Category: English

Introduction

In “Patterns of Creativity,” S. Chandrasekhar seeks to address the following question: “Why do creative professionals in the arts and sciences have such divergent creative styles?” Assorted comments and outlined philosophies constitute the response.

Shelly is on the side of science, whereas Wordsworth and Keats gave opposing viewpoints. Finally, a passage from Shelley’s A Defence of Poetry is provided, in which the poet wonders why scientists have not penned their own Defense of Science.

Summary

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar examines the distinctions it saw in ideology between the three artists.  He comments that Wordsworth draws his perusers’ consideration towards Nature, and Keats discusses the double feature of human instinct, which is indivisible. Conversely, Shelley presents something else entirely of science in his sonnets. Wordsworth and Keats were condemning the double-dealing of nature, though Shelley delighted in logical revelations. Chandrasekhar additionally presents the logical reactions of these artists in the article.

 Creative mind

He cites Lowes Dickison’s comment on writing, which expresses that Science removes Writing and presents the counter-contention made by Peter Medawar. Chandrasekhar considers Shelley generally reasonable to be thought of as a “scientist’s poet” as his works mirror an agreeable blend of science and verse. He brings up in his exposition that “it’s anything but a mishap that the most segregating artistic analysis” of Shelley’s works is by the recognized researcher Desmond Ruler Hele. In his exposition, Chandrasekhar quotes Darwin’s explanation that he partook in Shelley’s verse to feature Shelley as a “scientist’s poet.” Chandrasekhar has cited a few works of Shelley, including the sonnet “The Cloud”, essay ‘A Defence of Poetry’ and the play ‘Prometheus Unbound’ to additionally lay out his point in the exposition.

Conclusion

This essay is a beautiful portrayal of two parallel worlds and how they coincide and comment on each other yet beautifully work in their domains.

Textbook Question and Answers

1.How does Shelley’s attitude to science differ from that of Wordsworth and Keats?

Ans. In a poet’s Epitaph, Wordworth was both appraising nature and renouncing the scientific developments happening. In Lamia, Keats approves that scientific developments are unfavourable. Both were sceptical about scientific development. Keats called both philosophy and pleasure destructive and real and inseparable. For Shelley, science presented joy, peace and illumination.

2. ‘It is not an accident that the most discriminating literary criticism of Shelley’s thought and work is by a distinguished scientist, Desmond King-Hele.’ How does this statement bring out the meeting point of poetry and science?

Ans.  Desmond King-Hele Criticism highlights how Shelley is a scientist poet. Shelley’s attitude to science shows the astonishing modern general belief in which he chose to reside. The way he portrays both science and poetry in his work is unprecedented.

3. What do you infer from Darwin’s comment on his indifference to literature as he advanced in years? 

Ans. For the initial 30 years of his life, he enjoyed the beautiful portrayal of words by Shakespeare, Byron, etc. These poems delighted him and provided satisfaction to his soul and mind. But after crossing 30 years he began losing interest and found them dull and nauseated. His own words were that his mind became a grinding machine which used to search for science everywhere. So this way his love for poetry faded away

4. How do the patterns of creativity displayed by scientists differ from those displayed by poets? 

Ans. Poets believe in exploring the nature around humans and how it adds to the beauty everywhere and how science helps us in creating things which make life easier. Wordsworth and Keat consider science as nature’s destroyer whereas Shelley’s work shows how he triumphs over science and its work.

5. What is the central argument of the speaker? 

Ans. S. Chandrasekhar tries to answer the question ‘Why is there a difference in the patterns of creativity among the practitioners in the arts and the practitioners in the sciences.’ He did not answer it in his words but rather paved the way to get to the answer. The response is offered through different philosophies.  How Keats and Wordsworth were sceptical of the scientific approach and Shelley was its praiser. An extract from Shelley’s  ‘A Defence of Poetry’ is evident why no defence of science was written by a scientist.

Extra Questions

Q1. How do major scientists present their viewpoints? 

Ans. Before he reached the age of 30, Darwin took great pleasure in writing in addition to his studies. Another scientist, Faraday, joined his logical power experiments and resultant inventions. It’s challenging to complete even if you’re a competent researcher or writer. Many scientists and authors have a passion for poetry, and vice versa. But, there will be a few more who care just about their pet issue.

2. What question does the creator have? How can he intend to respond to this question?

Ans. The narrator makes an inquiry concerning why the examples of imagination among specialists in human expression and professionals in the sciences are differentiating and doesn’t want to respond to it right away yet to make a variety of comments that could offer him a response.

3. What is the main point that the author intends to make?

Ans. The discussion moves to a dissection of the differences between scientific and poetic imagination. He claims that many of the most sincere authors, such as Wordsworth and Keats, were actually harmful to science. They believe that science destroys all of nature’s beauty. Yet, the author defends Shelley’s views. Shelley was considered to be a very rational author. Shelley paints a realistic picture of nature’s tools. Shelley successfully blended scientific inquiry with poetic imagery in his writing. Shelley’s poem Cloud has several allusions to events when his experimentation was readily apparent. By using Shelley as an example, the author aims to show that academics and creatives may be allies who complement one another.

Introduction

The human problems are discussed in a subtle manner in the tutorial. Humans’ warm words and deeds are propelled by an invisible force; we may call it emotion. In this way, we are aided in keeping on with our lives. Powers such as wealth, popularity, and influence are discussed along with many more. But, for many people, the simple things mean more.

