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Question
The poem you have just read is originally in the Tamil. Do you know any such poems in your language?
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Solution
Yes, I have read another poem on wind. It is titled ‘Toofan‘ and was originally written in Hindi by Naresh Aggarwal.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Thinking about the Text
Answer these question.
I said it with bullets.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) What does it mean?
(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this?
Thinking about Poem
Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?
Read the song once again.
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens.
When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated.
The field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of the one;
I cure the ailment of the other.
The voice of thunder declares my arrival;
The rainbow announces my departure.
I am like earthly life which begins at
The feet of the mad elements and ends
Under the upraised wings of death.
I emerge from the heart of the sea and
Soar with the breeze. When I see a field in
Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways.
I touch gently at the windows with my
Soft fingers, and my announcement is a
Welcome song. All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand.
I am the sigh of the sea;
The laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.
So with love -
Sighs from the deep sea of affection; Laughter from the colourful
field of the spirit; Tears from the endless heaven of memories.
About the Poet
Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) was a Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer. His
poetry is notable for its use of formal language as well as insights on topics of life using
spiritual terms. One of his most notable lines of poetry in the English-speaking world is
from Sand and Foam (1926) which reads 'Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say
it so that the other half may reach you.'
Read and enjoy :
Hockey 
Do you know when hockey was first played? Research in Ethiopia has discovered that it has been around for more than four millenia. A tablet in Greece has images of young people playing field hockey. Even in South America, Ireland, Egypt, Scotland and Rome, there are proofs and records of this game. The game in these countries was no different than the other even though it was known by different names. Hundreds of years ago, this game was known as 'Hockie' in Ireland and it is this name that has stuck with the game ever since.
While current field hockey appeared in the mid-18th century in England, primarily in schools, it was not until the first half of the 19th century that it became firmly established. Prior to 1980, women were not permitted to take part in this game. The first club was created in 1849 at Blackheath in south-east London. During the 1600s and 1700s, hockey in England was a little dissimilar and it was more disorganised. People from all over the village would take part in the game. It was not unusual for a team to have 60 - 100 players. It was the goal of the team players to get the ball into the common ground of the rival team. This game required quite a few days to finish. Many players suffered injuries. Even though umpires were present, they were not allowed to say anything without the team members' request.
Ultimaty , good judgment prevailed. Firm regulations were introduced. In England, a headmaster restricted the number of players to thirty for one single team, During the 1860s, England's Eton College laid down some rules for the game. Additional rules were introduced afterthe formation of the Hockey Association in the year 1875.
Football
Football refers to a number of similar team sports, all of which involve (to varying degrees) kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a goal. People from around the world have played games which involved kicking and / or canying a ball, since ancient times. However, most of the modern codes of football have their origins in England.
The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more comm.only known as just 'Football' or 'Soccer'. It is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world
The horse was nearly life-size, moulded out of clay, baked, burnt, and brightly coloured, and reared its head proudly, prancing its forelegs in the air and flourishing its tail in a loop; beside the horse stood a warrior with scythelike mustachios, bulging eyes, and aquiline nose. The old image-makers believed in indicating a man of strength by bulging out his eyes and sharpening his moustache tips, and also decorated the man’s chest with beads which looked today like blobs of mud through the ravages of sun and wind and rain (when it came), but Muni would insist that he had known the beads to sparkle like the nine gems at one time in his life.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What was the effect of the construction of the highway?
“I love the West,” said the girl irrelevantly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She began to speak truly and simply without the gloss of style and manner: “Mamma and I spent the summer in Deliver. She went home a week ago
because father was slightly ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here agrees with me. Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid—” “Say, Mr. Marshal,” growled the glum-faced man. “This isn’t quite fair. I’m needing a drink, and haven’t had a smoke all day. Haven’t you talked long enough? Take me in the smoker now, won’t you? I’m half dead for a pipe.”
The bound travellers rose to their feet, Easton with the Same slow smile on his face. “I can’t deny a petition for tobacco,” he said, lightly. “It’s the one friend of the unfortunate. Good-bye, Miss Fairchild. Duty calls, you know.” He held out his hand for a farewell. “It’s too bad you are not going East,” she said, reclothing herself with manner and style. “But you must go on to Leavenworth, I suppose?” “Yes,” said Easton, “I must go on to Leavenworth.”
The two men sidled down the aisle into the smoker. The two passengers in a seat near by had heard most of the conversation. Said one of them: “That marshal’s a good sort of chap. Some of these Western fellows are all right.” “Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn’t he?” asked the other. “Young!” exclaimed the first speaker, “why—Oh! didn’t you catch on? Say—did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?”
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What does the glum faced man want to do and how does Easton take leave from Miss Fairchild?
What roused the pride of the animals and made them reconcile to the new arrangement? In the meanwhile, what sudden decision was taken by the pigs? What do we learn about Napoleon at this juncture?
What does ti» poet wish for al the end ~f the poem? What does tl1e poem tell the readers about the poet? Give a reason to justify yow· answer.
Why did Abbu Khan’s goats want to run away? What happened to them in the hills?
Discuss the following topic in groups.
Why did the wise old bird say, “Chandni is the winner”?
Why does the poet say the squirrel “wore a question mark for tail”? Draw a squirrel, or find a picture of a squirrel sitting on the ground. How would you describe its tail?
Why did the king send two messengers throughout his kingdom?
Describe the king in your own words.
What are the changes the cricket bat has undergone with time?
Discuss these questions in small groups before you answer them.
When are you likely to be told this?
Say thank you.
Match the sentences under I with those under II.
| I | II |
|
1. Jumman and Algu were the best of friends. |
1. He believed that his friend would never go against him. 2. She wanted justice. 3. In the absence of one, the other took care of his family. 4. The condition was that he would be responsible for her welfare. 5. The bond of friendship between him and Jumman was very strong. |
Having observed the squirrels around us, can we say that a squirrel is a fast paced animal?
Find out the meaning of the following words by looking them up in the dictionary. Then use them in sentences of your own.
mystic
Complete the following sentence by providing a reason:
At the end of Act III, Scene III of the play The Tempest, Gonzalo urges the other Lords to follow the "three men of sin" because ______.
Which of the following is NOT an effect of Bhishma Lochan Sharma’s powerful singing in Sukumar Ray’s poem 'The Power of Music’?
