A Letter to God 10 English Chapter 1 CBSE Notes 2025-26

Faith and hope stand at the center of the story "A Letter to God" from CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1. The chapter introduces Lencho, a simple and hardworking farmer who strongly believes in divine help. When his ripening corn crop is destroyed by a hailstorm, Lencho’s hope for a good harvest turns to despair as he realises there is nothing left to feed his family. Yet, he keeps his faith and decides to write a letter directly to God, asking for financial help to survive and replant his fields.

The story opens with a vivid description of Lencho's house, situated alone on a low hill overlooking a field filled with ripening corn and flowers. Lencho anxiously awaits rain, believing that only water is needed for a successful harvest. When the rain finally arrives during dinner, he is overjoyed and likens the large raindrops to "new coins," showing his optimism and gratitude for nature's support. However, this happiness is short-lived as strong winds bring hailstones, turning the rain into devastation within an hour. The hailstorm wipes out his entire crop, leaving Lencho and his family worried about their future.

Although Lencho and his family face complete loss, he teaches his children that "no one dies of hunger." During the troubled night, Lencho clings to the belief that God will help them. He decides to write a letter to God, stating his dire need for a hundred pesos to sow his field again and keep his family alive until the next harvest. Lencho’s letter shows his unwavering faith – he truly believes God will understand and respond to his need.

When Lencho posts the letter labelled "To God," the postmaster and his staff are initially amused but then moved by the man’s faith. Wanting to preserve this trust, the postmaster decides to collect money to help Lencho. He manages to gather a little more than half of what Lencho asked for and sends it to him, signing the letter only as "God." This act highlights both the kindness and humanity of the post office workers, and the importance of empathy towards others’ faiths.

On receiving the money, Lencho is not surprised – such is his faith in God. However, he becomes angry when he counts the amount, believing that God would never send him less than he requested. Lencho suspects that the post office employees have stolen the rest of the money, showing his naive yet unquestioning trust in God and complete doubt in human honesty. He writes another letter to God, asking for the remainder and requesting that it not be sent via the post, whom he calls "a bunch of crooks."

The central themes in the story include faith, hope, irony, and human kindness. Lencho’s unshakeable faith is contrasted with the reality of human intervention – instead of God, it is the people at the post office who help him. Lencho’s inability to recognise their goodwill leads to irony, as he blames them for stealing the money that they themselves generously contributed. The story poses important questions about belief, trust, and the quirks of human nature.

The chapter uses a variety of metaphors to enrich the narrative. For example, raindrops are compared to coins, and hailstones to "new silver coins." Lencho is described as "an ox of a man," suggesting his hardworking and enduring nature. The story provides instances of irony – especially when Lencho, despite receiving help, accuses the post office workers of dishonesty.

After each section, there are "Oral Comprehension Checks" with questions like: What did Lencho hope for? Why did he say raindrops were like new coins? And later, questions focus on Lencho's faith, who helped him, and his reaction to receiving the money. These checkpoints ensure deep understanding of the story. The language exercises include matching different types of storms to their descriptions, exploring the use of ‘hope’ as a noun and verb, and practising relative clauses.

Students are encouraged to join sentences using relative pronouns like "who," "whom," "whose," "which," and practice using negatives for emphasis, drawn directly from examples in the story. A table of metaphors guides students in identifying figurative language and understanding what qualities each metaphor reflects.

Several discussion points are included, such as whether there are people like Lencho in real life, and what kind of person he is. Words like "naive", "unquestioning", "comical", and "ungrateful" are suggested for describing Lencho. Students are also asked to think about different types of conflict represented (between humans and nature, and between humans themselves). The chapter also includes listening and speaking activities, as well as suggestions for students to make posters about saving water, making the lesson interactive and relevant to real life.

A list of storm types is provided, and students are asked to match them to their descriptions. Examples include cyclone, typhoon, hurricane, tornado, gale, and whirlwind, which help develop vocabulary and comprehension.

In addition to the main story, the chapter includes the poems "Dust of Snow" and "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost. "Dust of Snow" is about a small moment in which a crow shakes snow from a hemlock tree onto the poet, lifting his mood and saving a day he had regretted. The poem talks about the unexpected ways in which nature can heal. "Fire and Ice" is a short poem about the potential end of the world, comparing the destructive potential of human emotions like desire (fire) and hate (ice). Students are guided to discuss the meaning, symbolism, rhyme schemes, and underlying messages of these poems.

By engaging with the chapter, students learn valuable lessons on faith, the meaning of kindness, recognising irony, building vocabulary, and understanding complex human emotions and relationships. The story and poems are supported by exercises that develop both language and critical thinking skills.

• Lencho’s faith in God and his innocence are central to the story.
• The postmaster and his staff embody human kindness and empathy.
• Irony is highlighted when Lencho accuses his benefactors.
• Vocabulary related to storms and grammar topics such as relative clauses and negatives are explored in context.
• Poems add depth, exploring how simple acts of nature can change one’s outlook.

1. Who did Lencho write his letter to? Why?
2. How did the postmaster respond to Lencho’s letter?
3. Why is the story considered ironic?
4. Summarise the poem "Dust of Snow" in your own words.
5. What do "fire" and "ice" represent in Robert Frost’s poem?

• Review the meanings of important metaphors and key vocabulary items.
• Go over grammar exercises for relative pronouns and negatives for emphasis.
• Practice answering comprehension questions for deep understanding.
• Discuss the themes and lessons with your peers or teachers to strengthen your grasp of the story.

Class 10 English Chapter 1 Notes – A Letter to God: NCERT First Flight Quick Revision

These CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Notes Chapter 1 provide a clear summary of "A Letter to God" and both poems, helping you revise every key theme and question. With simple explanations and important questions, you’ll find quick answers right before exams.

Organised pointers, grammar tips, and chapter-wise questions make these notes perfect for understanding the main story, poetic devices, and character motivations. Use these structured revision notes to build confidence and study the chapter’s main points at a glance.