On Killing a Tree

 

About the Poet: 

Gieve Patel was born in 1940. He is an Indian poet, playwright, painter, as well as a practicing physician. He belongs to a group of writers who have subscribed themselves to the 'Green Movement' which is involved in an effort to protect the environment. His poems speak of deep concerns for nature and expose man's cruelty to it.

Introduction: 

The poem, ‘On Killing a Tree’ is written by Gieve Patel. In this poem, the poet tells us that it is not easy to kill a tree. We cannot kill a tree by cutting it off. A tree can regrow itself. We have to pluck out its roots from the earth to kill it completely.

Meanings:

Jab: sudden rough blow

Leprous hide: discoloured bark

Hack: cut roughly by striking heavy blows

Anchoring earth:  earth holding the roots of the trees securely

Snapped out: chopped out, cut off

Scorching and choking: the drying up of the tree and after being uprooted as it is exposed to the sun without nutrients, water, air

Summary:

The poet tells us not to destroy trees. He says that a plant takes sunlight, air, water, and nutrients from the earth to gradually become a huge tree. It develops a strong trunk and gets numerous leaves. Merely cutting the trunk of the tree does not kill it. When a tree is cut, the sap flows out. Once the wound heals, new leaves and tiny branches grow and the tree grows again.

In order to destroy a tree, it has to be uprooted. The roots are very important for the trees. The roots are white in colour. They are damp due to the moisture they get from the soil. These roots are the most sensitive part of the tree as they bind it to the earth. In order to kill the tree, these roots have to be detached from the soil.

Once the roots are detached, the tree starts dying, it withers dries up with the action of heat and wind, twists, hardens and finally, dies.

Question and Answers

1. Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?

A. No, a simple jab of the knife cannot kill a tree. When cut the tree bleeds out sap and as the wound heals, new leaves and branches will grow from it. Again the tree starts growing.

2. How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.

A. The tree has grown to its full size by consuming nutrients from the Earth, absorbing sunlight, air, and water. The words that suggest its life and activity are - consuming the earth, rising out of it, feeding upon its crust, absorbing years of sunlight, air, water.

3. What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?

A. Bleeding bark refers to the oozing of sap. The sap flows out of the tree’s bark when it is cut. The tree bleeds when it is cut.

4. The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?

A. ’No’ means that the tree will not die by cutting or chopping its trunk.

5. What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?

A. “Anchoring Earth” means that the Earth supports the tree firmly. “Earth cave” refers to the pit in the Earth where the roots of the tree bind it firmly.

6. What does he mean by “the strength of the tree exposed”?

A. “the strength of the tree exposed” means that upon being uprooted, the most sensitive and important part of the tree i.e. its roots will no longer remain hidden in the Earth and supported by Earth.

7. What finally kills the tree?

A. The tree dies when it is uprooted. It will not get any support from Earth. When it is detached from the Earth, it withers, hardens twists, and finally dies.

Literary Devices

1. No rhyme scheme is there in the poem. It is written in free verse. There is no rhyme or rhythm.

2. Enjambment: When one sentence continues into two or more lines.

Not a simple jab of the knife

Will do it. It has grown

Slowly consuming the earth

 

Rising out of it, feeding

Upon its crust, absorbing

Years of sunlight, air, water,

And out of its leprous hide

Sprouting leaves.

 

The most sensitive, hidden

For years inside the earth.

 

3. Metaphor: indirect comparison

Leprous hide - the uneven colour of the surface of the trunk of a tree is compared to the skin of a person suffering from leprosy.

Bleeding bark - the sap coming out of tree where it is cut is compared to the bleeding from the wound in a human’s body.

4. Alliteration: repetition of a consonant sound in 2 or more closely places words.

Bleeding bark - ‘b’ sound

White and wet - ‘w’ sound

5. Repetition: a word or sentence is repeated to lay emphasis on it.

‘Pulled out’ is repeated

No Men Are Foreign

 

Introduction:

It is clear from the title of the poem, ‘No men are Foreign’ that the poet wants to promote universal brotherhood. The title means that no men belong to another country. That implies that all men are the same, and all men are equal.  All the people, irrespective of where they live eat, live, die the same way. The gifts of nature like, sunshine, air, and harvests are the same. This poem is written by James Kirkup, an American poet.

Meanings:

Beneath: under

Strange: unknown

starve: to be without food

betray: expose, victimize, reveal information about

condemn: criticize

dispossess: dislodge; deprive

outrage: to make extremely angry

Rhyme Scheme: There is no rhyme scheme in the poem. The poem is written in free verse.

Literary Devices:

Alliteration: The repetition of a consonant sound in two or more closely placed words is called alliteration. The instances of alliteration in the poem are….

