About the Poet: Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was a person of great and varied learning who wrote Gitanjali with its deeply
spiritualist, bracing and beauteous verse. One of the greatest writers in modern Indian literature,
Tagore was a poet, philosopher, musician, writer, and educationist. He established the Santiniketan
with its refreshing vision of education and laterViswabharati University. Tagore was awarded
the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913for his collection of poems Gitanjali. He was awarded the
knighthood in 1915 which he returned 1919 as a protest against the Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh.
The spiritual and expressive quality of his poems in translation together with his outwardly
charismatic prophet-like appearance created around him the aura of a mystic in the West which hazed
over his reformist and global vision and outlook.
Tagore was instrumental in the introduction of new prose and verse forms as well as the usage of
colloquialism into Bengali literature which liberated the Bengali Literature from the traditional forms
excessively dependent on classical Sanskrit. Tagore, the exceptionally influential creative artist, is
celebrated as an icon of Indian culture.
About the Poem: Where the Mind is Without Fear
The poem Where the Mind is Without Fear is a prayer to a universal father-figure, that is, the
God Almighty. The poem, with its inspiring lines, elaborates Tagore's vision of a new,
enlightened India.
The poem, written originally in Bengali, was composed before Indias independence most
probably in the year 1900. The original poem titled Prarthana was included in an anthology
named Naibedya and the poem was translated into English by Tagore himself around 1911.
The poem is Poem 35 in the English Gitanjali published in 1912.The poem had a special
place in Tagores heart and he recited its English version at the Indian National Congress
session in Calcutta, 1917.
Theme
The poet, Rabindranath Tagore, envisages an ideal nation; liberal in outlook, united in
strength, dynamic in progress. The poet is totally devoted to God and entreats Him that He
must direct the poets fellow countrymen to be industrious, truthful and rational so as to
advance the country towards the most ideal stature. The poet desires peace and prosperity
among his countrymen and prays that his country might attain overall welfare and self-
reliance.
The prayer transcends the constraints of time as well as space and achieves the appealing quality of
being universal in nature.
Structure
The poem is written in free verse and consists of just one sentence. The poem can be
considered to consist of two sections: the first seven lines with a series of adverbial clauses
and the principal clause coming at the end.
The first seven lines refer a circumstance presented by a setting, where the mind is without
fear, where knowledge is free, and so on. We do not know the exact setting or scene which
these lines refer to until we come to the concluding line of the poem. However, we can
envisage that the place referred to is an awe-inspiring, almost an ideal, place. It is almost a
utopian realm where all the sublime features- such as valour, knowledge, harmony, truth,
intellect, and advancement- prevail.
In the principal clause of the sentence the poet identifies that circumstance, that metaphorical
scenario as that heaven of freedom and requests the Father, the God Almighty, to let his
country to reach there or his country to realise that that she ought to endeavour to accomplish
the capability to establish all these marvellous lineaments.
Summary
At the outset, the poet prays to the God Almighty that all his countrymen must be brave and have
their heads held high in self-respect and self-confident undaunted by any fear of repression or force.
Everyone in his country should have free access to education and education should not be the
exclusive right of the aristocrats and the wealthy. Acquiring of knowledge by the people should not
be constrained by narrow ideas and loyalty.
Tagore was deeply distressed by the dominance and suppression of the British Imperialistic forces
and was dispirited by the loss of pride and dignity of his mother country India because of her
repression by the British rule. Therefore, Tagore envisaged a country where the people live with
pride, knowledge and strength.
The poet continues his universal prayer with the assertion that the world is broken up and the human
beings are divided on many a narrow considerations, like social, economic and religious or caste
restrictions. The poet prays that minds of the people of his country should be above the influence of
social status, economic circumstance, colour, religious belief or doctrine, parochial narrow-minded
considerations and destructive superstitions. Their minds ought to be enlarged with worthy thoughts
and fruitful actions gainful to the nation. The words of truth should emerge from the soundness of
heart and should be uttered forthrightly and bravely for the entire world to take heed. He prays that
his countrymen should endeavour unflaggingly to accomplish perfection in the struggle and strife
they undertake for the betterment of the nation. Their actions should be based on reason and free
from superstitions as well as outdated customs and conventions.
They should be focused on their destination and should not be misguided by the barren beliefs and
meaningless rituals or customs. Their minds should be filled with progressive thoughts and their
logical activities should concentrate on the betterment of their country. Tagore desires his country to
be aware of the possibilities and potentials of logical thinking and virtuous action. He entreats the
God Almighty to guide his country to progress to a heaven of freedom.

