Class 8 · English · New NCERT
Chapter 11: Harvest Hymn
"Harvest Hymn" is a poem by Sarojini Naidu. According to the preface, it reflects the hard work of farmers and their deep faith in the land and the divine forces, and portrays the harvest as a sacred and joyous occasion, showing harmony between humans and nature. At about twelve pages with its activities, it is a mid-length chapter. Students recite the poem, notice its rhythm and imagery and discuss gratitude to farmers. It links with the Class 6 Urdu essay on harvest festivals and the Social Science chapters on farming, and invites a few lines of thanks to those who grow our food.
This is chapter 11 of 15 in Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook, in Unit 4, Environment, and begins on page 173 of the printed 2026-27 book. It follows "The Cherry Tree" and is followed by "Waiting for the Rain".
Teachers can use "Harvest Hymn" to build confidence as well as vocabulary. Short, repeated tasks, pair talk, role-play and choral reading help children who are shy about speaking English. The book's sections (the Let us discuss, Let us think and reflect, Let us learn, Let us listen, Let us speak, Let us write and Let us explore activities) offer ready-made activities, and the notes to the teacher encourage the use of the home language, local stories and objects to explain new ideas. The aim is progress from guided to independent use of English rather than perfect accuracy at any single step.
At home, listen to your child speak English about "Harvest Hymn" without correcting every mistake. Ask them to sing or say the lines, point to pictures and name things, or tell you in two or three sentences what the lesson was about. Reading a favourite part aloud a few times builds fluency and confidence.
This overview is written from the 2026-27 textbook's Contents page, its preface and the chapter title, to help families and teachers prepare. Please read the chapter itself for exact content, activities and exercises.