EVERGREEN TEA CHER’ S MANUAL on Treasure Trove (A Collection of ICSE Poems) Workbook Vol-I Sasi EVERGREEN PUBLICATIONS (INDIA) LTO. Pl 2282636PUBLISHED BY: Evergreen Publications (INDIA) Limited ND 200, Tanda Road, JALANDHAR CITY-144 008 Ph, : 0181-5002021, 2280636, 2282636 SALES OFFICE: 4738/23, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, NEW DELHI-110 002 Ph, :011-23264528, 23270431, 23257235 © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITH THE PUBLISHERS. ‘As publishers of educational books, we are commited to serve the student community with the best of our resources. We take every possible effort to eliminate errors during the course of editing and printing of books. Publishers land authors should not be held responsible for any mistakes that might have crept in inadvertently, No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior, written permission of the publishers and authors. Prins at: EVERGREEN Pubicatons (NDIA) Lid Ph, :0181-S002029INTRODUCTION Objective Itis not easy to teach Engish literature to students for whom English is not the first language. It is so because such students are deficient in English language itself, and moreover, are not familiar with culture (5) to which English literature rightfully belongs. The things which are taken for granted by natives are often a hard nut to crack for students belonging to other cultures than English. The teacher's role is immense in such a situation. He/She must be capable to have right approach, method or technique to make his teaching meaningful as well as interesting. The teacher's manual on the poetry section of Treasure Trove, the approved texthook for ICSE, as such, aims at providing some useful hints to the teacher engaged in the difficult task of teaching poetry. Its first section focuses on two important issues : () What to teach and (i) how to teach. This section provides an insight into (0 what makes an effective teacher of literature G some teaching methods or techniques (id. framework for lesson plans for classroom teaching (iv) introduction to poetry in general (v) teaching a poem :a case study (v) some sample lesson plans The second section of the manual includes solutions to all the assignments given in Evergreen Workbook on Treasure Trove (Vol-I Poems). What makes an effective teacher ? It is not a simple question. No two persons will respond similarly to it. We can arrive at the correct response perhaps implicitly by going through some of the prominent qualities a teacher must possess. Here is a list of some of these qualities or characteristics 1. Passion for Teaching : There are many wrong persons in the teaching profession. Unlike other professions, a person who opts to become a teacher has to accept the fact that he is not an office ‘babu’ to do an automated job throughout his life, and that he will have to be content with less monetary reward for his work. One who cannot accept this harsh fact should opt out at the earliest. A teacher will have to be a life-long learner. He will have to adopt, mend and bend as the situation develops in his classroom. He can earn name and fame only if he is fully committed to his job. 2. Amiable Disposition : In today’s world a teacher cannot remain on the high pedestal, detached and neutral. There was a time when teachers were held in awe and commanded respect. They would lose temper, shower abuses and physically assault the poor students on very flimsy mistakes or lapses. Parents having complete faith in the Guru-like teacher would never object to whatever treatment he gave to their children, That time is long over. With the changed world-view, a teacher cannot but be friendly. He has to come close to his students in a congenial manner. He is expected to create an atmosphere in which students feel free to express their feelings and thoughts, and even to question what he has taught or said. If the teacher takes criticism in his stride and explains his position in an amiable [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WE] 3]manner, he becomes a likeable figure. If he tries to suppress the spirit of enquiry or curiosity, he turns himself into an avoidable, if not detestable, person. So, friendliness, not arrogance or rudeness, will rise the status of a teacher in the eyes of his students. 3. Love of Knowledge : A teacher has to have good knowledge of the subject he teaches. If he lacks in the knowledge, he is sure to fumble in the class. Some teachers, unable to satisfy a student's query, resort to snubbing him or her. Some begin to browse the Net on the spot in the class for a possible answer. All these things are certainly embarrassing to the teacher. It is always better for a teacher to come well-prepared in his class. He should add to his knowledge by extensive reading of books and by attending seminars and refresher courses. Mere knowledge of the subject does not suffice. A teacher ought to be a keen observer of, and participant into, life around. He should aim at going beyond his text books, testing his knowledge and learning from unconventional sources. Mere bookish knowledge does not make fone a good teacher. Wisdom gained through the years help him gain an edge over Google- oriented passable, shallow knowledge on different topics. 4. Sense of Humour : Today's generation is mostly fun-loving, It does not Ike stiff-lipped, morose teachers, however knowledgeable they are. As such a good teacher cultivates genial sense of humour. In lower school classes he employs fun games, quizzes and anecdotes as part of his teaching methodology. In higher classes he is humorous and witty in dealing with his students, especially the mischievous type. This sense of humour helps him maintain discipline in the class and avoid many embarrassing situations. 5. Good Communication Abi For a teacher, it is imperative to be a good speaker. He must be able to speak clearly, audibly and confidently. There must be a touch of authority in his voice. It is his voice that makes his students listen to him attentively. Besides being a good speaker, a teacher should be a good listener as well. He must give time to his students to raise any questions, listens to them attentively and then respond properly. Effective reading and writing skills go in favour of a teacher. If he has good communication skills he becomes a model for emulation by his students, Moreover, only a good communicator can teach communication skills 6. Focused Personality : Good personality does not mean mere physical attractiveness. Even he who is not very attractive can have a good presentable personality if he dresses sensibly, smells good and is well-mannered, gentle and kind. A teacher has to be focused and balanced, for which he needs clear objectives an internal discipline. Teaching Methodologies Coming to teaching methodologies, we must think over the issue as to who is at the centre of. teaching-learning process-teacher or student. Up to recent times, it was the teacher, without doubt. Every teaching strategy was teacher-centred. The teacher remained active while students remained passive. However, now in a changed scenario students are expected to be as active as, and sometimes more active than, their teacher. They determine in large measure how the teacher is to teach them, The time is not very far off when they will also decide as to what the teacher is to teach them. The teacher's role is now that of a facilitator, but by no means insignificant. After all, it is he who decides and will continue to decide the direction in which his students are to move for good results 4 [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WB]Teaching strategies are, however, still decided and adopted by teachers in many of our schools and colleges, some of which are outdated. Some of these are Teaching Statogieg [Fined Teaching Method] [Lecture Method || Collaborative Method Demonstrating Discussion Debrising 1. Flipped Teaching Method : This is one of the most effective, modern way of teaching. It is quite useful when the teacher is to take up the study of a poem, a story or even a novel. It consists of two parts : (0) the students are encouraged to prepare the lesson before class, and (i) the teacher straightway puts across his ideas and invites discussion. This is a great time-saver. 2. Lecture Method : The lecture method is the most popular, old way of teaching. It suits both the teacher and the institution in which he teaches. He comes to his class ~ often a large class having a hundred or even more students — delivers his lecture to dumb, passive students and goes out after the bell goes. He has no time or inclination to engage the students in any discussion or seek their queries or feedback. The student's role is passive. f any student tries to be active, he is often silenced or evaded by the teacher. Of course, it cannot be said that this old way of teaching is totally ineffective. It has been Useful for many years. In the changed scenario the teacher can combine this method with some more student-centred ones. 3. Collaborative Method : This is one of the most useful teaching methods. It allows students to actively participate in the teaching-learning process. It consists of group discussions and group projects. The teacher's role is only that of a facilitator. He introduces the topic in the beginning and provides necessary feedback at the end, The students collaborate with one another in completing their tasks. The teacher assesses them for their (0 leadership abilities (i organization skills (i) team spirit (iv) presentation abilities, ete 4, Demonstrating : This way of teaching is through examples, experiments or audio-visual clippings on CDs / DVDs, etc. A science teacher can ‘show’ an idea by performing an experiment. A teacher teaching philosophy, economics or social studies can do well by proving a fact or Justifying an idea by giving examples from history, mythology or day-to-day life, known to the students. A language teacher can use recorded material on a CD of DVD to help his students learn better. A live show of a play like The Merchant of Venice on screen, for instance, can help to raise the student's interest in the text of the play to be taught by the teacher in the class. Similarly, a live recording of a poem in the voice of the poet himself, if possible, can be very effective in making the students relate to the poem emotionally. Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE] {515. Discussion : The classroom discussion is another way of collaborative method of teaching. It involves all students in the class at a time. Its often initiated by the teacher with questions like these, in the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a lesson ‘© ‘How would you react if you were in his/her place ?” © "What do you think of his / her behaviour at this point ?” © "Who is the murderer in your view 7 ‘© "What do you think has caused...?” ‘© ‘How does this relate to our life ?” Questions like these are very significant to start a discussion which often yield good and even startling responses. They help sharpen imaginative faculties, relate facts and generate new ideas, and as such, lead to creativity 6. Debriefing : Debriefing refers to getting the information about the task (s) completed. The teacher holds conversational sessions for this purpose. The students give and share the feedback, thus learning from their varied experience. The teacher allows them freedom to reflect upon and come to terms with their experience. This helps them to assess their own experience well and move towards a change for the better. Useful Hints for Teaching Prepare the lesson plan everyday. ‘Come prepared to the class. Establish goods rapport with your students. Be friendly, polite, warm and enthusiastic. Encourage your students to raise questions. Make your teaching as interesting as possible. Be a patient listener and never evade a question. ‘Admit your lapse readily. Be in contact with parents, if possible Treat every student as unique. Keep your face smiling, even when provoked Encourage discussion, peer learning, etc eee eee reece Lesson Plan The teacher should make a daily lesson plan, keeping in mind the following points © subject to be covered © the required material © needs of the students © the goal — how it will be achieved, and how it was achieved © the links to the previous and the following lessons jw [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WB]© how to achieve students’ participation ‘© assessment through + classroom discussion group and discussion + individual tasks, or/and project or homework In making a lesson plan, a teacher studying literature (a play, a story, a poem or an essay) should make use of some or all of these elements, specifically in the order given below Title : (The Cold Within’ The Merchant of Venice, etc.) Topi Time : 1 Period/2 Periods Instructional Part : What is to teach : Introduction to the poem/story/play Teaching Methodology : How to teach eee eee Assessment / Evaluation : Brief class or Group Discussion / Homework /Group Project, ete © Feedback / Analysis : Feedback from the students / self-reflection on the lesson The first three components of this plan — Title, Topic and Time — are simple and need no elaboration. Instructional Part / Component is the main part of this teaching plan. It will vary from day to day, and from teacher to teacher. For example, while starting a new text, the teacher will like to devote his first lesson to the introduction of the author and the text to be taught. This covers what to teach The teacher is free to adopt a lecture method and, if itis possible, he may arrange a CD or DVD to enable the students to listen to the poem to be taught or watch a movie on the prescribed play. This demonstrating will arouse the students’ interest in the text to be taught. This is, in brief, how-to-teach part of the lesson plan. The teacher can include in his plan Pre-Reading and Post-Reading tasks as part of his assessment / evaluation component. Pre-Reading tasks may include brief, oral questions before introducing the text, connected with the theme / setting of the story or the poem, etc. Post - Reading tasks may include such questions to test whether the students have properly comprehended what has been taught Other assignments can be (@ Class discussions i Group assignments, in groups of three or four (ii) Individual tasks (iv) Peer learning — students learning from one another (W) Workshops ~ students doing different assignments simultaneously Feedback / Analysis part of the lesson plan is not to be missed at all. It is an important component. The teacher can ask for students’ opinion on his day's teaching in writing, or orally. If he has created mutual trust, the students will give their views objectively and frankly. The teacher [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WE] mmay seek feedback on certain parametres such as comprehension of the lesson taught, the quality of imparting instructions, the level of communication, etc, on grades : Excellent, Good, Average and Poor, Self-analysis follows feedbook, not necessarily in the classroom itself, The teacher should reflect on the goal of the lesson and consider if it has been achieved fully, partly or just marginally. He should put on paper as to how to improve upon his performance in the following lesson ‘A good lesson plan confronts many baffling questions such as (0 Should he teach through English or the mother tongue of the students ? Which method is effective ? (i How can he arrange class discussions in big classes ? (ii) How can he involve all students in his teaching plan ? (iv) What should he do to arouse interest of all the students in his lesson ? (v) How can he ensure fair and frank feedback from the students ? No answer to these questions can be final. The teacher has to find answers to such questions through his own experience. Introduction to Poetry in General Most of the common people in India associate poetry with ‘thyme’ and ‘emotions’ (rather sentiments). Any poem that does not have these components baffles them, and they refuse to recognize it as poetry. We need to remember that ‘thyme’ is one of the many features of a poem. Modern poets do not make use of it, because many a times it restricts their imagination or does not suit what they want to convey. Then a poem may not evoke any direct emotion or sentiment. It may appeal to our logical mind the most. We should also distinguish between ‘personal’ emotions and ‘artisite’ emotions. ‘As a teacher, let us see how to approach poetry in the right way. Poetry and Prose Broadly speaking, poetry appeals to our senses while prose to our intellect. There may be many exceptions to this observation, of course. Some prose writers write what has come to be known as poetic prose. Virginia Woolt's novel The Waves is a good example of poetic prose Rabindranath Tagore’s poems - a large number of them - fall under poetic prose. In order to make the difference between prose and poetry, we may make use of a common. nursery-rhyme. Suppose we make a statement : ‘The death of the robin made the other birds very unhappy’. This is certainly not poetry, but itis when we say ‘All the birds of the air fella sighing and a-sobbing When they heard of the death of poor Cock Robin’ These two lines from a nursery rhyme is an example of poetry, as distinct from prose. It is better to leave the issue of what is prose and what is poetry. This issued is of pure academic interest. In reality, all of us know instinctively what is poetry and how it is different from prose. No one single definition or plethora of definitions can make the matter clear. B [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WB]Subjective and Objective Poetry Ina very broad way, we can differentiate between two kinds of poetry. Posty Subjective Posty] bjeatve Posty _f | Dye Elegy Balad Epis ‘When we talk of subjective poetry we mean to say that the poet is using a form suitable to his personal thoughts and feelings. He treats his object from within On the other hand, objective poetry is the one in which the poet deals with an event (s), deed (6) or the things around him in an objective manner. It is, however, to be kept in mind that no poem can be totally subjective or totally objective. The ballad ‘After Blenheim, for instance, is an objective poem, but here too, the poet projects his views of war implicitly and ironically. It is an instance of a poem, more objective than subjective Milton's ‘Paradise Lost, a great epic, is an instance of objective poetry, but one can feel the presence of the poet in the speeches of Satan or God at times. Content and Form It is quite convenient for us to separate content from form when we study a poem. By content we mean its subjectmatter. When we dwell only on the content of a poem, we often misinterpret it or deprive it of its beauty. James Reeves, a noted critic says content determines form and form modifies content. Although it is usually easier and more logical to examine content first, then form, we must keep both in mind simultaneously’ In simple words, content is what the poet says and form is how the poet says it. Every poet is. preoccupied with the right type of form, Alexander pope, for instance, uses the heroic couplet one of the well-known forms of poetry for self-expression. The heroic couplet is a fixed form and can be used only for restricted emotions. That is why, Wordsworth is so critical of this form of poetry because it does not suit his purpose - that is, to express free flow of powerful emotions. Thus, it is the content which determines which form is to be used and which form is to be discarded. In modern poetry, there is no rigid form. But still you cannot separate content and form as both are inter-dependent. [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WE] (9)Thematic Forms of Poetry ‘When we have got a poem to read or teach, we should try to know its form to appreciate it better. Here are some prominent thematic forms of poetry 1. Lyric : A lyric is a kind of poem that can be sung, Like a song, it has to be short and personal. It deals with only one emotion, or one mood. It is a common mistake to identify I’ in the poem with the poet himself/herself. In many lyrics, the is an invented character, or only the ‘poet’ at one particular moment. Wordsworth's ‘Daffodils’ is a lyric, and so is Sarojini Naidu's ‘The Bangle Sellers’ 2. Ballad : A ballad is a short story in verse. It may or may not have any moral or message. It often narrates an incident as it occurs. The idea it wants to convey may only be arrived at indirectly, Robert Southey’s poem ‘After Blenheim’ is a ballad. That it evokes revulsion for war is true. But this idea is conveyed indirectly through an ironic structure. 3. Sonnet : It is a short poem of fourteen lines. It has different structures. The Shakespearean sonnet has three quatrains and a couplet. The Petrarchan Sonnet has two parts - a stanza of eight lines, followed by another stanza of six lines. 4, Elegy : It is a poem written to mourn the demise of a great person or leader or someone dear to the poet, or the loss or fall of a city, etc. There are other forms of poetry such as ode, epic, etc 5. Ode : The ode originated from the lyric proper. Itis a serious and dignified composition. It is written to commemorate a hero/a public occasion or to eulogize an object or event. Its content is exalted and style and tone elevated and dignified. It is often addressed to the being or object it treats of For example, Shelley addresses the West Wind in his reputed ‘Ode to the West Wind! : °O Wild West Wind’. Tennyson's ‘Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington’, Wordworth’s ‘Ode Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood, Keats' ‘Ode to Autumn’ and ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ are some of the prominent odes in English literature 6. Epic : We in India are familiar with the epic. The Ramayana and The Mahabharata are our ancient epics. The principal characters in the epic are great heores and warriors. The events of the epic are on a grand scale, Gods and supernatural agents take part in the action. The language used in the epic is dignified. Some epics aim at moral lesson, pattiotic feelings, national pride, etc Milton wrote ‘Paradise Lost to “Justify the ways of God to Men’ 7. Mock Epic treated on an epic scale in the solemn dignity of the epic form. The little is made great and the great litle. The intended comic effect is created as the incongruity between theme and treatment becomes clear. Battle of the Frogs and Mice (the author unknown), a Greek paraody of the iliad and Pope's ‘Rape of the Lock’ are good examples of this kind of poem, It is the parody of the epic form. In this kind of poem a trivial incident is Structural Forms of Poetry The form or structure of a poem simply means how words and phrases have been organised ina poem 1. Stanza : Many poems are written in neat stanzas of varying lengths. Some are not divided into stanzas at all.’ Know why the Caged Bird Sings’ is in uneven stanzas, whereas ‘Daffodils is in four stanzas of equal length. (10) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WB]2. Metre : Some traditional poems are written in specific metres. A metre, refers to the number of feet of a specific kind in a line of poetry. 