a person, place, or thing, following a specific pattern: line 1 (one noun), line 2 (two describing words), line 3 (three action words), line 4 (two words describing the action), line 5 (one synonym for the subject).
e.g. Kite / pretty, colourful / flying, floating, soaring / quickly, happily / paper-bird
Parts of a kite
The different physical components of a kite: nose (tip), spine (central stick), cover (material), kite line (string), tail (long strip at the end), and reel (spool to wind the line).
e.g. The tail of the kite helps it balance in the wind. The reel holds the kite line.
Drift
A slow, gentle movement, often carried by wind or water.
e.g. In the poem, the child says 'I would drift upon the paper wings', meaning float slowly on the kite.
Uttarayan
The International Kite Festival celebrated in Gujarat, mainly in January, marking the sun's northward journey.
e.g. During Uttarayan, people fly kites of different shapes, sizes, and colours from rooftops.
Basant Panchami
A spring festival celebrated in the Punjab region, where people fly kites as part of the celebrations.
e.g. On Basant Panchami, yellow kites are often flown to mark the arrival of spring.
Gudi
The Marathi word for kite, used in the poems of the thirteenth-century saint-poet Namadeva.
e.g. Namadeva's gathas mention that kites (gudi) were made from kaagad (paper).
How It Works
Identifying and creating a simile
  1. Step 1: Find two things that are different but share a common quality.
  2. Step 2: Use the word 'like' or 'as' to connect them.
  3. Step 3: Write the comparison in a sentence or line of poetry.
💡 Students often forget to use 'like' or 'as' — a simile must have one of these words, or it becomes a metaphor.
Identifying and creating alliteration
  1. Step 1: Choose a consonant sound (e.g., 'b', 's', 'w').
  2. Step 2: Find or create two or more words that start with that same sound.
  3. Step 3: Place them close together in a sentence or line.
💡 Alliteration is about the sound, not the letter. For example, 'circle' and 'sink' do not alliterate because 'c' and 's' sound different.
Writing a cinquain poem
  1. Step 1: Line 1 — write one noun (the subject).
  2. Step 2: Line 2 — write two describing words (adjectives) for the noun.
  3. Step 3: Line 3 — write three action words (verbs ending in -ing) related to the noun.
  4. Step 4: Line 4 — write two words that describe the action (adverbs or phrases).
  5. Step 5: Line 5 — write one word that is a synonym or another name for the subject.
💡 Students often put more than one word in line 1 or line 5 — each of those lines must have exactly one word.
Understanding kite movement words
  1. Step 1: Read the poem to find words like 'fly', 'drift', 'glide', 'dive', 'soar', 'swoop', 'circle'.
  2. Step 2: For each word, decide if the movement is slow, fast, upward, downward, round and round, or floating.
  3. Step 3: Match the word to its type of movement.
💡 'Drift' is slow and floating, not fast. 'Swoop' is fast and downward. Students often confuse 'soar' (upward) with 'dive' (downward).
Exam Traps — Don't Make These Mistakes
⚠ Confusing simile with metaphor
✗ The kites are coloured birds.
→ This is a metaphor (direct comparison without 'like' or 'as'), but the poem uses a simile: 'Like coloured birds'. The question specifically asks for the simile used in the poem.
✓ The kites are like coloured birds.
⚠ Mistaking alliteration for rhyme
✗ In stanza 1, 'fly' and 'sky' are alliteration.
→ 'Fly' and 'sky' rhyme (same ending sound), but they do not start with the same consonant sound. Alliteration requires the same beginning consonant sound.
✓ In stanza 1, 'wind-whipped' is alliteration because both words start with the 'w' sound.
⚠ Wrong identification of the child's wish
✗ The child wants to fly a kite.
→ The child does not want to fly a kite; the child wants to become like a kite and ride on it. The poem says 'I wish I were small / And light as air, / I would climb on a kite / And sail up there.'
✓ The child wishes to be small and light like air so that they can climb on a kite and sail up into the sky.
⚠ Incorrect festival details
✗ Kite Festival is celebrated in June.
→ The listening exercise states that the correct month is January, not June. The original sentence had 'June' as the incorrect word.
✓ Kite Festival is celebrated during the month of January.
⚠ Mixing up 'drift' with 'dive'
✗ The kite drifts quickly downward.
→ 'Drift' means slow, gentle movement, not fast. Also, 'drift' is not specifically downward — it can be in any direction carried by wind.
✓ The kite drifts slowly and gently in the wind.
Compare & Contrast
Definition and purpose
Simile
Alliteration
Simile compares two different things using 'like' or 'as' to create a vivid image; alliteration repeats the same consonant sound at the beginning of words to create rhythm and musical effect.
Type of movement
Fly
Drift
'Fly' suggests active, controlled movement through the air, while 'drift' suggests slow, passive movement carried by wind or air currents.
Exam Focus
Marks pattern: 2 MCQs (1 mark each) on poetic devices, 1 short answer (2 marks) on simile or alliteration, 1 short answer (3 marks) on the child's feelings or wishes, 1 long answer (5 marks) on creative writing (e.g., cinquain poem or paragraph 'I am a Kite')
Most asked: Simile and alliteration identification from the poem · Rhyming words and stanza structure · Child's wishes and imagination in the poem · Kite movement vocabulary (fly, drift, glide, dive, soar)
Don't skip: Explain the simile used in the first stanza and why it is effective.; What does the child wish for and why?; Write a cinquain poem on a topic of your choice.
One-Line Revision (read aloud before the exam)
  1. The poem 'The Kites' is written by Daphne Lister.
  2. The kites are compared to coloured birds using a simile.
  3. The child wishes to be small and light as air to climb on a kite.
  4. Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.
  5. In stanza 1, 'wind-whipped' is an example of alliteration.
  6. Rhyming words in stanza 1 are 'fly' and 'sky'.
  7. Rhyming words in stanza 2 are 'air' and 'there'.
  8. A cinquain poem has five lines with a specific pattern of words.
  9. The parts of a kite include nose, spine, cover, kite line, tail, and reel.
  10. Uttarayan is the International Kite Festival celebrated in Gujarat in January.
  11. Basant Panchami is celebrated in Punjab by flying kites.
  12. The word 'drift' means slow, gentle movement.
  13. The child would look down over the park and the rooftops of town.
  14. The people below would stand and stare at the child on the kite.
  15. Namadeva, a thirteenth-century Marathi saint, called a kite a 'gudi'.