I Believe : Brucellish K Sangma

The crux of the poem I Believe is the celebration of the countless longings and abilities of man.
Mans aspirations are majestic and boundless and the poet Brucellish Sangma firmly believes
that man is endowed with the abilities and competence to fulfill his boundless desires and lofty
ideals. Working hard with determination and purpose, man is capable of accomplishing all that
he aspires to. The poet believes that a human being can soar to unimaginable prominences and
overcome numerous barriers to arrive at his or her lifes objective.
The poem has the feel of a Japanese haiku poem, with its three-lined stanzas- each stanza an
entity in itself. The six haiku-like stanzas, each stanza consisting only of a single sentence,
cumulatively assert the leitmotif of the poem- the infinite capacities of man and his limitless
dreams and untold aspirations. The poem is written in a simple style and is in Vers libre - in free
 verse with no specific rhyme scheme or steady weave of rhythm. The poet recourses to the use of
the poetic techniqueAnaphora by deliberately repeating the phrase I believe at the start of each
stanza. In spite of its apparent simplicity, the poem is highly symbolic and deeply philosophical.
Anaphora is a poetic technique in which a word or a phrase is repeated
at the beginning of a sequence of sentences, or stanza in a poem.
I believe if a pebble is thrown upwards
I can pierce the heavens
And see the angels at play.
The speaker of the poem I believe, probably the poet Brucellish K Sangma herself, asserts that
if she throws a throws a pebble into the sky , she can pierce the sky and have a glimpse of the
heavenly heights and see the angels frolic.
On a literal level, the utterance of the poet seems a fantasy; however, what makes the utterance
pregnant and significant is the symbolism. The pebble thrown up symbolises the relentless
endeavours and persistent efforts directed by man to elevate his life to a lofty stature and to
achieve the apparently unattainable objectives. The heaven stands for the seemingly unreachable
goals and achievements. With the appropriate attitude coupled with willingness as well as
competence and diligence, we are bound to create our world a better place to live in, thereby
making not only our life but also the life of our fellow human beings joyful and wonderful. Thus,
we can create heaven on earth. The angels symolises both the great achievers of the worldly
world and also the spiritual aspiration of each and every soul in this world.
The poem has different tiers of being and import: in an all-inclusive level, the poem illuminates
the abilities and desires of all the men and women; in a feminist standpoint, the abilities and
desires of all women smothered by the outdated social norms and banal cultural traditions; and in
a specific viewpoint, the abilities and desires of the tribal women in North East states of India.
The I of the poem can signify all or any one of these levels. These individuals who strongly
wish to liberate themselves from customs and boundaries that stand in the path of their
advancement, want to unshackle themselves and soar into the greater heights of human
achievements.
I believe I can soar to the heights
Touch the silky clouds
And feel the stars.
I believe I can dive
Right into the depths
And swim with the sharks.
The poet believes that she can soar high up to the heights and flavour the delicate fluffiness of
the clouds. The heights or the sky stands for the pinnacle of human triumphs and the sensation
derived from the fluffiness of the clouds signifies the fulfillment and pleasure of attaining the
unattainable. Stars are the congregation of astral figures among men, the ultimate achievers. The
poet believes that with resoluteness and consistent efforts she can be one of these astral figures
who have achieved celestial stature and brought glory to the human race.
The poet is confident that, like a diver diving into the depths of the sea to forage for the treasures
in the depths of the ocean, she can dive deep into the sea of life and immerse herself in the
treasured experiences of life. These myriad experiences of life ennoble and enrich the poet and
she emerges as a better human being with profound understandings of the intrinsic qualities of
life.
 The depths stands for the sea of life and the sharks symbolise the challenges of life. The
challenge to confront the travails of life and the exhilarating sensation of overcoming them are
immense and gratifying.
The poet here uses binary opposites- soar/heights and dive/depths- to bring out the aptitudes and
competence of human beings and the limitless potentials of their accomplishment.
I believe I can claw into the earths belly
Pick up the priceless gems
And adorn myself with them.
I believe I can do many things
Amidst the human angels
Surrounded by the worlds treasures.
The poet furthermore asserts that she has the resolve to claw out the invaluable stones in the
earths interior and adorn herself with these gems.
Here, metaphorically, the poet affirms that, with dogged determination and firmness of purpose,
man can exploit the natural resources on earth for the collective benefit of mankind. Even
though clawing connotes a destructive and violent activity, here the poet confirms that the
violence is not destructive but constructive and beneficial for the whole of humanity. Man has to
resort to violence and destruction at times to bring about the social changes conducive to his
evolution and advancement.
Many a man, throughout the ages, has achieved great things by utilising their innate qualities and
their inbuilt resourcefulness. They have accomplished many things that have turned out to be
extremely beneficial to the human race and their cherished humanitarian efforts have endowed
them with a celestial status. Hence, they are angelic in nature and stature.
These angelic men and women have stridden to the pinnacle of glorious achievements with their
innate magnanimous spirits and their characteristic purposiveness. The poet is confident that she
can emulate these victorious achievers through imbibing their life-force and purposeful resolve.
But I firmly believe Ive to complete
The role assigned to me here
Where I dream and breathe.
In the concluding stanza, after listing all the potentials and possibilities that she can realise in her
life, the poet comes out with a firm pronouncement that before the realisation of all these dreams
and aspirations, she has to first fulfill her duties, her obligations and responsibilities of the
familial and the social spheres where she currently subsists.
Each and every human being has innumerable roles in life and innumerable duties in accordance
with the different roles he or she takes up at different stages of life. Before embarking to
accomplish the countless capabilities and the infinite aspirations, the poet firmly believes that,
man has to first fulfill his temporal duties of his life. The poet, being a woman has different
duties designated to her as a woman and these responsibilities should be her priority.
The world of reality with its multitudinous obligations is right before us and first we should
fulfill these responsibilities of the real world. Afterwards, we can start our pilgrimage towards
individual advancement so as to fulfill our dreams and aspirations.
If Thou Must Love Me
Sonnet 14
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
ElizabethBarrettBrowningisaVictorianEnglishpoetwhoseliteraryeminenceessentiallydepends
uponSonnetsfromPortuguese,acollectionof44sonnetsthatexpressesherdeeploveforherfuture
husbandRobertBrowning.IfThouMustLoveMeisoneofthesonnetsfromSonnetsfrom
Portuguese.