3. Rhythm : It refers to the entire movement or flow of the poem, 4, Language : It should be noted as to what kind of language is used by the poet. In some poems, old English is used. We must make sure to tell the poet's choice of words (diction) and the order of words (syntax). Sometimes the poet may omit certain verbs, or he may place a certain word at an unusual place. Or he may use an inversion (‘Ten thousands saw I at a glance’ (Daffodils), 5. Metaphorical Structure : A poem uses metaphorical language. Itis aided by a number of figures of speech, such as © Simile : This is an important figure of speech introduced by ‘as’ or ‘like’, and refers to some similarity between two persons or things (@ ‘Twandered lonely as a cloud’. (Daffodils) (i) ‘Some are like fields of sunlit corn’. (The Bangle Sellers) ‘© Metaphor : It underlines close likeness between two persons, objects, etc ( ‘The Cold Within’ is a metaphor for lack of warmth or feelings in the poem ‘The Cold Within’ (id The ‘free’ and ‘encaged birds are metaphors for the white man and the black man respectively in the poem 'I Know why the Caged Bird Sings © Allite poem ( ‘Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace’ (Abou Ben Adhem) (i ‘But the smallest among them, he stumbled and staggered: (Nine Gold Medals) jon : It refers to the close repetition of consonant sounds in a single line of @ ‘© Personification : It means giving human qualities to a non-living thing or animal (0 ‘A host of golden daffodils’ (Here daffodils are treated as persons who act as a host to the poet in their dwelling) (@ ‘TT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD’ (Here the poet treats television as a murderer of imagination) ‘© Hyperbole : It refers to the exaggeration of something normal @ ‘Last week in someone's place we saw/A dozen eyeballs on the floor’ (Television) {id “But give me your sun from yonder skies’ (The Patriot) There are many other figures of speech such as allusion, onomatopoeia, assonance, etc. which the poets use for special effects ¢ Imagery : It includes all the objects and qualities of sense perception. It may be visual (that appeals to our sense of sight), auditory (that appeals to our sense of hearing), etc. ( ‘They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay. (Visual image : Daffodils) (ii) ‘his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream! (Auditory image : I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WE] (1)Tra jonal and Modern Poetry Before we come to distinguish between the two, we must be familiar with two oft-repeated terms ~ () Rhyme and (ji) Free Verse / Vers Libre, What is Rhyme ? Rhyme refers to the repetition of words that end with the same sound, as, for instance (0 late-fate G lightfight id) nine-shine (iv) why-eye Rhymed words occurring at the end of verse lines are known as end-rhymes : ( ‘listened, motionless and stil; ‘And as I mounted up the hill The music in my heart I bore, Long after it was heard no more! Rhymed words occurring within a verse line are called internal-rhymes : ( ‘In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud: (id ‘Sister, my sister, O fleet sweet swallow! There are also examples of partial or near rhymes ( ‘The centuries will burn rich loads With which we groaned, Whose warmth shall lull their dreamy lids, While songs are croened’ Here loads-lids and groand-crooned are not perfect rhymes but only near rhymes. Free Verse/Vers Libre A free verse (French, vers libre) is one in which there is no regular material form. It lacks consistent use of rhyme. It has often irregular line lengths. It defies all traditional forms, rules and regulations or conventions. However, it does not mean that it is wild or chaotic It is the rhythm, mood and even content that determines its shape. In traditional poetry, we generally see the use of rhyme. Free verse is used by modem poets. Modern poetry is much more complex and ironic. It is just like a see-saw puzzle. However, itis again moving towards simplicity and clear expression. 1 Know why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou is a good example of modem poetry, whereas ‘Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth is a representative, traditional poem. ‘Whatever be the case, there is not much difference between traditional and modem poetry if we ignore difference in structural forms. What to Teach Three extracts from Treasure Trove (Poetry) with five question each are set in the examination to test the student's comprehension ability of the text. Some of these questions will go beyond the given extract, the answers to which are possible only ifthe student has thorough knowledge of the text (12) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WB]Thus, the teacher's primary task is to make the students grasp the whole text of the poem, which is not an easy task. In order to do justice to his job, he must keep in mind the following hints 1. The teacher should begin with ‘© the introduction to the poet (only important and relevant aspects) © the introduction to the poem ‘© major aspects of the poem 2. Then he should come to the text itself It is upto him to decide how much time he is to devote to the study of a poem. 3. In order to help the students grasp the text fully, he can make us of brief comprehension questions. He can give such questions as part of homework or as a part of group/ individual tasks in the class itself. 4, Last but not least, he should select important extracts, frame relevant questions and ask the students to give relevant answers, again as homework or as classwork. He should take care that all questions should not be restricted to the given passage. The questions must. include : what happened immediately before and after, or even in the middle or the end of the poem. Question on inference or interpretation are equally important and they may refer to the speaker, the listener, a particular happening, allusion, phrase, etc. A question on the literary device used may be asked. 5. Pre-teading questions (brief and thematically relevant) may help the teacher arouse the students’ curiosity and interest. Post-reading questions (often on the portion of the text taught) may be useful to test the students’ understanding of what has been taught, How to Teach a Poem © In order to make the learners take interest in the poem, provide some background details about the poet and anything interesting related to the poem itself. ‘© Recite the poem properly. This is an important aspect in the teaching of poetry, One who reads a poem in a dull manner as if it were a prose letter is sure to make the listener bored for ever for that poem or poetry in general © Encourage one or two students to recite the poem in the class. ‘© Now start analysing the poem. Your analysis should be based on two parts : content and form, to be taken up simultaneously, if possible. Content of a poem 1. Theme/Central Idea : Almost every poem has some underlying idea. It must be clarified in the beginning. It must be referred to in detail, after you have taught the whole poem, relating it to some specific lines, if possible, The last lines of ‘Daffodils’ and ‘The Patriot’, for example, contain the main ideas. 2. Subject : You should tell what the poem is about. Give a brief summary of the poem in order to make the learner comprehend the subject of the poem well, [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WE] [13]© Line-by-line Explanation : This is an important part of your teaching, Explain each line literally and metaphorically. You need to point out the use of various literary devices or figures of speech, and how they have been used to convey the meaning, © Speaker/Audience : Make sure to point out who the speaker in the poem is, and whom the poem is addressed. In ‘The Patriot, the speaker is a war-hero condemned to death. In ‘The Bangle Sellers’, the speaker is one of the group of bangle sellers. © Use of Audio-Visual Tool : Many poems recorded in the poet's own voices or others’ are now available on YouTube or on CDs. The teacher should arrange for their listening in the classroom. It will arouse genuine interest in the students, and they may begin to not only understand but also appreciate poetry. ‘© Comparing Poems/Poets : This is another very useful way to teach a poem, For instance, if you are teaching 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou, you may refer or read the poem ‘Sympathy’ by Paul Laurence Dunbar which is also on the theme of the oppressed African-American. Similarly, you can refer to ‘Fire and Ice’ by Robert Frost in which the poet points out to the destructive power of coldness or indifference towards others as you read the poem ‘The Cold Within’ by James Patrick Kinney. While teaching ‘The Patriot’ by Robert Browning you may refer to his use of dramatic monologue in some of his other poems as ‘My Last Duchess’ or ‘The Last Ride Together’ © Use of Urdu/Hindi Poetry : If you are well-versed in Urdu/Hindi poetry, you can make profitable use of it in teaching English poetry. But it should be occasional “The Patriot’ by Robert Browning : a Case Study Here is an outline of the classroom teaching of an important poem, ‘The Patriot’ by Robert Browning. Of course, you are free to alter or modify it according to your own point of view or other situational compulsions, © Introduction to the Poet : The teacher should introduce the poet, Robert Browning, focusing on (0 his life = birth May 7, 1812, could not receive good, formal education, father’s rich library helped him in his early education. In 1845 he fel in love with a poet of high rank, Elizabeth Moulton Barret, married her secretly, the couple had to leave England secretly as Barret’s father would not have agreed to their marriage; Barret was almost a cripple, in very poor health; settled in Florence; their only son Robert Barret Browning born in 1849, Mrs Browning died in 1861 (i) Poetic Career : first poem ~ ‘Pauline : a Fragment of a Confession’ ~ appeared in 1833, written in blank verse, gained fame as a poet slowly, his Dramatic lyrics (1842) became instant success, his The Ring and the Book (1868-69) is considered to be his great poetic achievement, Developed the poetic form called dramatic monologue - a speech by a single person addressed to someone who remains silent but whose presence is felt, begins abruptly and dramatically and evolves like a drama. Some of his popular dramatic monologues are ‘My Last Duchess, ‘The Last Ride Together’, ‘Andrea Del Sarto, ‘Porphyria's Lover’ etc. 14] [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WB]© Aspects of Browning's Poetry ( As a love poet : More concerned with the psychology of love than with the passion of love, brings out the power of love to lift the lover to a higher, nobler level, deals with both personal and impersonal love (Christina, ‘The Last Ride Together’, ‘Prospice’, etc) (i His optimism : Browning is known for his staunch optimism (‘The Patriot’, The Last Ride Together’) (ii His Obscurity : Extreme compression and condensation makes his style telegraphic, leading to much obscurity in many of his poems. © Introduction to the Poem, ‘The Patriot” Pre-Reading Questions : In order to involve the students in the experience of the poem, put some oral questions such as ( What do you think of public adulation or memory ? (i What is the fate of real heroes ? (ii), What saves us in moments of great sorrow or distress ? ‘The Text : Introduce the poem in the form of loud reading in a proper way. Then focus on. these points @ The poem is a dramatic monologue. The speaker is an unnamed patriot ~ a politician, a hero or a warrier ~ being led to the gallows for his ‘misdeeds’ © The speaker recalls how a year ago he was hero-worshipped. His path was strewn with flowers. People wanted to have a glimpse of him. He could have demanded anything then. People would have gladly obliged him, ‘© But now most of the people have gone to Shamble's gate to see him executed. His hands are tightly tied up with a rope as he is being led to the place of execution. He is being stoned, Stones have taken the place of roses. © The patriot is stil optimistic. He feels that he will be rewarded by God for his good deeds. Had he been rewarded on the earth, he might have been deprived of his blessings. Post-Reading Activities © Oral Questions : Put such questions as these ( What made the people go against the patriot ? (i What could be the speaker’ achievements ? What could be his ‘misdeeds ? (iid) Why has the poet referred to the speaker's misdeeds specifically ? (iv) Does the speaker admit that he did some ‘misdeeds’ ? (W) Shouldn't he have been pardoned for his ‘misdeeds’ ? (vi) Why is the public fickle-minded ? How does their fickle-mindedness boomrang on them ultimately ? ‘© Class/Group Discussion on the theme(s) of the poem, form of the poem, optimism of the speaker, etc. Encourage the students to relate the poetic situation to real-life situations. ‘© Class/Homework on some important extracts for comprehension. [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WE] 15]Sample Lesson Plans et, ‘The Cold Within’ by Patrick Kinney. Date : July 20, 20. Time : 1-2 Periods Presumption/Previous Link : Refer to anything about the poem, if told earlier. Instructional Part (0) Introduction to the poet in brief. (6) Pre-Reading, Oral Questions : Put to the class such relevant questions as (9 What do you think of indifferent attitude towards others in distress ? (i) What are prejudices and how do they affect human life ? (0) The Text © Recite the poem yourself properly, or ask some student to read it. It will give a real feel of the poem as well as provide a general idea of it. © Introduce the poem focusing on The imaginary situation of six persons trapped in the bitter cold — sitting beside the fire — each has a stick of wood ~ no one cares to keep burning the fire lest it should benefit the supposed ‘enemy’ or adversary ~ all perish — lesson. ‘© Read the text line by line, with relevant comments, explaining the use of literary| devices used. © Give the following extract for comprehension from the text to the students, with relevant questions. The third one sat in tattered clothes. He gave his coat a hitch, Why should his log be put to use To warm the idle rich? ( Where were the six trapped humans are ? What is essential for their survival ? (@ Why were the other two persons mentioned earlier reluctant to give their sticks to feed the fire ? (iid) What kind of person was the third ? What prejudices did he harbour ? (jv) What happened in the end ? (V) Explain :’He gave his coat a hitch Assessment/Evalu: ‘© Post Reading Questions, Class or Homework. ‘© Reflect upon your own performance and think of steps for improvement. 