MCQs — 10 Questions with Answers

Q1. What does the poet compare the kites to in the poem?

  • A. Coloured birds ✓
  • B. Butterflies
  • C. Clouds
  • D. Airplanes

Answer: A — The poem's first lines clearly state 'See the kites fly, Like coloured birds In the wind-whipped sky.'

Q2. Which of these is a simile?

  • A. The kite is a bird.
  • B. I wish I were small and light as air. ✓
  • C. The kite flies away.
  • D. The child is happy.

Answer: B — A simile compares two things using 'as' or 'like', and this sentence uses 'as air' to compare being light.

Q3. What would the child see if they looked down from the kite?

  • A. Clouds and stars
  • B. The park and rooftops of town ✓
  • C. Mountains and rivers
  • D. Schools and shops

Answer: B — The poem states 'To look right down, Over the park And the rooftops of town.'

Q4. Fill in the blank: A five-line poem describing a thing is called a _________ poem.

  • A. Haiku
  • B. Sonnet
  • C. Cinquain ✓
  • D. Couplet

Answer: C — The lesson teaches that a cinquain is a five-line poem that describes a person, place, or thing.

Q5. Which words rhyme in the first stanza?

  • A. kites and coloured
  • B. birds and wind
  • C. fly and sky ✓
  • D. see and like

Answer: C — Rhyming words have the same ending sound; 'fly' and 'sky' both end with the 'y' sound.

Q6. In the line 'See the kites fly, Like coloured birds In the wind-whipped sky,' which words show alliteration?

  • A. kites and birds
  • B. wind-whipped ✓
  • C. fly and sky
  • D. see and coloured

Answer: B — Alliteration is the repetition of starting consonant sounds; 'wind-whipped' repeats the 'w' sound.

Q7. Why would the people below stare at the child flying on the kite?

  • A. They are angry.
  • B. They wish they could fly like the child. ✓
  • C. They are scared.
  • D. They want to stop the child.

Answer: B — The poem says 'The people below Would stand and stare, And wish they were me High, high in the air.'

Q8. Which word describes the kite's movement as slow and gentle?

  • A. Swoop
  • B. Dive
  • C. Drift ✓
  • D. Circle

Answer: C — The lesson explains that 'drift' describes slow, gentle movement, while words like swoop and dive show fast movement.

Q9. Look at the kite parts shown: nose, spine, tail, reel. Which part holds the string?

  • A. Nose
  • B. Spine
  • C. Tail
  • D. Reel ✓

Answer: D — From the lesson's kite diagram, the reel is the part that wraps and holds the kite line (string).

Q10. In the cinquain poem about a kite, which line contains action words?

  • A. Line 1 (noun)
  • B. Line 2 (adjectives)
  • C. Line 3 (verbs/action words) ✓
  • D. Line 5 (synonym)

Answer: C — The cinquain formula teaches that line 3 contains three action words or verbs like 'flying, floating, soaring.'

