God made tha country 10th Class English - full story

 God made tha country 10th Class English - full story 

Here is “God Made the Country, Man Made the Town” (often asked in Class 10 English) in full, followed by a short explanation for easy understanding.

God Made the Country, Man Made the Town

— William Cowper

God made the country, and man made the town;

What wonder then that health and virtue, gifts

That can alone make sweet the bitter draught

That life holds out to all, should most abound

And least be threatened in the fields and groves?

Possess ye, therefore, ye who, borne about

In chariots and sedans, know no fatigue

But that of idleness, and taste no scenes

But such as art contrives, possess ye still

Your element; there only can ye shine,

There only minds like yours can do no harm.

Our groves were planted to console at noon

The pensive wanderer in their shades. At eve

The moonbeam, sliding softly in between

The sleeping leaves, is all the light they wish,

Birds warbling all the music. We can spare

The splendour of your lamps, they but eclipse

Our softer satellite. Your songs confound

Our more harmonious notes. The thrush departs

Scared, and th’ offended nightingale is mute.

There is a public mischief in your mirth;

It plagues your country. Folly such as yours,

Graced with a sword, and worthier of a fan,

Has made, which enemies could ne’er have done,

Our arch of empire, steadfast but for you,

A mutilated structure, soon to fall.

Simple Explanation (For Students)

This poem praises nature and village life and criticizes artificial city life.

• God made the country → Natural, pure, peaceful, healthy
• Man made the town → Artificial, noisy, harmful to health and morals

The poet says that health, peace, and virtue are found more in villages than in cities.

Cities destroy natural beauty with noise, lights, and false pleasures, while nature gives calmness, fresh air, and true happiness.

Central Message of the Poem

👉 Nature is superior to artificial city life.

👉 Villages promote peace, health, and moral values.

👉 Excessive luxury and pride of city life harm society and the nation.

Below is a complete exam-oriented guide for “God Made the Country, Man Made the Town” (Class 10 English) including Summary, Short Answer Questions, and Long Answer Questions.

(Language is kept simple and scoring-friendly, useful for Bihar Board / CBSE-type exams.)

Summary

God Made the Country, Man Made the Town is a poem written by William Cowper. In this poem, the poet compares country life with town life. He believes that the country is made by God, so it is pure, natural, peaceful, and healthy. On the other hand, towns are made by man, so they are artificial, noisy, crowded, and harmful to health and morals.

The poet says that health and virtue grow more in villages than in cities. Natural scenes like green fields, trees, moonlight, and birds give peace to the human mind. In contrast, city life is full of noise, bright lights, artificial pleasures, and laziness. These things destroy nature and disturb peace.

The poet strongly criticizes the pride and foolishness of city people. He believes that city life not only harms nature but also weakens society and the nation. Through this poem, Cowper clearly shows his love for nature and simple rural life.

Short Answer Questions (30–40 words each)

Q1. Who wrote the poem God Made the Country, Man Made the Town?

Answer:

The poem God Made the Country, Man Made the Town was written by the English poet William Cowper.

Q2. What does the poet mean by “God made the country”?

Answer:

The poet means that the country is natural, pure, and peaceful because it is created by God and not by human art or machinery.

Q3. Why does the poet prefer country life to town life?

Answer:

The poet prefers country life because it provides peace, good health, moral values, and natural beauty, unlike noisy and artificial town life.

Q4. What are the disadvantages of town life mentioned in the poem?

Answer:

Town life is noisy, artificial, unhealthy, full of pride, laziness, and destroys nature and moral values.

Q5. How does city life affect nature according to the poet?

Answer:

City life destroys nature through noise, bright lights, pollution, and artificial pleasures, which disturb birds and natural peace.

Q6. What natural beauties are described in the poem?

Answer:

The poet describes trees, groves, moonlight, birds, fresh air, silence, and peaceful natural surroundings of the countryside.

Q7. What message does the poet give through the poem?

Answer:

The poet gives the message that we should respect nature and prefer simple, peaceful rural life over artificial city life.

Long Answer Questions (100–120 words each)

Q1. Compare country life and town life as shown in the poem.

Answer:

In the poem, William Cowper presents a clear contrast between country life and town life. Country life is natural, peaceful, healthy, and full of moral values because it is created by God. It offers fresh air, green fields, silence, and beauty, which bring peace to the human mind. On the other hand, town life is artificial, noisy, crowded, and unhealthy. It is filled with pride, laziness, and false pleasures. The poet believes that city life destroys nature and weakens society. Therefore, he strongly supports country life and criticizes town life.

Q2. What is the central idea of the poem God Made the Country, Man Made the Town?