6 [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WB]$f itle : ‘The Bangle Sellers’ by Sarojini Naidu Date : August 3, 20. Time : 1-2 Periods Presumption/Previous Link : Refer to anything about the poem, if told earlier. Instructional Part (0) Introduce the poet in brief (6) Pre-Reading, Oral Questions : Put to the class such questions as ( Have you ever seen the bangle-sellers peddling bangles in streets ? {G What do bangles of different colours mean to you ? (©) The Text © Recite the poem yourself properly, or ask some student to read it. It will give a real feel of the poem as well as provide a general idea of it. © Introduce the poem like this The poor, yet happy group of bangle sellers going to the fair to sell bangles ~ each stage in a woman's life in terms of the longing for bangles — different coloured bangles for an unmarried gira bride and a middle-aged lady. © Explain the social, religious and symbolic value of bangles in Indian culture. © Read the text with explanatory comments, and give the following extract as a class/homework Some are meet for a maiden's wrist, Silver and blue as the mountain mist, ‘Some are flushed like the buds that dream On the tranquil brow of a woodland stream, Some are aglow with the bloom that cleaves To the limpid glory of new born leaves. (9 What does the poet call ‘shining loads’ earlier in the context ? (i What bangles are meant for the unmarried young girl? (iid) What literary device is used in line 3 ? (iv) Explain the last two lines. (V) What other types of bangles are referred to for the bride ? Assessment/Evalu n © Post Reading Questions, Class/Homework. © Do self-analysis for improvement. [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WE] 7sae} —________ itle : 1 Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou. Date : September 4, 20. Time : 1-2 Periods. Presumy Instructional Part (0 Set some Pre-Reading Questions (e.g. What do you think of a caged bird ? What does it, symbolise 2) (i The Text © Read the whole poem properly. © Introduce the poem like this two birds - the fare bird enjoys its flight in the sky the caged bird, helpless and angry, can't have a glimpse of the sky — the caged bird, fearful, cries out, sings of freedom — its voice heard far and wide — free bird symbol of the white American, the caged bird of the black American or enslaved person cannot be stopped from dreaming of freedom, © After explaining the text line by line, give the following extract as a class/homework Buta bird that stalks Down his narrow cage Can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied 0 he opens his throat to sing, (0 How does the poet describe the free bird earlier ? What is it symbolic of ? (i In what plight is the bird in the cage ? What does it represent ? (ii) Explain : ‘bars of rage’ (iv) What does the encaged bird sing of 2 (v) How does the poet use the birds to comment on racism in American Society ? Assessment/Evaluation © Post Reading Questions, Class Discussion on the topic of racial and colour prejudices. © Self-Analysis at home as to how to improve upon the way of teaching a modern poem like this : Introduction to the poet and her socio-cultural background. Conclusion : As no views can be final or absolute, the teacher should use his own discretion in making their lesson plans and following them as per their convenience or the school system. The teaching of a poem should be a pleasant experience both to the teacher as well as the learner, otherwise the whole exercise may prove to be ineffective. A good reading of the poem may create sparks of poetic temperament and may make new poets, while a bad one only leads to rote-learning and a burden to be dispensed with soon after the examination. The second part of the manual consists of answers to all the assignments provided in Evergreen Workbook on Treasure Trove (Vol-! Poems). Teachers, itis hoped, will find them useful [18] [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove : A Collection of ICSE Poems : WB]PRR ee ey (Comprehension (Unsolved Passages) Passage 1. (0 The poet has described the tree as a friend of the sun and the sky. Its also described as a flag of free breeze. It looks like a beautiful tower. (i The line which is repeated in the poem is ~ What does he plant who plants a tree ? This is a rhetorical question which has been replied by the poet himself. It is only meant for emphasis. (ii) Planting a tree is quite valuable. It purifies air, provides cool shade and causes tender rain. It provides wood which gives us warmth, Those who plant trees leave a rich wealth for the coming generation, (iv) A man who plants a tree today does immense good to the coming generation. The coming generation will harvest all the benefits of the tree from his generous act. It is in this sense that the tree is called the ‘harvest of a coming age’ (W) Atree-planter plants beauty and joy. Trees make the surroundings beautiful. They provide shade and cause rain, thus filling our hearts with joy. Passage 2. (0 A tree ensures cold shade for us in summer and tender rains in all seasons. A tree gives Us seeds which sprout and buds which bloom into flowers in times to come. It establishes a link between our present and future. (i A tree planter does civic good by planting a tree. The tree benefits all the neighbours around, It saves the surroundings from pollution. It provides shade to the people in summer and protects them from the scorching heat of the sun, (ii) The man plants a tree so that others can get food from its sap and leaves. He plants it out of love, thinking about the several benefits of planting trees for the society. (iv) Yes, a nation’s growth depends upon the wealth of trees. A tree has ecological, social and economic benefits It saves us from pollution. It gives us seeds which sprout, and buds which bloom into flowers in times to come. It provides several other benefits to people. (Y) In our times forests are being decimated for building houses, roads and bridges. Trees seem to attract none. The poem, therefore, is relevant in our times because the poet draws our attention to what we do when we plant trees. He rightly says that one who plants a tree plants many things ~ beauty, peace, prosperity and good values. Assignment : Class Activity PR koe hee (Comprehension (Unsolved sages) Passage 1. (0 There were six persons in a group. Extreme cold conditions at a place forced them to sit beside a fire. The fire was fast extinguishing, which was not good for anyone of them. {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} [19](id Each of the six persons in the group possessed a wooden stick. No one made any use of it. Each of them held it tightly and did not throw it into the dying fire. (ii) The logs of wood in the hands of the persons in the ‘forlorn’ group are significant. On the literal level, they can revive the dying fire. On the metaphorical level, they are symbols of various sins. By holding them back, the persons in the group hold on to their sins. (iv) These persons in the group could have thrown their logs of wood into the dying fire. The fire could have saved them. As they did not show generosity, they perished in the end, (V) The ‘cold within’ is a metaphor for the lack of feelings, of warmth and sympathy. The persons in the group die of this cold within and not of the cold without. Passage 2. (0 Five men and a woman were sitting beside a ‘dying’ fire to warm themselves, They had to protect themselves against extreme cold (i The need of the hour was that the fire should not be allowed to die down in any way. Each one in the group needs to ensure the burning of fire, without which no one will ive. (ii) The first person in the group was a white woman. (iv) She had noticed that there was a black man in the group. (V) She had a stick of wood in her hand. She did not throw it into the dying fire, She did not want to help the black man in any way. Passage 3. (0 A group of six persons were trapped at a place on a day of bitter cold. It was not a homogeneous group. It consisted of five men and a woman belonging to different communities, classes and regions, and of different temperaments. (i The continuous burning of the fire was necessary for the survival of the persons in the trapped group. However, the fire was fast dying out. (i) The second person in the group noticed that there was a man in the group who did not belong to his religion. So he decided to hold back the stick in order to prevent the man of different religion from getting warm. (iv) This second person in the group is a fanatic. He is rigid, petty-minded and selfish (7) Yes, he, too, suffers from the ‘cold within’. It means that he lacks warmth of feelings for others ~ compassion, pity and charity. Passage 4, (0 The first two persons in the group were a woman and a man. The woman, being a prejudicial white, did not want to help a black in the group. So she held her stick back The man, being a fanatic Christian, held his stick back in order not to help the man of different religion in the group. (i The third man was in tattered clothes and was, thus, clearly very poor. He was not only poor economically but also poor in feelings of compassion and generosity (ii) It means that the poor man pulls up his coat to prevent himself from freezing cold. However, he does not use his log as it will give warmth to the rich man also. (20) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}(jv) He decided not to throw his stick into the dying fire. He did not want to help the rich man whom he despised as an idle, exploitative person, (¥ It is unthinkable that the six mature persons were unaware of the consequences of what they were doing. They knew what they were doing, but they were so selfish and prejudiced that they could not act against their respective nature. Passage 5. (0 The other three persons in the group were ~ a white woman, a fanatic and a poor man. Each one of them is selfish and prejudiced (i The rich man and the poor man were both petty-minded and prejudiced. Both looked down upon each other for different reasons. (iid The rich man was lost in the thoughts of keeping his money safe from the worthless poor men who were out to grab it. He was possessed of the thoughts of his immense wealth and how to save it, (i) He decided not to help the poor man because he thought the poorman was lazy and undeserving. He wanted to keep his wealth away from the poor man. (¥) The log in each hand signifies a sin - the sin of envy, greed, revenge, spite and intolerance. Each person continues to hold on to his sin even after death. Passage 6. (0 The other four persons in the group were ~ a white woman, a fanatic, a rich man and a poor man. Each one of them is selfish and lacks human feelings of compassion (i The poor man was possessed of envy for the rich man. The rich man suffered from spite for the poor man (iid. The black man’s face revealed that he was a revengeful fellow. He wanted to take revenge on the white (iv) The black man knew that if he did not use his log of wood he could hurt the white. (V) The figure of speech used here is alliteration. Passage 7. (0 The other five persons in the group were a white woman, a fanatic, a poor man, a rich man and a black, (i Each of them suffered from one or the other prejudice. A white woman suffered from racial prejudice and so does the black man. The fanatic was intolerant of those of different religions. The poor man suffered from envy, while the rich man was disdainful towards the poor, (ii) The last man in the group was selfish