The Quarrel — AP Board Class 6 English
'I quarrelled with my BROTHER. I don't know WHAT about.'
1. About the Poem
'The Quarrel' by Eleanor Farjeon describes a TYPICAL sibling quarrel — the kind every brother or sister has experienced. The speaker and their brother argue over something SO SMALL that neither remembers what started it. They say MEAN things. They walk away ANGRY. But then — the brother APOLOGISES. And in that moment, the speaker REALISES that love is stronger than anger. The quarrel ENDS as suddenly as it BEGAN.
Why This Poem Matters for AP Board Students
- EVERY child has brothers, sisters, or cousins they fight with
- 'The quarrel feels REAL — because IT IS real'
- Teaches about FORGIVENESS and APOLOGY
- Simple language — easy to UNDERSTAND and ANALYSE
- Good for ROLE PLAY and RECITATION
2. About the Poet
Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965)
- English author of children's stories and poems
- Famous for: 'Morning Has Broken' (a hymn), and many children's books
- Won the Hans Christian Andersen Award and the Carnegie Medal
- Wrote with WARMTH, HUMOUR, and INSIGHT into children's feelings
Why She Wrote This Poem
She understood that children's EMOTIONS are DEEP — even when the CAUSE seems silly. A quarrel may seem SMALL, but the FEELINGS are REAL.
3. The Full Poem
I quarrelled with my brother. I don't know WHAT about. One thing led to ANOTHER And somehow we FELL OUT.
The start of it was SLIGHT. The end of it was STRONG. He said he was RIGHT. I knew he was WRONG!
We hated one ANOTHER. The afternoon turned BLACK. Then suddenly my brother Thumped me on the BACK.
And said, 'Oh, come along! We can't go on ALL NIGHT. I was in the WRONG.'
So it was all RIGHT.
4. Stanza-by-Stanza Explanation
Stanza 1 (Lines 1-4)
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 'I quarrelled with my brother.' | The speaker CONFLICT — simple and direct |
| 'I don't know WHAT about.' | The CAUSE was INSIGNIFICANT — already forgotten! |
| 'One thing led to ANOTHER' | The quarrel ESCALATED — each word led to another |
| 'And somehow we FELL OUT.' | 'Fell out' means STOPPED being friends |
Theme: Arguments often start over SOMETHING TRIVIAL.
Stanza 2 (Lines 5-8)
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 'The start of it was SLIGHT.' | It was a SMALL disagreement |
| 'The end of it was STRONG.' | It became a BIG fight |
| 'He said he was RIGHT.' | The brother insisted he was correct |
| 'I knew he was WRONG!' | The speaker was CONVINCED of their own rightness |
Theme: The quarrel GREW — from slight to strong.
Stanza 3 (Lines 9-12)
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 'We hated one ANOTHER.' | The emotion intensified — REAL anger |
| 'The afternoon turned BLACK.' | The mood DARKENED — the day was RUINED |
| 'Then suddenly my brother' | TURNING POINT — something unexpected |
| 'Thumped me on the BACK.' | The brother TOUCHED the speaker — a GESTURE of peace |
Theme: The CRISIS point — and the beginning of RESOLUTION.
Stanza 4 (Lines 13-16)
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 'And said, "Oh, come along!"' | The brother INVITES reconciliation |
| '"We can't go on ALL NIGHT."' | He REALISES the fight is WASTEFUL |
| '"I was in the WRONG."' | The brother APOLOGISES — accepts blame |
| 'So it was all RIGHT.' | The quarrel ENDS. Peace is RESTORED. |
Theme: APOLOGY and FORGIVENESS heal the rift.
5. Themes
Sibling Rivalry
Brothers and sisters FIGHT — it is NORMAL. The poem NORMALISES this experience.
Forgiveness
'It takes TWO to quarrel — but only ONE to apologise.' The brother's apology ENDS the fight.
Trivial Causes
Most quarrels start over NOTHING important. The speaker doesn't even REMEMBER the cause.
Reconciliation
Love is STRONGER than anger. The brother's gesture (the thump on the back) shows HEALING.
