EVERGREEN

Teacher’s Handbook
For
REVERIE
(A Collection of ISC Poems)

WORKBOOK
Latest Edition
JU19
 INTRODUCTION

What do you mean by Poetry ?

This is a question which is not easy to define. Some people believe that any composition that has
rhyming words falls under the category of poetry. Some others relate poetry to the expression of
emotions. Some call it an expression of a unique experience. For William Wordsworth, poetry is
a ‘‘spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.’’ T.S. Eliot calls it “an escape from emotion.’’
In broad terms, we should consider poetry which embodies an experience that touches our
hearts. It creates a sort of music through the manipulation of sound and rhythm. Sometimes
good prose also comes very close to poetry.
It must be noted that a poem may or may not have rhyme, but it must have rhythm. Rhythm
created by the use of words in some manner is the backbone of poetry.

How to analyse a poem ?

This is the most important aspect of teaching poetry. If you are in a class of mixed students of
varied intelligence, you will have to be extra cautious. In order to make the process of teaching
a poem simple we divide it under convenient heads.
1. Introduction to the Poet/the Age
The teacher should provide essential biographical details of the poet whose poem he is
going to take up. He must keep in mind these things :
* The details should be brief.
* The focus should be on those aspects of his poetry which are quite relevant to the text
to be taught.
* Any background knowledge should be imparted. For instance, in appreciating poems
like ‘The Darkling Thrush’ and ‘Dover Beach’, it is desirable to tell the students about
the impact of science on the religious mindset of the people of the 19th century as also
the problems it created in the society of that time. But there is no need to spend too
much time on it.
2. Introduction to the Poem
Make a note on the following points :
* Tell in brief what the title of the poem signifies. Give a brief explanation at this
stage.
* In order to make clear what the poem is about, explain the theme/the central idea
first.
* Then come to the subject matter.

Important Aspects
1. Speaker
Some poems use the pronoun ‘I’ or ‘We’. In such cases the narrative voice is in the first
person. Who is ‘I’ in the poem ? ‘I’ is called ‘persona’ in case the speaker is an invented

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 character and not the poet. For example, the ‘I’ in ‘the Patriot’ is the brave hero who is
now condemned for his wrong deeds. In ‘The Dolphins’, ‘we’ used as the collective voice of
the dolphins entrapped in a water pool. In ‘The Gift of India’, the ‘I’ represents the voice of
Mother India. In ‘Crossing the Bar’, the ‘I’ is to be identified with the poet himself. In some
poems, the narrator is the poet, as in the ballad ‘John Brown’. Here the narrative voice is
in the third person.
2. Audience
It is also important to know who is being addressed to in the poem. The speaker in the
poem may speak to
(i) another person in the poem. In ‘The Spider and the Fly’, the spider speaks to the fly,
and the fly to the spider.
(ii) the reader. In most of the poems, such as ‘Birches’, ‘Desiderata’, etc. the speaker is
clearly addressing the reader.
3. Theme
It refers to the main idea the poet aims to impart through his poem. Sometimes it is
explicit, but most often it is implicit. In ‘The Spider and the Fly’ the theme is stated clearly
in the voice of the poet in the last stanza. In ‘Desiderata’, the main ideas are clearly stated.
However, in poems like ‘Crossing the Bar’ and ‘Birches’, the themes are to be derived at
by explaining certain metaphors or symbols. In such cases the teacher should explain the
meaning at the literal level, and then at the metaphorical level, in simple and clear terms.
This is not always easy.
4. Subject
The subject refers to what the poem is all about. Here the brief summary of the poem is
sufficient.
5. Tone
In simple language, tone refers to the poet’s attitude towards the subject. It may be dif-
ferent from the speaker’s attitude. It can be happy, sad, positive, ironical, cynical, etc. It
becomes clear from the use of diction, rhythm, imagery and other poetic devices such as
similes, metaphors, personification, etc.
In ‘Dover Beach’ the poetic tone is sad because the poet is in a sad, hopeless mood.
6. Language
The language of poetry, it must be understood, is connotative. It means that it uses words
which suggest some idea or feeling in addition to its meaning. In prose denotative language
is generally used in which words are used for their meaning only. In other words, the lan-
guage of poetry is broadly metaphorical whereas the language of prose is literal.
For example, the poet uses metaphorical language in these lines :
And Winter’s dregs made desolate
The weakening eye of day
The tangled bine-stems scored the sky
Like strings of broken lyres.
(‘The Darkling Thrush’)
7. Imagery
It refers to an object or experience that appeals to one of our five senses. It can be visual
(sight), auditory (hearing), tactile (touch), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste) or kinesthet-
ic (sensations of movement).
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 It is important to note that an image can be built
(i) by description
(ii) through a simile or a metaphor, etc. Look at these images.
(a) The sea is calm tonight.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair.
Upon the straits. (visual image by description – ‘Dover Beach’)
(b) And Winter’s dregs made desolate
The weakening eye of day.
(Visual image through metaphors — ‘The Darkling Thrush’)

Figures of Speech
Figures of speech include simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification, hyperbole, etc. It is
easy to pick out a simile or metaphor, for example, in a poem, but it is not easy to explain its
importance or relevance. Take a few examples to see how figures of speech are used :
(i) The Century’s corpse outleant
His crypt the cloudy canopy (‘The Darkling Thrush’)
Here the poet personifies the century (the 19th century) as a human being whose dead
body is laid out for burial. He looks at the clouds in the sky, and feels that the clouds
hanging above forming a canopy would serve as a tomb for the dead bdoy. Here the use of
an image through a metaphor is quite effective. As one reads, one can experience what the
poet says through one’s eyes of imagination.
(ii) Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish (‘Birches’)
In this line the use of three kinds of images — visual, auditory and kinesthetic — is
remarkable. You can see a boy swinging up a birch. The sound of the birch going up can be
heard, and its movement can be felt easily.

Form and structure

Some poems are written in regular stanzas. Some others do not use stanzas at all. Then there
are traditional poems written in specific metre and rhyme. Most of the modern poems avoid the
use of metre and rhyme. They focus on rhythm to convey the meaning.

Concluding
The teacher should conclude the poem by pointing out what it is in brief, focusing on its message,
if any. It will be better to relate the poetic experience to day-to-day familiar situation or to relate
it to that of any other poem by the same poet or some other poet.

