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प्रश्न
Explain the following lines with reference to the context.
I want to be what I used to be.
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उत्तर
- Reference: This line is from the poem “Once upon a time” written by Gabriel Okara.
- Context: The poet says these words while contrasting the present hypocrisy with his past genuine relationships.
- Explanation: During childhood, the poet, like any child, laughed with human warmth. He used to express his love through his eyes. Now, he is changing his faces like dresses to suit the occasion and to ensure social acceptance. So, he wants to be what he used to be in childhood.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
How is the poet’s laugh reflected in the mirror?
Read the line given below and answer the question that follow.
‘Most of all, I want to relearn How to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror Shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!’
- Why does the poet want to relearn how to laugh?
- Whom does the poet want to relearn from?
- Mention the figure of speech used here.
‘Face is the index of the mind.’ Does this adage concur with the views of the poet?
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. | ||
How does the poet establish the victory of common sense over ego?
Explain the following with reference to the context in about 50–60 word each.
I am just glad as glad can be That I am not them, that they are not me…
Complete the summary of the poem by filling in the blanks with the words given below.
The poet, in a relaxed state of mind, is sitting in a (1) ______. He reflects on how his mood brings (2) ______thoughts, which are inevitably followed by (3)______ones. He feels connected to all of nature, and senses an inherent joy in all (4)______. He has faith in the fact that all the primroses and periwinkles around him (5)______ the air they breathe. He feels that every bird in the grove moves with (6)______. As the twigs catch the breezy air, they do so with the same pleasure (7)______ all life on earth. This joy of nature seems to be heaven-sent. Nature’s holy plan is to offer joy and peace to all forms of life on earth. The poet’s pleasant train of thought slowly leads to the sad reflection of how mankind alone has wrought sorrow and (8)______ upon itself. He firmly believes that man is meant to spend his days blissfully taking part in the vitality and joy surrounding him in (9)______. He therefore concludes rhetorically, emphasizing that he has good reason to (10)______ the distress, man unnecessarily brings upon himself.
| creations | abundance | savour |
| pleasant | suffering | grove |
| lament | pervading | sorrowful |
| ecstasy |
Explain the following line with reference to the context in about four to five sentence each.
The birds around me hopp’d and play’d,
Their thoughts I cannot measure.
Read the following line and identify the figure of speech used in each extract.
What Man has made of Man?
How do people bring grief and sorrow to one another?
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
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 |
Where can you encounter Macavity?
Mention any two qualities of Macavity.
Why is Macavity called the ‘Napoleon of Crime’?
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?
Identify the literary devices used in the following lines:
- He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake.
- They say he cheats at cards.
Read the given line and answer the question that follow.
Defeat we repel, courage our fort;
- How do we react to defeat?
- Which is considered as our stronghold?
In what way is every hillock similar to Everest?
Fill in the blank with appropriate word from the box and complete the statement suitably:
The spectators died laughing at the ______of the clown.
Fill in the blank with appropriate word from the box and complete the statement suitably:
The business woman wished to ______all her riches to an orphanage, after her death.
How does the king establish that he and his subjects are equal in the end?
Explain the following line with reference to the context in about 5 to 8 line:
All murdered – for within the hollow crown
That rounds the mortal temples of a king Keeps Death his court, …”
Explain the following line with reference to the context in about 5 to 8 line:
“How can you say to me, I am a king?”
Working with your partner, discuss the following adages and share your views with the class. You may need to give your ideas and justify your point of view. Remember to take turns while making your presentation/short speech.
War begets war
Read the poem once again carefully and identify the figure of speech that has been used in each of the following line from the poem:
“Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;
Make dust our paper, and with rainy eyes Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth’’.
Read the poem once again carefully and identify the figure of speech that has been used in each of the following line from the poem:
“Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp,…”