Bertrand Russell 

Summary

Love, knowledge, and anguish over the plight of humanity are the three primary topics covered in “Three Interests I Have Lived For.” During the course of his life, the inventor experiments with what each of these things means to him, ultimately revealing that the one he craves most is love. The author believes love to be a marvellous and magnificent phenomenon that has the power to violate him with euphoria.

Bertrand’s lonely thoughts can be banished thanks to his loved ones’ devotion. Bertrand’s pain in the chest can be alleviated by the love of those around him. It was the sensation of love that would eventually take him to heaven.

Know-how, according to Bertrand, is the second component. He has an insatiable curiosity in people’s innermost thoughts and wants to know why the stars shine so brightly in the night sky. He wants very much to learn everything there is to know about the Earth.

Having sought both love and knowledge, Bertrand claims that it is compassion that brings him back to earth just as he is about to arrive in heaven. The impact of harmful things on humans must feel lonely and dismal since they are meant to be people.

Bertrand, motivated by his admiration and his need for knowledge, investigates the factors that make a trusting lifestyle possible. Bertrand has the courage to face his past and make peace with it. He suffers from life’s misfortunes since he is aware that he is helpless against them.

Conclusion

There are many things in human existence that are soul-nourishing, and just as many things that are soul-crushing, showing us the opposite side of the same coin. It’s on us to figure out which values and motivations will guide our daily actions.

Textbook Question and Answers

1. Why does Russell call the three passions ‘simple’?

Ans. Bertrand didn’t want cash and popularity, he wanted simple things. He wanted affection. He accepted love was the main thing and he wedded multiple times to tell. The second is yearning for information, he was a mathematician continuously searching for new things to learn. The third is an insufferable pity for humankind. He was thoughtful towards human affliction.

2. Why has he compared the three passions to great winds?

Ans. Like wind is a driving force in nature, in the same way, passion is in our lives. The three enthusiasms significant in his life were love, information, and pity for human existence. The initial two characteristics raise him to paradise and the third quality takes him back to the land. 

3. What, according to Russell, is the importance of love in life?

Ans. Russell accepts that adoration brings rapture into his life. Love can make a paradise on earth. It has an extraordinary ability to impact your general surroundings. The satisfaction that adoration brings is the best of all; nothing can match that bliss. Love lets one free from forlornness and puts another otherworldly aspect to life. 

4. How does Russell’s definition of knowledge differ from what is commonly understood by the term? 

Ans. He continually looks for information to broaden his area of interest. He was the person who gave the world the Pythagorean hypothesis, it is quite possibly the main equation. He believed he accepted not as much as what he had focused on.

5. Why is the quality of pity earth-bound while the other two passions are elevating? 

Ans. The two energies, love and eagerness to learn, raised him to paradise. However, the third enthusiasm for pity for human suffering brought him back to the bottom. All the misery and sobbing for help and starvation constrained him to get once again to the earth. He was against the universal conflict as it brought obliteration and powerlessness. He longed for an idealistic world, an ideal reality where people live as a unified whole with practically no torment and illnesses.

6. How have the three passions contributed to the quality of Russell’s life?

Ans. The three interests in Russell’s life contributed hugely to its making. He found his life worth experiencing and had he been given an opportunity; he would have lived it once more. It was interesting as well as the three imperative ethics administering his life. These gave him bearings and were behind the entirety of his activities. Bertrand Russell trusted in affection, and information and felt sorry for them. Whether it was the suffering of women, children, poverty, hatred, or loneliness, the author felt the urge to work to get rid of them.

Extra Questions

1. What do we expect from life?

Ans. Since we believe that only wonderful things may improve our lives, we tend to ignore the fact that it is through the inevitable lows that we develop the resilience, perseverance, and compassion that are essential for making it through this world.

2. What kind of thing should a human existence be about?

Ans. Happiness and contentment were the uncomplicated results of pursuing love and learning. They, too, were on the road that leads to heaven. The narrator, though, always brought compassion back to the ground. The narrator feels the echoes of cries of horrific pain.

3. How do the interests influence the storyteller’s life?

Ans. According to the narrator, love is the key to reviving happiness. Because of his level of education, he was able to understand people and their stories. I feel bad that he had to learn the hard lessons of people’s annoying needs and the despair that comes with them. These pursuits gave him insight into what really mattered in life and helped direct him in a deliberate direction.

Introduction

The narrator of The Tribal Verse, G.N. Devy, explains how India’s storied culture evolved from the oral traditions of the indigenous adivasi people. Nonetheless, the author addresses the need of maintaining ancient indigenous literature as she details how these rich sources are being destroyed as a result of increased urbanization and advancements in technology.

Summary

There has been a gradual development of Indian literary resources, with their origins in the literature and culture of the country’s indigenous peoples. Most Adivasi literature takes the form of chanting or singing, and is performed in an environment where the author is in intimate proximity to nature. This legend is passed down orally from one generation to the next. 

Rapid urbanization, print culture, and commerce caused the loss of these resources and contributed to the marginalization of this group; thus, it is of the highest significance to conserve them.

Most tribal communities in India and the world are the same culturally. Their perspective regarding the world is quite different from that of modern-day society. They do not believe in cultivated imagination and have an acute sense of time.

Various tribes of India and their songs are sung at different times. These songs give us a small glimpse into the rich culture of tribals and their connection with nature. Also, it shows diversity among the tribals as in the case of the Munda tribe, songs are mostly sung during childbirth and in the case of the Kondh tribe song was sung during death. 