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 1. The Darkling Thrush
Assignment
Q.1. Begin like this :
‘The Darkling Thrush’ by Thomas Hardy is a complex poem. It has a cultural and
historical background. It was written on the eve of the New Century (the 20th century).
The poet clearly visualizes the death of the 19th century in the 2nd stanza of the poem :
The Land’s sharp features seemed to be
The Century’s corpse outlent,
His crypt the cloudy canopy,
The wind its death-lament.
The poet visualizes a bleak wintry day. The note of melancholy is all-pervasive, which
expresses the temper of the Victorian Age in which it was written. In the Victorian Age
the conflict between science and religion resulted in a sense of general gloom, doubt
and uncertainty ...............
(Now continue)
Q.2. Begin like this :
‘The Darkling Thrush’ by Hardy was written when the nineteenth century was coming
to an end. From the general tone and tenor it becomes clear that Hardy was influenced
by the melancholy, despair and uncertainty that marked the Victorian Age.
It is important to note that the nineteenth century was a period by substantial growth
and development in science, technology, industry, etc. Darwin’s theory of the evolution
of species greatly impacted the human mind. It demolished the age old myth of Adam
and Eve and of God as merciful one. Naturally, people got divided. Many turned
away from religion. Others continued to believe in God and religion. But there was no
certainty or hope. Everybody faced some sort of mental pain, despair and gloom ...........
(Now continue)
Q.3. Begin like this :
‘The Darkling Thrush’ appeals to us still mainly because of its rich sensuous imagery.
The poet has used various devices to convey his meaning through visual, auditory and
kinesthetic images. He uses description to bring before our mind a clear image of a
gloomy day in winter. In a gloomy mood, the poet, leaning upon a wooden gate, watches
the dreary scene outside. It is the evening time. The light of the sun is waning fast.
The thick, tangled stems of the climbing plants that line the sky seem to be broken and
useless like old, useless lyres. The use of simile to build an image is here clear :
The tangled bine-stems scored the sky
Like strings of broken lyres.
So the poet rules out any sweet sound in the desolate atmosphere. The visual image is
thus strengthened by an apt simile........
(Now continue)

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 2. Birches
Assignment
Q.1. Begin like this :
Birches are trees whose branches are quite flexible. They are a common sight in New
England. The branches of these trees can bend down and go up easily. When a boy
sits on a branch it bends down. He can make it go up. The load of ice in the season of
snowfall on it keep it bent down.
In the poem ‘Birches’ Frost describes this quality of birches quite minutely in order to
convey the contraries of reality and fancy, fact and imagination, earth and heaven etc.
Birches come to be used as a central metaphor for this purpose.
Sometimes the birches remain bent down for long with the weight of the ice which covers
them after a snowstorm. When the wind blows, the birches swing up and down. In the
Sunlight the ice on them cracks and shines. In a beautiful image the poet describes
this scene...............
(Now continue)
Q.2. Begin like this :
‘Birches’ by Frost is a beautiful poem which moves from description to reflection in a
natural way. By using birches — trees with flexible branches that can go down and
up – he has worked out his basic theme that hinges upon the fact of keeping a balance
between contraries in life.
Going up on the birch symbolises the human desire to escape from the harsh realities
of life into the happy world of fancy or imagination. Each one of us has this natural
urge. But, as the poet observes, we cannot remain ‘up’ in the world of imagination for
long. One has to come down to the earth. The poet who is himself a swinger of birches
knows this fact. So he says :
I’d like to go away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over...............
(Now continue)
Q.3. Begin like this :
‘Birches’ by Frost is a beautiful nature lyric. It is simple on the surface level. It describes
one of the most familiar sights in New England — the sight of birches which can go up
and down. Birch swinging by boys is a common experience in new England. As a boy,
the poet used to ride a birch for the thrill of swinging on it.
The observed phenomenon of swinging of birches in the poem is captured in minute
details. Birches loaded with ice on a sunny winter morning after the rain is a beautiful
sight. When the wind blows, birches swing up and down. The ice on the birches shines
and turns many-coloured as the sun rays pass through it. Soon the warmth of the sun
increases and the ice on birches is shaken and breaks down into small pieces. The
whole scene is quite sensuous :
Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells
Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust
Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away
You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen...............
(Now continue)
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 3. The dolphins
Assignment
Q.1. Begin like this :
‘The Dolphins, by Carol Ann Duffy is an implicit plea against abusing wildlife and
exploitation of animals. We have been exploiting, killing or maiming various birds and
animals for various purposes and needs. Some birds and animals are kept in zoos or
animals parks for entertainment. Some of them are used by circusmen. Many are forced
to do such acts as they normally do not do. In water parks, dolphins are made to pass
through hoops or play with colourful balls at the given signal by the trainer.
In the poem ‘The Dolphins’, we hear the collective voice of trapped dolphins in some
waterpark. The dolphin-speaker is in a hopeless mood. Confined to the limited space
of the waterpark it contrasts its previous free life in the ocean with the present one.
It shares its space with another one of its kind. It is in water, its element, but it is
not comfortable or happy because it is not free as it used to be. There is no life outside
the pool, but there is no life in the pool, too. It fails to understand why it is in its new
abode, and what it signifies...............
(Now continue)
Q.2. Begin like this :
‘The Dolphins’ by Carol Ann Duffy presents the viewpoint of a trapped dolphin in a
waterpark. There is one more trapped dolphin in the pool. The trapped dolphin is
the speaker in the poem. It uses ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ throughout the poem. The poet,
thus, intends to make the dolphin the representative of all dolphins put in similar
circumstances. At least, the dolphin gives vent to the feelings of its companion in the
pool, too.
The mutual understanding between the two dolphins in the pool becomes clear in these
lines :
The other has my shape. The other’s movement forms my thoughts. And also mine.
The dolphins understand each other and define themselves in terms of each other. They
share the same sense of loss of former freedom. They are reminded of the time when
they used to live and move freely in the sea...............
(Now continue)
Q.3. Begin like this :
‘The Dolphins’ by Carol Ann Duffy is written from the perspective of a dolphin confined
in a waterpark, along with one more of its kind. It draws our attention to the abuse of
wildlife, exploitation of animals and discordance between man and nature. It is a kind of
protest against man’s attitude towards hapless creatures like dolphins who are removed
from their natural habitat for ‘cheap’ entertainment of the visitors to waterparks. In
the desire to show his superiority man treats animals in an inhuman way.
The poem ‘The Dolphins’ is a sort of monologue. The trapped and unhappy dolphin is
the speaker in the poem. The use of ‘we’ makes it clear that the poet wants us to regard
the dolphin-speaker as the representative of all dolphins put in similar plight.......
(Now continue)

