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UNIT NO: 1
RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUTH
Chapter 1
Responsibility of Youth

Q:1 Why does the Quaid stress on youth to be continuously vigilant?

Ans: According to the Quaid, when our enemies failed to prevent the creation of Pakistas, they 1
egan to weaken and destroy us in other ways. Firstly, holocaust of the Muslim took place in the
Punja and Delhi. It was soon followed by withholding of Pakistan's share in the monitory and
milit ry asses and the economic blockade of Bengal of India. Therefore, the Quaid stresses on
the Youth to be continuously vigilant to thwart the nefarious designs of the enemies.

Q:2 What, according to the Quaid, is the prime responsibility of youth?

Ans: Quaid-e-Azam states four prime responsibilities of youth. According to him the main
occupation should be in fairness to them. Second prime responsibility should being honest and
fair to their parents.
Their prime responsibility should be fairness to state and fourth one should be, to devote their
attention solely to their studies. Quaid strongly suggests youth to work very hard and be focused
towards their studies as well educated and well-learned individuals can run the government
efficiently.

Q:3 Having read the text of Quaid's speech, what traits of character the Quaid wants to see in
the educated youth?
Ans: The Quaid wants to see the following character traits in the educated youth. The educated
youth must be united, disciplined continuously vigilant and devoted to their studies. They must
possess a constructive spirit. Similarly the educated youth must not feel shame in doing manual
lal our.

Q4: What advice does the Quaid give to the youth about the choice of career?
Ans: Advising the youth about the choice of career, the Quaid says that the youth should not
study solely for getting governments jobs. They should try to get technical education and obtain
degrees in professional fields, such as banking, commerce, trade and law, etc. He also advices
them not to hesitate from doing manual labour.

Q: [Link] and contrast the youth of today with ideal youth of Quaid-e-Azam as
described in his speech?
Ans. In his speech, the ideal youth should be true, honest, sincere, and courageous. They should
well- disciplined in their dealing, trustworthy in all affairs, fearless in every undertaking and
serious about their future. On the other hand, out youth of today are careless and never serious
about their future. Lack of trust, lack discipline is common among them. They do not have the
spirit to prepare themselves for future challenges, but rather try to run with time and just
focus on the present and are of ease and comfort

Q: 6. Having read the text of responsibilities of youth what in your view could be the possible
role
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of youth in crisis management of the country?

Ans. The text of responsibilities of youth' makes it clear that youth can enable themselves of
playing a key role in crisis management of the country by focusing on their education only.
It is in this way that they can assist their country solving its great social and economic
crises.

Q:7. Quaid says "Not only has Pakistan survival the shock of that upheaval than ever" which
upheaval is he talking about?
Ans. Soon after the establishment of Pakistan, the Muslim started migrating from India to
Pakistan. Meanwhile, the holocaust of the Muslims took place in the Indian Punjab and
Delhi by
Indian terrorists. As a result more than five million refugees stricken in body and soul
reached
Pakistan within a matter of weeks. Their care and rehabilitation was an impossible task. It is
about
this upheaval that the Quaid says that Pakistan survival it and emerged stronger than ever.

Unit No= 2
HIS FIRST FLIGHT
Writer Name: Liam o’ Flaherty
Theme: Taking risks is the first step to success.

Q: 1. Why did the young seagull have to join the company of his family?
Ans. The young seagull had to join the company of his family to learn the art of
swimming
diving and catching a fish. It is necessary for every younger one to learn the basic art of
survival like how to eat, how to protect itself from the danger of surrounding world.
For that, one needs to take a step. But the young seagull was afraid of flight and was
hungry. Therefore, he wanted to join his family.

Q: 2. Why don’t his parents, his brother and sister give him food?
Ans. His parents, brother and sister do not give him food because they want the young
seagull to fly himself in search of food. They let him hungry for hours and compel him
to fly. Later on, his mother succeed and when he gets quite hungry she comes near him
with a piece of fish, being very hungry for a long time, the young seagull jumps over the
piece of fish and make his first flight. Thus the planning of his family succeeds and he
joins them in his future life.
Q: 3. What was the attitude of the family towards the young seagull was it agreeable to
you or not? Explain
Ans. The attitude shown by his family towards the young seagull was quite justified and
workable. His mother brother and sister let him hungry for hours and finally, his
mother flew with a piece of fish and compelled him to fly. This attitude was very well
needed and it was quite agreeable, because he had not been treated in this way.
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Q: 4 Describe in your own words the feeling, action thoughts of the young Seagull seen after his
fall?
Ans. Soon after the young Seagull begun to fall free, he was very frightened. After a moment he
opened his wings. He could fell the thrust of wind against his body. Now, he was soaring down
smoothly. He was no longer feeling frightened but a little dizzy. On flapping his wings, he
soared high and began to scream in joy.

Q: 5. What could be the author’s purpose behind writing the story ‘His First Flight’?
Ans. The author conveys a very significant message to be always ready to show courage,
boldness
and we should never be afraid of challenges. Nothing is impossible but we should be brave
to
take risks as taking risks is the first step of success. In the beginning it is difficult to take a
step
and decide, but once someone decide and takes a step then nothing is difficult, as the young
seagull is quite afraid, but when he tries then he can fly successfully.

Q:6. Compare and contrast the attitude of the family members before and after the flight.
Ans. The attitude of the family towards the young seagull before the flight was unfriendly. His
parents upbraided him and threatened to starve him if he did not fly with them. His
siblings
remained indifferent to him. But after the flight, his parents praised him and offered him
food. The whole family celebrated his first flight.

Q: 7. Identify the sentence in the first paragraph of ‘His First Flight’ which shows cause and
effect.
Ans. The sentence which shows cause and then effects at the same time in his first paragraph is.
He felt certain that his wings would never support him, (Cause) so he bent his head and
ran away back to the little hole. (effect).

Q: 8 read any paragraph from the text to identity the main idea and the sentence that support
main idea.
Ans. In the last paragraph of the lesson, the sentence ‘then he completely forgot that he had not
always been able to fly’ show the main idea and it has been supported by the rest of the
sentence which shows him in a very happy mood, flying over the sea.