and self-centred, He never did anything without any consideration of gain to himself. (iv) He, too, did not part with his log. He thought why he should help others when he is not to gain anything in return. So like others, he too perished due to cold. (V) The message is that we must be generous and helpful to one another. We should not be 0 prejudiced as to harm our own selves in the end. The six persons in the group perished because they lacked compassion for one another. They died from ‘cold within’ Assignment : Class Activity {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} [211(0 The bangle sellers are going to the temple fair to sell bangles and eam some money. Though they are poor, yet they are happy and contented, (i The bangles sold by the bangle sellers have been compared to ‘rainbow-coloured circles of light, as they are shining, round and multi-coloured, It is a metaphor. (ii) These bangles are for girls and women of all ages. The word ‘happy’ is repeated by the poet in order to emphasise the fact that the bangles are meant for happy virgins and married women, and not for unhappy widows who are not allowed to wear bangles according to old Indian customs. (i) Virgin maidens are full of longings and dreams. They prefer to wear bangles of silver and blue colours. They also like to wear pink and green coloured bangles. (¥) The rhyme scheme used in the poem is aabbec. Passage 1. Passage 2. (0 The narrator is one of the group of bangle sellers going to a temple fair to sell their bangles. The life of the bangle sellers selling multi-coloured bangles is described. The bangle sellers have to carry loads of bangles. They are poor, yet happy. (i The mountain mist is used to convey the idea as to what kind of silver and blue colour of the bangles is. It suggests the mysterious, undefined longings in the hearts of the virgins. (ii) The pink coloured bangles are described in a beautiful visual from nature. These bangles look like the pink buds that float on the calm surface of a forest stream. (iv) Some of the bangles carried by the bangle sellers are of green colour. They look as shining and fresh as new-born tender leaves. The poet has used colour imagery from the world of nature. Silver and blue colour of bangles reminds the poet of mountain mist. The pink coloured bangles remind her of the pink buds floating on a forest stream. The green colour of bangles has the freshness and tenderness of new-born leaves of a plant. ” Passage 3. (0 Virgin maidens prefer to wear bangles of silver and blue, pink and green colours. All these colours match their tender, raw feelings and longings. (id The bride has preference for bangles which are as yellow as the sunlit com field. The com field is a symbol of fertility of Mother Earth. The bride who is getting married is ready to be a mother, too, (ii) The red colour of bangles liked by the married girl reminds the poet of the red flame of fire, a symbol of passion. (iv) The literary device used in the two lines is simile. (v) These contradictory expressions are used to convey the contradictory feelings of joy and sorrow in the bride’s mind. She is happy as she is getting married but at the same time she is sad and sorroveful at the thought of separation from her parents. Assignment : Class Activity (22) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}Pare eon Passage 1. (0 The situation presented here is homely and familiar. The old man Kaspar is relaxing after the day's work in the sun. One of his grandchildren is playing on the green grass. (i The serene atmosphere about Kaspar's home is indicated by reference to the beautiful, calm summer evening, the old man's sense of satisfaction as he sits in the sun and the playing of his grandchild Wilhelmine. (ii) Old Kaspar is a hardworking farmer. He was in a relaxed mood after having done his work. (iv) Old Kaspar had two grandchildren — Peterkin, a boy, and Wilhelmine, a girl. They were quite intelligent and curious children (Their grandfather's account of the battle fought at Blenheim was quite confusing to them. They were puzzled as to how a war could be destructive and praiseworthy at the same time. Passage 2. ( The family of an old man, named Kaspar, has been referred to earlier in the context. Kaspar has two grandchildren ~ a granddaughter named Wilhelmine and a grandson named Peterkin. {i Wilhelmine was the granddaughter of Kaspar, She was playing on the green grass near her cottage (ii) She saw her brother Peterkin rolling something that was large and round. (iv) He had been playing near a rivulet. While playing he had discovered a thing by the side of a rivulet. The thing was large and round. He did not know what it was. He had brought home that thing by rolling it. He had come home to know what it was. (W) His grandfather looked at the thing, shook his head in sorrow and sighed. He told him that it was somebody's skull. The person must have died in the battle fought at Blenheim. He called the battle a ‘great victory’. He was proud of the victory won by the English over the French. Passage 3. (0 The boy referred to here is Peterkin, the grandson of Kaspar, the old man. He brought home somebody's skull. The person whose skull Peterkin brought home must have died in the battle at Blenheim. (i No, he was not alone with his grandfather. His sister named Wilhelmine was also present there. (ii) The old man shook his head in sorrow and sighed, He remembered that when he had gone to plough in his field, many skulls had been dug out of the earth. It was because thousands of men had been killed in the battle of Blenheim. So he shook his head in sorrow and sighed at the deaths of so many people. {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} [23](iv) A battle was fought between the English and the French at a small village named Blenheim. The English won the battle, Though thousands of men died in the battle, Kaspar, the old man, called it a ‘great victory’. The English had won victory over the French. Being a Bavarian, who sided with the English, Kaspar was proud of the victory won by the English and so called it a ‘great victory: (¥) Kaspar, the old man, was proud of the victory won by the English, But it was not something to be proud of, as the war described was very destructive. Thousands of people were killed and wounded. Passage 4. (0 Kaspar belonged to Bavaria which was on the side of England and Austria against France. He felt proud of the fact that their side had registered a convincing victory over France. (i The old man told him that it was somebody's skull. He must have died in the battle fought at Blenheim. (ii) The old man told Peterkin that thousands of men were killed in the battle of Blenheim, The English had won victory over the French in the battle. Kaspar who was on the side of the English boasted of the victory. Though thousands of men were killed in the battle, Kaspar called it a ‘great victory’. The irony lies in the use of the words ‘great victory’ (v) The old man told his grandchildren that though thousands of men were killed in the battle of Blenheim, it was a great victory of the English over the French. Wilhelmine, the little girl, disagreed with him and said that the war was nothing but ‘a wicked thing’, but the old man tried to correct her by saying that it was a famous victory’. (V) The old man's point of view is obsolete, conservative and narrow. He admits that thousands ‘of men were killed in the battle of Blenheim. The war caused ruin and destruction in every part of the country. Still he boasts of the victory of the English over the French and repeatedly calls it a ‘great’ and ‘famous’ victory. Passage 5. (a4) (@ Peterkin who had brought home a large round thing that he had found while playing near a rivulet was curious to know what it was. (i The young Peterkin brought home somebody's skull. He was anxious to know all about the incident connected with the skull. Wilhelmine, too, looked at the skull with surprise and wanted to know all about the war. The expression ‘wonder-waiting eyes’ refers to Withelmine’s surprise and her eagerness to get a reply from her grandfather. (ii The young Peterkin and his litte sister are eager to know all about the war and what they (the English and the French) fought for. The children want to know the reason for the war. Kaspar simply says that it was the English who defeated the French and that it was a famous victory, but he does not know what they fought for. He simply boasts of the victory. His point of view is conventional and outdated. What the children asked was a puzzling question at that time. In fac, it is puzzling question in the context of all wars. (i) When Peterkin and Wilhelmine wanted to know all about the war and asked the old man what they (the English and the French) fought for, he had no cogent answer. He boasted of the victory of the English over the French and repeatedly said that it was a ‘famous’ and ‘great’ victory. He only repeated what people generally said. (¥) The old man's reply failed to satisfy the young children because their response to war was natural and instinctive whereas the old man's response to war was conventional and ‘outdated. Thus the old man’s conventional point of view failed to satisfy the young children, [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}Passage 6. (@ Peterkin and Wilhelmine were addressed to by their grandfather, Kaspar. They are addressed in an irritated, protesting tone (i The young Peterkin asked his grandfather to tell him what they (the English and the French) had fought for in the battle of Blenheim. The old man simply repeated what. people generally said that it was a ‘famous victory’ of the English over the French, (ii) The word ‘cried is used because Kaspar wants to shout loudly in order to emphasize that the English had defeated the French badly and that it was a famous victory. (iv) Kaspar told his grandchildren that the English defeated the French in the battle of Blenheim and that though thousands of men were killed in war, it was a famous victory. It was ‘famous’ because people praised the Duke of Marlbrough and the Prince Eugene and the English commanders for having won a grand victory. (¥) Kaspar's response to war was conventional and not his own. Thousands of men were Killed, women became widows and children became orphans in the battle of Blenheim. Like other people, Kaspar too boasted of this grand victory. He could not make out that war that caused deaths, destruction and ruin could never be great or famous. Passage 7. (0 A great battle was fought at Blenheim in Bavaria in 1704 between the English backed by Bavaria and Austria on one side and France on the other. (i ‘They’ referred to here are the French. As they got defeated, they became angry and revengeful and did a lot of harm to the innocent people of Bavaria (ii) The ‘great victory’ of the English over the French in the battle of Blenheim was a personal tragedy for Kaspar family because the house of Kaspar's father was burnt down, He had to flee with his family, They had no place to take shelter. (iv) The battle of Blenheim between the English and the French was a horrible incident because thousands of men, women and children were killed. People praised the Duke of Maribrough, the Prince Eugene and the English military commanders for having won a grand victory. So Kaspar also boasted of the grand victory and repeated what people generally said (¥) Kaspar boasted of the victory of the English over French in the battle of Blenheim and called it a famous victory. The children failed to understand the old man’s viewpoint because their response to war was natural and instinctive whereas the old man’s response was conventional and outdated, Passage 8. (0 The speaker is the old man named Kaspar. His grandchildren want to know about the battle fought at Blenheim, which to him is a ‘grand victory. So he gives a detailed account of the battle. (i The ‘great fight’ referred to here is the Battle of Blenheim fought between the English and the French. The English, along with the Austrians and the Bavarians, won the battle, (ii) Peterkin wanted to know what good came out of the war at last. The question cropped up in his mind when his grandfather Kaspar continued to praise the war despite its widespread ruin and destruction and mass casualties. {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} 25)(i) During the war thousands of