Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
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?)
Advertisements
Solution
The tokens mentioned in the poem mean the symbols of the true nature of human beings. These tokens are actually tokens of virtue such as containment, honesty, innocence and the likes of it.
RELATED QUESTIONS
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?
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.
At times, especially when you are frustrated, you wish you were an animal/a bird/a fish/a butterfly and not a human being.
Say which of the above you would choose to transform to and give 3 or 4 reasons for your choice.
I wish I could be a ............................................
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. ................... |
Animals do not complain about ______.
Animals do not merely discuss ______.
Animals are not crazy about ______.
State whether the following statement is true or false.
Animals quarrel for their possessions.
State whether the following statement is true or false.
Animals do not worship other animals.
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]
Why does the poet wish to 'turn' and live with animals?
List any two things that animals do and humans don't.
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?
