ENGLISH NOTES ( UNIT- 1 )

Prose : The Portrait of a Lady

[Link] – Refer text
[Link] :
wrinkled × smooth hard × soft loose × tight absurd × reasonable
short × long fat × lean bent × straight certain × doubtful
spotless × stained scattered × gathered pale × bright constantly × inconstantly
inaudible × audible pure × impure serenity × agitation c
ontentment × dissatisfaction monotonous × interesting stale × fresh
distressed × joyful rarely × often snapped × joined cherished × hated
moist × dry arrival × departure frivolous × sensible rebuke × praise
dilapidated × stable persuade × dissuade mild × strong near × far

[Link] the following questions

a. Describe the grandfather as seen in the portrait.
The author’s grandfather wore a big turban and loose fitting clothes. His long white beard
covered his chest. He looked at least hundred years old.
b. Why was the author left with his grandmother in the village?
The author’s parents had gone to the city in order to earn their bread. Hence the author
was left with his grandmother in the village.
c. Where did the author study in his childhood?
During his childhood the author studied in the village school which is attached to the temple.
d. Why did the grandmother accompany the author to school?
The author’s grandmother went to temple which was attached to the school. At the school
hours she sat inside the temple reading the Holy Scriptures, She wanted to escort her
grandson. So she accompanied the author to school.
e. What made the dogs follow the grandmother after school hours?
While going to school and returning home the grandmother carried the stale chapattis and
fed the dogs. This made the dogs follow the grandmother after school hours.
f. Why didn’t the grandmother feel sentimental when the author went abroad for
higher education?
The author’s grandmother did not feel sentimental when the author went abroad for his
higher education. Because she was not even sentimental. She did not talk or show any
emotion at the time of his departure. Her lips moved in prayer, her mind was lost in prayer.
She bore the fact silently.
g. What was the happiest time of the day for grandmother?
The whole morning the author’s grandmother was busy with her spinning wheel. In the
afternoon, She broke the bread into little bits and fed hundreds of little birds. This was the
happiest time of the day for grandmother.

a. Describe the author’s grandmother.

The author’s grandmother had been old and wrinkled. She had always been short and fat
and slightly bent. Her face was a criss–cross of wrinkles. She had been terribly old. She
could never have been pretty but she was always beautiful.
b. What was the daily routine of the grandmother at home?
Grandmother woke her grandson up in the morning. She got him ready for the school. She
said her morning prayers. Simultaneously she bathed and dressed her grandson. She made all
the arrangements for him. She accompanied him to the school. She read the Holy Scriptures
at the temple and in the evening both returned home. This was the daily routine of the
grandmother.
c. How is school education in the village different from that in the city?
In the village school the author had studied alphabet and learnt to recite morning prayers. But
in the city he was taught English words and western science. He also learnt the law of
gravity, Archimedes’ principle, the world being round etc.
d. The grandmother appreciated the value of education. Give instances in support of
your answer.
While studying in the village school, the author’s grandmother accompanied him to school
every day. The author had studied alphabet and learnt to recite morning prayers. Being a very
pious woman, the grandmother appreciated the value of education.
e. The grandmother was strong-minded. Justify.
One day the grandmother did not pray. She started to sing about the home coming warriors
. She ignored the protests of the members of the family. She had mild fever then. Others
thought that she would recover. But she thought differently. She is ready to face her own
death boldly. These instances showed that she was strong-minded.
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f. How did the grandmother spend the last few hours of her life?
During the last few hours, the author’s grandmother did not pray. She called the women of
her neighbourhood and started to sing about the home-coming warriors. She had mild fever
then. She knew that her end would come soon. She lied peacefully in bed praying and
telling her beads. Suddenly her lips stopped moving and the rosary fell from her lifeless
fingers.

Paragraph :

This short story ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ was written by the famous Indian writer Kushwant
Singh. The grandmother was an old lady with wrinkled skin. She walked around the house in
clean white dress. She always kept one hand on her waist to balance her bent. When she went
to city she was not happy to know that in the city school they did not teach about God. She
was not interested in the music class too. She spent most of her time with the spinning wheel
reciting her prayers. One evening a change came over her. She did not pray. She collected
some old ladies from the neighbourhood and was playing a drum for a long time without
minding others’ words to stop that. Next day she fell ill. The doctor said that it was not
serious. But she said that her end was near. She stopped talking to her people. She lay
peacefully in bed praying with her beads. In a short time she died. When her body was lifted
for cremation thousands of sparrows spread all over the place. His mother threw some bread
crumbs.

