A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

 The writer is Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

 Pelayo finds an old man in his house yard.
 The old man has big wings.
 He is very weak and dirty.
 He cannot speak clearly.
 People think he is an angel.
 Pelayo and Elisenda keep him in a chicken cage.
 Many people come to see him.
 Pelayo and Elisenda take money from people.
 The people are not kind to the old man.
 A spider woman comes to the village.
 People go to see her and forget the old man.
 The old man becomes strong slowly.
 One day, he flies away.
 Elisenda feels happy and free when he goes.
 People are not kind to poor and weak people.
 People think more about money and fun than
kindness.
 People are cruel to the weak.
 People are more curious than kind.

In the Attic

 The writer is Wladyslaw Szpilman.

 The story is about World War II.
 Szpilman is a Jewish man and a pianist.
 He hides in a small attic room.
 The city is destroyed by the German army.
 He has no food and is very hungry.
 He feels lonely and scared.
 A German officer finds him.
 The officer asks him to play the piano.
 Szpilman plays Chopin music.
 The officer likes the music.
 The officer helps Szpilman.
 He gives him food and clothes.
 Szpilman stays hidden and survives.
 The war ends and the city is free.
 Szpilman is safe at last.
 War brings suffering and fear.
 Kindness can be found even in bad people.
 Human spirit is strong.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen

 The speech is written by WilliamShakespeare.

 It is from the play Julius Caesar.
 The speaker is Mark Antony.
 He speaks at Caesar’s funeral.
 Caesar is dead.
 Brutus and others killed Caesar.
 Antony asks people to listen to him.
 He says Brutus is an honourable man.
 But he says it again and again to show irony.
 Antony wants to show Caesar was a good man.
 He says Caesar helped the poor.
 He says Caesar was not greedy.
 Ceaser rejected crown three times
 Antony makes people doubt Brutus.
 The people start to feel angry.
 Antony makes the people support Caesar.
 The crowd turns against the killers.
 Repetition- “Brutus is an honourable man”
 Alliteration - “He was my friend, faithful and just to
me” , “Brutish beasts”
 Verbal Irony - "Brutus is an honourable man”
 Breaking Barriers, I will Fly

 Srikanth Bolla a blind entrepreneur

 He was born blind in a small village in Andhra
Pradesh.
 His parents were poor farmers, but they loved and
supported him.
 In school, teachers and students ignored him and
made him sit on the last bench.
 He felt lonely and sad because of discrimination.
 Later, he joined a special school in Hyderabad.
 There, he got equal opportunities and encouragement.
 He did well in studies and scored 90% in SSLC.
 He was denied science stream because he was blind.
 He fought against injustice and got permission to
study science.
 He passed 12th standard with 98% marks.
 He went to MIT (USA) for higher studies.
 He became the first blind international student at MIT.
 In 2012, he started Bollant Industries.
 The company gives jobs to differently-abled people.
 It makes eco-friendly and biodegradable products.
 His life shows hard work, courage, and determination.
 The lesson teaches us to believe in ourselves and
never give up.

A Phoenix Rises

 A Phoenix Rises is about Arunachalam

Muruganantham.
 The story is told through the character Bablu.
 Bablu loses his father at a young age.
 He grows up in poverty.
 He leaves school early to support his family.
 Bablu learns welding for his livelihood.
 Slowly, he improves his workshop.
 After marriage, Bablu learns about menstrual
problems.
 His wife uses dirty cloth during menstruation.
 Sanitary pads are too expensive for poor women.
 Bablu feels shocked and disturbed.
 He decides to make low-cost sanitary pads.
 Society mocks and rejects him.
 Even his family leaves him.
 He continues his work secretly.
 He fails many times but never gives up.
 Finally, he succeeds in making cheap sanitary pads.
 His invention improves women’s health and dignity.
 It creates jobs for rural women.
 Like a phoenix, Bablu rises after suffering.

The Seedling

 The Seedling is a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar.

