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प्रश्न
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
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उत्तर
Mahatma Gandhi said, “If you are indictive and take an eye for an eye, the whole world will be blind”. Today most lethal weapons of mass destruction are being piled up in China, the USA, and North Korea, Russia, and Iran. The leaders of these countries claim that a balance of power is required in the North and South. But weapons of mass destruction will not create conditions of peace. Peace has to be created by dialogues between countries. War always begets war.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
How does the poet compare his face with dresses?
What pleasantries does the poet use to fake cordiality?
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.
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 …
This poem is nothing but a criticism of modern life. Justify this statement.
Why does the poet feel glad that he does not play any game?
The poet is satisfied just watching the heroic deeds of others. What could be the reason?
Why does the poet prefer to buy tickets worth their weight in radium? Bring out the significance of the metal referred to here.
Read the poem again and complete the summary using the words given in the box.
In the poem ‘Confessions of a Born Spectator,’ Ogden Nash talks about how people choose different sports in their lives or decide to become athletes. While admiring the talents of athletes and sportsmen, the poet (i)______he is glad that he is neither a sportsman nor an athlete. Children have different (ii)______and wish to play various games. Each child has in mind something in particular, but the narrator is (iii)______he is not one of the players. Though the narrator (iv) ______the talents of all athletes, he derives satisfaction from watching them, but does not wish to (v) ______places with them. He also sometimes regrets that (vi)______athletes play rough games without caring for the feelings of their sporting rivals. He feels that good sense and caution win over ego. The narrator wholeheartedly offers (vii) ______the modest (viii) ______of athletes. Ultimately the narrator is (ix)______that he himself is not an athlete.
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thanksgiving exchange glad confesses physiques zealous satisfied aims admires |
How does the poet establish the victory of common sense over ego?
According to the poet, what contributes most to the injuries sustained by the athletes?
Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a sentence or two
When snaps the knee and cracks the wrist….
Identify and explain the use of the literary device in this line.
Explain the following with reference to the context in about 50–60 word each.
Athletes, I’ll drink to you, Or eat with you, Or anything except compete with you…
Find out the rhyme scheme of the given stanza.
One infant grows up and becomes a jockey
Another plays basketball or hockey
This one the prize ring hates to enter
That one becomes a tackle or center…
Everybody is special and everybody is a hero. Each one has a story to tell. In the light of this observation, present your views.
Would you like to exchange your place with someone else? Why/why not?
Answer in a paragraph of about 100−150 words.
Do you think the poet wants to say that man is unhappy because he has lost his link with nature and forgotten how to enjoy nature, or because man is cruel to other men?
When humanity fails to live in harmony with Nature, its effects are felt around the world. Why and how?
Why does the poet say Macavity is ‘outwardly’ respectable?
Which two characters does the poet refer to as examples of wicked cats?
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?
Read the given lines and answer the question that follow.
And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard’s.
- What seems to be a challenge for the Scotland Yard?
- Why do they need his footprints?
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?
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.
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.
Pick out the alliteration from the following lines:
“Comes at the last, and with a little pin…”
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.
