ROMEO AND JULIET • “Romeo and Juliet” is an

extract from William

1. How does Romeo describe
Shakespeare’s play by same
Juliet and her beauty?
name.
• “Romeo and Juliet” is an
• Here Romeo and Juliet describe
extract from William
their love for each other.
Shakespeare’s play by same
name. • Juliet loves Romeo very deeply.
• Here Romeo and Juliet describe • She is desperately waiting for
their love for each other. his arrival.
• Romeo is mesmerised by • Romeo comes only after the
Juliet’s beauty. night falls.
• He comes in darkness hiding
• He falls in love at first sight.
from eyes of people.
• He describes her beauty by
• So Juliet asks the night to come
using a variety of images.
fast.
• He says – Juliet teaches the
torches to burn bright. • The night brings with it her
Romeo.
• She illuminates the place , not
the torches. • Waiting for Romeo, she starts
descriubing Romeo and her love
• Juliet shines on the cheek of
for him.
night like a rich jewel in
Ethiope’s ears. • She says – Romeo is so
(charming) handsome.
• She moves among her
• He shines on the wings of night
companions like a snowy dove
among the crows. like a new snow on the raven’s
back.
• She is heavenly-like an angel.
• She says, their love is immortal.
• She is too dear for earth.
• It will last for ages.
• No man on earth deserve her.
• After death, Romeo will settle in
• Romeo is so impressed by her
the sky as stars.
beauty and grace.
• He will make-“ the face of
• He wants to meet her after the
heaven” –the sky beautiful.
dance.
• The people worshipped the
• He wants to touch her hands.
garish sun so far.
• He wants to make his rude
• Now they will forget the garish
hands blessed.
sun.
• He challenges he had never
• They will start worshipping
seen such beauty before.
Romeo as star.
• He confesses he had never
• Thus Juliet immortalises her
loved anyone so deeply.
love for Romeo.
2. How does Juliet describe
Romeo and her love for him?
TOO DEAR • So the king retained the evil
trade.
1. Describe the tiny kingdom
Monaco. • Thus Monaco gained Monopoly
in gambling.
• Monaco is a tiny kingdom.
• It is near the borders of France
3. What is the crime committed
and Italy.
in Monaco? Why the king
• It is on the shore of the
changed the punishment?
Mediterranean Sea.
• A man committed murder.
• It’s population is 7000.
• The king gave him death
• It has a kinglet.
sentence.
• The king has his palace,
• There was no guillotine and the
courtiers, ministers, bishop,
executioner in Monaco.
generals and an army.
• So they asked France to lend
• The army has only sixty men.
the same.
• It imposes a number of taxes.
• France had republican
• They are – tax on tobacco, wine, government.
spirit and poll-tax.
• It demanded 16000 francs.
• It’s major source of income is
• It was a very high price.
the income from gambling
• So they asked Italy.
house.
• Italy had a brother monarch.
• People play roulette here.
• Italy demanded 12000 francs.
• Monaco has monopoly in
gambling. • This was also a high price for a
tiny kingdom.
2. Why has Monaco monopoly • Then the king and ministers
in gambling? asked the soldiers to kill the
criminal.
• Many European countries had
gambling houses earlier. • The soldiers were not ready.
• Later they banned them. • They told, they were not taught
such things.
• Only some German sovereigns
retained them till recently. • Finally the king decided to
change the punishment.
• Now Germany too banned.
• Death sentence was changed to
• Because, many people lost lives
life imprisonment.
and property by gambling.
• But there was no strong prison
• So people forced government to
to keep the criminal for long.
ban it.
• So they appointed a guard.
• Therfore Germany too banned
it. • The guard watched the criminal
and brought him food from
• In Monaco none forced the king
palace kitchen.
to ban it.
• The expense was very high.
• It was 600 francs per year. • He purchased a plot of land.
• Finally they removed the guard • He started market gardening.
and wished the criminal to run • He lived comfortably.
away. • He came to Monaco once a
year.
4. Why was the criminal • He collected his pension.
reluctant to go? What did he • He spent two or three francs on
do for livelihood? gambling and then returned.
• The expense of keeping the • He lived peacebly and well.
criminal was very high.
• It was 600 francs per year.
• Finally they removed the guard.
• They wished the criminal to run *******
away.
• But the criminal was reluctant
to go. (The criminal was not
ready to go)
• He said, he had no where to go.
• They ruined his character.
• People would turn their back on
him.
• Besides, he lost the habit of
working.
• They treated him badly.
• They changed the punishment.
• They removed the guard.
• He had to fetch his food.
• He didn’t complain.
• But now, he was tired.
• So he told he would not leave.
• But the king and ministers
wanted to get rid of him.
• Finally they decided to pay him
a pension of 600 francs a year.
• The criminal agreed.
• He took one third of the annuity
(200francs) in advance.
• He left king’s domains.
• He went across the frontier.
• It was a quarter of an hour by
train.
ON CHILDREN
- KAHLIL GIBRAN • Because the life always moves
1. What are Kahlil Gibran’s forward, it never tarries with
views on bringing up yesterday.
children? • The poet uses the images of
• “On Children” is a poem by bow and arrow.
Kahlil Gibran. • The parents are static bows and
• It is a piece of advice on children are flying arrows.
bringing up children. • Parents are stable bows from
• A mother approaches the which children are sent forth as
prophet/poet. living arrows.
• She is holding a baby in her • God is the archer.
hand. • He bends the bow so that the
• She requests for an advice on arrow may go swift and far.
bringing up children. • He guides the parents so that
• The Prophet makes a shocking the children are trained
statement- “Your children are properly.
not your children. • Because the Almighty God loves
They are the sons and both the parents as well as the
daughters of Life’s longing for children.
itself .”
• They come through the parents
but not from them.
• The children may be with their