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 4. The Gift of India
Assignment
Q.1. Begin like this :
In ‘The Gift of India’ by Sarojini Naidu the speaker is Mother India. It is through her
voice that the poet conveys the voice of all those mothers who lost their sons in a war –
the World War I – which was not theirs in the real sense of the term. These soldier-sons
fought for their masters, the British, for their dignity and freedom in distant lands.
The speaker addresses the Britishers who once ruled over India. The Britishers snatched
away many precious things from Mother India — her precious clothes, grains and gold.
But the most precious gifts that they snatched away were the priceless lives of Indian
soldiers. They sent these soldiers to fight in distant foreign lands in the East and the
West. The brave soldiers listened to the call of duty when the drums of war were beaten.
They fought bloody wars with their weapons, even without knowing for what cause they
were fighting ...............
(Now continue)
Q.2. Begin like this :
An anti-war poem is one which evokes revulsion and hatred for war. It does not glorify
the war in any way. ‘The Gift of India’ by Sarojini Naidu is an anti-war poem, even
though it glorifies the heroism of the Indian soldiers who fought bravely and laid down
their lives in the World War I (1914-1918).
There are references to the World War I. During the war the British rulers sent about
one million Indian soldiers to distant lands to fight for their cause. About 75,000 of
them were killed and over 70,000 were wounded. These brave soldiers proved vital for
victories on several fronts.
The poet describes the tragic fate of many Indian soldiers in images that evoke revulsion
for war. The dead bodies of Indian soldiers lay rotting, unattended on the grassy fields
of Flanders (now Belgium) and France ...............
(Now continue)
Q.3. Begin like this :
‘The Gift of India’ by Sarojini Naidu is a simple elegy — a poem written to mourn the
tragic fate of many brave Indian soldiers in distant lands during the World War I. It
consists of 24 lines, and uses the couplet form with the rhyme scheme aabb. Through
various literary devices it effectively conveys the meaning.
The purpose of the poet is obvious. She pays her glowing tribute to those sons of India
whose sacrifices have been conveniently forgotten. Those brave sons of Mother India
fought bravely in the World War I and laid down their lives for somebody else’s cause.
In a choking voice, the speaker, Mother India, addresses the British rulers of India :
Lo ! I have flung to the East and the West
Priceless treasures torn from my breast
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 These ‘priceless treasures’ are the soldiers who listened to the call of their duty and
fought till the end. Sadly, the dead bodies of these soldiers lay rotting on the fields.
They remained unattended ...............
(Now continue)

5. Crossing the Bar

Assignment
Q.1. Begin like this :
The very title of the poem ‘Crossing the Bar’ is quite significant and suggestive. The

‘bar’ refers to the bank of sand in the ocean. A ship which clears the harbour crosses
the sand-bar and puts out to the open sea. When the tide is full, the ship does not find
it difficult to cross the bar.
The poet uses this journey of the ship metaphorically. He likens dying to the ship’s
crossing the bar. He hopes that when his ship of life is put to open sea (the unknown
after the death), there is no storm so that his ship is able to enter the new world
calmly. The bar is, thus, suggestive of the boundary between life and death......

(Now continue)
Q.2. Begin like this :
‘Crossing the Bar’ by Tennyson is an allegory — a simple poem which has several
layers of meaning. One of its themes is the deathlessness of the human soul. The poet
who has firm faith in life beyond death has different attitude towards death. Unlike
many people, he is not afraid of death. He does not believe that death is the end of
everything. It is the human body that dies, not the human soul. With death, the soul
is released from the captivity of its body. Death, thus, opens a gate to another life. It
prepares the way for the human soul to start its journey to its real home.
In this context the poet is not afraid of death. He wants to die calmly. Comparing his
soul’s journey to the other world to the ship’s crossing the bar, he says :
And may there be no sadness of farewell
When I embark......
(Now continue)
Q.3. Begin like this :
An elegy is a poem of lamentation on the death of a particular person. It is usually
linked with death, and is sad in tone. ‘Crossing the Bar’, no doubt, deals with the
theme of death. It is related to serious issue of life beyond death. In this limited sense,
it is an elegy. But then we must take care of the fact that it is free from any sad mood
or lamentation. There is stark absence of grief.
‘Crossing the Bar,’ therefore, is an unusual elegy. It is so because the poet who is
conscious that he is dying soon is unafraid of death. He believes that after death his
soul will embark a long journey to the other world. Just as a ship crosses the sand bar
to enter the open sea when the sea is not very rough, his soul will cross the boundary
between this world and the next in a calm and poised mood......
(Now continue)
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 6. John Brown
Assignment
Q.1. Begin like this :
‘John Brown’ by Bob Dylan is a ballad which narrates a sad story. Its chief theme
relates to war. It underlines the traditional idea that war is simply destructive and
purposeless. Soldiers who fight and die on the battlefield are often unaware of what
they are fighting for.
In the poem John Brown, a young soldier, proudly goes off to war. It is on the battlefield
that he realizes that he is being used as a puppet. His control is in somebody else’s
hands. When the enemy-soldier comes before him he feels that his face resembles his.
He realizes a kind of kinship with him. It is then that a cannon shell bursts near him,
and he is badly wounded......
(Now continue)
Q.2. Begin like this :
‘John Brown’ is a simple, touching lyric which tells a story about a soldier named John
Brown. It is set in no specific time and place, for it suggests that the experience it
embodies is not local or specific but universal. It has got twelve verses, and each verse
has a quatrain. There is no set rhyme scheme. Some rhyming words are occasionally
used. The rhythm varies according to the mood.
Though Bob Dylan who has written this beautiful poem denies that it expresses anti-
war sentiments, the text shows that it is written to evoke revulsion for war, any kind of
war. The fate of the young soldier John Brown is simply frightening. Even his mother
fails to recognize him when he returns from the battlefield......
(Now continue)
  Q.3. Begin like this :
In the poem ‘John Brown’, the protagonist John Brown is a young soldier. He is tall
and energetic. He looks smart and handsome. It is to realize his mother’s dream that
he joins the army and goes off to war. His mother wants to see him donning military
uniform, holding a gun and winning medals for bravery.
So when she sees him in the uniform, holding a gun in his hand, a smile spreads across
her face. She feels proud of her son, and says :
Oh son, you look so fine, I’m glad you’re a son of mine
Do what the captain says, lots of medals you will get
As the train carries her son away she tells everyone about her son’s leaving for the
battlefield......
(Now continue)

7. Desiderata
Assignment
Q.1. Begin like this :
Some poems are written to inspire and motivate us. Though modern critics do not relish
such poems, many of such poems have appealed to the common man in each generation
and age.
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 ‘Desiderata’ is one of the most popular poems which provide simple guidelines about
living a good and meaningful life. It gives some important tips to lead a normal life
in abnormal circumstances. One of its sound counsels is to remain calm and poised in
the face of all troubles. There are bound to be troublesome periods. There are bound
to be experiences with many a foul-mouthed and aggressive persons. The best way is
to remain peaceful. It is possible through inner peace.
In order to be at peace, the most effective way suggested by the poet is to avoid
comparing ourselves with others :
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter ......
(Now continue)
Q.2. Begin like this :
‘Desiderata’ hinges on the theme of the significance of remaining positive, cheerful
and peaceful in all circumstances. This idea is quite relevant in our troubled times.
Our world is a noisy and troublesome place to live in. There is a lot of pretence,
trickery and disillusionment here. People are out to trample one another in rat race
of endless ambitions. In the wake of so much negativity we need to be cautious. We
should avoid being cynical. We should not begin to lose faith in goodness. We should
rather make love the guiding force of our life. We need to remember :
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, ‘it is still a beautiful world’.
We should keep in mind that whatever is happening is happening according to a plan.
We should have faith in ourselves and in God......
(Now continue)
Q.3. Begin like this :
‘Desiderata’ by Ehrmann, an inspirational poem, defies all critical norms. It hardly
meets any critical parameter to be a poem, yet it has been a rage with the masses. Its
popularity rests upon its message, which is sound and appealing.
It is a prose poem and avoids all adornments. It opens on a sound advice of being
calm and poised in troubled times. You may say it is impossible but this is the only
way to live meaningfully. In order to remain peaceful, the poet advises us to overcome
our own tendencies to be noisy, revengeful and prejudiced. We should be so liberal
as to accept persons of varied temperaments. We need to listen to all of them, even
the dull and the ignorant. Of course, we should be firm in speaking our truth without
hesitation, and without compromising with our self-respect......

