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 Solitary Reaper (Poem-1)

Stanza: 1
Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
Paraphrasing:
Look at her. She is all alone in the field, over there that Scottish girl is cutting
the grain and singing to herself. Stop and listen to her or walk on quietly. Alone
she cuts and gathers the grain and sings a sad song .Listen: the deep valley is
overflowing with her melodious voice.
Explanation:
In the First stanza of “The Solitary Reaper,” Wordsworth describes how the
Reaper was singing all alone. During one of his journeys in the countryside of
Scotland, he saw a Highland girl working in the field all alone. She had no one
to help her out in the field. So she was singing to herself. She was singing
without knowing that someone was listening to her song. The poet doesn’t want
to disturb her solitude so requests the passerby’s go without disturbing her. She
was immersed in her work of cutting and binding while singing a melancholy
song. For the poet, he is so struck by the sad beauty of her song that the whole
valley seems to overflow with its sound.
Stanza:2
No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.
Paraphrasing:
No Nightingale ever sang more comforting notes to the tired groups of travellers
as they rested at an oasis in the Arabian deserts. The cuckoo bird never sang
with such a fascinating and melodious voice in the spring, breaking the ocean’s
silence around the Scottish isles.
Explanation:

In the second stanza of “The Solitary Reaper,” the poet compares the young
woman’s song with ‘Nightingale’ and ‘Cuckoo’ – the most celebrated birds by
the writers and poets for the sweetness of voice. But, here he complains that
neither ‘Nightingale’ nor the ‘Cuckoo’ sang a song that is as sweet as hers. He
says that no nightingale has sung the song so soothing like that for the weary
travellers. For, the song of the girl has stopped him from going about his
business. He is utterly enchanted that he says that her voice is so thrilling and
penetrable like that of the Cuckoo Bird, which sings to break the silence in the
‘Hebrides’ Islands. He symbolically puts forth that her voice is so melodious
and more than that of the two birds, known for their voice.

Stanza:3
Will no one tell me what she sings?
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?
Paraphrasing:
Will anyone not tell me what her song is about? May be she thinks so sadly for
old tragedies, events and ancient battles or it is a humble song about everyday
things_ the pains and sorrows that everyone endures.
Explanation:
In the third stanza of “The Solitary Reaper”, the poet depicts his plight over not
understanding the theme or language of the poem. The poet couldn’t understand
the local Scottish dialect in which the reaper was singing. So tries
to imagine what the song might be about. Given that it is a ‘plaintive
number’ and a ‘melancholy strain’ (as given in line 6) he speculates that her
song might be about some past sorrow, pain or loss ‘of old, unhappy things‘ or
battles fought long ago. Or perhaps, he says, it is a humbler, simpler song about
some present sorrow, pain, or loss, a ‘matter of to-day.’ He further wonders if
that is about something that has happened in the past or something that has
reoccurred now.
Stanza:4
Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;—
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.
Paraphrasing:
Whatever was the theme of the song, the young woman sang as if her song
would never come to an end. I saw her singing while she worked bending over
to cut the wheat with a sickle. I listened to her with no movement. And as I
climbed up a hill, I took her music in my heart and I still remember it even long
after I did not hear it anymore.
Explanation:
In the fourth stanza, the poet decides not to probe further into the theme. He
comes to the conclusion that whatever may be the theme of her poem, it is not
going to end. Not only her song but also her suffering sounds like a never-
ending one. He stays there motionless and listened to her song quite some times.
Even when he left and mounted up the hill he could still hear her voice coming
amongst the produce, she was cutting and binding. Though the poet left that
place, the song remained in his heart, long after he heard that song.
Summary:
William Wordsworth, a renowned English romantic poet wrote ‘Solitary
Reaper’. It was first published in [Link] poem is about a Scottish girl that is
alone in the fields working and singing her melodious song. The speaker passes
by and gets amazed when hears the sweet sound of that girl. He feels that the
whole valley is overflowing with that enchanting music. The
melancholic tone of the song impresses him so much so that he seems unsure
whether he should stop to enjoy or continue his journey. He compares her song
to that of a nightingale and cuckoo that sing in exotic lands to welcome the
travellers. Although he does not understand the language of her melody, the
tone suggests that the song is about some past sorrow, pain, loss during battles
fought long ago. He also assumes that it might be about a present sorrow, loss
or pain. He fails to figure out the reason for her distress. Instead, he enjoys
the beauty of her song that lingers in his mind and touches the core of his heart,
giving him an everlasting joy.

Comprehension Questions:
Q.1 What is the theme of the poem “Solitary Reaper”?
Answer: Our emotions are profoundly tied to musical sounds, while we also
have a deeply rooted emotional connection with nature. Nature is an aesthetic
object which creates a particular sensibility or emotion within the poet in
“Solitary Reaper”. The major themes of the poem present three things: the
labour of the girl, her expression of sorrow and everlasting beauty of nature.
She is working and singing at the same time without being bothered about her
surroundings. She does not notice that the speaker is listening and enjoying her
song. She just continues as if she is pouring her heart out in the lap of nature. A
strong theme in the poem "The Solitary Reaper" by William Wordsworth is that
of regret. Although neither we, nor the poet, can understand the poignant words
the solitary woman is singing, her song is sad and sorrowful enough to make us
curious as to its subject. Poet generously used natural elements like hills,
nightingale, cuckoo, Arabian sands, Hebrides and even the girl herself, singing
a melodious song was representing to nature. She seemed a part of nature
because it was her song which grabbed the attention of poet and made him
spelled bound. The poem expresses the theme that simple moments can have
extreme beauty and can soothe our souls for a long time afterwards if we stop
and pay attention. In this poem, the song of a woman reaping by herself in a
field in the Scottish highlands catches the attention of the narrator, who is
hiking nearby.
Q.2 How does Wordsworth describe the song of the solitary reaper?
Answer: The narrator describes the reaper’s song as a “melancholy strain” and
plaintive as the very tune suggests. The poet compares the sweetness of her
voice with the melodious voice of Nightingale and the lyrics are being repeated
incessantly like cuckoo. He means to say that her voice and her song is more
enchanting and soothing than the cuckoo and the Nightingale. Then the poet
asks some rhetorical questions as he is quite confused about the theme and
meaning of the poem. He speculates that it might be about the past old unhappy
things or might be about the old battles and losses or may be it is about some
common happening of present life. It might be some humble and simple song
about some natural sorrow, loss, pain that has occurred in the past or is likely to
occur again. At the end, the poet says that whatever may be the theme of the
song sung by the maiden, she sang so sweetly and profoundly that the poet
wished it would never end. The power of the reaper’s song transcends cultural
and linguistic barriers. It has an everlasting impression on his mind and heart.
Q.3 What the poet’s feelings about the song are as expressed in the second
stanza of the poem?
Answer: In the second stanza of “Solitary Reaper”, the poet compares the young
woman's song with nightingale and cuckoo. He says that no nightingale has
sung the song so soothing like that for the weary travellers. The song of the girl
has stopped him from going about his business .He is utterly enchanted that he
says that her voice is so thrilling and penetrable like that of the cuckoo bird,
which sings to break the silence in the ‘Hebrides ‘island. He symbolically puts
forth that her voice is so melodious and more than that of the two birds, known
for their beautiful voice
Q.4 Describe in your own words the visual images depicted in the first
stanza of the poem “The solitary Reaper”.
Answer: The poet has employed rich visual imagery in the stanza. In the very
first line, he tells the readers to first glimpse the reaper, reaping and singing by
herself. “Behold her, single in the field”. It is a pictorial description of the
young girl at work. She is all alone and engrossed in cutting and binding the
grain. She is looking like a part of nature and quite indifferent to her
surroundings and the people. It allows the readers to clearly see the lonely
highland girl at work and envision her character as representative of the content
of the poem. The readers can visualize the fields of the wild highlands where
the reaper is busy at work.
Q.5 Give the examples of alliteration from “The solitary Reaper”.
Answer: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in
quick succession such as the sound of /P/ in “Perhaps the plaintive numbers
flow” and the sound of /n/ in “No Nightingale did ever chant”. Alliteration from
the poem “The solitary Reaper” is
 the silence of the Seas
 saw her singing
  sings a melancholy strain
 Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
 same natural sorrow, loss or pain
The poetic repetition of the sound S&P in the device that is used by the poet
is called alliteration
Q.6 As you read the third stanza of “The solitary Reaper”, what pictures
of situation do you make in your mind?
Answer: After reading third stanza, the picture of situation creates in my mind is
that poet could not understand what the young woman was singing about. He
felt that she was singing sadly. So, her song might be about some losses or
tragedies or battles she might have heard or read about. Then he thought that her
song might be about some ordinary matter of everyday life. It might be about
some common sorrows, losses or suffering that human beings face every now
and then. The poet thinks that such a sorrowful experiences are common to all
human beings and we go on facing them whatever our condition or situation
may be. Thus, the poet left it to the readers to finally decide what the song of
the girl was about. This is the great evocative value of the poem that makes us
feel, think, and imagine the given situation.
Q.7 Explain the last stanza of the poem in your own words.
Answer: In the last stanza, the poet says whatever may be the theme of the song
sung by the maiden, she sang so sweetly and profoundly that the poet wished it
would never end. The poet repeats the beginning scene. According to him, he
saw her singing at her work and while she was bending her sickle over the
crops. He listened to her silently and without making any movement. However,
when he started travelling up the hill, he could not hear her and the music was
inscribed in his heart.
Q.8 What is the dominant theme of the poem “The Solitary Reaper”?
Answer: The theme of the poem means the effects of the song of the mountain
girl of Scotland on the poet when she was cutting the crop all alone in the
valley. The singing of the girl affected the poet in several ways, and, thus, the
theme has several aspects to it. Firstly, her solitariness is meaningful. It is
loneliness that gives full chances of free movement and free expression when no
one is in sight. Secondly, the girl lived in the mountains that are associated with
nature and villages. It was her closeness to nature and its beauty that added
meaning to her presence. Thirdly, the poet compares her singing with that of the
Nightingale or the cuckoo because of its naturalness and free flow. Fourthly, the
poet's inability to understand the language of the song gives a free play to his
romantic imagination which relates it to far off places and past and present
affairs by turns. Fifthly, the song got him impressed on his memory so deeply
that he listened to its music long afterwards in his imagination.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “The Solitary Reaper”
Literary devices are tools used by writers to convey their emotions, ideas, and
themes to make texts more appealing to the reader. William Wordsworth has
also used some literary devices in this poem to make it appealing. The analysis
of some of the literary devices used in this poem has been listed below:

1. Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical Question is a sentence that is posed to

make the point clear. For example, “Will no one tell me what she sings?”,
“That has been, and may be again?” and “Familiar matter of to-day?”
2. Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line
such as the sound of /i/ in “Behold her, single in the field” and the sound
of /o/ and /a/ in “Yon solitary Highland Lass!”
3. Imagery: Imagery is used to make the readers perceive things involving
their five senses. For example, “Reaping and singing by herself”, “I saw
her singing at her work” and “More welcome notes to weary bands.”
4. Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities,
giving them symbolic meanings different from literal meanings.
“Cuckoo” and “nightingale” are the symbols of sweet melodies whereas
the song of the lady symbolizes her intense pain and distress.
5. Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the
same line such as the sound /r/ in “Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain”
and the sound of /m/ in “Or is it some more humble lay”.
6. Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an
end at a line break; instead, it continues to the next line. For example,

“Breaking the silence of the seas

Among the farthest Hebrides.”

7. Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same

line in quick succession such as the sound of /p/ in “Perhaps the plaintive
numbers flow” and the sound of /n/ in “No Nightingale did ever chaunt”.
8. Hyperbole: Hyperbole is a device used to exaggerate any statement for the
sake of emphasis. For example, the below verses exaggerates the impact of
her song,

“O listen! for the Vale profound

Is overflowing with the sound.”
 “Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.”

9. Antitheses: When two opposite ideas are written in single sentence

is called antithesis.
“Stop here or gently pass!”

“Cuts and binds”

10. Apostrophe: Direct address to dead or absent person or object.

O listen! For the vale

profound – (Apostrophe)

11. Metaphor: The Solitary Reaper’s song has been compared with the
song of Nightingale.

12. Tautology: It is the saying of the same thing twice over in different words,
generally considered to be a fault of style

“I listened, motionless and still”

13. Allusion: Reference of some historical place or event

“Among Arabian sands”

Critical Appreciation:

William Wordsworth, a renowned English romantic poet wrote ‘The Solitary

Reaper’. It was first published in 1807. ‘The Solitary Reaper' is a
quintessentially Romantic poem in many respects: its ballad form, contains 4
stanzas comprising octaves, its focus on solitariness among nature (the girl is
reaping in the fields of the wild highlands), and its emphasis on human emotion
('plaintive numbers'; 'natural sorrow, loss, or pain'). The poem depicts the mixed
themes of regret, sorrow and happiness. Although neither we, nor
the poet, can understand the poignant words the solitary woman is singing, her
song is sad and sorrowful enough to make us curious as to its subject. The tone
of "The Solitary Reaper" is admiration and awe. Although Wordsworth cannot
understand the maiden's song, he is dumb founded by the beauty of the poetic
tune. William Wordsworth's poem. Literary devices are tools used by writers to
convey their emotions, ideas, and themes to make texts more appealing to the
reader. William Wordsworth has also used some literary devices like
symbolism, Hyperbole, Apostrophe, Rhetorical questions, Enjambment, and
strong use of imagery to make the poem more appealing. "The Solitary Reaper"
has a mixed rhyme scheme, with the first and last stanzas following an
abcbddee pattern and the middle stanzas following an ababccdd pattern.
 If (Poem-2)
Stanza 1
Paraphrasing:
If you can keep your virtue when all blame you for their loss. If you can keep
your confidence when all doubt you and you can ignore them. If you can bear that
they consider you a liar, not lying for anyone. You can ignore their hating and
still you are not considered noble and wise.
Reference to the context
These lines have been taken from the poem "IF" which is written by Rudyard
Kipling. In this poem the poet tells us about the qualities of a real man that how
he suffers the evils of society and how he tackles these sufferings with his good
character. He responds positively, to every bad act of the society and does not
lose temper.
Explanation:
The poet encourages his son to face the difficult situations in the life. He advises
when all members of society blame you for failure, be able to maintain your
honour. If you are confident and correct but even then, they suspect you, ignore
their cheating. It's a good characteristic if you can wait till result because waiting
demands patience. Always speak the truth even if people consider you a liar. They
may hate you, but you are not to take to hating. Face such suffering of society
with patience when they are not ready to accept you a noble and wise man. They
may annoy you, but do not annoy them. These qualities of a man are to be
followed.
Stanza 2
Paraphrasing
If you can dream and think but that should not be your aim of life. If you can
handle winning and losing with the same spirit. If you can bear your spoken truth
in which you might be trapped. If you can bear the wastage of your precious
things and still have the courage to build and stand them up with worn-out tools
and material.
Reference to the context
These lines have been taken from the poem “IF” which is written by Rudyard
Kipling. In this poem the poet tells about the qualities of a real man that how he
suffers the evils of society and how he tackles these sufferings with his good
character. He responds positively, to every bad act of society and does not lose
temper in any odd situation.
Explanation:
The poet wants to test the forbearance of young man. He addresses the readers
that they may dream but dreams are not something practical. Similarly, they may
think but thinking should not be their destination. In dreams and thinking one
may reach to the chair of king within few minutes but practically it is something
impossible. People love success and hate failure, but both are illusionary and have
the similar effects. Truth is a great quality but sometimes it becomes very difficult
to face the spoken truth and that truth is distorted negatively and becomes a trap
for the speaker. If man has courage to see that his precious property is being
broken in front of him, when he stands and takes brick by brick and rebuilds that
property with new style. It's a very difficult situation but can be borne by a great
man.
Stanza 3
Paraphrasing:
If you can risk at once on all your earnings and you lose it and can start again
from nil and even then, are not disappointed about your loss. If you lose strength
and still can energies your spirit, you run your life just on will power, when
nothing is left in your body.
Reference to the context
These lines have been taken from the poem "IF" which is written by Rudyard
Kipling. In this poem the poet tells about the qualities of a real man that how he
suffers the evils of society and how he tackles these sufferings with his good
character. He responds positively, to every bad act of the society and does not
lose temper in any odd situation.
Explanation:
The poet says, taking risk is a good quality for successful business and usually
produces good results. If a man knows how to take risk and can absorb the
consequence of risk which usually make a man strong. This kind of man can
restart from zero and never weeps for his loss, but his eyes remain fixed on further
opportunities. He has strong heart, mind and nervous system. He can fight in
every kind of circumstances. Such a man is known as brave and courageous
because he runs all his life activities without any strength left in his body. He uses
his will power well to keep himself going in difficult circumstances.
Stanza 4
Paraphrasing:
If you are fair and square and can face people or you walk with the kings and
sustain your humbleness. You are not worried from friends and enemies. And all
people respect you but not too much and if you can fulfill the unforgiving minute.
Then it is clear that you have earned everything of the world and the best of these
earning is that you are a perfect man.
Reference to the context
These lines have been taken from the poem "IF" which is written by Rudyard
Kipling. In this poem the poet tells about the abilities of areal man that how he
faces the evils of society and how he tackles these sufferings with his good
character. He responds positively to every bad act of the society and does not lose
temper in any odd situation.
Explanation
In these lines the poet discusses the qualities of a great man. A great and fair man
never has worries from friends and enemies because of his noble character. He
lives and deals in upper gentry, but he never loses his humbleness. Humbleness
is a God gifted quality which should not be spoilt. He does not bother, why people
do not pay him due respect? He always values every second of a minute as he
understands the worth of time that if it is wasted it will never return. The man of
these qualities is the real owner and master of the world. Last but not the least, he
is the man in real sense. Everything is available in abundance in the world except
the real humanity so, he achieves that degree of preciseness.
Q1. What is the theme of the poem "IF"?
Ans: The poem ''If '' by Rudyard Kipling presents a charter of thought and
conduct for achieving the admirable goals that one must pursue for a peaceful and
balanced life. He has mentioned all those qualities and virtues which we must
inculcate within us to be able to call ourselves complete human beings. In the
stretch of thirty-two lines of the poem, Kipling advocates the virtues of
composure, patience, integrity, modesty, self-control, perseverance, tolerance
determination and self - confidence. The poem presents a set of guidelines on
how to live and act with noble values such that one becomes an ideal human
being. Each of the four stanzas deal with different life situations and the best way
to act during them. After reading the poem, one can visualize a scene in which
a father is speaking to his son and giving him the most valuable life lessons on
how to become a complete and successful man.

