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प्रश्न
Discuss the following topic in groups of five and choose a representative to sum up the view and share them with the class.
Successful people neither brood over the past nor worry about the future.
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उत्तर
Mahatma Gandhi and his followers were arrested and jailed many times. Gandhi’s followers were brutally lathi-charged. Gandhi had decided to silence the guns of the British with Ahimsha passive non-violent resistance. The brutal suppression of the struggle for freedom did not dishearten Gandhi. He did not brood about the strength of the British army and the weaknesses of unarmed peasants who believed in his leadership. He was a Karmayogi. Whatever the duty to be done it must be done with steadfast devotion and sincerity. Other leaders got worried. Some angry young men resorted to violence.
They burnt down a police station at Chauri chakra too. But Gandhi declared a fast unto death. He plunged into action. If he had worried about the unpleasant developments, he wouldn’t have launched Quit India Movement or Salt Satyagraha effectively.
Thomas Alva Edison was not able to find the element that would glow if electricity was passed. He had failed 1000 times to invent the bulb. But he said, “The light bulb was an invention with 1000 steps”. Each step taught him what did not work. He lost his hearing capacity. He had many failures. His teachers believed him to be mad and unteachable.
His entire schooling was only a few years. His mom taught him and made him believe in himself. This man who had been ill-treated in school and faced many challenges had no time to brood. He went on to make 1093 inventions and got them patented. Those who are busy building facilities for transforming the world have neither the time nor the inclination to brood about failures or about possibilities of success in the future.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
Interpret each of the following expression used in the poem, in one or two line.
to unlearn all these muting things
Explain the following lines with reference to the context.
Once upon a time, son They used to laugh with their eyes:
Explain the following line with reference to the context.
I have learned to wear my faces Like dresses …
Not everybody loves to play and participate in games, sports and other extra-curricular activities. Some of us wish to be mere spectators. List out the activities in which you like to be either a performer or a spectator. Share your views with the class.
| Activities | ||
| performer/player | spectator/audience | |
| e.g. | cricket | magician |
| a. | ||
| b. | ||
| c. | ||
| d. | ||
| e. | ||
The poet is satisfied just watching the heroic deeds of others. What could be the reason?
How does the poet establish the victory of common sense over ego?
What sort of encouragement should an athlete in India be given? Give a few suggestions.
Explain the following line with reference to the context in about four to five sentence each.
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
Read the following line and identify the figure of speech used in each extract.
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran.
Read the poem once again. Identify the rhyme scheme and pick out the rhyming pairs of words.
Why does the poet think that the birds were happy?
Listening Activity
Some phrases have been left out in the poem below. First, read the poem. Then, fill in the missing words on listening to the reading or the recording of it in full. You may listen again, if required
To Autumn
O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stained
With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my ______, there thou may’st rest,
And tune thy jolly voice to my ______;
And all the daughters of the year shall dance!
Sing now the ______of fruits and flowers.
“The ______opens her beauties to
The sun, and love runs in her ______;
Blossoms hang round the brows of morning and
Flourish down the ______of modest eve,
Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And ______strew flowers round her head.
The spirits of the air live on the smells
Of fruit; and joy, with ______, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.”
Thus sang the ______as he sat,
Then rose, girded himself, and o’er the bleak
Hills fled from our sight; but left his ______.
William Blake
What scene in nature gives you pleasure? Talk for a minute describing a natural scene that gave you a lot of joy. What did you see, hear, smell or feel, that gave you joy?
A French proverb goes thus: ‘The dog may be wonderful prose, but only the cat is poetry.’ You may have observed that all animals possess a number of unique qualities. Fill in the columns with words and phrases associated with each of the following animals.
| DOG | CAT | WOLF | ELEPHANT |
Describe Macavity’s appearance.
What are the mysterious ways in which Macavity acts?
Describe the appearance and qualities of Macavity.
Read the given lines and answer the question that follow.
Macavity’s a Mystery Cat: he’s called the Hidden Paw…
- Does the poet talk about a real cat?
- Why is he called the Hidden Paw?
Read the given lines and answer the question that follow.
He’s the bafflement of Scotland
Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime
— Macavity’s not there!..
- What is ‘Scotland Yard’?
- Why does the flying squad feel disappointed?
Identify the following personalities and their fields of achievement.
| Name | Field | |
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- Mention a remarkable achievement of any of these personalities.
- What quality do you admire the most in each of these achievers?
- What are the qualities that you may share with them?
- Name a few more popular personalities who have made our nation proud.
- ______.
- ______.
- ______.
- ______.
Which line is repeated in the poem? What is the effect created by this repetition?
Which path should we follow in life?
What does ‘Everest’ in the title stand for?
What does the ladder symbolize?
Work with a partner and take this short quiz to find out how well-informed you are about history.
- Name a few wars and battles you have read about.
- What is the difference between a war and a battle?
- Why do rulers wage wars and battles?
- Is the outcome of a war always fair?
- Do you think rulers understand the true meaning of life – in defeat or in victory?
- Can you name a few kings and leaders who have fallen from glory to disgrace?
The historical background:
The poem is an extract from William Shakespeare’s play King Richard the Second. The play is based on true events that occurred towards the end of the 14th century.
Richard II was crowned the King of England in the year 1367. He continued to be the British Monarch until 1399, when he was deposed by his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke, who crowned himself King Henry the Fourth in the same year. Shakespeare’s play is a dramatic rendition of the last two years of King Richard II’s life. In this brief span of time, he was ousted from his royal position and sent to prison, where he died in captivity.
The following extract is set in the Coast of Wales. King Richard and some of his followers awaited the arrival of the Welsh army [after facing defeat at the hands of his cousin, Bolingbroke], of about 10000 warriors. But to their shock and surprise, they received the message that the army was not coming to their rescue. His followers tried to boost their King’s courage against the news, only in vain. When Richard came face to face with the reality of his terrible fate, he spoke the following verse, famously known as the “Hollow Crown” speech in theatrical circles. In it, King Richard is reminded of the power of Death that overshadows everything else, including the power of rulers, and renders them as powerless as any commoner at a moment’s notice.
What do the three words, ‘graves, worms and epitaphs’, refer to?
What hides within the crown and laughs at the king’s grandeur?
Based on your reading of King Richard’s speech, answer the following questions in about 100 - 150 words each. You may add your own ideas if required to present and justify your point of view.
What are the causes for King Richard’s grief?
Based on your reading of King Richard’s speech, answer the following questions in about 100 - 150 words each. You may add your own ideas if required to present and justify your point of view.
Who does the future generations remember easily - the victor or the vanquished? Give reasons. Also, cite relevant references from King Richard’s speech.
