Elizabeth Jennings Father to Son highlights the theme of the

generation gap which crops up due to lack of communication,

acceptance and change of views and ideas. The poem reveals the
internal conflict that a father undergoes when his son grows up and
has his own interests, ideas and perceptions.
In Father to Son, the father complains that he does not understand
his own child. The father wonders that although they have been
living together since his birth, the father knows nothing of his son.
The father has tried to build up a connection with his son when his
son first began to recognize people around, when he desperately
tried to crawl and walk. The father is pondering that whether he has
destroyed the seed of his offspring or have sown in a land where it
belongs to his heir and none of his.
Both the son and the father speak to each other as strangers and
there seems to be no understanding between the two. There is a
silence between the two. There is no common ground of interest
between the two. The father feels awkward in trying to figure out
why his own son has turned into an absolute stranger. The father
says that his child is built to his design which means that the son is
the design of his father. So he should resemble his father though the
current picture says something else.
The father sees his son as the the prodigal son who is spendthrift
and would soon return to his fathers house which was once his very
own. The father is willing to forgive him at any cost so that he
returns to his fathers home instead of moving out into a new house
and fall into unnecessary troubles due to young age. The son also
admits that he is even struggling to understand his own self. He
does feel the sadness related to the broken relationship he has with
his father.
Elizabeth Jennings says that fathers and sons all over the world
should learn to live on the same globe and same land. In the end,
the father has a realization that he is the one who cannot
understand himself and gets angry. The father concludes that each
one of them is willing to forgive the other. Respecting each others

differences is the only way out to diminish the distance between

parents and children.
About The Prodigal Son story:
The Prodigal Son is a Biblical reference from the New Testaments
parables of Jesus. The story is of a father with two sons. The younger
demanded his inheritance despite the fact that traditionally, the
eldest born is heir. The father accedes and the spoilt younger son
leaves home. He spends his fortune foolishly, eventually returning to
his fathers house with barely a stitch of cloth on his body. The
father forgives him, and welcomes him into his embrace with open
arms and a celebratory feast.
Child hood
The speaker pondered deeply upon the spiritual questions of life and ultimately realized the
fact that his childhood days were finally gone down into the past of eternity for good and
would never return. Childhood would now only remain in his memories. He wandered if the
end of childhood was the day he ceased to be eleven years old. The time when he realized
that Heaven and earth could not be found in Geography and never could be.
Where did his childhood go? Was it the time he realized that adults were not all they seemed
to be? They talked of love and they preached of love, but did not act so lovingly nor practiced
what they preached. Was that the day. Where did his childhood go? Was it when he found out
that his mind was really his? To use it whichever way he chose? To produce thoughts that
was not those of other people but his and his alone. Was that the day? Where did his
childhood go? It went to some forgotten place that is hidden in a baby's face. That was all
that he knew and that was all that he remembered.

About the poet:

It's unfortunate that the library as well the internet do not carry enough information
about this poet or even his picture. All we know is that he was Norwegian and this
poem is a translation. Nevertheless, each work reveals a little something about its
creator. Let us challenge ourselves to discover Natten's presence in his musings.
CHILDHOOD
When did my childhood go?
Was it the day I ceased to be eleven.
Was it the time I realised that Hell and Heaven,

Could not be found in Geography,

And therefore could not be,
Was that the day!
When did my childhood go?
Was it the time I realised that adults were not
All they seemed to be,
They talked of love and preached of love,
But did not act so lovingly,
Was that the day!
When did my childhood go?
Was it when I found my mind was really mine,
To use whichever way I choose,
Producing thoughts that were not those of other people
But my own and mine alone
Was that the day!
Where did my childhood go?
It went to some forgotten place,
That is hidden in an infants face,
Thats all I know.
-