Tribal mask

Most of the Indian tribes are bilingual. In modern society, translating this folklore into other languages led to a change in the flavour of the original sense of their culture. Most of the translations were in English which carries a colonial mindset and does not reflect the originality.

We will need to look from a new perspective regarding the culture and traditions of the tribals. Instead of treating them as folklore, we need to see them as rich sources of literature and need to preserve them.

Conclusion

Whether it’s art, literature, culture or traditions everything needs to be preserved as they portray our true culture. These are prized possessions which we get from our forefathers. Hence, they are the true treasures which need preservation and conservation.

Textbook Question and Answers

1. Identify the common characteristics shared by tribal communities all over the world.

Ans: Tribal communities have cultural similarities for example living close to nature and worshipping them and interlinking God and human beings. They live more by intuition than reason. They do not believe in cultivated imagination. They live beyond the materialistic aspect of life. 

2. What distinguishes the tribal imagination from the secular imagination?

Ans. As tribes living close to nature interlink nature, human beings and GOD all together so their imagination admits fusion between existence and level of time in a natural way. For example in the tribal stories, we find the ocean flying in the sky like birds, stars growing like plants, mountains swimming in the water like fishes, etc which distinguish tribal imagination from secular imagination. Furthermore, according to them, stars, seas, mountains, etc can be angry, sad or happy. 

3. How does G.N. Devy brings out the importance of oral literary tradition?

Ans: G.N. Devy talks about the richness of oral literary tradition by highlighting the songs and folklore of the tribals. This folklore is attached to nature and its daily routine activities. This folklore is passed from generation to generation and is very sacred and unique. These verses are based on imagination and playfulness. Hence, it needs to be preserved.  

4. List the distinctive features of tribal arts.

Ans. Tribal art is considered to be unique and hallucinatory. Their close connection with nature is totally reflected in their art and that’s why it is considered sacred. The boundaries between art and non-art become almost invisible. They envisaged strict ordinary principles in their arts. Playfulness is the soul of their art. Their art is more relaxed, dynamic and bilingual in nature.

5. New literature is a misnomer for the wealth of the Indian literary tradition. How does G.N. Devy explain this?

Ans.  According to the author, tribal literature passes from generation to generation orally and hence it is not considered to be new literature as their literature is very sacred. Since people were not aware of their verses and mostly these verses are translated into English which carries a colonial legacy does not employ the correct explanation of their verses. The literature of Adivasi is not a new movement, hence it needs another perspective to look at. It should not be considered simply folklore, or dialect, but as literature and tribal language.

Extra Questions

1. What is deteriorating social conditions of tribals?

Ans: Loss of tribal literature and language due to rapid urbanization, print culture, and trade contributed to the marginalization of tribal populations.

2. Why does the author distinguish between imagination and memory in understanding the tribal arts?

Ans:  Tribal artists do not believe in materialistic aspects but rather work more on the basis of their racial and sensory memory. Their imagination is considered to be hallucinatory. They live in close contact with nature so they interlink humans, god, and nature altogether which is reflected even in their art like seas, mountains, etc can be sad, or happy. That’s why the author distinguishes between imagination and memory in understanding the tribal arts. 

3. How are tribal people important to society?

Ans. These ethnic and indigenous people have played a vital role in conservation of environmental management and development process as they posse’s traditional knowledge which has been useful in Eco-restoration. It has been noticed that these people know how to live with harmony in nature.

Introduction

Listed below is an essay by John Ruskin.  The following article is a description of what makes a good book, written by the author herself. He’s stressed the importance of education and reading material. The author argues that education is the key to success in life.

Book

Summary

The following essay is a discussion on the value of a great book. According to the author, most recently published works are little more than well-written letters and newspapers.

The newspaper is great for a morning read and letters from pals might be funny, but neither can replace a good book. The author argues that a book is written not for the purpose of conveying information but rather for posterity.

The book serves two purposes: to disseminate the idea to a wide audience and to archive the information for future generations. This is the thing or things that have become clear to him throughout the course of his life; this is the actual knowledge or sight that he has been granted by the total of his time in the sun and on the earth.

If you read carefully, you will find the genuine articles; these are the books, says the author. The author claims that the best novels are written by the greatest minds and leaders of their day.

One may learn as much as he wants from books since they contain a limitless amount of information. It’s true that a good book may lead you in many different directions. One may rise to any level of success and esteem he sets his mind to. For the wise, there will always be other brilliant minds to converse with.

One must not interpret or try to discover his own meaning, but rather he must delve deeply into the concepts of the philosophers expressed in the book. A person should only read books authored by more knowledgeable authors. The quality of a book should not be used as a criteria for its worth.

So it makes no sense that nobody has thought of it that way before. One cannot reach the meaning of the author at once, because the author does not tell everything plainly, he uses hidden ways to check the enthusiasm of the reader. Before reading a good book, one should make his mind like an Australian miner, and work tiresomely to find the metal he is in search of. The metal being the author’s mind or meaning, his words are like the rock which one has to crush and smelt in order to get at it. In the end, one should always remember that the world chosen well can do a lot more than many useless works. Knowledge can only be attained by reading good books. 

Textbook Question and Answers

1. What, according to Ruskin, are the limitations of the good book of the hour?

Ans: According to the author, the limitations of good books of the hour are that they are just like newspapers and magazines but well printed. A good book is one which conveys the message to a big mass.