Thepoemsetsoutwiththepoetcallingforherlovernottolovehermerelyforthesakeoflove;but
lovehertruthfullyandunconditionally.Sheenjoinshimnottoloveherforoutwardorvisibleaspects
butforheressencesothatthelovewillbetrueandgenuine.Furthermore,shetellsherlovernotto
loveherforherappearancesorsmilewhichwilldeterioratewiththeravagesoftime.Shethenasserts
thatheshouldnotloveherforhermannerofspeakingorforhergentlevoice.Heshouldnotloveher
forhervirtueswhichwouldofferhimpleasureonlyforaday.Herethepoetdesirestoexpressthat
truelovedoesnotmerelygrowoutofappearancesbuttruelovegoesdeeperthantheshallowshow
ofoutwardcountenance.Sheholdsthatifherloverlovesherjustbecauseofendearingattributes,
then,inallprobability,infuturehislovewoulddieoutwhenheroutwardmeritsdieaway.
Inthesubsequentlinesthepoetasksherlovernottoloveherbecauseofhiscompassionorpity
towardsher.Shesaysthisbecausesheknowsinthecomfortanddelightthatherloveroffersher
thereislikelihoodthatshemayburyinhearthersorrowswhicharetoodeepfortearsandalsothat
shemightforgettoweep.Inthespellofsuchanexaltedexperienceherloverwillfindnotearson
hercheekstobewipedoffbyhimmakinghimtostoplovingher.
Intheconcludingtwolinesofthepoem,thepoetreiterateswhatshehadstressedearlier;thatis,she
wantsherlovertoloveherunconditionallysothathewillcontinuetoloveherevenifherqualities
witherwiththepassageoftime.Whenyoulovesomeoneunconditionallytherelentlesspassageof
timecanhavenoeffectonsuchaloveandlovetranscendsthewitheringeffectsofthecourseoftime
andremainseternalandeverlasting.Thusthepoetwantsherlovertolovehereternallywithalove
thatlastsforever.
ThemainthemeofSonnetIfThouMustLoveMeistheeverlastingcharacteroflove.Lovecanbe
eternal only and only if one loves the other not for shortlived earthly motives and ephemeral
reasons.Earthlyreasonsaretransient,andsoarethemomentaryfeelingsofman.Trueloveitself
doesnotweakenanddieaway:thus,herlovershouldloveher,ifheoughttoloveher,forthesakeof
loveonly.Thepoetdesiresthelovetobeelevatedoutofthedomainoftransitoryhumanfervourinto
the dominion of endless, blissful ardour.

ANoteonStructure
Sonnet
Sonnetisalyricalpoemof14lineswithadefiniterhymescheme.Therearetwotypesofsonnetsin
generalthePetrarchanSonnetandtheEnglishSonnetpopularlyknownastheShakespeareanSonnet
asShakespearewasanardentpractitioneroftheSonnetform.
ThePetrarchansonnet(withtherhymeschemeabba,abba,cde,cde)hastwodivisions:thefirst
eightlinescalledtheoctaveandtheremainingsixlinescalledthesestet. Theoctaveisfurther
dividedintotwosectionsoffourlineseachknownasthequatrains.TheSonneteer,usually,presents
aproblemoranargumentintheoctaveandthentriestoresolvetheproblemorargumentinthe
sestet.
TheShakespeareanSonnetfollowsadifferentpattern(withtherhymeschemeabba,cdcd,efef,gg)
withthreequatrainsandthefinalcouplet.Loveinitsmyriadformswasthetrendiestthemeofthe
sonnets.
InIfThouMustLoveMethepoetElizabethBarrrettBrowningfusesthetwosonnetstructures,the
PetrarchanandtheShakespearean,soastocreateanewform.Inthissonnettherhymeschemeisab
baabbacdcdcde.Moreover,theproblempresented,thatis,theneedforunconditionallove,
stretchesintothesestetofthesonnetandtheresolutionisinthefinalcoupletofthesonnet.This
variationinformandcontentendowsthesonnetIfThouMustLoveaharmony,andimpliesthe
themeofthepoemanharmonyinsentimentandthedesiresoftheloverandthebelovedtobeloved
tilleternity.

STOPPINGBYWOODSONASNOWYEVENING.
The poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is in general viewed
as a Frost's masterpiece. It is Frost's most famous poem and also perhaps
Frost's most regularly taught poem. The speaker in the poem, probably the
poet himself, is a traveller by horse on the darkest night of the year. He
stops to gaze at a woods filling up with snow. While he is entranced by the
beauty of the woods, he realises that he has duties and obligations and this
realisation drags him away from the lure of enchantments of nature.
He thinks the owner of these woods is someone who lives in the village and
will not see the speaker stopping on his property. While the speaker
continues to look into the snowy woods, his little horse impatiently shakes
the bells of its harness. The speaker outlines the beauty and allure of the
woods as "lovely, dark, and deep," but reminds himself that he must not
remain there, for he has "promises to keep," and a long journey ahead of
him. He has a long way to travel before he rests. Here, the traveller, the
journey and the sleep have symbolic meanings. The traveller is any
individual on his/her great journey of life and sleep is the end of life or
death, the eternal sleep.
The moral of the poem is that we should not be distracted by the
temptations of life but complete all our duties and responsibilities before we
end the journey of our life.