Q2. Make a list of a perfect man as mentioned by the poet in stanza two of
the poem.
Ans: In second stanza, the poet says that a noble person never allows his dreams
to overwhelm him. He is not deceived by his achievements or failures. A noble
man is truthful, brave and he never punishes foolish people. Rather he ignores the
foolish people and has courage to stand up again after losing everything in life.

Q3. Explain the line, “Or walk with kings- nor lose thy common touch”.
Ans: The poet says that even when you have company of great men like kings,
you shouldn’t lose your character. He advises simple and humble behaviour to be
adopted in all kind of scenarios. A man shouldn’t forget the common people if he
gets a high status. Being humble and loving to the people is only way to live a
respectable life.

Q4. Cite an example of the use of personification in the poem ‘If’.

Ans: There are many instances in this poem where the poet has personified
certain inanimate objects and feelings. Giving way to hating, not make dreams
your master, meet with triumph and disaster are few examples of personification
implied in this poem.
Q5. What is the significance of the title of the poem?
Ans:
The poet talks about various possibilities that everyone usually has in life. He
talks about difficult situation and suggests some practical steps to take. He has
titled the poem “If” by leaving it up to reader to either accept his suggestions or
ignore them. He doesn’t want to look like a preacher or a dictator. Therefore, he
has titled his poem as “If”.
Q6. What does the poem say about the value of the time?
Ans: The poet talks about value of time in life. He says that we should not waste
our precious time in non-productive activities. He says that we should not live
with malice and hatred in our mind. He advises that instead of living one minute
with anger and unforgiving approach, we should fill that one minute with 60
seconds of compassion, forgiveness and love.
Q7. Explain the meaning of this line in your own words, “And- which is
more- you’ll be a man, my son”.
Ans: The poet discusses the qualities of a great man. A great and fair man never
has worries from friends and enemies because of his noble character. He lives and
deals in upper gentry, but he never loses his humbleness. He does not bother, why
people do not pay him due respect? He always forgives others, in his view there
is just one minute required to forgive but to revenge needs many years or so. The
man of these qualities is the real owner and master of the world. Last but not the
least, he is the man in real sense. In these lines, the poet tells his son to act upon
all the advice he gave above, he will be able to achieve whatever he likes and he
will be a man, a true human.
Q8. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Ans: The rhyme scheme of first stanza is “AAAABCBC” and the rhyme scheme
of coming three stanzas is “ABABCDCD”.
Q9. State some qualities other than the ones mentioned in this poem that
makes a successful man.
Ans: The other qualities of a good man are honesty, dedication, commitment to
work, love for others, courage, hard work and respect for others. A good man is
decorated with all noble qualities and is never involved in evil activities. We
should free ourselves from the feelings of pride, jealousy and prejudice. A noble
society may come into being by adopting these values.
 The Toys (Poem-3)

[Link] is the theme of the poem, The Toys?

The prevailing themes of Patmore’s poem, “The Toys” are father-son
relationship, human-God relationship and worldliness. The themes of
childishness, forgiveness, and benevolence of God are in connection to the main
themes. Toys are the symbol of childishness and worldliness, whereas, God’s
mercy and benevolence supersedes all hence as a father can forgive his son for
worldly things, God will also forgive and overlook the sins of humans due to His
love and mercy.
Q2. The story behind the poem, The Toys is a homely one, narrate the story
in your own words.
Ans. “The Toys” is written by one of the best-known Victorian poets, Coventry
Patmore. This poem centers on a story of a father and son. Patmore shares a
personal incident that happened between him and his son. He describes how one
day he rebuked his son for disobeying him for the seventh time. It made his son
extremely sad. Later, the poet realized his mistake and felt guilty for hurting him.
It made him think of how God would judge human beings for their attraction to
the mundane “toys”. Through the reference of this incident, Patmore delves into
worldliness and a sense of guilt in human beings.
Q3. What verse style has been adopted by the poet in the poem, The Toys?
The Toys” consists of a total of 33 lines, grouped into a single stanza. Patmore
shifts from one idea to the other by using end-stopped lines. He uses both the
alternative rhyme scheme and the rhyming couplet form. The first two lines of
each section begin with a rhyming couplet. For example, in the beginning, “eyes”
rhymes with “wise”. In the following four lines, the rhyme scheme is ABBA.
Each section similarly ends with two rhyming lines. Besides, there is not any set
syllable count per line. That’s why the text does not have a set meter. Patmore
mostly uses iambic feet for metrically structuring the lines.
Q4. Does this style suit the mood of the poem and how?
The verse style is highly synchronized with the mood of the poem, as the
punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates. The poet used lexical
repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, his are repeated. The poet used
anaphora at the beginnings of some neighbouring lines. The same word a is
repeated. The overall impression of the poem through these techniques and
stylization is to put an emphasis to the feel and sense of realization of the reader.
Q5. What is the symbolic significance of the word ‘toys’ in the light of the
poem, ‘The Toys’?
In this poem, the “toys” is an important metaphor. On the first hand, it hints at the
toys of the boy as the boy seeks pleasure and ease from these toys i.e., escapism.
At the same time, it refers to the earthly joys (just like toys), human beings are
attracted to and they forget the reality of this temporary world and they seek
pleasure, refuge, and console themselves with these toys, still! God being
merciful, and benevolent, will forgive the childishness of His supreme creation.
Q6. How does the poet relate his own action to the mercy of God?
This poem is comprised of the spiritual ideas of mercy, forgiveness, and
benevolence, hence when the father realizes after rebuking his son that his son is
an innocent soul and forgiveness is a noble virtue, this thought directs him
towards mercy of God that as God is merciful towards his creatures despite the
fact that they are mature and adult, so he relates his own action of mercy with of
God’s.
Q7. What is the tone of the poem, The Toys? Do you think it is in conformity
with the theme of the poem? How?
The tone of the poem is melancholic, remorseful and didactic; Verse like, I struck
him, and dismiss’d has a didactic tone as the father rebuked his son to make him
realize his fault. Later on, verse like, And I, with moan, kissing away his tears
and left others of my own contain remorseful and melancholic tone. The tone is
embedded through the use of many words to evoke the sense of realization in the
readers to leave the worldly things and think about the mercy of God.
Q8. What feelings does the poem, “The Toys” evoke in you?
We should forgive the mistakes of people and live with a friendly atmosphere.
God is merciful with us and He forgives those people who forgive the mistakes
of human beings. These worldly matters are temporary and unworthy, the reality
of this world is like water-bubble, but people have delved themselves into the
petty issues and the unrealistic pleasures that is mere childishness and being
ignorant, people never think about eternal life and its preparation. It is only God,
who is merciful towards His creatures hence we should be kind towards others.
Summary:
“The Toys” begins with a reference to an incident that happened with a speaker
or the poet. Patmore’s poetic persona describes how one day he rebuked his son
for disobeying his orders. He struck him with unkind words and refused to give
him a goodnight kiss. The boy’s mother, being dead, could not comfort him when
he went to bed with a heavy heart. Later, the speaker went to his room and
discovered the toys of the boy kept close to his bed. These toys included a variety
of objects that his son collected. He treasured them and took solace in times of
need.
On the same night when the speaker went to bed, the toys reminded him of
mundane things such as wealth, earthly success, and fame. Humans do chase after
these things without heeding the ultimate truth. According to the speaker, God
might not be angry with their ignorance. Rather, he would forgive their
“childishness”.
Poetic Devices & Figures of Speech:
Patmore makes use of the following poetic devices in “The Toys”.
 Metaphor: In this poem, the “toys” is an important metaphor. On the first
hand, it hints at the toys of the boy. At the same time, it refers to the earthly
joys human beings are attracted to. Besides, this device is also used in the
lines “I struck him, and dismiss’d/ With hard words and unkiss’d”. Here,
Patmore compares hard words to an object that is used to beat someone.
 Synecdoche: It occurs in the expression “thoughtful eyes”. Here, the poet
refers to the boy as being thoughtful and wise.
 Anaphora: This device is used in the following lines: “A box of counters
and a red-vein’d stone,/ A piece of glass abraded by the beach”.
 Personification: It is used in “red-vein’d stone” and “sad heart”. Patmore
describes the stone with human attributes. In the second expression, he
invests the heart with the emotion of sadness. Besides, this expression also
contains synecdoche.
 Irony: The last line “I will be sorry for their childishness” contains
situational irony. Patmore’s speaker could not forgive his child’s mistake
but he was thinking the opposite of what he had done.
 Enjambment: Patmore uses this device throughout the poem to internally
connect the lines. It makes readers go through the lines at a go in order to
grasp the overall idea. For example, it occurs in the first six lines.
Reference to the context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “The Toys”, penned down by the
Victorian Poet, Coventry Patmore. This poem centers on a story of a father and
son and their relationship.
Paraphrasing:
Lines 1-6:
The child looked at his father with thoughtful eyes. He moved and spoke quietly.
Listening to him, it appeared to the speaker that he had grown up and became
wise. His son disobeyed him for the seventh time, so, he rebuked him and refused
to give him a kiss before he went to sleep. Besides, his mother was no more, who
was a calm person.
Explanation and Analysis:
Coventry Patmore’s poem “The Toys” begins with a reference to his son. Patmore
capitalizes the first letter of “Son” for the sake of emphasis. The child looked at
his father with thoughtful eyes. He moved and spoke quietly. Listening to him, it
appeared to the speaker that he had grown up and became wise. From the phrase
“grown-up wise”, it becomes clear that the speaker was angry with his son.
The following line describes why he was angry. His son disobeyed him for the
seventh time. He thought the boy might have become wise to not follow his
orders. So, he rebuked him and refused to give him a kiss before he went to sleep.
Patmore uses the term “struck” in order to reflect the impact of his words and his
rudeness on his son’s mind. He did not beat him but his words had struck his
heart. Besides, his mother was no more. So, there was none to comfort him except
his father.
Paraphrasing:
Lines 7-11:
The speaker, being aware of the fact, feared that his son could not sleep because
of the pain he inflicted on his heart. So, he went to his room and found that he
was already asleep. His eyes had become dark from crying and his eyelashes were
still wet.
Explanation and Analysis:
The speaker, being aware of the fact, feared that his son could not sleep because
of the pain he inflicted on his heart. So, he went to his room and found that he
was already asleep. He was slumbering deep for his mental weariness after being
rudely treated by his father. His eyes had become dark from sobbing and his
eyelashes were still wet. This image of his son evoked a sense of guilt in his heart.
Besides, Patmore makes use of organic imagery in order to convey the internal
feelings of the father and son.
Paraphrasing:
Lines 12-21:
The darkened eyelids of the boy made the father so sad that he could not help but
cry and weep. He kissed on his wet cheek and left his own tear mark on his face.
There was a table near, where he put several objects that he collected. There was
a box of counters, a red-veined beige marble, a piece of scraped glass, some sea-
shells, a bottle with bluebell flowers, and two artistic French copper coins.
Whenever he was sad, he sought solace in his toys.
Explanation and Analysis:
The darkened eyelids of the boy made the father so sad that he could not help but
cry and moan. He kissed on his wet cheek and left his own on his face. In this
way, the poet describes the soft side of the father’s heart. He indeed reacted
cruelly yet he commiserated with his son. The realization of his mistake made
him return the kiss which he refused to give.
In the following lines, readers find a number of toys that the boy treasured. There
was a table near his head. He had put several objects that he collected on the table.
There was a box of counters, a red-vein’d stone, a piece of abraded glass, some
shells, a bottle with bluebell flowers, and two French copper coins.
Everything was arranged carefully. It showed how valuable the toys were to the
boy. These things were not extremely rare or precious. But for the boy, they had
immense value. He had given several hours to find these items.
Whenever he was sad, he sought solace in his toys. That’s why, when he went to
bed on that night, he kept them close. He knew others might cause pain to his
heart but these things would never do that.
In these lines, Patmore describes how children take pleasure in simple things that
adults would find meaningless. When they were kids, they did the same. As
grown-ups, they forgot how to cherish the simplicity and how to be content with
less. Hence, they cannot even understand what is less valuable for them, is
precious for children.
Paraphrasing:
Lines 22-27:
He wept for his mistake and prayed to God for forgiveness as this incident made
him so moved that he thought of dying from the pain. The poetic persona did not
wish to vex or complain to God in death. God, being aware of the acts of his
children, knows what earthly pleasures made their days happy.
Explanation and Analysis:
In the last section of “The Toys”, Patmore describes the impression of the incident
on his mind. On that night, he returned from his son’s room. He wept for his
mistake and prayed to God for forgiveness. This incident made him so moved
that he thought of dying from the pain. The poet insinuates the fact in the line
“when at last we lie with tranced breath”. When one person is in a half-conscious
state without having the ability to move or react, he is in the state of trance. It
occurs at the time of death.
The poetic persona did not wish to vex or complain to God in death. God, being
aware of the acts of his children, knows what “toys” made their “joys”. Here, the
term “toys” is used to metaphorically hint at the materialism of mankind. Fame,
money, and earthly success become the “toys” of adults. As long as they have
these things, they remain happy. By referring to the child’s toys and the toys of
adults, Patmore presents the theme of innocence vs worldliness.
Paraphrasing:
Lines 28-33
He was unable to follow God’s directions. He disobeyed the commandments
throughout his life for not realizing their importance. God has moulded him from
the clay and provided him spiritual nourishment to grow both inwardly and
outwardly. He wished that God would not be angry with him. He would be sorry
for the childishness of humankind.
Explanation and Analysis:
Whatsoever, the speaker describes his ignorance in emotive terms. According to
him, he weakly understood God’s commands. He disobeyed his commandments
throughout his life for not realizing their importance. God’s words are for the
collective good of mankind. But, very few of them are able to understand it.
He became aware of his mistake after the incident. So, he said that God is the
father of humankind just like him. But God is greater than him. He was the one
who moulded him from the clay and provided him spiritual nourishment to grow
both inwardly and outwardly. Yet, he preferred the outward growth more than the
internal one.
Like the speaker was angry with his son, he thinks God might be the same with
him as well as others. So, he wished that he would not be angry with him. He
would be sorry for the childishness of humankind. The last line of the poem
contains an allusion to a biblical passage.
 All The World’s A Stage (Poem-4)

Q1. This poem is an extended metaphor. What are the two things being
compared?
Ans: “The Seven Ages of Man” by William Shakespeare is an extended metaphor
comparing life to a play. The world is represented metaphorically as a stage, and
humans are compared to the actors who work upon it. The poem begins by stating
that humans are actors in the play that is life, and that they will exit as they had
entered. It is a harsh affirmation that introduces the speaker’s cynical ideal that
one’s time on earth is fleeting. In this drama of life, each one of us plays seven
distinct roles. This, the author says, is the Seven Ages of Man. These seven roles
begin at birth and end with death.
Q2. There are seven stages or acts of a man listed in this poem. What are
they?
Ans: There could be a lot of meaning behind the Seven Stages of A Man’s Life
As the song bio says, the seven stages are the helpless infant, the whining
schoolboy, the emotional lover, the devoted soldier, the wise judge, the old man
still in control of his faculties, and the extremely aged, returned to a second state
of helplessness. This order is determined by orbital period, from shorter to longer:
Moon (the mewling infant in Nurse’s arms), Mercury (the schoolboy), Venus (the
lover), Mars (the soldier), Jupiter (the round-bellied justice), Saturn (the old man).
Q3. What is meant by the word ‘oblivion’ in the context of the poem, ‘All the
world’s a stage’?
Ans: If someone is oblivious, they don’t know what is happening around them,
and if they live in oblivion, they are completely forgotten by other people. What
Shakespeare talks about in this stage of man is an extreme form of aging, where
the person is no longer able to perform basic tasks such as bathing, eating, and
going to the toilet. Physical frailty and incapacity no longer allow them the
freedom to live unassisted. This is the stage of helplessness and is indeed the
second birth of childishness, as it reflects the dependency of childhood.
Q4. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like a pard, Jealous in
honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation even in
the cannon’s mouth.
(a) What is the soldier ready to do?
Ans: The soldier is ready to argue at any time and at any cost under the pride of
power, energy, and strength he is having. The young soldier developed an attitude
of brash courage, raw passion mixed with the impetuous temper that is
characterized by unwarranted rebellion.
(b)Which poetic device is used in the second line?

