Prose Lesson:1

LETTER TO HIS SON'S TEACHER

-Abraham Lincoln

ANNOTATIONS

1. “It’s all going to be strange and new to him for a while and I wish you
would treat him gently.”

2. “Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose and enjoy winning when he
does win.”
3. “There can be glory in failure and despair in success.”

4. “Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they
are wrong.”
COMMON ANSWER

REFERENCE:- These lines are taken from the lesson "Letter to His Son's Teacher"
written by “Abraham Lincoln”. Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of
America. He was a self-taught lawyer, savvy leader and vocal opponent of slavery. He
was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. His untimely death made him a
martyr to the cause of liberty.

"The aim of education is the knowledge,

not of facts, but of values."

CONTEXT:- In this letter, Lincoln instructs the teacher of his son about the kind of
education that he should impart to his child. The letter has a a unique appeal. It is full of
optimism, values and inspiring quotes.

EXPLANATION:- At the outset, Lincoln pleads the teacher to treat his son gently until he
gets adjusted to the school environment. The child should be taught to lose gracefully
and enjoy when he does win. Victory and defeat are the two sides of the same coin. He
should understand that there can be glory in failure and despair in success. His child
must learn good values like faith, love and courage. He also appeals to the teacher to
teach his child to have faith in his own ideas even if everyone tells him they are wrong.
The child must be made to understand the value of hard-work and the need to stay away
from envy and enjoy quiet laughter.

GENERAL RELEVANCE:- Lincoln, being well-versed with the psychology of children

and teachers, advises the teacher to teach his son about the importance of character,
hard work, honesty and independent thinking. Education is incomplete without the
practical knowledge of wars, tragedy and sorrows. He also highlights the importance
of human values. Lincoln appeals to the teacher neither to be too gentle nor to be too
harsh.
“Education should replace child’s indecision and doubt
with con rmation and con dence.”
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 SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. How is the teacher expected to inculcate honesty and worldly wisdom in the
child?

2. How can the teacher instil faith , love and courage in Lincoln’s son?

3. What should the teacher do to help the child tackle good and evil in the world?

COMMON ANSWER

The lesson "Letter to His Son's Teacher" was written by “Abraham

Lincoln”. Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America. He was
a self-taught lawyer, savvy leader and vocal opponent of slavery. He was
assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. His untimely death made him a
martyr to the cause of liberty. In this letter, Lincoln instructs the teacher of his
son about the kind of education that he should impart to his child. The letter has
a a unique appeal. It is full of optimism, values and inspiring quotes.

"The aim of education is the knowledge,

not of facts, but of values."

At the outset, Lincoln pleads the teacher to treat his son gently until he gets
adjusted to the school environment. This will give him faith and love. He must
know that there is a friend for every enemy and a hero for every villain. He should
be gentle with the good and tough with the rude. He should be taught to have
faith and courage so that he is not discouraged by scoundrels and enemies. He
should learn the value of honesty, worldly wisdom, integrity and sincere tears.
His son should listen to everyone but lter all that he hears on a screen of truth
and take only the truth that comes through. That is the type of personality he
should be taught to develop.

Lincoln, being well-versed with the psychology of children and teachers,

advises the teacher to teach his son about the importance of character, hard
work, honesty and independent thinking. He also highlights the importance of
human values. Education is incomplete without the practical knowledge of wars,
tragedy and sorrows. The child must be made to understand the value of hard-
work and the need to stay away from envy and enjoy quiet laughter. At the end,
Lincoln appeals to the teacher neither to be too gentle nor to be too harsh.

“Education should replace child’s indecision and doubt

with con rmation and con dence.”
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 Prose Lesson:2

SHE CONQUERED EVEREST

-Compiled by Dr. B. Sowjanya

ANNOTATIONS
1. “She hung up her boots for a while and although she was a law graduate,
she was facing the brunt of unemployment.”

2. “The compartment was full of people, but no one came to the rescue of
the girl being robbed and attacked.”

3. “Some day I will prove, without a doubt, the truth of what happened to
me.”
4. “Her oxygen was critically low and her Sherpa warned her that she might
lose her life.”
COMMON ANSWER

REFERENCE:- These lines are taken from the lesson "She Conquered Everest". It was
adapted from an article on the internet compiled by Dr. B. Sowjanya. The lesson is about
Arunima Sinha, a young, brave and challenging lady who overcame tragedy of her life
and proved herself. Arunima Sinha was awarded Padma Shri in 2015. She runs a
nonpro t school for the underprivileged children.
"Where there's a will, there is a way.
Perhaps tomorrow, if not today."

CONTEXT:- These lines tell us about Arunima Sinha’s pitiable, social and nancial
condition when she was young. The real story describes the indomitable spirit of
Arunima Sinha.

EXPLANATION:- Arunima was a resident of a small district of Ambedkar Nagar in U.P.

