INTERNATIONAL INDIAN SCHOOL, RIYADH

CLASS-XII
POEM: KEEPING QUIET

VALUE POINTS

The poet talks about the need of silence and quiet introspection and
the importance of tranquility and calmness. He also talks about creating
a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings. The poet asks
us to keep still and count up to twelve. He also asks us to sit still. For a
moment we should not speak any language. We should not move our
arms so much. It will be a moment of complete silence without rush or
worry. This would be an exotic moment.

Then a sudden strangeness will prevail which we will all enjoy. It will be
bliss. The fisherman would not harm the whales on the cold sea. Even
the man gathering salt would stop working and look at his hurt hands
and reflect at the pain and harm his strenuous task has caused him.

All kinds of wars must be stopped at once. The green wars against the
environment, wars with poisonous gases, firearms, must be stopped at
once. People who are all the time preparing for wars leaving no
survivors behind ought to find time to wear clothes and walk around
with their brothers strengthening the message of peace and
brotherhood.

At the same time the poet cautions not to confuse stillness with total
inactivity. Life is an ongoing process and should not be associated with
death. It is to be lived with positive attitude. He does not want us to
ruminate over death. But he feels that if for once we do not focus
ourselves single -mindedly to keep our lives moving but do some
introspection or spend some time in silence doing nothing, we can
understand ourselves better and escape from the threatening calls of
death.

The earth can teach us a lesson how everything comes to a dead end
and comes to life again. In the same manner a quiet introspection can
bring all evil thoughts to an end and bring in a new life of peace and
tranquility. Now the poet will count up to twelve and they should keep
quiet and he will go.

Thus the poem “Keeping Quiet” celebrates the necessity of

introspection and the advantage of doing nothing and maintaining
silence for some time and in the vast treasure of deep silence all
depression will vanish and peace would be attained for one would be
with oneself at one’s peaceful best.

 The poet talks about the need of silence and quiet introspection
and the importance ofquietude and calmness. He also talks about
creating a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings.
 The poet asks us to keep still and count up to twelve. He also asks
us to sit still. For a moment we should not speak any language.
We should not move our arms so much.
 It will be a moment of complete silence without rush or worry.
This would be an exotic moment.
 Then a sudden strangeness will prevail which we will all enjoy. It
will be bliss.
 The fisherman would not harm the whales on the cold sea. Even
the man gathering salt would stop working and look at his hurt
hands and reflect at the pain and harm his strenuous task has
caused him.
 All kinds of wars must be stopped at once. The green wars against
the environment, wars with poisonous gases, firearms, must be
stopped at once.
  People who are all the time preparing for wars leaving no
survivors behind ought to find time to wear clothes and walk
around with their brothers strengthening the message of peace
and brotherhood.
 At the same time the poet cautions not to confuse stillness with
total inactivity. Life is an ongoing process and should not be
associated with death. It is to be lived with positive attitude.
 He does not want us to ruminate over death.
 But he feels that if for once we do not focus ourselves single-
mindedly to keep our lives moving but do some introspection or
spend some time in silence doing nothing, we can understand
ourselves better and escape from the threatening calls of death.
 The earth can teach us a lesson how everything comes to a dead
end and comes to life again.
 In the same manner a quiet introspection can bring all evil
thoughts to an end and bring in a new life of peace and
tranquility.
 Now the poet will count up to twelve and they should keep quiet
and he will go

POEM: AUNT JENNIFER’S TIGERS

VALUE POINTS

Introduction

Adrienne Rich was brought up in a well off family. Rich felt dominated
by her father’s strong personality while growing up. It was he who most
guided her as a young poet. This wasn’t always to her liking as he
expected her to write her poems his way. When Rich was growing up
men dominated and women were expected to become dutiful wives in
their adult lives. All these elements may have influenced the picture of
marriage Rich drew in this poem. At the heart of the poem is an image
of a husband who controls and frightens his wife. Rich wrote a lot of
poems based on everyday experience. One topic she often featured
was the tension, women felt due to being dominated by their
husbands. In ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ Rich is mocking the weakness of
Aunt Jennifer and the clout and authority of Jennifer’s husband in their
marriage.