Extract 1
Whose woods these are I think I know
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here.
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
(a) Who is 'I' in this poem? Why is he unable to move from the place?
The poet as a traveller is the 'I' referred to here. He is returning home on
his horse from far away. It is getting late. He has come to a place where
there is a wood with an alluring charm. He is very much attracted by the
beauty of the woods as it gets filled up with snow in a dark winter
evening. Enchanted by the scenic splendour of the woods he finds himself
rooted at the spot, unable to move away from the magnificent spectacle.
(b) Who is the owner of wood? What is his significance here?
The poet thinks that the woods is owned by someone he knows who lives in
a house in village. The poet feels that the owner is unaware of the beauty of
his woods.
The house and the village signify civilisation and the owner of the woods
living in a house in a village suggests the alienation of man from nature. The
woods, a symbol of nature, is contrasted with the house and the village,
symbols of civilisation.
(c) Though a lover of nature, the traveller is conscious of his obligations of
his life. Substantiate.
We can definitely assert that the traveller is a lover of the nature. Being
spellbound by the stunning sight of the woods filling with snow and the
pristine white frozen lake, he momentarily buries his family and social
obligations.
The traveller is clearly conscious of his obligations and responsibilities of
his life. Although he is excited to take pleasure in the beauteous grandeur of
the place for a longer time; he considers his responsibilities and this presses
him to go forward in his journey.
(d) What is the theme and philosophy of the poem?
Frost has employed a simple incident to present a profound philosophical
reflection. The journey in the poem is a metaphor of the life journey. Even
though the traveller is greatly attracted by the beauty of the woods, he
cannot stand and stare for a long time. He has many promises to keep and
many duties and responsibilities to complete.
The speaker outlines the beauty and allure of the woods as "lovely, dark,
and deep," but reminds himself that he must not remain there, for he has
"promises to keep," and a long journey ahead of him. He has a long way to
travel before he rests. Here, the traveller, the journey and the sleep hold
symbolic significances. The traveller is a man on his great journey of life
and sleep is the end of life or death, the eternal sleep.
The moral of the poem is that we should not be distracted by the
temptations of life but complete all our duties and responsibilities before we
end the journey of our life.
Extract 2
My little horse must think it queer.
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
(a) What does 'must' mean here? Is the "little horse" a part of his
occupation? What is the role of the horse in the poem?
The speaker, probably the poet himself, who is riding his horse, stops by a
lovely, mysterious and deep wood. The poet is tempted to stay more at this
beautiful place. However, the thought of his responsibilities urges him to
continue his journey.
The speaker is almost certainly a farmer, returning home in a hurry.
The horse further suggests the total alienation of man from nature, The
horse is so domesticated that it thinks like man. The horse thinks that the
traveller has made a mistake to stop at a place where there is no source for
rest and food. The horse is impatient to carry on the journey whereas the
traveller desires to stop and absorb the beauty of nature. The horse shakes
it harness bells and the chiming of the bells brings back the poet to the
reality of life. Thus, the horse, in a way, acts as the intermediary vehicle that
makes the speaker conscious that he has a long way to go before he gets
home to sleep and that he has many promises to keep and many duties and
responsibilities to complete.
(b) Which season of the year is being described? Support your answer from
the stanza. What does the darkest night imply?
The winter season of the year is being described. The falling of snow, the
freezing of lake are the features of winter season. Moreover, the darkest
night suggests the winter solstice (22 December).
As the whole poem is a metaphor for a man's journey through his life, the
darkest night probably implies a critically despondent juncture in the poet's
life when he is caught with the temptation to escape from the harsh realities
of life that overawe him.

Extract 3
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake
(a) What does "he" stands for? Why does he think there is some mistake?
The horse is referred to as He here. The horse feels there is some mistake
since he finds there no farmhouse nearby which can provide food and rest.
The poet has used here the figure of speech of personification. The horse
further suggests the total alienation of man from nature, The horse is so
domesticated that it thinks like a man. The horse thinks that the traveller
has made a mistake to stop at a place where there is no source for rest and
food. The horse is impatient to carry on the journey whereas the traveller
desires to stop and soak up the beauty of nature.
(b) It is very quiet all around. What lines emphases this? What are the three
sounds that the poet mentions?
The place attracts the poet too much but is very all around. The sound of
wind and snowfall emphasizes the quiet of the wilderness. Though the place
seems attractive, there seems no sign of liveliness all around.
In the stanza only there sounds are mentioned. In this dark-deep forest one
can hear the sound of wind, sound of snowfall and the sound of harness of
the horse.
(c) Explain: Of easy wind and downy flake
The sweep of the wind provides ease and comfort and the soft caress of the
downy flake provides pleasure. The immense pleasure that the poet
experiences in the solitude of the woods is suggested by Of easy wind and
downy flake
Extract 4
 The woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go to before I sleep.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep
(a) Explain: The woods are lovely, dark and deep
The speaker in the poem, probably the poet himself, is a traveller by horse
on the darkest night of the year. He stops to gaze at a woods filling up with
snow. He is captivated by the loveliness of the woods,
The word lovely suggests the beauty and allure of the
place; dark and deep suggest the mysterious attraction of the dark deep
wood. Life is also like the woods- lovely dark and deep; life too has its
charm, mystery and depth.
(b) What is the significance of the word 'But' in the second line? Why he
has to move from that attractive place?
'But' in the second line reminds the poet that he must not remain there, for
he has "promises to keep," and a long journey ahead of him. He has a long
way to travel before he rests. Here, the traveller, the journey and the sleep
take symbolic implications. The traveller is a man on his great journey of
life and sleep is the end of life or death, the eternal sleep. Hence, much
against his keenness to stay there to indulge in the soothing sensation of
the solitude, the poet carries on as he has to cover long distance in order to
keep his promise.
(c) Why is you opinion, does the poet repeat the line "And miles to go
before I sleep"?
The poet repeats the line "And miles to go before I sleep" as a sign of his
resolve to move on his journey and not be bewitched by the splendour of the
beautiful scene. He recognises that he has to travel long and has promises
to keep.
Frost has employed a simple incident to present a profound philosophical
reflection. The journey in the poem is a metaphor of the life journey. Even
though the traveller is greatly attracted by the beauty of the woods, he
cannot stand and stare for a long time. He has many promises to keep and
many duties and responsibilities to complete.
The speaker outlines the beauty and allure of the woods but reminds
himself that he must not remain there, for he has "promises to keep," and a
long journey ahead of him. Here, the traveller, the journey and the sleep
have symbolic meanings. The traveller is a man on his great journey of life
and sleep is the end of life or death, the eternal sleep.
The Inchcape Rock
Robert Southey

Introduction
 The poem Inchcape Rock by Robert Southey is a popular ballad
based on the famous legend of the Inchcape Rock. The Rock is a dangerous reef or a submerged
rock in the east coast of Scotland. The Rock was notorious as it caused the wreck of many ships
resulting in the loss of scores of lives and a great deal of valuable cargo.