 The poem is about growth and perseverance.
 A small seedling is the main idea.
 The seedling is weak and buried in dark soil.
 It faces many difficulties.
 Still, it tries its best.
 Slowly, it grows towards the light.
 The seedling represents human life.
 Like the seedling, people also face problems.
 With patience and hope, people can succeed.
 The poem tells us to never give up.
 Metaphor –"darksome bed” refers to the hardships
 Personification – "thinking and talking to itself"
 WAR

 War is a short story by Luigi Pirandello.

 The story is set during World War I.
 The events happen inside a train compartment.
 Most passengers are parents of soldiers.
 One couple’s only son has been called to war.
 The mother is silent and deeply sad.
 The father tries to remain calm.
 Passengers talk about war and patriotism.
 One man says parents should feel proud, not sad.
 He says children belong to the country, not parents.
 His son has already died in the war.
 At first, others agree with his words.
 They try to hide their sorrow by talking about duty.
 Slowly, the man begins to break down emotionally.
 His voice trembles and he shows real pain.
 The silent mother asks if his son is truly dead.
 This question makes him collapse in grief.
 Everyone realizes the true pain of losing a child.
 Patriotism cannot remove a parent’s sorrow.
 War brings irreparable loss and suffering.
 The pain of losing a child is greater than patriotic
duty.

A Piece of String

 A Piece of String is written by Guy de Maupassant.

 The story is set in Goderville, a small village in
France.
 The main character is Hauchecome, an old peasant.
 He is poor, honest, and thrifty.
 One day, he goes to the market place.
 He sees a piece of string on the ground.
 He picks it up thinking it may be useful.
 Malandain, his enemy, sees him pick it up.
 Hauchecome feels ashamed to be seen by Malandain.
 Later, a pocketbook is lost in the market.
 An announcement is made to return it to the Mayor’s
office.
 Hauchecome is called by the Mayor.
 The Mayor accuses him of stealing the pocketbook.
 Hauchecome says he picked up only a piece of string.
 He even shows the string, but no one believes him.
 The pocketbook is later found and returned by
someone else.
 Still, villagers think Hauchecome is guilty.
 People mock him and avoid him.
 He keeps repeating his story to prove his innocence.
 Due to stress and shame, his health worsens.
 Finally, Hauchecome dies, broken and unhappy.
 Gossip, suspicion, and injustice.
 False suspicion can destroy an innocent person’s life.

Another Day in Paradise

 Another Day in Paradise is written by Phil Collins.

 It is based on a song/poem.
 The poem talks about social indifference.
 The main character is a homeless woman.
 She lives on the street.
 She suffers from cold, hunger, and pain.
 She asks a man for help.
 The man ignores her.
 He pretends he cannot hear her.
 He even whistles to hide his guilt.
 The woman has no shelter or safety.
 The poet compares her life with the comfortable life
of others.
 For rich people, life feels like a “paradise”.
 For the homeless woman, life is full of suffering.
 The poet asks the reader to “think twice”.
 The poem shows how society ignores the poor.
 It criticizes lack of compassion in modern life.
 The poem asks us to be kind and helpful.
 Social indifference and lack of empathy.
 Irony – The word “paradise” means comfort for some,
suffering for others.
 Repetition – “Oh, think twice” (to warn the reader)

Shakuntalam

 Shakuntalam is a famous play by Kalidasa.

 King Dushyanta goes to the forest in his tochariot.
 He is chasing a spotted deer with bow and arrow.
 Two hermits stop him from killing the deer.
 They say the deer belongs to the hermitage.
 They remind the King that weapons should protect,
not harm.
 The King obeys them and puts away his weapons.
 The hermits bless him and ask him to visit Sage
Kanva’s hermitage.
 They say Kanva’s foster daughter Shakuntala will
receive him.
 The King agrees and goes to the hermitage.
 On the way, he sees signs of peace and holiness.
 He removes his jewels and weapons before entering.
 Inside, he sees Shakuntala with her two friends.
 Her friends are Anasuya and Priyamvada.
 They are watering plants.
 Shakuntala loves plants like her sisters.
 The King hides and watches her silently.
 He admires her beauty and innocence.
 Her friends tease her about marriage.
 A bee troubles Shakuntala.
 Her friends joke and ask her to call King Dushyanta,
the protector of the forest.
 Theme :Love, nature, innocence, and respect for life.
 True beauty lies in simplicity, kindness, and respect
for nature.