people were killed and wounded. Houses of common people were burnt down, (W The old man fails to satisfy his grandchildren as to why the war was fought and what good came of it. This stark failure on his part brings about the horrors of war, and strengthens the poet's anti-war stance felt throughout the poem. Passage 9. (0 ‘They’ refers to common people here. They being the victorious side only praise the war and call ita ‘grand victory’. Actually, they fail to understand how a dreadful war could be something good to be praised of, (i The speaker calls the sight of battlefield ‘shocking’, Thousands of dead bodies lay rotting in the sun, Ironically, he terms it a famous victory’ (i It means the battle was won. The battle was won by the English and their associates. (i) There are two opposite viewpoints in the poem - that of old Kaspar and that of his grandchildren, The viewpoint of Kaspar about war is illogical and conventional. The viewpoint of his grandchildren is instinctive and original (¥) The poem is a ballad as it tells a story in verse. It has well defined situation and characters. Passage 10. (0 Kaspar praised the Duke of Marlbrough and Prince Eugene because they won the battle and defeated France. In his eyes, they were heroes. (id “The wicked thing’ referred to here is the war between England and France. It was ‘wicked! in the sense that it took a heavy toll of precious human lives. (ii) Wilhelmine was a little girl, the granddaughter of old Kaspar. She was hortified on listening to the trail of destruction left by the war. (iv) These pauses are significant. They suggest that old Kaspar was no longer sure and confident of what he was saying (¥) The message of the poem is that we should not try to justify war which is undoubtedly ruinous and destructive Assignment : Class Activity Perna ‘Comprehension (Unsolved Passages) Passage 1. (0 The word ‘we' refers to the poet and the persons of his opinion (i The poet addresses the parents that they should convince their children about the negative impact of watching television on their minds. (ii) The idiotic thing is television. It is called idiotic because it makes the viewers dll, stupid and idiotic. (iv) The poet advises the parents that children should not be allowed to watch the programmes ‘on the television. (¥) His advice seems to be an exaggerated one. In the present-day world, the new generation gets every type of knowledge, information and entertainment from television. The viewers get visual as well as auditory pleasure. Though Dahl's viewpoint has been endorsed by several eminent persons, it is generally rejected by the new generation (26) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}Passage 2. (@ The poet uses ‘we' instead of T’ because the viewpoint he projects in this poem is not merely his own, but of many persons who are aware of the harmful effects of television on the young minds. Gd The poet calls the television ‘an idiot box’ because it makes the viewers stupid and dull So according to the poet, the children should not be allowed to view the programmes on television, (iid Ithas been observed that children sit or stand before the television set lazily and stare at the screen continuously. They go on watching television until their eyes seem to come out. (i) When the children stare at the screen continuously, their eyes seem to pop out. () Ametaphor - we saw / A dozen eyeballs on the floor ~ has been used in the last two lines, Passage 3. (@ The parents whose children watch television excessively have been addressed to in the poem. It is the parents who will convince their children about the negative impact of watching television on their minds. (i The poet's main concern is that those children who watch television continuously for a long time tire their eyes. Their eyes seem to bulge out. When they go on staring at the television screen, they seem to be hypnotised. But what they get out of this activity is useless and harmful stuff. (ii) When children stare at the television screen in order to watch the programmes, they get hypnotised by the programmes. But what they get is frightening, useless and harmful stuff. The programmes on the television contain horrible and meaningless contents, (iv) The parents let their children watch television uninterrupted because they remain quiet and do not disturb them. They do not climb out of the windows and they do not fight with one another. They leave their parents free to cook lunch or wash utensils lying in the sink ” Television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking. It rots their minds and fills them with useless thoughts. It destroys their imaginative faculty. It makes children dull as they cannot distinguish between the real and the fantastic. Their brains become soft and they lose the power to think and imagine things. Passage 4. (0 The parents let their children watch television for long so that they remain quiet and do not disturb them, The children leave their parents free to cook lunch or wash utensils. lying in the sink, as they go on watching television. (id Television watching is a passive activity It blocks fresh thinking, It rots the minds of the children and fills them with useless thoughts. It destroys their imaginative faculty. It makes children dull as they cannot distinguish between the real and the fantastic. Their brains become soft and they lose the power to think and imagine things. (i Television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking. It rots the minds of the children and destroys their imaginative faculty. It makes the children dull and they lose the power of imagine things. Thus it makes them unimaginative. (iv) Reading books is a fruitful activity. It makes the minds of the children active. It helps them. think new thoughts. It sharpens the brain. (¥) The poet's attitude is discainful towards television. He does not have any soft comer for television viewing, {Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove: A Collection of ICSE Poems : WB} (271Passage 5. (0 The parent's response to the poet's advice is not very positive. They will ask the poet that if the television set is removed, there will be no means left with them to entertain their children, They do not know how to entertain them. (@ The poet reminds them that as children they used to read and read. The nursery shelves were full of books. They would spend half of their lives reading books. Reading books was the only and the main source of entertainment in the past. (i@) The poet has used these exclamations to reveal his surprise and disbelief that one could lead half of life in reading books. (iv) The poet uses all the capital letters in this line to emphasize the importance of reading as a substitute to watching television. The poet wants to remind the parents that as children. they used to read and read and read (V) The poet recommends reading of books because reading activates the minds of the readers. It helps the children to think about new thoughts. It sharpens their brains and their imaginative faculty. It also entertains the children. Its, in fact, a very fruitful activity Passage 6. (0 The poet expresses his anxiety by saying that watching of television blocks the fresh. thinking of children, It rots the minds of children. It destroys their imaginative faculty. It makes them dull as they cannot distinguish between the real and the fantastic. It hampers their power to think and imagine things (@ The poet wants children to give up watching television and start reading books. The poet exhorts the children to read books which contain wonderful stories. He tells them that books will provide them good entertainment and knowledge. (ii) Reading of books is better than watching television because it activates the minds of the readers. It helps the children to think about new thoughts. It sharpens their brains and their imaginative faculty. It also entertains them. In fact, itis fruitful activity. On the other hand, television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking, It makes the children dull. It destroys their imaginative faculty (i) The stories that told about huge monsters, gypsies, queens, princesses, whales and treasure islands captivated the young minds in the past. The stories about elephants and the cannibals also fascinated the young minds in the past. (V) Yes, the poet is right in saying so because reading activates the minds of the readers. It helps them to think new thoughts. It sharpens their brains and their imaginative faculty It also provides them entertainment. In fact, it is a fruitful activity. On the other hand, television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking and makes children dull. It destroys their imaginative faculty Passage 7. (0 Reading of books activates the minds of readers. It helps the children to think about new thoughts. It sharpens their brains and their imaginative faculty. It provides entertainment to the children. Itis a fruitful activity. (@ The stories about huge monsters, gypsies, queens and princesses, whales and treasure islands interested the children in the past. The stories about elephants and cannibals fascinated the children. (G@ Penelope was the name of the wife of a great Greek hero Odysseus. Here the cannibals ate a very sweet smelling dish named after Penelope (28) {Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove: A Collection of ICSE Poems : WE](iv) Beatrix Potter was a British writer who was famous for his animal stories. He was popular with children because he told the stories about Mr Tod and his dirty dog, the squirrel Nutkin, the small pig named Bland or about Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, These stories were very fascinating, They were about camel's getting the hump on his back or about the monkey losing the rear part of his hairy body. (¥) The animal characters are dog, squirrel, pig, camel and monkey. Passage 8. (@ Poet has reminded the parents that when they were children they used to read a lot of books to entertain themselves, Books could provide entertainment to their children as well i The poet's advice to parents is to throw away the television set and in its place on the wall install a bookshelf and fill it with books. (ii) The poet refers to the ‘dirty looks’ of the children who would protest against the parents for removing the television set from the wall (iv) The children would be angry and annoyed if the television set is removed from the wall of their house. They would protest and make dirty faces. They might cry and even bite and hit the elders with sticks. (V) No. I would be annoyed, unhappy and uneasy. I would request my parents to allow me to watch the television for some time, Passage 9. () The persuasive tone is adopted by the poet here. The poet wants to assure the parents that after the initial violent reaction to the absence of television their children would be normal again. (i The action of replacing the television set with a book shelf by the parents would not be liked by the youngsters. They would protest loudly and even violently. (iid The parents should ignore the initial reaction of their children. They would see that their children would come to read books as entertainment in the absence of television. (i) The poet uses the exclamation to express the sense of surprise of the parents on seeing unexpected change in their children. (¥) The youngsters will improve their imagination and creativity by reading more and more books. Passage 10. (@ The ‘ridiculous machine’ here is the television set. The poet describes it as something nauseating, foul, unclean and repulsive, Gd The children would entertain themselves by reading interesting books such as story books. (iid Interesting stories in books would fill their minds with joy. (i) A change would occur in the minds of children. They would come to love books. They would be grateful to their parents for replacing television with book shelf (¥) The poet is against watching television because watching television for long is an addictive and useless activity. Television makes the viewers dull. It kills imagination and creativity. Assignment : Class Activity, {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} [29]Garo Comprehension (Unsolved Passages) Passage 1. (0 The poet compares the daffodils to the stars in order to underline the large number and the beauty of the flowers (i The poet