(Now continue)

8. Dover Beach
Assignment
Q.1. Begin like this :
‘Dover Beach’ by Matthew Arnold is known for its descriptive power. It describes a
beautiful scene. As it moves forward description gives way to reflection in its last part

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 which embodies its central theme of significance of individual love and faith in a world
in which people have become faithless, cynical and hopeless.
This idea of love and faith in each other at the individual level stems from the poet’s
observation that faith - in God and religion (Christianity) — has waned in the whole
world. It was this faith that once sustained mankind. Comparing it with the powerful
sea in an effective metaphor, the poet says :
The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled......
(Now continue)
Q.2. Begin like this :
The Victorian Age (the 19th century in England) is known for rapid developments in
science, technology and other walks of human thought. Many new scientific theories
and technical advances had a lasting impact on human life. Industrialization and
urbanisation changed the mindsets of people. Darwin’s theory of the Origin of Species
challenged the biblical view that God has made man in His own image. It shattered
the myth of Adam and Eve. The common people were in for a shock. Some people lost
faith in God. Others were deeply confused. The conflict between religion and science
upset even the most thinking people.
‘Dover Beach’ alludes to this declining faith. The poet uses the sea as a symbol of
faith. He observes that once the Sea of Faith encircled the whole earth and sustained
mankind......
(Now continue)
  Q.3. Begin like this :
‘Dover Beach’ by Matthew Arnold is remarkable for its rich, sensuous imagery. The
images used in the poem are visual, auditory and kinesthetic. The poet has built them
through description mainly. These images appeal to our senses at once, and are quite
effective in conveying the meaning.
The poem opens on a vivid visual image. The night scene at Dover Beach — the calm
sea, the full tide, shining moon in the sky, the twinkling lights on the French coast,
the cliffs of England in the bay – forms an essential background. The whole scene is
captured minutely and carefully :
The sea is calm tonight
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits......
The auditory image in this opening part of the poem can also not be ignored. The
sound of the gentle wind blowing, and that of the sea waves as they rise and fall,
carrying away pebbles and then throwing them up against the beach is a common
experience......
(Now continue)

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 9. The Spider and the Fly
Assignment
Q.1. Begin like this :
‘The Spider and the Fly’ brings home the idea that flattery can prove to be fatal. One
must be able to distinguish between genuine praise and false praise which is nothing
but flattery. If one fails to do it one may become a prey to the flattering words, and
may have to pay a heavy price.
This idea is conveyed in the poem ‘The Spider and the Fly’. The spider is a cunning
flatterer. He knows how to deceive a gullible creature like the fly who happens to fly
up near the spider’s web. It is ironic that the fly which is fully aware of the dangers
of entering the spider’s home forgets all of them and gets tempted by the spider’s
flattering words. At first, the fly spurns the spider’s invitation to come to his home
(web)......
(Now continue)
Q.2. Begin like this :
In the poem ‘The Spider and the Fly’ the spider is presented as a cunning flatterer.
Seeing the fly near his web he invites the fly to come into his parlour. When the fly
rejects his invitation, he gives him a tempting offer to have some rest on his comfortable
bed in his cosy room. Finding the fly adamant, the clever spider, then uses words of
affection. He calls the fly his dear friend and asks her what he should do to prove his
sincere love for her. He says that if she cares to enter his home, she will find many
nice dishes to eat. The cautious fly again turns down his invitation.
Then the spider uses an invincible weapon. He begins to flatter the fly :
“Sweet creature !” said the Spider, “you’re witty and you’re wise !
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes ! ......

(Now continue)
Q.3. Begin like this :
‘The Spider and the Fly’ is a simple tale in verse in which there is a dialogue between
two creatures, the spider and the fly. Both the spider and the fly have been personified
in a way that they behave like real human beings. The spider is a cunning, relentless
flatterer. The little fly is cautious but vain and gullible.
The tale is simple and is told in a straightforward manner. The spider is hungry and
wants to eat the fly who happens to come up near his web. Being cunning and wise he
uses all tricks to lure the fly into his trap. When the fly refuses to step into his web,
he uses the last trick which he is sure will not go in vain. He resorts to flattery :
“Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing :
Your robes are green and purple......
(Now continue)

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 10. We are the Music Makers
Assignment
Q.1. Begin like this :
Some people believe that artists are useless persons, and their works are insignificant.
They believe that no artist — poet, musician or painter — has ever brought any
change in society. As artists are escapists, they know nothing of reality. Unlike men
of action, they are incapable of bringing about any revolutionary change in the set-up.
‘We are the Music Makers’ seems to contradict this common belief. It brings home
the point vividly that artists, in their own ways, challenge the status quo and push
the society forward. Through their works they give us dreams or create myths, which
are given concrete shapes by others. Their ideas bring about revolutionary changes in
society......
(Now continue)
Q.2. Begin like this :
‘We are the Music Makers’ is an ode which glorifies artists and their works. He is
aware of the fact that artists, poets in particular, do not really belong to the world
of action as they prefer to live in their own imaginary worlds. Basically, they are
dreamers. And yet they are ‘dreamers of dreams’. Dreams here refer to high ideals
and values which all of us desire. Artists dream of a world which is an ideal world of
our dreams. They express their dreams in various forms — words, sweet harmonies,
paintings, sculptures, etc. It is from their dreams that ordinary men get inspired.
Some of the artists give birth to revolutionary ideas in or through their works. They
challenge the status quo and inspire men of action to challenge it and change it by
whatever means they deem fit......
(Now continue)
Q.3. Begin like this :
The poem ‘We are the Music Makers’ is a lyric in the ode form. It has nine stanzas
in all, but only the first three are read seriously. Like an ode, it is a serious and
dignified composition. It seems to celebrate the power and influence of all creative
artists. It is serious in its subject and elevated in style and tone. It has varied rhyme
scheme. In the first and the third stanzas the rhyme scheme is ababcdcd, while in the
second stanza it has two couplets, aabb, and a quatrain, cdcd.
The main idea of the poem is quite controversial. It wants to change the common,
familiar opinion about artists as worthless escapists by asserting :
“... we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, its seems......’’
(Now continue)

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 SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. The Darkling Thrush
Set-1
Hints :
(a) · beautiful scene in nature

