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Question
Why does the poet wish to 'turn' and live with animals?
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Solution
The poet Walt Whitman expresses his wish that he can identify himself better with the animals, of their qualities of serenity and calm composure. So he intends to turn towards them, away from his human companions, since they have better values than those of the humans.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
I think I could turn and live with animals, they are
so placid and self-contain’d
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with
the mania of owning things.
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that
lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
So they show their relations to me and I accept them,
They bring me tokens of myself, they evince
them plainly in their possession
I wonder where they get those tokens,
Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?
(A1) Complete the following sentences with the help of the poem.
(a) The poet wishes he could.............................
(b) Animals do not complain about............................
(c) Animals do not merely discuss.............................
(d) Animals are not crazy about .............................
(A2) The qualities of animals that highlighted by the poet in the poem are
.............................................................................................................
............................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................
(A3) Name and explain the figures of speech.
“I stand and look at them long and long.’’
Mention three things that humans do and animals don’t.
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.
Put the following attributes/abilities.
- self-control
- communicates
- love and care
- cooks
- good manners
- has 360° vision
- shows gratitude
- lives for more than 150 years
- swims
- learns computing
- worships god
- sleeps in standing position
- stands up immediately after birth
- brings up children
- 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 for you.
| Amphibians | Mammals | Wild Animals | Aquatic Animals | Pet Animals |
| frog | cow | lion | octopus | cat |
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. ................... |
The poet wishes he could ______.
Animals are not crazy 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.
State whether the following statement is true or false.
The poet has retained all his natural virtues.
With the help of the poem find the differences between animals and human beings.
| Human beings | Animals |
| Always complain about their condition | Never complain about anything |
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.
Justify how ‘Animals’ by Walt Whitman is a criticism of mankind and its ways.
Read the following extract and do the given activities.
A1. State whether the following statements are true or false: (2)
- Animals show their relations to us.
- Humans have given up many good qualities.
- Animals sweat and whine about their condition.
- Animals are placid and self-contained.
| I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain'd, I stand and look at them long and long. They do not sweat and whine about their condition, They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins, They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God, Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things. Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago, Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth, So they show their relations to me and I accept them, They bring me tokens of myself, they evince them plainly in their possession. I wonder where they get those tokens, Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them? |
A2. Answer the following question with the help of the given extract: (2)
(i) What craze do animals never display? Why?
A3. Pick out one example of Rhetorical question from the extract. (1)
Read the following extract and do the given activities.
A1. Match the words from cloud 'A' with cloud 'B': (2)
| Cloud 'A' | Cloud 'B' |
| (a) Stand and look | (i) Not one is demented |
| (b) Not one is dissatisfied | (ii) long and long |
| (c) They do not sweat | (iii) over the whole earth |
| (d) Not one is unhappy | (iv) about their condition |
|
I think I could tum and live with animals, they are -Walt Whitman |
A2. Why does Walt Whitman feel more at home with animals? (2)
A3. Name and explain the figure of speech in the given sentence. (1)
'They bring me tokens of myself'.