Answer:

The central idea of the poem is the superiority of nature and rural life over city life. The poet believes that God created the country with beauty, peace, and purity, while man created towns that are artificial and harmful. He shows that health, happiness, and virtue are found more in villages. City life damages nature and moral values through noise, luxury, and pride. The poem warns people against excessive dependence on modern city life and encourages them to live closer to nature.

Q3. How does the poet criticize the pride and luxury of town people?

Answer:

The poet criticizes town people for their pride, luxury, and foolish behavior. He says that city people live lazily and enjoy artificial pleasures. Their bright lights, noise, and entertainment destroy natural peace and harm the country itself. According to the poet, such pride and luxury have weakened the nation more than enemies could. He believes that the foolish actions of city people have damaged the strength and moral foundation of society.

Below is a complete exam-ready set for “God Made the Country, Man Made the Town” – Class 10 English including MCQs, One-Word / Definition Questions, and Question-Answer.

(Useful for objective exams & board revision)

MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

Q1. Who is the poet of “God Made the Country, Man Made the Town”?

a) William Wordsworth

b) John Keats

c) William Cowper

d) P. B. Shelley

✅ Answer: c) William Cowper

Q2. Who made the country according to the poem?

a) Man

b) Nature

c) Society

d) God

✅ Answer: d) God

Q3. Who made the town according to the poet?

a) God

b) Man

c) Nature

d) Machines

✅ Answer: b) Man

Q4. Where do health and virtue mostly exist?

a) Towns

b) Cities

c) Fields and groves

d) Markets

✅ Answer: c) Fields and groves

Q5. What disturbs birds in the town?

a) Rain

b) Wind

c) Noise and bright lights

d) Trees

✅ Answer: c) Noise and bright lights

Q6. What does “groves” mean?

a) Roads

b) Buildings

c) Small groups of trees

d) Rivers

✅ Answer: c) Small groups of trees

Q7. Which life does the poet criticize?

a) Village life

b) Town life

c) Natural life

d) Simple life

✅ Answer: b) Town life

Q8. The poet believes city life is—

a) Peaceful

b) Healthy

c) Natural

d) Artificial

✅ Answer: d) Artificial

Q9. Which bird is mentioned in the poem?

a) Parrot

b) Crow

c) Nightingale

d) Eagle

✅ Answer: c) Nightingale

Q10. The main theme of the poem is—

a) War

b) Education

c) Nature vs City Life

d) Friendship

✅ Answer: c) Nature vs City Life

One-Word / Definition Questions

Q1. Poet of the poem

👉 William Cowper

Q2. Creator of the country

👉 God

Q3. Creator of the town

👉 Man

Q4. Word meaning “groups of trees”

👉 Groves

Q5. Quality of country life

👉 Peace

Q6. Opposite of natural

👉 Artificial

Q7. Bird famous for sweet song

👉 Nightingale

Q8. Moral goodness

👉 Virtue

Q9. Life full of noise and luxury

👉 Town life

Q10. Central idea of the poem

👉 Superiority of nature

Very Short Question-Answer (1–2 lines)

Q1. What kind of life does God create?

Answer: God creates a natural, peaceful, and healthy country life.

Q2. Why is town life harmful according to the poet?

Answer: Town life is noisy, artificial, and destroys nature and moral values.

Q3. What provides peace to the human mind in the poem?

Answer: Nature, trees, moonlight, and birds provide peace.

Q4. What happens to birds in towns?

Answer: Birds are scared away due to noise and bright lights.

Q5. What lesson does the poem teach us?

Answer: We should respect nature and prefer simple, peaceful living.

Q6. Why does the poet dislike artificial pleasures?

Answer: They destroy natural beauty and moral values.

Q7. Where does true happiness exist according to the poet?

Answer: True happiness exists in the countryside.

Q8. What destroys the peace of nature?

Answer: Noise, luxury, and artificial city life.

Q9. Which life supports health and virtue?

Answer: Country life supports health and virtue.

Q10. What is the poet’s attitude towards town people?

Answer: He criticizes their pride and foolish lifestyle

Outro – God Made the Country, Man Made the Town

In conclusion, “God Made the Country, Man Made the Town” by William Cowper clearly highlights the importance of nature and simple rural life. The poet strongly believes that the country, created by God, offers peace, health, and moral values, while towns, created by man, are full of noise, artificial pleasures, and pride. Through this poem, Cowper warns us about the harmful effects of excessive urban life on nature and society. The poem teaches students to respect nature, live simply, and understand that true happiness lies not in luxury but in harmony with the natural world. Thus, the poem remains highly relevant even today, reminding us to protect nature and adopt a balanced way of life for a better future.