parents, but they do not belong
to them.
• The parents can give them love,
but not thoughts.
• Because they have their own
thoughts.
• The parents can house their
bodies, but not the souls.
• Because their souls dwell in the
houses of tomorrow.
• The parents may not be able to
visit their houses even in their
dreams.
• The parents can imitate their
children, but they can’t force
children to imitate them.
EVERYTHING I NEED TO • From chipko she learnt about bio-
KNOW I LEARNED IN THE diversity and bio-diversity based
FOREST living economies.
• The protection of both became
1. Vandana Shiva’s early contact the mission of her life.
with nature. Or
The beginning of Vandana 2. Write a note on the Chipko
Shiva’s ecological journey. Movement.
• Vandana Shiva’s ecological • The Chipko Movement is a non-
journey began in the forests of violent response to large scale
Himalaya. deforestation that was taking
• Her father was a forest place in the Himalayan region
conservator. during 1970s.
• Her mother became a farmer after • The peasant women of Gharwal,
Indo-Pak partition. Himalaya had come out in
• She learnt about anture and defense of the forests.
ecology from the Himalayan • These women knew the real value
forests and eco-systems. of forests.
• Further her mother composed • The real value was not timber
songs and poems. from dead trees.
• These songs were about trees, • It was springs and streams, food
forests and India’s forest for their cattle and fuel for their
civilizations. hearths.
• Vandana Shiva’s involvement in • But the logging had led to land
the ecology movement began slides and floods, scarcity of
with Chipko movement in 1970s. water, fodder and fuel.
• She became a volunteer of the • As a result the women had to
chipko. walk longer for collecting
• She spent her vacations doing water,fodder and firewood.
pada-yatras. • It was a heavy burden for them.
• During those paad-yaatras they • So women revolted.
documented the deforestation and • They hugged the trees and asked
the work of forest activists. loggers to cut trhem before
• Thus they spread the message of cutting the trees.
chipko.
3. Bachni Devi’s resistance against • So, she started Navadhanya
her husband in the village of Movement in 1987.
Adwani. • The purpose of this movement
• A dramatic incident incident took was conservation of biodiversity
place in the Himalayan village of and encouraging organic farming.
Adwani during 1977. • For this purpose she needed a
• A village woman named Bachni separate farm.
Devi led a resistance against her • Thus the Navadhanya Farm was
own husband. started in 1994 in the Doon
• He was a forest contractor. Valley, located in the Himalayan
• He had obtained contract to cut region of Uttarakhand province.
trees in large scale. • The demonstration and training is
• When the officials arrived the given to grow seeds saved from
women held the lighted lanterns farmer’s fields.
in the broad day light. • So far they have conserved and
• The women told the officials that grown 630 varieties of rice, 150
they had come to teach forestry. varieties of wheat and hundreds
• The officials argued that the trees of varieties of other species.
are for profit, rasin and timber. • Here they practise and promote
• The women retorted in a chorus biodiversity intensive form of
song that the trees are for soil farming.
water and pure air. • This type of farming produces
more food and nutrition per acre.
4. Navadhanya Farm. • By working with farmers she has
• Vandana Shive involved in set up more than 100 community
Chipko Movement. seed banks across India.
• During that period, she learnt • She has saved more than 3000
about bio-diversity and bio- rice varieties.
diversity based living economies. • She also helps farmers to make a
• She also realised that failure to transition from fossil fuel and
understand biodiversity is at the chemical based monocultures to
root of impoverishment of nature. bio-diverse ecological systems
• Further, she learnt that nourished by the sun and the soil.
conservation of biodiversity is the
solution for food and nutrition
crisis.
5. Write a note on the Earth 6. Give Tagore’s ideas expressed
University. in “ Tapovan”
• Inspired by Ravindranath Tagore, • “Tapovan” is an essay by
Vandana Shiva started Earth Ravindranath Tagore.
University. • He writes- Indian culture or
• Its aim is to move away from civilization is distinctive.
paradigm of nature as dead matter • Because it locates the sources of
to an ecological paradigm. its material and intellectual
• The earth university teaches earth regeneration in the forest and not
democracy. in the city.
• Earth democracy means freedom • The best ideas have come where
for all species on this earth.. man lived in harmony with the
• It treats humans as members of forest.
earth family. • This forest includes trees , rivers
• At the same time it recognises, and lakes.
protects and respects the rights of • The peace of the forest has helped
other species. the intellectual evolution of man.
• Earth Democracy is a shift from • The culture of the forest has
anthropocentrism to eco-centrism. fueled the culture of Indian
• It claims that man, as well as society.
other creatures have equal right to • The Indian culture has been
food and water. influenced by the diversity of
• Since Earth University is located forest life.
at Navadhanya , a biodiversity • The unifying principle of life in
farm, participants learn to work diversity , of democratic
with living seeds, living soil and pluralism thus became the
web of life. principle of Indian civilization.
• The participants include farmers , • Further, the forest, besides being
school children and people from the source of knowledge and
across the world. freedom, is the source of beauty
• The two most popular courses and joy, of art and aesthetics and
taught in the Earth Univrsity are- of harmony and perfection.
“Gandhi and Globalization” and
“A-Z of Organic Farming and
Agro Ecology”
A SUNNY MORNING • They meet as stangers but gradually
find out to be old lovers.
1. Write a note on Dona Laura and
Don Gonzalo – two regular visitors 2. What are the fictitious stories