Ans:
Simile:
Shakespeare uses simile to compare the soldier to "the 'pard" (leopard); his
beard is scraggly, but there is something lean and hungry about him: he
wishes to make his name and secure his reputation.
Personification:
“Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth”
The cannon is an object, so obviously, cannot have a mouth.

(b)What does ‘bubble reputation’ mean?

Reputation is described as a “bubble.” This might be understood as an

inflation, a puffing up. The soldier seeks to distinguish himself, to earn a
reputation that will inflate his status, “even in the cannon’s mouth” – which
is to say, even facing the mouth of death. The soldier in the fourth stage is
seeking exactly the inflation of status achieved by the Justice in the fifth.

Q5. What is the significance of entrances and exits in the poem, “The Seven
Ages”?
Ans: Human life has been compared by the poet to a stage of theatre where actors,
appear, enact their roles and quit. ‘Entrances’ here signify human births and
‘exits’ deaths. Human beings take birth, play their parts and die. Entrance is
something positive as it is a beginning or a new start of something but parallels it
indicates lack of power and dependence that man enters in this world as a weak
and poor soul and ironically same is the case while exiting and leaving this world.
It is the life’s natural cycle that makes a man again a childish figure, weak and
poor. Hence, there is a great similarity between these two extremes of life.
Q6. Identify various figures of speech in the poem.
Ans: First, Shakespeare employs metaphor in the lines, "All the world's a stage
/ And all the men and women merely players . . ." He directly compares the world
to a theatre’s stage, and all the men and women in the world to actors who perform
on that age.
There is also a great deal of imagery in the poem. For example, there is the
visual and auditory image of the infant "mewling and puking in the nurse's
arms"; there is also visual imagery in the description of the schoolboy's "shining
morning face, creeping like snail / unwillingly to school." Here, we get a sense
of the schoolboy's bright and hopeful face as well as his reluctance to drag himself
to school. Next, Shakespeare uses an auditory image which is also a simile to
describe the lover, who is "Sighing like a furnace": we can hear the puffing of
a furnace and imagine the lover to be sighing over his love.
Shakespeare uses another simile to compare the soldier to "the 'pard" (leopard);
his beard is scraggly, but there is something lean and hungry about him: he wishes
to make his name and secure his reputation.
Shakespeare employs another metaphor to compare old age to "second
childishness," which focuses on the ways in which those two stages of life are
similar: people in both stages lack teeth, clear sight, and taste. He says, finally,
that they exist "sans everything": an overstatement or hyperbole.
Q7. Write a well-integrated essay on different stages of human life as
mentioned in the poem, using the pre-writing strategies.
Ans: Cicero quotes:
“Every stage of human life, except the last, is marked out by certain and
defined limit; old age alone has no precise and determinate boundaries”.
Shakespeare defines the same stages beautifully in his best monologue and states
that, in the first stage, he is the infant, in the second, he is the schoolboy .Though
he is endowed with a shining face and the vigour of youth, he moves likes a snail
unawares of the blessings he is attributed with. He is afraid of what the world
holds in store for him, and apprehensive of moving out of his protective shell.
Then comes the lover who visualizes the world as a bed of roses. He is so
obsessed with his love that he fails to see anything beyond that. Like a furnace,
he burns with the effervescent emotion of love. He seeks pleasures in his woes.
Subsequently comes the soldier who is as ‘bearded as a pard’ or as hairy as a
leopard. He wants to take the world by storm, full of promises. He seeks a bubble
reputation, a transitory form of accomplishment that is real only for the present,
never for the past or the future. He is impulsive in expressions, and instinctive in
emotions.
The judge was typically with a big belly and ‘capon lined.’ The capon was a
delicacy of times and used to bribe officers pertaining to the law. Therefore,
Shakespeare indirectly points to the corrupt practices of the time He had a beard
of formal cut, as his profession demanded of him, and severe or keen eyes as
required of a judge. His wise saws or age-old aphorisms are well-balanced with
a modern outlook.
The sixth stage, that of the Pantaloons, refers to the figure of Pantalone in the
Italian Commedia dell’ Arte tradition. The figure was typified as a foolish
character. Here Shakespeare caricaturizes him as being ‘lean and slippered’. A
bespectacled man, he has a pouch by his side perhaps owing to his failing
memory. The world is too wide for him now. Firstly, his shrunken size makes the
world seem huger for it. Secondly, now as his utility value has gone down, he has
become too small for the world. His manly voice ‘mellows’ into a childish treble.
There are ’pipes’ and whistles in his sound implying the squeaking, and also the
loss of his masculinity.
The last stage that ends this strange eventful history;
Is second childishness and mere oblivion?
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
The word ‘san’ is issued by Jacques to affect courtly French. Characterized by
dementia, the person is also devoid of the sensory perceptions, and therefore not
better off than an infant who at least possesses these.
Structure and Form
‘All the world’s a stage’ is an excerpt from William Shakespeare’s well-loved
play, As You Like It. Specifically, it is a monologue that is spoken by the
melancholy Jaques. The monologue is twenty-eight lines long and is in
part written in blank verse, or unrhymed iambic pentameter. This means that the
lines do not rhyme, but they do (at some points) contain five sets of two beats,
the first of which is unstressed and the second of which is stressed. It is also
important to consider how a performer might’ve used the stage to their advantage
when performing these lines and the impact that formal elements
like enjambment and alliteration would’ve had on the audience’s understanding
of speech.
Tone:
This narrative poem which is a soliloquy in nature is an extended metaphor.
Jaques, the speaker of these lines has a cynical tone and is often being
melodramatic. The formula used by Jaques is a major overgeneralization of
human life, which is too widely generalized and demonstrably untrue. However,
a softness and calmness can also be easily deciphered in the tone of the speaker.
Themes
In ‘All the world’s a stage’ Shakespeare discusses the futility of humanity’s place
in the world. He explores themes of time, aging, memory, and the purpose of
life. Through the monologue’s central conceit, that everyone is simply a player
in a larger game that they have no control over, he brings the themes together.
Shakespeare takes the reader through the stages of life, starting with infancy and
childhood and ending up with an old man who’s been a lover, a soldier, and a
judge. The “man” dies after reverting back to a state that’s close to childhood
and infancy.
Tone and Mood
In poem, ‘All the world’s a stage’, Shakespeare creates
a sombre and depressing mood through the simple breakdown of life, success,
love, and death. The beauties of life are compiled into a short monologue that’s
over almost as soon as it began. With this, the reader is left to consider their own
life and what “stage” they’re in now. The speaker knows that this is the way the
world is, everyone listening to his words is all going to end up back where they
started as children and there’s no way to change that fact.
Literary Devices:
 Simile: ‘creeping like a snail”; “soldier… bearded like the pard”; etc.
 Metaphor: The entire speech itself is more like symbolism; men and
women are portrayed as players whereas life is portrayed as the stage.
Shakespeare uses the “stage” as an extended metaphor.
 Repetition: Another figure of speech used in this monologue; words like
sans, age, etc. are repeated for the sake of emphasis.
 Anaphora: It is used in the eighth and ninth lines, beginning with the word
“And”.
 Synecdoche: “Made to his mistress’ eyebrow”; “And then the justice”; etc.
 Alliteration: “his shrunk shank”; “quick in quarrel”; etc.
 Onomatopoeia: “pipes / And whistles in his sound”
Summary:
Shakespeare is a high critic of life and literature. This poem, “Seven Ages of
Man” is a part of the monologue of Jacques in Shakespeare’s As You Like It (2.
7. 139-167). The poet comprehends that the stage is set by the Ultimate Creator,
God and we are mere puppets out to act our roles out as directed by Him. Their
exits and entrances are ‘stage-managed’ or predetermined. A man generally plays
seven typical parts.
In the first stage, a helpless baby is just crying, throwing up and vomiting in the
mother’s lap. Mother nurses him all the time.
In the second stage, he begins to go to school. He is reluctant to go there. It seems
prison house to him. He moves likes a snail unawares of the blessings he is
attributed with. He is afraid of what the world holds in store for him.
In the third stage, he is grown into his late teens and his main interest is girls.
He is likely to make a bit of a fool of himself with them. He is sentimental, sighing
and writing poems to his dream girls. Though frustrated, he seeks pleasures in his
woes.
In the fourth stage, he is a bold and fearless soldier. He wants to take the world
by storm, full of promises. He thinks less of himself and begins to think more of
others. He is very easily aroused and is hot headed. He seeks a bubble reputation.
The fifth stage is the age of justice, a middle aged person. He becomes wise and
experienced. His belly is round because of fat. He had a beard of formal cut, to
give professional look. He enjoys prosperity and social status. He becomes very
attentive of his looks. He begins to enjoy the finer things of life.
In the sixth stage, He begins to lose his charm — both physical and mental. He
becomes lean and pale. He puts glasses on his nose. He wears pantaloons and
slippers. He carries pouch of tobacco in his pocket. The world is too wide for him
now. His manly voice ‘mellows’ into a childish treble.
In the final stage, he loses his status and he becomes a non-entity. This is the
winter season of human life. This is the stage of second childhood. He has lost
his teeth, his eye sight, even all the essence of his life. He lives in a state of utter
forgetfulness. Nature tries to cut him off from all earthly bondage. Death
summons him to go to the eternal world. Finally he meets his catastrophe.
Reference to the Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem, All the World’s A Stage (Seven Ages
of Man), penned down by William Shakespeare. This poem is written in extended
metaphor and life is compared with theatre (play) in it.
Stanza 1:
Paraphrasing:
This world is a theatre where everyone comes as predestined and impart their
role. The time of their arrival and departure varies though and these roles can be
divided into seven stages, the first one as the new born, weak, helpless and
dependent, then comes the crying school boy with his bag and bright face though
unwilling and half-heartedly moving.
Explanation:
The first stage of man is infancy: In this stage, man is merely a helpless baby
and knows little to nothing about the world. Afterward, he becomes a Whining
Schoolboy, where he begins his journey with education, leaving the protection of
his home, but still too young to journey on his own.
Stanza 2:
Paraphrasing:
He seems to be not ready to learn, and then comes the lover, always repenting,
melancholic, and suffering for the beloved. Then comes the soldier-a soldier in
the battlefield of life. Soldiers take up strange oaths of allegiance and honour and
live by them. The soldier is bearded like a Panther. He is courageous, and full of
vigour with a never-back-down kind of attitude. They zealously protect their
honour and don’t hesitate to quarrel in proving their point. The justice is shown
as round-bellied, well-to-do man; eating chicken which the speaker humorously
says is lined in his belly in the form of fat.
Explanation:
Afterward, man becomes The Lover: at this stage of a man’s life, romanticism
and love make a fool out of a man as he tries to express his emotions. Next is the
age of man where he becomes the Soldier, Shakespeare portrays this age as being
easily aroused and hot-headed, oftentimes, seeking to make a reputation for
himself even with high risks involved.
Stanza 3:
Paraphrasing:
His eyes are severe and his beard is of a formal cut, which suggests his stern
nature. He is full of wisdom and modern examples where they are relevant; he
carries about his part imparting knowledge and carrying out the duty of justice.
In the sixth stage, the person progressively becomes lean and frail. He looks like
an old fool (pantaloons) in his ragged slippers (slippered). The old age comes
with a gradual weakening of the senses. An old man is often seen wearing
corrective glasses and pouch on their side to carry their items. The youthful
sinewy frame of the soldier now reduces to the lean and bony stature of the old
man. The person becomes slim and lank. The once roaring and manly voice of
the soldier and the authoritative voice of the justice reduces in pitch and volume,
becoming something akin to child-like in the old man.
Explanation:
The fifth age of man is “The Justice“, this is the age where man has gained
wisdom and knowledge through the experiences he had in life. This is the time
where a man wants to pass down his knowledge and enjoy the finer things in life.
Following this is Old Age, at this point in life, a man has become but a shell of
his former self physically and mentally.
Stanza 4:
Paraphrasing:
His voice whistles as he talks. The last of the ages is dotage leading into the
finality of death. This final stage of life is a second childishness where the person
enters into forgetfulness. Dotage causes a loss of all senses and the person is left
with nothing. We see a return to dependency in this stage of life.
Explanation:
Finally, the last stage of a man’s life would be his Incapacity. Here, a man begins
to become dependent on others for care. Along with this, he would be unable to
interact with the world around him as he experiences a “second innocence”, and
mere oblivion to his surroundings.
Critical Appreciation:
Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of Man” is an analogy of the different phases of life
that a man goes through during a lifetime. The use of imagery, metaphor, and
simile are the strongest figures of speech used to drive home the message of the
passage. He starts out with describing the common actions and conditions in
which we all find ourselves as a baby who is dependent on a mother figure, then
he moves on to describe what each stage thereafter looks and acts like in its own
time thereby making his way to the end of a person’s life. Some examples of
figures of speech used include, “the whining school boy,” then, “Sighing like a
furnace,” “Bearded like the pard,” “round belly,” “beard of formal cut,” “and his
big manly voice,/ Turning again towards childish treble,” all discuss by simile
and metaphor the phases of a man’s life. It ends with the man in a “second”
childhood when he is old and loses everything from his teeth, sight, taste, and
everything else.
The timeline is organized in a way that the audience may follow easily through
the passage of a man’s life; and, he uses the rhythm of iambic pentameter, but the
structure is not limited to ten syllables of stressed and unstressed accents.
 Once Upon a Time (Poem-5)

About the Poem:

The poem “Once Upon A Time” has been composed by Gabriel Okara. In this
poem, a father seems to be speaking to his son about how people, as well as he
himself have changed from showing genuine emotion to being insincere and in
genuine.

Background and Theme:

Once Upon A Time is a free verse poem that focuses on a father's attitude to
cultural change and times past, before the incoming Western culture affected the
native African way of life.

Okara tried to capture the culture, values and voice of Nigerian people. He was
concerned with the clash of Nigerian traditions and modern western culture.
Colonized by Britain in 1885, Nigeria got its independence in 1960, but is still
influenced by western culture, attitudes and values. This poem explores the
impact of western development and the change in cultural attitudes and values in
Nigerian Society.