Markus Natten

Theme:
In this poem, the poet, Markus Natten wonders when and where he lost his childhood. In this quest to
find the moment he grew up, Markus highlights the innocence and faith he lost even as he gained
rational individuality.
Adolescence is usually a confusing time for a child who is unable to immediately come to terms with
the physical, hormonal and psychological changes in his or her personality. He no longer feels like a
child but is not quite ready to call himself an adult either.
In the poem, 'The Rainbow', William Wordsworth claims, 'Child is the father of man'. Markus seems to
be echoing this thought as he underscores how in our childhood innocence lay our ability to appreciate
the simpler aspects of life and thus, the child can teach the adult how to appreciate things the latter
often takes for granted.
The refrain:

The refrain of any poem is/are line (s) that repeat at regular intervals throughout the poem. The
refrain often carries the central message of the poem. The two lines which do so in this poem are:
When did my childhood go?....
Was that the day!
The first line (which is a question) identifies the central theme of the poem, that is, the attempt to
identify when exactly the poet lost his childhood.
The second line begins with a question word but ends with an exclamation. Hence, it is no more a mere
question. Rhetorical in nature, this line brings out the poet's sense of realisation.

Stanza - wise interpretation:

Stanza 1:
The poet wonders when he lost his childhood. He muses that perhaps it was the day he realised that
the concepts of Heaven and Hell, he had been taught of since his youngest years, had no standing in
the light of the day. Geography textbooks did not give the location of any such place. Education made
the poet question his faith and look at the world much more rationally. The poetrealises that he might
have lost his childhood when he gained this rational outlook.
Stanza 2:
In the second stanza, the poet recalls the time when he realised that the adults around him did not
practise what they preached. They told the poet to be loving and caring, however, they were
themselves argumentative, violent and discourteous. Their behaviour was a far cry from the love they
sermonised about and advocated so reverently to the child.
Thus, the child lost his faith in the adults around him, whom he had so far, trusted without question.
Their latent hypocrisy became evident to the growing child. Perhaps, says Natten, that broken trust
was one of the major steps towards adulthood.
Notice, that this is perhaps, the longest line of the poem. Markus Natten is a genius at putting
punctuation to use. The length of this line and the difficulty to recite it in one go, indicates that this is
perhaps the biggest loss the child has suffered.
Stanza 3:
As he grew up, the poet realised that his mind was unique, could form its own opinions and could take
its own decisions. He gained a sense of individuality which set him free from the prejudiced opinions of
others around him. His own experiences shaped his thoughts now and he realised that this might have
been the time he lost his childhood innocence completely.
Stanza 4:
In the final stanza, the poet changes his question. From wondering at what point in time, he had lost
his childhood, the poet now wonders where it went.
The last three lines may be interpreted in two ways.
1.
The poet claims that his childhood is nothing more than a long lost memory. He recalls his
infancy and believes that his true childhood resides there, in that infant's face, and that innocence
cannot resurface in this lifetime.
2.
The poet believes that his childhood has become nothing more than a memory for him but has
become the reality of some other infant. Innocence is a cyclical process where lost from one person, it

travels to another, finding residence there. Thus, till date, adults can easily recall and seem to almost
relive their own childhood, through an infant in their lives.