Q: 9. Read the second paragraph of the text to identify transitional devices and state their
function.
Ans. Following are the transitional devices
‘That’ ( a demonstrative adjective) connect the current paragraph with previous one.
‘Since’ and ‘before’ ( Temporal conjunction) logically. Connect the sentence in the
paragraph.
‘while’ ( a subordinating conjunction ) denotes the occurrence of an even when something
else is also happening
‘And’ ( a conjunction ) connects events in two sentence.
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Unit # 3 GOOD TIMBER

STANZA’s EXPLAINATION

Writer: Douglas Mollach

Unit 3 Poem
Good Timber
Theme: People reach their true potential by overcoming adversity.

Poet: Douglas Malloch Rhyme scheme: AA, BB, CC

Poem Type: Subjective Theme: Strength is gain through
struggle in life
Stanza form: Quatrain in sextets
Stanza 1:
The Tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing
Paraphrase:
The Tree that did not have to try to get sun, air, and light but rather grew in a vast area
and just got rain without any effort never became the leader of the forest. It came and
without making any name.
Stanza 2: The man who never had to toil
To gain and form his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began
Paraphrase:
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The man who never tried to get his part of the land to work there and never made
efforts to take advantage of the sun, such like person just come and went as he began his
life without any major change
Stanza 3: Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the strong tress,
The future sky, the greater length,
The more the storm, the more the strength,
By sun cold, by rain and snow,
And trees and man good timber grow.
Paraphrase:
A tree that we call it a good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger wind makes
the tree stronger, the farther sky makes it long and great. When it suffers the violence of
storm it will become stronger and stronger. By facing stronger wind, shining sun, storm,
cold, heavy rains and snowfall the tree will turn into good timber and the man will
become manly and perfect.
Stanza 4:
Where thickest lies the forest growth
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife
This is the common law of life.
Paraphrase:
Both good man and good timber come out of the heaviest forest and then have
construction with stars. The broken parts and wounds on their bodies slow that they
have gone through much hardship which is common rule of life

STANZA 1

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out in the open plain

And always got its share of rain,

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing.

Reference to the Context

These lines have been taken from the poem Good Timber written by Douglas Malloch.
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In this poem, the poet conveys the theme that those who face difficulties and hardships become
stronger and manly. Those who have everything ready-made for them remain inactive and
weak.

Stanza 1: Explanation and Paraphrase

In these lines, the poet describes the importance of hard work by giving the example of a
tree. That tree cannot become a full-grown tree which does not have the quality of facing
difficult times. It will not become a strong tree if it does not try to reach the light of the sun. It
will remain a shrub if it does not try to be tall enough to reach the light of the sun. Such a tree
gets everything ready-made for [Link] stands in open field and gets a lot of rain without any effort.
However, such a tree cannot become the “forest king. “It remains a small shrub throughout. It
starts as a shrub and dies as a shrub as a shrub.

Stanza 2:

Explanation and Paraphrase:

In these lines, the poet describes the importance of hard work. The poet says that the
man who does not work hard, becomes weak such a man does not want to have his own farm He
does not like to work in his farm ‫ وہ کیونکہ‬to tolerate ‫ نااہل‬of man who is unable because he is lazy.
He is the type ‫ہے سست برداشت‬. He cannot tolerate ‫ موسم‬or the cold weather ‫ موسم‬weather ‫گرم‬
the hot ‫ کرنا برداشت‬to be strong ‫کرتا نہیں کوشش‬. He does not try ‫ مشکالت‬of hardships ‫ ط و ف ا ن‬the storm
‫ کرنا‬enough to do difficult ‫ مشکل‬tasks ‫کام‬. Such a man does not become 'manly' ‫انسان مکمل‬.
His condition‫ ح ا ل ت‬remains the same ‫عمر تمام‬. He is unable ‫ نااہل‬to progress ‫ ترقی‬in life. The poet
means to say‫ ا‬if you want to become tough ‫سخت‬, you should work hard and bear ‫برداشت‬
difficulties with a smile.

Stanza#3:
Explanation: This stanza tells us that what makes ‘good’ or strong timber.
A tree that is going to live long and successful life does not easily
grow but encounters strong winds and storms thus it becomes
stronger. As it tries much and faces the harsh weather, heavy rain,
chilly cold, severe snow it will become stronger. Both man and timber
will become good, stronger and successful if they encounter these
troubles.

Stanza#4:
Explanation: In these concluding lines the poet describes the environment of both good man and
good timber, where they live in the thickest part of the forest. Both good timber and a good man
will come out of the very competitive surrounding and then will become great leaders of their
species to have a consultation with other ‘stars’ frontrunners. Finally, this is the common law of
nature that the wounds and sufferings will structure and make them that who they are and how
they live.

Exercise Questions
Q1: What is the significance ‫ اہمیت‬of the title
‫ ع ن و ا ن‬of poem 'Good Timber'? ‫عمارت لکڑی‬
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A1: The title "Good Timber" ‫ عمارت لکڑی‬is significant ‫ اہم‬because it is with the help of this that the
poet explains ‫ وضاحت کرتا ہے‬his theme‫ خ ی ا ل‬which deals ‫ تعلق‬with the fact ‫ ساتھ‬that hard work ‫محنت‬
and difficulties ‫ مشکالت‬are important. ‫ اہم‬Good timber can be taken ‫ لیا جا سکتا ہے‬from only those
trees that have tolerated ‫ برداشت ہونا‬wind ‫ بادش‬and rain. ‫بارش‬

Q2: What is the good timber? ‫ عمارت لکڑی‬How does tree grow ‫ درخت ہونا‬into good timber?