The poet throws light on the difference between the people of past and
present. Nigerians were considered the most honest and trustworthy people before
being influenced by modern culture and values. According to him, they were
genuine, pure and sincere people but now these qualities are replaced by
hypocrisy, selfishness and insincerity. There was no difference between their
inner and outer selves. But now their emotions and intentions have become
artificial. So the poem addresses the theme of how social and cultural values
undergo a change.

Explanation:

Stanza 1:
In the first stanza, Okara writes, “They used to laugh with their hearts and… eyes;
but now they only laugh with their teeth while their ice-block cold eyes search
behind my shadow.” This phrase illustrates the change in the way people act
showing that their laughter used to be genuine and heartfelt, however, now their
attitudes have changed. The description of “laugh with their teeth” illustrates
someone showing false interest. The dark imagery “ice-block cold eyes”, which
follows, shows that there is no emotion or feeling in that smile.

Stanza 2:

In the next stanza, Okara describes how “they used to shake hands with their
hearts” implying that the actions were genuine and were also symbolic of good
intentions, however, “Now they shake hands without hearts while their left hands
search my empty pockets”. This phrase illustrates that all good intentions have
gone. Everybody is only focusing on his own personal gain. The use of a
metaphor emphasizes how there is a lack of trust as everybody is trying to use
each other.

Stanza 3:

Guests are no longer welcome these days. They are given a warm reception only
once. If they visit their friends or relatives thrice or a greater number of days, the
doors are shut on them. People in society no longer mean what they say- it’s all
about being polite. The poem also implies that true friends are very hard to find.
The positive direct speech is undermined by the opening of the next line – “they
say” suggests irony and prepares us for the contrast that is to come. Short lines
which break up the sentence suggest that he is upset.

Stanza 4:

Directly addressing his son, Okara complains that experience has replaced
innocence .The poet has used a simile in this line: “I have learned to wear many
faces like dresses” - makes expressions and emotions seem like they’re
disposable, and you can choose how to feel and when to feel it. It conveys how
society is only obsessed with appearance, not really reflecting feelings. There is
irony with ‘home face’ you are made to feel yourself at home but even there
people have a mask of false positivity.

Stanza 5:

In the 5th stanza, Okara shows the change in him as a man. “And I have learned,
too… to say ‘Goodbye’, when I mean ‘Good-riddance”. Here there is an evident
shift in the stanza; he is now talking about himself and how he too has learned to
be false. This could imply that society has pressurized him into changing in a
negative way. Despite not wanting to be like ‘them’ the speaker is saying that he
has adapted to the society and now does things, he does not want to, and says
things he does not mean. Here is repetition of the ‘teeth’ from stanza 1. A passage
of balance and antithesis is in the lines…’good has become bad’. The
requirements of a new social discourse bore him.

Stanza 6:

‘When I was like you’: he is looking up to his son, on his disassociation with
fraudulent behavior and emphasizes on how he regrets having to repress his
individuality to adopt into society. Simile ‘like a snake’s bare fangs!’ conveys a
sinister sense and the possible deception of himself. The exclamation mark
involved could show the degree of his distress, as he is in need of his son’s
guidance. He feels that he has become poisonous (like a snake).

Stanza 7:

The speaker feels guilty of becoming like one of ‘them’ but he wants his life to
be filled with innocence and honesty again. He wants to revisit the time when he
was naïve and unknown to the truth of society. Ironically, throughout the poem,
the elderly figure is teaching the ‘son’ the truth of society, however at the end the
speaker wants the child to teach him-the adult. In this way roles have been
reversed. Okara wants to say that we should learn from children to not to be
hypocrites or diplomatic, and just be ourselves.

Comprehension Exercise:

Q.1. Compare and contrast the behavior of the people in the past and today
in the light of the poem ‘Once Upon a Time’.

Ans: The poet throws light on the difference between the people of past and
present. Nigerians were considered the most honest and trustworthy people before
being influenced by modern culture and values. According to him, they were
genuine, pure and sincere people but now these qualities are replaced by
hypocrisy, selfishness and insincerity. But now their emotions and intentions
have become artificial.
As the poem progresses, the early stanzas reveal more of the negative changes
that have occurred during the poet's lifetime. He is old enough to have watched
decent human standards drop to the wayside as western ideals, together with
capitalism, gradually took over.

Q.2. What does the poet want to learn from his son?

Ans: The speaker wants to relearn from his son who seems to be unaffected by
the changes noticed by the poet. He wants to learn from his son how to laugh and
be genuine again. It's rather a unique plea, coming from the adult to the youngster.
The poet wants to put the clocks back and wants the old culture to be retrieved
from the overwhelming modern culture. The speaker feels guilty of becoming
like others but he wants his life to be filled with innocence and honesty again. He
wants to revisit the time when he was naïve and unknown to the truth of society.
He wants the child to teach him how to laugh and smile as he used to do in his
past when he was young like his son.
Q.3. What do the expressions’ laugh with their teeth’ and ‘teeth like a
snake’s bare fangs’, mean?

Ans: Okara draws a contrast how the Nigerians had been and how they have
changed with the transformation of the society. ‘Laugh with their teeth’ means
that now the people laugh just to showcase a laugh but in reality dark intentions
are inside their hearts. They don’t possess genuine emotions and feelings and
their attitudes are just sugar coated.

‘Teeth like a snake’s bare fangs’ means that when he laughs you see his teeth and
smile but his intentions are also insincere and dishonest. The poet has used a very
strong metaphor when he writes that his laugh in the mirror is
‘like a snake’s bare fangs’. A snake is commonly used in mythology and fairy
tales to describe evil, insincerity and dishonesty. He views himself as a vicious
portrait in front of the mirror.

Q.4. To what does the poet compare the eyes of the modern man in the
poem, ‘Once Upon A Time’, and why?
Ans: The eyes of the modern man have been compared with the teeth. While the
heart is a symbol of genuine emotions, the eyes are the conveyor of the same, as
sincere feelings are communicated through the eyes. Once upon a time people
used to smile and shake hands with their hearts. Though they were rooted in
primitivism, the emotions they embodied were genuine.
Now, in the contemporary post-colonial context, the smile is purely plastic as it
reveals only the teeth. The eyes are devoid of emotion and phrased as 'ice-block.'
The poet has drawn this comparison in order to highlight the false and formal
show of feelings, in place of genuine and sincere ones. The eyes appear without
the slightest trace of warmth and humanity and the teeth expose the artificiality
and lack of real feelings.
[Link] the tone of the poem, ‘Once Upon A Time’?

Ans: The tone of ‘Once Upon A Time’ is nostalgic and perhaps a little ironic.
The speaker dearly wishes to relearn how to smile a genuine smile again, how to
laugh without pretension - but all this he wishes to learn from a youngster-his
son.

The speaker is earnest, he clearly wants to get back to a time he perceives as pure,
innocent and good...in the old African culture, before the Western values crept
and took over. The tone is ironic, perhaps the speaker knows deep inside that he'll
never regain that purity, he won't be able to turn back time and relive life as a
transformed person.

Q.6. Find out similes and metaphors used by the poet in the first and fourth
stanzas of the poem?

Ans: Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object

or action to which it is not literally applicable:

Ice block cold eyes (void of emotions) search behind my shadow (looking for
hidden secrets)

The eyes are devoid of emotion and phrased as 'ice-block.' They appear without
the slightest trace of warmth and humanity. They search behind the speakers
shadows, as their intentions and motives are not explicit.
Simile
As a figure of speech, a simile is used when something is compared to a different
thing, using the words like or as. For example:
‘Have learned to wear many faces like dresses

With all their conforming smiles like a fixed portrait smile’.

The portrait smile is a symbolic act of something that is not felt, but done purely
for the sake of it. Conforming to the so-called refined culture the poet has attuned
himself with the rest and learnt to smile only with his teeth and greet (shake
hands) without any trace of sincerity (heart)
 Lines from the Deserted Village (Poem-6)

About the Poem: ‘Lines from The Deserted Village’ is a selection of lines .It is
a pastoral elegy by Oliver Goldsmith, published in 1770. Considered to be one of
his major poems, it idealizes a rural way of life that was being destroyed by the
displacement of villagers, the greed of landlords, and economic and political
change. "The Deserted Village" is narrated in the first person. The speaker
reminisces about his childhood village and warns of changes brought about by
commercialism.

Background and Theme: Goldsmith wrote "The Deserted Village" during the
rapid industrialization of Britain. “The Deserted Village" was written with the
express purpose of evoking strong emotions in the readers. "The Deserted
Village" idealizes rural life and landscapes, it can be defined as a pastoral elegy,
which specifically uses an elegy's formal conventions against a pastoral
backdrop.

Goldsmith wanted his audience to feel a sense of longing for village life
and to turn away from the corruption of city life. In this poem the poet has
described the sweet memories of the village Auburn where he had spent the days
of his childhood and youth. The village was a happy place and the simple villagers
lived a carefree life. To accomplish this, Goldsmith describes everything in the
village as lovely, peaceful, and innocent. He opens the poem with images of
picnickers enjoying a beautiful day in the "loveliest village of the plain." The
villagers are virtuous and innocent. They play sports together on the village green.
Young boys and the girls of the village played the village games and enjoyed
themselves. Even the village itself is described as "sweet smiling," because
everything in Auburn is idyllic, beautiful, and pure. The poet feels sorry to say
that the village lies deserted now.
Explanation

Stanza 1

In these lines the poet has described the beauty of the village Auburn. He calls
his village to be the most beautiful village of the plain. He says the hard working
villagers are very happy because they were healthy and strong. The village people
worked hard and had everything in plenty. They lived a carefree life. The climate
of the village was so fine that spring seemed to come there very early and the
beauty of the departing summer stayed there for a long time. In short weather of
the village remained fine throughout the year.

Stanza 2

Here the poet recalls and admires the beautiful shady places of the village Auburn.
Where he had spent the golden days of his youth. The lovely shady places of the
village gave him happiness and a feeling of comfort and ease. In those days every
sport was pleasing. The poet also remembers how often he used to walk over the
green field of his village and that every scene of the village was dear to him.

Stanza 3

In these lines the poet has described the beautiful places of his village where he
had spent much time in his youth. He says during his walk he was attracted by
various scenes of the village. He remembers the beautiful cottage under the shade
of the trees. He also mentions the cultivated farm and the shading crops which
presented a beautiful sight. The mill of the village was always busy in grinding
flour. The poet praises the stream of the village, which did not become dry in all
seasons. The beautiful building of the church on a nearby hill impressed him
much. He recalls the bushes of the "hawthorn" under the shade of which the old
farmers used to sit and talk to each other. The young lovers also sat under the
shade of the bushes and whispered to one another.

Stanza 4

These lines describe the poet’s feelings as he waited for the weekend
celebrations. He used to wait impatiently for the day of holiday when everyone
left work and came to take part in games under the shade of a big tree outside the
village. All the people of the village took keen interest in different games and
enjoyed themselves. Crowds of hardworking masses poured in who toiled for the
whole week and eagerly waited for the seventh day when they could enjoy
themselves to their heart’s content. On a holiday, the people gathered at different
places and took part in various activities. While the young people competed with
one another, the old observed them.

Stanza 5

In these lines the poet is describing the day of holiday in the village. The villagers
assembled under the shade of the tree outside the village and played different
games. The old people of the village sat in a circle and watched them. Various
kinds of games were played under the shade of spreading trees. These included
clever tricks of art and show of strength. When the villagers got bored by playing
a game again and again they took up another sport. They also danced and enjoyed
themselves. Some dancing pairs tried to tire each other down, and win the
appreciation of the people.

Stanza 6

In these lines the poet is describing different games that were played under the
shade of trees outside the village. He says that sometimes the face of a villager
was blackened in joke, but he was unaware of this. The others laughed at him
secretly. The poet also describes the presence of village girls who secretly looked
at their lovers with shy looks. Such sports and merry thoughts made the villagers
work harder and to live happily. The poet feels sorry to say that all these charms
have disappeared now.

Stanza 7

In these lines the poet is describing the present state of the village which looks
deserted. He says that a country begins to fall a prey to every kind of evil when
people begin to collect money. People run after wealth, and does not care for the
welfare of their fellow men, they are sure to face bad luck. Princes and lords can
go down as easily as they have risen. The rise of the upper class people is not a
sign of a country’s progress. It is the hard working farmer who is the real pride
and honour of a country. Once the bold and courageous farmers are destroyed,
nothing can restore them.

Comprehension Exercise:
Q.1. Write in your own words the significance of the title, ‘Lines from the
Deserted Village’?

Ans: The title of the poem, ‘Lines from the Deserted Village’ is significant in the
sense that it is self-explanatory. The very first line addresses the village as “sweet
Auburn”. The poet shares the fond memories of the village life. Considered to be
one of Goldsmith’s major poems, it idealizes a rural way of life that was being
destroyed by the displacement of villagers, the greed of landlords and economic
and political changes. The poem highlights all these factors which have given a
deserted look to the village which echoed cheers and laughter in the past. The
meaning of the title is readily evident; it not only lists the poem’s subject, but
suggests its theme as well.
Q.2. Describe in your own words the picture of the village portrayed by the
poet in first six lines of the poem, ‘Lines from the Deserted Village’?

Ans: In these lines the poet recalls and admires the beautiful shady places of the
village Auburn. Where he had spent the golden days of his youth. Goldsmith has
described the beauty of the village Auburn. He calls his village to be the most
beautiful village of the plain. He says the hard-working villagers are very happy
because they were healthy and strong. The village people worked hard and had
everything in plenty. They lived a carefree life. The climate of the village was so
fine that spring seemed to come there very early and the beauty of the departing
summer stayed there for a long time. In short weather of the village remained fine
throughout the year.

Q.3. What does the poet mean by the following words and phrases:
(a)Loitered over thy green (b) talking age (c) seats of my youth (d) the village
train
Ans: (a) Loitered over thy green: The phrase refers to the youthful activities
and happy time which the poet spent in “sweet Auburn”. The poet recalls and
admires the beautiful shady places of the village Auburn. Where he had spent the
golden days of his youth. The lovely shady places of the village gave him
happiness and a feeling of comfort and ease. In those days every sport was
pleasing. The poet also remembers how often he used to walk over the green field
of his village and that every scene of the village was dear to him.

(b) Talking age: The phrase stands for the elderly people of the village and their
talks and discussions. He recalls the bushes of the "hawthorn" under the shade of
which the old farmers used to sit and talk to each other. He also refers to the
difference of activities between the old and the young of the village .i.e. while the
old talked, the young lovers also sat under the shade of the bushes and whispered
to one another.
(c) Seats of my youth: The poet is nostalgic about the places in the village where
he spent a joyful time .He recalls and admires the beautiful shady places of the
village Auburn, where he had spent the golden days of his youth. The lovely
shady places of the village gave him happiness and a feeling of comfort and ease.
In those days every sport was pleasing. The poet also remembers how often he
used to walk over the green field of his village and that every scene of the village
was dear to him.

(d) The village train: The phrase means pouring in of groups or crowd of
hardworking masses in the village ground. They toiled for the whole week and
eagerly waited for the seventh day when they could enjoy themselves to their
heart’s content. On a holiday, the people gathered at different places and took part
in various activities. While the young people competed with one another, the old
observed them.

[Link] verse form has been used by the poet in the poem, ‘Lines from the
Deserted Village’? Also tell what is its rhyme scheme?

Ans: The Deserted Village is a long poem, originally its 430 lines have been
distributed among twenty-five verse paragraphs of varying length. The verse form
is in heroic couplets. The first-person narration is used to express a lamentation
for the passing of a way of village life. Because "The Deserted Village" idealizes
rural life and landscapes, it can be defined as a pastoral elegy, which specifically
uses an elegy's formal conventions against a pastoral backdrop.

Roughly, the poem can be divided into three main sections: a description of the
village as it used to be at the time of the poet’s youth; a description of the village
‘today’, in the poet’s maturity; and the concluding section that somewhat details
life in America, where the occupants of Auburn have gone.