She lost her father when she was three. Her sister's husband took charge of the family.
Though she was a national volleyball player and a law graduate, she faced the brunt of
unemployment. Finally, she applied for a job in Central Industrial Security Force and
got a call letter. She made up her mind not to lose the job because of the technical error
in her date of birth. So, she set out for Delhi in the train to get the error corrected. Though
the compartment was full of people, none came to the rescue of the girl being robbed,
attacked and hauled from the moving train by the thugs. Lying on the hospital bed, she
told herself to prove the violent attack. After the accident, she took 18 months of rigorous
training in mountaineering and started her expedition. It was really painful to climb Mt.
Everest. Her oxygen was critically low but she went ahead and conquered Mt. Everest.

GENERAL RELEVANCE:- Some times the circumstances in real life situations will
challenge the personality, will power and determination of a person. The lesson
teaches us con dence, resilience, team building and leadership. Arunima Sinha lost her
leg but she didn’t lose her heart.

“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”

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 SHORT ANSWER ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. Why was Arunima Sinha desperately trying to get into a job?

2. Describe the incident that led to the amputation of the left leg of Arunima. Describe the
way she was treated after she was found beside the track.

3. Did Arunima lose hope while she was on the hospital bed? What made her take such a
huge decision of climbing a mountain with an amputated leg?

4. What were the dif culties faced by Arunima while climbing Everest?

COMMON ANSWER

“She Conquered Everest” is a lesson adapted from an article on the internet

compiled by Dr. B. Sowjanya. This lesson is about Arunima Sinha, a young, brave and
challenging lady, who overcame the tragedy of her life and proved herself. Arunima
Sinha was awarded Padma Shri in 2015. She runs a nonpro t school for the
underprivileged children. The lesson tells us about Arunima Sinha’s pitiable, social and
nancial condition. The real story describes the indomitable spirit of Arunima Sinha.

"Where there's a will, there is a way.

Perhaps tomorrow, if not today."

Arunima Sinha lost her father when she was three. Her sister's husband took
charge of the family.She also had a younger brother. Her brother-in-law asked her to apply
to the paramilitary force in the Army but she couldn’t make it. She applied for a job in
Central Industrial Security Force in 2011 and got a call letter. But there was an error in
her date of birth. So, she set out for Delhi by train to get the technical error corrected.
During train journey, she was harassed by the thugs. They tried to snatch her gold chain
gifted by her mother. The compartment was full of passengers but none came forward
to the rescue of the girl. She put a brave ght for a while but at last they hauled her out
of the moving train. She was taken to the “Bareilly District Hospital” and then moved to
AIIMS for the best treatment. Though her left leg was amputated, she didn’t lose her
hope. She couldn’t defend herself against the onslaught but decided to prove herself by
climbing Mt. Everest.

After the accident, she took 18 months of rigorous training in mountaineering and
started her expedition. It was really painful to climb Mt. Everest. Her oxygen was
critically low but she went ahead and conquered Mt. Everest. Some times the
circumstances in real life situations will challenge the personality, will power and
determination of a person. The lesson teaches us con dence, resilience, team building
and leadership.

“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”

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 Prose Lesson:3
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
-Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and YS Rajan
ANNOTATIONS
1. Rapid improvements in advanced sensors would make it possible to have such
sensing systems at affordable prices in many of our sectors.

2. Some modern technologies like Automated Teller Machines (AT M), automatic cheque
clearing systems, telephonic banking, credit cards, and electronic fund transfers are being
introduced in a small way and will be prevalent in most of the banks in the coming years.

3. Coming to packing, wherever possible we can avoid the older route of plastics, though
they are necessary for some products. Biodegradable tapioca -linked paper packages
have been developed in our country.

4. Multi-presentations can be made available in most tourist spots on the music, culture,
history, biodiversity and other features of that could open by giving foreign tourists
glimpses of such information, including local maps by electronic mail even as they are
planning their trips.
COMMON ANSWER
REFERENCE: - These lines are taken from the lesson "Digital Technologies" written by
APJ Abdul Kalam and YS Rajan. Abdul Kalam, a scientist turned statesman, was 11th
President of India. He was conferred with Bharat Ratna Award in 1997. YS Rajan was an
Honorary Distinguished Professor in ISRO. He was awarded with Padma Shri in 2012.
This essay is an extract from their book "India 2020:A Vision for the New Millennium."

From latest science to latest technology,

everything should be available at the tip of one’s nger.”

CONTEXT:- In this essay the authors describe how the Information Technology is going to
bring rapid changes in many sectors.They also envisage an increased use of IT and
digital skills in the future for the development of economy of the country.