A2: Good timber ‫ اچھی عمارت لکڑی‬is the wood used in buildings and carpentry. ‫تراش خراش‬
Trees grow into good timber after tolerating ‫ برداشت کرنا‬strong wind, ‫ ہوا‬rain, ‫ بارش‬sun, ‫ سورج‬and
snow. ‫ برف‬They have to survive ‫ زندہ رہنا‬for a long time ‫ لمبے عرصے کے لئے‬in order to ‫ تاکہ‬become good
timber.

Q3: What, according to Douglas Molloch, ‫ شاعر کا نام‬is the fate

‫ ق س م ت‬of those people who do not
work hard ‫ محنت‬in life?

A3: According to ‫ مطابق‬the poet those who do not work hard and pass ‫ گزارتے ہیں‬through
‫ مشکالت‬in life, learn nothing. ‫ کچھ نہیں سیکھتے‬They do not achieve ‫ حاصل کرنا‬anything good. ‫کوئی‬
‫ ب ھ ی ا چ ھ ی چ ی ز‬They do not progress. ‫ ترقی‬Their condition ‫ حالت‬remains ‫ رہتی ہے‬the same ‫جیسے‬
even ‫ حتی کہ‬after a long time.

Q4: How can a person achieve ‫ حاصل کرنا‬his/her true potential

‫ ا ص ل ص ل اح ی ت‬in life? Illustrate ‫وضاحت‬
‫ کریں‬it with examples from the poem 'Good Timber.'

A4: A person can achieve ‫ حاصل کرنا‬his/her true potential ‫ اصل صالحیت‬in life by working hard.
He/she has to perform ‫ ادا بتانا ہے‬his/her duty honestly. ‫ ایمانداری سے‬He/she should not be afraid of‫ڈ ر ت ا‬
‫ نہیں‬difficulties ‫ مشکالت‬because greater difficulties make people stronger. The poet gives the
example of a farmer. ‫ کسان‬If he is afraid of hard work, he will never be able to achieve ‫حاصل کرنا‬
his true potential ‫ اصل صالحیت‬in life. He also gives the example of trees who have to fight ‫لڑنا‬
against hot ‫ گرم‬and cold weather.

Q5: What is the central idea of poem 'Good Timber'?

A5: The central idea of the poem is that only those can become successful in life who is not
afraid of hard work and difficulties. Such people perform honestly. Those who do not do so
cannot gain anything.

Q6: What is the rhyme scheme of the poem 'Good Timber'?

A6: The poem has been written in in couplets, ‫دو دو لائنیں جن کے آخری آواز ایک طرح ہو‬, and the rhyme
scheme of each stanza is aabbcc. Each line rhymes ‫ کے آخری آواز ملتی ہے‬with the next. ‫اگلے کے ساتھ‬.

Q7: An extended metaphor is a poetic device in which two unlike things are compared in a
series of lines of a poem. Give the example of extended metaphor from poem 'Good Timber'.

A7: The example of extended metaphor is the comparison ‫ موازنہ‬of a tree with a man. Both of
them have to face difficulties in order to become strong ‫مضبوط‬.

Q8: What is alliteration?

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A8: Alliteration is the repetition of the initial sounds of words. For example ‘sun’ and ‘sky’
begin with ‘s’. The other example is ‘manly’ and ‘man’. Both begin with ‘m’.

Unit#4
From Mother ... With Love

Central Idea:

The love of a mother is universal. Death is imminent; however, one being grateful should live
cheerfully, fulfilling all his/her responsibilities and show mutual love.

SHORT QUESTIONS:

QUESTION#1:

How is the theme of 'From Mother With Love' a universal theme present in the literature across
all cultures?

ANSWER:

Lesson: From Mother With Love.

Writer: Zoa Sherburn.

Theme: Conflict resolution, mother's love is universal, death is ultimate.

Note: (Each answer of this lesson should follow the above pattern)

The story carries a universal theme because it is based on maternal love which has been
depicted very well. Love of mother with children is universal; mother is caring and loving
everywhere in all cultures throughout the world. The story as well elaborates the theme that
death is imminent and it keeps no calendar, which is a universal and accepted fact. Family
relationships, mutual love and responsibilities are other facts that make the theme of the story
quite universal and comprehensive.

QUESTION#2:

Comment on the plot of the story 'From Mother ... With Love'.

ANSWER:

Plot is the overall flow of the story and the occurring of various events in sequence. As the story
simply begins from a family home and then step by step develops where all the major characters
actively take part in the events. The very beginning of the story is full of suspense and thrill. It
evokes strong emotions and leaves everlasting effects on the reader .

Q3: Identify the narrator or speaker of the story "From Mother... With Love".

Answer: In one sentence, we can say that the narrator or speaker of the story is third person
limited omniscient. It is so because the narrator uses third person pronouns to talk about the
characters. The pronouns used are 'he, she, his, her, etc'. Therefore, the narrator can be
referred to as third person. The narrator enters the mind of only one character i.e. Minta. The
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narrator describes the thoughts and feelings of only one character. As a result, we say that the
narrator is limited omniscient.

Q4: Analyze and comment on the character of Minta?

Answer: Minta is the protagonist of the story "From Mother... with Love". This whole story
revolves round her character and her will moves the plot. To use Forster’s term, she is a round
character. She changes with the passage of time. In the beginning, she does not look very
responsible. However, when her mother dies, she becomes responsible. She takes her mother’s
place. She starts taking care of the household and her father.

Q5: What is the conflict in the story? How is it resolved?

Answer 5: The characters of a story have to overcome some opposing forces. This is referred to
as conflict. A story may have more than one conflict. The conflicts in "From Mother... with
Love" are internal. The first conflict is in the mind of Minta’s father. He is confused how to tell
the secret of her mother’s illness. It is resolved when he tells it at last to his daughter on the
beach. The second conflict is in the mind of Minta. She does not know how to live normally with
her mother. This is resolved when she successfully handles the situation. The third conflict is
about the fact that her mother does not know about her own illness. This is resolved when
Minta finds her mother’s gifts for others with name tags. She becomes responsible and takes her
mother’s place.

Q6: Where does Minta’s father take her to discuss her mother’s illness?