It features an "AABBCC..." rhyme scheme, with ten-syllable lines written

in iambic pentameter.
Q.5. Explain the following couplet:
“Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey
Where wealth accumulates and men decay”
Ans: These lines present a picture of the village after it was deserted. The simple
abode of the innocent rustics had fallen a prey to injustice and cruelty. Wealth
was accumulating in a few hands while the common man suffered from misery,
poverty and deprivation. The bulk of the population consists of hardworking
villagers. The rich may grow richer and get all the honour and titles but that does
not make much difference. The real asset and wealth of the country are the poor,
toiling farmers. If they are once destroyed, no one can replace them. The joy and
satisfaction of life is lost forever. The speaker laments that the village—once
filled with "bold peasantry" that was the "country's pride"—is now deserted.
Everyone has left to chase wealth in the city, which the speaker calls the place
where "men decay." This greed caused the decay of "rural mirth and manners.

[Link] an example of alliteration from the poem, ‘Lines from the Deserted
Village’?

Ans: Alliteration is a poetic technique in which the initial consonant sounds of

words are repeated in close succession; when the beginning sounds of words
repeat. The following are a number of examples of alliteration in the poem,
‘Lines from The Deserted Village’:

 Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid,

 Where humble happiness endeared each scene;
 The never-failing brook, the busy mill
 When toil remitting lent its turn to play,
 Succeeding sports the mirthful band inspired
 The dancing pair that simply sought renown
 The swain mistrust less of his smutted face,
 With sweet succession, taught even toil to please;
 Far, far away thy children leave the land
 Where wealth accumulates, and men decay
 The robe that wraps his limbs in silken sloth
ARMY PUBLIC SCHOOL & COLLEGE GIRLS
NOTES: HSSC-II
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
BALOCHISTAN BOARD TEXTBOOK
 The Spider and the Fly (Poem-1)

'The Spider and The Fly' is a fable about a fly that first appeared in Mary Howitt's
collection Sketches of Natural History (1834), a series of poems to educate
children about the realities of the world.
Summary:
‘The Spider and the Fly ‘by Mary Howitt describes how a silly fly is trapped by
a cunning spider and loses her life.
The poem begins with the speaker describing the first efforts of a spider to lure a
fly into his dark and evil home. On his first attempt, the spider tells the fly that
his “parlor” is lovely. It is a place anyone would want to be, and it is open for the
fly to visit. She declines and then declines three more times as the spider tries
other tactics to lure her in.
In the final speech the spider flatters the fly’s vanity. This does the trick
and eventually, she comes back and is eaten by the spider. The poem concludes
with the speaker reminding the children reading the text not to pay attention to
false words and evil counselors.

Theme /message/central Idea of the Poem

This poem educates its little audience about not to be lured/flattered into
temptation by the wily and shrewd predators who abound in society. Howitt uses
a parable to tell the poem where the Fly and the Spider behave like human beings;
where the spider is metaphorically representing cunning people who exist in the
society.
The theme is about making wise decisions and analyzing every decision'. Often
wise decisions are promptly made but they are not analyzed and acted upon.
Another idea that the poet is trying to illuminate to have strong will power and
never pay heed to evil counselors. The poet also emphasizes upon the idea that
people should make right judgements.
Critical Analysis
“The Spider and the Fly” is a fable written by Mary Botham Howitt. This poem
tells the story of a cunning spider who entices a little fly with his tricky words to
fall into his trap. This fable depicts a very prominent and common folly of human
beings- the flaw of being easily convinced by false flattery. In this poem, the
cunning spider employs several ways to allure the fly into his home. He cordially
invites the fly into his ‘parlor’ to show her pretty things, offers her a comfortable
bed and good food to eat. Failing to tempt the fly with all these, the spider uses
the strongest weapon he has that is sure to take her down. He indulges in fake
flattery of the fly. The traps the naive fly through the seduction of flattery. No
matter how dedicated the fly was about not entering the spider’s evil trap, she
succumbed in the end as the spider artfully deceives her to step into his home.
The predominant tone of the poem is one of flattery and deception.
The poet warns people not to pay heed to false flattery and enticements and learn
from the fly’s mistake. This tone of falsehood, deception, and meanness
represents the miseries of the beings that are silly enough to fall for that evilness.
The subject matter of this poem ranges from being comical to sad.
The mood of the poem is sad as it tells how a Fly dies giving into flattery, but
the poet uses imagery, rhythm, and repetition to make it sound upbeat for young
children. The subject matter of this poem ranges from being comical to being sad.
Poetic Devices

1. Simile
A simile is a figure of speech in which a likeness between two different things
is stated explicitly, using the words ‘as’ or ‘like.’ For instance,
“Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead.”
Here, the fly’s eyes have been compared to a diamond and the spider’s eyes to
lead.
2. Anaphora
It is a figure of speech in which there is a deliberate repetition of a word or
phrase at the beginning of a sequence of sentences, paragraphs, and lines. For
instance,
“How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!”
3. Repetition
It is a word, phrase, sentence, or poetical line repeated to emphasize its
significance in the text. For instance, “O no, no,” said the little fly, “for I’ve
often heard it said,
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed.”
The use of the phrase ‘O no, no’ and ‘never, never’ emphasizes the fly’s firm
dedication not to enter the spider’s web.
4. Alliteration
The close repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words, is
called alliteration. For instance,
“fiercely held her fat.”
“Dismal den”
5. Assonance
It is the repetition of similar vowel sounds. For instance,
“’ Tis the prettiest little parlor”– (‘i’ sound is repeated here
 Structure and Rhyme Scheme

The poem The Spider and The Fly consist of seven stanzas, out of which the
first four stanzas are composed of six lines each, the next two stanzas have eight
lines each, and the final stanza comprises four lines. It is a fable that tells the
story of a cunning spider that deceives a silly fly through flattery. It is written in
verse form.
The first four stanzas follow the same rhyme scheme, i.e., AABBCC. The
rhyme scheme of the fourth and the fifth stanza goes like AABBCCDD. And
finally, the last stanza has the rhyme scheme of AABB.
For instance, in the first stanza, ‘fly’ rhymes with ‘spy,’ ‘stair’ rhymes with
‘there’ and, ‘vain’ rhymes with ‘again.’
“Will you walk into my parlor?” said the spider to the fly;
“ Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy.
The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,
And I have many pretty things to show when you are there.”
“O no, no,” said the little fly, “to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can ne’er come down again.”
Again in the fifth stanza, ‘den’ rhymes with ‘again,’ ‘sly’ rhymes with ‘fly,’
‘sing’ rhymes with ‘wing,’ and ‘head’ rhymes with ‘lead.’
The spider turned him roundabout and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly fly would soon be back again:
So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready to dine upon the fly.
Then he came out to his door again and merrily did sing
“Come hither, pretty fly, with the pearl and silver wing:
Your robes are green and purple; there’s a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead.”

Again, in the final stanza, ‘read’ rhymes with ‘heed’ and ‘eye’ rhymes with
‘fly.’
And now, dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne’er give heed;
Unto an evil counselor close heart, and ear, and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale of the Spider and the Fly.
Paraphrasing and Explanation
Stanza 1

“Will you walk into my parlor?” said the spider to the fly.
“‘Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you may spy.
The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,
And I have many curious things to show when you are there.”
“Oh no, no,” said the little fly; “to ask me is in vain,

For who goes up your winding stair can ne’er come down again.”

Paraphrase
The stanza contains a conversation between a spider and a fly. The spider is very
cordially inviting and tempting the fly to visit its ‘parlour’ which he describes as
the prettiest. It is up a winding stair, and the fly can see many attractive things
there. The fly, being smart, did not fall into his trap and paid no heed to his
invitations saying that she knew that those who went with the spider, ne’er came
down.
Explanation
In this stanza most of the lines are made up of dialogue. The two speakers are a
spider whose goal is to attract a fly to its “parlor” and the fly, who does her best
to resist. In the first line, the spider begins by asking the fly, very nicely, if she
will come to the “parlor.”
He adds on the enticing detail that it is the “prettiest little parlor.” The spider is
trying to play down the fear the fly should feel about his lair. It is “little” and
pretty—not at all foreboding. From the first line, it is easy to tell that the spider
has ulterior motives. A reader will be very aware that nothing good will happen
to the fly if she agrees. To reach the spider’s home, one must go up a “winding
stair.” Once there, there are curious things to be seen. These two lines make the
lair seem somewhat magical, without even pausing to consider the offer the fly
says, “no, no.” There is no reason, the fly states, to even ask. It knows that those
who go up the “winding stair” do not “come down again”.
The spider, with his sweet talks and false charm, traps poor insects like the fly
and then kills them. The parlour is the web which a spider creates and where
insects like the fly get stuck due to its stickiness.
Stanza 2

“I’m sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high.

Well, you rest upon my little bed?” said the spider to the fly.
“There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,
And if you like to rest a while, I’ll snugly tuck you in!”
“Oh no, no,” said the little fly, “for I’ve often heard it said,
They never, never wake again who sleep upon your bed!”
Paraphrase

In the second stanza, the spider tries again to lure (trap) the fly into his web. He
exclaims that the poor fly just be tired by soaring (flying) up so high. So, he
requests the fly to rest her weary (tired) self in his soft bed with pretty curtains
drawn around. And then the spider would gently tuck the fly to sleep.
However, the fly declined the offer by saying that she knew those who slept in
his soft bed never, never wake again, meaning that they meet their death because
of the spider.

Explanation
The spider is not deterred. He immediately tries another tactic, telling the fly the
“parlor” can be a place for her to rest. There is a “little bed” and “pretty curtains”
in the room. If she goes there, the spider will be happy to “tuck” her in. In one
way these lines are caring and congenial, in another, they are foreboding and
malicious. The bed represents certain death for the fly and she knows it. The fly
repeats what it said in the first stanza. She tells the spider there is no way she is
going up to his “parlor.” The fly knows that those who go to “sleep upon [his]
bed” never wake up again. The Spider tries to portray it with all the luxuries of
life so as to entice the fly in order to provide respite from her tiresome life routine

Stanza 3
Said the cunning spider to the fly: “Dear friend, what can I do
To prove the warm affection, I’ve always felt for you?
I have within my pantry good store of all that’s nice.
I’m sure you’re very welcome – will you please to take a slice?”
“Oh no, no,” said the little fly; “kind sir that cannot be:
I’ve heard what’s in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!”
Paraphrase

In the third stanza, the cunning spider lures the fly to his delicious pantry (a place
where food is stored). He says that his pantry is a sight to behold as it has got
a good storage of tempting items. The fly is very much welcome to come in and
take a bite of the delicacies, but the fly declined the offer. She said that she has
heard about the spider’s pantry and the fact that what’s in there is something she
does not wish to see.

Explanation
When the fly is not convinced to visit his parlour, the spider lures it with the offer
of dainty food. He is starting to show his vexation/irritation. He asks the fly,
whom he calls “Dear friend,” what he can do for her. He says he has always felt
a “warm affection” for her and that all he wants is to share the “good store” of his
pantry. Again, there are two different ways these phrases could be taken. The fly
might be interested in the offer of the pantry or see through the deception. Failing
to lure the fly through her invitation to visit his beautiful parlour, the spider tries
to tempt her by mentioning the luxury of her storehouse. But it is lucky for the
fly that she is smart enough to know there is nothing good in the pantry. She
knows that here are things, likely the remains of other insects that she does “not
wish to see!”
Stanza 4

“Sweet creature!” said the spider, “you’re witty and you’re wise;
How handsome are your gauzy wings; how brilliant are your eyes!
I have a little looking glass upon my parlor shelf.

If you’d step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself.”

“I thank you, gentle sir,” she said, “for what you’re pleased to say,

And, bidding you good morning now, I’ll call another day.”
Paraphrase

The spider tries a more persistent and clever way to entrap the fly by using
flattery. He exclaims with happiness how beautiful and sweet the fly is. He says
that the fly’s wings are gauzy (thin and shiny) and how brilliant are your eyes. So
he asks her to step inside his parlour where he has a little looking-glass and the
fly can see herself how pretty she is. She says that though she will be flying off
now, she will come visit the spider soon.

Explanation
The spider is still not giving up. He turns to compliment the fly on her “gauzy”
or fine and transparent wings. He also calls the fly’s eyes “brilliant,” trying to get
the best of her vanity. The spider offers the use of his “looking glass” or mirror.
There, the fly would be able to admire herself more clearly. If she agrees she will
be pleased with what she sees. The fly declines the offer once more, telling the
spider ‘Thank you’ for the offer, and the compliments, but it seems as if perhaps
the spider’s compliments are having effect on the fly. She states that she will “call
another day,” or come back later. While this is still a “no,” the refusal of “Oh, no,
no” is not present in these lines.

The fly, this time, did not directly decline his offer. She is very pleased with all
the flattery, just like the spider had hoped. She says that though she will be flying
off now, she will come visit the spider soon. Flattery is an old trick which men
use on women to trap them. False flatteries are used often to trick the women and
the poet shows how the innocent fly is slowly falling for the false words of the
spider.
Stanza 5

The spider turned him round about, and went into his den,

For well he knew the silly fly would soon come back again:

So he wove a subtle web in a little corner sly,

And set his table ready to dine upon the fly;

Then came out to his door again and merrily did sing:

“Come hither, hither, pretty fly, with pearl and silver wing.

Your robes are green and purple; there’s a crest upon your head.

Your eyes are like diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!”
Paraphrase
The cunning spider knew that the fly will soon come back as the flattery did work.
He goes inside and starts creating a delicate web in a hidden corner. He sets his
table ready to dine upon the fly once she comes back. Then the clever spider goes
out and starts singing a song full of praise.
He says wonderful things about the fly all the while calling her. He calls out to
the fly with the pearl and silver wing. He says that he finds her dress (body) to
be in a beautiful colour of green and purple and that she also has
a crest (crown) upon her head. He ends his flattery by comparing her diamond
bright eyes to his dull eyes.
Explanation
The spider takes the fly at her word and goes back into “his den.” It is here that
he begins to weave his trap. There will be a web subtly hidden in the corner and
the table will be set, ready to dine on the visitor. The spider is very confident that
all his attempts at luring the fly have finally been successful. He is all ready to
enjoy his feast on the fly. After all , he made such hard attempts to defraud the
fly through every possible way by exploiting her sense of vanity.

In order to materialize his future meal, he goes out and calls once more to the fly.
He refers to her as “pretty fly, with pearl and silver wing.” She is colored “green
and purple” with diamond eyes. He compares these features to his own “dull”
lead-like eyes. She has a beauty which he does not have. In this way, he is again
trying to invite the fly’s sense of self praise and exploit it by drawing a
comparison between his dull eyes and her diamond like eyes.

Stanza 6

Alas, alas! How very soon this silly little fly,

Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;
With buzzing wings, she hung aloft, then near and nearer grew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes and green and purple hue,
Thinking only of her crested head. Poor, foolish thing! at last
Up jumped the cunning spider, and fiercely held her fast;
He dragged her up his winding stair, into the dismal den –
Within his little parlor – but she ne’er came out again!

Paraphrase

The poor fly meets her tragic end. On hearing the spider’s wily (cunning),
flattering words, the fly comes buzzing towards the spider’s web. She could think
of nothing apart from all the praises said by the spider about her brilliant
eyes and her crested head. She did not even know that she is about to get inside
a trap as her head is filled with all the false praises.
As soon as she arrives at the web, the spider fiercely held her fast and drags her
into his dismal (unfortunate) den and ends the fly’s life.
Explanation

The speaker expresses her opinion on what happens next with the opening words,
“Alas, alas!” Unfortunately, the fly does come back. She is “silly” and “little” and
easily taken in by flattering words. The fly comes by “slowly” until she was
finally near enough for the spider to jump up and grab her. She was distracted,
thinking about her own beauty and all the compliments paid to her. This was her
downfall.
The fly is held “fast” by the spider and taken up to what was once described as a
pretty parlor. Now it is referred to as a “dismal den.” (Alliteration)Just like she
had expected in the beginning, and had refused to enter the spider’s web three
times in her refrain, she did not “come out again.” This is what happens when a
woman pays heed to a man’s false enticements and fake praises. She is trapped
in a spell from where she is unable to recover and hence, meets her fate as in the
case of the fly.
Stanza 7

And now, dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly flattering words I pray you ne’er give heed;
Unto an evil counselor close heart and ear and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale of the spider and the fly.