Trills and Thrills: Birdwatching in India

 Written by Salim Ali, a famous Indian ornithologist.

 Birdwatching is described as peaceful yet exciting.
 It may not involve adventures
 It gives deep satisfaction and joy.
 India is ideal for birdwatching because of its rich
variety of birdlife.
 Real-life observation of birds is more interesting than
textbook knowledge.
 Birds do not always behave as written in books
 Birds do not always follow recorded behaviour.
 Field study and photography make birdwatching
more attractive.
 Salim Ali shares thrilling and dangerous experiences.
 He encountered wild elephants in South Indian forests.
 He had a narrow escape from a wild tusker at
Parambikulam.
 In the Himalayas, he met a danger, while watching
birds
 Birdwatching can be dangerous at times
 Birdwatching needs presence of mind, courage, and
quick thinking.
 Birdwatching gave him lifelong happiness and
satisfaction.

The Wild Swans at Coole

 Poem written by W B Yeats

 The poem is about nature and the poet’s feelings.
 On October Twilight autumn season
 Autumn means old age and change
 The poet describes wild swans at Coole Park.
 There are nineteen swans on the lake.
 The swans look beautiful, calm, and energetic.
 The poet feels sad and lonely while watching them.
 The swans symbolize youth, love, and energy.
 The poet feels old, tired, and lonely.
 The swans look young, active, and full of energy.
 The swans have not changed
 The poet compares his life with the swans.
 The swans represent youth, beauty, and freedom.
 Nature unchanged, but humans grow old.
 The poem has a slow and peaceful mood.
 The language is simple and musical.
 Alliteration
 “bell-beat of their wings”
 “trod with lighter tread”

Beloved Boles

 The story is written by Maxim Gorky.

 It is about a lonely Polish woman named Teresa.
 Teresa lives alone in Moscow.
 The story is narrated by a student
 Teresa asks the student to write letters for her.
 She acts the letters are from her lover Mr Boles.
 Later, the student finds that Mr Boles does not exist.
 Teresa findts Boles because she has no one to love or
care
 Reading the letters makes Teresa feel loved and
happy.
 The student feels sorry for her and continues writing
letters.
 He also helps her by mending her clothes.
 The story shows the need for love and care in human
life.
 It teaches us to be kind and compassionate to lonely
people.

Preference Nationale

 The lesson is written by Fatou Diome.

 It is about immigrants living in France.
 “Preference Nationale” means French people are
treated better than immigrants
 Immigrants face racism and unfair treatment.
 The narrator looks for a job but rejected
 She is educated, but still not accepted.
 People judge her by skin colour and nationality.
 Immigrants are used only when help is needed.
 Society treats immigrants unfairly.
 The narrator does not lose her self-respect.
 The lesson teaches us to treat everyone equally.
 It gives a message against racism and discrimination.
 All people should be treated equally, no matter
where they come from.

Mirror
 The poem is written by Sylvia Plath.
 The speaker of the poem is a mirror.
 The mirror tells the truth only.
 It has no feelings or opinions.
 It shows things exactly as they are.
 The mirror first describes itself as silver and exact.
 Then the mirror becomes a lake.
 A woman looks into the mirror every day.
 She sees herself getting older.
 The mirror shows the loss of youth.
 The woman feels sad and afraid of ageing.
 The poem talks about truth, identity, and ageing.
 It shows that truth can be painful but cannot be
avoided.
 The poem shows how people struggle to accept truth
and ageing.
 Personification – speakes like human
 Metaphor – The mirror is compared to a lake and eye
of a god.
 Simile – “like a terrible fish”