A Funny Man |English | Poem Explanation | NCERT Solution| Class VII

Lesson Architecture

Theme

Lesson Summary

Poem Explanation

Word-Meanings

NCERT Solution

Competency Based Questions & Answers

Theme | A Funny Man | Unit II | Class VII

The poem explores the theme of humour, imagination, and individuality. It introduces a whimsical man who breaks all conventions—he wears shoes on his head, hats on his feet, and offers a bun instead of a rose. Through this humorous portrayal, the poem celebrates eccentricity, creativity, and the joy of looking at life from a fun, different perspective. It also encourages readers to embrace the unexpected and enjoy the lighter side of life.

Lesson Summary | Unit II | A Funny Man | Poem Explanation

The poem describes an encounter with a strange but polite man who behaves in a completely unexpected way. He walks down the street wearing a shoe on his head and hats on his feet. When he meets the speaker, he lifts his shoe to greet them and offers a currant bun instead of a rose.

The speaker is both puzzled and amused, especially by the man’s claim that the bun is a rose. The man sings a strange-sounding song and sits on the ground. When asked about his hats, he does something even funnier—he turns around and hops away on his head. The poem ends with this hilarious image, leaving readers smiling at the absurdity and charm of this unusual character.

Funny Man 1

Poem Explanation

 Stanza 1

One day a funny kind of man

Came walking down this street

The poet describes an unusual man walking down the street. The word “funny” means strange or amusing here.

He wore a shoe upon his head

And hats upon his feet.

This is a humorous and silly image. The man wears his shoe on his head (instead of his foot) and hats on his feet (instead of his head), which is the opposite of normal!

Stanza 2

He raised the shoe and smiled at me,

His manners were polite;

The man lifts the shoe from his head (like tipping a hat) and smiles. He is polite, even though he looks strange.

But never had I seen before

Such a funny sounding sight.

The poet is amazed. She’s never seen anything so strange. The phrase “funny sounding sight” is playful—it mixes two senses (hearing and sight), adding to the humour.

Stanza 3

He said, “Allow me to present

Your Highness with a rose.”

The man speaks grandly and formally, calling the poet “Your Highness” like she is royalty. He wants to present her with a rose.

And taking out a currant bun

He held it to my nose.

Instead of a rose, he offers a currant bun (a type of sweet bread), which makes the situation even more funny and confusing.

Stanza 4

I staggered back against the wall

And then I answered, “Well!

The poet is so surprised that she steps back in shock and says “Well!” as a sign of disbelief.

I never saw a rose with such

A funny looking smell.

She jokes that the bun smells strange for a rose, mixing the idea of how something looks with how it smells. It's playful and ironic.

Stanza 5

He then began to sing a song,

And sat down on the ground;

The man sits down and starts singing, showing even more unusual behaviour.

You never heard in all your life

Such a funny feeling sound.

His singing is so odd that it’s described as a “funny feeling sound,” which suggests it's both strange and amusing.

Stanza 6

“My friend, why do you wear two hats

Upon your feet?” I said.

The poet finally asks him directly why he’s wearing hats on his feet, showing her curiosity.

He turned the other way about,

And hopped home on his head.

Instead of replying, he turns and hops away—on his head! This ending adds a final touch of silliness and wonder.

Word Meanings | Poem Explanation

Word/Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence
Funny kind of man	A man with strange or amusing behaviour	A funny kind of man greeted me by wearing his shoes on his head.
Currant bun	A small cake or bread roll with dried fruits	Instead of a flower, he offered me a currant bun!
Staggered	Moved unsteadily or in surprise	I staggered back when he held the bun to my nose.
Polite	Having good manners	Despite his odd look, the man was polite in speech.
Funny looking smell	A humorous way to describe a strange aroma	I couldn’t stop laughing at the funny looking smell he offered.
Hopped	Jumped on one foot or in a bouncing motion	He hopped home on his head, which made everyone laugh.
Present (as a verb)	To offer formally	He said, “Allow me to present Your Highness with a rose.”
Raised	Lifted or moved upward	He raised the shoe from his head to greet me.
Sounding sight	A poetic mix-up—something that looks funny and sounds odd	It was a funny sounding sight indeed—he wore hats on his feet!
Highness	A respectful title (often used for royalty)	He jokingly called me ‘Your Highness’ while offering the bun.