· cold, wintry evening

· thick, tangled stems of the climbing plants

· clouds seem to form a canopy, tomb for the dead body of the present century

· sudden shrill note of an aged thrush heard
(b) · poet in sad mood

· thinking of the death of the 19th century

· old values and beliefs disrupted

· a strill happy note of an aged thrush heard

· poet confused as to why the bird has given a discordant note

· its happy song suggests some hope for mankind in future
(c) · correspondence between the mood of nature and that of the poet

· cold, wintry evening, dreary scene, utter gloom in nature

· poet also sad and hopeless

· a sudden shrill sound of a thrush, a signal from nature

· nothing is permanent-the gloom in nature will soon go away

· no real communication between man and nature
Set-2
Hints :
(a) · the poem, an attempt to search for meaning

· 19th century coming to a close

· old values and beliefs disrupted

· no hope of any good in the coming century (20th)

· the shrill happy note of the thrush signifies some hope

· one need not be totally hopeless

· if winter comes, spring is not far away
(b) · title quite apt and suggestive

· focus not on the gloom in nature but in the poet’s mind

· the happy voice of the thrush brings about a change

· the poet puzzled, but the bird’s voice indicative of some hope

· the thrush hidden in darkness becomes all important

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 (c) · like the poem, especially for its imagery

· the description of the scene of nature quite appealing

· the use of similes at once enlivens the scene for us

· then the implicit message of hope in gloom very significant

2. Birches
Set-1
Hints :
(a) · the poem imbibes a delightful experience

· bent-up branches of birches with the weight of ice make him reminiscent

· remembers with delight his swinging of birches and its thrill when he was a boy

· this delightful experience ends in wisdom

· realises that ‘going up’ is necessary to escape monotomy of routine

· but ‘coming down’ to the earth equally important - balance between reality and
fancy
(b) · focus on birches

· quality of birches, which go up and down

· swinging of birches - a delightful experience

· birches acquire symbolic import by the end

· going up on birches - an escape from harsh realities

· going down - coming back to face reality and do our earthly duties

· thus the title, apt and suggestive
(c) · close reading of Frost’s poem’s essential

· can enjoy ‘birches’ at the literal level

· a close reading reveals the symbolic import of birches

· upward movement of birches symbolic of higher ideals, aspirations

· downward movement symbolic of coming back to earth, reality
Set-2
Hints :
(a) · the experience of balancing the opposites

· going up on birches symbolic of going away from reality

· going down symbolic of coming back to earth, that is reality

· important to have a balance between reality and imagination, duty and
enjoyment

· swinging on birches a symbolic act of balancing the opposites
(b) · as a boy, used to climb the branch of a birch tree

· learnt to go up and gently land on the earth
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· would fling himself forward with feet stretched, while coming down

· would enjoy a lot
(c) · message is that we should not stop aspiring high

· realm to the world of imagination, a must to escape the boredom of the routine

· but must come down the reality

· should continue to do our duty sincerely

3. The dolphins
Set-1
Hints :
(a) · man’s indifferent attitude towards animals in general

· in the poem, the speaker - dolphin confined in a water pool, along with another

· feels upset and unhappy, at being removed from its natural habitat

· in a hopeless mood

· reveals indirectly man’s ruthless and indifferent attitude
(b) · the dolphins in the pool unhappy

· isolated from their ilk

· removed from their natural habitat

· loss of freedom

· boring, limited space to move about
(c) · no explicit message

· can be deduced

· should stop using animals for entertainment

· should not remove animals from their natural habitats

· should stop treating animals like slaves
Set-2
Hints :
(a) · the present world of the dolphins totally different from their old one

· their present world unnatural, unhappiness at leading a slavish life

· no freedom, cramped space to move about in the pool

· only jarring music of the whistle

· the old world, natural, freedom to move about

· the moon and the music of sea waves
(b) · moved by the pathetic condition of the dolphins

· live in a cramped space of the pool

· very upset and unhappy

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· forcibly used to play tricks with the hoop and the ball

· feelings of hopelessness, wait for death
(c) · a monologue - a speaker speaking to himself or herself aloud

· in ‘The Dolphins’, the speaker is one of the two dolphins in a water pool

· the other dolphin only mentioned gives no response

· through the monologue learn about the mental condition of the speaker

· moved by its state of hopelessness

4. The Gift of India

Set-1
Hints :
(a) · thousands of Indian soldiers were killed in the First World War

· sorrows of Mother India

· the poet hopeful of a new peaceful world

· the sacrifices of Indian soldiers should be recalled

· brave Indian soldiers must be honoured
(b) · thousands of Indian soldiers fought in the First World War

· fought and laid down their lives in foreign countries

· dead bodies lay scattered, unattended

· those brave soldiers were Mother India’s precious treasures

· through this sense of loss the poet expresses her anti-war sentiments
(c) · like the poem for its subject of sentimental value

· the way the poet handles the subject brilliant

· dead soldiers compared to scattered shells on sands or to flowers cut down
casually

· such similes build up vivid images that appeal to our senses
Set-2
Hints :
(a) · pays her warm tribute to brave Indian soldiers of the First World War

· recalls their acts of bravery and tragic deaths on the battlefields

· hopeful that their deaths would not go in vain

· exhorts the rulers to raise proper memorials to the brave soldiers
(b) · title apt and suggestive

· gift of India refers to the precious lives of Indian soldiers who were killed
during the First World War

· this gift was not given willingly to the British colonial masters

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· rather it was snatched

· the focus of the poem remains on the fate of Indian soldiers

· title, thus, quite apt
(c) · poet has used some important literary devices

· similes : comparing of dead soldiers to pearls, to shells on sands, cut flowers

· metaphors : soldiers as ‘priceless treasures’ , ‘the sabres of doom’ for weapons of
war, ‘the tumalt of hope for war’

· alliteration and rhetorical questions

5. Crossing the Bar

Set-1
Hints :
(a) · poet visualizes the scene of his death

· compares his journey to the other world to a journey by the ship

· wants no sad farewells

· wants to meet God after death calmly
(b) · many nautical references

· how a ship has to cross an artificial barrier

· high tide in the sea favourable for the ship to enter the main sea

· God compared to the Pilot a harbour who goes and guides every incoming ship
(c) · In Tennyson’s time faith in God shaken due to Darwin’s theory of evolution

· people quite upset, what to do

· Tennyson too faced conflict between religion and science, regained his faith

· in the poem expresses deep faith in God

· hopes to see God, calls God his pilot
Set-2
Hints :
(a) · exhorts us to face death calmly

· our body dies, soul deathless

· death, a gate to another life

· after death, we go to our real home and meet God
(b) · title of the poem metaphorical

· journey of the soul metaphorically linked to the journey by a ship

· sunset suggestive of close of life, evening start of calmness that accompanises
the sunset

· the darkness, metaphor for death, Pilot a metaphor for God who guides us

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 (c) · poem relevant in our age too