Answer 6: Minta’s father takes her to the beach to discuss her mother’s illness. He does so
because of two reasons. First, he does not want Minta’s mother to know about the discussion.
Secondly, he wants to discuss the problem in a peaceful place where they are not disturbed.
Finally, the setting i.e. the sea and its waves are symbolic for the recurrence of worries and
death.

Q7: Which approach would you have preferred – deception or honesty – if you had to deal with
similar circumstances like Minta’s mother? Give reasons for your choice.

Answer 7: I would have preferred honesty because of two reasons. First, to make my relatives
ready to accept the worst, and second, to make future planning. Honest approach is better
because in that case the shock is prevented. Moreover, one can plan for the future betterment of
one’s relative.

QUESTION #8:

How did the vitamin pills become the symbol of responsibility?

ANSWER: Vitamin pills became the symbol of strength and responsibility in the story when
Minta’s ailing mother told her to take care of her father and give him the vitamin pills on time
as he usually forgot them to take on time. As Minta’s mother expressed concern about the
vitamin pills, she tried to recall Minta her responsibility, thus Minta placed the pills in the
window so that she could see them, which was a sign of fulfilling responsibility.

QUESTION #9:

How did Minta change over the course of the story?

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ANSWER: Minta at the beginning of the story was a happy, jolly girl not so serious about the
household affairs, but when her father told that her mother was going to die. She then turned to
a very serious .Minta her mother’s death increased her sense of maturity and made her stronger
than before. At the end of the story, she took over the blue chair and became a very responsible
girl.

QUESTION #10: Why was the blue chair significant? Explain.

ANSWER: The blue chair in the story was significant because it symbolized power along with
responsibility. Minta's mother usually used to sit by the fire in a blue chair and commanded
house affairs. After her death, it was an empty chair that showed no peace of mind and
calmness around the home. Minta then took over it and filled the gap of emptiness. It showed
that peace and calmness once again restored around the home.

QUESTION#11

Explain how Minta knows that her mother accepted death? Why is that knowledge comforting
to her?

ANSWER: Minta was of the view that her mother did not know about her death. Minta kept it
secret and acted upon the advice of her father. But after the death of her mother when she saw
the well-arranged gifts packed for different people and the letter she wrote, Minta came to
know that her mother was aware of her death. This information was quite consoling for her
because she was feeling that she deceived her mother by not telling that she was going to die.

Chapter#5 ITS COUNTRY FOR ME

Writer: Patricia Demuth

Theme: Rural life vs City life Respect for own values

Question: 1

Analyze the text of “its country for me” and give one example of fact and opinion each?

Answer: 1

After analyzing the text, we conclude that the main character in ‘It’s Country for Me’ is Joel
because his character has been developed fully. Other characters are introduced but they are
not developed fully. For example, we come to know about the parents, Ed and Betty and their
six children including Joel. However, Patricia is all praise for Joel. She talks about all that he
does at the farm and at school. At farm, he performs the important work given to him. He is
energetic and does his work diligently. He does not waste his time. He is helpful to all the other
adults, and he himself works not less than the adults of the family. His enthusiasm is exemplary.
He is also good at school. He is an intelligent boy but does not like to discuss his intelligence. He
also is a great sportsman. He finds time to play different sports. He is obedient as a son and as a
brother because he obeys the orders of all of them.

EXAMPLE OF FACT
Kathy, twenty-four, is the oldest child and the only daughter.
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EXAMPLE OF OPINION

If I had just one word to describe Joel, it would be ‘enthusiasm,’ says Betty.
Coherence is a kind of connection between words, sentences, and paragraphs. The essay
becomes difficult to understand if there is no coherence. The cohesion is achieved in the essay
‘It’s Country For Me’. Illustrate with examples from the text.

Q2: How coherence and cohesion is achieved in the essay it's country for Me . illustrate with
example from the text .

Answer: 2

Coherence is a kind of connection between words, sentences, and paragraphs. The essay
becomes difficult to understand if there is no coherence. Cohesion means tying our words,
phrases, sentences, and paragraphs together, giving the text flow. Both of these give unity and
flow to the writing. The first thing that unifies the whole essay is that everything is about the
country life. The second thing is the character of Joel, who is present almost everywhere in the
essay, and so uniting the paragraphs. Thirdly, logical arrangement makes the essay coherent
and cohesive. For example, it is logical that the mother was wearing nice clothes and therefore,
did not want to go to the barn. Finally, there are many transitional elements which make the
whole essay coherent and cohesive. The examples of such transitions are ‘now’, ‘yet’, ‘since’,
etc.

Q3: Explain the significance of the title, ‘It’s Country For Me’ and its connection to the theme
of the lesson.
A3: The theme of ‘It’s Country for Me’ is that youth have great functions to perform in the life
of the people living in the countryside. In this regard, the title is very significant because it
unifies the whole essay, as all the essay is about the country life of Joel which he considers as his
world. It’s importance lies in the fact that the theme and the title are closely knit together; one
cannot be separated from the other. We find Joel as a young boy who performs all his duties in
the village or the country.

Q4: Describe Joel’s treatment of ‘Lamby,’ the orphaned lamb and Jessica, the small dog; what
does this show?
A4: Joel treats both the orphaned lamb and Jessica, the small dog lovingly. He ruffles the thick
fur of the dog and takes it to the barn. He also shows his love to the ‘Lamby’ by greeting it ‘here
lamby’ and giving it milk. This shows that Joel is a loving boy, and that he loves his pets. This
shows his love for the animals. Therefore, we can say that a boy who shows love for the animals
would definitely have greater love for human beings.

Q5: Compare and contrast your daily routine with that of Joel’s. How would you rate the
motivational level of your doing work with that of Joel’s?
A5: Joel’s daily routine is very tight as compared to mine. Joel helps his family in farming while
I hardly do so. Joel is very good at his study but I think I am not so hardworking. He starts
working as soon as he gets home while I go to bed to get some sleep after school. It is after rest
that I study my books. The only thing I help doing is household chores. I confess I do not work
as hard as Joel does. However, he lives in a village while I live in a city.