UNIT 1 : Poem: Once Upon A Time

i. ‘But now they only laugh with their teeth, While their ice-block-cold eyes…’
a. Who are ‘they’? - They are people of modern days.
b. Explain: ice-block-cold eyes’- It refers to eyes without any warmth of feeling.
c. Identify the figure of speech used here- Metaphor
d. Whom is the poet talking to? -The poet is talking to his son.
ii. ‘Most of all, I want to relearn How to laugh….. my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!
a. Why does the poet want to relearn how to laugh?- to show his real feelings.
b. Whom does the poet want to relearn from? - from his son.
c. Mention the figure of speech used here- Simile
d. How do people shake hands without hearts?- They shake hands without hearts.
e. What has the poet learnt about faces?- how to change faces according to different
situations.
1. “Once upon a time, son They used to laugh with their hearts’
a) Who is addressed by the poet here?-The poet’s son
b) When did they laugh with their hearts? -they laughed with their hearts.
c) What does the poet mean by ‘laugh with their heart’?
By the phrase ‘laugh with their heart’, the poet means genuine laughter, not outward
laughter.
2. ‘Now they shake hands without hearts My empty pockets’.
a) What does the poet mean in the first line?-modern people’s handshake is not genuine.
b) What do their left hands do?- Their left hands search the pocket of the other.
c) Why should their hands search the pockets?
They are trying to find out the worth of the other person – whether he is rich or influential.
3. ‘Cocktail face, with all their conforming smilesLike a fixed portrait smile’.
a) What is a cocktail face?- Cocktail face is a face which shows mixed emotions.
b) How do they smile?-Their smile is not genuine. Their smile is deceitful and artificial.
4. I have also learnt to say “Goodbye”
When I mean “Good-riddance”
a) What does the poet mean by “Goodbye”?
His wish is fake. When he says goodbye he means that he is happy to get rid of him.
b) What does the poet mean by “Good-riddance”?
He means that he is happy to be free from an unwanted person.
C. Explain the following lines with reference to the [Link]
i. Once upon a time, son They used to laugh with their eyes:
Reference: The above lines are taken from the poem “Once upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara,
Explanation: The father wants to learn from his son how to go back to normality He tells his
son how the people used to laugh with their hearts in olden times.
ii. There will be no thrice.
Reference: The above lines are taken from the poem “Once upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara,
Explanation: People welcome the guests for two times but the third time they will treat
differently.
iii. I have learned to wear my faces Like dresses …
Reference : The above lines are taken from the poem “Once upon a Time” by Gabriel
Okara,
Explanation: The poet tells that he has learnt to wear many faces under different
circumstances..
iv. I want to be what I used to be.
Reference: The above lines are taken from the poem “Once upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara,
Explanation: The poet tells his son that he wants to go back to his childhood and relearn his
good qualities .
Supplementary: After Twenty Years
(i) “After Twenty years” by O. Henry is an interesting story. It is about two best friends
who had to part ways. They return to keep an appointment they had made twenty years
ago.

Meeting Jimmy WellsA 38-year old Bob is waiting at the door of a hardware store in
New York to meet hisfriend Jimmy Wells. A policeman is on patrol duty. He asks Bob
why he is standing there. Bob tells the cop that he (Bob) is waiting to meet his friend.
After twenty years
Bob says that before parting they had made a promise to meet at the same place at
the same time on the same date after twenty years. Bob tells the policeman that he (Bob) has
kept his promise. Bob is sure that Jimmy Wells will surely come and meet him. After
listening to the story, the cop walks away.
Arrival of Police officer
Twenty minutes later, a tall man in plain clothes comes to meet Bob. Bob thinks him Jimmy
Wells, but realizes that the man is not his friend. Actually, the man is a police officer in plain
clothes. He gives Bob a letter from Jimmy. Bob learns from the letter that the police officer
whom he had met earlier was Jimmy, his old friend. *'
Criminal Bob
Jimmy Wells identifies Bob as the most wanted criminal in New York. But he does not want
to arrest his intimate friend. So he sends another police officer to do the work.
Conclusion
For Jimmy Wells duty is more important than friendship

ii) Easy summary :

O. Henry in his short story ‘After Twenty Years’ describes the friendship of two men, Jimmy
Wells and Bob. They lived in New York. When Bob was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty,
they decided to go their own way to find their livelihood. When they parted, they decided to
meet each other after twenty years. On that day they dined in Big Joe Brady’s restaurant and
said they would meet in the same place at the same time after twenty years. Bob went to the
West and Wells stayed in New [Link] far they did not have much difference in their
characters. But the West changed Bob a lot. He became a criminal and earned a lot. Wells
became a respectable policeman. As they planned, Bob came to the place at the scheduled
time. Wells was also in the same place as the patrolman. Wells identified Bob as the wanted
criminal from Chicago but Bob could not identify Wells. In the twenty years Bob became
very rich with the ill-gotten money. Wells was not that rich in terms of money but he was
rich in character. He respected his friendship with Bob so he did not arrest him. He sent
another plainclothes man to arrest him.

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