wants to say that the daffodils growing beside the lake seemed to form an endless line, He wants to emphasize the large number of daffodils. (ii) The daffodils growing beside the lake seemed to form an endless line. They were in a very large number. They tossed their heads to and fro in the breeze as if they were engaged in allvely dance (iv) The literary device used here is personification . The daffodils are personified as human beings ‘dancing’ and tossing their heads. This personification underlines the inherent unity between man and nature (V) When the poet is in a sad mood, the beautiful scene of daffodils seen by him earlier flashes across his mind. This happens when he is all alone. The recollection of the sight of daffodils fills the poet's mind with joy. His heart begins to dance with the dancing daffodils. Passage 2. (0 The poet had described the daffodils as golden. They had grown under the trees near the lake. The flowers were beautiful and they tossed their heads in breeze as if in a dance. They were in large numbers. (i The waves in the lake were in the poet's mind. He noticed that they were shining and dancing in the breeze (ii) The poet compares the dance of the daffodils to that of the waves in order to point out that the dance of the daffodils surpassed the dance of the waves, He wants to say that the dance of the daffodils was more lively than that of the waves. (iv) The poet feels that no sensitive person could help feeling delighted in the company of such joyful companions (the beautiful objects of nature) (¥) The poet has referred to the great joy that he got by continuously looking at the beautiful sight of daffodils. This was his wealth gained from nature. Whenever the poet felt sad, the beautiful scene of daffodils flashed across his mind and filled it with joy. Then he realized the true worth of the beautiful sight of daffodils. Passage 3. (@ They are the beautiful daffodils that the poet had seen earlier. The poet and his sister Dorothy had come across a large number of golden daffodils during a walk in the woods (i Whenever the poet lies on his couch in a free or sad mood, the beautiful scene of daffodils seen by him earlier flashes across his mind. This happens when he is all alone. Then the memory of the beautiful scene makes the poet become happy again. (ii) The poet had once come actoss a large number of beautiful daffodils, The sight of the beautiful daffodils had a great impact on his mind, But now whenever the poet lies on his. couch in a free or sad mood, the beautiful scene of daffodils seen by him earlier flashes across his mind. But this happens only in solitude. The memory of the beautiful scene of (20) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}daffodils removes his sadness and makes him happy again. Thus, solitude is a great blessing because in solitude, the poet recollects the beautiful scene of daffodils and feels happy. (iv) The poet says that whenever he recollects the beautiful scene of daffodils seen by him earlier, it fills his heart with joy. The memory of the beautiful scene makes him so happy that his heart begins to dance with the dancing daffodil (¥) The poet says that whenever he is in a free or sad mood, the beautiful scene of daffodils, seen by him earlier flashes across his mind. This happens only in solitude. The memory of the beautiful scene of daffodils fills the poet's mind with joy. Then his heart begins to dance with the dancing daffodils. Thus, the poet conveys a message that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Nature has the power to remove our melancholy mood and make us happy. Assignment : Class Activity 7.1 KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS ‘Comprehension (Unsolved Passages) Passage 1. (@ The poet describes the natural beauty of the sunset. The free bird (suggestive of a white American) leaps on the back of the wind, that is, he flies and sways with the wind in the evening against the orange sky. He has the right to claim the sky. As he flies, he dips his wings downstream. (i The sun, the sky and the wind symbolically represent freedom, free space and power respectively (ii) The poet describes the free bird which leaps on the back of the wind, that is, he flies and sways with the wind in the evening against the orange sky. As he flies, he dips his wings downstream. The description creates the image of the free bird (iv) The free bird is a metaphor for the white American. The white American, lke the free bird, enjoys all the freeciom, privileges, luxuries and leisure. (¥) The caged bird can hardly move in his narrow cage and see through his ‘bars of rage’. He is in anger but is helpless. He only opens his mouth to sing, as no one can stop him from doing so. Thus the caged bird cannot have a glimpse of the sky. He behaves in this way because his wings are clipped and his feet are tied. Passage 2. (0 The free bird that leaps on the back of the wind flies and sways with the wind in the ‘evening against the orange sky. He claims the sky as he flies and dips his wings downstream. (i) The encaged bird feels miserable in the cage. He can hardly move in his narrow cage and see through his ‘bars of rage’. He is very angry but is helpless. He only opens his mouth to sing as no one can stop him from doing so. Thus the caged bird cannot have a glimpse of the sky. (ii) No. The caged bird is a metaphor for the African-American who does not have the same liberty and equality as the white American has. The African-American faces racial discrimination in America. He is denied basic rights. There are several restrictions on him in the society. Thus his state of captivity is not natural. He is forced to live in captivity. {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} [31](iv) The caged bird is kept in a cage which is made of metal or wooden bars. These bars prevent his free movement. When he is denied free movement, he gets angry. (Here it stands for restrictions and discriminations). The caged bird can hardly move in his narrow ‘cage and see through the ‘bars of rage’. So he is angry but helpless. (V) The encaged bird sings about freedom. His voice is heard far and wide as he sings of freedom. His song contains his longing for freedom and equality. The poet means to say that the black Americans long for freedom and equality. They oppose restrictions imposed ‘on them. They hate suppression, Passage 3. (0 The encaged bird is afraid of many unknown things. His condition is miserable. His wings are clipped and his feet are tied. He can hardly move in his cage and see through the bars of his captivity. He is angry but helpless. Though he is afraid, he gives expression to his dream of freedom. His voice is heard far and wide as he sings of freedom, (i The encaged bird is fearful of many unknown things. But this fear does not prevent him from giving expression to his dream of freedom. (ii) Though the encaged bird is afraid of many unknown fears, he does not stop from giving expression to his dream of freedom. His voice is heard far and wide as he sings of freedom. Here the poet wants to convey that the voice of the oppressed people, their longings and aspirations cannot be suppressed. No fear can stifle their voice; rather their voice is now heard in distant countries. (iv) The encaged bird is fearful of many unknown things, but still he gives expression to his dream of freedom, The poet means to say that the African- American (the encaged bird) leads a fearful life because he is a victim of oppression, exploitation, racism, inequality and discrimination. Though fearful, he continues to give expression to his dream of freedom, (v) We find that the voice of the oppressed people, their longings and aspirations cannot be suppressed. No fear can stifle this voice; rather this voice is now heard in distant countries. Though he is fearful of many unknown fears, he continues to give expression to his dream of freedom and equality. Passage 4. (0 The caged bird confined in a metal cage feels helpless and miserable. Denied his freedom ‘of movement he is angry with the social restrictions of racial discrimination imposed on him. (i ‘Another breeze’ is the atmosphere of free movement in which the American enjoys all opportunities of growth and advancement. (ii) The free bird who has total freedom can go an another fight with another bird and can have a satisfactory look on fat worms which he can easily devour. He has all the world beofre him to provide him all amenities (iv) Such is the freedom being enjoyed by the free bird that he can fly wherever he wants and claim the entire sky his own, (V) The two birds present two ideas : the free bird is a metaphor for a white American and the caged bird for an African-American. The contrast between the two underlines the plight of the encaged bird suffering racism, gender inequality and powerdessness. Assignment : Class Activity (32) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}Passage 1. (0 The pattiot. The patriot has been arrested and is being led to the gallows for his misdeeds. As he is being led, he recalls how just a year ago, he was hero-worshipped by the same people who are now treating him lke a villain, i They refer to common people who had hero-worshipped the patriot a year ago. They would have done anything to please the patriot then, merely for the asking, (iid A year ago, the patriot was worshipped when he came back after his grand victory. His path was strewn with fragrant roses. The church-towers were decorated with victory-flags. The whole atmosphere resounded with the sound of church-bells rung in his honour, The church-bells were rung to honour the patriot and to celebrate his glorious victory. (iv) The speaker was welcomed a year ago when he came back after his grand victory. His path was strewn with flowers. The people were mad in their zeal and enthusiasm. The church-towers blazed with victory-flags. All this shows that he was swayed by enthusiasm But just after a year he has fallen on evil days. The same people who admired him have become his enemies. He has been arrested and is being led to the gallows. He recalls how he did his best to serve the people. People have proved to be fickle-minded. The fickle mindedness of the people has proved him wrong, ” The patriot is punished for some misdeeds done by him during the year. It is sad and ironic that they have completely forgotten his good deeds. It makes him sad to recollect that these very people who worshipped him like a hero a year ago have turned against him, They have forgotten all he had done for them. He feels sad about the fickle- mindedness of the people Passage 2. (0 The patriot was welcomed because he had won a grand victory. He did whatever he could do for his countrymen. And he did his best. He was welcomed like a hero. His path was strewn with fragrant roses. The church-towers blazed with victory-flags. The whole atmosphere resounded with the sound of church-bells, rung in honour of the patriot. The crowd surged with joy. (i The speaker is in a very sad mood. He is dejected to see that the people have forgotten all that he had done for them. At present, he is being led to the gallows to be executed in public (ii) The patriot was overambitious as he says that he tried to do the impossible for the pleasure of his admirers. He did whatever he could do for his countrymen and he did his best. But the result was dismal. He was arrested and being led to the gallows to be executed in public. He feels sad that the people have forgotten all that he had done for them, (iv) Here it means reward. The speaker tried to do the impossible for the pleasure of his admirers. He did whatever he could do for his countrymen and he did his best. But what reward had he got ? He was arrested for some miscleeds and was being led to the gallows to bee executed in public, He felt sad that people had forgotten all that he had done for them. {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} [33](¥) He is being led to the gallows to be executed in public for some misdeeds that he had ‘committed. He reconciles himself with his fate by thinking that if he has not been rewarded by the people, he is certain to be rewarded by God in heaven, He feels safe in the bosom of God, Passage 3. (0 People have left the town and gone to the Shambles’ Gate or quite near the scaffold in order to have a better view of the patriot's execution, Only a few