EXPLANATION: - The authors predict that rapid improvements in advanced sensors

would make it possible to have sensing systems at affordable prices in many sectors.
Banking and insurance sectors shall have to use IT for various operations to render
services to the public. Some modern technologies like Automated Teller Machines
(ATM),telephonic banking, credit cards will be prevalent in the coming years. They
underline the importance of packing and transportation of goods from one place to
another. Coming to packing, whenever possible we can avoid the older route of plastics
by developing biodegradable tapioca-linked paper packages. Modern day tourists want
to learn more about the people they meet and places they visit. So Multi- presentations
can be made available in most tourist spots on the music, culture, history and
biodiversity to attract the modern tourists.

GENERAL RELEVANCE:- Thus, the rapid improvements of advanced sensors at

affordable prices will surely help various sectors. So improvements in science and
technology are appreciated and welcomed here. Really a great vision was that Abdul
Kalam and YS Rajan predicted long ago what we see in reality today!

“India has seen a dream of digital India.”

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 SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS

1.How does information technology, according to Abdul Kalam and Rajan, change the
agriculture sector?

2.Satellite navigational systems are going to transform marketing logistics in a complete

way.How do the writers explain this?

3.Why is Marketing communication crucial for the economic development of the country?

4.What is cultural or knowledge oriented tourism?

COMMON ANSWER

The essay “Digital Technologies” was written APJ Abdul Kalam and YS Rajan. Abdul
Kalam, a scientist turned statesman, was 11th President of India. He was conferred with Bharat
Ratna in 1997. YS Rajan was an Honorary Distinguished Professor in ISRO. He was awarded
with Padma Shri in 2012. This essay is an extract from their book "India 2020:A Vision for the
New Millennium."In this essay they describe how the communication technology is going to
bring rapid changes in many sectors. They also envisage an increased use of that information
technology and digital skills in the future for the development of the economy of the country.

From latest science to latest technology,

everything should be available at the tip of one’s nger.”

India’s economy indelibly depends on agriculture sector. So there will be better optimisation
of input resources like seeds, soil conditioning, pesticides, and so on. Remote sensing and weather
forecasts through satellites will be helpful in agriculture. Another important technological input is
marketing logistics. Trading and distribution can’t be done without first rate computer network,
satellite communication channels and navigation systems. Marketing communication provides
services such as advertising, market research and entertainment. Marketing will be extended from
consumer goods to white goods. The increased sale of a product will demand high-quality,
newer features , greater portability and better aesthetics. In India, local business and industries
face foreign competition. So marketing communication is crucial for the economic
development of the country.

Traditional tourists visit special places like the Taj Mahal, Goa, the islands and the deserts to
eat, drink and make merry. But modern day tourists want to learn more about the people they meet
and the places they visit. We can call it “cultural or knowledge oriented tourism”. So multi
presentations can be made available in the most tourist spots on music, culture, history and
biodiversity to attract the foreign tourists. Really a great vision was that Abdul Kalam and YS
Rajan predicted long ago what we see in reality today!”

“India has seen a dream of digital India.

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 Prose Lesson:5

WHAT MAKES A NATION

- C. Rajagopalachari

ANNOTATIONS

1. Character is not merely a copy book ideal. It is the vast national policy that can be
conceived by any statesman.

2. Mother India wants hard-working good boys and good girls.

3. Unless we are very strenuous in our conduct and honest in our minds, we cannot make
a glorious India.

4. Universities are the hopes of our national leaders.

COMMON ANSWER

REFERENCE: - These lines are taken from the lesson “What Makes A Nation”. It was an
inspirational speech delivered by C. Rajagopalachari to the students of Laxminarayan
Institute of Technology, Nagpur on August 26, 1948. Rajaji was the rst and last Indian to
become the Governor General of India. He was an ardent patriot, social reformer,
profound scholar and an eminent statesman.

"Design your character like the sky

where everyone desires to reach.”

CONTEXT:- In his speech, Rajaji appeals to the young men and women to strive hard
for the development of the country. He advises them to build the character by the best
qualities or traits.

EXPLANATION :- According to Rajaji, character is not merely a thoughtless imitated

ideal. It is the wisest national policy that can be viewed by any statesman. A good
character is like precious gold out of which virtues like integrity, honesty, loyalty and
fortitude are made. Mother India wants hard working good boys and good girls. It is only
if we have character that all things will work. In order to make a glorious India, we must
be strenuous in our conduct and honest in our thoughts. Rajaji believes that
universities are the hopes of our national leaders. They produce thousands of leaders
who can guide the nation in the right direction.

GENERAL RELEVANCE:- According to our national leaders and freedom ghters,

India will be strong only with young men and women with perfect character and
integrity. Unless we are very strenuous in our conduct and honest in our minds, we
cannot make a glorious India. In national structure we are dealing with, deception has no
place. Honesty, hard work and quality education form some of the corner stones of
character building.

“It is your attitude that makes you or mars you.”

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 SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. What is Rajaji’s advice to the students of higher learning?

2. “ Citizens of character or future of the nation.” Support your answer with the views of
Rajaji.

The lesson “What Makes A Nation” was an inspirational speech delivered by C.