Summary

In the poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ a woman expresses her suppressed

feelings through her art. Aunt Jennifer is the victim of the male
dominated society. She has no one to tell her mental and physical pain.
She makes a picture to convey her deep feelings. The speaker describes
the tigers which her aunt produced on the panel. They are set in
motion. They are moving quickly by raising the front legs and jumping
forwards on the back legs. In the green jungle they look free, bright,
brave, fearless and magnificent. There are men sitting under the tree,
but the tigers do not. They move on to their goal boldly and smoothly.
Jennifer finds it difficult to make pictures by using the ivory needle. She
is tired of doing the household work after she got married. She can’t
get herself involved in her artistic work. She has to do it in her leisure
time. Even then she has to be sure whether her husband is watching
her or not. So her hands are terrified. She will not be free from fear
until she dies. She will be dominated by her husband. She will die, but
her art will express her desire to move proudly and fearlessly like the
tigers she has made.
 Main points

1. In this poem, the poet addresses the constraints of married life,

experienced by a woman.
2. Aunt Jennifer weaves tigers into the panel. These tigers are brave &
have no fear of men.
3. Aunt Jennifer is terrified by her dominating husband. Her finger flutters
due to the mental suppression. She is not happy with her married life.
4. She will die but her art will express her desire to move proudly
and fearlessly like the tigers she has made.
5. The tigers in the poem symbolize the freedom and
confidence that seem unattainable to Aunt Jennifer in her real
life. While the tigers are vibrant and bold, described with
powerful, active verbs like "prance" and "pace," Aunt Jennifer is
too weak to even handle her needle. While the tigers live freely in
a beautiful "world of green," Aunt Jennifer is stuck being a
homemaker. While the tigers "do not fear the men," Aunt Jennifer
is scared of her own husband.
6. Aunt Jennifer's innermost desires for freedom—in a time
when a woman requesting a divorce was likely extremely rare and
certainly frowned upon—are thus expressed through the tigers.
They are symbols of the liberated, joyous state of being that
evades Aunt Jennifer.
7. The tigers represent not only a freedom from man-made
constraints (like marriage) in the tangible world but also represent
a unique freedom that no man or woman can hope to attain—
that is, a freedom from death itself. The final lines emphasize that
the tigers "will go on" even "When Aunt is dead." Since the tigers
 are inanimate, captured within a tapestry, they can theoretically
exist forever. As a symbol of immortality, they highlight the fact
that even men—who might try to rule the world through
patriarchal institutions like marriage—are not all powerful. They
are all fallible and none of them will exist forever.

PROSE: THIRD LEVEL

VALUE POINTS

Introduction
The narrator interweaves fantasy with the reality in the most futuristic
projection of time travel. Charley, a young New York commuter loses
his way. He finds himself in what he thinks is the third level of the
Grand Central Station in New York. The Grand Central Station has
subways on two levels from where the commuters take trains to
different destinations. No third level was ever built. However, Charley
believes in the existence of a third level, operating in a time-frame of
1890s. The period of 1890s represents a peaceful life not possible in the
present era. From this level, Charley wants to travel to Galesburg,
Illinois, with his wife Louisa. For him, it is a part of reality while his
psychiatrist friend calls it a “waking-dream wish fulfilment.”

Summary
This is the story of a 31-year-old man named Charley. One day after
work coming from the Subway, he reached the third level of the Grand
Central station (which does not actually exist). He reminisces the entire
experience with his psychiatrist friend Sam. Charley thought he
experienced time travel and had reached somewhere in the eighteen-
nineties, a time before the world saw two of its deadliest wars.
As soon as he realized what time he is in, he immediately decided to
buy two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois; one for himself and the other for
his wife. Unfortunately, the currency used in that century was different.
Thus, the next day he withdrew all his savings and got them converted
even if it meant bearing losses. He went looking for the third level but
failed to find it. It worried his wife and the psychiatrist Sam who told
him that he is hallucinating in order to take refuge from reality and
miseries of the modern world which is full of worry.

Charley thus resorts to his stamp collection in order to distract himself

when suddenly one day he finds a letter from his friend Sam who had
gone missing recently. Sam wrote that he always wanted to believe in
the idea of third level and now that he is there himself, he encourages
Charley and Louisa to never stop looking for it.

Major Characters

Charley
Charlie was a nervous person. Stamp collection was his hobby. Though
he was young, he feared to live in this war-ridden world. He wanted to
go to a peaceful and idyllic place. Later he went to the past. But his wife
denied to believe him and asked him to consult with a psychiatrist.

Sam
Sam was a psychiatrist. He was also a friend of Charley. When Charley
fantasized about the Third Level at Grade Central Station, he visited
Sam for consultation. Sam declared it merely a ‘temporary refuge’ from
his tension. He called it waking-dream-wish-fulfillment. But slowly he
himself got trapped in this imaginary world. He talked to many psychic
patients daily, who told him about their woes and worries. It had made
Sam’s life a burdened one. He also started trying to find sojourn. He
wanted to escape from the life which had become woeful after
listening to the afflictions of the patients suffering from mental
diseases.

Louisa
Louisa Mebbin was a very shrewd and cunning character who knew
how to grab a chance to gain wealth as and when opportunity knocked
at her door. She can be called an opportunist.