Paraphrase

In the final stanza of the poem, the poet directly converses with the reader. She
says to the children, who will be reading this poem, not to pay any attention
to idle, silly flattering words. Such words will only make people miserable later
on so it’s better to avoid it from the beginning.
Whenever there is any evil counselor (a person who preaches bad things), one
should care not to listen to them and pay no attention at all. She further says that
the tale of the Spider and the Fly should act as a moral lesson for everyone to be
careful in the future.

Explanation

The last four lines of the poem wrap up the moral and the message present in the
text. The speaker addresses the “dear little children” who are reading or hearing
the poem and tells them to pay no “heed” to flattering words. They are a powerful
falsity used by “evil counselors.” One should instead learn from the “tale of the
spider and the fly” and keep bad people far from one’s “heart and ear and
eye.” The poem ends with a small message to all the children. The poet cautions
the children against flattery by evil counselors. She asks them to take a lesson
from the fly’s foolishness resulting in her tragic end and warns them not to be
deceived by false flattery. The tone of falsehood, deception, and meanness that
the poem embodies represents the miseries of the beings that are silly enough to
fall for that evilness.
 Be the Best of Whatever You Are (Poem-2)

Summary:

The poem begins by indirectly referring to the meaning of life. Meaning of

life is the purpose to shape ourselves and to live life. In this respect, the poet puts
some of the possibilities before the reader. He says that if your circumstances are
not favorable for becoming a pine on the top of the hell, it is not the end of life.
You still have the option of becoming a little scrub in the valley. The poet here
makes the actual point of the poem ‘be the best little scrub’. He is implying that
it does not matter what you become, what matters is how best you have shaped
yourself. By talking using the examples of 'pine' and 'scrub', the poet has said
something more: the value of your existence is not measured by your size but by
your excellence.

Again, the poet suggests the same point in the way that if you cannot be a tree
(which is usually tall), be a bit of the grass. Tree and grass are largely different in
sizes. But the poet is again talking about becoming excellent whether in the form
of a tree or a bit of the grass. Then the poet talks of the two fishes: muskie and
bass. He says that if you cannot become a muskie, be a bass but you should be
the liveliest bass in the lake. The poet says that all of us cannot be the captains;
some have to be the crew. Here he is saying that we must do the tasks that are
suitable for us. He repeats the point by giving examples of train and train and sun
and star. In the end, he says, ‘it is not by size that you win or fail’, rather it is the
quality of work which makes the difference.
Theme/Central Idea/Message
The theme of the poem is inspirational and instructional, making it a
great didactic poem. In this poem, Douglas Malloch (1877-1938) shares an
encouraging message for readers of all ages. The title of the poem itself reveals
the meaning of the poem and its concept. He is trying to tell us that whatever
we do, we need to be the best. He has used examples from the nature to convey
his message. The poet wants us to know that no job is less important and we need
not be ashamed of what we are

Although we don't all hold prestigious jobs, we can all be the best at who
we are. Our position in life doesn't make us valuable. The beauty of this world is
shown when each person does what he has been called to do and does it with great
pride. When we measure our success by the standards of this world, many of us
will feel as though we've fallen short. Douglas Malloch reminds us that success
is measured by being the best at whoever you are.

Critical Appreciation/Analysis
The poem ‘Be the Best of whatever You Are’ is a beautiful piece of poetry by
Douglas Malloch. The poet has tried to inspire and motivate us to improve
ourselves on the point where we stand in society. The Poem tells us to make the
best use of available opportunities and resources.
We must take pride in our job and accomplish it with our best effort. It's good to
be a pine tree on the top of the hill, but you can still be noticeable by being the
best bush beside the stream making the valley beautiful.
The poem follows a rhyme scheme of 'abab'. The last word of every line
rhymes with every alternate line like 'hill' and 'rill', 'be' and 'tree' etc. throughout
the poem. Use of the conditional clauses beginning with 'if' gives the poem a good
flow and supports the theme of the poem very well.
The poetic devices used in this poem are:

•assonance - the repetition of vowel sounds, consonance - the property of

sounding harmonious, enjambment - continuation from one line of verse into the
next line, imagery - the ability to form mental pictures of things or events,
rhyme - correspondence in the final sounds of two or more lines, synecdoche -
using part of something to refer to the whole thing, personification - attributing
human characteristics to abstract ideas.

The poem is very simple in theme and language. The poem consists of four
stanzas containing four lines each. It follows a rhyme scheme of ‘abab’. The
last word of every line rhymes with every alternate line like ‘hill’ and ’rill’, ’be’
and ‘tree’ etc. throughout the poem. Use of the conditional clauses beginning with
‘if’ gives the poem a good flow and supports the theme of the poem very well.
Douglas Malloch here in this poem has used contrasting examples from nature to
make metaphors for something big and its corresponding small one in regard to
achievements in life:

 A pine versus a Scrub

 A tree versus a bush

 A bush versus a bit of grass

 Muskie versus bass

 Captain versus crew

 Highway versus trail and

 The sun versus a star

 Some other figures of speech are there in the poem:

 Alliteration is used in some of the lines as shown below:

If you can’t be a bush be a bit of the grass,

And some highway happier make.
Repetition is also used in the following lines
There’s big work to do and there’s lesser to do,
And the task we must do is the near.

 There’s a transferred epithet

And some highway happier make;

The grass can make the people happier, not the highway.

 Antithesis is found in the line —

 It isn’t by size that you win or fail
 And, the poet has created visual imagery in the expressions “a pine on the
top of the hill”, “The best little scrub by the side of the rill”, “the liveliest
bass in the lake” etc.

We may look at the tall pine trees with awe, but we also gaze at the green
patches in the valleys or on the roadside, just because they make the nature
beautiful and give us a good feeling. Douglas realized this human
psychology and turned to the society to share his wisdom. Similarly, we can
make us prominent by being like those stars or the patches of grass, if not the
sun and the pine itself. To say so, we have to make contributions that are
noticeable
 and for that we have to be the best in our respective fields, no matter what we
do.

Paraphrasing and Explanation

Stanza 1

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,

Be a scrub in the valley — but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.
Paraphrase

If you are unable to become a pine tree grown on a hill-top, just become a little
scrub in the valley is the best little scrub grown on the side of the stream. If you
can't be a tree, be a bush.
Explanation
In this stanza, the poet says that if you cannot become a pine tree that grows on
hills and mountains with all splendors, be a little scrub that must be best of its
kind. Here the poet points to the fact that quality matters, not the quantity.

If you cannot become a pine tree on a forest hell which is tall and strong, do not
stop becoming. You have other options as well. Try to be a scrub in the valley.
It does not matter what you become. What matters really is that whether you are
best in it or not. Here, the poet conveys the message that if your choice is not
appropriate for, do not be hopeless. You have much more than that to be.
Stanza 2

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,

There's something for all of us here,
There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,
And the task you must do is the near.
Paraphrase

We all cannot become captains as some of us have to become a crew. All of us

have some duties and functions. For some people, these are big work to do and
for some, there is very little work. Ant the work we all have to do is lying near
us.
Explanation
In this stanza the poet tries to convey to us the message that diversity is beautiful.
Our differences are like color. Each is beautiful in itself. Not everyone can be the
captain of the ship. There are some people who are to be on the crew. Both captain
and the crew have different functions to play. In case if we cannot become a
captain, we can become a part of the crew and offer our services.
Stanza 3

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,

And some highway happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass —
But the liveliest bass in the lake!
Paraphrase

If you still can't be a bush, just become a piece of grass. And to make some
highway happier, become a bass if you cannot become muskie. But you must
become the liveliest bass in the lake.
Explanation
In this stanza, the poet says that even if you are unable to become a bush, this is
not really disappointing. You can be a bit of grass instead. Although both differ
in sizes and functions, they are equally important. By showing these two
examples, the poet has emphasized the necessity of excelling in something small
rather than playing bad in something big.
The poem tells us that the lower or higher ranks and statuses are based on the
quality of the work one does being on a particular status. A small height person
may become a top engineer or software designer. So, whatever quality you are
born with, try to polish it to become unique.
Stanza 4

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,

If you can't be the sun be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail —
Be the best of whatever you are!
 Paraphrase

If you cannot become a highway, become a small path. If you cannot become the
Sun then just become a star. The size does not matter in failure or success.
Whatever you are, be the best of it.
Explanation
In these lines, the poet says that paths are needed to reach from one point to
another. They all are important, for every destination has a different path. In this
way, if you cannot be a stretched highway which symbolizes greatness in size,
you can become a trail that also provides navigation to the travelers. Likewise, if
you are unable to be the sun, be a star. Your size does not decide your success but
your empathy and excellence.
 Rubaiyat of Omer Khayyam (poem-3)

Rubaiyat.
Was originally written in Persian language and it was translated into English by
Edward Fitzgerald.
Omar Khayyam (1048-1131)
> A Persian Philosopher and poet.
> Born in Nishapur, North east Persia.
> Lived during the great Seljuk Empire.
> Was a notable poet, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer.
> Khayyam wrote poetry mainly in 4 lined stanzas or quatrains

The Title "Rubaiyat"

> 'Rubai' is the Farsi word for a poem composed in 4 lines or a quatrain.
> So Rubaiyat is the plural for rubai
> And Rubaiyat means a compilation of quatrains
> It is generally believed that Khayyam wrote poetry mainly in quatrains
> Khayyam's poetry was introduced to the English reading world by the English
writer and translator, Edward Fitzgerald.
> Fitzgerald in his 1859 translation, gave it the title, Rubaiyat of Omar
Khayyam.

Plot of poem:

The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is a lyric poem in quatrains (four-line stanzas).

Rather than telling a story with characters, a lyric poem presents the deep
feelings and emotions of the poet on subjects such as life, death, love, and
religion. The Rubáiyát was published in March 1859 but received little
attention.
Kind of poem:
The poem is comprised of quatrains following an aaba rhyme pattern. Each
successive quatrain picks up the unrhymed line as the rhyme for that stanza. So
a three-stanza rubaiyat might rhyme so: aaba/bbcb/ccdc. Sometimes the final
stanza, as in Frost's example above, rhymes all four lines.

Paraphrasing:
Stanza 1
Awake! The morning has hurled stone into the bowl which made the stars flee
and vanish from the [Link]!The Hunter of East has arrived and is spreading
the hunting net of his rays over the city .the high tower of the king's Palace is
caught in the noose of light.
Explanation:
This stanza is taken from the poem “RUBAIYAT OF OMER KHAYYAM” by
Fitzgerald.
These rubaiyat express the sense of mystery of life and death, and a hidden
sorrow at the perpetual change. They have a deep philosophy that nothing is
permanent and at last everything will become extinct.
The rubai beginning with “awake for morning” describes the rising of the sun in
striking images. The night sky is bowl full of Shining Stars. The morning has
hurled a stone into the bowl. The stars flee and vanish from the sky. The Hunter
of the East, the morning sun, has arrived. He spreads the hunting net of his rays
over the city. The high tower of the king's Palace is caught in the noose of light
Stanza 2
Men set their hearts on worldly success. Sometimes, they fail. Sometimes, they
succeed but their success is [Link] is like the lump of snow placed on the
burning sands of the desert which melts quickly within an hour or two.
Explanation:
In this stanza, the poet says that men have hope of worldly gains in their hearts.
Very often this hope dashes to the ground. However sometimes it is fulfilled but
it is only for a short time. Hope leaves man as quickly as snow that falls on
desert land and disappears after shining for an hour two.
Stanza 3
I found the key of one door but there is one door which is shut on [Link] are
many questions whose answers are not found by me and people. He cannot see
what is behind the worldly things.
Explanation:
In this stanza, the poet says that he was unable to understand the mystery of life.
He tried much but could not know the solution of this puzzle. A kind of mist
surrounding life bedimmed his vision. The poet says that we talk about
ourselves and others for some time till death over takes us all.
Stanza 4: The moving finger of fate writes what it pleases. Neither your piety
nor your wisdom can change your fate. He cannot but suffer and shed tears.
Explanation:
In these lines, the poet says that time does not wait for anyone. What has been
done can never be undone. What fate has written cannot be rubbed out. All the
virtue and the wisdom of man cannot cross out even a bit of what fate has
written. Human tears cannot wash out even a word of it. All are helpless before
fate. Destiny cannot be changed. Life moves on without caring for anyone.
Stanza 5
Spring vanishes with its blooming flowers. The happy days of youth also soon
over. The nightingale sings its last song and flies away to some unknown land.
Explanation:
In these lines the poet expresses his sorrow at the loss of youth. Time is always
on the move. The days of joy and happiness are very brief. The golden period of
youth comes and soon leaves us. The sweet music of life like the song of
nightingale, disappears very soon. No one knows the mystery of constant
change except feeling sorrow over the lost happiness.
Short Summary of “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam”
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is a poem of high divine and spiritual
meaning. The beauty and simplicity of this poem is so immaculate that people
of all faiths and those who have no faith at all can seek divine solace in it.

Omar has used popular metaphors in his passionate praise of wine and love.
They are mere symbols of Sufism where wine is the joy of spirit and the love is
immense devotion to God.

Omar has presented the nectar of divine ecstasy as a delightful alternative that
leads to human enlightenment and eradicates human woe permanently. He has
pictured the ordinary joys of life for the worldly men are able to compare the
mundane pleasures with the superior joys of spiritual life. The literal meaning of
the translated verses is completely absurd but the vast inner meanings are like a
golden treasure house.

But the spiritual power inherent in this poem is a characteristic of the Persian
poems which have an outer as well as inner meaning. While the west has
interpreted Omar’s poems as highly erotic, the East has accepted him as a
religious poet. Plumbing into the depths of the poem gives interpretations that
make it appear like a shrine which is untouched.
Omar has distinctly suggested that wine symbolizes intoxication of spiritual joy
and love. Some translators have interpreted the verses saying that the whole
poem is an evocation of agnosticism and has a philosophy which seeks
happiness through friendships and the avoidance of pain. It suggests brevity of
life and the absence of an afterlife.

Rubaiyat and its theme:

> It is arguably the most famous Persian literary work in the world.
> Brevity of human life forms the major theme, life is too short
> So, this blissful visit is too short and when our time comes, we too shall
wither away like a fully bloomed flower or vanish into some unknown corner of
this world like a gentle breeze.
> The poet tells us that there is no use in worrying about the unborn tomorrow
and dead yesterday when today is so sweet.
> What we need to think about is only the present moment which is too short
> So enjoy the present, because death is for sure. It is the ultimate leveller, a
sort of inevitability from where return is not possible
> So enjoy the present before we too settle into dust.
> Edward Fitzgerald called Khayyam's philosophy as Epicurean philosophy in
the preface of his own work
> Later thinkers like Nietzsche, Albert Camus and Jean Paul Satre too reflected
the same ideas in their Existential philosophy.

Critical Analysis:

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is one of Edward Fitzgerald's masterpieces in

translation. He himself stated that there might be no one else who took such
care in translation as he did with this piece. This bold statement might be
contested by many, as his translations are often found to be more artistic and
less accurate. However, Edward Fitzgerald's version has definitely gained more
prominence than any of the originals. While this poem was published in
multiple versions, this analysis will focus on the original one.

The original quatrains of Omar Khayyam were never meant to be piled together
in any specific order. They were written as individual pieces, thoughts of the
author on a specific subject or feeling. Edward Fitzgerald took them, compiled
them and managed to create an epic poem with one central theme, namely carpe
diem, or seize the day. While this might seem like a completely uplifting
message, the poem has some more somber, philosophical explanations for it.
The individual should focus on the day, and enjoy the time it has been given for
this existence is the only true thing one can really know. One's past and one's
present are shrouded in mystery. One's place in the world is something only a
higher power would know. Omar Khayyam's solution to this mental dilemma
was wine, a lot of wine.