to the park. narrated by Laura and Gonzalo?
Dona Laura • Three priests were sitting on Gonzalo’s
• Dona Laura and Don Gonzalo are two bench.
senior regular visitors to the park. • So Gonzalo shares Laura’s bench.
• Laura is handsome,white-haired old • On his way, he scared away the
lady of about seventy. pigeons Laura was feeding with bread
• She is refined in appearance and bright crumbs.
eyes. • So their conversation was unpleasant
• Her entire manner gives the evidence at first.
that despite her age her mental • But gradually they realize that they are
faculties are uninmaired. old lovers.
• She enters the park leaning upon the • But both of them are not ready to
arm of her maid Petra. reveal their identity.
• She carries a parasol in her other hand • Gonzalo is not that gallant horseman
which serves as a cane. now.
• She settles on a specific bench. • He is grotesque.
• She feeds bread crumbs to the pigeons • So he hides his identity.
to spend the time. • Laura is not that old silver maiden
• She identifies each pigeon as she feeds now.
them. • She is sadly changed.
• That day she was happy as the • So she too hides her identity.
morning was beautiful and her seat • Both spin beautiful stories about
was vacant. themselves.
Don Gonzalo Gonzalo’s story
• Dona Laura and Don Gonzalo are two • Gonzalo says that he had a cousin
senior regular visitors to the park. named Gonzalo.
• Don Gonzalo is an old gentleman of • He loved Laura Llorente who was
seventy. called as ‘Silver Maiden’ in the
• He is gouty and impatient. locality.
• He leans upon Juanito’s arm and drags • But Laura’s family opposed the match.
his feet as he walks. • They chose a rich merchant for her.
• He carries books to park to read. • One night Gonzalo was waiting under
• He too occupies a fixed bench. Laura’s window to listen to the song
• That day his bench was occupied. she was singing.
• Three priests were sitting on his bench. • The merchant arrived suddenly.
• There was no other bench left. • There was a serious fight between the
• So he shares Laura’s bench. two.
• At sunrise the merchant was lying on
the beach severely wounded. 3. Humour of the conversation
• Afraid of consequences Gonzalo ran between Laura and Gonzalo.
away from the place. • Laura came to the park with her maid
• He took refuge with his cousin(Don Petra.
Gonzalo himself). • She found her seat empty.
• Then he went to Seville and then to • She settled there.
Madrid. • She started feeding the pigeons.
• He wrote many letters to Laura. • Then came Gonzalo with his servant
• But she didn’t reply. Juanito.
• Because those letters were intercepted • Not finding his regular bench vacant,
by her family. he searched for another.
• Disgusted, Gonzalo joined army. • In the process, he scared away the
• He went to Africa on mission. pigeons.
• There , fighting for Spain he died in • With no choice left, he came to share
the battle field. Laura’s bench.
• At his death , he was holding the flag • Laura was angry with him for
of Spain and whispering the name of disturbing birds.
Laura. • She started criticising his every word
Laura’s story and action.
• Laura says that she had a friend named • First she shouted at him for threatening
Laura Liorente. the pigeons.
• She loved a gallant horseman named • When he said it is a public park, she
Gonzalo very deeply. asked why then he shouted at the
• But the family opposed the match. priests. The benches are public too.
• They wanted her to marry a merchant. • She called him an ill –natured man.
• Once there was a fight between the • She asked why people are fussy and
merchant and the gallant Gonzalo. cross when they reach a certain age.
• Gonzalo disappeared after the fight. • She felt happy that he lost his regular
• Laura waited for him for years. bench.
• But no news came from him. • When he came again she commented
• One day she was sitting on the sea that a carriage would not raise more
shore at sunset. dust than his feet.
• She was deep in the thought of • Gonzalo politely wished her good
Gonzalo. morning.
• A giant wave came. • She answered by asking why he came
• She didn’t see. there again.
• The wave swallowed her. • She demanded that he should have
• The names – Laura-Gonzalo- she had taken permission to share her bench.
written on the sand remained there for • Irritated, Gonzalo called her a senile
long. old lady.
• He wished that she should have been at • Near Valencia, there was a villa named
home knitting and counting her beeds. Mericela.
• Gonzalo brushed his shoes with his • It was near the sea hidden among
handkerchief. lemon and orange trees.
• Laura objected this and ironically • There lived a beautiful woman- Laura
asked if he used shoe brush as Llorente.
handkerchief. • She was called in the locality
• Gonzalo objected her quieries and told as “Silver Maiden” .
she had no right to comment on him. • Gonzalo started describing the lady.
• But Laura claimed that she had a • She was ideal.
neighbour’s right. • She was fair as lily.
• Gonzalo wanted to avoid her. • She had jet black hair and black eyes.
• He took his book and started adjusting • She had an uncommonly sweet
his spectacles with reading glass. expression.
• Laura taunted if he would use a • She used to cast radiance whereever
telescope too. she was.
• When Gonzalo asked about her eye • Her figure was beautiful, perfect.
sight, she challenged him. • God had modelled sovereign beauty in
• She made a pretence of reading a human clay.
poem-“Twenty years pass. He • She was a dream.
returns”-from his book. • Laura told that she was blessed with
• In fact she utterd that poem recalling extra-ordinary beauty, but was very
from her memory. unfortunate.
• Gonzalo mentioned about a wild • She had a sad love affair.
boar’s head in his study as a proof of • Now both Don Gonzalo and Dona
his gallantry. Laura describe the old love affair.
• As a reply Laura mentioned of a tiger’s • The love affair between Laura Llorente
skin in her boudoir. and gallant Gonzalo was truely
• Thus Laura cut short every word of romantic.
Gonzalo or put an ironic comment on • Both loved each other deeply.
it. • The lady would be standing at her
