Tag: Animals

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

One of the earliest Upanishads, the Chhandogya Upanishad, has eight chapters. This Upanishad stressed several philosophical ideas, including awareness of virtue and evil, a connection to space, the cosmos as a whole, and unity with parmataman, among others. The lives of individuals started to alter at that point. 

In parallel, Buddhism was developing in ancient India, where Gautam Buddha was available to respond to their inquiries. He imparted knowledge about life’s secrets. He explained that difficulties and suffering are a natural part of life. The people’s unchecked desires are to blame for these issues. With time and the passage of life, this can be overcome. Man must show compassion and deference to all living things, including animals. There are numerous stories of individuals realising the truths that the Buddha wanted to impart to us. These tales are referred to as the Buddha’s Tale. One of the most well-known tales is about the wise beggar. We shall go into great detail about the story and its effects in this tutorial.

History in The Story

Shaunaka and Abhipratarin were two saints who lived in the distant past. Both of them have practised meditation there before. They worshipped a divinity called Vāyu or a spirit god. He is also considered the god of the universe. People used to think that all living things are connected by a common deity. The saints bowed before the god and then sat down for their meal. Unexpectedly, a beggar approached the saints. He requested food from the saints. However, the saints weren’t ready to provide the beggar with food. The saint Shaunaka then instructed him to depart after declaring that they would not give him their food.

The beggar then enquired as to whom they were worshipping. The saint Abhipratarin then told the beggar that they revered Vāyu, a spirit god. According to the beggar, if they were worshipping a god of spirits, they should be aware that he was present throughout the entire universe. The saints responded by stating that they were aware that God’s spirit existed throughout the cosmos, and that this was why he was referred to as the universe’s creator. The beggar said, “If the god Vāyu is full of the entire world, then he is likewise full of the world. Thus, I am also a part of the universe.”  The saints claimed that the beggar told the truth. The beggar then asked the saints whether they were having a meal with him, implying that they were depriving the universe’s creator god of sustenance. The beggar’s message was clear to the saints. They understood that their choice was unwise. The two sages, Shaunaka and Abhipratarin, then decided to give the beggar some of their food.

The beggar organised his food with wisdom and confidence. With this conviction, the beggar persuaded two learned sages that their acts and sermonising were not the same. The lesson here is that words and actions must match when it comes to giving to the less fortunate. Everyone should practise kindness and share their food. Furthermore, personality is defined by traits like generosity, kindness, serving others, etc.

Learnings from Story

People began exploring information through theses, or statements of opinion, in the ancient world. Second, an objection is a response that disputes or challenges the argument. Third, the synthesis is referred to as the dialectical approach to information assessment. This chapter has shown us that a book cannot be used to locate information. The book also incorporates concepts from the human brain in its writing. Our brain’s knowledge and thoughts can help us deal with any scenario we face in life. The more you learn for yourself, the more you may discover about the world. A person with minimal education ages like a plough ox. His intelligence does not grow, but his flesh does. He was able to get food for the wise by acting like a clever beggar and using his cleverness.

Summary

From this story, we can conclude that it is better to put things into action in which we believe, rather than just merely believing and not practising. The beggar similarly taught two saints that if they trusted in the universal soul, the universal soul would assist the beggar in obtaining food.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.What are Upanishads?
Ans. Hindus have ancient religious works known as the Upanishads, which are a subset of the later Vedic literature. The name “Upanishad” literally translates to “sitting down,” alluding to the fact that during the Vedic period, students would sit next to their enlightened gurus under a tree to get an education.

2.What was the main Belief of these Upanishads?
Ans. The Upanishads include the ideas of thinkers who looked for solutions to philosophical problems. They believed the Universe to be made up of something enduring that even death could not destroy. This “permanence” was created by the union of the individual soul (atman) and the universal soul (Brahman).

3.Write a note on Chhandogya Upanishad.
Ans. One of the biggest Upanishadic compounds is the Chhandogya Upanishad, which comprises eight Prapathakas and several volumes and verses in each. The volumes contain a jumble of tales and subjects. Om’s melody, the substance of everything, language structure, and cosmic literature are all present in the first prapathaka.

4.What is Atma and Paramatma?
Ans. While Paramatma alludes to the absolute, Atma refers to the human soul. Atma is used to refer to the human soul in Vedantic philosophies, while Paramatma or Brahma is used to refer to the Absolute.

5.When were the Upanishads Written? Which is the First Upanishad?
Ans. From the fifth century BCE to the second century BCE, the Upanishads were written. Brihadaranyaka wrote the original Upanishad.

Introduction

Agriculture is the practice of raising animals and cultivating crops. To meet the growing need of the population, the seed is crucial in the development of palatable foods. It is a fertilized ovule that germinates to give rise to new plants. The crucial phase in agriculture is choosing good quality seeds because they can reduce replanting, improve uniformity, and encourage the early growth of crops. Proper agricultural practices increase the yield and quality of crops produced.