· people still afraid of death, doubtful about God

· the poem exhorts them to face death as a gate to another life

· after death, our soul merges with the Supreme Soul

· such thoughts provide wisdom, calm and peace to the ruffled soul

6. John Brown
Set-1
Hints :
(a) · John Brown becomes a soldier and goes to war

· on the battlefront realizes he is mere puppet

· used by others for their selfish motives

· finds an enemy soldier just like him

· fighting becomes to him a meaningless activity
(b) · irony reveals the gap between what we assume and what happens in reality

· John Brown goes to war, to fight for the glory of his country

· thinks that he would do heroic deeds

· ironically soon realizes the glory of war a sham, he is a mere puppet

· returns home as a cripple

· drops his medals on the palm of his mother. Irony lies in the fact of his winning
medals but at what cost
(c) · traditional ballad, modern in construction

· episodic, set in no specific time and place

· no set rhyme scheme in stanzas, as in a modern ballad

· anti-war stance against the spirit of traditional ballad that eulogises war
Set-2
Hints :
(a) · poem not a specific experience of one particular soldier
· universal experience
· John Brown is Every soldier and his fate is Every soldier’s on the front
· universality suggested by not providing a specific setting
· the experience of John Brown as a puppet is a universal experience
(b) · John Brown’s mother wants her son to become a soldier and win many medals
· John Brown fulfils his wish

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 · becomes a soldier, goes to fight a war
· fights bravely but realizes the meaninglessness of war
· returns home as cripple
· puts medals on the palm of his mother’s hand - an ironic act
(c) · the use of irony the show difference between reality and illusion
· John Brown, especially his mother, had romantic notions about heroism in war
· ironically, John Brown realized that he was a mare puppet
· the end of the poem, ironic and pathetic
· Brown won medals, but at what cost !

7. Desiderata
Set-1
Hints :
(a) · our perception of life is mostly negative

· see all around the lack of fellow feelings, love, compassion and trust

· ‘Desiderata’, a poem of faith

· teaches us to become positive, calm and contented

· provides us hints to change our perception of life
(b) · Desiderata, basically a spiritual poem

· advocates the way of seer-to go inward to achieve inner peace

· stress on the calm acceptance of old age

· exhorts us to strengthen our inner resources of spiritual strength

· advises us to be at peace with others and God
(c) · a prose poem

· didactic - mere compendium of maxims

· no idea allowed to grow

· shorn of all poetic qualities

· stanzas of uneven length

· no rhyme, no literary device
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · a plea to cultivate a new, positive outlook on life

· advocates achieving inner peace and balance

· practical advice : be cautious against insincere, hypocritical people

· advises to trust others, despite shortcomings

· very important to be yourself in life

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 (b) · the title apt and suggestive

· desiderata means desired things

· focuces on those things which are desirable

· positive outlook on life, inner peace, at peace with others

· the focus on what is desirable, the ideal

· so the title is apt
(c) · the poem’s emphasis on practical behaviour quite appealing

· the counsel it provides, quite practical

· warns us against comparing ourselves with others

· cautions us against cultivating negativity

· wants us not to consider any work or job low

· wants us to trust in high ideals, heroism and above all, God

8. Dover Beach
Set-1
Hints :
(a) · people’s declining faith in religion

· faith in religion compared to the Sea of Faith

· decline in faith mainly due to Darwin’s theory of the Origin of Species

· people’s loss of faith, confusion, compared to two opposing armies fighting in
the dark

· in crisis of faith, only hope is to love and be loyal
(b) · elegy, to lament over the loss of some person or something

· in the poem, the lament over the loss of faith

· the rhythmic sound of waves makes the poet sad

· the whole world swallowed by darkness

· melancholy note turns the poem into an elegy
(c) · beautiful night scene at Dover

· moonlight on the distant French coast, dim

· cliffs of England shining bright in moonlight

· night air pleasant

· long line of water rises up.

· the pebbles strike against the shore

· waves rise and fall in a set pattern

· poet asks his beloved to come out and see the beautiful scene

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 Set-2
Hints :
(a) · a world in which people have lost faith in religion and God
· some are confused
· in this world of uncertainties, there is no hope, joy or peace
· the only way is to love and be loyal to each other
· when no solution possible at the social level, small steps at the individual level
save the situation
(b) · poet finds no hope, no joy or peace in the world
· what to do in this situation
· peace can be regained through love and devotion at the individual level
· certainly it is a piecemeal, limited solution
· when there is fire outside, it is bound to affect inside
(c) · poem still relevant
· in our own times, life has no purpose
· much uncertainly and confusion
· lack of faith and trust now universal
· the poet’s advocacy of love and devotion to each other, quite sound and effective

9. The Spider and the Fly

Set-1
Hints :
(a) · the spider and the fly behave like human
· the spider, wicked, cunning, wants to eat the fly

· flatters the fly to come in his room

· the fly knows the perils and so declines the offer

· gives in the flattery at last, and gets eaten

· the message is : beware of all flatterers in life
(b) · on one level, the spider responsible for the fly’s tragic end

· it is he who entices the fly to come in

· the fly gets cheated and is killed

· on another, it is the fly who is responsible for her death

· foolish enough to ignore the danger

· tricked in by the wily spider

· had she not forgotten what she had heard about the spider’s den, she would not
have met her doom

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 (c) · the message addessed to children in the last stanza

· the children asked to be cautious against flatterers

· the spider’s flattering words enough to cheat the cautious fly

· the fly gets killed as she feels enchanted by what the spider says
Set-2
Hints :
(a) · the poem basically a ballad

· use of dialogue relevant

· the words used by the two speakers differ

· most of the descriptive epithets used by the spider to entice the fly

· the words of the fly reveal her cautious approach

· use of repetition, epithets, exclamations, variation in tone, important
(b) · flattery a common human weakness

· everyone wants to be flattered

· women more prone to flattery

· the fly gets tricked by flattering words

· words of flattery prove fatal for the fly
(c) · personification : spider and fly behave as humans

· simile : ‘your eyes are like the diamond bright ....’

· metaphor : parlour a metaphor for web, web a metaphor for a trap

· alliteration : the use of alliteration in lines such as

· so he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly (‘w’ and ‘l’ sounds)

10. We are the Music Makers

Set-1
Hints :
(a) · the title quite appropriate

· the music makers represent all artists, poets, painters, musicians, sculptors, etc.

· the focus of the poem is on these music makers

· the poet tells us about their nature and power

· so the title is apt
(b) · idea that art is not for art’s sake

· art has great transformational power

· can inspire people to challenge the status quo

· artists, movers and shakers

· through their ideas, artists create new myths, demolish the old ones

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 (c) · line means that artists are not recluse
· artists, movers and shakers of the world
· can make the people challenge the status quo
· can make them push the society on the path of progress
· some people think artists as passive, useless, which is wrong
Set-2
Hints :
(a) · art and artists not held in high esteem by many
· considered to be escapists, passive, idle
· poet considers them movers and shakers
· can bring social changes not by themselves but through their inspirational
creations
(b) · poem is an ode
· like any other odes, serious in content and treatment
· praises all creative artists
· dignified tone and style
· not addressed to the beings it treats of
(c) · artists escapist by nature
· inspire others to challenge the status quo and push the society forward
· demolish old myths and create new ones
· not useless idlers in any way, even if they are not to be considered revolutionaries.