QUESTION #6: What skills one is required to learn if he wants to be a full-fledged farmer?
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ANSWER: A farmer to run the farm like that of Hollands' must be a machine operator to run
heavy machinery, a mechanic to repair them, a veterinarian to mend sick animals, an
agriculturist to grow crops, a manager to manage the affairs successfully and businessman to
work as an expert businessman. One must be skillful in handling all affairs at like of Hollands',
because all the skills are needed for successful farming.

QUESTION #7: In what way does Joel play the role of an adult?

ANSWER: Joel plays the role of an adult as he helps his family nearly in all affairs. He goes to
school but does not limit himself just to school. He as a hard worker farmer works in fields,
drives heavy machinery, takes care of animals and does all other chores at home. He fully
supports and helps his parents like a responsible man. He is very keen to learn all the required
skills and thus remains vigilant all the time and carefully listens to his elders to learn .

Unit #6
Mother to Son
Theme of the Poem
Langston Hughes in this poem explores the dignity and determination of a person when facing
problems. Hardship, hope, and courage are the major elements to form a successful life. The speaker,
addressing her son, instructs him to continue struggle with patience, resilience, and hope. She compares
her life to a ragged staircase and explains the idea that one should not give up but rather confront the
challenges.

Stanza 1
Well, son, I’ll tell you
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it
And splinters in it
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor. Bear.
Paraphrase:
My son, I want to tell you that life is not a smooth way for me. There have been sharp nails and piercing
broken pieces of glass or wood. Neither there have been carpets on the floor but it has always been bare
or empty.

Stanza 2
But all the time
Ise (am or have) been a-limbin’ on
And reachin’ landin’s
And turnin’ corners
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t (hasn’t) been no light.
Paraphrase:
 13

But I have been continuously climbing on the stair of life and have been trying to reach the height of life. I
have been searching the corners and travelling through the darkness where there was no light.

Stanza 3
So boy, don't set down on the step
Cause you find it's kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now,
For I’se (am) still going honey,
I’se still climbin’
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
Paraphrase:
But my boy, do not return and not stop though it is difficult for you.
Do not lose. I have been going with courage and climbing up, and this life is not something very easy for
me.
The ways of life are dark, not so smooth .

Lines#1 – 6
Reference:
These lines have been taken from the poem 'Mother to Son' written by Langston Hughes.

Context:
Langston Hughes in this poem explores the dignity and determination of a person when facing problems.
Hardship, hope, and courage are the major elements to form a successful life. The speaker addressing her
son instructs him to continue the struggle with patience, resilience, and hope. She compares her life to the
ragged staircase and explains the idea that one should not give up but rather confront the challenges.
Theme:
Life is never a bed of roses but a name of continuous struggle.
Poem Type: Dramatic Monologue
Stanza Form: Free verse, following no rhyme scheme.
Rhyme Scheme: No rhyme scheme.
Note:
The same reference and context precede each of the following stanzas.

Lines#1 – 6: Explanation
In these lines, the narrator of the poem 'Mother' is comparing her own life to one that is easy to progress.
Addressing her son, she tells us that life in her case is not so smooth and easy to go on. "Tacks" and
"splinters" symbolize the way of life which has nails where "the boards turn up." This means it is
dangerous for the process of progress. It is dangerous for the journey of life. "No carpet" symbolizes a
lack of support and comfort in life.
Lines #7 – 13:
Explanation: In these lines, the speaker ‘Mother’ is still moving forward despite all of the things
mentioned in the first lines. She wants to make sure that above all this is a lesson for her son to learn. She
has been struggling and passing through various stages of life. She reaches to the top of her metaphorical
stairs of life, then takes a turn but she is not afraid even she enters the ‘dark’ area, where ‘dark’ stands
for despair and dejection and again ‘no light’ symbolizes no hope. Even though she knows how bad things
can be, she is not afraid but rather strong to face them.
Lines #14 – 20:
Explanation: In these concluding lines the mother once again directly addresses her son and tells him that
does not matter what he might be going through, he should not return now. She tells him not to sit down
but continue to pass through this difficult time. She warns him to be careful as the stairs are full of nails
and the wood is broken. The journey of life will become tougher but to be continued. In concluding lines
 14

the poet using ‘stairs’ as an extended Metaphor and the mother once again reiterates her strong
determination to continue her journey even though life is hard.
Exercise Short Questions
Answer the following questions.
Q1: What is the dominant theme of the poem “Mother to Son”?
A1: The dominant theme of the poem “Mother to Son” is that life is full of difficulties but they can be
overcome with persistency and patience. Continuous hard work is important for success. One should not
get discouraged.

Q2: What are some of the literary techniques used in the poem ‘Mother to Son’?
A2: The first is the use of free verse. It means that there is no rhyme and meter in this poem. Secondly,
the technique of dramatic monologue has been used in it. This means that only one person talks in the
poem in the presence of another. Thirdly, the whole poem is in the form of an extended metaphor.
Extended metaphor is a long metaphor.

Q3: What is an extended metaphor? How does Hughes use this literary technique to illustrate the
consistent struggle of mother in her life? Give examples from the poem.
A3: Saying that ‘life is a set of stairs’ is a metaphor. However, if this metaphor includes other things in it
like difficulties are compared with broken boards and screws, it becomes an extended metaphor. Hughes
has written the whole poem as an extended metaphor. He has beautifully compared the whole life of a
black woman with a set of stairs. The broken boards are symbolic for difficulties in life. The same is the
case with the tacks and splinters. This one set of stairs consistently shows the consistent struggle of a
black mother.

Q4: In the poem ‘Mother to Son’, Hughes repeats some lines. What function does it serve in poem?
Explain.
A4: The line “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” has been repeated at the end of the poem. Such a
line serves the purpose of a refrain. As it is at the beginning and the end of the poem, it is used as a frame.
This repetition also emphasizes its significance.