Stanza 1 - Body, breathes ‘b’ sound is repeated

Stanza 2 – war’s, winter ‘w’ sound is repeated

Metaphor:

Stanza 1 - Uniform refers to the military of different countries

Stanza 2 – wars time is compared to the winter season

Repetition: It is used throughout the poem.

‘Remember’ word is repeated 5 times in this poem.

‘Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign’ is repeated in stanza 1 and stanza 5

Enjambment: Enjambment is running lines of poetry from one line to the next without using any kind of punctuation to indicate a stop. Instances of enjambment in the poem are as follows …..

Stanza 1 – line 2, 3 and 4

Stanza 2 – line 3 and 3

Stanza 3 – line 1, 2, and 3

Stanza 4 – line 1 and 2

Stanza 5 – Line 2 and 3

Summary:

It is interesting to note that the poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’ begins and ends with the same line, ‘Remember no men are strange, no countries foreign’. The poet wants to emphasize on the fact that all the people living on this Earth are the same. We have created distinctions by erecting borders and fences.

While we are alive, we walk on the same Earth and upon our death, we will lie in our graves in the same earth. The poet tells us about some more similarities.  We enjoy good food during peace and starve during the war and in wintertime. We have the same kind of hands and we use them to do hard work. All of us have eyes that are open when we are awake and close when we sleep.

The poet asks us to remember that we hear somebody saying that we are different. We are told to hate, disown, victimize, attack, and criticize others who are foreign. If we do like that, we will be cheating and hating ourselves. We will be taking weapons against ourselves.

We are segregating ourselves. We are polluting our innocence and goodness with hatred and intolerance.  We are making the earth impure with our narrow mindedness. We have to remember that no men are foreign.

Questions and Answers

1. (i) “Beneath all uniforms. ..” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?

(ii) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?

A. (i) The uniforms refer to those worn by soldiers belonging to different countries who take part in wars and fights.

(ii) The poet says that all the people are the same in the following ways: we belong to one human race, we walk on the same Earth, upon death, we will lie in our graves in the same Earth, during peace we all enjoy the bounties of nature, during the war and in the winter season, we all starve due to the shortage of food, we all do hard work with our hands, and we have eyes which function in the same way.

2. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.

A. The five words which indicate that we are all alike are: We walk, we breathe, we have eyes, we work with our hands, and we enjoy the gifts of nature.

3. How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.

A. There are three common features in stanza two. They are: 1. We enjoy the gifts of nature and eat good food during peace. 2. We starve during the war and in the winter season. 3. We have similar hands which we use for doing work.

4. “...whenever we are told to hate our brothers ...” When do you think this happens? Why? Who ‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?

A. The leaders of any country tell the masses to hate the people of another country. They say so for their own benefit. The poet says that we should not follow them because when we hate our brothers, we hate and belittle ourselves. When we indulge in wars, we pollute Earth with our hatred and intolerance.

The Legend of the Northland

 Introduction:

‘A legend of the Northland’ is a ballad. Ballad is such kind of poem which tells a story in short stanzas and in the poem all the stanzas comprise four lines. 

There are 16 stanzas in this poem and these stanzas will tell us a story.  Ballads are a part of a folk culture or popular culture and are passed on orally from one generation to the next. Folk culture is a popular story of any area. Folk culture comprises traditional stories that are passed on from one generation to the next generation.

This story is of the Northland area, the area which is near the North Pole. Though the exact place is not specified, it is evident that ‘Northland’ means the area in the northernmost part of the earth i.e., near the North Pole. ‘Legend’ is a historical story,  which is very old and has been passed on from generation to generation.

Summary:

The poem is a legend about an old lady who angered Saint Peter because of her greed. Saint Peter was preaching around the world and reached the door of a cottage one day, where this woman lived. She was making cakes and baking them on a hearth. St. Peter was fainting with hunger. He asked the lady to give him a piece of cake. 

The cake that she was baking then appeared to be too big, so she did not give him that, and instead, she baked another smaller one. That also appeared to be big so she did not give him that also. The second time she baked yet another smaller cake but found it too big to give away. In the third attempt, she took an extremely little scrap of dough and rolled it flat. She had it as thin as a wafer but was unable to part with that also. 

This angered St. Peter a lot. He said that she was not fit to live in human form and enjoy food and warmth. He cursed her and transformed her into a woodpecker bird who had to bore in hard, dry wood to get its scanty food. She can be seen in the trees all day boring and boring for food.

 Questions and Answers:

 1. Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?

A. The northland refers to the region around the north pole which is extremely cold. 

2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction?

A. Saint Peter asked the lady to give him a cake as he was hungry. The lady did not give him a cake out of the ones that she had baked, instead, she wanted to bake a smaller one for him.

3. How did he punish her?

A. He punished the selfish lady by turning her into a woodpecker bird that had to bore into the dry wood all day to get some food and shelter.