SPECIMEN PAPERS
SPECIMEN PAPER-1
Develop the following hints into your own answer.
Q.16. Hints
(a) · an elegy expresses sorrow on someone’s death

· the poem seems to express sorrow over the passing of a century (19th)

· whole atmosphere in and out gloomy

· the poet in a gloomy mood, looks at the gloomy landscape

· the ecstatic sound of the thrush - a discordant note
(b) · a beautiful, regular lyric

· divided into four stanzas with rhyme scheme ababcdcd

· perfect rhymes used

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· rhyme scheme regular, creates a tension in the poem

· if everything is wrong, why a regular structure ?
(c) · sensuous and concrete imagery

· similes and metaphors to build up visual and other images

· the sun is likened to ‘the eye of day’, the present century visualized as a corpse

· tangled stems of bushes compared with broken lyres

· the auditory image - the happy, shrill voice of a thrush-quite apt to show slight
note of hope
Q.17. Hints
· one of the two dolphins, the speaker in the poem
· the speaker in a sad, hopeless mood
· has lost its freedom
· the lesson : animals to be treated humanely
· no need to use animals for our entertainment
Q.18. Hints
· the poet draws the attention of the rulers to those who sacrificed their lives
· refers to the World War I
· uses beautiful visual images to depict the way dead bodies lay rotting in fields
· hopes the brave soldiers will be remembered and honoured
· hopes for no war to occur

SPECIMEN PAPER-2

Develop the following hints into your own answer.

Q.16. Hints
(a) · dolphins in the water pool

· isolated and dislocated

· away from their ilk in the sea

· loss of freedom

· move about in a cramped space

· sad and hopeless
(b) · modern poetry known for its ambiguity

· the poem seems to be simple, but complex and ambiguous in parts

· the line – ‘There is a constant flowing guilt’, quite ambiguous

· who is guilty – humans or dolphins ?

· what makes the poem modern is its form – no rhyme or metre
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 (c) · man-made world artificial, limited and joyless

· the world of nature, real, joyful and limitless

· animals meant to live in the world of nature

· removed from their natural habitat (the sea), dolphins in a waterpool

· puzzled as to why they are in a cramped space

· no freedom, no joy
Q.17. Hints
· John Brown, a young man, joined army
· his mother bragged about his going to the battlefield, his achievements
· returned in a very bad condition
· eyes gone, face disfigured, lost one of his hands, could hardly open his mouth
· moved by the way he talks and walks
· feels revulsion for war
Q.18. Hints
· many good and useful ideas
· my favourite : be yourself and remain calm and poised
· should stop comparing ourselves with others
· if we do so, we become vain or proud or hopeless
· if we are calm and poised, we will cope with all troubles in life

SPECIMEN PAPER-3

Develop the following hints into your own answer.

Q.16. Hints
(a) · it is the voice of Mother India, personified as a human being

· recalls how her brave sons were snatched from her

· were sent to fight on alien lands

· fought bravely and laid down their lives

· dead bodies remained unattended

· their sacrifices would help in establishing a new world of peace
(b) · Indian soldiers, very sincere

· listened to the call of their duty

· fought bravely for their British masters

· sacrificed their lives

· their dead bodies remained unattended

· sadly, not remembered, not honoured
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 (c) · Mother India addresses the erstwhile rulers of India

· snatched her brave sons who fought for them on alien lands

· those soldiers fought bravely and selflessly

· Mother India feels proud of her brave sons

· laments their deaths
· feels that they must be commemorated with proper memorials
Q.17. Hints
· the spider hungry wants to eat the fly flying near his web
· invites the fly to come to his home, the fly refuses
· offers many temptations
· flatters the fly
· the fly forgets all precaution, gets caught and is eaten
· should be wary of flatterers
Q.18. Hints
· the poem about the importance of creative artists
· artists play significant role, despite their being passive and escapists
· create new ideas, myths, legends
· their dreams followed by masses
· sometimes bring revolutionary changes in society

SPECIMEN PAPER-4

Develop the following hints into your own answer.

Q.16. Hints
(a) · can be read at the literal and symbolic levels

· at the literal level, the poet wishes his journey in the sea to be safe and smooth

· wants high tide to cross the bar, wants no lamentation at his departure

· at the symbolic level, journey of the poet is suggestive of the journey of his soul
after death

· after death, man actually goes to his real home and sees God (pilot) face to face
(b) · on the eve of his death the poet, not in a sad or mournful mood

· is in calm and relaxed mood

· is ready to face his death calmly

· death, he knows, will take him to his real home

· asks everyone not to lament over his death

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 (c) · last stanza embodies Biblical faith in the immortality of soul and meeting God

· Jesus, the Pilot of the Church

· the crossing of the bar refers to ‘crossing over into the next world’

· journey motif to suggest that there is life beyond death

· body dies, not the soul
Q.17. Hints
· the poet’s beloved being addressed
· the lines uttered in the context of sad realization about the loss of faith in the
world
· no joy, no love, no light of knowledge, no certainty
· the only hope lies in mutual love and understanding
Q.18. Hints
· flattery sometimes proves to be fatal
· the idea conveyed through the fate the gullible fly
· the fly well-aware of dangers
· falls a prey to flattering words of the spider and is doomed
· flattery may be necessary in some cases
· should be avoided as far as possible

SPECIMEN PAPER-5

Develop the following hints into your own answer.

Q.16. Hints
(a) · war still regarded as glorious, heroic

· John Brown under the illusion of heroism in war, inspired by his mother

· joins the war, goes to the battle, fights bravely

· returns home as a hopeless cripple

· realizes war as meaningless, soldiers used as puppets
(b) · Brown’s mother ignorant of the ways of war

· believes in the glory of war, wants her son to win medals for bravery on the front

· boastful, brags of her son’s joining the army

· victim of false values about war

· shocked to see her son as a cripple
(c) · Brown narrates his war experience

· fought bravely

· began to wonder what he was doing

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· saw an enemy soldier, his face resembled his

· realized that he was just a puppet

· at that time a canon shell took his eyes away and wounded him badly
Q.17. Hints
· the title ‘The Darkling Thrush’ apt and suggestive
· the focus not on the desolation of the wintry scene
· without the song of the thrush the perspective not complete and clear
· the song puzzles the speaker
· hints at some hope of good to come
Q.18. Hints
· the sea of faith a metaphor for belief in religion and God
· once it was strong and encircled the whole earth
· has lost its power, declining
· reference to the decline of religion in wake of new scientific ideas in 19th century
· industrialization, urbanisation, Darwin’s theory of the Origin of Species
· old myths demolished, all-round confusion and hopelessness

SPECIMEN PAPER-6

Develop the following hints into your own answer.