QUESTION#5: What type of imagery is used in the poem 'Mother to son'? What does it suggest?
ANSWER: As imagery is usually applied to the five senses so one of the important images of this piece is
the sense of sight. For example, the word 'crystal stair' and 'places with no carpet'. The image of
'stairway' takes the readers to a scene of poverty. Again the 'dark' and 'no light' take us to the scene of
utmost dejection and disappointment.

QUESTION#6: What is the tone of the poem 'Mother to son'? Support your views with instances from
the poem.
ANSWER: Tone is the attitude of the author toward the subject he or she explains. The tone of the poet
in this poem is quite informal ('ain't') and addressing the subject matter in very loose grammatical
structure ('ain't been'). The narrator shows resiliency and strong determination to face the challenges of
life and addresses her son in the same way to follow her. She is straightforward describing the problems.
For example, she says that life is full of obstacles but at the same time she keeps going on.

UNIT # 7
Choice of Career
 15

SHORT QUESTIONS:
QUESTION #1: What is the dominant theme of the letter?
ANSWER:
Central Idea: The same passion and profession lead us to success. Trends should not be followed in the
choice of career.
Lesson: Choice of Career.
Writer: Waheedullah.
Theme: Profession should be according to passion.

Q1: What is the dominant theme of the letter?

A1: The dominant theme of the letter is that it is important to consider taking some steps to choose a
career. The whole letter is the explanation of this theme. The first step is self-assessment. The next is to
find out your likes and dislikes. Further, one must know one’s strength and weaknesses, and finally, one
should find out the things necessary for getting that job.

Q2: Why don’t the career experts mention any specific profession as a career?
A2: Career experts do not mention any specific profession as a career because it needs detailed
information. This information is only with the person who wants a particular career. For example, self-
assessment cannot be done by others for you. The expert does not know about the likes and dislikes of the
person. There are many things to be done for deciding which profession fits you. That is why career
experts do not mention any specific profession as a career.

Q3: Why is the decision of choice of career considered the toughest? Give examples from the text.
A3: It is the toughest because the chooser has to do a lot of things before starting a career. The first thing
he has to do is self-assessment. He should try to find out his weaknesses and strengths. He has to find out
the things he is interested in. He should know about the degrees, knowledge, and skills required for his
career. As his future happiness depends upon this decision, it becomes the toughest decision.

Q4: What is self-assessment? How far is it helpful in the choice of career?

A4: Self-assessment means to evaluate yourself in order to follow a career. In self-assessment you have to
find out about your likes and dislikes. You should know about the things you are interested in. You have
to find out your strength and weaknesses. You must know about the things which make you [Link]-
assessment is very helpful in the choice of a career because you come to know about all the things
necessary for the choice of the career. You may daydream if you have not done proper self-assessment.
This might become a cause of trouble for you.

QUESTION # 5 :SEE THE SUMMARY

QUESTION#6: Evaluate the steps of career choice and tell how effective or otherwise they are for your
choice of career?
ANSWER: The steps which are discussed in the letter are highly valuable and effective in case of career
selection. The steps such as self-assessment, to think about what can one do. Retrospection, considering
and analyzing past interests, identifying present likes and dislikes, and then search for accusation of
choice are the fundamental elements. Getting required knowledge and education, collecting informative
data and identifying the ways and means are all effective steps to be considered.
CHAPTER: 08
 16

Lesson: Wasteland
Writer: Marya Mannes
Theme: Carelessness causes pollution

SHORT QUESTIONS

1. What is the thesis statement of Mannes’ essay ‘Wasteland’?

A thesis statement reflects on the main point or topic of the essay. It is usually expressed in one sentence. Now
the topic here is “Wasteland” and the question “What society is this that can afford to cast away a million tons
of metal and to make of wild and fruitful land a garbage heap?” serves as a thesis statement. Then later in this
essay author reflects on the attitude and manners of men and women who are despoilers and wasters which are
related with this question.
2. How many examples of waste does Mannes cite? What do they have in common?
Mannes gives the examples of cars, cafe, polybags, defoliation of grassy borders, carcasses of cars, trash,
smoke, light-bulbs, boxes and labels as wastes. They are found everywhere on roadsides, scrub, grass, dirt,
leaves, sand, mud, lanes, gutters, sea shores, rivers, streams and lakes. They have polluted the land and water.
The common factor among all of above-mentioned kinds of waste is its potential to harm nature and spoil its
beauty.
3. What purpose does Mannes want to achieve? Does it work?
Mannes in fact wants to direct the attention of the people towards the environmental pollution. She herself
laments over the dormant conscience of man and wants to awaken it. She tells the people that they are
responsible for the junk and litter which stinks. Their streets and roadways are ugly, their waters are poisonous.
She even reminds them that by spoiling their land they are diminishing their own future. The way she conveys
her message is really impressive and the readers find the same situation around them too.
She succeeds in achieving her task of invoking a sense of realization in the readers.
4. In what way is Mannes’ essay persuasive and how does it differ from a formal argument?
Mannes’ essay is highly persuasive and not a formal argument. Her tone is persuasive as she immediately
attracts the attention of the reader by asking repeated questions and everyone starts feeling guilty when she asks
“Who are these men who defile the grassy borders of our roads and tracks, who pollute our ponds, who spoil the
purity of our ocean beaches with the empty vessels of their thirst?” Similarly, she asks “What manner of men
and women...?”, and “What kind of men...?” then “Who is so rich that...?”
She constantly involves and persuades the readers to think over the matter seriously. This essay is quite different
from the formal argument as in formal argument the writer throws light on the problems and then suggests its
solution. Formal essay just deals with causes and remedies. Mannes depicts a real picture of the society before
us and makes us aware what we are doing to this earth will return to us in a horrible way.
5. In paragraph number five, Mannes writes: “There will not be one beach, one hill, one lane,
one meadow, one forest free from the debris of man and the stigma of his improvidence.” Is it
an accurate statement or exaggerated? Explain.
The statement is true and based on reality. The environment is constantly being polluted badly. People even do
not hesitate to throw their litter—cans, bottles or boxes—in places like roadsides, lanes, water and land. This
harmful pollution is on the rise. No place is safe from contamination. If we do not take notice of these things and
just go on destroying our land with the same pace, the time is not far when this earth will look like a heap of
garbage and not the place worth living for man.
Therefore, it is no exaggeration when Mannes says that “There will not be one beach, one hill, one lane, one
meadow, one forest free from the debris of man and the stigma of his improvidence.”
6. Who is Mannes’s audience? What assumptions does she make of it?
Mannes’ audience is the people of the United States of America in particular and the whole human society in
general. She herself is the witness of the areas littered with junk and dirt and she directs the attention of the
people towards it. She assumes that it will create awareness among the people on a large scale and they will
 17