• These provide the spectators with window.
immense occasions to laugh. • The gallant lover Gonzalo passed by
on horse back every morning down the
4. Describe Laura Liorente and her rose path under her window.
love affair with Gallant Gonzalo. • He tossed up to her balcony a bouquet
• During the conversation Gonzalo made of flowers which she caught.
a reference to Valencia. • Later in the aftrnoon the gallant
• Laura was surprised. horseman would return by the same
• The place was familiar to her. path.
• She had spent many seasons there.
• Now caught the bouquet she would
toss.
• They wanted to marry.
• But Laura’s family opposed the match.
• They wanted her to marry a rich
merchant.
• One night there was a serious fight
between the merchant and Gonzalo.
• Gonzalo disappeared after the fight.
• Thus the affair ended sadly.
WHEN YOU ARE OLD • But one man loved her ‘pilgrim
soul’
How does the speaker addresses a • He is none other than the poet.
young lady in her old age? • He loved her all the time.
• When You Are Old is a poem by • The ‘sorrows of her changing
W.B.Yeats. face’ –her vanishing beauty -
• The poet addresses his missed didn’t affect him.
beloved here. • The false love of those adorers
• The poet talks about the theme of vanished as beauty faded.
love, loss and regret. • That false love – ‘fled
• He also talks about the transient And paced upon the mountains
nature of physical beauty and the overhead
permanence of true love. And hid his face amid a crowd of
• The poet addresses his lady love. stars.’
• He asks her to take the book of • But the true love of the poet
poems he had composed on her. remained steadfast amidst all the
• She must take it in her hand challenges.
when she would be old, grey and • The poet pleads to his lady love
full of sleep. to recall his true love .
• She would be ripe old and sitting • He wishes that she must recall
by the fire side nodding her head. and repent for not accepting his
• At such ripe old age she must love.
read the that book.
• On reading the book, she would
recall her past beauty.
• Her eyes had soft look and deep
shadows.
• There were many adorers for her
beauty.
• They loved her’moments of glad
grace’
• They loved her for her physical
beauty.
• Some of them were true and
some false.
THE GARDENER • His wealth and social prestige rose
higher.
1. How did the owner’s life style
• He acquired a number of friends in his
change after the arrival of the old
village and in the neighbouring town.
man?
• His life became crowded with
Old Man colourful events.
• One day an old man arrived at the • He cultivated a number of bad habits.
owner’s farm. • The owner’s wife found all this very
• He came walking hundreds of miles. strange.
• He was a tall man with grey hair, • She found it hard to decide whether
beak-like nose and strong muscular the old man’s arrival was a boon or a
arms. curse.
• His eyes were suffused with strange
2. Write a note on the rivalry between
memories and native intelligence.
Tammanna and Basavaiah.
• In one hand he held a spade and the
news paper was tucked in the other • Tammanna and Basavaiah were two
rivals.
arm.
• He was a labourer, overseer and • Tammanna had ten acres of wet land,
a comfortable house and many
philosopher , all rolled into one.
followers.
• The owner of the plantation needed a
person exactly like him. • He was a very happy and contented
man in the beginning.
• A few words were exchanged and the
old man stayed on. • Then he had a rival named Basavaiah.
• If Tammanna purchased four acres of
Changes in the plantation extra land, Basavaiah purchased ten
acres.
• The old man was really useful.
• If Tammann invited ten friends,
• He was well-versed in agriculture.
Basavaiah invited fifteen.
• He could understand the problems of
the workers. • This looked healthy competition at
first.
• The petty thefts in the garden came to
an end. • But gradually, it took a serious form.
• The income from garden increased • There was no land left in the village
to buy.
dramatically.
• The plantation expanded. • One day Tammanna’s land became on
e thousand acres.
• Their farm which was merely ten
acres had grown beyond their • Basavaiah had only 800 acres.
imagination. • Basavaaiah didn’t get extra land.
• But there was a perceptible change in • So he asked Tammanna to sell the
the lifestyle of the owner. excess land.
• He became lethargic and shied away • Tammanna was not ready.
from hard work.
• Instead, he showed interest to • He was honoured as the best poet.
purchase whole of Basavaiah’s land. • Basavaiah watched all this helplessly.
• Basavaiah got angry. • He shrunk in humiliation.
• He encroached Tammanna’s • He encroached more and more land of
additional land. Tammanna.
• Tammanna could not tolerate this. • But Tammanna was indifferent to it.
• His followers suggested three ways to • Art had become Tammanna’s life.
get back the encroached land. • Basavaiah boiled in fury.
• They suggested to file a suit in the • He filled his house with material
court, to go to police or to take it wealth.
back by force. • He bedecked himself with gold ,
• Tammanna was not ready for any diamond and precious stones.
of these. • Yet his house looked dull.
• He had a different plan to annihilate • He appointed people to praise him.
Basavaiah completely. • He invited , poets, scholars and
musicians to his house.
3. How does the rivalry move from • Yet his house appeared dull.
visible to invisible domain? • Tammanna prove talent and
OR knowledge can’t be bought by money.
How did Basavaiah try to defeat
Tammanna ?
• Tammanna was tired of Basavaiah.
• He wanted to to annihilate Basavaiah
completely.
• So he decided to compose songs and
ballads.
• He narrated all his experiences in
those songs and ballads.
• Basavaiah had no answer to this.
• He had no such talent.
• Yet he tried, but he failed.
• He started doing farm work with more
interest.
• But it was no match.
• Tammann’s reputation spread all
around.
• His songs talked of their rivalry.
• They mentioned Basavaiah’s cruelty
and meanness.
• Critics analysed and translated these
songs.
TO THE FOOT FROM IT’S CHILD - PABLO NERUDA