Rajagopalachari to the students of Laxminarayan Institute of Technology, Nagpur on
August 26, 1948. Rajaji was the rst and last Indian to become the Governor General of
India. He was an ardent patriot, social reformer, profound scholar and an eminent
statesman.In his speech, Rajaji appeals to the young men and women to strive hard for
the development of the country. He advises them to build the character by the best
qualities or traits.

"Design your character like the sky

where everyone desires to reach.”

Rajaji advises the students of higher learning that character building is very
essential for building a nation. Character is not merely a thoughtless imitated ideal. It is
the wisest national policy that can be viewed by any statesman. A good character is like
precious gold out of which virtues like integrity, honesty, loyalty and fortitude are made.
Mother India wants hard working good boys and good girls. It is only if we have
character that all things will work. In order to make a glorious India, we must be
strenuous in our conduct and honest in our thoughts. Rajaji believes that universities
are the hopes of our national leaders. They produce thousands of leaders who can guide
the nation in the right direction.

Rajaji believes that it is only young men and women who can guide the nation in
the right direction. The citizens of character are future of the nation. Rajaji feels that the
entire burden of the future structure of India is on the shoulders of the young generation.
According to our national leaders and freedom ghters, India will be strong only with
young men and women with perfect character and integrity. Honesty, hard work and
quality education form some of the corner stones of character building.

“It is your attitude that makes you or mars you.”

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 Poem:1

COMMONWEALTH OF BEES
-William Shakespeare

ANNOTATIONS
1. Creatures that, by a rule in nature, teach
The art of order to a peopled kingdom:

2. Others like soldiers, armed in their stings,

Make boot upon the summer’s velvet birds;

3. The poor mechanic ports, crowding in

Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate;

4. So may a thousand actions, once afoot ,

End in one purpose, and be all well born
Without defeat.
COMMON ANSWER

REFERENCE:- These lines are taken from the poem “Commonwealth of Bees” written
by William Shakespeare. This poem is an extract from his play "Henry-V" Act-1,
Scene-2. Shakespeare is widely acknowledged as the world’s greatest English
playwright. He wrote 36 plays,154 sonnets and two long poems.

"I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot;

together we can do great things."

CONTEXT:- Archbishop of Canterbury offers to the king Henry in a lengthy speech the
life of Bees as the best pattern for the organisation of his commonwealth in the time of war.
Here Shakespeare wonderfully presents the Kingdom of the bees to tell about the
structure of an organisation or a family.

EXPLANATION:- Shakespeare gives a vivid picture of bees kingdom in a lyrical form.

The Archbishop tells Henry that the beehive is like a political or social organisation.
Bees have some rules and regulations. They have the capability to teach us the art of
order. There are different groups of bees who do their job with due diligence. For
instance, the soldier bees go out, plunder the booty and protect the hive. The
mechanic porter bees crowd around and carry the honey to the hive through the narrow
gates. The magistrate-bees engage in judging work. The merchant-bees indulge in
trade. The king bee with great vigilance administrates the overall work. Thus, many
different elements can work towards one common purpose and achieve the goal.

GENERAL RELEVANCE:- Shakespeare uses bees as a metaphor for the human beings.
He makes a comparison between bees and human beings about working together for a
collective purpose. A thousand actions, once set in motion, will result in one desired goal
and all will be well carried out and have a successful end. Shakespeare advises us to instil
the team spirit, industry and active cooperation in pursuit of common goal.

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”

 SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. According to Shakespeare, what are the lessons that human beings must learn from
honey bees?

2. “ The real results will emerge when we realise the power of combined individual
actions.” How can you justify this statement in the light of the poem “Commonwealth of
Bees”?

COMMON ANSWER

The poem “Commonwealth of Bees” was written by William Shakespeare. This

poem is an extract from his play "Henry-V" Act-1, Scene-2. Shakespeare is widely
acknowledged as the world’s greatest English playwright. He wrote 36 plays,154
sonnets and two long poems. Archbishop of Canterbury offers to the king Henry in a
lengthy speech the life of Bees as the best pattern for the organisation of his
commonwealth in the time of war.Here Shakespeare wonderfully presents the Kingdom of
the bees to tell about the structure of an organisation or a family.

"I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot;

together we can do great things."

According to Shakespeare, honey bees offer us valuable lessons in various issues.

He gives a vivid picture of bees kingdom in a lyrical form. The bees are models of
political and social organisations. They have the capability to teach us the art of order
or hierarchy. They have an organised life style with some rules and regulations. There is
the king bee on the top and other of cers of high order. There are different groups of
bees who do their job with due diligence. The soldier bees go out, plunder the booty
and protect the hive. The mechanic porter bees crowd around and carry the honey to
the hive. Other kinds of bees are magistrate-bees, merchant-bees, civil citizen bees
and the mason bees. The lazy and yawning bees are punished by the judges.The king
bee with great vigilance administrates the overall work. Just so, a thousand actions,
once set in motion, will result in one desired goal. Similarly many different elements can
work towards one common purpose and achieve the goal.