mend their ways. She hopes that people will take positive and effective steps to help reduce the problem and
pave the way for clean and green environment.
QUESTION #7:
Why does Mannes use such a short paragraph (paragraph No. 7)? Why does she not merge it with the longer
paragraph that follows?
ANSWER: Mannes in fact wants to ask a question in order to warn the readers about the consequences that
what they are doing to the earth. "She wants to stress her idea and compel the readers to think about the bitter
consequences of the crime they are committing against nature. She warns that the earth will take
its revenge on us."
Q No 8: Is Mannes' argument based on emotion or factual evidence? Illustrate.
Mannes’ argument is based on real situations. She puts facts before the readers in order to make them aware of the result of
their careless and indifferent attitudes towards nature and the environment. She is not emotional but realistic and serious in
describing the whole situation. She sees with her own eyes the cans, carafe, polybags, shining in the sun, picked by the moon
or the beams of headlights, washed by rain or flattened by wheels. Then she clearly tells the readers that the earth will take
its revenge, and she is very true. Today we see global warming, which is the result of pollution. Therefore, Mannes is never
emotional but realistic.

Chapter no 9
Lesson: The White Lamb
Writer: Sero Khanzadian
Theme: Selflessness of Paternal love and thanklessness of children.
Central Idea: The Heartbreaking disappointment of old parents by thankless children, as Shakespeare
has aptly stated in the tragic play “King Lear” where the king utter in dejection “How sharper than
serpent’s teeth it is to have a thankless child.”

Q1: What arrangements were made by Navasard for the coming home of Arshak?
A1: He brought a watermelon and some figs for Arshak to eat and cleaned the house by sweeping it and
sprinkling water on the floor. He covered the table with a tablecloth borrowed from the neighbors. Navasard lit a
fire and cleaned the skewers. He got his white lamb ready to be slaughtered. After doing all these things, he
waited for Arshak to come.

Q2: Why was Navasard so excited at the arrival of Arshak?

A2: Arshak was Navasard’s nephew. However, he had raised him like his own son because Arshak’s parents
had died of hunger in the war. Navasard had sold many things to get Arshak educated. He was now educated
and was coming back to the village after ten years. That is why Navasard was so excited at the arrival of Arshak.

Q3: Describe the plight of Navasard after the departure of Arshak without meeting him.
A3: Navasard was very sad after the departure of Arshak without meeting him. He felt as if the roof had come
down on his head. His gait became unsteady. His back seemed more stooped, and his eyes sank into the sockets.

Q4: What is the central idea of the story ‘The White Lamb’? Is this theme relevant to our culture as well?
A4: The central idea or theme of ‘The White Lamb’ is that ungrateful children or relatives give much pain to
their parents. This theme is a universal theme. It also fits our culture. We can see many thankless children in our
culture too. They give much pain to their parents.

Q5: Write down the plot of the story “The White Lamb”.
A5: An old man lives in a village all alone. He has sent his nephew to the city for studies. He has not seen his
son for ten years. Now the son has returned. When he comes to know about his son’s arrival, he arranges to
welcome his son. He waits all day long, but the son never comes home. In the morning, he sees his car rushing
back on the road without even meeting him. This is the plot of the story.

Q6: Is there any conflict in the story “The White Lamb”? If yes, how is it resolved?
 18

A6: Yes, there is a conflict in the story. In a story, conflict is a struggle between two opposing forces. Conflict
provides tension in any story and is used to take the narrative forward. The conflict in this story is whether
Arshak will meet his father (uncle) or not. When Arshak is late and delays his arrival, we feel his coldness
towards his uncle.
The resolution is the part of the story's plot where the main problem is resolved. When Arshak leaves without
meeting his uncle, the conflict is finally resolved, but the ending is sad rather than happy.

Q7: How would you resolve the conflict if you were the author of ‘The White Lamb’?
A7: If I were the author of this story, I would have created a suspense in the story. I would have made Arshak
realize his mistake after leaving the village. He would have come back to apologize to Navasard. In this way, I
would have resolved the conflict.

Q8: Compare and contrast the character of Navasard and Arshak.

A8: Navasard is a very responsible, loving, and caring man. He spends on Arshak selflessly though he is not his
real son. He educates him so that he becomes a great man. On the other hand, Arshak is very selfish and
negligent person. He is indifferent towards his patron. He does not even bother to see his benefactor.

Q9: ‘How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have thankless child!’ (Shakespeare). Critically evaluate
this statement in the light of the text of lesson ‘The White Lamb’.
A9: The given statement is from ‘King Lear’ by Shakespeare. King Lear says this about his thankless daughter,
Goneril. Goneril treats her father badly even though he has given her one-third of his kingdom. Almost the same
thing happens in ‘The White Lamb’. Instead of a thankless daughter, we have a thankless...

Chapter No: 10
PARAPHRASE OF THE POEM:
STANZA I:

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

PARAPHRASE:

We human beings are extremely engrossed in worldly life. This attachment to worldly life we had in
the past as well as in the present. The greed for material gains starts when we are young. We start
thinking how to earn more and more and then waste most of the time on thinking how to spend it
cleverly in order to increase our wealth. We have consumed and wasted all our energies, ignore nature
and cannot see its beauties. We are completely in love with this materialism which is a bad gift for
humankind.