Theme
The story third level is the most concise and entertaining story about
time travel. Charley wishes to be transported to the third level, the
world of 1894 which is supposedly much happier and quieter place to
be. The question whether the third level exist in real or only in charley’s
mind can be inferred from Sam’s letter. The story also dwells on the
theme of escapism, not only as a psychological refuge from the grim
realities of the present day world but also as a desire to stay with the
past or to keep the past alive in the complexities of the present.

PROSE: THE TIGER KING

VALUE POINTS

Introduction
The story ‘The Tiger King’ is a satire on the pride and stubbornness of
those in power. The writer takes us to the days of autocratic and
eccentric kings. These kings lived under the thumb rule of British, hence
they fear them. Most of the time the rulers were not interested in
serving the people and working for the welfare of the public; instead
they spent their time in foolish pursuits. They flouted all laws and bent
them to suit their selfish interests. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram
tried to belie what was written in his fate. The chief astrologer had
predicted that the cause of his death would be a tiger. The King tried
his best to belie the prediction. His campaign of tiger-hunting was very
successful. All his strategies and wise plans worked till he killed 99
tigers. But the hundredth tiger eluded him till his death.
The irony of fate brings quite an unexpected end of the Maharaja. The
hero who killed ninety nine tigers couldn’t kill the only one that was
left. The last tiger he thought to be dead survived. The King’s bullet had
missed its mark. Ironically, the hundredth tiger which caused his death
was not a ferocious beast of blood and flesh. It was a wooden tiger.
One of the slivers of wood pierced his right hand and caused infection
and a suppurating sore. It ultimately led to his death.
Theme
Animals and birds are as much part of the nature as human beings. The
destruction or haphazard killing of one species may not only lead to its
extinction, but it will adversely affect the ecological balance. Those
animals which serve as food for the wild animals, will increase in large
number, if the beast of prey are wiped out. Each species, howsoever
fierce, deadly, ferocious or poisonous has its role in maintaining
ecological balance in nature.
Characters
1. The Tiger King: a hero of the story, the Maharaja of
Pratibandhpuram, also known as His Highness Jamedar, General
Khiledar-Major, Sata-Vyaghra samhari, Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana
samrat, Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, M.A.D., A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K.
2. Crown prince: a ten day old baby who later became the Maharaja of
Pratibandhpuram.
3. Chief astrologer: a royal foreteller of the state.
4. Durai: means “chief, leader” in Tamil.
5. A British high ranking officer & his secretary
6. Dewan: a chief administrative office of the Maharaja.
7. Duraisani: the wife of the high ranking British officer, a greedy
woman who takes all the 50 or so diamond rings for herself.
Summary
The Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bhadur was called “Tiger King”. When
he was just 10 day old, he asked intelligent questions to the astrologers
and was told that he would be killed by a tiger. He uttered “Let tigers
beware!”
No other miracle took place, the child grew like any other Royal child
drinking white cow’s milk. He was taught by an English tutor and looked
after by an English nanny. He watched English films.
When he was 20, he was crowned as king. It was then the prediction of
his death by the tiger reached the Maharaja’s ear and he in turn to safe
guard himself killed a tiger and being thrilled he told the astrologer who
replied that he can kill 99 tigers but should be careful with the 100th.
He pledged that all other affairs of the state would be attended after
killing the hundred tigers.
Then he started killing tigers. None except Maharaja was allowed to
hunt tigers. A high-ranking British officer visited the state that was fond
of hunting tigers and his wish was declined. The officer requested for
getting a photograph with a tiger killed by Maharaja and this request
was rejected. So to please the officer’s wife, he sent 50 diamond rings
expecting that she would take one or two, instead she kept all the rings
costing 3 lakh rupees and sent ‘thanks’ to the Maharaja. But his state
was secured.
In 10 years, he killed 70 tiger and didn’t find any in Pratibandapuram so
he decided to marry a girl from royal state which had more tigers to
complete his target. Whenever he visited his in-laws, he killed 5-6
tigers. So he killed 99 tigers and was feverishly anxious to kill the 100th
but couldn’t find. News about the presence of a tiger near a village
proved disappointing. He asked his Dewan to find the tiger otherwise
face his anger. Now the Dewan was afraid of losing his job so he visited
‘People’s Park in Madras’ and brought an old tiger and placed it in the
forest and informed the Maharaja.
The Maharaja took great care and shot the tiger and left the place with
great triumph. The bullet did not hit the tiger but out of fear the tiger
had collapsed. Now the staff killed the tiger and brought it in grand
procession.
It was the third birthday of the Maharaja’s son and he wanted to buy a
present from the toyshop. He bought a wooden tiger which was poorly
carved. While the Maharaja was playing with the prince, a tiny sliver of
the wooden tiger pierced his right hand which later on caused his
death. Thus the hundredth tiger takes his final revenge upon the “Tiger
King”.
Main points
1. When the Prince at ‘Pratibandhpuram’ was born – Astrologers
predicted that he would be killed by 100th tiger, to prove the
astrologer wrong he killed the first tiger and challenged the prediction.
2. The astrologer said that the 100th tiger would kill him. The Maharaj
put all his Estate duties aside and set upon killing 100 Tigers.
3. When all the Tigers in his Estate were killed, he married a
princess whose father had many Tigers his forests.
4. He even spent Rs. 3 lakhs to please a British officer who wanted to
hunt tigers in his estate.
5. Finally, the hundredth tiger was killed, the Maharaja was very
happy & then decided to spend time with his son.
6. He bought a wooden toy tiger on his son’s third Birthday – toy was
made up by an unskilled carpenter. One of slivers pierced his right hand
– developed an infection – operated & died.
7. Irony – killed 99 tigers but wooden tiger took its revenge.