Shakespeare uses bees as a metaphor for the human beings. He makes a

comparison between bees and human beings about working together for a collective
purpose. A thousand actions, once set in motion, will result in one desired goal and all will
be well carried out and have a successful end. He advises us to instil the team spirit,
industry and active cooperation in pursuit of common goal. Thus, the real results will
emerge when we realise the power of combined individual actions.

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”

.
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 Poem:2

THIS IS MY PRAYER TO THEE, MY LORD

-Rabindranath Tagore

ANNOTATIONS

1. Strike strike at the root of penury in my heart.

2. Give me the strength to raise my mind

high about daily tri es.

3. Give me the strength

to make my love fruitful in service.

4. Give me the strength

never to design the poor.

COMMON ANSWER

REFERENCE :- These lines are taken from the poem “This Is My Prayer to Thee My
Lord” written by Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore is popularly known as
'Gurudev'. He was a poet, novelist, dramatist, short story writer and philosopher. He
was the rst Asian ever to win the Nobel Prize in literature, in 1913. This poem is the
36th prayer song extracted from his magnum opus "Gitanjali".

"Start your day with faith and a prayer and God will give you
the strength to do what is necessary."

CONTEXT:- In this poem, Tagore prays to God to bestow His supreme qualities upon
mankind and perfect them to create a heaven on earth. The poem is a unique prayer. .
Universal happiness is its goal.

EXPLANATION:- Tagore sincerely appeals to God to hit at the root of penury and
poverty in his heart. He believes that penury of a person is not lack of physical
possessions but the absence of kindheartedness. He prays to God to give him the
strength to be courageous and care for the dif culties we come across everyday. Love
turns fruitful only in sel ess service. So he prays to God to give him the moral strength
and convert the abstract love into concrete form of service. Tagore seeks the divine
strength never to disown the poor nor surrender before the cruel authority of British rulers.

GENERAL RELEVANCE:- Tagore seeks the spiritual strength and prays for common
good. Tagore refers to the concept of equanimity. One should maintain a sense of
balance between prosperity and poverty. We should bear the joys and sorrows
equally. He appeals to God to give him the strength to surrender his strength to the
divine will with love.

“We should not jump with joy and slump with sorrow.”
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 SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. How unique is Tagore's prayer to God?

2. What kind of strength does Tagore seek and why?

3. What are Tagore’s views on equanimity?

COMMON ANSWER

The poem “This Is My Prayer to Thee My Lord” was written by

Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore is popularly known as 'Gurudev'. He
was a poet, novelist, dramatist, short story writer and philosopher. He was the
rst Asian ever to win the Nobel Prize in literature, in 1913. This poem is the 36th
prayer song extracted from his magnum opus "Gitanjali". In this poem, Tagore
prays to God to bestow His supreme qualities upon mankind and perfect them to
create a heaven on earth. The poem is a unique prayer. . Universal happiness is
its goal.
"Start your day with faith and a prayer and God will give you
the strength to do what is necessary."

Tagore sincerely appeals to God to hit at the root of penury and poverty in
his heart. He believes that penury of a person is not lack of physical possessions
but the absence of kindheartedness. He further prays to God to give him the
strength of equanimity. Here Tagore wants everyone to maintain a sense of
balance between prosperity and poverty. prays to God to give him the strength to
be courageous and care for the dif culties we come across everyday. Love turns
fruitful only in sel ess service. So he prays to God to give him the moral strength
and convert the abstract love into concrete form of service. Tagore seeks the
divine strength never to disown the poor nor surrender before the cruel authority
of British rulers.

Tagore seeks the spiritual strength and prays for common good. Tagore
refers to the concept of equanimity. We should bear the joys and sorrows
equally. Strength without obedience leads to power mongering. So Tagore prays
to God to give him the strength to surrender his total strength to the divine will
with love. Thus, the poem is a humble appeal to the Almighty to give him strength
to perform the divine mission on earth.

“We should not jump with joy and slump with sorrow.”
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 Poem:3

AS I GREW OLDER
- Langston Hughes

ANNOTATIONS
1. It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
In front of me, bright like a son, my dream.

2. And then the wall rose, Rose slowly ,Slowly,

Between me, and my dream. Rose until it touched the sky-
The wall. Shadow. I am black.

3. To break this shadow

Into a thousand lights sun,
Into a thousand whirling dreams of sun!

COMMON ANSWER

REFERENCE:These lines are taken from the poem “As I Grew Older” written by James
Mercer Langston Hughes. Hughes is an Afro-American poet, novelist, short story
writer and playwright. His rst book of poetry “The Weary Blues” was published in 1926
and his rst novel “Not Without Laughter” in 1930. He refers to di erent symbols to
show the barriers between the blacks and the whites in American society.