4. How does the woodpecker get her food?

A. The woodpecker gets food by boring holes in the wood.

5. Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then?

A. If the old lady knew who Saint Peter was, then she would not have been ungenerous. On the other hand, she would have served him well for the fulfillment of her greedy desires.

6. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?

A. It is not a true story. The point of the story where the woman is turned into a woodpecker bird is the most important. This is so because the punishment teaches everyone the lesson to be generous.

7. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?

A. A legend is a popular story from the past which is believed to be true but cannot be verified. It contains a moral which is narrated to the children to teach them moral values.

8. Write the story of ‘A Legend of Northland’ in about ten sentences.

A. Saint Peter was preaching around the world and reached the door of a cottage one day.  A woman who lived there was making cakes. St. Peter was fainting with hunger. He asked the lady to give him a piece of cake. She was a greedy woman and didn't want to give away anything to others. She tried to make smaller cakes. In the third attempt, she made a wafer-thin cake.  She was unable to part with that also. This angered St. Peter a lot. He said that she was not fit to live in human form and enjoy food and warmth. He cursed her to become a woodpecker. She had to bore in hard, dry wood to get its scanty food.

Grammar Exercises

Let’s look at the words at the end of the second and fourth lines, viz., ‘snows’ and ‘clothes’, ‘true’ and ‘you’, ‘below’ and ‘know.’ We find that ‘snows’ rhymes with ‘clothes’, ‘true’ rhymes with ‘you’ and ‘below’ rhymes with ‘know’.

Find more such rhyming words.

A. The rhyming words in the poem are:

few	Through
earth	Hearth
done	One
lay	Away
flat	That
myself	Shelf
faint	Saint
form	warm
food	wood
word	bird
same	Flame

Literary Devices in the poem:

Rhyme Scheme: abcb

1. Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound in two or more close words.

Stanza 1 - that, they, them through - ‘th’ sound is repeating

Stanza 2 - they, the - ‘th’ sound is repeating

look, like - ‘l’ sound is repeating

funny, furry - ‘f’ sound is repeating

Stanza 3 - they, them- ‘th’ sound is repeating

yet, you - ‘‘y sound is repeating’

learn, lesson - ‘l’ sound is repeating

tell, tale, to - ‘t’ sound is repeating

Stanza 5 - woman, was – ‘w’ sound is repeating

Them, the, hearth - ‘th’ sound is repeating

Stanza 6 - faint, fasting - ‘f’ sound is repeating

Stanza 8 - still, smaller - ‘s’ sound is repeating

Stanza 9 - took, tiny -‘t’ sound is repeating

Stanza 10 - seem, small - ‘s’ sound is repeating

Stanza 13 - build, birds - ‘b’ sound is repeating

by, boring, boring – ‘b’ sound is repeating

 2. Repetition any word or sentence is repeated to lay emphasis on it.

Stanza 1 - ‘away’ word is repeated

Stanza 9 – ‘rolled’ word is repeated

Stanza 13, 16 – ‘boring’ word is repeated

 3. Enjambment running lines of poetry from one to the next without using any kind of punctuation to indicate a stop

Stanza 1 - line 3 and 4

Stanza 2 - Line 1 and 2; line 3 and 4

Stanza 3 - Line 3 and 4

Stanza 4 - Line 1 and 2; 3 and 4

Stanza 10 - Line 1, 2 and 3

Stanza 11 - Line 1 and 2

 4. Simile Comparison using ‘as’ or ‘like’

Stanza 2 – ‘the children look like bear’s cubs’. Children compared to bear’s cubs

Stanza 9 – ‘baked it thin as a wafer’. Cake is compared to a wafer.

Stanza 15 – ‘clothes were burned black as a coal’. The colour of the burned clothes is compared to that of coal.

Wind

By Kritija

 Introduction: 

We all know that wind is a natural occurrence. In this poem, the poet talks to the wind. He also describes the power of the wind. The poet says that the power of the wind is destructive.  The poet compares the destructive power of the wind to the adversities of life. He says that the weak people break down, but stronger people emerge out of adversities, stronger.  The poem gives an important message that we should be mentally tough and physically strong in order to survive the hardships of life. A weak person breaks down like a weak building and crumbles. We must make these destructive forces our friends, with our strength and determination. 

Literary devices:  

Rhyme scheme - Rhyme: A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words.The entire poem is written in free verse. 

There is no rhyme scheme in the poem.

The literary devices used are as follows – 

i. Anaphora - Anaphora is the repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines to create a sonic effect.

Lines 2, 3, 4 begin with ‘don’t’. 