6. Poetic Devices
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Contrast | 'The start was SLIGHT / The end was STRONG' | Shows the ESCALATION |
| Rhyming Couplets | about/another, wrong/strong | Creates RHYTHM |
| Simple Language | Everyday words | RELATABLE to children |
| Dramatic Shift | 'Then suddenly my brother' | TURNING POINT in the poem |
| Metaphor | 'The afternoon turned BLACK' | The QUARREL darkens everything |
| Direct Speech | '"I was in the WRONG."' | The apology feels REAL |
7. Vocabulary / New Words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Quarrel | An angry argument or disagreement |
| Fell out | Stopped being friends due to a disagreement |
| Slight | Small, unimportant |
| Thumped | Hit gently — in a FRIENDLY way here |
| Wrong | Incorrect, mistaken |
| All right | OK, fine, back to normal |
8. Important Lines
| Line | Significance |
|---|---|
| 'I quarrelled with my brother. I don't know WHAT about.' | The CAUSE is forgotten — shows how TRIVIAL it was |
| 'The start of it was SLIGHT. The end of it was STRONG.' | The ESCALATION from small to big |
| 'The afternoon turned BLACK.' | The FIGHT ruins the whole day |
| 'Thumped me on the BACK.' | The GESTURE — a friendly touch — signals peace |
| 'I was in the WRONG.' | The APOLOGY — the TURNING POINT |
9. Short Answer Questions (2-3 marks each)
1. Who did the speaker quarrel with? The speaker quarrelled with their BROTHER.
2. Why did the quarrel start? The speaker does NOT remember. The cause was TRIVIAL.
3. How did the quarrel begin and how did it end? The beginning was SLIGHT (small), but it became STRONG (big).
4. What did the speaker's brother say to make peace? He said: 'Oh, come along! We can't go on all night. I was in the WRONG.'
5. How did the quarrel end? The brother APOLOGISED and the speaker accepted. Everything was 'all right' again.
6. What does 'the afternoon turned BLACK' mean? It means the quarrel RUINED the mood of the entire afternoon.
7. What does the poem teach us? Quarrels happen — but APOLOGY and FORGIVENESS can heal any relationship.
10. Long Answer Questions (6-8 marks each)
1. 'The quarrel started over NOTHING — but the feelings were REAL.' Explain. The speaker admits they don't even remember what the quarrel was about. It was TRIVIAL. Yet during the quarrel, emotions were VERY intense — 'We hated one another.' The afternoon 'turned black.' The FEAR and ANGER felt real. This is EXACTLY how sibling quarrels work: the cause is silly, but the feelings are DEEP. The poem VALIDATES children's emotions while showing that RECONCILIATION is always possible.
2. How did the quarrel end? What does this teach us about conflict resolution? The quarrel ended when the brother APOLOGISED. He said, 'I was in the wrong.' He also used a GESTURE — thumping the speaker on the back — as a FRIENDLY signal. This teaches us: (1) SomeONE has to take the FIRST step. (2) An APOLOGY can end even the worst conflict. (3) PHYSICAL gestures (a hug, a pat) can communicate what words cannot. (4) It is OK to admit you were WRONG.
3. Compare the SPEAKER's and the BROTHER's behaviour in the poem. The speaker was STUBBORN and CONVINCED of being right: 'I knew he was wrong!' The brother was equally STUBBORN initially — he also insisted he was right. But the brother was the BIGGER person: he APOLOGISED first. The speaker ACCEPTED the apology. Both contributed to the quarrel, but the brother CONTRIBUTED to the reconciliation. Sometimes the STRONGER person is the one who says 'sorry' first.
4. 'The brother thumped me on the BACK.' Why is this GESTURE important? A thump on the back is FRIENDLY and PLAYFUL — not aggressive. It says: 'I'm still your friend. This fight doesn't change that.' It BREAKS the tension. After the thump, the brother speaks KINDLY. The gesture OPENS the door for words. This shows that ACTIONS can speak louder than words in repairing a relationship.
11. AP Board Context
- Poetry appreciation questions often ask about the TURNING POINT in the poem.
- Telugu connection: 'Godava' (quarrel) and 'Kshamapana' (apology) — important values.
- Discussion: 'Do you have a brother or sister? Have you EVER quarrelled like this?'
- Role-play: Act out the poem with a partner — from quarrel to reconciliation.
- Writing task: 'Write about a time YOU quarrelled with a sibling or friend — and how you made up.'
12. Fun Activity
'Write a NEW Ending' Imagine the brother did NOT apologise. What would have happened? Write 4 more lines for the poem — a VERSION where the quarrel CONTINUES. Then discuss: Which ending is BETTER? Why?
