Chief Patron Shri Avinash Dikshit Commissioner Patron
Download 0.94 Mb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- THE VOICE OF THE RAIN (by Walt Whitman)
A PHOTOGRAPH THE POET
Shirley Toulson was born on 20th May 1924 in Henley-on-Thames, England as the daughter of Douglas Horsfall Dixon and Marjorie Brown. She had a huge passion on writing and was greatly influenced y her father who was a writer too. She secured a B.A on Literature from Brockenhurst College in London in the year 1953. Shortly, she took writing as career but also served as the editor for many magazines in meantime. She married Alan Brownjohn on 6th February 1960. They had three children - Janet Sayers, Ian Toulson and Steven brownjohn. ut after nine years they divorced on March 1969. Celtic Christianity influenced her greatly that most of her major works like "Celtic Alternative" in 1987 and "Celtic Year" in 1993 were on that topic. But these works indeed made her more famous THEME
The poet sees a photograph of her mother. She was with her two girl cousins. They are enjoying the sea holiday. The poet sees everything changed even the sea, however less. Some twenty- thirty years later, the poet remembers her mother and misses her. This photograph is a token of remembrance of her mother. ABOUT THE POEM The photograph pasted on the cardboard shows two girl cousins – Betty and Dolly who went paddling in the sea with the poetess mother. Each of them was holding one of the hands of the poet’s mother, who was a big girl of some twelve year or so at that time. Her uncle had a camera. All three stood still facing the camera. They pushed their hair aside to smile. Thus the photograph presents three smiling faces. The face of the poet’s mother is a sweet one. It was of a time before she was born. Their feet, which were being washed by sea water for a very short time, have been photographed along with sea, which appears to have changed less. The poet thus indirectly hints that her mother’s face has changed over the years. After a lapse of time, say some twenty or thirty years later, the poet’s mother would laugh at the snapshot. She would refer to the photograph and recollect how her cousins Betty and Dolly had dressed themselves for the beach when they went on a sea holiday. She laughs as she sees the scanty dress. This sea holiday was an event of her past. Her laughter is real and pleasant for the poet. It is precious memory for her. Both-her holiday and her laughter are amusing in an ironic way as they are linked with her loss which requires a forced state of freedom from pain. Now, the poet’s mother is dead, for nearly as many years as that girl in the picture lived. The poet feels at a loss of words to comment on this event-her death. It is a solemn moment and its silence makes her silent. Thus the poetess pays a tribute to her mother. It is the old photograph that moves her to silence. SOLVED QUESTIONS When the two girl cousins went paddling, Each one holding one of my mother’s hands, And she the big girl –some twelve years or so.”
Ans: The ‘cardboard’ shows the poet the scene on the sea beach with three girls. b. Why did the two girl cousins hold one of the poet’s mother’s hands? Ans: As the poet’s mother was ‘the big girl’ i. e. elder in age so the two girl cousins hold one of her hands. c. How old was the oldest girl among the three cousins? Ans: The oldest among the three cousins was some twelve years old. d. How did the girls go to the sea beach? Ans: The girls went to the sea beach ‘paddling’ means barefooted.
As that girl lived. And of this circumstance There is nothing to say at all. Its silence silences.”
Ans: The poet’s mother has been dead for about twelve years. b. What is the meaning of the word ‘circumstance’ in the poem? Ans: The word ‘circumstance’ in the poem means the death of the poet’s mother. c. Why is there nothing to say at all? Ans: There is nothing to say at all because the poet has lost her mother and her beautiful smile forever. d. What silences the silence? Ans: The silence of the death silences the silence.
Ans: The three girls went to the sea beach to be photographed by their uncle. The younger cousins were holding hands of the elder cousin. They smiled through their hair as they stood still for a photograph. 4. Why would the poet’s mother laugh at the snapshot? Ans: The poet’s mother would laugh at the snapshot as it would revive her memories of the old happy days on the sea beach and the strange way in which they were dressed for the beach. 5. What are the losses of the poet’s mother and the poet? Ans: The poet’s mother’s loss is of her old happy days on the sea beach while the loss of the poet is the beautiful smile of her mother as she is now dead. UNSOLVED QUESTIONS 1) How does the poet contracts the girls terrible transience with the scene? 2) "Both thrive with the laboured ease of loss" Describe the ironical situation. 3) Explain the line " the sea holiday as a past, mine is her laughter , Time spares none" . 4) What is the significance of the ‘cardboard’ frame?