Lines 6, 7, 8 begin with ‘you’.

ii. Personification – Personification is referring or representing a thing or abstraction as a person. In this poem, the wind has been personified. When the poet says ‘you are’, he is referring to wind as ‘you’ which means he is treating wind as a person.

 iii. Repetition - Repetition is the simple repeating of a word, within a short space of words to give emphasis. The word 'crumbling’ is repeated many times to lay emphasis. The poet wants to say that the wind crushes everything that is weak. That is why he repeats the word crumbling. 

 iv. Alliteration - Alliteration is the repetition of identical initial consonant sounds in successive or closely associated syllables within a group of words. In this poem, the repetition of a consonant sound in closely placed words. 

‘wind winnows’. 

‘won’t want’

 v. Symbolism - Symbolism is a literary device that uses symbols, be they words, people, marks, locations, or abstract ideas to represent something beyond the literal meaning. Here, 'wind is a symbol. It refers to the challenges in life. The poet is using wind as a symbol for the adversities in our life.

Summary:

The first part of the poem describes the action of the wind. The poet asks the wind to come softly. He requests the wind not to break the shutters of the windows, not to scatter the papers and throw down the books from the shelf. But the wind throws the books and tears the pages. The poet says that the wind makes a mockery of weaklings. The wind brings down frail houses, crumbling doors, rafters, and even weak hearts. It crushes everything that is weak.

The poet advises us to make friends with the wind. In order to be friends with the wind we have to be strong. Only then can we save ourselves from the wind. We have to build strong homes with sturdy doors. Our bodies and hearts must be strong. The world makes fun of weak people and makes friends of strong people. Just as the wind blows out the weak fires but makes the strong fires roar and flourish. Thus, the poem conveys the idea that nobody cares for the weak. Even the wind is on the side of the strong people. We must make ourselves strong to face the challenges in life.

 Questions and Answers

1. What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?

A. When the wind blows strongly, it destroys everything. It breaks the shutters of windows, scatters the papers, throws the books down from the shelves, and tears the pages. It also brings along rain.

 2. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?

A. The wind God winnows means that nature separates the weak things from the strong ones. Everything that is weak is tossed and blown away by the powerful wind. A winnower separates the grains of wheat from the chaff, similarly, the wind God separates the weak from the strong.

 3. What should we do to make friends with the wind?

A. We must make ourselves strong to face the violent wind. When we are strong, the wind will not harm us, instead, it will become a friend and help us to grow and flourish.

4. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?

A. The last four lines of the poem carry an important message that strong people emerge stronger and victorious in the face of adversities. We must make ourselves strong like a roaring fire that grows and flourishes in the violent wind. We should be strong and brave to face the challenges and flourish.

Wind poem translated into Telugu (to help better understanding)

గాలి 

గాలీ, నెమ్మది గా రా

కిటికీ తలుపులను విరిచేయకు

కాగితాలను చెల్లాచెదురు చేయకు

అరలలోని పుస్తకాలను పడవేయకు

చూడు నువ్వేం చేసావో - వాటన్నింటినీ కింద పడేసావు

పుస్తకాలలోని కాగితాలను చించేసావు

నువ్వు మళ్ళీ వర్షాన్ని తెచ్చావు

దుర్బలులని పరిహసించడం లో నువ్వు మేటివి

బాల హీనమై కూలుతున్న ఇళ్ళు, కూలుతున్న ద్వారాలు, కూలుతున్న వాసాలు

కూలుతున్న మానులు, కూలుతున్న శరీరాలు, రాలిపోతున్న  జీవితాలు,

పగులుతున్న గుండెలు  -

గాలి వీటన్నింటినీ చెరిగేసి పొడి చేసేస్తాడు

వాడు నువ్వు చెప్పినట్లు వినడు

అందుకనే రండి బలమైన ఇళ్ళని కడదాం

తలుపులను గట్టిగా బిగిద్దాం

దేహాన్ని దృఢ పరిచే సాధన చేద్దాం

గుండెని దిటవు గా చేద్దాం

ఇలా చేస్తే గాలి మన నేస్తమౌతాడు

గాలి బలహీన మైన మంటని ఊదేస్తాడు

బలమైన మంటల్ని ఎగ దోస్తాడు

అతనితో స్నేహం మంచిది

ప్రతి దినం అతనిని ప్రశంసిద్దాం 

పరిచయము:

గాలి అనేది ప్రకృతి సిద్ధమైన ఒక శక్తి అని మనందరికీ తెలుసు. ఈ కవితలో కవి గాలితో మాట్లాడుతాడు. కవి ఈ కవిత లో  గాలి గల బలాన్ని, శక్తిని వివరిస్తాడు. గాలి కి గల శక్తి వినాశకరమైనదని చెప్తూ, గాలి యొక్క విధ్వంసక శక్తిని కవి మానవ జీవితంలో ఎదురయ్యే కష్టాలతో పోల్చాడు. జీవితం లో బలహీనులు విచ్ఛిన్నమవుతారని, కానీ బలమైన వ్యక్తులు కష్టాల నుండి బయటపడతారని కవి అంటాడు. జీవితము లో ఎదురయ్యే కష్టాలను, ఒడిదుడుకులను తట్టుకుని నిలబడాలంటే మనం మానసికంగా దృఢం గా, శారీరకంగా బలంగా ఉండాలనే  ముఖ్యమైన సందేశాన్ని ఈ కవిత ఇస్తుంది. దుర్బలుడైన వ్యక్తి బలహీనమైన భవనంలా కూలిపోతాడు. మనకి తటస్థ పడే రక రకాల విధ్వంసక శక్తులను, ఇబ్బందులను మనము దృఢం గా తయారవడం వల్ల ఎదుర్కో గలుగు తాము. బలమైన శక్తులను మనము మన స్నేహితులుగా చేసుకోవాలి.

సారాంశము:

ఈ కవిత యొక్క మొదటి భాగం గాలి చేసే విచ్చిన్నకరమైన పనులను వివరిస్తుంది. గాలీ, నెమ్మది గా రా అని కవి కోరతాడు. గాలిని . కిటికీల షట్టర్లను బద్దలు కొట్టవద్దని, కాగితాలను చెల్లాచెదరు చేయవద్దని, పుస్తకాలను షెల్ఫ్ నుండి పడవేయవద్దని కవి  గాలిని అభ్యర్థిస్తాడు. కానీ గాలి కాగితాలను విసిరిపడేసి, పుస్తకాలలోని పేజీలను చింపేస్తాడు. గాలి బలహీను ల తో పరాచికాలు ఆడతాడు.   గాలి బలహీనమైన ఇళ్ళు, విరిగిపోతున్న తలుపులు, మానులు మరియు బలహీనమైన హృదయాలను ఛిన్నాభిన్నం చేస్తాడు. గాలి దుర్బలమైన ప్రతీ దానినీ పిండి చేసి పారేస్తాడు.

 కవి మనకి గాలితో స్నేహం చేయమని సలహా ఇస్తాడు. గాలితో స్నేహం కావాలంటే మనం బలంగా ఉండాలి. అప్పుడే మనం గాలి నుండి మనల్ని రక్షించుకోగలం. మేము ధృఢమైన తలుపులతో బలమైన గృహాలను నిర్మించాలి. మన శరీరాలు, హృదయాలు బలంగా ఉండాలి. ప్రపంచం బలహీనమైన వ్యక్తులను ఎగతాళి చేస్తుంది మరియు బలమైన వ్యక్తుల స్నేహితులను చేస్తుంది. గాలి బలహీనమైన మంటలను ఆర్పివేస్తుంది. కానీ  బలమైన మంటలు గాలి వల్ల ప్రజ్వలమై వృద్ధి చెందుతాయి.

బలహీనులను ఎవరూ పట్టించుకోరు, వారిని అందరూ అణచి వేస్తారు అనే భావన ను ఈ కవిత తెలియ చెబుతుంది. గాలి కూడా బలమైన వారి పక్షాన ఉంతాడు. జీవితంలో సవాళ్లను ఎదుర్కోవటానికి మనల్ని మనం బలోపేతంగా చేసుకోవాలి.

 ప్రాస (రైమ్ స్కీ మ్)

పదాల చివర ఒకే రకమైన ధ్వని ని కలిగివున్న పదాలను లైన్ చివర ఉపయోగించడం. 

ఈ కవిత లో ప్రాస ఉవయోగించబడలేదు. ఇది వచన కవిత (ఫ్రీ వెర్స్) గా వ్రాయబడింది. 

 ఈ కవిత లో ఉపయోగించబడిన కవితా అలంకారములు:

అనఫోరా:: ఇది ఒక రకమైన శబ్ధా లంకారము. వినసొంపుగా ఉండేలా ఒకేలా వినిపించే పదాలను దగ్గర దగ్గర గా ఉపయోగించే విధానాన్ని అనఫోరా అంటారు. 

లైనులు  2, 3, 4  ‘don’t’. తో మొదలు అవుతాయి 

లైనులు 6, 7, 8  ‘you’ తో మొదలు అవుతాయి 

 పర్సానిఫికేషన్: పర్సానిఫికేషన్  అనేది ఏదేని ఒక వస్తువును (పదార్ధము) లేదా విషయాన్ని గానీ ఒక వ్యక్తి గా చూపించడం లేదా సంబోధించడం.  ఈ కవితలో 'గాలి' వ్యక్తీకరించబడింది. కవి గాలి ని ఒక వ్యక్తి గా భావించి ఈ కవిత ను వ్రాసాడు. 

