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प्रश्न
Mention any two reasons why Walt Whitman appreciates animals more than humans.
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उत्तर
The poet believes that animals are content and self-sufficient, he values them more than he does people. Compared to humans, they hold higher values. Animals are more comfortable in the poet's opinion than people.
APPEARS IN
संबंधित प्रश्न
Notice the use of the word ‘turn’ in the first line, “I think I could turn and live with animals…”. What is the poet turning from?
What are the ‘tokens’ that the poet says he may have dropped long ago, and which the animals have kept for him? Discuss this in class .
(Hint Whitman belongs to the Romantic tradition that includes Rousseau and Wordsworth,which holds that civilisation has made humans false to their own true nature.
What could be the basic aspects of our nature as living beings that humans choose to ignore or deny?)
Get into pairs and attempt the following:
“The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.” - Mark Twain.
Discuss with your partner what Mark Twain means from the above quote. Write in your own words.
Put the following attributes/abilities.
- self-control
- communicates
- love and care
- cooks
- good manners
- has 360° vision
- shows gratitude
- lives for more than 150 years
- swims
- learns computing
- worships god
- sleeps in standing position
- stands up immediately after birth
- brings up children
- belongs to various species

We come across many animals in our vicinity. We have also read about different animals in books. Make a list of all animals that fall under various categories. One is given for you.
| Amphibians | Mammals | Wild Animals | Aquatic Animals | Pet Animals |
| frog | cow | lion | octopus | cat |
Match the words given in table A with their meanings in table B.
| No | A Words |
B Meaning |
|
| (i) | whine | (a) | an offence against religious or moral law |
| (ii) | sin | (b) | complain in an annoying way |
| (iii) | evince | (c) | craze |
| (iv) | mania | (d) | failing to take proper care |
| (v) | negligent | (e) | show |
Find adjectives from the poem which refer to positive and negative thinking.
| Positive | Negative |
| 1. ................... | 1. ................... |
| 2. ................... | 2. ................... |
| 3. ................... | 3. ................... |
The poet wishes he could ______.
Animals are not crazy about ______.
State whether the following statement is true or false.
Animals are self-reliant.
State whether the following statement is true or false.
Animals quarrel for their possessions.
State whether the following statement is true or false.
Humans have given up many good qualities.
State whether the following statement is true or false.
The poet has retained all his natural virtues.
Read the text again, and complete the web, highlighting the good values/habits which we can learn from animals.

Read the poem again and write an appreciation of the poem in a paragraph format with the help of given points.
Points
- Title
- Poet
- Rhyme scheme
- Favourite line
- Theme/Central idea
- Figures of speech
- Special features - Type of the poem, language, tone, implied meaning, etc.
- Why I like/dislike the poem.
Read the following poem and write an appreciation of it with the help of the given points in a paragraph format:
|
Animals I think I could turn and live with animals, they are |
You can use the following points while appreciating the given poem.
- The title and the poet of the poem [1]
- Rhyme scheme [1]
- Figures of speech [1]
- Central Idea/Theme [2]
Justify how ‘Animals’ by Walt Whitman is a criticism of mankind and its ways.
Walt Whitman speaks of the human race with a tinge of sarcasm. Which are the two reasons that you agree with?
What two attributes of the Animals please the poet?
'They do not sweat and whine about their condition.' What human traits does the poet condemn in these lines?