To save the seafarers from the deadly perilous Rock, an abbot devised a contraption called the
Inchcape Bell. The Inchcape Bell was a bell floating on a buoy and attached with a rope to the
Inchcape Rock. When the sea was stormy and rough, the wild movement of the buoy caused the
Bell to ring loud. The ringing of the Bell alerted the sailors to the proximity of the Inchcape Rock
so that they could navigate away to safety. As the warning ring of the Bell saved many lives, the
sailors were grateful towards the good Abbot and blessed him.
However, a pirate captain, named Sir Ralph the Rover, was jealous of the Abbot's fame and. on
one black day, the evil pirate captain cut off the ropes fixing the Bell to the Rock. The Bell sank
to the depths of the sea. There were to be no more warning bells for the seafarers. After a few
days, while returning to Scotland, the pirate captain had to pass the Inchcape Rock. The sea was
rough and tempestuous. There was poor visibility and his ship crashed against the Inchcape Rock
and sank to the depths of the sea causing the death of the pirate captain and his crew. The evil
captain became a victim of his own evil deed.
The Theme
Evil brings forth suffering; crime brings forth punishment. The poem supports the proverb in the
Bible; the wages of sin is death. The poem introduces the theme of conflict between the Good
and the Evil; the Good symbolised by the Abbot and the Evil symbolised by the Rover.
All good actions are bestowed with good rewards and all evil actions are penalised with evil
punishments. A man who commits a sin or does a bad deed becomes the prey of his bad
intentions. The compassionate and caring Abbot of Aberbrothok, anxious of the danger of the
seafarers positioned, a bell on the Inchcape Rock in an attempt to save the lives of the sailors; the
envious and spiteful pirate Sir Ralph the Rover, because of his malice and jealousy towards the
Abbot's fame, cuts the Bell down exposing the seamen to danger and death. However, the bad
pirate becomes the victim of his own evil intentions and has to face danger and death as a
retribution.
The Form
The poem The Inchcape Rock is a ballad.
A ballad is a narrative poem which tells a story and is intended to be sung. A ballad generally
begins abruptly. Most of the ballads have four-line stanzas with a specific rhyme scheme. The
internal rhyme and alliterations add to the feel of the ballad. They can be put to music because of
its folksy nature. In general, a ballad carries a moral or a message.
The poem the Inchcape Rock consists of 17 stanzas of 4 lines each. In each stanza, the first line
and second line rhyme each other and the third line and the fourth line rhyme each other, that
is, aa bb is the rhyme scheme of each stanza of the poem.
The Plot
There was no movement in the atmosphere and no motion in the ocean. The ship of Sir Ralph,
the sea pirate, remained still since there was no wind to move its sails. Even the keel of the ship
was steady in the ocean. The waves coursed over the Inchcape Rock quietly without affecting the
Inchcape Bell.
The bell had been positioned on a buoy and attached to the Inchcape Rock by the Abbot of
Aberbrothok. On tempestuous days, the buoy rocked and swung the bell and the warning bell
rang aloud. When the sailors heard the peal of the Bell, they realised the proximity of the
perilous Rock. With great gratitude, they blessed the Abbot of Aberbrothok for his compassion
to save them from this grievous Rock.
The Sun was shining radiantly and everything looked bright and sparkling on that day. The sea
birds were screeching in glee. The buoy of the Inchcape Bell could be seen in the distance like a
dark spot on the green ocean. Sir Ralph the Rover, the sea pirate, observed the Bell from his
ships deck. The spring-time weather had the power to cheer his mood and he whistled and sang
in gaiety. Yet, his joy was an evil glee; a spiteful pleasure over the disaster that was to occur on
the Abbot of Aberbrothok and his noble deed.
Overcome with jealousy, he had resolved to distress the Abbot of Aberbrothok He ordered his
seamen to launch a boat and row him to the Inchcape Rock. On his orders, his sailors rowed
towards the Inchcape rock. When he reached the Inchcape Bell, Sir Ralph gleefully cut the bell
off from the Inchcape float. The bell sank down in the sea with a gurgling sound making bubbles
all over. Sir Ralph exultantly said that the next man who came to the rock would not live to bless
the Abbot of Aberbrothok.
After this wicked act Sir Ralph sailed away in search of ships to loot and plunder. After a few
days, with his plundered wealth, he returned to Scotland. While passing along the Inchcape
Rock, abruptly a dense haze spread over the sky and the sun was not visible . Wild winds blew
the whole day, but it became calm again in the evening. It was the calm before the storm. Sir
Ralph stood on the deck and observed the sea. Visibility was so poor that he could not see the
land. He comforted his crew that shortly it would be a clear day and dawn would come with the
rising moon.
One of his crew wondered whether anybody could hear the noise of the waves and said that the
ship ought to be drawing near the shore. He mournfully wished that he could hear the Inchcape
Bell. However, there was no pealing of the bell amongst the huge waves tormenting the ship and
her crew. All of a sudden, the ship jarred with an abrupt fierce shock. Sir Ralph was shaken and
realised that they had crashed against the Inchcape Rock. He was filled with remorse of his
earlier evil act of cutting the Bell off the Rock. He was powerless when the ship sank underneath
the deluge. Knowing that his death was imminent, he felt he could hear the awful sound of the
Inchcape Bell as though it was the Devil below ringing his death knell.