రిపిటీషన్: పునరావృతం అనేది ఒక పదాన్ని పదే పదే ఉపయోగించడం. ఒక భావాన్ని గాని, విషయాన్ని గాని మనసుకి హత్తుకు పోయేలా చెప్పడానికి రిపిటీషన్ ను కవులు వాడతారు. ఈ కవిత లో 'crumbling' అనే పదం చాలాసార్లు పునరావృతమవుతుంది. బలహీనమైన ప్రతిదాన్ని గాలి పిండి చేసేస్తుందని చేస్తుందని కవి చెప్పాలనుకుంటున్నాడు. అందుకే అతను ఈ పదాన్ని పదే పదే వాడాడు. 

ఎలిటరేషన్ - ఒకే రకమైన కాన్సోనంట్  (హల్లు) ధ్వని గల పదాలను పదేపదే దగ్గర దగ్గర గా వాడడం.  ఈ కవితలో, దగ్గరగా వున్నపదాలలో w  యొక్క ధ్వని వాడబడింది.

‘wind winnows’.

 ‘won’t want’

సింబాలిజం - సింబాలిజం అనేది వ్యక్తులు, ప్రదేశాలు, విషయాలు  లేదా ఆలోచనలు ను సూచించే పదాలను వాటి అసలైన అర్ధాలకు మించి వేరే అర్ధం లో సంకేతం, గుర్తు లేదా చిహ్నం గా వాడడం.. ఇక్కడ, 'గాలి ఒక చిహ్నం. ఇది జీవితంలో సవాళ్లను సూచిస్తుంది. కవి మన జీవితంలో ఎదురయ్యే కష్టాలకు చిహ్నంగా గాలిని ఉపయోగిస్తున్నాడు. 

Animals - Walt Whitman

 

About the Poet:

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) is a major figure in American poetry. He broke the tradition of rhymed and metrical poetry. He was famous for writing a revolutionary new kind of poetry which was not limited by rhyme or meter. It is called ‘free verse’. The poem ‘animals’ is an extract from ‘Song of Myself’ in his book, ‘Leaves of grass’.

Explanation:

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are

so placid and self-contained,

I stand and look at them long and long.

Meanings:

Placid: calm, peaceful, without worries

Contained: keep up control, to be under control

Literary Devices:

Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘I’ (I, think, I, live, with, animals)

Repetition: use of the word ‘long’

Anaphora: ‘I’ word used at the start of two consecutive lines

 They do not sweat and whine about their condition,

They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins, 

They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,

Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with

the mania of owning things,

Sweat: here it means complaining about something

Meanings:

Whine: cry

Sins: wrongdoing

Demented: mad, disturbed

Literary Devices:

Anaphora: use of repeated words at the beginning of two or more consecutive lines (use of “they do not”)

Metaphor:  sweat and whine refer to the cries and complaints of human beings.

Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that

lived thousands of years ago,

Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.

So they show their relations to me and I accept them,

They bring me tokens of myself, they evince

them plainly in their possession

Meanings:

Kneels: bow down

Evince: show, reveal

Possession: ownership of something

Tokens: here, the qualities

Literary Devices:

Metaphor: The inner qualities of humans are referred to as tokens

I wonder where they get those tokens,

Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?

Meanings:

Negligently: Carelessly

Rhyme Scheme:

There is no rhyme scheme followed in the poem. The poem is written as a ‘free verse’.

Textual Questions and Answers:

1. Notice the use of the word ‘turn’ in the first line, “I think I could turn and live with animals…” What is the poet turning from?

The poet wants to turn away from living in the world of human beings. He finds animals more placid and self-contained and therefore, he wants to live with them.

2. Mention three things that humans do and animals don’t?

These are the three things that humans do and animals don’t:

Humans complain and cry about the miseries and sorrows they face.

Humans lie awake in the night thinking about their wrongdoings.

Humans talk about their duties towards God.

3. Do humans kneel to other humans who lived thousands of years ago? Discuss this in groups?

Yes, humans kneel to other humans who lived thousands of years ago. They could be some ancestors, saints or the preachers. Humans follow their dead as per their religion and beliefs. They worship and follow their dead people.

4. What are the ‘tokens’ that the poet says he may have dropped long ago, and which the animals have kept for him? Discuss this in class. (Hint: Whitman belongs to the Romantic tradition that includes Rousseau and Wordsworth, which holds that civilization has made humans false to their own true nature. What could be the basic aspects of our nature as living beings that humans choose to ignore or deny?)

The word tokens according to the poet is the good qualities in human beings. The poet feels that good qualities do not exist in human beings in the present day. The poet feels that humans have lost these tokens (desirable qualities like innocence, contentment, compassion, and so on) for the sake of materialistic things.