2. What are the criteria that Ruskin feels that readers should fulfil to make themselves fit for the company of the Dead?

Ans: Hard-working readers are fit for the company of the dead.  Society’s wealth and name fame cannot buy compassion but rather love and kind thought does the work. 

3. Why does Ruskin feel that reading the work of a good author is a painstaking task?

Ans: A good reader does not keep his ideas on the surface, rather only a hard-working reader can detect the underlying meaning. The reader should be patient in order to understand the real meaning of life. A reader is compared to a gold miner he needs to dig in deep in order to reach the area of value and importance.

4. What is the emphasis placed by Ruskin on accuracy?

Ans: An educated person is different from an uneducated one as he knows what to read and what to ignore. The educated man is aware of the pronunciation and word usage which is unknown to an educated man. A person without knowledge is not well doing.

 

Extra Questions:

1. What is the role of books in making people civilized?

Ans: According to the author, books play a vital role in civilizing an individual. A person who has read some good books will know the true meaning of his knowledge and he will apply his knowledge precisely. The educated men will make a better society and embrace his culture as well.

2. Why did the author differentiate a good book from letters and newspapers?

Ans: The author differentiated a good book from letters and newspapers because they are not relevant for a long time. The reach of newspapers and newsletters ends fast but a good book is relevant forever. 

3.  Why is the author correlating the reader with an Australian miner?

Ans: The author is trying to say that, just like an Australian miner, a reader should work tiresomely on finding the meaning of the author. The words of the authors are like stones, which a reader has to crush to find the true meaning. And pickaxes are readers’ own care, wit and learning; their smelting furnace is your own thoughtful soul.

Introduction

The poem describes a Tiger’s position in the zoo. The author describes a tiger’s past existence as a free beast in the forest and his present life in a zoo cage. The opening lines of the poetry describe the bodily characteristics of the caged tiger. The poet continues by describing what a tiger’s existence might have been like in the forest. The author claims that living in a cage has altered the tiger’s personality.

Summary of the poem

The poet begins by describing the tiger’s physical characteristics before moving on to his emotional state, describing how he is sad and angry to be confined to a cave.

The poet then draws parallels between a tiger in captivity and one in the wild. Next he describes the plight of captive animals, which humans keep for entertainment, and illustrates their anguish as they long for freedom to roam their natural home.

            

Tiger                               

Other information about the poet

This poem is written by Lesslie Norris,  who is well known for his love and passion for nature. He is a prize-winning Welsh poet and a short story writer.

Conclusion

The poem is based on the comparison and contrast of two different situations of life. In one situation where a living being(here a tiger) has absolute freedom to live in its way in the forest, and on the other hand, if a caged one or bound with many limitations in a zoo. So, the poet describes the tiger’s features in both scenarios and compares it with humans and how it feels to be caged or imprisoned.

Textbook questions and answers:

Q1- Read the poem again, and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.

(i) Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.

In the cage	In the wild
Stalks, Few steps of his cage, Quiet rage Locked in a concrete cell, Stalking-the length of his cage Ignoring visitors. He hears the last voice and Stares at the brilliant stars.	Lurking in shadow, Sliding through long grass, Snarling around houses, barring his white fangs, his claws, Terrorising the village.

(ii) Find the words that describe the two places, and arrange them in two columns.

Cage	Natural Habitat
Few Steps from his cage	Shadow, Long grass, Water
Locked in a concrete cell	hole, Plump deer,
Behind bars, Visitors,	Houses at the jungle’s edge,
Patrolling cars	Village

(iii) Now try to share ideas about how the poet uses words and images to contrast the two situations.

Ans: The poet used these words to express the idea of the difference between a free animal and a caged one and how the natural traits of that animal get affected when it is caged in a  zoo. If it had been in the forest, it could terrify villagers. On the contrary, visitors come to visit the tiger in the zoo for fun.

Q2- Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these:

(i) On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage.

(ii) And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars.

What do you think is the effect of this repetition?

Ans: The repetition of words in the poem is the poetic device through which the poet wants to express the intensity of the difference between a free tiger and a tamed one in the cage.  Like the word “quiet’’ symbolises the cage and the helplessness of the tiger, who would have been in immense anger and ferocity if he had been in a jungle. Similarly “brilliant” refers that with his brilliant eyes, the tiger was dreaming of a free life in the jungle under brilliant stars without any cage and foundations.

Q3.Read the following two poems, one about a tiger and the other about a panther. Then discuss:

(i)Are zoos necessary for the protection or conservation of some species of animals?

(ii)Are they useful for educating the public?

(iii) Are there alternatives to zoos?

The Tiger

The tiger behind the bars of his cage growls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage snarls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage roars,

Then he thinks.

It would be nice not to be behind bars all

The time

Because they spoil my view

I wish I were wild, not on show.

But if I were wild, hunters might shoot me,

But if I were wild, food might poison me,

But if I were wild, water might drown me.

Then he stops thinking

And…

The tiger behind the bars of his cage growls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage snarls,

and The tiger behind the bars of his cage roars.

                                                             – Peter Niblett

The Panther

His vision, from the constantly passing bars,

has grown so weary that it cannot hold

anything else. It seems to him there are

a thousand bars, and behind bars, no world.

As he paces in cramped circles, over and over,

the movement of his powerful soft strides

is like a ritual dance around a centre

in which a mighty will stands paralysed.

Only at times, the curtain of the pupils

lifts quietly. An image enters,

rushes down through the tensed, arrested muscles

plunges into the heart and is gone.