Where the Mind is Without Fear

Rabindranath Tagore

The poet Rabindranath Tagore delineates a poignant portrait of the nation he wishes his country India
to become. The poem was written when India was under the British rule and the Indians were deeply
involved in snatching their countrys freedom from the British imperialistic tyranny.
The poet envisages a country where her people hold their heads high with their pride as their country
is a free country and all are liberated and united without any discrimination based on narrow
commitments of caste, creed, gender or religion. He desires the Indians to strive for perfection in the
clear light of logical reasoning, freed from all sorts of social inequalities and superstitious rituals.
The poet further conveys his yearning that his country to be roused to a realm where its citizens are
truly rational and constantly contemplates of reaching perfection in every facet of life. They will be
free from irrational thinking and outdated customs and superstitious conventions.
Finally, the poet implores God to give his countrymen the faculty to enlarge their minds to noble
thoughts and actions. Consequently, India will become the country of his dreams heaven of
freedom liberated from all kinds of ills and evils.
Extract 1
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out form the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
(a) What form of freedom does the poet envisage?
The poet is Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel Laureate. The poet envisages his country to achieve all
kinds of freedom political, religious, spiritual, moral and intellectual. And only then it will attain
the delightful heaven of freedom, a utopia where his countrymen would be able to hold their heads
high in self-respect, will not have a hazy and distorted idea built on prejudices and strive
determinedly to reach perfection in every domain of life.
(b) What are narrow domestic walls? What are the results of constructing narrow domestic walls?
According to the poet, narrow domestic walls refer to narrow loyalties of caste, creed and religion.
Prejudice and superstitions narrow the mind and divide the people. They are called narrow by the
poet because they are based on ancient customs and traditions and not on the basis of logical
thinking. These narrow domestic walls break the nation into pieces and fostering disunity and chaos.
These narrow domestic walls have to be pulled down to nurture an unprejudiced and progressive
humanity.
(c) How do people hold their heads high as stated by the poet?
People hold their heads high with pride as their country is a free country and all are liberated and
united without any discrimination based on narrow commitments of caste, creed, gender or religion.
(d) What do you understand of the poet on the basis of the extract?
This extract of the poem Where the mind is without fear mirrors the poets deep-rooted love for his
homeland. He is spiritually inclined and possesses profound humanism. The poem puts forward the
poets dream of one ideal country where all will relish freedom which is truly desirable and
meaningful.
(e) Do you perceive the modern world as broken up in fragments by narrow domestic wall? Explain.
The modern world that we live in is still a world broken up in fragments by narrow domestic walls.
Nowadays we preach about Unity in diversity as a core of the Indian culture, but practically, we
experience that caste-based oppression and suppression, the subjugation of the poor by rich, the
communal riots, the terrorist attacks, the gendered discrimination and war still disturbing not only
our noble feelings and values everyday but also the whole humanity is under the menace of
terrorism.
Extract 2
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever- widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
(a) Explain: Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way?
Reasoning allows a person to have clarity of thoughts without being restricted by narrow domestic
walls such as caste, colour, creed, religion, region and superstitions. Hence it has been compared to a
clear stream which is free of all impurities.
(b) What does the poet mean by dead habit? Why are dead habits likened to a dreary desert?
By dead habit, the poet implies that the worn-out inflexible traditions that are being pursued
pointlessly by the Indians. These blind superstitious habits of thought and action have extinguished
the light of reason and spread darkness and misery in the society.
The dead habits are compared to a dreary desert because in a desert there is no growth. Similarly,
dead habits also prevent any progress or advancement and the society is stunted.
Dreary dessert sand of dead habit is a metaphor- Through this metaphor the poet wants to say that his
countrymen should work for perfection in everything and should not be lead astray from their goal in
the dry desert of dead habits; that is, a place where obsolete customs and traditions arc practised.
(c) Explain: ever-widening thought and action.
The idea of ever widening thought and action suggests that the thoughts that are broadened are
capable of a wider vision and people are able to act embracing a broadened vision that has eschewed
the narrow irrational thinking. The poet desires that irrelevant practices and obsolete rituals do not
stifle true perception and unbiased judgement.
(d) How does the poem bring out poets profound faith in God?
Tagores love and faith towards the God Almighty is reflected in his belief that the path of truth is the
path to God. Tagore categorically asserts that a nation enjoying divine guidance will certainly
progress towards perfection.
In the concluding line of the poem, Tagore invokes God, the Universal Father and implores Him to
bring to fruition his vision of an impartial and truly liberated country. India, his motherland, can
achieve her rightful freedom not only by accepting a universal outlook but also by striving, with an
everlasting passion, for the fruition of great human ideals.

My Lost Dollar

Stephen Leacock

The authors friend Todd was going for a short stay in Bermuda. Just before his
departure, he borrowed a dollar from the author to pay off the taxi.

When Todd wrote a letter to from Bermuda, the author expected a dollar bill in
the envelope.

Twelve months go by. Todd has returned from Bermuda but has not bothered to
return the one dollar to the author. The lender is too decent to offend his friend
by demanding his dollar back. However, the thought that Todd had borrowed the
dollar bothered the author, and he made some futile attempts to get back the
dollar.

First, he went to the railway station to receive Todd when he returned from
Bermuda. He found Todd very cheerful, but at all ashamed that he had not
returned his loan of a dollar. Later, during an evening tte--tte, the author
raised the topic of the American dollar and asked whether it was used in
Bermuda too. Todd did not get the hint about the unpaid dollar.

The author met Todd almost daily in the Club; however, Todd did not refer about
the due dollar. One day, Todd is disapprovingly observed that Poland had
defaulted its debts. The author was very much upset that Todd did not consider
his un-paid debt. Annoyed at Todds irresponsible attitude, the author wrote off
his loaned dollar and added Todds name to his list of defaulters of one-dollar
loans.