 

How to Tell Wild Animals

Carolyn Well

Introduction:

In the poem, the poet explains the characteristics of various wild animals in a humorous manner. She is introduces various kinds of wild animals like Asian lion, Bengal tiger, bear, crocodile, hyena telling their unique qualities in a funny way.

About the Poet:

Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was an American writer who was famous for books based on mystery. Her famous works are at the sign of the Sphinx, The Jingle book, and the story of Betty.

Summary: 

The poet is describing various wild animals in this poem. These animals are very dangerous and she has introduced them one by one in a funny way.

First of all she tells us about an Asian lion. She says that if you are visiting the jungles of the east and if you happen to see an animal which has tawny skin and he roars so loudly that you will die out of fear, you can be sure that he is an Asian lion.

Secondly, she tells us about the Bengal tiger.  She says that the royal animal attacks and kills a human at once. She humorously says if this beautiful, black striped animal kills you and eats you, then you have surely met a Bengal tiger.

The third animal is a leopard. She says that if the reader meets an animal with black spotted skin and if it at once jumps on the reader him, it means that the reader has met a leopard. Moreover, she says that even if a person cries out in pain, it is of no use as the leopard will not stop attacking the person.

The fourth animal that she tells about is a bear. She says a bear will hug very tightly. This is the way to recognize a bear as it kills a person by hugging very tightly. She tells us the only way to recognize a bear is by the animal’s tight hug.

After this, she asks the readers whether they know how to recognize beasts which hunt their prey. She feels that recognizing these animals is like a puzzle. She goes on telling us about crocodiles, and hyenas and chameleons. She says that crocodiles always shed tears and hyenas make noise resembling human as they hunt.

The last one in her list is the Chameleon. She says that it is a lizard like creature which doesn’t have ears and wings just like a lizard. She further says that the chameleon has a quality of changing its color according to the colour of its surroundings. Only this can help us to differentiate between a lizard and a chameleon.  As she explains this quality of a chameleon, she says that if the reader looks at a tree and if the reader can only see the tree, it means that there is a chameleon sitting on it. The chameleon has already turned its color to brown just like the branch of the tree.

Explanation:

If ever you should go by chance

To jungles in the east;                          

And if there should to you advance

A large and tawny beast,

If he roars at you as you’re dyin’

You’ll know it is the Asian Lion...

Tawny: yellowish brown color

The poet is telling the readers that how they can recognize various animals in the jungles of the east. So, in first stanza she says that if the reader comes across an animal whose skin is yellowish brown in colour and if it roars so strongly that the reader can die out of fear, it means that the reader has encountered an Asian lion. She has humorously explains that an Asian lion can kill a person with its roar.

Literary Devices:

 Enjambment: Continuation of a sentence to the next line (and if there…..tawny beast)

Inversion: Change in the format of a sentence (if there should to you advance)

Assonance: use of vowel sound ’o’ (you should go, should to you, roars,)

Allusion: Reference to a famous thing, place, species of animal, etc (Asian Lion)

Rhyme:

Rhyme scheme ababcc is followed (chance-advance, east-beast, dyin-lion)

Or if some time when roaming round,

A noble wild beast greets you,

With black stripes on a yellow ground,         

Just notice if he eats you.

This simple rule may help you learn

The Bengal Tiger to discern.

Noble: high born, aristocratic

Discern: recognize

She explains an animal that roams in the jungle and belongs to a royal clan. The colour of its skin is yellowish with black stripes. She says that if the reader notices the animal and it kills and eats the reader, then the reader has surely seen a Bengal Tiger.

Literary Devices:

 Alliteration: repetition of consonant sound ‘r’ at start of two or more closely connected words (roaming round)

Inversion: Change in the format of a sentence (The Bengal Tiger to discern)

Allusion: Reference to a famous thing, place, species of animal, etc (Bengal Tiger)

Assonance: Use of vowel sound ’o’ (or if some time when roaming round)

Rhyme:

Rhyme scheme ababcc is followed (round-ground, you-you learn-discern)

If strolling forth, a beast you view,

Whose hide with spots is peppered,                      

As soon as he has lept on you,

You’ll know it is the Leopard.

’Twill do no good to roar with pain,

He’ll only lep and lep again.

Strolling: walking casually

Forth: forward

Hide: skin of animal

Peppered: Here it means the spots

Lept (Leapt): jump towards someone

The poet says that if the reader is casually walking in a jungle, and meets an animal who has a skin with spots on it. The animal is so fast that it leaps on the reader at once. This leaping or jumping is an indication that the animal is none other than the leopard. Even if the reader cries out in pain, it is of no use as the animal keeps on jumping on the reader. 