                                           – Rainer Maria Rilke

Ans: Yes, zoos are necessary to some extent for the protection of species of animals. As these animals are not safe enough in forests due to the hunting of wild animals for trading purposes. 

Ans: In a way, zoos help educate the public and know different species of animals in their country. It also provides information about the importance of wildlife and its effects on the ecological system.

Ans: Another alternative to zoos can be wildlife sanctuaries, reserves, and national parks, where these wild lives can be sustained in a natural habitat rather than putting them into a small cage, which is not sufficient for their natural reflexes. 

A Tiger in the Zoo Extra Questions

1. What is the message of the poem?

Ans: The poet aspires to impress upon readers the importance of individual liberty for all beings. He shows how miserable and powerless life is when confined, using the plight of a tiger as an example.

2. What is the tone of the poem?

Ans: The tone of the poem is one of sadness and sympathy for the tiger in captivity. It also conveys a sense of anger and frustration at the injustice of the situation.

3. Why does freedom play an important part in one’s life?

Ans: Freedom is one of the most beautiful phenomena in the life of a living being. Everyone loves to do things at their way and pace rather than be commanded by an external force as a slave. As the poet mentioned, the caged tiger is helpless and furious.

Introduction

In the poem How to Tell Wild Animals, the poet describes the characters of wild animals funnily. The Poet has used humorous language. The poet has used rhyme as a literary device. This poem consists of the brute nature of wild animals.

                                               

Wild animals

Summary

The poem opens with a variety of animal descriptions. The poet warns readers in the first verse that they will likely come across a wide variety of wild creatures if they venture east. Several identifying features of the creatures are described by her. The poet claims that the reader would perish upon encountering a yellowish-brown beast whose roar is so deafening. Then you’re looking at an Asian lion.

After this, she depicts a kingly beast that lives in the forest and has yellow skin and black stripes. The animal will kill you and devour you if you encounter it, thus it must be a tiger. If you are travelling through the bush and an animal with yellow skin and black markings pounces on you, the poet claims that it is a leopard in the third line. She continues, “The leopard is quick, and yelling won’t help.” She goes on to say that you can tell it’s a bear if it hugs you closely as you’re strolling across your yard.

Hugging is a defining trait of the bear described. The poet makes light of the bear’s deadly grip. The poet suggests in the fifth verse that it might be hard to tell which animals are predators and which are prey. Hyenas and crocodiles are examples of creatures that prey on other species. 

It’s easy to spot a hyena because they’re usually grinning, whereas crocodiles always wipe away tears. The poet describes a little creature in the final line of the poem. A chameleon is a little animal. A chameleon resembles a lizard but lacks the ears and wings of a true lizard. A chameleon’s capacity to adopt the hue of its surroundings is just one of its many tricks. If a person looks up at a tree and sees nothing, a chameleon may be hiding there.

Conclusion

The following poem is about the characteristics of wild animals and how one can identify them. The poet has used humour to identify the wild, dangerous animals. She has talked about the roar of lone, the killing ability of a tiger. The poet also talked about animals like leopards, Hyenas, crocodiles, bears and Chameleons. The poem is useful for people who are going through the jungle. 

Textbook Question and Answers

1. Does ‘dyin’ rhyme with ‘lion’? Can you say it in such a way that it does?

Ans: The actual word is dying, which does not rhyme with a lion. It is written as ‘dyin’ in the poem to create a rhyme. 

2. How does the poet suggest you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so, according to him?

Ans: The poet differentiates between the two in the following manner, she says that if the beast is yellow-brown and roars out so loud that you may die, then this is an Asian lion. Whereas, if the animal has black stripes on the yellow background of its skin and he attacks to kill you, it is a Bengal tiger. 

3. Do you think the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ in the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this? 

Ans: The words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ have not been spelt correctly. It is a poetic device used by the poet to emphasise the actions of the leopard.

4. Look at the line “A novice might be nonplus”. How would you write this ‘correctly’? Why is the poet’s ‘incorrect’ line better in the poem? 

Ans: The correct sentence order is’ novice might be nonplussed. The poet wrote it to bring rhyme to her poem. Nonplus rhymes with thus.

5. Much of the humour in the poem arises from the way language is used, although the ideas are also funny. If there are particular lines in the poem that you especially like, share these with the class, speaking briefly about what it is about the ideas or the language that you like or find funny. 

Ans: Yes, the poet has indeed used the language in a way that creates humour. The poet uses many funny lines. One such is ‘If he roars at you as you’re dyin’. You’ll know it is the Asian Lion…’ or the other one is ‘A noble wild beast greets you. So his idea of explaining the characteristics of wild animals is quite funny.

How to Tell Wild Animals Extra Questions and Answers

1. How the poet describes the Lion?

Ans: The Poet says that if anyone encounters an animal with yellowish-brown skin and its roar is so loud that it can kill a person. Then it is a Lion.

2. How can one identify a tiger?

Ans: According to the poet, if an animal has black stripes on its yellow skin, it can kill and eat a person. Then that animal is a Tiger.

3. What differences are between a Hyena and a Crocodile?

Ans: According to the poet, Hyenas are always laughing, and crocodiles are always weeping.

Introduction

In the poem “The Ball’ a boy loses a ball. He’s angry and upset. The ball wasn’t expensive, and he can buy another one. But the boy decided not to purchase a new ball. He is extremely sad and grieving. In the poem, the author makes an effort to perceive what the child has lost and what lessons he has learned as a result of losing a ball.

