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प्रश्न
Why does the speaker say ‘Everest is not the only peak’?
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उत्तर
Everyone is not made to be a mountain climber or a captain. Each one has an important role in this life however small it may appear to be. The poet respects every small achievement in every walk of life. So, he says, “Everest is not the only peak”.
APPEARS IN
संबंधित प्रश्न
Guess what friendly words these two gentlemen exchange when shaking hands.
What pleasantries does the poet use to fake cordiality?
What does he desire to unlearn and relearn?
What does the poet long for?
Fill in the blanks choosing the words from the box given and complete the summary of the poem:
The poet Okara in this narrative monologue painfully condemns the (a)______ displayed by adults, both in their words and actions. Here, a father laments to his son about the negative changes that creep into the attitude and behaviour of humans, when they grow into (b)______. He says that people used to be (c)______ when they laugh and the honesty would be reflected in their eyes. But, people of modern times laugh (d)______. Their handshakes used to be warm and happy conveying a sense of togetherness, but nowadays the handshakes have become a mere (e)______. He warns his son that people are not trust-worthy and have become so selfish that they are concerned only about their own (f)______benefits. People utter words of welcome and exchange (g)______, but those words come only from the tip of their tongues and not from the depth of their hearts. Humans have learnt the art of changing their (h)______ expressions according to situations merely to ensure social acceptance. They wear(i)______ and exhibit multiple faces. The narrator admits that he has also changed into a hypocrite. However, he tells his son that though he (j)______ his expressions, he does all these against his will. He says he wants to become a (k)______ again and laugh genuinely. He wants to (l)______ the unreal things and (m)______how to laugh as he had done once upon a time. When he laughs before the (n)______, he sees no expression. His teeth are bare like that of the (o)______of a snake. So, he asks his son to show him how to laugh the way he used to laugh when he was a kid like him.
| relearn | adults | facial |
| personal | fangs | child |
| fakes | superficially | duplicity |
| genuine | unlearn | falsity |
| masks | mirror | pleasantries |
Explain the following lines with reference to the context.
I want to be what I used to be.
Do you think the narrator is heroic? Why?
Are the athletes conscious of the feelings of others? Why do you say so?
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…
If you go to a village, what scenes would you observe?
Find words from the poem that convey the following ideas:
- connected together
- spread over the surface of the ground in a straggling manner
- make out or understand
- slender woody shoots growing from branches or stems of trees
How do people bring grief and sorrow to one another?
Why does the poet think that the birds were happy?
Pick out all the pairs of rhyming words used in the poem.
Which path should we follow in life?
What does ‘Everest’ in the title stand for?
What does ‘hillock’ refer to in the line ‘Every hillock has a summit to boast!’?
In what way is every hillock similar to Everest?
The poem does not focus on the destination but the journey towards it. Discuss
Creative Activity
- Write eight words you associate with success.
- Use the words to write eight lines that mean success to you or how success makes you feel.
- Arrange your lines into a poem.
- Share your poem with the class and post a copy on the notice board.
Discuss the following topic in groups of five and choose a representative to sum up the view and share them with the class.
‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal.’ It is the courage and perseverance that counts.
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.
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.
Fill in the blank with appropriate word from the box and complete the statement suitably:
Shravan never keeps his promises. His friends know that his words are ______.
Fill in the blank with appropriate word from the box and complete the statement suitably:
The fortress was ______and could not be conquered by the enemies.
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’’.
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.
How are eternal truths and wisdom brought to the reader here?
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.
Death has been cited in many ways in this monologue. Identify the poetic devices used in those references.
