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CBSE Class 7 English★ 5-8 marks through reading comprehension, poetic devices, vocabulary, and writing tasks in CBSE Class 7 English (Poorvi)

A Funny Man

A CBSE Class 7 English (Poorvi) Unit 2 humorous poem by Natalie Joan — about a funny man who does everything upside down, wearing his shoe on his head and his hats on his feet, reminding us to laugh and to enjoy being different. These notes give the summary, themes, poetic devices, vocabulary, comprehension Q&A, writing tasks, common mistakes, a practice set with answers, and quick revision.

⏱ 14 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Describe the funny man's upside-down behaviour
2Identify the poem as nonsense / humorous verse
3Recognise rhyme and a playful tone
4Write a few funny lines of one's own
5Recite the poem with expression

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Why this chapter matters

A Funny Man, by Natalie Joan, is a light nonsense poem that builds a love of rhythm and rhyme while teaching students to enjoy humour and to accept being different. It is ideal for recitation and easy comprehension practice.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Class 6 English foundations

Reading a short poem and noticing rhyme.

A Funny Man — Class 7 English (CBSE)

From the current NCERT Poorvi Grade 7 book, Unit 2: Wit and Humour, Chapter 5. A light, playful poem by Natalie Joan that makes us laugh and celebrates being a little different.

1. About the poem

Text type: A humorous (nonsense) poem.
Poet: Natalie Joan.
Main theme: Fun, laughter, and the joy of being different.

2. Summary

"A Funny Man" describes a man who does everything in a funny, upside-down way. He wears his shoe on his head and his hats on his feet, and behaves in odd, mixed-up ways that make everyone laugh. The poem has no deep, serious message — it is nonsense verse meant simply to amuse us. Through its silly pictures, it gently reminds us that it is fine to be different and that laughter makes life happy.

3. Theme and poetic devices

Theme: Humour, playfulness, and accepting differences.
Rhyme: the poem has a light, sing-song rhythm and rhyme.
Imagery: funny pictures (shoe on head, hats on feet).
Tone: cheerful and playful.

4. New words and meanings

Word	Meaning
funny	causing laughter; odd
upside down	the wrong way up
amuse	to make someone laugh or smile
peculiar	strange, unusual
giggle	to laugh in a silly way

5. Let Us Think (comprehension)

Why is the man called "funny"? Because he does everything in a strange, upside-down way.
Give one example of his funny behaviour. He wears his shoe on his head (and his hats on his feet).
What is the mood of the poem? Light, cheerful, and playful.
Does the poem have a serious message? No — it is nonsense verse meant to make us laugh.
What gentle idea does it leave us with? That it is fine to be different and that laughter makes life happy.

6. Language and poetry

Rhyming words

Find two pairs of rhyming words in the poem and write them.

Make your own nonsense line

Write one funny "upside-down" line of your own (e.g., "He drank his soup with a fork...").

7. Writing and speaking

Writing: Write 4 funny lines about a peculiar person or animal.
Speaking: Recite the poem with cheerful expression and actions.

8. Common mistakes

Mistake: Looking for a deep, serious meaning. Fix: It is nonsense verse — its purpose is fun.
Mistake: Mixing up the funny details. Fix: Shoe on the head, hats on the feet.
Mistake: Reading it in a flat voice. Fix: Read it with a light, playful tone.

9. Practice set

What does the funny man do with his shoe and his hats?
What kind of poem is "A Funny Man"?
What is its mood?
Write two rhyming words from the poem.
Why do people laugh at the man?

10. Answer key

He wears his shoe on his head and his hats on his feet.
A humorous / nonsense poem.
Light, cheerful, and playful.
Answers will vary; any correct rhyming pair from the poem.
Because he does everything in a strange, upside-down way.

11. Quick revision

Unit 2: Wit and Humour · Chapter 5 · poem by Natalie Joan.
A man does everything upside down: shoe on head, hats on feet.
It is nonsense verse meant to amuse.
Mood: cheerful and playful.
Gentle idea: it's fine to be different; laughter is good.

Unit 2: Wit and Humour

This chapter is part of Unit 2: Wit and Humour. The three chapters in this unit are:

Chapter 4: Animals, Birds and Dr. Dolittle — a humorous story
Chapter 5: A Funny Man — a humorous poem
Chapter 6: Say the Right Thing — a humorous play

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Text type

humorous / nonsense poem

Its purpose is to amuse, not to teach a deep lesson.

Main theme

fun, laughter, and being different

Silly pictures make us smile.

Poetic devices

rhyme, imagery, playful tone

Shoe on head, hats on feet.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Looking for a deep, serious meaning

✓ It is nonsense verse - its purpose is fun.

WATCH OUT

✗ Mixing up the funny details

✓ Shoe on the head, hats on the feet.

WATCH OUT

✗ Reading it in a flat voice

✓ Read it with a light, playful tone.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Read and enjoy

Read the poem aloud and point out the funny pictures.

Questions

Notebook practice

Comprehension answers, rhyming words, and vocabulary.

Questions

Project or activity

Write and illustrate your own funny 'upside-down' lines.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Recall

What does the funny man do with his shoe and his hats?

▶ Show solution

He wears his shoe on his head and his hats on his feet.

Q2EASY· Poetry

What kind of poem is 'A Funny Man'?

▶ Show solution

A humorous or nonsense poem.

Q3MEDIUM· Tone

What is the mood of the poem and how should it be read?

▶ Show solution

The mood is light, cheerful and playful, and it should be read with a happy, expressive voice.

Q4MEDIUM· Poetic device

Write two rhyming words from the poem.

▶ Show solution

Any correct rhyming pair from the poem is acceptable.

Q5MEDIUM· Comprehension

Why do people laugh at the funny man?

▶ Show solution

Because he does everything in a strange, mixed-up, upside-down way.

Q6HARD· Writing

Write four funny lines about a peculiar person or animal.

▶ Show solution

Lines will vary; check for humour and an attempt at rhyme.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•A Funny Man is Chapter 5 of Unit 2 in the Class 7 Poorvi textbook.
•It is a humorous / nonsense poem by Natalie Joan.
•The man wears his shoe on his head and his hats on his feet.
•It has no deep message - it is meant to amuse.
•Mood: cheerful and playful.
•Gentle idea: it is fine to be different; laughter is good.

CBSE marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 5-8 marks in school tests, notebooks, and recitation

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Very Short	1	2-3	Facts, rhyme, or vocabulary
Short Answer	2-3	2	Mood, humour, or poetic device
Writing	3	0-1	Funny original lines

Prep strategy

Remember the funny details (shoe on head, hats on feet)
Identify it as nonsense verse with a playful tone
Find rhyming pairs in the poem
Write a few funny lines of your own

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Joy of reading

Funny poems make children love rhythm and rhyme.

Accepting differences

It teaches that being different is perfectly fine.

Confident recitation

Light poems are perfect for expressive speaking practice.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Recall the funny details correctly
Name the poem type: humorous / nonsense verse
Pick rhyming words straight from the poem
Keep your own funny lines short and playful

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Mark the rhyme scheme of the first four lines.
Write a four-line nonsense poem of your own.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

CBSE Class 7 School AssessmentHigh

Class 7 Recitation / Olympiad PracticeMedium

Notebook and Writing EvaluationHigh

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

The poem is nonsense verse meant mainly to amuse, but it gently reminds us that it is fine to be different and that laughter makes life happy.

Because it describes silly, impossible, upside-down actions purely for fun, without a serious lesson.

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