Short Summary of the Poem

In the first stanza the poet asks now what the boy will do. As he was happily playing with his ball down the street but suddenly his ball bounced in the water and he lost vision of the ball now, this makes the boy extremely sad. 

The poet thinks it’s of no use of a console or for offering a new ball to the boy as he is very upset about it staring down in deep sorrow and feels that with the ball all his young days memories are also gone which can not be replaced by a new ball. Therefore, the poet wants the boy should learn to overcome this situation and let it go instead of being in deep pain throughout.

Boy with a ball

The poet compares the ball with the materialistic things of this world that humans possess. And losing these possessions makes them unhappy. In a way, he wants to convey that losing out valuable things in life is inevitable and one should learn to come out from that and keep moving ahead in life by leaving behind such pains

Extra information about the poem

The poem is written by John Berryman, who was an American poet in the 20th century. The poem consists of many poetic devices such as symbolism, alliteration, enjambment, and metaphors.

Conclusion

The poet is trying to make learners understand that nothing is permanent in this world, the chain of losing and getting something is an important aspect of one’s life. The poem mainly focuses on how the utter pain of losing something dearest to us in life gets healed by itself eventually. With our growth, we tend to leave or forget that pain or suffering behind us.

Textbook questions and answers

1. Why does the poet say, “I would not intrude on him”? Why doesn’t he offer him money to buy another ball?

Ans: The poet says that “ I would not intrude on him” because he wants the boy to learn the process of losing something on his own rather than be explained by someone else by intervening in this process. 

Poet does not offer him money for another ball because the money can buy him a new ball but won’t get those memories attached with the lost ball and he wants the boy to be prepared for the concept of loss which is a part and parcel of life.

2. “ …. staring down All his young days into the harbor where His ball went…. ” Do you think the boy has had the ball for a long time? Is it linked to the memories of days when he played with it?

Ans: Yes, the boy turned out to be very sad while staring down in the water as the ball jumped into the water. It seems with the disappearance of the ball from his sight  all his memories of young age attached to that ball flash in his eyes and he realizes that those memories have also gone forever. 

3. What does “in the world of possessions” mean?

Ans: “In the world of possession”  refers to the materialistic world where money can get possession of anything but can not replace those loving memories and emotions associated with one’s lost or dear one.

4. Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier? Pick out the Words that suggest the answer.

Ans: No, it is clear from the poet’s words “  Now he senses first responsibility in a world of possessions”, that the boy is losing something for the first time and learning from that it is a natural phenomenon of human life that he has to grow with.

5. What does the poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball? Try to explain this in your own words.

Ans: The poet tries to convey through the poem that the boy is learning from the loss of the ball the reality of life that nothing in this world is permanent, the one which has come has to go and in this way,  the boy is getting prepared for the future how to overcome sorrow and grieves if lose something in life.

6. Have you ever lost something you liked very much? Write a paragraph describing how you felt then, and saying whether and how- you got over your loss.

Ans: Yes, I have lost something which was closest to me. It was my first wrist watch given by my elder brother as a gift for getting good marks in mathematics in grade 8. That was one of the most precious gifts of my life.

I felt very pain when I lost such a valuable gift.  For me, it was difficult to  forget memories attached to that watch like how I was flaunting the watch in my class and many more things related to that watch. However, with time I realized with the help of elders that it has gone and won’t come back again, no matter how much I cry or be upset about it.

The Ball Poem Class 10 Extra Questions

1. What do you understand about materialism? Give a few examples.

Ans: Materialism refers to the importance given to possessions of materialistic things or stuff related to money such as land, house, and different equipment and gadgets in the modern scenario.

2.  Why did the boy not ask for another ball?

Ans: The boy did not ask for another ball because he had some childhood memories with that ball that cannot be regained with any other ball no matter how expensive that would be.

3. What does the “epistemology of loss” refer to?

Ans: The epistemology of loss refers to the process of coping up with the pain of losing something. It basically means the study or knowledge of the nature of loss.

4. Name some other notable works of John Berryman.

Ans: 

• “Seventy-Seven Dream Songs”.
• “Homage to mistress Bradstreet”.
• “Recovery”.

Introduction

The poem “Amanda” is written by Robin Klein. This poem deals with the story of a young girl who is continuously reminded by her mother about her mistakes. The author has beautifully described the feeling and emotions felt by the little girl. She feels controlled and dictated by her mother over every small thing. The following poem describes that children should not be controlled and should be given some freedom. Parents should allow their children to have their viewpoints and they should be given freedom of thought and expression.

Amanda and her mother

Summary

In the first stanza, her mother is pointing at her nails and telling her not to bite them. After that, her mother is complaining about her way of sitting. She is telling her to not bend her back and shoulders. Her mother complains about her lazy walk and tells her to keep the head and shoulders straight. Amanda is frustrated by all the nagging. She imagines how wonderful her life would be if she were good and had a tail instead of legs. She would swim in the ocean with the waves and go wherever she wanted.

In the second stanza, the mother is asking whether she has done her homework and cleaned her room and shoes. Here Amanda is imagining her life as an orphan. She thinks that if she were an orphan she would not have to listen to her mother, she could walk anywhere freely. She could live her life as she wanted. Amanda is so frustrated with her mother that she is imagining a life without her mother. 