Literary elements:

Speaker or Narrator, and Point of View

The narrator of the poem is an unknown person and the poem has been narrated
from first person's point of view. The thoughts of Omar Khayyam has been
compiled in the poem.
Form and Meter
The Persian version was in the form of quatrains but the English version is in
stanza form.
Metaphors:
“Lo! The Hunter of the East” is metaphorically used for sun.
Similes:
Like snow upon the Desert’s dusty face
Alliteration:
Lighting a little Hour or two is gone
Metonymy:
The moving finger writes
Irony
The irony in the poem is that the intellectuals think that they can predict about
past or future but their discussions are futile. Another irony is that people
believe that they can change their fates through their intellect or wisdom, but the
poet says that it is something which cannot be altered. Fate has been written by
God and we cannot change it even with our tears, so, it is useless to challenge
our fate.
Genre
Epic Poem.
Setting
The setting of the place is universal. Although the original poem has been
written in Persia in the eleventh century but the present version has been written
in nineteenth century in England.
Tone
Pensive, Awakening, Mystic, daring, Religious.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the poem is a drunkard who drinks the wine of
enlightenment and surrenders before his fate. He does not try to challenge the
fate and lives in the present moment. The worries of the past and the fears of the
future do not bother him.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the poem is between man and his fate. Man considers fate
as something alterable so he challenges it because of relying on his intellect and
sometimes he try to change it through crying with tears. The poet has conveyed
the idea through the poem that fate cannot be changed.
There are allusions to afterlife, death, divinity, the universe, mysticism, and the
creation of human beings, fate, futile intellectual efforts, tavern, God and
enlightenment.
Personification
Morning, Piety, and wit are personified in the poem.
 IT COULDN’T BE DONE (Poem-4)
Explanation
Stanza1: The speaker tells a situation in which an unnamed ‘somebody’ tries to
convince a man that ‘something’ cannot be done. This thing is not described as
it is meant to represent any task one has to overcome. But a person laughed and
replied that the task might be difficult but he would not say that it could not be
done. First, he would try to perform the task. If he would fail in doing it, then he
would say that it could not be done. He is not willing to accept that this task
cannot be completed, unless he tries it himself and fails.
Stanza2: The person got ready to do the task. Even without knowledge of what
the thing is, it is admirable to attempt something that has never been completed
before. There was a broad smile on his face. He did not show any sort of worry.
He sang songs while performing the task which was considered difficult and
impossible by people. The second stanza ends up with the revelation that the
man accomplished the thing that could not be done.
Stanza3: Somebody made fun of the person who tried to perform the difficult
task. He said that the person would never succeed as nobody had ever
performed it before. But the man got ready. He took off his coat and hat and
started to perform the difficult task. The man in the poem is not deterred by the
naysayer. He is confident and proud of his abilities, a fact which enables his
success.
Stanza4: The determined person got ready for the task to be done. He lifts his
chin with pride and smiles at the onlooker’s surprised face. With an expression
of joy, broad smile and without any doubt in his mind, he started to perform the
thing. He sang song while working very hard. The speaker emphasizes the
upbeat attitude the man took and the song he broke into to encourage himself
onward.
Stanza5: The speaker tells the readers that throughout life there are always
going to be those who tell you something cannot be done. They will ‘prophesy’
or predict your failure. They will warn you that many dangers and risks are
involved in this task. The poet uses anaphora in his repetition of the words
“There are thousands” for the third time. There is a great emphasis placed on
the number of people who want to see you ‘fail’.
Stanza6: The speaker tells the readers that anytime someone doubts ‘you’, that
is a perfect time to prove them wrong. You should buckle in with a bit of a grin
just as the man did. You should start the work with smile on your face. You are
required to take off your coat and sing songs of hope while performing the task.
You should certainly be able to do the work which is considered impossible by
the people. Let our action doing the talking for us. The greater the obstacle, the
more glory in overcoming it.
Analysis: The poem ‘It Couldn’t Be Done’ has been written by ‘Edger Guest’.
The tone or attitude in this poem is very much positive especially towards the
end. The poem is about the broad idea of not letting people tell you what can be
done and can’t done.
At the beginning someone tells someone else that ‘it’ could not be done,
but the man said he would not say it could not be done until he tried it himself.
The man was optimistic in the beginning about what could not be done. Without
a doubt he started to do it by singing songs. The biggest shift in the poem is
when the man did the thing that could not be done. It went from an optimistic
mood to an inspiring mood. It became inspiring and encouraging when he did
that thing in a way that you can do anything even when people say you can’t
because no one had ever done it.
The theme of the poem is to try things no matter how impossible
someone says it might be. If someone says you can’t do something then go
prove them wrong and do it. Don’t let someone’s negative attitude take you
away from doing something you want to do.
Summary:

‘It Couldn’t Be Done ‘is a poem that warns the reader not to be discouraged by
the negativity of others.
The poem begins with somebody telling the protagonist that something
“couldn’t be done”. The protagonist then says that he would not say for sure
until he gave it a try. He then goes into the task with a positive attitude and
confidence, which produces positive results. He ends up proving that he could
do it.
The next stanza of the poem progresses very similarly to the first: someone tells
the protagonist that a task is impossible, and he once again refuses to give up.
He goes into the task with the same confidence, and he ends up completing it.
The poem ends with the narrator speaking directly to the reader about the
message of the poem. The narrator states that there are thousands of things that
people will say are impossible and that people will try to get you to give up
before you even try. But, if you go in with a positive attitude, you can achieve
it.

Central Idea & Theme

Guest’s poem “It Couldn’t Be Done” explores the theme of success and failure.
The central idea of this poem concerns the mindset of a successful person. In
order to portray how to reach the point of success, the poet talks about an
imaginary character who “did it!” Instead of listening to various negative
remarks such as “It couldn’t be done” and “Oh you’ll never do that”, he
constantly gave positive messages to his mind. He represents any of those who
have achieved something in their lives. This poem also taps on the themes of
overcoming fear and negativity, perception vs. reality, and inner motivation.

Structure and Form

The poem is 3 stanzas long, with each stanza being 8 lines long. The poem
mostly follows an ABAB rhyme scheme, but doesn’t always follow a set
formula throughout.

Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

 Alliteration: The repetition of similar sounds can be found in the

following examples: “Somebody said,” “say so,” “he hid,” “started
to sing,” and “Somebody scoffed”.
 Enjambment: It occurs throughout the poem for connecting the lines
internally. For example, these lines are enjambed: “So he buckled right in
with the trace of a grin/ on his face.” Here, readers have to quickly go
through both lines to understand the meaning.
 Irony: Guest uses ironic references in: “maybe it couldn’t” and “with the
trace of a grin”. In the first example, the speaker is hinting at the opposite
idea by saying that “maybe” the thing couldn’t be done.
 Refrain: The last two lines of each stanza act as a refrain. This refrain is
used for emphasizing the idea that everything can be done if one has the
determination to do it.
 Metaphor: In this poem, “a lift of his chin” is a metaphorical reference to
self-confidence and determination. There is another metaphor in the line
“The dangers that wait to assail you.” Here, “dangers” are compared to
enemies.
 Anaphora: It occurs in the first three lines of the last stanza. These lines
begin with the phrase “There are thousands”. It is also present in lines 6-7
 of this stanza. This device is used to create a lasting impression of the
ideas in a reader’s mind.

 Questions and Answers

 When was the poem “It Couldn’t Be Done” written?
 Guest’s first poem was published in Detroit Free Press. His poems were
published in some 300 newspapers. The poem “It Couldn’t Be Done” was
first published in 1919 in his book of poetry The Path to Home. It first
came to print in 1917.
 What is the poem “It Couldn’t Be Done” about?
 This poem is about how a person did what he dreamed of without being
bogged down by the negative comments. There were several stories of
failures around him. Still, he remained confident and finally got it done.
Through this piece, Edgar Guest conveys to readers how a person can
reap success.
 What did the man take off in the poem “It Couldn’t Be Done”?
 The man in the poem took off his coat and hat to get himself ready for the
task. Here, taking off the coat symbolizes the act of coming out of one’s
comfort zone.
 What is the theme of “It Couldn’t Be Done”?
 The main theme of this poem concerns how to become successful. It
portrays the theme from the perspective of a person who succeeded even
after listening about the impossibility of the task he was doing.
 How should any difficult task be undertaken according to the poet
Edgar A. Guest?
 According to the poet, to undertake a difficult task, one needs to come out
of the comfort zone. He should remain confident throughout the journey.
The poet metaphorically advises readers to buckle in with a grin on their
face and take off their coats before beginning the task. While tackling the
task, they should be singing the song of success.
 How do you feel when you read “It Couldn’t Be Done”?
 When one reads this poem, he or she becomes motivated. The fear of
failure or hesitation of beginning a task fades away. It also boosts up
one’s self-confidence.
 What is the rhyme scheme of the poem “It Couldn’t Be Done”?
 The rhyme scheme of this poem is ABABCDCD. There are a few slant
rhymes that break this rhyming pattern a bit.
 What is the attitude of the poem “It Couldn’t Be Done”?
 The attitude of the speaker remains confident and firm. For remaining
strong from the inside, he is not influenced by the negative comments
buzzing around him. Finally, he accomplishes the seemingly difficult
task.
 What figure of speech is used in the given line, “that couldn’t be
done, and he did it”?
 The line “that couldn’t be done, and he did it” contains an antithesis. In
the first part of this line, the poet talks about what others think about the
task his speaker was doing. While, the second part tells readers that no
matter what others thought of him, finally, he succeeded.
 What is the symbolic significance of the poem “It Couldn’t Be
Done”?
 Edgar Guest’s “It Couldn’t Be Done” contains several symbols. For
example, the “coat” and “hat” are the symbols of the comfort zone. In
order to be successful, one needs to come out of his comfort zone.
Besides, the “a lift of his chin” is a symbol of fortitude and stoicism, and
“a bit of grin” stands for self-confidence.
SLOs BASED NOTES KPK & BALOCHISTAN BOARD
 SLOs Based Notes
Contents
1. Kinds of Stanza
2. Types of Poetic Forms /Kinds of poems
3. Genres in Literature
4. Character in Literature
5. Figures of Speech/Literary Devices
6. Types of play
7. Elements of a plot
8. Conflict
9. Questions based on play
 WHAT IS A POEM?
A poem is a piece of writing that relies on rhyme, rhythm and meter to evoke
feeling, or to convey setting and story. There are dozens of different poetic
forms, such as verse, haiku, sonnet, and ballad. Although poems aren’t defined
by their forms, they are distinguished by them.
 STANZA: In poetry, a stanza is used to describe the main building block of a
poem. It is a unit of poetry composed of lines that relate to a similar thought or
topic.
1. KINDS OF STANZA: There are many different types of stanzas and they are
often classified by meters, rhyme schemes or how many groups of lines they
have. Here are some different types of stanzas:

 Couplet. A couplet is two lines of verse that follow one another and are
connected by rhythm and rhyme.
 Tercet. A stanza with three lines that either all rhyme or the first and the third
line rhyme—which is called an ABA rhyming pattern.
 Quatrain. A stanza with four lines with the second and fourth lines rhyming.
 Quintain. A stanza with five lines.
 Sestet. A stanza with six lines.
 Septet. A stanza with seven lines. This is sometimes called a “rhyme royal.”
 Octave. A stanza with eight lines written in iambic pentameter, or ten syllable
beats per line.
 Ballad stanza. Often used in folk songs, a ballad stanza is a rhyming quatrain
with four emphasized beats (eight syllables) in the first and third lines, and
three emphasized beats (six syllables) in the second and fourth lines.

2. TYPES OF POETIC FORMS/KINDS OF POEMS

While there are any number of ways that poets can use stanzas to tell a story,
the two broad approaches are formal verse and free verse.
 Formal verse: Formal verse is poetry that follows a strict repeating pattern,
like sonnets . Stanzas in formal verse will have a matching meter and rhyme
scheme.
 Free verse: In free verse, poetry does not follow a strict rhyme or meter.
Stanzas of different types can be used within a poem. It lacks a consistent
rhyme scheme, metrical pattern, or musical form.
 Epic. An epic poem is a lengthy, narrative work of poetry. These long poems
typically detail extraordinary feats and adventures of characters from a distant
past.
 Narrative poetry. Similar to an epic, a narrative poem tells a story.(The Toys)
 Pastoral poetry. A pastoral poem is one that concerns the natural world, rural
life, and landscapes.(Solitary Reaper)
 Sonnet. A sonnet is a short lyric poem that consists of 14 lines, typically written
in iambic pentameter (a 10-syllable pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables)
and following a specific rhyme scheme
 Elegies. An elegy is a poem that reflects upon death or loss. Traditionally, it
contains themes of mourning, loss, and reflection. However, it can also explore
themes of redemption and consolation
 Ode. An ode is a lyrical poem that expresses praise, glorification, or tribute. It
examines its subject from both an emotional and an intellectual perspective.
 Lyric poetry. Lyric poetry refers to the broad category of poetry that concerns
feelings and emotion, usually written in the first person and often accompanied
by some sort of musical instrumentation
 Ballad. A ballad (or ballade) is a form of narrative verse that can be either
poetic or musical. It typically follows a pattern of rhymed quatrains and
represents a melodious form of storytelling.
 Soliloquy/Monologue. A soliloquy is a monologue in which a character speaks
to him or herself, expressing inner thoughts that an audience might not
otherwise know. (Seven Stages of Man)
3. GENRES IN LITERATURE

Genre is the organization of literature into categories based on the type of writing
the piece exemplifies through its content, form, or style. The four main literary
genres are poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama, with each varying in style,
structure, subject matter, and the use of figurative language. Different types of
genre in literature are as follows:

1. Fiction

 Novel: The novel is a genre of fiction, and fiction may be defined as the art or
craft of contriving through the written word. It is based on the representation of
various aspects of social life of humans. A novel is an invented prose narrative of
considerable length that deals imaginatively with human experience, usually
through a connected sequence of events involving a group of persons in a
specific setting.

Fiction is one of the most popular genres of literature; it features imaginary

characters and events. This genre is often broken up into five subgenres:

Fantasy, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, mystery, and science

fiction.

 Fantasy is an imaginary story in which the characters or settings could not exist
in the world as we know it because they require a sort of “magical” element.

The Harry Potter and Twilight series are popular examples.

 Historical fiction features made-up stories that accurately portray life during a
particular period in history. Examples include books such as The Da Vinci
Code or The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
 Contemporary fiction is similar to historical fiction. In this category, stories
take place in the present day and characters encounter modern day difficulties
and issues.
 Mystery is another popular subgenre of fiction. In these suspense-filled stories,
characters use various clues to solve crimes or uncover a culprit. Sherlock
Holmes novels are prime examples of the mystery genre.
 Science Fiction is the last subgenre of fiction. In these types of stories, authors
and readers explore new and exciting realities made possible by imagined
technologies or social changes. ‘Star Wars’ is one of the most famous examples.
2 .Nonfiction: Unlike fiction, nonfiction tells the story of real people and events.
Examples include biographies, autobiographies, or memoirs.
 Biography: A biography is an informational narrative and account of the life
history of an individual person, written by someone who is not the subject of the
biography.
 Autobiography: A narrative of a person's life, written by, or as having been
written by that person.
 Memoir: A narrative recollection of the writer's earlier experiences, especially
those involving unusual people, places, or events.
 Essay: An essay is a short form of literary composition based on a single
subject matter, and often gives the personal opinion of the author.

3. Poetry: The fourth genre of literature is poetry. In this style of writing, words
are arranged in a metrical pattern and often (though not always) in rhymed verse.

4. Folktale: Another beloved genre of literature is folktale. Folktale, which is

also referred to as mythology, tells stories of originally oral literature and are
meant to pass on particular moral lessons. These tales often have a timeless
quality, dealing with common concerns that are relevant despite the time period.
 5. Fable: A short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral
6. Legend: A traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not
authenticated.
7. Myth: A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a
people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving
supernatural beings or events.

8. Drama: Another popular category of literature, known as drama or play, is a

story created specifically for a stage performance. The most renowned author of
drama was William Shakespeare—the writer of Macbeth, Hamlet, and Romeo
and Juliet. Some Forms of Drama or Play are as follows:

 One Act Play: A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct
from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more
scenes.
 Melodrama: A sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and
exciting events intended to appeal to the emotions.
 Tragedy: A branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the
sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual.
 Comedy: Dramatic comedies are plays where the characters experience a change
for the better and work things out to a happy ending. This form of drama uses
humor and a comic hero, an ordinary person who is dealing with ordinary
problems, to entertain the audience or to show us flaws within ourselves.
4. CHARACTER IN LITERATURE
What is character in literature?
In fiction, a character is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel,
play, television series, film, or video game). The character may be entirely
fictional or based on a real-life person, in which case the distinction of a
"fictional" versus "real" character may be made.