Q.16. Hints
(a) · describes natural phenomenon vividly

· nature, a source of delight

· swinging of birches a delightful experience

· ice on birches melt in the sun, fall on the ground into pieces

· branches of birches come down to the level of fern

· nature a source of wisdom

· going up and down on a birch tree teaches the lesson of balancing in life
(b) · recalls his boyhood days

· learnt to climb to top branches

· learnt not to come down swiftly

· would fling himself forward with feet stretched and touch the ground

· again feels the desire to swing birches in his adulthood

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 (c) · rich sensuous imagery

· visual images through description

· ice on branches reflects seven colours in the sun

· ice shaken falls on the earth into pieces as if the inner dome of heaven has fallen

· some images through similes or metaphors

· life compared to ‘pathless wood’, confusions in life compared to ‘cobwebs’

· images of movement also used : ‘flying outward, feet first.’
Q.17. Hints
· ‘The Gift of India’ expresses the grief of Mother India
· thousands of her brave sons sent to fight abroad by the British
· fought bravely and were killed
· the images of their dead bodies rotting
· the appeal to the rulers to remember and honour those brave Indian soldiers
Q.18. Hints
· ‘Crossing the Bar’ - an apt title
· used as a metaphor to convey the journey of human soul after death
· aptly conveys the poet’s desire to go on the journey to the other world calmly
· the image of the ship’s crossing the bar remains in focus

SPECIMEN PAPER-7

Develop the following hints into your own answer.

Q.16. Hints
(a) · offers some tips to lead a happy and contented life

· learn to go inward to achieve inner peace

· learn to get with others, avoiding the loud and the aggressive

· should stop comparing ourselves with others

· should beware of tricksters

· should remain positive and cheerful
(b) · some suggestions quite practical

· one of them is to accept the world as it is

· should not judge ourselves and others harshly

· should avoid tricksters, loud-mouthed, aggressive persons

· should have faith in the good

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 (c) · ‘desiderata’ means ‘desired things’

· peace and happiness among the desired things

· love and respect we desire in life

· how to achieve these desired things

· by being kind, generous, liberal, loving

· by being on good terms with others

· by stopping to compare ourselves with others

· by being positive
Q.17. Hints
· the poem replete with rich nature imagery
· visual imagery at its best
· the desolation of the wintry scene
· the melancholic mood conveyed through images from nature : the waning sun-
light, the tangled stems compared to broken lyres, the clouds serving as a tomb,
etc.
· the auditory image — the song of the thrush — brings about a change in the per-
spective
Q.18. Hints
· the bent-down birches remind the poet of boys riding birches
· reminds the poet of his own boyhood
· was a swinger of birches
· would like to swing the birch again
· would go up to forget his problems, anxieties and worries, and come down to do
his earthly duties

SPECIMEN PAPER-8

Develop the following hints into your own answer.

Q.16. Hints
(a) · dramatic monologue–a long speech by a speaker, dramatic, presence of the
listener felt

· poem opens on a dramatic note

· the speaker addressing his beloved

· the mood of the speaker reveals his character

[Teacher’s Handbook - Reverie : A Collection of ISC Poems : WB] 33

 (b) · poet hears the slow sad music of the sea

· reminded of Sophocles (a Greek playwright) who heard the same kind of music of
the Aegean sea

· the sad music of the sea reminded Sophocles of the wretchedness of life

· inspired him to write great plays

· like Sophocles the poet finds much misery around in the world

· in this way, allusion to Sophocles quite relevant
(c) · the sea provides an essential background

· as a metaphor, it is related to the sea of Faith

· the Sea of Faith

· in the absence of faith, life has become miserable, hopeless
Q.17. Hints
· the poet in a calm, relaxed mood
· wants to die calmly
· does not want anyone to grieve over his death
· wants to face death calmly to reach heaven
· hopes to see God face to face
· death not a terror for him
· welcomes death as it opens a gate to the other world
Q.18. Hints
· ‘The Gift of India’ and ‘John Brown’ anti-war poems
· ‘The Gift of India’ refers to the tragic fate of brave Indian soldiers during World War I
· ‘John Brown’ about a young soldier, his pathetic condition on his return from the
war
· ‘John Brown’ appeals to me more, as it is more direct and straightforward

SPECIMEN PAPER-9

Develop the following hints into your own answer.

Q.16. Hints
(a) · spider personified as a human

· very clever and schemy

· politely invites the fly to its home

· determined creature, does not give up when the fly refuses to oblige him

· resorts to flattery, a skilful flatterer

· succeeds in his mission

34 [Teacher’s Handbook - Reverie : A Collection of ISC Poems : WB]

 (b) · fly personified as a human

· alert and well-informed

· bold and frank

· refuses to be enticed

· susceptible to flattery

· proves to be simple minded and gullible, and gets killed and eaten by the spider
(c) · in form the poem is a fable

· simple, straightforward, chronological narrative

· composed of seven stanzas of varying length, using the couplet form

· gives a message at the end : beware of flatterers
Q.17. Hints
· ‘John Brown’, about the war experience as well as about human nature
· John Brown realizes the futility of wars
· his pathetic condition reveals the destructive aspect of wars
· his mother’s false sense of pride, her glorification of war and war deeds as heroic
reveal aspects of common human nature
Q.18. Hints
· ‘The Spider and the Fly’ a simple fable
· appeals to me the most
· the way the spider tempts the fly quite amusing and instructive
· the spider’s negative role, the death of the fly — give a good message
· flattery can really be fatal

SPECIMEN PAPER-10

Develop the following hints into your own answer.

Q.16. Hints
(a) · music makers - all artists

· include poets, musicians, painters, sculptors, etc.

· create harmony and sweetness by their creations

· not ‘losers’ or forsakers

· dreamers of what we dream to achieve but cannot

· put their dreams into concrete shapes - poems, paintings, etc.
(b) · all artists wrongly thought of as useless dreamers, escapists

· belief wrong
[Teacher’s Handbook - Reverie : A Collection of ISC Poems : WB] 35

· inspire people with their writings

· make people rise in revolt against status quo, oppression

· ‘movers and shakers’ in the real sense of the word
(c) · the powers of artists almost divine

· when they suffer, ‘a Nineveh’ is created

· when they rejoice, a ‘Babel’ rises up

· artists can create new myths and demolish old ones

· artists die but their art remains

· myths and dreams never die
Q.17. Hints
· ‘Crossing the Bar’ deals with the serious issue of death
· but death does not frighten the poet
· believes in the immortality of human soul
· after death the human soul goes back to its home from where it came once
· the hope of the poet to meet his captain (God)
Q.18. Hints
· the word ‘desiderata’ a Latin word, means ‘things desired’
· the use of this word as the title of the poem quite significant
· the whole poem focuses on the things we should aim at
· a statement of code of conduct for us
· many good counsels : remaining calm and poised, being truthful, sincere and self-
respecting, having faith in God, etc.

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