BROWNING VERSION

John Taplow, who is about sixteen years old and in the lower fifth form of an English
public school, appears at the flat of Andrew Crocker-Harris for an end-of-term tutorial in
the hope of being advanced to the upper fifth. Seeing a box of chocolates, he helps
himself to two pieces, eats one, and then, either out of conscience or fear of being
caught, replaces the other.
Shortly thereafter, Frank Hunter arrives, and in the course of the conversation between
the two it becomes clear that Crocker-Harris is retiring because of ill health. Known for
his strict discipline, students dub him the Crock and Himmler of the lower fifth.
Hunter, on the other hand, enjoys easy rapport with students, as can be seen in
Taplows readiness to share confidences with him. While they wait for the Crock to
appear, Hunter instructs Taplow in a proper golf swing. Taplow admits that, although like
most students he had his share of fun at Crocker-Harriss expense, he does have
sympathy for him.
Taplow is in the midst of mimicking the classics master when Millie Crocker-Harris
enters and overhears the mimicry. She dispatches Taplow on an errand to the druggist
for Crocker-Harriss heart medicine so that she can be alone with Hunter, with whom
she is having an affair.
Crocker-Harris appears, only to find that Taplow is not there. When Taplow returns,
Millie leaves to prepare dinner, and Hunter leaves pupil and master to their work on a
translation of Aeschyluss Agamemnon (458 b.c.e.). As with the earlier incident with the
chocolates, Taplows schoolboyish nervousness emerges in the form of a thoughtless
comment about the masters inability to pass his love for the Greek play on to the boys.
Frightened by his own audacity, Taplow attempts to make amends by encouraging
Crocker-Harris to talk about the rhymed translation he made of the play at the age of
eighteen. Then, overcome by emotion for the first time in years, Crocker-Harris cuts
short the session and abruptly dismisses...
(The entire section is 841 words.)

The Browning Version opens in the sitting room of the home of Andrew and Millie Crocker-Harris. A young
student, John Taplow, knocks at the front door, then lets himself inside. He steals a chocolate from an
open box, then uses his walking stick to practice his golf swing.
Frank Hunter, a young schoolmaster, watches Taplows moves unseen. Finally, he interrupts and gives
Taplow pointers on his swing. They converse for a few moments. Taplow has come for his tutoring
session with Andrew, although it is the last day of school. The young man is worried, however, that
Andrew will not give him his remove. He plans to study science, which is Hunters subject.
Taplow does a wicked impersonation of Andrew, which he almost immediately regrets. However, Frank
asks him to do it again, then suggests that since Crocker-Harris is rather late, Taplow should go play golf.
Taplow is appalled at the suggestion. Despite his problems with Andrew, Taplow does like him and fears
him enough to stay. Taplow relates an incident and again mimics Andrew for Franks benefit. This time,
Millie Crocker-Harris appears at the door, and she listens for a moment before coming inside.
Taplow is afraid that Millie has overheard his imitation. Millie informs Taplow that her husband will be tied
up at the Bursars for a while and that he could go, but he decides to wait. Millie sends him on an errand.
Once Taplow is gone, Millie and Frank have a more intimate discussion, and it becomes clear that they
are lovers. They make plans for a rendezvous later in the summer. Millie tries to kiss him, but Frank fears
they will be caught by her husband. Millie asks Frank if Taplow was imitating her husband when she
walked in. When the answer is affirmative, Millie says that it seemed like a rather good one.
Millie discusses her troubled relationship with her husband. She explains that he once aspired to be a
headmaster and had more ambition than he has now. After another kiss, Millie tells Hunter about her day.
She was saying good-bye to all the wives of the faculty. Andrew is leaving his teaching position,
ostensibly due to a heart condition.
Just as Millie and Frank are about to kiss again, Andrew finally arrives. He is somewhat peeved that Millie
sent Taplow on an errand. Andrew invites Frank to sit down for a while, and they make small talk. Andrew
reveals that his next position is at a school for backwards boys. Frank is sympathetic, but Andrew
dismisses his concerns.
Taplow returns. After Millie goes to make dinner and Frank leaves, Andrew and Taplow begin their
session. Taplow is translating Agamemnon from the Greek as he reads, and adds a touch of the dramatic
to his interpretation, which Andrew chides him for. But Andrew also tells Taplow that he once wrote a free
translation of the play in verse. Their lesson is interrupted by the appearance of the schools headmaster.
The headmaster, Dr. Frobisher, wants to talk to Andrew privately, so Taplow is dismissed. Frobisher
informs Andrew that the Gilberts, who will take over the flat, will be dropping by.