1. Protagonist -the main character

 Every story has this type of character and revolves around it. It is the main
character or the hero and is also called the protagonist. It appears in the story
from the start to end. It is the one who fights with the situations and antagonist
characters (we will be discussing this type next) and takes the story to the happy
(or unhappy) ending.
A hero is at the center of the story and keeps the readers interested by
showing his heroism and courage to stand by the truth and fighting against the
evil and antagonist character. The protagonist often raises from nothing or comes
out as a strong person after being a victim of a destructive event. Note that a
fiction story doesn’t necessarily have to focus only on one hero character. Many
stories have more than one protagonist or hero who help each other and plays
equal roles until the end.
2. Antagonist - Character opposing the main character
In fiction, when there is a protagonist or a main character who plays a role of a hero
who takes the stand for the good and truth, the antagonist plays against this
heroic character and tries to stop him by posing threats to his and others’ lives.
Note that an antagonist doesn’t always need to be a person or a group of people
working to ensure the misery of the protagonist. It can also be a difficult situation
or accidental event that works against the main and positive character.

This type of character is the life of a plot along with the main character and keeps
readers interested by posing the questions and making them curious about what
will happen next. We can also say that an antagonist, i.e. a negative person or a
situation is essential for the rise of a hero.

3. Static or Flat character

Flat characters are not an eye-catching part of the story, but still play an important
role in the flow and help the main character in his or her intention. This character
doesn’t have strong characteristics or doesn’t reveal much about the self. It also
stays static throughout the story and feels the gap in the storyline.
4. Changing or Dynamic character
Opposite to the flat character, a dynamic character plays a role that develops and
changes during the events in the story. This character may change positively or
negatively depending on the need of the story. It can be anything from a
supporter of the main character to a partner of the antagonist and may change its
direction from positive to negative or negative to positive.

This type of character often rises from a normal non-important person to an

important one and makes a significant effect on the story.

5. Figures of Speech/Literary Devices

Figures of speech are a word or a phrase used in a distinctive way to produce a
rhetorical effect. To say in very simple terms, it is a phrase whose actual meaning
is different from its literal meaning. These are developed and expressed through a
variety of different rhetorical techniques.
 Types
 Personification: Personification attributes human qualities to abstract or inanimate
objects. For example, we often use the phrases like the howling wind, dancing leaves,
time flies etc. Some examples of personification in a sentence are:
The opportunity knocked at his door.
The plants in her house silently begged to be watered.
 Metaphor: A metaphor is used for implying a comparison between two things
that have something in common but are in general different from each other.
Some examples of the usage of metaphors in a sentence is as follows:
It is raining cats and dogs.

He is the star of our class.

 Simile: A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things that are different
from each other but have similar qualities. These are generally formed through
the usage of the words ‘as’ or ‘like’. Some examples of similes in a sentence
include:

He is as brave as a lion.

Her expression was as cold as ice.

 Alliteration: Alliteration is a sentence that consists of a series of words that have
the same consonant sound at the beginning. Some popular examples of
alliteration in a sentence include:
She sells sea shells on the sea shore.
A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook
cookies.
 Onomatopoeia: This is a figure of speech that is used to express a sound; it
involves the use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the action or
object referred to i.e. hiss, clap etc. Some examples of onomatopoeia include:

The buzzing bee flew over my head.

The stone hit the water with a splash.

 Hyperbole: A hyperbole is a figure of speech that consists of an exaggeration. It
is the usage of exaggerated terms in order to emphasize or heighten the effect of
something. Some examples of using hyperboles in a sentence include:
I have told you a million times to not touch my stuff!

She has got a pea-sized brain.

 Euphemism: Euphemism is the usage of a mild word in substitution of

something that is more explicit or harsh when referring to something
unfavourable or unpleasant. Some examples of its usage include:
This mall has good facilities for differently-abled people.

He passed away in his sleep.

 Irony: Irony or sarcasm is a figure of speech in which the usage of words

conveys the opposite of their literal meaning. These are often used in a humorous
manner. Some examples of irony include:
Your hands are as clean as mud.

The dinner you served was as hot as ice.

 Anaphora: It is a repetition of a word or phrase at the start of several sentences

of clauses. Some of the examples of anaphora are as follows:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “I Have a Dream” Speech.

 Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities.
 Apostrophe: It is a literary device; it addresses the subject that is not present in
the work. In this case, the object is absent or inanimate. Here are some of the
examples of apostrophes:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are.
Welcome, O life!
Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone
 Imagery: Imagery can be defined as a writer or speaker's use of words or figures
of speech to create a vivid mental picture or physical sensation. Imagery is
descriptive language used to appeal to a reader's senses: touch, taste, smell,
sound, and sight. e.g.
The cool, refreshing water quenched her
thirst as the scorching sun radiated on her.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
 Oxymoron: A combination of contradictory or
incongruous words, a concept that is made up of
contradictory or incongruous elements. Some
examples are:
 Awfully good,” “bittersweet,” “same difference,” and “original copy”

6. Types of play
There are many types of plays such as:

1. Tragedy: These types of plays end on a tragic note and most likely a character’s
death.
2. Comedy: These types of plays are meant to amuse the audience, and they end on
a happy note.
3. Domestic Play: These types of plays are based on the normal life of family and
friends.
4. Tragicomedy: It is a fictional work comprises of both tragedy as well
as comedy.
5. Melodrama: This type of has often exaggerated characters and episodes with
songs and music for an emotive appeal to the audiences.
6. One Act play: A play that has only one act. The story revolves around only one
event. The characters are limited.
Q.1. What is the plot of a story?
Plot
Plot is the way an author creates and organizes a chain of events in a narrative. In
short, plot is the foundation of a story. The plot must follow a logical format
that draws the reader in. Plot differs from "story" in that it highlights a specific
and purposeful cause-and-effect relationship between a sequence of major
events in the narrative. A plot is also a narrative of events, the emphasis falling
on causality. 'The king died and then the queen died,' is a story. 'The king died,
and then the queen died of grief' is a plot. The time-sequence is preserved, but the
sense of causality overshadows it."
In fiction plot is the structure of interrelated actions, consciously selected and
arranged by the author. Plot involves a considerably higher level of narrative
organization than normally occurs in a story or fable. According to
E.M. Forster in Aspects of the Novel (1927), a story is a “narrative of events
arranged in their time-sequence,” whereas a plot organizes the events according
to a “sense of causality.”

Q.2. Discuss the Elements of Plot?

Ans: Generally speaking, every plot has five elements in the following order/
there are 5 elements of plot:
 Exposition.
 Rising Action.
 Climax.
 Falling Action.
 Conclusion.

#i: Exposition/Introduction

The first part of the plot establishes the main characters/protagonists and setting.
We get to know who’s who, as well as when and where the story takes place. At
this point, the reader is just getting to know the world of the story and what it’s
going to be all about.
 The primary conflict or tension around which the plot revolves is also usually
introduced here in order to set up the course of events for the rest of the narrative.
This tension could be the first meeting between two main characters (think Pride
and Prejudice) or the start of a murder mystery, for example.

#ii: Rising Action

In this part of the plot, the primary conflict is introduced (if it hasn’t been
already) and is built upon to create tension both within the story and the
reader, who should ideally be feeling more and more drawn to the text. The
conflict may affect one character or multiple characters. This is the part of the
plot that sets the rest of the plot in motion. Excitement grows as tensions get
higher and higher, ultimately leading to the climax of the story

#iii: Climax/Turning Point

Climax, a Greek term meaning “ladder,” is that particular point in a narrative at

which the conflict or tension hits the highest point. It is a structural part of
a plot, and is at times referred to as a “crisis.” It is a decisive moment or
a turning point in a storyline at which the rising action turns around into
a falling action. Thus, a climax is the point at which a conflict or crisis reaches
its peak, then calls for a resolution or Denouement (conclusion).

It puts characters in a situation wherein a choice must be made that will affect the
rest of the story. What will the character(s) do, and what will happen as a
result? Tensions are highest here, instilling in the reader a sense of
excitement, dread, and urgency.

In the structure of a play/story or novel, the climax, or crisis, is the

decisive moment, or turning point, at which the rising action of the play is
reversed to falling action.

#iv: Falling Action

This is when the tension has been released and the story begins to wind down.
We start to see the results of the climax and the main characters’ actions and get
a sense of what this means for them and the world they inhabit. How did their
choices affect themselves and those around them?

At this point, the author also ties up loose ends in the main plot and any
subplots.

#v: Resolution/Denouement
 Resolution means the unfolding or solution of a complicated issue or main
conflict in a story. Technically, resolution is also known as a “denouement.”
Most of the instances of resolution are presented in the final parts or chapters of a
story. It mostly follows the climax. This final plot point comes when everything
has been wrapped up. The conflict from the climax has been resolved, and all
loose ends have been neatly tied up

Q.3. What is ‘conflict’ in a story, drama or novel?

Conflict

In literature, a conflict is a literary device characterized by a struggle between

two opposing forces. Conflict provides crucial tension in any story and is used to
drive the narrative forward. Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said “No
conflict, no drama”. Conflict is the basis of all good theatre and should therefore
be an essential learning component.
External Conflict
Person vs. Fate/God
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Society
Person vs. Nature
Person vs. Supernatural
Person vs. Technology
Internal Conflict
Person vs. Self

Questions Based On Play ’Progress’

i. What are the main elements of a play? Elaborate

any one of them.
Ans: The elements of a play include setting, plot, characters, dialogue,
monologue/soliloquy, theme, conflict, language, spectacle and rhythm.
Plot is a very important element of a play. It consists of the main events
of the story on which play is based. It can be termed as the skeleton of the
play. It is composed of clearly defined problems for the characters to
solve. The plot of a play should be both astonishing and credible. A typical
plot consists of the following phases:
  Exposition, which is introduction to main characters, setting and
beginning of the conflict;
 Rising action, when conflict gradually intensifies
 Climax, which is the peak of tension
 Anticlimax/falling action, when situation reverses and moves towards the
final
 Resolution.
For example, Resolution. This is the last part of the plot; it means the
unfolding or solution of a complicated issue or main conflict in a story.
Technically, resolution is also known as a “denouement.” Most of the
instances of resolution are presented in the final parts or chapters of a
story. It mostly follows the climax. This final plot point comes when
everything has been wrapped up. The conflict from the climax has been
resolved, and all loose ends have been neatly tied up
A good plot is vital to a good play.
ii. Critically analyze conflict in any play you have recently read.
Explain how it resolves.
Ans: Conflict in a story is a struggle between opposing forces.
Characters must act to confront those forces and that is
where conflict is born.
The play “Progress” exemplifies both external and internal
conflicts. The external conflict is between Professor Corrie- an agent
of destruction, and Mrs. Meldon an ambassador of peace. Professor
Corrie is excited that he has invented the formula for an extremely
deadly bomb which could wipe millions as if they never existed. He
shares his triumph with his sister Mrs. Meldon and expects that she
would be equally happy. Mrs. Meldon, on the other hand, is not happy
at all. Already in mourning for her husband and son-the war victims,
she tries to convince Professor Corrie that he should destroy his
formula as it will destroy life, but he rejects her appeal disdainfully.
Mrs. Meldon now undergoes an internal conflict. She has to choose
between her brother and humanity. Finally, she resolves to save the
humanity and thus stabs her own brother to death as it was the only
means left to destroy the deadly formula.
iii. Explain the part of the plot represented by the blob in the context of the play
you have recently read.
 Ans: There are five elements of a plot as represented by the given blob which are
exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. The play which
I have read is “Progress”. In exposition the author introduces the study of professor
Corrie where he seems very excited for his invention. Corrie rejoices over his
invention as it can destroy a vast city in a few seconds.
Rising actions denote the introduction of the formula to Mrs. Meldon who is
already in a state of sorrow and grief. Mrs. Meldon gently reminds him that his
invention will lead to the death of hundreds of young men like her son
Eddie. But he ignores her words and gloats over his invention and the fame and
wealth.
Climax of the play happens at the moment when Mrs. Meldon tries to convince
him to destroy his formula. As it can cause much damage to humanity but he
doesn’t get convinced. Falling actions appear in the form of a strong debate
between Professor Corrie and Mrs. Meldon It paves way to the resolution in the
play in which [Link] couldn’t control herself and killed Professor Corrie by
stabbing him with a knife. Though she doesn’t want to do so but she finds it
essential to save the humanity. She feels that this a justifiable revenge against
murderer of her son on the occasion of the death anniversary of her son.

iv. Recall the theme of a play you have read and explain whether it is of
individual or universal significance.
Ans: A theme can be described as the central idea found within a story or
passage. It can also represent a message or lesson the author wants to
convey. When a theme is relatable by a wide range of readers, we call this a
universal theme.
I have read the play “Progress” which has a universal theme. It reveals anti-
war theme. It focuses that we should not favour war as it causes destruction
to mankind on a large scale. We should not give rise to the feelings of hatred
and enmity through wars. Basically the play is written after World War I
which had perished a number of families all over the world. The writer wants
to spread the message of humanism through this play as he believes that
anything that is against humanity should be abolished for the peaceful living
of all human beings.
 In the play “Progress” Professor Corrie has invented a formula which will
make war so horrible that it will be over in a few hours. He will sell it to the
country which will offer him the best incentive for it. Blinded by the lust for
money, Professor Corrie forgot all about humanity and peace of the world.
Mrs. Meldon wants her brother to destroy his formula only to save humanity.
She kills him by the end of the play as she fails to convince the Professor to
destroy the devastating formula of the bomb.
v. What is climax? Explain in reference to a play that you have read.
Ans: In the structure of a play the climax, or crisis, is the decisive
moment, or turning point, at which the rising action of the play is
reversed to falling action.
For example, the play ‘Progress’, by St. John Greer Ervine, reaches
its climax at the moment when Mrs. Meldon comes to know about
the reality of the invention. Before this her brother Professor Corrie
told her that he had succeeded in making formula of a bomb that will
bring an end to war and Mrs. Meldon thought it was something
positive that will save humanity. She had lost her only son in war
and later her husband also died of the shock.
She was gravely against war as she believed that war is an
organized butchery of youth. She believed that war snatches world’s
peace and is a threat to humanity. She was shocked to know about
the invention of her brother. Mrs. Meldon gently reminds him that
his invention will lead to the death of hundreds of young men like
her son Eddie. But he ignores her words and gloats over his
invention and the fame and wealth. He says that he will sell his
bomb to the government which grants him the highest amount of
money. She repeatedly asks her brother to destroy the invention by
his own hands otherwise it would cause much damage to humanity
and peace of the world by killing millions of people. The argument
between Mrs. Meldon and Professor Corrie helped the climax to
shift to falling action.
vi. What is the difference between flexible and inflexible characters?
Explain with reference to a play that you have read.
Ans: Characters in a novel, short story, play or film can be either flexible or
inflexible, in other words, round or flat. Flexible characters are two-dimensional
in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course
of a work. By contrast, inflexible or round characters are complex and undergo
development, sometimes sufficiently to surprise the reader.
I shall describe these two categories of characterization with reference to the play
’Progress’ written by St. John Greer Ervine.
Mrs. Meldon is a flexible character in the play as her role changes from
a sensitive mother and lover of humanity to the killer of her own brother.
She is a sensitive looking widow. She is suffering deeply from
memories of her son who was killed in war. In the beginning she is not
a fretful, complaining woman who had suffered bereavement and when
in the course of play, she speaks of her loss, she does so with grace
and beautiful dignity. She has a strong sense of tolerance.

But when she comes to know about the horrible nature of her
brother’s formula, she opposes her brother and calls him the ‘Most Stupid
Man on Earth’. She cares for all the mothers and wants that other boys
like Eddie must not fall prey to horrors of devastating wars. As a
symbol of peace for all, she does not rejoice at the wicked achievement
of her brother. She repeatedly requested him to destroy the formula of
the bomb. When Corrie refused, she killed him.

Professor Corrie is an inflexible character as he remains the same throughout

the play and there is not even a speck of change in his ideas and actions. He is a
greedy and proud man. He appears in an excited state. Nothing is of greater
importance to him than his reputation. He has discovered a bomb that would destroy
a whole town in a few hours. So, in his opinion, there is no need to waste many years
in war. Mr. Corrie stuck to his cruel and selfish thoughts throughout until he was
killed by his sister.