PROSE: THE JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH

VALUE POINTS

Theme of the Lesson

An informative account of the author’s trip to the world’s coldest,
windiest, and driest continent can be found in the Vistas book for Class
12 entitled Journey to the End of the Earth. According to Tishani Doshi,
visiting Antarctica is necessary if one wants to comprehend the past,
present, and future of the planet. We can learn a lot about this area by
studying it because Antarctica is where the world’s geological history is
preserved. She travelled with a group of students who were exploring
the continent. Her encounter with the ice-mysteries of this ice-region
was exhilarating.

Summary of the lesson

Beginning of Journey- The narrator joined the ‘Akademik Shokalskiy,’ a
Russian research ship. It was on its way to Antarctica, the world’s
coldest, driest, and windiest continent. His expedition began at Madras,
13.09 degrees north of the Equator (Chennai). He travelled across nine
different time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water, and at
least three ecospheres. To get there, he drove, flew, and sailed for
more than 100 hours.

Southern Supercontinent (Gondwana)– A large southern

supercontinent called Gondwana existed six hundred and fifty million
years ago. It was centred roughly on modern-day Antarctica. Humans
had not yet arrived on the global stage. The climate was substantially
warmer at the time. It was home to a wide range of plants and fauna.
When the dinosaurs became extinct and the age of mammals began,
the landmass was forced to divide into the countries that exist today.

The visit was intended to educate participants about Antarctica. It was

to gain a better understanding of the Cordilleran folds and Precambrian
granite shields; of ozone and carbon; and of evolution and extinction.
Antarctica contains around 90% of the world’s total ice volume. As large
as countries, icebergs are. In 24-hour austral summer light, the days go
on indefinitely.

Human Impact- The most contentious argument of our time is whether

or not the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will completely melt. Antarctica is
the place (for us) to go if we want to study the Earth’s past, present,
and future.

Antarctica’s ecosystem is simple and devoid of biodiversity. It is the

ideal location to examine how small changes in the environment can
have significant consequences (results). Scientists warn that continued
ozone depletion will have a detrimental effect on the region’s aquatic
creatures and birds. Additionally, it will affect the global carbon cycle.

The burning of fossil fuels has contributed to the pollution of the

atmosphere. It has resulted in the formation of a global carbon dioxide
blanket. It is increasing the global temperature, as seen by the melting
of icebergs in Antarctica. It demonstrates how minute changes in the
atmosphere may have a profound effect. If global temperatures
continue to rise, the human race may be endangered. “Students on ice”
is a programme that provides an adequate chance for students to
comprehend how global temperature can pose a serious threat to
human existence. It instils in them new knowledge. According to Geoff
Green, high school kids are the future policymakers. They can
contribute to averting ecological disasters and mitigating the
consequences of global warming.

READ ALSO: Character Sketch of Matilda in The Diamond Necklace

Effect of Climatic Change- The author uses an example to demonstrate

how even minor changes in the atmosphere can be dangerous.
Phytoplankton are microscopic single-celled plants. They provide
sustenance for the entire Southern Ocean food chain. They utilise the
energy of the sun to digest carbon and provide oxygen. Further ozone
depletion may impair this function and, indirectly, the lives of all marine
species.

Walk on the Ocean- It was the most exhilarating experience of the trip.
They walked on the ocean after climbing down the gangplank. There
were 52 of them. They were walking on a meter-thick ice pack. There
were 180 metres of living, breathing saltwater beneath the ice layer.
Seals were basking in the sun on ice. The narrator was taken aback by
the magnificence of the setting. He desired it would not become as
heated as it once was millions of years ago. If this occurs, the
consequences could be disastrous.