If I Knew Questions & Answers (2024)

Word Galaxy

• Bolt – (here) lock
• Twould – an archaic (old) way of saying it would
• Broadcast – (here) to spread
• Scatter – to throw all around
• Frowns – unhappy or angry expression on the face
• I’d – short form of I would
• Hire – to pay someone to get something done

Question 1: Choose the correct option:

1. The speaker wants to open the box where the ________ are kept.

(a) frowns
(b) smiles
(c) grimaces
(d) scowls

2. The speaker would like to _________ the smiles.

(a) remove
(b) hide
(c) scatter
(d) keep

3. The speaker wants a __________ box to hold all the frowns.

(a) small
(b) large
(c) enormous
(d) beautiful

4. The frowns would be packed in the box and locked with the __________.

(a) monster key
(b) small key
(c) large key
(d) shiny key

5. The _________ would drop the box to the depths of the deep sea.

(a) boy
(b) monster
(c) ogre
(d) giant

Question 2: Why does the poet want a box of smiles?

Answer: The poet wants a box of smiles because she wishes to open the box and scatter the smiles all around in order to play. In such a way, the children’s faces will be able to hold the smiles for many days.

Question 3: What does she want to do with all the frowns?

Answer: She wants to fold and hold all the frowns in a large box and lock it with a monster key.

Question 4: Who does the poet want to hire and why?

Answer: The poet wants to hire a giant to drop the box of frowns to the depth of the deep sea.

Question 5: The poet had a wish to do something for all children. What do you think that wish was?

Answer: The poet wishes to spread smiles among the children.

Question 6: What does dropping something to the depths of the deep sea suggest?

Answer: Dropping something to the depths of the deep sea suggests that it is deep in the sea. It can never be found and hence, remains buried forever.

Question 7: What is the message of this poem? Do you agree with it?

The poem spreads the message of joy and love. The poet wants to spread smiles and scatter them everywhere so that nobody remains unhappy. The poet wishes to wipe out all the frowns from people’s faces so that people forget all their troubles and put away their frowns and keep smiling.

Question 8: Read the lines from the poem and answer the questions.

1. ‘Twould open, I know, for me.

(a) What is the poet trying to open?

Answer: The poet is trying to open the box where smiles are kept.

(b) Why is she trying to open it?

Answer: She is trying to open it to scatter the smiles for the children.

(c) What makes her so sure that it will open for her?

Answer: The poet is determined to try hard to open the box, no matter how strong the bolt is or how large the key is. So, her determination to work hard makes the poet sure that the box will open for her.

2. I would like to gather them, everyone,
From nursery, school and street,
Then folding and holding I’d pack them in.

(a) What does the poet want to gather?

Answer: The poet wants to gather all the frowns she meets.

(b) From where does she want to gather it?

Answer: She wants to gather it from nursery, school and street.

(c) What does she want to do after gathering them?

Answer: She wants to fold and hold all the frowns in a large box and lock it with a monster key. She then wants to hire a giant to drop the box to the depth of the deep sea.

3. Then, folding and holding, I’d pack them in

(a) What would be packed in?

Answer: All the frowns in the world would be packed in.

(b) Why does the speaker want to do this?

Answer: The speaker wants to do this so that all the frowns in the world can be put away and nobody would ever frown again. All the frowns would be dropped in the box to the depths of the sea.

4. Then over the land and sea broadcast
I’d scatter the smiles to play,
That the children’s faces might hold them fast
For many and many a day.

(a) Where would the speaker scatter the smiles?

Answer: The speaker would scatter the smiles over the land and sea.

(b) What would the children do with the smiles?