“ If you do not hope, you will not nd

what is beyond your hopes.”

CONTEXT:- The poem carries a theme that no matter what stands in the way of
someone’s dream he can always nd his dream and ght for it. Being a Black, the poet
su ered a lot and that can be seen in this poem.

EXPLANATION:- The poet recalls the dream he had long ago and how his dream slowly
shattered. His dream was about a non-racist society in America. But now he can see
his dream ahead of him once again. As he grew older, the wall rose slowly between the
dream and the reality. It was the dividing wall between the whites and the blacks. The
poet now wants to break it with his dark hands with determination and vigour. He will
see the bright sun there. The poet uses imagery to describe his ability to overcome the
prejudice in American society.

GENERAL RELEVANCE:- The poet hopes fervently that the dividing wall will fade and
there will be a non-racist society in America. The poem revolves around the strong
willingness and the hardship needed for everyone to achieve the goal. The a rmative
tone of the poem suggests that even if the poet fails, there is spiritual value in
possessing the self-realisation to grasp for a dream that might be out of reach.

“All our dreams come true,

if we have the courage to pursue them.”
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 SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. “Hold fast to dreams for when dreams go, life is a barren eld frozen with snow “.
How did Langston Hughes hold fast to his saying ‘as he grew older’?

2. What is the theme of the poem “As He Grew Older “?

COMMON ANSWER

The poem “As I Grew Older” was written by James Mercer Langston Hughes.
He is an Afro-American poet, novelist, short story writer and playwright. His rst book
of poetry “The Weary Blues” was published in 1926 and his rst novel “Not Without
Laughter” in 1930. He refers to di erent symbols to show the barriers between the
blacks and the whites in American society. The poem carries a theme that no matter
what stands in the way of someone’s dream he can always nd his dream and ght for it.
Being a Black, the poet su ered a lot and that can be seen in this poem.

“ If you do not hope, you will not nd

what is beyond your hopes.”

In the beginning of the poem, the poet recalls the dream he had long ago and he
had nearly forgotten it. His dream was about a non-racist society in America . As a child
he didn’t know anything about the social and racial obstacles around him. But now as
he grew older, he realised that there was a dividing wall between the Blacks and the
Whites. The wall touched the sky showing the worst relations between them. The wall
rose slowly between the dream and the reality. The poet now commands his dark
hands to break through the dividing wall. He will see the bright sun there. Here, the poet
represents all African Americans who had to relinquish their dreams. He became
aware of his status as second-class citizen.

The poet uses imagery to describe his ability to overcome the prejudice in
American society. The poet hopes fervently that the dividing wall will fade and there will
be a non-racist society in America. The tone of the poem is very encouraging of letting
people know that if you have a dream, you can ght for it and be happy. The poem
revolves around the strong willingness and the hardship needed for everyone to
achieve the goal. The a rmative tone of the poem suggests that even if the poet fails,
there is spiritual value in possessing the self-realisation to grasp for a dream that might
be out of reach.

“All our dreams come true,

if we have the courage to pursue them.”
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 Poem:4

BODY
-K. Siva Reddy
ANNOTATIONS

1. A breathing corpse doesn’t decompose -

It oats amidst words like a boat,
Like a ship on the high seas.

2. My body fertilises like a eld,

becomes a fundamental element.

3. The word from my womb lashes like sea waves,

Encompasses like the sky and brings down showers like a cloud.

4. The body bears word-fruits

sends out word arrows.
COMMON ANSWER

REFERENCE:- The poem “Body” was originally written in Telugu by K. Siva Reddy and
translated into English by M. Sridhar and Alladi Uma. Siva Reddy is a major voice in
contemporary Telugu poetry. He has published 11 collections of poems. He was
honoured with “Sahitya Academy Award” in 1990 for his work “Mohana! Oh Mohana!”.

“The human body is the best work of art.”

CONTEXT:- In this poem, the poet glori es the potentiality of the human body and the
words emitted by it. The words are so powerful that they can help, heal, hurt, humiliate,
harm and humble.

EXPLANATION:- The poet closes his eyes, but he could hear all sounds around made by
various objects, men and women. He thinks that his body is not decaying as it has life. It
can speak words and listen to words. Words are beacons of inspiration, enthusiasm
and encouragement. The poet says that a living body never decays. It oats like a ship
on the high seas of the words. It is like a fertile land and it becomes a chief element. It
ourishes again even after the limbs are broken and hopes are shattered. The word
which generates from the womb strikes like massive ocean waves. The body is full of
word-fruits and word-arrows.

GENERAL RELEVANCE:- Thus, the poet talks about the innate strength of the human
body.The poet uses metaphors and similes to highlight that the human body is not just a
physical or biological organism. It has an immense potential to do any kind of task. That
is the power of words and the power of human body and nature.

“The body is a warship which carries

the powerful weapons of words.”
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 SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. Why does the poet call the call ‘a breathing corpse’?