The author, offended and distraught, accepts that forgetting to repay loans was
a human frailty. The distressed by the thought that he could have taken such
loans and not repaid it. Tormented with guilt, the author desired that his
creditors would claim their repayments. Haunted by the disquiet of loan
defaults, he wished to initiate a Back to Honesty campaign. He is persuaded
that honesty should be the core of all nations seeking greatness.

The author did not desire his forgetful friend to know of the agony he had
undergone because of the non-payment of the debt and exhorted his readers
not to bring the copies of the story to the University Club Montreal patronised by
Major Todd.

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Summary:The Last Leaf O. Henry

The Last Leaf

O. Henry

A firm friendship bloomed between two young artists, Sue and Johnsy, based on
reciprocal trust and shared artistic inclinations. They shared a studio in the
strange old Greenwich Village. Everything was going well till Johnsy fell ill with
pneumonia in the wintry November. The illness affected her so much that she
remained all day in bed sure of death. She lied down gloomily watching through
her window the leaves fall off from a vine. The doctor did not have much hope of
her recovery as she was utterly defeated by the sickness. When Johnsy confided
to Sue that her passionate desire was to paint the Bay of Naples, Sue sat in the
room sketching trying to draw her sorrow to her art. However, Johnsy was sure
that death would come when the last leaf of the vine fell.

An old thwarted artist Behrman, who always declared that he would paint a
masterpiece lived below Johnsy and Sue. Sue told him that her friend was dying
and that Johnsy insisted that when the last leaf fell off of the vine outside her
window, she would die. Even though Behrman derided the foolish notion, his
protective attitude towards the two girls made him see Johnsy and the vine.

That night was horribly stormy, and icy rain spattered against the window. There
was only one leaf left on the vine. Sue closed the window and pleaded to Johnsy
to go to sleep because she did not want Johnsy to see the last leaf fall. Next
morning, Johnsy was sure that the last leaf had fallen, and death beckoned her
too, When they opened the window, they were astonished to see that there was
still one leaf left.

Johnsy judged that the leaf stayed there to show her sinfulness in accepting
death without a fight. that made her resolve to live. Her will to live made her
recovery fully.

In the afternoon, the doctor came and told Sue that Behrman was dead. But
before his death, Behrman had painted a masterpiece - the last leaf was
Behrmans masterpiece. He had painted the leaf after the last leaf had fallen off
the vine. His final act- the last leaf on the wall gave Johnsy hope and life.

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Tuesday, 16 February 2016

Summary : The Kabuliwala Rabindranath Tagore

The Kabuliwala

Rabindranath Tagore

The story The Kabuliwala is narrated by the father of a five-year-old Mini. The
talkative and innocent Mini and Rahamat, a hawker of dry fruits from Kabul, are
the central characters of the story.

One morning Mini saw a Kabuliwala through her window and called out to him.
He was a tall, untidily dressed man with a turban on his head and a bag slung
over his shoulder. As soon as the Kabuliwala drew close the house, Mini ran and
vanished inside. Her father bought some dry fruits and chatted with him and
came to know of him and his family at Kabul. Then he called Mini and introduced
her to Rahamat, the Kabuliwala so that she would shed her fear of the
Kabuliwala. Rahamat gave Mini some dry fruits from his bag.

Later Minis father found that his daughter and Kabuliwala had struck up a
happy relationship, and the two of them met practically every day. The
Kabuliwala was a patient listener to Minis tittle-tattle and also gave her loads of
nuts and raisins. The Kabuliwala entertained Mini with stories of his motherland.

Minis mother, Rama, was against the growing companionship between her
daughter and the Kabuliwala and feared he would kidnap Mini one day and sell
her off as a slave.

All of a sudden disaster struck the Kabuliwala. He was arrested and sentenced to
several years of incarceration for stabbing one of his customers who owed him
money. After his release from the jail, the Kabuliwala went to Minis house to
meet her. However, He found that Mini had grown up, and it was her wedding
day.

Minis father was not happy to see the Kabuliwala on that day and considered it
inauspicious to let him see Mini. He persuaded the Kabuliwala to go away. Before
going away, the Kabuliwala left a few grapes and raisins for Mini. He then
showed Minis father a tatty piece of paper with a charcoal print of a tiny hand.
It was his daughters. Filled with pity for the Kabuliwala, Minis father called Mini.
When the Kabuliwala saw Mini in her bridal dress, he was surprised to find a
young woman he could not recognise. Mini was embarrassed when she thought
of their long-forgotten companionship and shied away. The Kabuliwala found it
extremely difficult to reconcile with the reality. Seeing the predicament of the
Kabuliwala, Minis father offered him enough money to return to Kabul to join up
with his daughter. Even though he had to cut down some of the wedding
celebrations, he was contented with his humanistic gesture to a distressed
father.

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Summary: Princess September W. Somerset Maugham

Princess September
 W. Somerset Maugham

The King of Siam had nine daughters named after the months of the year. The
youngest daughter named September had a very pleasing personality. Her other
sisters were all of sullen nature. One year on his birthday the King gave each of
his daughters a beautiful green parrot in a golden cage. The parrots shortly
learnt to speak. Unfortunately, the parrot of Princess September died. She was
heartbroken.

Presently a little bird bounded into her room and sang a lovely song about the
kings garden, the willow tree and the goldfish. The princess was thrilled. The
bird decided to stay with her and sing her beautiful songs. When the princesses
sisters became jealous when they came top know of the sweet bird that sang
better than their parrots. The malicious sisters urged Princess September to put
the bird in a cage.

