A Pocketful of Sympathy
by Alison Cassidy
(Communication with Cambridge)
The Poem :
"A pocketful of sympathy
Is really rather wonderful
To stop a scratch from stinging
Or a bruise from black and bluing
A pocketful of sympathy
Can stop a heart from hurting
Or catch a tear that’s falling
Like a raindrop down a cheek
A pocketful of sympathy
Costs absolutely nothing
It’s the cheapest kind of plaster
That you’ll ever ever find
And a pocketful of sympathy
Is like Lindsay’s Magic Pudding
’Cos the more of it you give away
The more you leave behind."
Summary of the Poem :
Summary :
This poem tells us about the importance of sympathy. Sympathy means being kind and caring towards others. The poet says that sympathy is very powerful. It can reduce pain, stop tears, and make people feel better when they are sad or hurt.
Sympathy does not cost any money, but it works like a medicine or plaster for pain and sadness. When we show sympathy, it helps both the giver and the receiver.
The poet compares sympathy to Lindsay’s Magic Pudding because the more sympathy we give to others, the more sympathy we still have left. The poem teaches us to always be kind, caring, and understanding towards others.
Understanding the Poem
A. Choose the correct options. Read the poem again. Then, check your own answers.
1. What can some sympathy do?
a. stop a scratch from stinging
b. stop you from getting hurt
c. help you make new friends
✔ Correct Answer:
a. stop a scratch from stinging
Easy Explanation:
The poem says sympathy can stop pain, just like it can stop a scratch from hurting.
2. What does a pocketful of sympathy cost?
a. lakhs of rupees
b. absolutely nothing
✔ Correct Answer:
b. absolutely nothing
Easy Explanation:
Sympathy is free. It does not cost any money.
B. Answer these questions. Read the poem again. Check your answers and score yourself.
1. According to the speaker, what can a pocketful of sympathy help with? Name any two.
Answer :
A pocketful of sympathy can:
stop a scratch or bruise from hurting
stop a heart from hurting and dry tears
2. How is sympathy “wonderful”?
Answer :
Sympathy is wonderful because it can heal pain, make people feel better, and comfort sad hearts without costing anything.
C. Think and answer.
(Reading for inference – HOTS)
1. Why does the speaker compare sympathy with “plaster”? How are the two similar?
Answer :
The speaker compares sympathy to plaster because both help heal pain. Plaster heals wounds, and sympathy heals sadness and hurt feelings.
2. How do you leave behind more sympathy when you show sympathy to someone?
Answer :
When we show kindness and sympathy, others feel happy and spread kindness further. So sympathy increases when it is shared.
D. Discuss in class.
(Value-based question)
Do you remember the people who have been sympathetic towards you in the past? How do you feel when you think about that time?
Answer :
Yes, I remember people who were kind to me when I was sad. Thinking about that time makes me feel happy, safe, and thankful.
Appreciation
A. Work in pairs and pick out the rhyming words in the poem. Discuss your answers with your teacher.
Rhyming Words from the Poem:
wonderful – bluing
hurting – falling
cheek – bluing
nothing – pudding
away – behind
(Any correct rhyming pairs are acceptable)
B. This poem creates rich visual images. Describe a few of the images that come to your mind.
Answer :
A scratch hurting less after kind words
Tears rolling down a cheek like raindrops
A plaster healing a wound
Kindness spreading like magic pudding
Extra Note (Imagery Explanation – Easy):
Imagery helps us see, feel, or imagine something clearly.
In this poem, we imagine pain, tears, healing, and kindness.
✅ Final Message of the Poem (For Class 5):
Sympathy is free, powerful, and magical.
The more kindness we give, the more kindness grows.