In the third stanza, Amand’s mother is stopping her from eating chocolates. She told her not to eat chocolate because she will get pimples. Her mother is forcing her to listen to her. Amanda is now imagining her as a cartoon character, Rapunzel. Rapunzel is captured in a tower by a witch. Amanda also wanted to live alone in a tower. 

In the last stanza, Amanda’s mother warns her to stop behaving oddly. She says that she has become moody and is always in a bad mood. If anyone sees this then they will think that her mother is harassing her. If she does so, her mother will take it against her sense of dignity and rebuke her to behave appropriately as other children do. Here, Amanda’s mother nature is shown to be very dominating.

What Is the Theme of the Poem?

Textbook Questions

1. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?

Ans: I think she is 10 or 11 years old because she is getting scolded for reasons that a young kid would do. He is very young and immature.

2. Who do you think is speaking to her?

Ans: Amanda’s mother is speaking to her and pointing out her mistakes. And she is trying to teach her good manners.

3. Why are Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis? 

Ans: Stanza 2,4 and 6 are given in parentheses because they reflect thoughts of Amanda. The parenthesis makes the poem reader-friendly.

4. Who is the speaker in Stanzas 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in Stanzas 1, 3, 5, and 7? 

Ans: Speaker of the stanzas 2, 4 and 6 is Amanda. she is not paying any attention to the speaker of stanzas 1, 3 and 5 because she is lost in her thoughts. 

5. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?

Ans: If she were a mermaid, she would swim in the ocean with the waves. She would be free to swim anywhere she wanted.

6. Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so? 

Ans: No, Amanda is not an orphan, she says so because she is so frustrated with her mother that she thinks if she were an orphan her life would be better.

7. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?

Ans: Yes, and she wanted to be Rapunzel because she wanted to live in a tower alone, where no one would bother her, especially her mother.

8. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?

Ans: Amanda yearns for freedom and space for herself. She is incapable to fulfil the expectations of her parents. Amanda is a playful young child but she gets frustrated by the continuous nagging of her mother.

9. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and moody?

Ans: No, she is not moody. She is just away from the regular household business and she is always indulged in her imagination.

Amanda Extra Question Answer

1. What were her first thoughts when her mother rebuked her?

Ans: Amanda wanted to be free like a mermaid, and swim with the waves wherever she pleased.

2. Amanda wants to be which cartoon character?

Ans: Amanda wants to be Rapunzel because she lived in a tower. Amanda also wanted to live alone in a tower where she was free.

3. Why did Amanda want to be an orphan?

Ans: Amanda wanted to be an orphan because then she would not have to listen to her mother and do whatever she wants to.

4. Should Parents dictate everything in a child’s life?

Ans: No, a child should be given freedom and allowed to think by himself. This would make him strong and confident and help him in future.

Introduction

This poem, “Animals,” is a metaphor for the animals’ inherent innocence. The poet has stated that he wants to remain among the animals since they are significantly more cooperative and uncomplicated than humans. The poet has dug out the dark side of human nature, revealing that people may be more dangerous than animals. So, the poem demonstrates the poet’s compassion towards animals.

Summary of the Poem

The poem Animals suggests that at one point in time, people were just as receptive to the earthy pleasures all around them as animals were, but this has changed. The animals were as content as always, but humans, with their greed, rage, envy, and inability to find joy in anything, had descended to the lowest echelons of society.

They are never content with what they have and constantly make excuses to the World for their faults in an effort to purge themselves of their egocentric goals. Having lost the ability to appreciate even the smallest of life’s pleasures, they have gone mad and developed sleeplessness.

Group of animals

The poet continued by saying that people have forgotten how to sustain themselves because they are caught in the web of a variety of complexities and confusions surrounding them and the negative soul’s pursuit of ever-increasing power and worldly pleasure. Contrarily, animals maintain a constant attitude of gratitude and contentment.

The poet lamented that humans always seem to find something to complain about, whereas animals seem content with their lot in life. They lack an obsession with accumulating material goods. None of the animals is obligated to show respect to members of their own species. All of them have the same happiness and dignity. The poet aspires to take a cue or two from animals, who lack the capacity for deceit and apply those lessons to his own life. Their high moral standards astound the poet.

About the poet

Walt Whitman, an American poet, essayist, and journalist, was born on May 31, 1819, in New York City. Sometimes referred to as the “father of free verse,” Walt Whitman was a pioneering figure in American poetry.

Conclusion

Animals, in Whitman’s view, represent feelings of affection and reverence for people. and they’re happy with their life overall. As a result, they don’t feel the need to acquire a lot of stuff. They don’t have any complaints and treat sadness and happiness equally. While animals continue to be content, humans are so preoccupied with the external world that they neglect the inside factors that contribute to their happiness.

Just like humans, they value their time too much to waste it on arguing over their duties to God. Humans and animals alike exhibit behaviours such as love, tranquilly, self-love, honesty, patience, and empathy, as Whitman pointed out. These traits are crucial for a fulfilling existence.

Textbook Question Answer

1. I think I could turn and live with animals…” What does this line signify?

Ans: The poet wants to turn himself away from the human community  and wants  to be with the “Animals”.as they have turned to a selfless group of living souls. He found “Animals” to be more content and happy for themselves.

 2. Can you mention any three things that Humans do and animals don’t?

Ans: The three things humans do and animals don’t are as follows:

1. Humans possess a complaining nature about their existence.
2. Humans always crib about their sins and past deeds for which they sometimes regrets.
3. Humans try to get rid of their sins by bestowing them upon God as they think God might help them by coming out of the same.

