A Smile Class 2 NCERT: Poem Meaning, Words and Practice

What the Poem Teaches

A Smile is a poem about a small action that can make people happy. When we smile, our face changes a little. The poet says it wrinkles up the face, which means the cheeks and eyes may get small lines when we smile. But the poem is not only about the face. It is about feelings. A smile shows friendliness, love and kindness without using many words. If you smile at a friend, the friend may feel happy and smile back. So the poem teaches that happiness can grow when we share it. For Class 2 students, the main lesson is simple: a cheerful face can make the classroom, home and playground a happier place.

Important Word Meanings

smile

A happy look on the face, usually with the mouth turned up.

funny

Something that is amusing, strange or makes us laugh.

wrinkles

Small lines or folds that appear on the face or skin.

secret

Something hidden or not known by everyone.

wonderful

Very good, lovely or amazing.

hiding place

A place where something is kept so that others cannot easily find it.

How to Understand the Poem Step by Step

1. Step 1: Notice what a smile does to the face — The poem says a smile wrinkles up your face. This means the face changes when we smile. Our cheeks lift, our eyes look bright and small lines may appear.
2. Step 2: Think about where the smile goes — The poet says that when the smile is gone, we cannot find its secret hiding place. This means a smile is not a thing we can hold. It comes and goes with our feelings.
3. Step 3: Find the bigger message — The most important idea is that a smile can spread. When you smile at one person, that person may smile back, so one smile becomes two smiles.
4. Step 4: Connect it to daily life — In school, at home or in the playground, a kind smile can help others feel welcome. The poem teaches us to share happiness through small actions.

Worked Examples for Class 2 Answers

• Q: What happens when you smile at someone? A: Step 1: Read the last lines of the poem carefully. Step 2: The poem says, You smile at one, he smiles at you. Step 3: This means the other person smiles back. Final answer: When you smile at someone, that person may smile back, and one smile becomes two.
• Q: Make a sentence with the word wonderful. A: Step 1: Understand the meaning. Wonderful means very good or lovely. Step 2: Think of a happy thing, such as a day, a gift or a friend. Step 3: Write a complete sentence with a capital letter and full stop. Final answer: I had a wonderful day at school.

CBSE Answer Writing Tip

For A Smile Class 2 NCERT questions, write short but complete answers. Do not answer only one word if the question asks what or why. For example, instead of writing back, write He smiles back at you. Remember to begin names and sentences with capital letters and end with a full stop. In poem questions, use words from the poem when possible, such as smile, wrinkles, secret and wonderful.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Do not think the poem is only about the mouth. It is also about sharing happiness and kindness.
• Do not write wrinkels or wrenkles. The correct spelling is wrinkles.
• Do not say that a smile has a real hiding place. The poet is using imagination to say that a smile cannot be found after it disappears.
• Do not forget that one smile becomes two when the other person smiles back.
• While reciting, read slowly and clearly so the rhyming words and meaning can be heard.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: What is the poem A Smile about? A: Step 1: Think about the main word in the poem, smile. Step 2: Notice that the poem says a smile changes the face and makes another person smile back. Step 3: Write the idea in one simple sentence. Final answer: The poem A Smile is about how a smile makes us look happy and spreads happiness to others.
• Q: What does a smile do to your face? A: Step 1: Read the line that says, It wrinkles up your face. Step 2: Understand that wrinkles means small lines or folds. Step 3: Answer in a complete sentence. Final answer: A smile wrinkles up your face and makes it look happy.
• Q: Why does the poet say that we cannot find the smile's secret hiding place? A: Step 1: Think whether a smile is a thing we can hold in our hand. Step 2: A smile appears on the face and then goes away. Step 3: So its hiding place cannot really be found. Final answer: The poet says this because a smile is not a real object; it comes and goes with our feelings.
• Q: How does one smile become two? A: Step 1: Read the lines, You smile at one, he smiles at you. Step 2: Count the smiles: first you smile, then the other person smiles. Step 3: Add them together: one plus one is two. Final answer: One smile becomes two when you smile at someone and that person smiles back.

Frequently Asked Questions