Literary Devices:

 Alliteration: use of consonant sound ‘h’ in the beginning of two words (he has)

Poetic license: A liberty to the poet to change the spellings in order to create rhyme or rhythm in a poem (use of lept instead of leapt)

Repetition: use of ‘lep’ word in the last line.

Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘o’ (strolling-forth-you, whose-spot, do no good to roar)

Consonance: use of ‘l’ sound (he’ll only lep lep)

 Rhyme:

Rhyme scheme ababcc is followed (view- you, peppered- Leopard, pain-again)

 If when you’re walking round your yard

You meet a creature there,

Who hugs you very, very hard,            

Be sure it is a Bear.

If you have any doubts, I guess

He’ll give you just one more caress.

Yard: backyard or the lawn area of a house

Caress: A gentle touch

If the reader is walking in the lawn area of the reader’s house and the reader meets a creature which hugs the reader tightly, it is a bear. She further adds that if the reader is still in doubt regarding the animal, the easiest way is to make sure is by the continued hugging .

Literary Devices:

 Enjambment: Continuation of a sentence to the next line (if you were walking….creature there)

Alliteration: use of ‘w’ sound (when-walking), use of ‘h’ sound (who- hugs), use of ‘b’ sound (be-bear)

Assonance: use of vowel ‘e’ (meet a creature there)

Rhyme:

Rhyme scheme ababcc is followed (yard-hard, there- bear, guess-caress)

Though to distinguish beasts of prey              

A novice might nonplus,

The Crocodile you always may

Tell from the Hyena thus:

Hyenas come with merry smiles;

But if they weep they’re Crocodiles

Distinguish: Differentiate

Beast of Prey: Any animals that hunts other animals for food   

Novice: Someone new to a job

Nonplus: be confused

The poet says that some people may find it a puzzle to recognize the animals that hunt other animals for food. The poet tries to help out the readers by telling the difference between two animals. He says that Hyenas make sounds like human laughter and crocodiles shed tears. Both the animals are dangerous.

Literary Devices:

Alliteration: use of consonant sound ‘n’ (novice-nonplus), use of ‘th’ sound (the-thus)

Enjambment: continuation of sentence to the next line (though to distinguish….might nonplus, The crocodile…..hyena thus)

 Rhyme: 

Rhyme scheme ababcc is followed (prey-may, nonplus-thus, smiles-crocodiles)

The true Chameleon is small,

A lizard sort of thing;

He hasn’t any ears at all,

And not a single wing.

If there is nothing on the tree, 

’Tis the chameleon you see.

The poet tells about Chameleon, which is a small creature. It looks like a lizard but the difference between the two is that chameleon does not have ears and wings. Chameleon has the ability to change its color according to the surface on which it is sitting. Therefore, if you see a tree and find nothing else on it, then there must be a chameleon sitting on it.

Literary Devices:

Alliteration: use of ‘h’ sound (he hasn’t)

Consonance: use of ‘g’ sound (single wing)

Rhyme:

Rhyme scheme ababcc is followed (small-all, thing-wing, tree-see)

Textual Question and Answers:

Q1-Does ‘dyin’ really rhyme with ‘lion’? Can you say it in such a way that it does?

The actual word is dying. But the word does not rhyme with lion. In order to maintain rhyme, it is written as ‘dyin’ in the poem. Poets often take liberty to modify words to suit the rhyme.

Q2- How does the poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so, according to him?

The poet differentiates between the two in the following manner-

She says that if the beast is of yellow- brown colour that is tawny colour and it roars out so fiercely that you may die out of fear, the animal is an Asian lion.

If the animal has black stripes on yellow background of the skin and he attacks to kill you, the animal is a Bengal tiger.

Q3- Do you think the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ in the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this?

The verb forms of leap are – Leap, Leapt, Leapt. In this poem the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ are misspelled. They are not spelled correctly. The poet did this to emphasize the actions of leopard and to maintain the rhyme with the animal’s name. Poets occasionally do like this. This is a poetic device known as poetic license. 

 Q4- Look at the line “A novice might nonplus”. How would you write this ‘correctly’? Why is the poet’s ‘incorrect’ line better in the poem?

The correct form of the sentence should be ‘a novice might be nonplussed’. The poet wrote it in order to bring rhyme to her poem. We can see that ‘nonplus’ rhymes with ‘thus’. This is a poetic device known as poetic license. 

Q5- Much of the humour in the poem arises from the way language is used, although the ideas are funny as well. If there are particular lines in the poem that you especially like, share these with the class, speaking briefly about what it is about the ideas or the language that you like or find funny?

Yes, I agree. It is true that the poet has used the language in a jocular way. The poet has used many lines that are funny. One such line is ‘If he roars at you as you’re dyin’. You’ll know it is the Asian Lion...’  Another line is ‘A noble wild beast greets you’. So her idea of explaining the characteristics of the wild animals is really humorous.