The AILING PLANET

The green movement's role: the ailing planet The green movement's role in reconstruction of this
ailed planet is discussed in the chapter 'THE AILING PLANET: GREEN MOVEMENT'S ROLE' in
English textbook of class x1.since it is just an article from The Indian Express published on1994
November 24. For the sustainable development of 'world's most dangerous animal' man, he had

exploited the nature a lot. It is more than a lot truly. Since nature is the raw material for all our needs,
we will be living in an ailed planet soon if the nature is destructed like this. Fire wood was the main
fuel in the early 90's. That is the main reason for the deforestation in those days. In this program we
are presenting you awareness about what will be tomorrow if earth roll like this. Today our scientists
are going too deep into the solutions of the problems based on the topic environment. Now the
problems caused by deforestation had reduced a huge amount because of the reduction in the
usage of firewood. In our chapter nani pakhiwala describe about the problems which will cause in
future due to exploitation of nature. Now in 2009 we are facing a lot of problems disasters etc due
to over exploitation of the natural resources. I am going to explain a lot about the problems forming
and will going to form. We are facing so many problems; even then we are trying to solve them.
Global warming is one of the top problems faced by our world. We were studying about this global
warming from 4th standard itself. The whole earth is under threat because of this global warming.
What is the cause of it? The pollution made by the man kind is the main reason for global warming.
The carbon dioxide produced by vehicles, fire wood etc. and reaction of carbon contents and
combustion of plastics etc.Since carbon dioxide is less dense than air, it covers the top most
portion of the atmosphere. The heat radiation from the sun reaches earth and reflects back the
excess of heat by earth's crust. This layer of carbon dioxide does not allow heat energy to escape
from the earth's atmosphere which results in rise of temperature irresistibly. Then the aftereffects are
skin burns, water drought, drying of plants and dehydration. As an inference it is due to high air
pollution. What can we do for solving this? This is the question which makes us think of the future.
Here we are showing you the steps to be taken and already took by various institutions. First of all
we have stop polluting air. Use biodegradable products instead of today's plastics other artificial
polymers like polythene. Check pollution stats of your vehicle frequently. Reduce the use of fuel like
gasoline, ethanol, petrol, diesel etc. and use fuels like hydrogen, electricity, LPG, marsh gas etc.
stop cutting up of woods, Let's start afforestation. Now it is time to make up decision.
VOICE OF THE RAIN

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) was an American poet, essayist and

journalist. He was one of the influential poets of American literature
and was considered as father of free verse. Leaves of Grass is one
of his most famous works which stirred up controversy regarding its
overt sexual content.
In Voice of the Rain, Walt Whitman composes a conversation
between him and the rain as it felt from the heavens upon the earth.
The poet asks the raindrops, Who are you? and he even gets back
a reply. In his poem, Voice of the Rain, the poet translates the
answer for his readers.
The rain says that it is the poem of the earth. It is born in an
invisible and intangible form which rises from the water bodies and

reaches the infinite sky to change its appearance into clouds of

different shapes and sizes. Yet the rain says it remains the same in
its heart as it was at its birth.
The rain then falls down on the earth as little water droplets which
brings respite to us, rejuvenates the earths soul and washes away
dust and dirt. It gives life to new plants which would have otherwise
remained unborn underground the land as mere seeds. Thus, rain
continues its journey where it returns to the earth, its place of origin
giving it life and making it all the more beautiful and pure.
Walt Whitman feels that the rain is kind of some song. The songs
birth place is the poets heart. Once it is completed, it transfers from
one person to person and one day it returns to all its listeners.
The last lines of the poem are kept in brackets as they do not belong
to the conversation between the poet and the rain.
Analysis:
Voice of the Rain is written in blank verse and the tone of the
poem is conversational in nature. This method has an advantage. It
helps to maintain continuity of thoughts and ideas of the poet and
also bring clarity and vividness in expression. The rain is the speaker
and has been personified. It answers back to the poet when asked
what art thou? by Whitman.
The poem conveys a message to its readers that a rain is the poem
of the earth which symbolizes that it brings happiness and joy to the
humans just like poetry.