The Quarrel — Study Notes

1. Introduction

"The Quarrel" is a charming poem by Eleanor Farjeon, included in the NCERT Honeysuckle textbook for Class 6. The poem describes a small quarrel between the poet and her brother. What makes the quarrel funny is that neither of them can remember what started it, yet the two children argue passionately, each insisting that the other is wrong.

The poet describes how the quarrel began suddenly in the afternoon. Both she and her brother became stubborn, and their voices grew louder as each refused to give in. The poet says that the quarrel started without a clear reason, and even now she cannot remember what it was about. This gentle humour makes the poem appealing to every reader who has ever fought with a sibling.

The quarrel, however, does not last long. The poet soon realises that quarrelling is silly, and she finds her brother's hand. They make up, and the poem ends on a warm note of forgiveness and love. The poem teaches that small fights are a normal part of family life, but love and forgiveness always mend broken bonds.

2. About the Poet

Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965) was an English author and poet famous for her children's stories and poems. She is remembered for works such as 'The Little Bookroom' and for her poem 'Morning Has Broken', which became a famous hymn. Her poems are simple, musical and full of warmth. 'The Quarrel' reflects her gift for turning everyday childhood experiences into delightful verse.

3. Summary of the Poem

The poem begins with the poet telling us that she quarrelled with her brother. The quarrel happened in the afternoon, and it began quite suddenly, without any real cause. Even today, the poet says, she cannot remember what the quarrel was about. This makes the fight seem foolish and amusing.

During the quarrel, the poet says she was in the right, but her brother was in the wrong. She repeats that her brother was wrong and she was right, showing how stubborn children can be. Their voices became louder, and neither was willing to apologise first. The quarrel grew and the afternoon was spoiled.

The poet then describes a funny moment in the fight. Her brother pushed her into a wall, and she accidentally hit her head. Her eyes went crossed, showing how dizzy she felt. Even so, she did not stop arguing, and her brother too remained stubborn.

But soon the poet realised how silly the whole thing was. Quietly, she found her brother's hand and held it, showing that she wanted to make peace. Her brother understood and forgave her. The poem ends happily, showing that the quarrel melted away with love, and the two children became friends again.

4. Stanza-wise Summary

1. First Stanza: The poet quarrelled with her brother in the afternoon; neither remembers the cause.
2. Second Stanza: Both children insist they are right; voices rise and the fight grows.
3. Third Stanza: The brother pushes her into the wall and she hits her head, yet the quarrel continues.
4. Fourth Stanza: The poet takes her brother's hand, he forgives her, and they make up.

5. Theme and Moral

The theme of the poem is sibling quarrels and the power of love and forgiveness. The poet shows that small fights among family members are natural, but holding grudges is foolish. The moral is that forgiveness mends every broken bond, and that love is stronger than any silly quarrel. After the storm of anger, the calm of affection always returns.

6. Literary Devices

1. Humour: The fact that no one remembers the cause of the quarrel is quietly comic.
2. Repetition: The poet repeats that 'he was wrong and I was right' to show their stubbornness.
3. Exaggeration: The description of crossed eyes after hitting the wall adds a humorous touch.
4. Contrast: The angry quarrel is contrasted with the gentle reconciliation.
5. Rhyme: The poem has a simple rhyme scheme that makes it easy and pleasant to read.
6. Personal Voice: The first-person narration makes the poem feel real and relatable.

7. Detailed Explanation

The poem's humour comes from a very ordinary human weakness: pride. Neither the poet nor her brother can remember why the quarrel began, yet both are ready to argue about it and both insist they are right. By repeating "he was wrong and I was right", the poet shows how stubborn children can become, refusing to see the other person's point of view. The quarrel is described as starting suddenly in the afternoon, which suggests that it grew out of a small, forgettable irritation rather than any serious disagreement.

The middle of the poem contains the most comic moment, when the brother pushes the poet into the wall and she hits her head so hard that her eyes go crossed. Instead of making her stop, the accident only fuels the fight, which shows how quickly anger can take control of reasonable people. Yet the poet is careful to show that the quarrel does not last. The turning point comes when she quietly takes her brother's hand, a small gesture that requires more courage than continuing the fight. Her brother responds by forgiving her, and the quarrel simply melts away.

The lesson of the poem is clear: a quarrel may begin over nothing, but ending it takes love, humility, and the willingness to take the first step towards peace. The poet does not tell us who was truly at fault, because in a small fight of this kind fault usually belongs to both sides. What matters is not who was right, but that the two children chose to heal their relationship. The poem teaches us that holding onto anger is far more foolish than forgiving the person who caused it, and that a moment of kindness can undo an afternoon of harsh words. In this way, a poem that begins with shouting ends in a silent act of love, reminding young readers that every relationship is worth more than any argument.

Quick Revision Tables

Table 1: Key Details

Table 2: Stages of the Quarrel

Mind Map

Important Diagrams (SVG)

Diagram 1: The Quarrel - From Anger to Forgiveness

Diagram 2: The Lesson of the Quarrel

Common Mistakes

1. Students often think the quarrel was about a serious matter; the poet says no one even remembers the cause.
2. Some believe the poet won the argument; actually the quarrel ended through forgiveness, not by winning.
3. Learners may think the quarrel lasted for days; it ended quickly with a handshake of friendship.
4. It is wrong to say the poet's brother apologised first; the poet took the first step by taking his hand.
5. Some confuse the poet's gender; the speaker is the poet herself, who quarrelled with her brother.
6. Students often miss the humour of the crossed eyes after she hit the wall.

Exam Tips

1. Remember the poet, Eleanor Farjeon, and her gentle, musical style.
2. Quote that 'neither of us remembered what the quarrel was about'.
3. Narrate the quarrel and the reconciliation in the correct order.
4. Mention the humour in the poem, such as the funny, crossed eyes.
5. State the moral: love and forgiveness heal small fights.
6. Practise describing how the poet took the first step towards making up.

Conclusion

"The Quarrel" by Eleanor Farjeon turns an everyday sibling fight into a delightful poem full of warmth and gentle humour. The poet and her brother argue over nothing, both insisting they are right, until the poet realises how silly the whole thing is. By taking her brother's hand, she shows that forgiveness comes more easily than pride. The poem ends with love mending what anger broke, teaching young readers that small quarrels are natural, but love and forgiveness are always stronger.