The innocent princess put the bird into a cage. The bird was bewildered but the
princess justified caging the bird as she was afraid of the lurking cats. When the
bird tried to sing, it had to stop midway as it felt wretched in the cage. The next
morning the bird asked Princess September to release her from the cage, she
did not listen to it. Instead she assured the bird that it would have three meals a
day and nothing to worry all day. The bird was not happy with it and pleaded to
let it out from the cage. September try to console the bird saying that she had
caged the bird because of her love for it. The distraught bird did not sing the
whole day and stopped eating its food.

The next morning the princess noticed the bird lying in the cage still. Thinking
that the bird was dead, she started weeping. Then the bird rose and told the
princess that t could not sing unless it was free and if it could not sing it would
die. Taking pity on the bird, the kind princess released the bird. The bird flew
away. Yet, it returned to enchant the princess with its sweet songs. The princess
kept her windows open day and night for the bird to come and go whenever it
wanted.

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Saturday, 13 February 2016

Summary: Journey by Night Norah Burke
Journey by Night

Norah Burke

Sher Singh was the son of Sher Singh Bahadur - the brave and famous Shikari who
had got the title Bahadur for his hunting skills. One day when his father was away in
the jungle on a photographic expedition with some strangers, Sher Singhs younger
brother Kunwar fell seriously ill. His mother gave some home remedy to Kunwar
without success. So she felt that Kunwar had to be carried to the hospital in
Kalaghat. As his father and the elders in the village were away and as his mother
ought to look after the cattle and the farming, Sher Singh decided to carry Kunwar
to the hospital. She Singhs mother made a sling from her sari for Sher Singh to
carry Kunwar.

In the evening Sher Singh began the journey to Kalaghat carrying his brother in the
sling. Kalaghat was at best fifty miles away, but Sher Singh thought that if he took
the shortcut through the jungle and cross the two rivers, he might get a lift in a
passing vehicle.

As he was moving through the jungle, his jungle sense helped him to escape from
stepping on a cobra and sure death. As he walked through the forest, he was
terrified. He felt the weight of his brother was too much for him. When he came to
the river bed, he decided to take rest for a while.

When he placed Kunwar on the ground, he saw a herd of elephants jostling through
the forest. Sher Singh was frightened and helpless. He could neither climb nor run
carrying his brother. Fortunately, the herd left the brothers alone and went away.
He lifted Kunwar with great effort and trod into the shallow river. As he splashed on
to the shore, he saw newly-made footprints of a tiger. However, he proceeded
courageously and reached the second river by midnight.

The snow had melted, the river was full with a strong current and the Kutcha Bridge
had submerged. Weaving some grass into a rope, Sher Singh tied it round his
brother and himself to keep them together. And then he entered into the river and
moved forward with great difficulty. He was careful to keep Kunwars head above
water. Sher Singh found it an enormous struggle to carry the weight of his brother
and move through the cold and strong current in the river. Eventually, after a
determined struggle, he was able to cross the river and reach the road to Kalaghat.
Then he was able to get a lift in a bullock cart and a truck and reach Kalaghat
hospital to admit his ailing brother. After admitting his brother to the hospital, Sher
Singh got some work in the rail yards and earned some money to get a few things
to cook a meal.

At the hospital, the doctor was amazed that Sher Singh was the boy who brought
the sickly Kunwar from Laidwani. The doctor called him Sher Singh Bahadur and
assured him that his brother would live.
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Summary:Indias Heroes Anonymous

Indias Heroes
Anonymous

Mrs. Reeta Baruah Class Teacher of 8 A had asked the students to write a three-
minute speech on what they wished to be when they were grown up. They need
not speak on any particular profession but could speak of someone whom they
would want to be like or even a particular trait that they admire in a person.

All forty students were eager to speak and Ajit Basu was the first speaker who
wanted to be a cricketer like Sachin Tendulkar. Next, Gayatri Chhabra wanted to
be a social worker like her mother; Sanjay Damle wanted to be a pilot thus the
whole class spoke about actors, sports stars, politicians and so on.

When Kabeers turn came, he was slightly nervous. He knew that he was not
good speaker and that his speech was different from others. His speech did not
focus on any single person, profession or quality but was on a range of traits and
people from varied walks of life.

Kabeer began his speech saying that when he grew up, he wanted to be brave
like Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, the young NSG commando, who lost his life
fighting the terrorists in Mumbai in November 2008.

Kabeer continued - when he grew up, he wanted to be like Vishnu Dattaram

Zende, an announcer with the Mumbai railways who fortunately escaped from
terrorists bullets. On 26 November, when he heard a loud explosion on the CST
platform, instead of panicking, he used the public announcement system to
direct the public to safety. Kabeer also wanted to be like Karambir Singh Kang,
the General Manager of the Taj Hotel, who helped the guests in the hotel to
safety instead of running away or trying to save his family who were trapped in
the hotel. He stifled a sob and continued that he wanted to be valiant like the
Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who pursued the terrorists and was
gunned down by them, along with his associates DIGs Ashok Kamte and Vijay
Salaskar.

Kabeer carried on ignoring the tear-filled silence of the class. He said that he
wanted to be like Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, widely known as Chottu Chaiwala,
a young boy who managed a tea stall outside CST station. Chottu Chaiwala was
among the first who helped to move the injured to St George Hospital. Kabeer
wanted to be like Sandra Samuel as well, who saved the life of two-year-old
Moshe during the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.

Finally he said that when he grew up, he wanted to be like the caretakers of the
Kabristans in Mumbai who refused to bury the dead terrorists there. The
caretakers believed that terrorism has no religion. The only true religion is love
and respect for the humanity.

As Kabeer concluded, the class offered him a standing ovation. Mrs. Baruahs
eyes were brimming with tears. Nevertheless, she was proud that these children
are the future of India and they will promote the merits of peace, tolerance and
selflessness in the world.

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