3.Have humans ever kneeled to their ancestors in the past?

Ans: Humans were considered to be dedicated disciples of their followers, elders, saints or priests and followed their principles dedicatedly and obeyed them by kneeling down. This shows that Humans earlier had an innate sense of respect and belongingness towards their elders. Thus poet tried to exhibit that this belongingness is missing in today’s Humans. 

4- What does the word ‘tokens’ signify in the poem that the poet mentioned that he may have dropped long ago?

Ans:– The word “tokens” express the sense of decency that all the animals brace up without lamenting for any worldly attraction around them, whereas Humans have gradually discarded and shredded this priceless value of happiness.

 

Important Extra Questions and Answers

1. Why does the poet have a preference to stay with the animals?

Ans: The poet has a preference to stay with the “Animals as Humans are trapped in the cobwebs of several complicates and confusions around them and the negative soul to get more and more power and earthly pleasure they have forgotten how to sustain. On the other hand, Animals are always content and thankful for what they have.

2. What is the existence of the term  ‘tokens’ in the poem? 

Ans:-Here the token signifies a “Token of love”.Animals tend to be happy and content with what God has given them and do not hold grudges about any sort of materialistic  and worldly object.

3. What is the major theme of the poem, ‘Animals’?

Ans:–According to the poem Animals, both Humans and Animals had an innate happiness and both were happily living ever after but over the time humans became reluctant about the earthly pleasure around them. The animals continued with their same happiness. Hence this differentiation stand out to be the major theme.

4.How are animals better-living souls than humans, according to the poet?

Ans:-In the poet’s point of view, animals are more compassionate than humans and they do not bear any negative qualities as humans do. In their world, all are happy, and glad. They show their relations to the poet, and he accepts them.

Introduction

What follows is a tale written by Mark Twain. The protagonist in this piece is unable to replace his broken watch. The author made an effort to get his watch fixed. The author’s love for his wristwatch lies at the heart of this tale. He’s doing his best to repair his broken watch. And the author also recalls his uncle’s feedback.

The Watch

Summary

The narrative that follows begins with the author’s love for his watch. After 18 months of use, the author reports that his watch is still in pristine condition. He had come to rely on that watch, and he was pleased with how dependable it was. The author accidentally left the watch running one night, and everything went downhill from there. A day later, the timepiece stopped working. The writer had a panic attack. He guessed at the time and the watch slowed down afterward. Since he had lost track of time and was feeling quite down, the author visited a jeweller to have his watch adjusted. The master jeweller gave it a once-over and accidentally pushed the timepiece’s regulator, speeding up its already rapid ticking. The jewellery had sparked a great deal of ire in the author. He took it to a different watchmaker, who held it for a week and still couldn’t fix it. A rage engulfed the author, and he lashed out angrily at the jeweller. The watch’s condition has deteriorated further. The clock was running slowly.

The writer took the watch to a watchmaker for a second opinion, and this time the repair would take three days. Even after the author spent three days alone in the wilderness, the watch he brought home was broken. The watch would run for a while, pause for a while, and then start running again. The author was annoyed that despite spending hundreds on repairs, the watch still malfunctioned. The problem could not be fixed by any of the watchmakers.

The author sought the help of a grizzled old watchmaker who was actually a mediocre riverboat mechanic. He advised that a monkey wrench be used for your steaming watch. A good horse was a good horse until the day he went away, and a good watch was a good watch until the day the repairmen had a chance with it, the author recalled his uncle saying at the same time. He knew that none of the tinkerers were experts in their field. He abandoned the plan to get the watch serviced.

Textbook Question and Answers

1. What was the importance of the watch to the author?

Ans: The watch was very important to the author because it had told him the perfect time for the last 19 months and the author had become punctual in his work. Once the watch ran down it put the author in trouble.

2. What were the attempts made by the author to get his watch repaired?

Ans: The author attempted multiple times to fix his watch. He first takes the watch to a jewellery shop, where the owner pushed the regulator of the watch a bit too hard and worsened the condition. He then took the watch to a watchmaker. He kept the watch for a week and even could not repair it. He again gave the watch to another watchmaker and he kept the watch for 3 days and could not fix it. The author had lost thousands of dollars in repair and could not get the watch working and at last, he gave up.

3. Why did the author finally give up on his watch?

Ans: The author gave up on his watch because he had already spent thousands of dollars on the repair of the watch and could not get the watch running again. So, he decided to give up.

4. What was Uncle Williams’ comment on the ‘tinkerers’ of the world?

Ans: All the attempts by the author to get his watch fixed failed. He then remembered uncle Williams’ comment that “a horse was a good horse until it had run away once, a watch was a good watch until the repairers got a chance at it”. Uncle William also commented that these tinkerers always become the jack of all spades but masters of none. All the unsuccessful tinkerers are not specialists. 

 

Important Extra Questions

1. What was the attitude of the chief jeweller?

Ans: The attitude of the chief jeweller was something that the author did not like. It was over confident and because of his attitude he pushed the regulator of the watch too hard which worsened the condition of the watch and made it fast.

2. Did the author send sentimental values with the watch?

Ans: The author had  sentimental values for the watch because it had told him the perfect time for the last 18 months and never had once failed to do so. The author grew dependent on that watch and agreed with the time shown by the watch blindly. 

3. Did the watch ever get repaired?

Ans: After spending thousands of dollars and consulting many watchmakers the watch was still not repaired. The author lost hope and moved on.