➢ “To the Foot From It’s Child” is a poem by Pablo Neruda.

➢ Here the poet speaks about complex human life.
➢ He speaks of life and reality using foot as metaphor.
➢ At the birth, the child’s foot is full of dreams.
➢ It wishes to be a butterfly or apple.
➢ But slowly it realises its limitations.
➢ The stones, bits of glass, rough earth- all tell the foot that the
journey is not smooth.
➢ Going further, it is made a prisoner in the shoe.
➢ In the darkness of the shoe, the foot gradually realises its fate.
➢ The dreams vanish.
➢ Days roll on.
➢ The child’s foot loses its petal-like shape and grows hard.
➢ It takes the shape of triangular eyeless reptiles.
➢ Still further it grows callused.
➢ The volcanos of death appear.
➢ But its journey is non-stop.
➢ It visits place after place- fields, mines,market, ministries, ups and
downs, backward and forward.
➢ It moves until the whole man ceases (stops) to walk.
➢ Now, at his death, in the darkness of the tomb, the foot has the
time to look back.
➢ It recalls what its dreams were at the birth.
➢ It consoles its own self.
➢ It hopes to make those dreams a reality in the next life.
➢ The journey of the foot is the journey of the man.

************
I BELIEVE THAT BOOKS WILL NEVER DISAPPEAR
INTERVIEW WITH JORGE LUIS BORGES

1. Borges’ mother Dona Lenor

➢ Borges’ mother was Dona Leonor.
➢ She was an extra ordinary person.
➢ She was an intelligent and gracious person.
➢ She was a noble lady.
➢ She had no enemies.
➢ She was very kind to Borges.
➢ But Borges felt a little guilty about her.
➢ He could not give her the happiness she deserved.
➢ He could not show her care and concern during her
lifetime.
➢ He took her for granted as all the children do with their
parents.
➢ They take them for granted as the sun, moon or the
seasons.

2. What is blindness to Borges?

➢ Blindness to Borges is a way of life.
➢ It is not entirely unhappy.
➢ For a writer or any creative person, whatever happens in
life is a resource.
➢ All things are given to us with a purpose.
➢ They make the artist feel more intensely.
➢ The humiliations, misfortunes, discord, embarrassment –
are all raw material or clay.
➢ With this clay the artist shapes art hidden in him.
➢ Further, the blindness has been replaced by many other
things in his life.
➢ It has sharpened his inward eye or imagination.
➢ So he accepts it as his duty.
➢ He still purchases books and pretends as a normal person.

3. What is poetry according to Borges?

➢ According to Borges, poetry is something so intimate, so
essential.
➢ It can not be defined without oversimplifying it.
➢ Certain things in life cannot be explained in words.
➢ Those can be only understood- like colour yellow or the
feeling of love or the occurances of nature.
➢ Poetry is an aesthetic act.
➢ It takes place when the poet writes it and when the reader
reads it.
➢ It is different from a poem.
➢ A poem is simply a series of symbols.
➢ But poetry is magical, mysterious and unexplainable
though not incomprehensible event.
➢ If one doesn’t feel the poetic event on reading it, the poet
has failed.

4. How is the language of poetry? OR

How should be the choice of words in poetry?
➢ The language of poetry is unique.
➢ In poetry, finding precise words is very important.
➢ Those precise words are what elicit the emotion.
➢ Borges takes out a line from Emily Dickinson’s poem to
illustrate this idea.
➢ The line is –“This quiet dust was Gentlemen and Ladies”.
➢ The idea of using the word ‘dust’ for human beings is banal.
➢ But the use of the phrase- “gentlemen and ladies’ gives
magic and poetic quality, which the phrase ‘men and
women’ might have failed to do.

5. What does Borges say about the concept of metaphors?

➢ According to Borges true metaphors exist from the
beginning of time.
➢ But we express them differently.
➢ Borges has reduced the essential metaphors to five or six
➢ These metaphors are- time and river (motion)
life and dreams (hope)
death and sleep (stillness)
stars and eyes (glow)
flowers and women (beauty)
➢ These essential metaphors are found in all literatures.
➢ To Borges other metaphors are whimsical.
➢ He says that the poet’s task is to discover metaphors, even
though they may already exist.