STANZA II:

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

 19

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

PARAPHRASE:

The sea that is stretched under the moon and the whistling wind that blows every time is now
powerless and is silent as it is sleeping like sleeping flowers. We human beings are insensitive to such
beautiful scenes and all the beauties of nature as we do not appreciate nature.

STANZA III:

It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be

A pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.

PARAPHRASE:

Nature with its attractive beauty cannot attract us because of our worldly environment. God I wish
that I had been raised as a non-believer and had been born among people with old beliefs who
worshiped nature. In that case, I would have enjoyed the rich scenery of nature and standing on this
lush green grassy area, I would have felt less alone and depressed. I might have seen the old Greek
sea-god Proteus rising from the sea or I might have heard the music of Triton's horn
decorated with flowers.

Reference to the context and explanation: Lines #1 – 4:

Reference: These lines have been taken from the poem ‘The World is Too Much with Us’ written by
William Wordsworth.

Context: Wordsworth in this poem laments over the cool and indifferent attitude of human being
towards the nature. He is of the view that people have become so materialistic and busy that they have
lost connection with nature due to the worldly concerns. This sonnet reflects his idea that humanity
must get in touch with nature to progress spiritually and physically.

Theme:

Materialistic interests have overpowered us and detached from the blessing of nature.

Poem Type: Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet.

Stanza Form:

Octave/sestet
 20

Rhyme Scheme:

ABBA, ABBA/ CD, CD, CD.

Note:

The same reference and context precedes each of the following stanzas.

Lines #1 – 4: Explanation:

In these lines the poet strongly complains about our behavior and laments over the loss of nature. The
loves for money and worldly affairs have made us so busy that we have lost connection with Nature.
We are just wasting our time and potential, every time running behind earning money and spending it.
The Nature has been created for us but we have given our hearts to material things. The poet using the
oxymoron ‘sordid boon’ explains that worldly thing seems helpful, but actually it is something
hateful. He means to say that the real blessing is the love with nature.

Lines#5 – 8:

Explanation: In this stanza the speaker creates a very beautiful picture of the Nature. Using the
personification of the ‘sea’ and ‘moon’ he tells us that the sea in female form exposed to the view of
the moon is presenting attractive sight. The simile of ‘sleeping flowers’ shows that how in harmony
the nature is! The strong winds of the day are now calm and quiet. The imagery ‘howling’ describes
that how the strong wind of the day changed into soft wind of night. The poet says that people do not
feel moved not only by the beautiful scenes described by him in the above lines but also all other
beautiful scenes. They are now in disharmony with Nature.

Lines#9 - 14:

Explanation: In these concluding lines the poet being dejected declares his choice. He declares that he
would prefer to be pagan rather than a Christian. He is ready to abandon his religion in which he was
brought up, because of the attitude of the people and their injustice with the Nature. The poet likes to
be standing on some open green place near the sea. He would like to have a look of the Greek and
Roman mythical gods. One emerging from the sea and another blowing his horn and this way the poet
would not feel alone and sad in the company of nature along with the gods Proteus and Tritons.

QUESTION#1:

What is the theme of ‘The World is Too Much With Us? And how is it developed in the poem?

ANSWER:

Lesson: The World is To Much With Us.

Poet : William Wordsworth

Theme: Being materialistic, the nature has badly been ignored.

Note: (Each answer of this lesson should follow the above pattern)

Wordsworth in this poem laments over the cool and indifferent attitude of human being towards the
nature. He is of the view that people have become so materialistic and busy that they have lost
 21

connection with nature due to the worldly concerns. This sonnet reflects his idea that humanity must
get in touch with nature to progress spiritually and physically.

Using figurative language the poet highlights the idea throughout the poem that industrial revolution
has taken us away from the beauty of nature and spiritual happiness.

QUESTION#2: What is the tone of the poem ‘The World is Too Much With Us’?

ANSWER:

The tone of the poem is quite critical, sad and emotional, because Wordsworth feels very dejected by
the way the human being treats the nature. The narrator of the poem is highly depressed and he
mourns the loss of nature. The same frustration and dissatisfaction prevail throughout the poem.

Q.3 . what has made people insensitive to the beauty of nature ?

Answer .3 The love of worldly things has made people insensitive to the beauty of nature . They do
not have any time to spend with nature . They only want to earn money and spend it . They are not left
with those eyes that can enjoy the beauty of nature.
4. What literary devices have been used by Wordsworth that give richness to the meaning of the
poem?

The poem is enriched with literary devices:

a. Personification: "sea that bares her bosom to the moon, the howling winds, sleeping flowers" make
nature possess human-like qualities like yearning for love, sleeping, and soothing.

b. Enjambment: It is the thought which rolls over to the next line of the stanza like "Great God! I'd
rather be a Pagan suckled in a creed outworn".

c. Allusion: This poem contains allusions to Greek mythology e.g. Proteus, Triton.

d. Imagery: Howling winds appeals to the sense of hearing; sleeping flowers to the sense of touch and
Proteus rising from the sea appeals to the sense of sight.
e. Consonance: /f/ and /t/ sounds "For this, for everything we are out of we are out of tune"; then
sound of /s/ in "Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea".

f. Simile: "Like sleeping flowers" is a simile.

g. Metaphors: 'sordid' suggests the worst aspect of human nature like selfishness and greed while
'boon' suggests prosperity and blessing.
h. Assonance: The vowel sound /o/ is found in "Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn".

I . oxymoron a combination of contradictory (opposite) word such as ( cruel kindness , sordid

bone , late and soon .

5. What is personification? Pick out some examples of it from the poem 'The World is
Too Much with Us'.

Personification is to attribute human characteristics to non-human or inanimate objects. The poet has
used personification in "sea that bares her bosom to the moon", "the howling wind and sleeping
flowers". These are all human qualities given to the objects of nature like wind, sea, and flowers.
Q.6 write down the Rhyme scheme of the poem " The world is too Much with us "
 22

Answer . 6 The rhyme scheme of the poem " The world is too Much with us " is "
abba abba cdc dcd"