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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?)
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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?
Do humans kneel to other humans who lived thousands of years ago? Discuss this in groups.
Put the following attributes/ abilities given below in the proper circles.
(a) self-control
(b) communicates
(c) love and care
(d) cooks
(e) good manners
(f) has 360° vision
(g) shows gratitude
(h) lives for more than 150 years
(i) swims
(j) learns computing
(k) worships god
(l) sleeps in standing position
(m) stands up immediately after birth
(n) brings up children
(o) 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 to you.
| Amphibians | Mammals | Wild Animals | Aquatic Animals | Pet Animals |
| frog | cow | lion | octopus | cat |
Encourage students to read/use reference material to complete the activity.
Match the words given in table A with their meanings in table B.
| No |
A Words |
B Meaning |
|
| (i) | whine | (a) | an offence against the 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. ____________________ |
Complete the following.
Animals do not complain about _________________.
State whether the following statement is true or false.
Animals are self-reliant.
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.
Animals suffer humiliation.
With the help of the poem find the differences between animals and human beings.
|
Animals I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain’d -Walt Whitman |
| Human beings | Animals |
|
|
Read the text again, and complete the web, highlighting the good values/habits which we can learn from animals.
Justify how ‘Animals’ by Walt Whitman is a criticism of mankind and its ways.
Why does the poet wish to 'turn' and live with animals?
Mention any two reasons why Walt Whitman appreciates animals more than humans.
'They do not sweat and whine about their condition.' What human traits does the poet condemn in these lines?
