The Touch of The Master'S Hand: Myra Brooks Welch

THE TOUCH OF THE
MASTER’S HAND
MYRA BROOKS WELCH
Myra Brooks Welch
• a poet - known for her Christian poem The Touch of the
Master's Hand, which was also adapted into a film.
• Born: 1877, Farmington Township, Illinois, United States
• Died: 11 August 1959, Los Angeles, California, United States
• Books: The Touch of the Master's Hand, The Touch of the

Master's Hand: And Ninety-three Other Poems
• ‘the poet with the singing soul’
• Poem sent to her church bulletin anonymously – gift from God
• Later recited – became famous
• Wheel chaired – severe arthritis.
• In 5 stanzas
• Looks simple – but one touch can change everything
'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks", he cried,
"Who’ll start the bidding for me?"
“A dollar, a dollar, then two!Only two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
‘Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three….’ But no,
From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loosened strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: ‘What am I bid for the old violin?’
And he held it up with the bow.
‘A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice,
And going and gone,’ said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
‘We do not quite understand.
What changed its worth?’ Swift came the reply:
‘The touch of the Master’s hand.’
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin.
A ‘mess of pottage,’ a glass of wine,
A game – and he travels on.
He is ‘going’ once, and ‘going’ twice,
He’s ‘going’ and almost ‘gone.’
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.
B. Write short answers
1. How has the poet described the violin? Answer in two to three
sentences.
Ans: The poet described the violin as an old one. It is a broken and
bruised one. Also it is covered with dust and it’s strings are loosened.
2. What price did the auctioneer first decide for the violin?
Ans: The price the auctioneer first decided for the violin was one dollar.
3. What did the old man do after he picked up the bow?
Ans: After the old man picked up the bow of the violin, he played a
sweet melody like that of an angel playing a beautiful carol song.
4. What happened to the price of the violin after the old man played it?
Ans: After the old man played a sweet melody in the violin, the price of
the violin increased from three dollars to three thousand dollars.
5. How has the poet described the people in the crowd?
Ans: The poet described the people in the crowd as thoughtless crowd.
6. How did they react after the melody was played?
Ans: After the melody was played by the old man, some people in the
crowd cheered and some cried and some got confused.
C Think and answer
1. Why did the auctioneer think that the old violin was not worth wasting
any time over?
Ans: The auctioneer thought that the old violin was not worth wasting any
time over as it was old. It was battered and scarred and did not seem to be
of any use as it was covered with dust and its strings were loosened.
2. What does the poem tell you about the ‘grey-haired man’?
Ans: The whole poem is all about the ‘grey-haired man’. When the old violin
was auctioned, there were no buyers and it was about to be sold out for
three dollars. But the grey-haired man came from the back of the hall,
dusted it and tightened the strings, played a sweet melody, like an angel
playing a beautiful carol song. This changed the value of the violin, from
three dollars to three thousand dollars. Really, he was a master musician.
3. Why do you think the auctioneer’s voice became ‘quiet and low’
after the music stopped?
Ans: The auctioneer’s voice became ‘quiet and low’ after the music
stopped because the angelic music played by the old man in the violin
moved him and suddenly he realized the value of the violin, not to be
sold for three dollars but for thousands of dollars.
4. What, according to you, changed the price of the violin?
Ans: According to me, the melodious music played by the grey-haired
man changed the price of the violin.
5. Why has the poet compared a man’s life with the old violin?
Ans: The poet compared a man’s life with the old violin because people
will not understand the worth/value of a human being. If we are doing
great or wonderful job or rich, people will value us. Otherwise we are
rejected like that of the old violin, discarded, with loosened strings and
covered with dust. A master figure may not appear always and if that
not happens, we will waste our talents and nobody will appreciate us.
6. (Please give TWO reasons of your own)

The Touch of The Master'S Hand: Myra Brooks Welch

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The Touch of The Master'S Hand: Myra Brooks Welch

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THE TOUCH OF THE

• Born: 1877, Farmington Township, Illinois, United States

• Died: 11 August 1959, Los Angeles, California, United States

• Books: The Touch of the Master's Hand, The Touch of the

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