Flashcards

What does the poet compare the kites to in the first stanza?

The poet compares the kites to coloured birds flying in the wind-whipped sky.

What literary device is used when the poet says 'like coloured birds'?

This is a simile because it compares two things using the word 'like'.

What does the child wish to be in the poem?

The child wishes to be small and light as air so they can climb on a kite and sail up in the sky.

Name the literary device: 'See the kites fly, Like coloured birds In the wind-whipped sky.'

This is alliteration because 'wind-whipped' repeats the 'w' consonant sound.

What would the child see if they looked down from the kite?

The child would see the park and the rooftops of the town below.

What is the name of a 5-line poem that describes a thing or person?

A cinquain poem is a 5-line poem where line 1 is a noun, line 2 has adjectives, line 3 has verbs, line 4 has adverbs, and line 5 is a synonym.

Find the rhyming words in: 'See the kites fly, Like coloured birds In the wind-whipped sky.'

The words 'fly' and 'sky' rhyme because they have the same ending sound.

What parts of a kite are mentioned in the lesson?

The main parts of a kite are the nose, spine, cover, tail, kite line, and reel.

Which kite festival is celebrated in January in Gujarat?

Uttarayan, also called the International Kite Festival, is celebrated in January in Gujarat and other Indian states.

What type of movement does the word 'drift' describe?

The word 'drift' describes slow, gentle, and floating movement without much speed or force.

Important Board Questions

Name one colour mentioned in the poem 'The Kites' that the kites could be. [1 mark]

The poem says kites are 'like coloured birds' but does not mention a specific colour. Any colour you imagine would show you understood the poem. Or mention 'coloured' as the answer.

Fill in the blanks: The poet uses the word __________ to compare the kites with birds. This is called a __________. [2 marks]

The comparison word is 'like'. The literary device is called 'simile' because it compares two things using 'like' or 'as'.

Why does the child wish to be small and light as air? Explain with reference to the poem. [3 marks]

The child wants to climb on a kite and sail up into the sky. Then they could drift on the paper wings and hear the wind singing, seeing everything below like the town's rooftops.

Describe the feelings of the child in the poem 'The Kites'. How do the literary devices like simile, alliteration, and repetition help you understand the child's dreams? [5 marks]

The child feels excited and dreamy. Simile (kites like birds) makes it visual. Alliteration (wind-whipped) makes it musical. Repetition (high, high) stresses the height and makes you feel the wonder.

True or False: The word 'drift' and 'swoop' describe the same type of movement. Give one reason. [2 marks]

False. 'Drift' means slow, gentle movement. 'Swoop' means fast, diving movement. They are opposite types of movement.

Assertion-Reason Questions for The Kites

Q1. Assertion (A):

The poet compares kites to birds in the poem 'The Kites'.

Reason (R):

The poet uses the word 'like' to show that kites look like coloured birds flying in the sky.

Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — Both the assertion and reason are true. The reason correctly explains WHY the poet compares kites to birds by mentioning the use of simile with the word 'like'.

Q2. Assertion (A):

Uttarayan is celebrated in different parts of India.

Reason (R):

Kite flying is the only festival in India.

Answer: C — A is true but R is false — The assertion is true—the lesson shows Uttarayan is celebrated in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana. However, the reason is false because kite flying happens during many different festivals in India, not just one.

Q3. Assertion (A):

A cinquain poem has exactly five lines.

Reason (R):

Each line of a cinquain has a different purpose, such as describing a noun with adjectives or adding verbs.

Answer: B — Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A — Both statements are true, but the reason does not explain WHY it's called a cinquain. The word 'cinquain' means five because it has five lines. The reason just describes what happens in the poem, not why it has that name.

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Case-Based Questions (CBQ) for The Kites

Case Study:

Arun lives in Gujarat and has never flown a kite before. During Uttarayan festival in January, his grandfather takes him to the rooftop. They see hundreds of colourful kites flying in the sky. Some kites are big and some are small. The wind is strong and perfect for flying kites. Arun's grandfather gives him a beautiful blue and red kite with a long tail. Together, they hold the reel and release the kite into the sky.

Q1. In which month does Arun fly a kite?

  • A. June
  • B. January ✓
  • C. December
  • D. August

Answer: B

Q2. What helps the kite fly well according to the passage?

  • A. A lot of rain
  • B. Strong wind ✓
  • C. Cloudy weather
  • D. Cold temperature

Answer: B

Q3. What colour is the kite that Arun's grandfather gives him?

  • A. Yellow and green
  • B. Red and white
  • C. Blue and red ✓
  • D. Orange and purple

Answer: C

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