 Let us discuss | NCERT Solution

Work in pairs. Identify the true statements. Check your answers with the teacher.

1. The poet says that she had never heard such an amusing song.

2. The funny man was quite ill-mannered.

3. The funny man wore two hats on his feet.

4. The funny man hopped on his head to reach home.

5. The funny man gave a rose to the poet.

6. The funny man smiled at the poet.

Answers

No.	Statement	True/False	Justification
1.	The poet says that she had never heard such an amusing song.	True	The poet says, “You never heard in all your life / Such a funny feeling sound.”
2.	The funny man was quite ill-mannered.	False	The poet says, “His manners were polite.”
3.	The funny man wore two hats on his feet.	True	The line says, “And hats upon his feet.”
4.	The funny man hopped on his head to reach home.	True	The poem ends with, “And hopped home on his head.”
5.	The funny man gave a rose to the poet.	False	He offered a currant bun, calling it a rose.
6.	The funny man smiled at the poet.	True	The poem says, “He raised the shoe and smiled at me.”

Page 61 | A Funny Man | Vocabulary Exercise

Answers

II.

Clue	Answer
1. A small seedless raisin	Currant
2. Moved unsteadily	Staggered

III.

• The tone of the poem is humorous because it describes a man behaving in strange, silly ways that make the reader laugh.

• The rhyme scheme of the poem is AABB ; and it gives a rhythmic quality to the poem.

• The poet has frequently repeated the word ‘funny’ in order to highlight the amusing and strange actions of the man.

IV.

The poem uses vivid imagery to create a humorous and nonsensical scene.

• The structure of the poem is in monologue form.

• The phrases ‘sounding sight’ and ‘hopped home’ are examples of alliteration

V.

1. Correct sentence:

But I had never seen such a funny sounding sight before.

2. Why has the poet used phrases like ‘funny sounding sight’ and ‘funny feeling sound’ with reference to the funny man?

   
   

   Ans: The poet has used phrases like ‘funny sounding sight’ and ‘funny feeling sound’ to reflect the absurd and confusing experience of encountering the funny man. These unusual combinations of words, where the sense of sight and sound seem mixed up, highlight the whimsical and nonsensical nature of the man’s actions.

   
   

   VI.  Can you think of any real-world situations where people do similar things for fun, entertainment, or performance? Share with your classmates and the teacher.

   
   

   Ans: Yes, there are many real-world situations where people behave in humorous or unusual ways for fun, entertainment, or performance. Here are a few examples:

   • Clowns in a circus wear funny clothes, use oversized shoes, paint their faces, and perform silly actions to make people laugh.

   • Street performers or mime artists often act in strange or exaggerated ways to entertain passers-by, sometimes without even speaking.

   • Fancy dress competitions or costume parades in schools and communities often have people dressing as unusual or imaginary characters.

   • Comedians or comic actors in movies and plays may do unexpected things, speak in funny voices, or move in odd ways to entertain the audience.

   • During festivals or carnivals, people may wear costumes, dance in the streets, and play harmless pranks as part of the celebration.

   These situations show how, like the funny man in the poem, people enjoy using imagination, exaggeration, and humour to bring joy to others.

   
   

   

   Funny Man 2

   
   
   
   

   Let us think and reflect ( Page 62)

   
   

   I Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

   1. He said, “Allow me to present

   Your Highness with a rose.”

   And taking out a currant bun

   He held it to my nose.

   
   

   I staggered back against the wall

   And then I answered, “Well!”

   
   

   (i) Why does the funny man address the poet as ‘Your Highness’?

   (ii) Choose a phrase from the extract which indicates a polite request.

   
   

   Ans:

   (i) He addresses the poet as ‘Your Highness’ to act in a humorous and exaggeratedly formal manner, possibly pretending that the poet is royalty. This adds to the funny and imaginative tone of the poem and reflects his quirky behaviour.

   
   

   (ii) The phrase is: “Allow me to present”. It shows that the funny man is making a respectful and polite offer in a formal tone.

   
   

    (iv) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason. When the poet says, ‘Well!’, it expresses surprise. This was so because _________________.

   Ans: When the poet says, ‘Well!’, it expresses surprise. This was so because the man offered a currant bun instead of a rose, which was completely unexpected and absurd.

   
   

   Extract 2

   You never heard in all your life

   Such a funny feeling sound.

   “My friend, why do you wear two hats

   Upon your feet?” I said.