About the Author : Walt Whitman was an American Poet, Essayist and Journalist. A humanist, he was part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American Canon, often called the father of Free Verse.
The poem is in the form of answer to a question that the poet puts to the rain, “who are you?” The rain says that it is the poem of the earth. It rises out of land and sea and comes down to give life to the earth. It makes the earth pure and more beautiful just as a song does when it comes back to the singer. MAIN POINTS
CHILDHOOD BY MARKUS NATTEN About the Poem Markus Natten , the poet is obsessed with the loss of his childhood and he wants to know exactly when he lost his childhood. He makes a guess that it was at the age of eleven when he started thinking like a rational human being .He realized that ‘Hell’ and ‘Heaven’ were imaginary concepts, not existed even books of Geography and they existed only in mind. Perhaps the poet lost his childhood when he was able to see through the hypocrisy adults .He realized that the grown ups were not as good as they appeared to be .Nor did they practice love in their life as they frequently preached. He started thinking independently without being influenced or directed by others . The poet does not ask when he lost his childhood but asks where his childhood has gone to? He himself gives an answer .His childhood stands for innocence , simplicity and it is lying hidden in the innocent face of an infant. STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION
Was it the day I ceased to be eleven Was it the time I realized that Hell and Heaven Could not be found be found in Geography And therefore could not be Was that the day! Q1 Why does the poet mention the age of eleven? Ans. The age of eleven is very crucial because below this age , a person is counted as a child and after it he becomes an adolescent. Q2. When did the poet come to know that hell and heaven are imaginary concepts? Ans. He realized that Hell and Heaven are imaginary concepts because they do not exist even in books of geography. Q3. Find words from the passage which mean
Ans. I) ceased ii) realized Multiple Choice Questions.
a) The he became an adolescent b) the he lost his childhood c) the day he became wise d) the day he became responsible 2 ‘ Therefore could not be’ here means
3 Hell and Heaven could be found
Was it when I found my mind was really mine To use whichever way I choose , Producing thoughts that were not those of other people But my own ,and mine alone Was that the day!
Ans. He could produce his own thoughts thinking independently of others. Q2. Explain : My mind was really mine . Ans. It means that his mind acted independently and was not influenced or directed by others. Q3. How could he use his mind ? Ans. He could use his mind the way he liked to use it. Multiple choice questions Q1. He could use his mind
Q2. He wanted his mind
Q3.’Mine alone’ here means
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS Q1.What is the difference between the childhood and adulthood? Ans. Childhood stands for innocence .It knows no crafts or hypocrisy. The moment a man is able to differentiate between the preaching and actions of the grown ups, he takes a step towards maturity . Q2.Has the poet got the answer to the question ‘Where did my childhood go?’ Ans. Yes ,the poet got the answer of this question. He feels that his childhood is lying hidden in an infant’s innocent face .He lost his innocence ,honesty and simplicity . Q3. Do you feel that the poet is nostalgic about his childhood? Does he feel the loss of his childhood as a great loss/ Ans. Really the poet becomes nostalgic about his childhood .Childhood means innocence and honesty. The poet suffers from a sense of loss and he is full of regret and remorse. Q4. Do you feel that an independent thinking is a step towards adulthood ? Ans. Yes, A child has no independence .His thinking is always influenced by adults. When he starts thinking freely ,he becomes matured. His adulthood starts when he feels that his thoughts are his own . Q5. What does the poet say about the hypocrisy of the grown ups? Ans. The poet says that the grown ups are not as good as they appear to be.. Nor do they practise love in their actions as they preach .Hypocrisy and crafty nature is associated only with adults. Short Questions for Practice Q.1. When did the poet start thinking rationally and how? Q2. In the last stanza the poet asks “Where did my childhood go” ? What answer does he get? Q3. What is the difference between what they talk of and what they do? Q4. When did the poet know that ‘hell’ and ‘heaven’ are imaginary concepts? Father to Son -Elizabeth Jennings About the poet: Elizabeth Jennings (1926-2001) was born in Boston, Lincolnshire but moved to Oxford at the age of six where she lived for the rest of her life. Her Collected Poems appeared in 2002. Although initially linked to the group of poets including Kingsley Amis, Philip Larkin and Thom Gunn known as 'The Movement', Jennings' work doesn't share their irony or academic wit. However, the unassuming technical craft of her poetry and its emotional restraint are qualities