6. What are Borges’ views on books? OR Why does Borges

say that books will never disappear?
➢ Borges feels that books will never disappear.
➢ Of all the inventions of man, the book is the most
astounding.
➢ All other inventions are the extensions of our bodies.
➢ The telephone for example is the extension of our voice.
➢ The telescope and microscope are extensions of our sight.
➢ The sword and plough are the extensions of our arms.
➢ Only the book is the extension of our imagination and
memory.
➢ He further adds that the books are great memory of all
centuries.
➢ Their function is therefore irreplaceable.
➢ If boos disappear, surely history will disappear and surely
the mankind will disappear.
➢ Hence the books will never disappear.

**************
HEAVEN IF YOU ARE NOT HERE ON EARTH
KUVEMPU

➢ “ Heaven If You Are Not Here On Earth” is a poem by

Kuvempu.
➢ Here the poet gives his idea of heaven.
➢ He says, the heaven is nowhere else. It is here on the earth
itself.
➢ We (human beings) ourselves are the gods and nymphs.
➢ If we can’t be the gods, there can be no gods and nymphs.
➢ There are a number of heavenly sights and places on earth.
➢ They are - the roaring stream that rushes fast,
the rolling surf at the edge of the waves,
the tender sunshine on the verdant gardens,
the gentle sun,
the splendour of harvest and
the cool moonlight .
➢ All these are nothing but heaven.
➢ They fill the poet’s heart with heavenly pleasure.
➢ The poet combines these beauties of nature together.
➢ He adds his song of nectar and creates heaven on earth.