2. “I found a word, and carefully placed it next to another. Soon I had a

bride and a pathway to a wonderful future.” Tim Hollingsworth. Explain the power of
words according to the poet of the poem “Body”

COMMON ANSWER

The poem “Body” was originally written in Telugu by K. Siva Reddy and translated
into English by M. Sridhar and Alladi Uma. Siva Reddy is a major voice in contemporary
Telugu poetry. He has published 11 collections of poems. He was honoured with
“Sahitya Academy Award” in 1990 for his work “Mohana! Oh Mohana!”. In this poem,
the poet glori es the potentiality of the human body and the words emitted by it.The
words are so powerful that they can help, heal, hurt, humiliate, harm and humble.

“The human body is the best work of art.”

He says that the body is not decaying as it has life. It oats like a ship on the high
seas of words. It is like a fertile land and it becomes a chief element. Even his breath is a
sound that expresses emotions, struggles, tears, etc. The body ourishes again even
after the limbs are broken and hopes are shattered. The word which generates from the
womb strikes like a massive waves. Words are beacons of inspiration, enthusiasm
and encouragement. Words utter over head like birds build nests in his mind. The body
is full of word-fruits and word-arrows. The body doesn’t decompose because it is
breathing. So The poet calls the body “a breathing corpse”.

Thus, the poet talks about the innate strength of the human body. Body is like a
forest covered in darkness and like a river ows in the deep forest. The poet uses
metaphors and similes to highlight that the human body is not just a physical or
biological organism. It has an immense potential to do any kind of task. That is the
power of words and the power of human body and nature.

“The body is a warship which carries

the powerful weapons of words.”
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 Non-detailed Text

1. ENGINE TROUBLE
- R.K. Narayan

1. Give an account of the series of troubles the narrator experienced in the wake of
winning a road engine.

2. The narrator said, "Nature came to my rescue in an unexpected manner", How did
nature help the narrator get rid of his troubles?

The short story, “Engine Trouble” was written by R.K. Narayan, one of the greatest
short story writers in India. R.K.Narayan’s stories and novels are known for the extreme
simplicity of plots and characters which revolve round the lives and hopes of middle
and lower class Indians. They are told with a quite realism, humour and gentle irony.
He won the “Sahitya Academy Award” in1960. He created an imaginary village called
“Malgudi” where all his stories are set in. In this short story, R.K. Narayan humorously
describes the problems faced by the “Talkative Man” after winning a road roller in a
lottery.
"Some times it is better to do lose and do the right thing
than to win and do the wrong thing".

An institution called the “Gaiety Land” opened an exhibition in the Gymkhana

Grounds. There were many attractions like lotteries, cameras etc. The narrator, the
Talkative Man won a road engine in the lottery and became a proud owner of it. But he
could neither shift it nor use for any good. All problems started with the possession of
this road engine. The exhibition vacated the ground. The Municipal authorities sent him a
notice to remove the engine from the ground. He agreed to pay Rs. 10/- a month. Irony
was his house rent was only Rs.4/-. Rental for the occupancy of the Gymkhana ground
drained the meagre amount of the narrator. He was forced to mortgage his wife's jewels
to pay the rent. He approached the Secretary of the Cosmopolitan club and then the
Municipal Chairman to buy it at cheaper rate but no use.

The Municipal authorities gave him a notice to remove it as a cattle show was to
be organised. So he took the help of the temple elephant, a driver and nearly fty men
to remove it. In the process, the elephant broke the opposite compound wall. All people
ran in panic. The police came and took him to the station. After release, he wanted to run
away. But at this point a Swamiji entered the scene and he wanted a road engine to
show his feats. The Talkative Man thought Swamiji's disciple would move it from its
place. Suddenly the proposed feat was halted by the Municipal authorities. So once again
the Talkative Man was defeated and the road engine became a burdensome property.

Nature, however, came to the rescue of the narrator in the form of an earthquake.
The engine was thrown into a disused well where it tted like a cork.The owner of the
house came to him in joy and told him that he had done him a service. Actually he wanted
to close the well as he was receiving notices from the municipality to close it. He asked the
Talkative Man to leave it there. He promised to withdraw all complaints against the
Talkative Man and agreed to pay other expenses also. Thus, the Talkative Man was
saved by a natural calamity.

“Don't ght a battle if you don't gain anything by winning.”

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2. THE LAST LEAF

- O. Henry
1. How is "The Last Leaf" by O Henry a story of hope, friendship and sacri ce?

2. Justify the statement "A diseased mind is even more harmful than the actual disease
itself" with reference to O Henry's "The Last Leaf"

“William Sydney Porter” known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short
story writer. His stories are considerably more playful, and are also known for their witty
narration and surprise endings. Most of O. Henry’s stories are set in his own time, the
early 20th century. Many take place in New York City and deal with ordinary people,
policemen, waitresses, etc.
"Good people are like candles.
They burn themselves up to give others light".