that were praised by the poets and critics of the period and continued to be abiding characteristics of her work. Amongst the many honours awarded for her work are the W.H. Smith Literary Award, the Somerset Maugham Award and a CBE. Theme: The poem is a lament of a father because the chasm between his son and him has widened over the years. He is unable to trace the reason for this huge generation gap that has become too big a gulf to fill. The father wants to forgive his son, forget the past and start afresh. Summary: The father complains that he does not understand his own child. Though they have lived together for so many years now i.e. since the time of his son’s birth, the father knows nothing of him. The father tries to build up a relationship with his son from the early years, in a manner when his son began to recognize people around, to crawl and to walk in a desperate attempt. The father wonders whether he has destroyed the seed of his off-spring or sown it where the land belongs to his heir and none is his. Both father and son continue to speak like strangers now and there seem no signs of understanding in the air between the two. In traditional belief, the son is created and born to the likings and designs of his father, yet in this case, the father cannot share what his son loves. Most of the time silence surrounds them. The father’s greatest wish is for his son to be ‘The Prodigal’ son who will very soon return to his father’s house; the home which he always knew. This is definitely the better alternative rather than to see his son move out into the world blindly on his own, by himself and fall into trouble. The father is ready to forgive him at any cost as long as he is able to reshape him up from the long bounded sorrow to a new love. Both father and son all over the world must learn to live on the same globe and on the same land. The father finally admits that there are times that he cannot understand himself or why his anger grows from grief? However they have learnt to put out each other’s empty hand and with each other’s heart that is longing for something to forgive. Solved extracts:
Though we have lived together now In the same house for years. I know Nothing of him, so try to build Up a relationship from how He was when small. Yet have I killed”
The father is referred to as the “I “ in these lines. His son is the child.
His complaint is that he does not understand his son despite their living together.
He now wants to build a relationship from the beginning.
He has killed the connection or rapport between the father and son.
The land is his and none of mine? We speak like strangers, there’s no sign Of understanding in the air. This child is built to my design Yet what he loves I cannot share.”
He has nurtured the child whom he compares to seeds, on love and understanding.
The father and son are like strangers.
Sharing and understanding is lacking between the two.
The father cannot share his son’s opinion, and likes and dislikes.
On the same globe and the same land, He speaks: I cannot understand Myself, why anger grows from grief. We each put out an empty hand, Longing for something to forgive.”
They live in same place, yet are so distant.
The father and son try to reach out to each other but in vain.
The father and son try to reach out to each other but in vain.
They long to forgive and forget the past and start afresh. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
The father and son are estranged to each other. This is because there is communication gap between father and son .There is no understanding between the two. What the father says, the son cannot understand and what the son loves, the father fails to appreciate.
The father laments the sorry state of his relationship with his son. He wants to set it right. He wants his son to come back home and he is ready to forgive him. He believes that father and son must stay at the same place for a better bonding.
The poem is a lament of the father because the chasm between his son and him has grown over the years .He recalls moments of his son as a child and laments how he has grown up to become a stranger to her. Their preferences and ideologies have alienated them. He wishes to rebuild their relationship and start afresh. QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE: EXTRACTS:
Yet what he loves I cannot share. Silence surrounds us.
Him prodigal, returning to His father’s house, the home he knew, Rather than see him make and move His world. I would forgive him too, Shaping from sorrow a new love.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Directory: userfiles -> file file -> Title: Associate Professor file -> Iccf congress, seixal, portugal 5th to 12th October 2002 file -> Wilkerson says ‘politics file -> The kiwanis club of greater columbus, georgia club history file -> Lot # Title file -> Policies, Operations, Procedures file -> Orinda Aquatics Welcomes Jon Howell Head Coach of Emory University Swimming & Diving file -> 1985 Toyota Tacoma, super swamper tires, open to offers; asking $4500. 00 Call 780-516-0907 file -> Garth Andrew Myers Download 0.94 Mb. Share with your friends:
|