**********
JAPAN AND BRAZIL THROUGH
TRAVELER’S EYE GEORGE MIKES c) Eating soup
• The Japanes make a unique sound while
1. JAPANESE MANNERS drinking soup.
• It is a sign of appreciation.
a) Respect privacy • If you don’t make sound, they call you ill-
• The Japanese are quite well-mannered people. mannered.
• They respect other’s privacy. • If you make sound, again they call you ill-
mannered.
• They must respect it too.
• Because , like bowing , making sound of
• Because Japan is a tiny island.
appreciation too is inimitable.
• It is over-crowded.
• There is no space for booth for public phones.
• People discuss-
2. BRAZILIANS
- their intimate love quarrels
- confidential business transactions in public.
• Brazilians love leisure. They are never in hurry.
• One reaches the destination early or late, no one
b) Mania for bowing
bothers.
• The Japanese have mania for bowing.
• They love beauty. They adore beauty.
• Everybody keeps bowing to everybody else. It
• They decorated even the pavements.
is universal.
• The pavements in Copacobana are decorated
• Their bowing is graceful. (They bow with a
with beautiful mosaics.
ceremonious solemnity of a courtier)
• They love driving.
• Yet it is quite natural.
• The cars are very costly in Brazil.
• It is inimitable. It is unique. None can bow like
• The import duties on cars are very high.
them.
• Yet everyone has a car.
• It is quite casual, like western style of shaking
or kissing. • They drive with the highest speed.
• But it is quainter, more formal more oriental. • The drivers often chase the pedestrians.
• It is infectious. Once you see them bowing and • They wait for the pedestrians to step off the
you start bowing too. pavements.
• There is a complicated hierarchy in bowing. • The pedestrians run for dear life.
Who bows to whom,how deeply and for how • But finally they escape safely.
long will reflect the smallest difference in rank, • They part smilingly.
standing age, social position. • There is a race between the drivers too.
• Everyone bows to everyone else in the family. • The drivers break the traffic rules twenty times
• The babies in the saddles bow when the an hour.
mother bows. • But they too end the game very smilingly.
• The conductors in the train bow before they • There is horrible traffic in Brazil.
start their work. • It is very difficult to cross the roads.
• The animals too bow. At Nara a deer bowed to
the narrator.
• The stores employ bowing girls.
• But the same bowing gentlemen become
savages as bus arrives.
• They push one another to get into the bus.
THE VOTER CHINUA ACHABE 2. Write a note on Marcus Ibe.
• Marcus Ibe was an influencial
1. Who was Rufus Okeke? Write a note personality of Umoufia.
on him. • He was a mission school teacher earlier.
• Rufus Okeke was ayouth from Umoufia. • He was not a successful teacher.
• He went to Port Harcourt to to work. • He had a dispute with a lady
• He worked as a cycle repairer’s teacher.(The same lady he married
apprentice. later)
• He worked in that city for two years. • He was likely to be dismissed.
• Then he returned to his village again. • So he resigned, to escape the insult.
• He was not a village lout. • Politics was a new entry there.
• Having spent two years in the city, it • He joined politics to try his luck.
was not tough for him to settle there as • He was elected.
other youths do. • He belonged to People’s Alliance Party”.
• So the villagers thought , he had come • His symbol was “motor car”.
to help them in their crisis. • He became the Minister for culture.
• So they loved him. • He was an ordinary man earlier.
• But Umoufia already had a leader. • Suddenly his status changed.
• He was Marcus Ibe. • He became rich.
• He was the Minister for culture in the • He amassed huge wealth.
out going government. • He had two long cars.
• Roof joined his service. • He built a huge house- Umoufia
• Roof became Marcus’ right hand man. Mansion.
• He was an expert campaigner. • The house had water and electricity
• He could read the mind of the voters. facility though the village had none.
• He guided Marcus Ibe. • He gave a grand feast on the opening
• He informed Marcus that the voters ceremony of his house.
have changed after the first election. • He won so many titles and awards.
• He advised Marcus to bring money and • But he did nothing much for the people
give it to the voters before the elections. ,his voters who chose him.
• He bargained hard with the voters. • He had a full majority in politics so far.
• He grabbed everything from Marcus • He was confident of a landslide victory
whenever he had a chance to do so. in the coming election.
• He got wine and drinks. • So he had already hired a highlife band
• He got costly robes. from Umuru on the election day, to
• He won a land case with Marcus’s celebrate the victory.
influence. • But now there was a little dis-
• Though he seemed to devoted to the satisfaction among the voters.
master, he was not loyal to him.
3. Write a note on the whispering
• He didn’t miss a chance to earn from
the opposition party too. campaign of Roof.
• He was very cunning like a true • On the opening ceremony of Umoufia
politician. Mansion, Marcus gave the villagers a
grand feast.
• Even after accepting money from
opposition, he made a nice pretence of • On attending the feast people realized
canvassing on the election day. that they had underrated the power of
ballot paper.
• So they decided to come on hard • The election was fast approaching.
bargain this election. • Everything had been moving according
• Marcus too was prepared for this. to the plan up to the last night.
• He drew five months’ salary in advance. • Then Roof received a strange visit from
• He changed a few hundred pounds into the leader of the POP campaign team.
shillings. • Both were known to each other.
• He armed his campaign boys with • But the time was quite improper.
eloquent little jute bags. • No words were exchanged.
• In the day he made speeches. • He kept five pounds in front of Roof.
• At night his stalwarts conducted their • He said, “We want your vote.”
whispering campaign. • Roof was in a fix as to what to do.
• Roof was the most trusted campaigner. • Roof got up from his chair, went to the
• One night they visited the house of outside door, closed it carefully and
Ogbuefi Ezenwa, a man of high returned.
traditional title. • The brief exercise gave him time to
• Roof told the elders gathered that weigh the proposition.
Marcus is the son their village. • All the time his eyes were fixed on the
• They must be proud of it. notes.
• There were many advantages if he got • He was mesmerized by them.
elected again. • First he hesitated.
• He assured the pipe borne water facility • The opposition leader told that they
to the village. were after votes and not after gossip.
• Then he placed two shillings in front of • He told that the matter would be kept
each of them. secret.
• The elders admitted that Mircus was • Now Roof was tempted.
the pride of their village and want him • He agreed and accepted.
again. • Then they brought the Iyi of Mbanta to
• All of them and their women folk will make Roof swear on it.
vote for him. • Again Roof was on dilemma.
• But the amount offered is too small. • Then he convined himself that his one
• They didnt demand money during last vote would not affect Marcus’ land slide
election. victory.
• Because Marcus was an ordinary man. • Finally he promised to vote for Maduka.
• Now he has amassed a huge wealth. • He told them that Marcus was sure to
• So needed more for their votes. win.
• That was the only occasion to get • The opposition leader told that it was
something from Marcus. enough if they got a few votes this time
• Finally after hard bargain Roof added and will get more next.
two more shillings and told angrily that
nothing more can be given. 5. Describe the great day- the day of
• He also added that if they were not yet election.
satified they could vote for the • It was a great day once in five years.
opposition. • The day when people exercise power.
• The elders assured that they were • The weather beaten half torn posters
happy and vote for Marcus. were seen on the walls of the
houses,tree trunks and telegraph poles.
4. Roof’s meeting with the leader from • The few that were still whole called out
POP campaign team. their message to those who could read.
• Vote for People’s Alliance Party! Vote for • Mustering courage, he went to th box.
Progressive Organization Party ! Vote • He was confronted by the car(PAP) and
for PAP! Vote for POP ! the head(POP).
• As usual Chief the Honourable Marcus • He took out the ballot paper from his
Ibe was doing things in grand style. pocket and looked at it.
• He had hired a highlife band from • He felt not to betray his master Marcus
Umuru and stationed it at a even in secret.
permissable distance. • He decided to go back and return five
• Many villagers danced to the music. pounds.
• Marcus was sitting in the owner’s • But he felt upset to part with five
corner of his enormous green car. pounds.
• He smiled and nodded to the voters. • Then there was the swearing on the Iyi.
• One enlightened villager came to • Suddenly a thought crept into his mind.
Marcus and shaking hand, wished • He folded the paper, tore it in two and
“Congrats” in advance. put one half in each box- one for
• Others followed the suit by Maduka and one for Marcus.
mispronouncing the word as • It was the only way left for him.
“Corngrass”. • He voted for Maduka as sworn.
• Roof with his band gave the voters last • But he craved for Marcus’ victory.
minute advices. • His vote was invalid.
• They cut jokes with them. • But he balanced between his promise to
• They reminded them of the symbol of Iyi and his duty to his master.
PAP.
• All the time Roof was boiling within. ***********
• But he tried his best to hide his anxiety
by wearing a mask of over enthusiasm.
• Also he kept watching Marcus, if he had
any doubt on him.
• Marcus was cautious about each vote.
• He asked campaign boys to finish their
voting when there was not much rush
of voters.
• The atmosphere was festive combined
with a little anxiety within each one
concerned.