Selection of Seeds

In general, seed quality affects plant development. Selecting effective seeds, and seed selection can boost agricultural yield. Getting seeds from healthy plants is crucial for agriculture since many different plant diseases can be spread through them. Spreading out chosen seeds over the initially prepared soil is the act of sowing. When choosing seeds for sowing, the following characteristics of the seeds are essential:

• Infections shouldn’t be present in the seeds. 
• They ought to have a strong ability to germinate. 
• A specific seed shouldn’t be combined with weeds or other seeds. 
• They ought to produce the desired amount of crops. 
• Avoid using seeds that have been damaged or crushed. 
• They ought to be immune to illness. 
• They ought to be able to endure challenging circumstances.

Steps to Ensure Proper Growth of Seeds

Agricultural practices are a set of rules used in the agricultural sector to make farming easier and produce better agricultural goods.

Preparation of Proper Soil

The agricultural area must be prepared for crop production through soil preparation. For seeds to germinate and help with efficient agricultural cultivation, it is necessary. The process of preparing soil involves these three steps:

• Tilling/Ploughing: ploughing is the process of liquifying and moving the soil to improve adequate aeration and bring the nutrient-rich soil to the surface of the land. It is done with a cultivator, hoe, or plough.
• Levelling: Because the earth is lumpy and irregularly dispersed, the levelling procedure distributes the soil evenly and levels it out. Additionally, it guards against soil erosion.
• Manuring: To grow and produce fruits and seeds, plants need the right nutrition. Applying manure to agricultural land is known as manuring. Manure is an organic material that has decomposed and is used to enrich the soil by delivering nutrients for crop growth.

Sowing of Seeds or Planting  

Sowing refers to the act of distributing or planting seeds. The right depth and quantity of water must be used while planting seeds. To achieve a desirable culture, the right seeding distance and interval are crucial. The following are some seeding techniques:

• Traditional method: For sowing, a funnel is employed that is filled with seeds that are travelling via pipes with sharp edges. The seeds are dispersed as the pipe’s edge penetrates the ground.
• Broadcasting: By distributing seeds throughout the ground, seeds are sown by the manual or mechanical method called broadcasting. However, owing to the uneven seed dissemination, this strategy is not advised for the growth of high-yielding crops.
• Dibbling: The act of “dibbling” involves evenly spacing the seeds in the seedbed before covering them with dirt. A long, pointed tool called a “dibbler” is used to make holes in the earth before sowing.
• Seed drill: Typically, tractors are utilized to assist in the sowing of seeds using a seed drill. The seeds can be sown at the proper depth and distance, and it is crucial to make sure the soil is covered after sowing.
• Transplantation: The seedlings are moved to the cultivable land after the seeds have initially been sown in a small garden. As a result, this procedure takes a long time.

Proper and Timely Irrigation

Agriculture requires proper irrigation since excessive watering can harm the soil by causing water logging, which hinders the soil’s ability to absorb nutrients and minerals. Because the farmer needs to supply enough water, successive irrigation necessitates breaks.

Supply of Proper Manure and Fertilizers

To provide the nutrients needed for plant growth, manure and fertilizers are added. Manure is made from decomposed animal and plant wastes, making it an environmentally benign substance that also improves soil fertility. Inorganic fertilizers like ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, and NPK are produced commercially, and too much fertilizer can impair the soil’s ability to support plant growth.

Protection of Crops/Plants From Weeds

Unwanted plants, known as weeds, can harm farmed plants by growing near desirable ones. Crop yields are reduced, and pests and diseases use it as a host plant. These are eliminated by hand or using weed killers like naphthalene, acetic acid, etc.

Summary

The crucial phase in agriculture is choosing good quality seeds because they can reduce replanting, improve uniformity, and encourage the early growth of crops. Selecting effective seeds, and seed selection can boost agricultural yield. Agricultural practices are a set of rules used in the agricultural sector to make farming easier and produce better agricultural goods. The right depth and quantity of water must be used while planting seeds. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What makes Manure and Fertilizer different from one Another?
Ans. Fertilizers like ammonium sulfate are inorganic, whereas manure is an organic chemical made from the breakdown of plant and animal waste.

2. Write a note on Agricultural Practices.
Ans. Agriculture practices are a collection of rules that make farming easier. It entails the following: preparing the soil, choosing the right seeds, sowing, applying manure, fertilizers, and weedicides, as well as ensuring correct watering, harvesting, and storing.

3. Define Winnowing and Threshing.
Ans. Winnowing is the technique of separating grains utilizing the wind, whereas threshing is the act of freeing harvested grains by hand-battering or mechanical means.

4. What role does Seed Selection Play in Agriculture?
Ans. For the development of new individual plants, seeds are necessary. The development of desirable crops that decrease replanting and increase crop production can be achieved by choosing high-quality seeds.