   He turned the other way about,

   And hopped home on his head.

   
   

   (i) Choose the line from the extract which tells us that the sound was unique:

   “You never heard in all your life / Such a funny feeling sound.”

   
   

   (ii) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason:

   The poet calls the funny man ‘my friend’ because despite his strange actions, the man was polite and friendly.

   
   

   (iii) What does the reaction of the funny man to the poet’s question tell us about him?

   His reaction—hopping away on his head instead of answering—shows that he is playful, unpredictable, and enjoys being funny rather than logical.

   
   

   (iv) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:

   The last line of the extract makes the readers feel

   D. cheerful.

   
   

---

II. Answer the following questions | Page 63

1. Which character trait of the funny man was most appealing to you? Why?

The most appealing trait is his creativity. He dares to be different and expresses himself freely. His silly yet polite behaviour adds charm, making him enjoyable and showing that it’s okay to be unique and imaginative.

2. The funny man does unusual things in the poem. How does it affect the overall mood of the poem?

The man’s odd actions, like wearing hats on his feet and hopping on his head, create a light-hearted, humorous mood. His behaviour makes the poem entertaining and whimsical, allowing readers to laugh and enjoy his strange way of living.

3. What alternative title would you suggest for the poem? Give reason(s) for your choice.

An alternative title could be "The Man Who Hopped on His Head" because it captures the quirky essence of the character and reflects the poem’s playful tone. It also sparks curiosity and highlights his most comical action.

4. Why do you think the poet has included dialogues in the poem?

The poet uses dialogue to make the interaction more lively and personal. It helps readers connect with both characters, adds humour, and brings out the funny man’s eccentric personality more vividly through his spoken words.

5. What does the poet wish to convey by highlighting the unusual behaviour of the funny man?

The poet wants to convey that being different is not wrong. The funny man’s behaviour teaches us to accept uniqueness, find joy in the unexpected, and see humour in ordinary situations without judging people for being unconventional.

---

 Let us learn

I. Match the phrasal verbs in Column 1 with their correct meanings in Column 2

Column 1	Matched with	Column 2
1. take up	(iii)	to begin to study, practice, or do something
2. take after	(v)	to resemble or look similar to (usually a family member)
3. take in	(i)	to understand or comprehend something
4. take over	(ii)	to assume control or responsibility for something
5. take off	(iv)	to become successful or popular quickly

II. Fill in the blanks with suitable phrasal verbs (from Section I)

Sentence No.	Sentence
1	The new technology is set to take over traditional methods of communication.
2	I tried hard to take in what the writer wanted to say but was unsuccessful.
3	Arjun decided to take up painting as a hobby.
4	The smartphone quickly took off the sales in the market.
5	Sheela takes after her father; they have the same smile.

II. Match the verbs in Column 1 with suitable prepositions/adverbs and write meanings

Column 1	Column 2 (with)	Column 3 (Meaning)
1. look	after	take care of
2. run	away	escape or leave quickly
3. put	off	postpone
4. break	down	stop functioning / lose control
5. call	off	cancel

Competency-Based Questions

Q1. How does the poet use humour to highlight the unique behaviour of the funny man?

Answer: The poet uses exaggerated and absurd imagery, such as wearing a shoe on his head and hopping home on his head, to create humour. This reflects how unusual actions can challenge our normal expectations and make us laugh.

Q2. What can we infer about the poet’s reaction to the funny man’s behaviour?

Answer: The poet is surprised and amused by the man’s antics. Phrases like “I staggered back” and “Well!” show a mix of confusion and delight, indicating that the poet is open to viewing oddity with curiosity rather than fear.

Q3. What life skill does the poet demonstrate when interacting with the funny man?

Answer:The poet demonstrates open-mindedness and observation. Despite the man’s odd behaviour, the poet remains polite, tries to understand, and responds without judgment, showing emotional awareness and social sensitivity.

Q4. Why is the poem suitable for building creativity in students?

Answer:The poem encourages imagination through humorous and surreal situations. It helps students explore poetic devices, wordplay, and alternative thinking, fostering creative expression and divergent thinking skills.

Q5. What message does the poem convey about accepting differences in people?

Answer:The poem suggests that people may behave differently, but instead of judging them, we can appreciate their uniqueness with kindness and humour. It promotes empathy and inclusion through light-hearted storytelling.