6. Roof’s Dilemma.
• Guilty consciousness bites the mind.
• Roof had accepted money from the
opposition party.
• So he was burning within.
• Verbally, he was making every effort to
canvass for his master Marcus Ibe.
• But the anxiety within was peeping out
now and then.
• He was making every effort to veil it.
• When his turn to vote arrived, his
spirits fell.
WHERE THERE IS A WHEEL • Now they need not wait for bus
P.SAINATH or any other vehicle or the men
folk of the family.
1. Write a note on the cycle
• Cycle save a lot of time and
movement of Pudukottai.
energy.
• Pudukottai is a rural district of
• Cycle gave immense aesthetic
Tamil Nadu.
pleasure.
• There was a huge cycle
• They could give quality time to
movement here.
their family.
• Thousands of rural women of
• The cycle helped them fetch
Pudukottai learnt cycle in a
water- to carry the pots from
short period of eighteen
tree or four miles distance.
months.
• They could carry children along
REASONS FOR ITS SUCCESS. with them.
• There were some serious • They carried agricultural
reasons for its success. produce such as vegetables
from the farm to the market.
• There was a backing by the new
DC Sheela Rani Chunkath. • They carted goods and
groceries from market to their
• She not only introduced it, but
homes.
also supported it.
• They could perform multiple
• She encouraged the banks to
tasks with nonchalance.
provide loans to buy cycle.
• Cycle increased their income.
• The women embraced the
humble vehicle unanimously. • They could expand their
market.
• They were waiting for hitting at
their backwardness. • In short , cycle was a heavenly
gift for the women of
• They wanted to show defiance.
Pudukottai.
• They wanted to hammer at the
fetters.
• The cycle provided them a way
WHO WERE BENEFITED
out of routine.
• Cycle helped them break the • Cycle helped women of all
male imposed barriers. professions or all classes.
• The neo-cyclists were mostly
the neo-literates.
BENEFITS OF CYCLE • But there was no rural woman
of the age group of 15-50 who
• Cycle was a symbol of freedom,
was untouched by the wave of
independence and mobility.
cycle.
• Cycle gave them confidence and
• The benificiaries of the cycle
courage.
were- agricultural workers,
• They became independant.
quarry labourers, gem cutters, movements went hand in hand
village health nurses, balawadi and had a tremendous success.
teachers, anganawadi teachers, • Their well-wisher the new DC
secondary school teachers, was with them.
mid-day meal workers and the • It was an additional grace for
gram-sevikas. them.
• Thus the rural women moved
2. Describe how the literacy uncared for the world.
movement and the cycle
movement helped each other. *****
• “Arivoli Iyakkam” or “Light of
Knowledge Movement” or the
“Literacy Movement” was going
on in Pudukottai long since.
• But it was not successful.
• The new D.C. Sheela Rani
Chunkath came to Pudukottai.
• She studied the situation.
• She learnt that lack of mobility
among women was the reason
for its failure.
• So she trained the literacy
activists in cycling.
• She hoped these women would
reach the remote places.
• She encouraged the banks to
provide loans easily.
• Not just the activists but all
women showed interest in
cycling.
• Thousands of women learnt
cycling.
• The neo-cyclists showed
interest in learning letters.
• Literacy gave them social
sanction.
• Education gave courage and
confidence to face the dirty
remarks, the filthy comments
they faced initially.
• Thus cycle helped education
and vice versa. Thus both the
WATER ➢ Even today a glass of water
CHALLAPALLI SWAROOPA RANI reminds so many battles and
struggles fought.
➢ “Water” is a poem by ➢ It reminds Karamchedu
Challapalli Swaroopa Rani. Suvarthamma’s rage against
➢ Here the poetess speaks about Kamma Lords and the violence
the exploitation of panchamas that followed.
in the society using water as a ➢ It reminds the Mahad struggle
tool. for dalit’s right to water of
➢ Even for the basic necessities of Chadar lake.
life , like water, they had to ➢ It brings before eyes the
struggle a lot. horrible sight of Mallapalle
➢ Herself a dalit, the poetess lists burning to ashes.
their agony. ➢ Water is a witness for centuries
➢ The water bodies like well or of injustice.
pond were meant for upper ➢ It is a source of dispute
castes. between village and wada and
➢ A panchama waited at the well even between states.
with empty pot whole day. ➢ The poetess also adds some
➢ When a shudra poured water, general truths related to water.
he sprinkled it on the wada girl ➢ She tells that water is an elixir
or touched her. of life and destroyer too.
➢ She felt humiliated. ➢ Being used as a tool of
➢ She was helpless. exploitation,being denied its
➢ She couldn’t resist,but keep right to quench thirst, it
quiet for the sake of water. devovers the whole land by
➢ Often the wada waited with flood or tsunami.
thirst the whole day for a glass ➢ In the modern days water is
of water. igniting another strife.
➢ They waited for weekly bath as ➢ Sitting silently in Bisleri bottle
if a wonderous festival. it is inviting a class conflict.
➢ But the village bathed ➢ The humble water is a multi-
luxuriously twice a day. national market commodity
➢ They walked for miles with now.
heavy pots on the head. ➢ Water was used as a tool of
➢ Tears were shed for exploitation in the past.
generations. ➢ Is water exploiting us today in
➢ Blood flowed in streams for the this way?
sake of water.
➢ Yet, they could not get it ***********
lawfully.
➢ For them water is not just H2O.
➢ It is a mighty movement.