“The Last Leaf” by O. Henry is a story about two artists, Sue and Johnsy. They
had recently come to New York City to make their living. They met each other in the
restaurant of Eighth Street Hotel in May. In November, many people laid on beds with
Pneumonia. Johnsy also had an attack of it. A busy doctor visited her and said that her
chance of recovery depended on her desire to get better. If a patient decided that she
would die, fty percent of the power of the medicines would come down. Jhonsy was
counting the leaves of an old vine creeper that climbed half way up the opposite wall.
Being very much alarmed about Johnsy’s health, Sue asked about her counting. Johnsy
replied that the leaves were falling faster. She made up her mind that she would die
when the last leaf of the vine fell. Sue could not understand her logic. She gently asked
her to sleep as she had to go downstairs to draw a picture keeping Mr.Behrman.

Mr. Beherman was a sixty year old drunkard and a co-tenant of Sue and Johnsy.
He was a failure in art and made his living working as a model to the amateur artists.
When Sue went down, Behrman was already sitting there in the corner of the studio. She
told Behrman about Johnsy's health and her foolish idea about the leaves. Behrman
angrily reacted saying that he had never heard such a foolish thing. He thought of saving
Johnsy’s life. Next morning, Johnsy saw the last leaf still hanging in spite of the heavy rain
and the strong wind. The day passed and at night again there was a heavy rain. The next
morning as soon as she woke up, she looked through the window and surprised to see the
leaf still there.Then, Johnsy thought that she was foolish to think that she would die with
the leaf. She recovered from her illness slowly.

The next morning they found that Mr. Behrman died of Pneumonia. They found that
he went out on such a terrible night with a lantern, a ladder and some other things to
paint a leaf on the opposite wall . It was the real masterpiece that saved the life of
Johnsy. Thus, the twist, which we generally see in Henry's stories, comes at the end. Mr
Behrman sacri ced his life to save Johnsy. Hence, we can say that this is a story of
hope, friendship, sacri ce, and compassion in the story. People with artistic prowess
are focused individuals driven by their goals for greatness.

“True compassion means not only feeling another's pain

but also being moved to help relieve it.”
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3. THE IMMACULATE CHILD

-Premchand( Translated by P.C Ghai )
1. Sketch the character of Gangu.

2. Justify the title of the story "The Immaculate Child".

“Premchand” was the pen name adopted by the Hindi writer “Dhanpat Rai
Srivastava”. He has left behind a dozen novels and nearly 250 short stories. His stories
inspired many Indians with patriotic feelings during the rst decades of the 20th century.
Besides being a great novelist, Premchand was a social reformer and thinker. His best
known novels are Sevasadan, Rangamanch, Ghaban, Nirmala and Godan. The present
story “The Immaculate Child” is a free translation of his story "Balak" into English by P.C
Ghai. He translated 22 short stories of Premchand.

“If love is blind, then maybe a blind person that loves

has a great understanding of it.”

The short story deals with various issues of Indian society and also the
psychological aspects of the Indian mindset. In this story, the character of “Gangu” is
wonderfully drawn by Premchand. Gangu is an illiterate Brahmin servant.Though he does
not follow the rituals of a Brahmin, he is very proud of his caste and expects others to
respect and serve him. He is short tempered and he can't stand any criticism. One day
Gangu tells the owner that he wants to leave the job. He wants to marry Gomti Devi, who
has betrayed three husbands. He says that her previous husbands did not love her but
just wanted her body and soul. He believes rmly that his marriage is going to be a happy
one as he loves her whole-heartedly.

Gangu is so reluctant to pay heed to his master's words. So the master eagerly
waits to see the down fall of Gangu. Gomti is a lecherous woman, who creates a havoc in
the village Mohalla. Gangu marries Gomti ignoring everyone’s advice and the norms of
society. Though Gangu doesn’t earn much, he is very much satis ed with his family.
Unfortunately, Gangu’s wife runs away but he doesn’t blame Gomti of her in delity.That
shows his love and extraordinary character. He goes out in search of her. Gomti gives
birth to a baby boy just after six months of her marriage with Gangu and Gangu accepts
that child as if it was his own child. Gangu is very proud and happy to show this boy to the
narrator. But the master derives a strange pleasure by diverting Gangu's mind saying
that the baby is not his own esh and blood.

Eventually Gangu's positive attitude and his unconditional love for his wife and
the baby brings transformation in Bapuji. The master takes the baby into his hands and
goes along with Gangu to see Gomti. In the story, we can observe that remarriage of
widows wasn’t a general practice. It also highlights the general attitude of men to women
and their exploitation. Issue of poverty in Gangu’s life and his social life is also
important. We also nd very vividly Gangu’s respect towards his master Bapuji. The
Child is a symbol of pure love between Gomti and Gangu. Thus, the title “The
Immaculate Child” suits best.

“Intense love does not measure. It just gives.”

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