paralysed persons are sitting at the windows. (i The patriot who was hero-worshipped a year ago is being led to the gallows to be executed in public. He has done some misdeeds for which he is being led to the gallows. (ii) The people try to be at the Shambles’ Gate or quite near the scaffold in order to have a better view of the patriot’s execution. It means the gate that leads to the place of execution. (iv) Most of the people have gone to the Shambles’ Gate or quite near the scaffold in order to have a better view of the patriot’s execution. Only the paralysed persons are sitting at the windows because they are unable to walk upto the place of execution. (V) The poet brings out a sharp contrast between the past and the present by saying that people thronged to have a glimpse of the patriot a year ago, but now nobody is there on the house-tops, Most of them have gone to the Shambles’ Gate or quite near the scaffold in order to have a better view of the patriot's execution. Only a few paralysed persons are sitting at the windows. Passage 4. (0 The speakers in a very bad condition. He is bound tightly with a rope and his forehead is bleeding, He is being led to the gallows. It is so because he has allegedly done some ‘wicked! or ‘unpatriotic’ deeds. (i The wrists of the patriot have been tightly bound behind with a rope. The rope is so tight that it cuts his wrists. There was no need of binding him so tightly as he could not escape. It only shows the heartlessness of his captors. (ii) Some people have hurled stones at him to show their resentment for the so-called misdeeds done by him during the year. (jv) The same people had welcomed him a year ago when he came back after his grand victory. His path was strewn with fragrant roses. The church-towers blazed with victory- flags. The whole atmosphere resounded with the sound of the church-bells rung in his honour. The crowd surged with joy and thronged to have a glimpse of his face. They worshipped him as a hero, (¥) The poem illustrates the fickle-mindedness of the crowd. The crowd welcomed the patriot a year ago. They worshipped him as a hero when he came back after his grand victory. But just after a year he is arrested for some misdeeds and is now being led to the gallows. The same people who thronged to have a glimpse of his face a year ago have now gone to the Shambles’ Gate or quite near the scaffold to have a better view of his execution, 4] [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}Passage 5. (0 This line contrasts what happened to the patriot a year ago with what is happening to him now. A year ago he was honoured like a hero when he entered his city. Now he is leaving the city in great humiliation and insult (id If the patriot had died of excess of joy a year ago, as some people do, he would not have to face the present humiliation. But then God would not have cared for him thinking that he had been amply rewarded on the earth for his good deeds. (ii) Though he is being led to the gallows, itis ironic that he feels safer than ever before. He feels that now God will reward him for his good deeds in the other world. (iv) There is an irony of situation involved here. The patriot is unsafe as he is being mercilessly treated and led to the execution site, It is amusing that he feels safe. (V) The patriot is optimistic that he will be rewarded by God, Such optimism on the verge of a cruel death seems to be somewhat unrealistic. Ordinary persons do cry or feel sad when taken to the gallows lass Activity Assignment : PEE Ne [Comprehension (Unsolved Passages) Passage 1. (0 Abou Ben Adhem was a noble, selfless and virtuous person. He always thought of the good of others. He was a peace loving and fearless person as he did no wrong, (i The narrator wishes that the number of persons like Abou Ben Adhem should increase because he was a noble, selfless and virtuous person. He always thought of the good of others (ii) One night Abou was having a peaceful sleep. He woke up and discovered an angel in the moonlight in his room. The angel looked as beautiful as a lily in bloom. He was writing something in a golden book, (iv) The poetic device used isa simile, The poet wants to convey that the angel looked as beautiful asalily in bloom. It signifies that the angel looked as calm and gentle as ally in bloom, (¥ One night Abou discovered an angel in the moonlight in his room. He looked beautiful and calm. Abou asked him what he was writing, The angel looked up and said that he was writing the names of those persons who love God. Abou asked him if his name was in the list. The angel said that it was not. Abou seemed to be a bit shocked but he was not. depressed or disappointed Passage 2. (0 One night Abou discovered an angel in the moonlight in his room. In the presence of the angel in his room he became bold and took courage and asked him what he was writing, He was a noble, selfless and virtuous person. He was a peace loving person. He became bold because he never did any wrong and so was not afraid of the heavenly presence in his room. (i He wanted to know from the angel what he was writing in his golden book, {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} [35](ii) The angel appeared in Abou's room at night. He was calm and had a soothing look. He was carrying a golden book in his hand. He looked as beautiful asa lily in bloom. (iv) He was writing in his book of gold the names of those persons who love God (¥) Abou asked the angel what he was writing in his golden book. The angel told him that he ‘was writing the names of those persons who love God. Abou asked him if his name was in his list. The angel said that it was not, Abou was a bit shacked. Since his name was not in that list, he prayed to the angel to include his name among those who love their fellow men, Passage 3. (0 Abou woke up from his sleep. He was surprised to see a beautiful angel in his room. He found him writing something in a golden book (i The angel was writing the names of those persons who love God. Abou was curious to know if his name figured among such persons as he felt he loved God. (ii) When the angel told Abou that his name was not in the list of those who love God, Abou was not depressed. In a cheerful mood he requested the angel to include him among those who love their fellow human beings. (iv) Abou was a bit shocked to know that his name was not in the list of those who love God. He requested the angel to include his name in the list of those who love their fellow men. The next night he was pleased to find his name at the top of the list of those who are blessed by God. (V) The theme of the poem is that real and true worship of God is to love mankind created by God. Those who love their fellow men are rewarded with Gods love and blessings. Assignment : Class Activity, Passage 1. (@ The sports event has been described by the poet as ‘special’ because it is meant for the persons with special needs ~ the persons who suffer from one disability or the other. (i They were differently-abled athletes and had come to participate in various sports events. (ii) Their aim was to win a medal, gold, silver or bronze. (jv) They knew that the competition had to be tough. So they had put in a lot of their time in preparation and training. (¥) Nine young differently-abled athletes participated in a hundred-metre race. All the nine won the race, Each one was awarded a gold medal. All were rewarded for a rare act of empathy, Passage 2. (@ The field spectators were common men and women who had come to watch the hundred- metre race at the Special Olympics. (36) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}(i The young men and women were athletes. They had come to participate in various events at the Special Olympics, They suffered from one disability or the other. (ii) The spectators were in a jubilant mood. They sat all around the field and were as enthusiastic and excited as the participants were. They cheered up the young athletes. (iv) A hundred-metre race was about to begin (¥) Nine young athletes participated in the hundred-metre race, All of them ran as fast as they could, However, one contestant who was weaker could not run. His legs gave in and he fell on the track. The remaining eight contestants came back to the fallen athlete. They lifted him to his feet. They all walked hand-in-hand to the finishing line. This made the event special Passage 3. (0 ‘The Special Olympics’ was meant for differently-abled persons. The athletes from different countries came to participate in various sports events. They participated in the events to win a medal, gold, silver or bronze. (i There were nine sportspersons who were ready to participate in the race. They were full of ‘enthusiasm and zest. All of them wanted to do their best, (ii) They were in an energetic and hopeful state of mind, Though each one of them suffered from some disability, no one of them was depressed or low-spirited. (iv) Nine athletes stood on the starting line. They were fired with the passion to win, (¥) When the race started, all the nine contestants ran as fast as they could, However, one contestant who was weaker could not run, His legs gave in and he fell on the track. The remaining eight contestants stopped and looked back at their fallen companion, They turned round and came back to the fallen athlete. So the race stopped, Passage 4. (0 The hundred-metre race was about to start. All the participants were fired with the passion to win. The poet conveys the intensity of the moment by using short sentences, and pauses within the single line. Gi Nine young athletes stood on the starting line. They were waiting for the pistol shot as a starting signal. When the signal was given, and the pistol shot was heard, the participants moved fast, Thus the race started. (ii) Nine young athletes participated in the hundred-metre race. One of the contestants who was weaker could not run. His legs gave in and he fell on the track. (iv) Nine contestants participated in the hundred-metre race. One of the contestants who was weaker could not run, He fell on the track. The remaining eight contestants stopped and looked back at their fallen companion. They were expected not to stop but to continue the race, But they all turned round and came back to the fallen athlete. They showed their ‘empathy for the fallen athlete (¥) They came back to the fallen athlete and lifted him to his feet. They showed their ‘empathy for the fallen athlete. This gesture of theirs was indeed praiseworthy. It was a rare act of sportsmanship. {Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove: A Collection of ICSE Poems : WB} [37]Passage 5. (0 He’ here is referred to one of the nine contestants who participated in the hundred-metre race. He could not run and fell on the track. He was distressed and gave out a cry in frustration because his hard work had come to nothing. His dream was shattered, (i Nine young athletes participated in the hundred-metre race. He was one of them. He could not run. His legs gave in and he fell on the track. He was distressed as his dream to win a medal was shattered. So he gave out a cry in frustration. (ii) Nine young athletes participated in the hundred-metre race, One of the contestants who was weaker could not run. The remaining eight contestants were expected not to stop but to continue the race. But a strange thing happened. They all turned round and came back to the fallen athlete. They lifted him to his feet. (iv) When one of the nine contestants in the hundred-metre race fell on the track, the other eight contestants turned round and came back to the fallen athlete. They lifted him to his, feet. They showed empathy for the fallen athlete and gave up their competitive spirit. This. gesture of theirs reflected a rare act of true sportsmanship. All the participants had shown a rare sportsmanship. They had shown how a sportsperson should be helpful and empathetic, So all of them were awarded gold medals ” Passage 6. (0 One of the athletes was weak. When he started running, his legs failed him. He fell down ‘on the track. He gave out a cry of frustration and anguish, (i The eight athletes stopped their race on seeing one athlete fall down on the track, (ii) It was expected that they would continue their race, leaving behind the fallen contestant. However, it was surprising that they stopped the race and came back and lifted the fallen athlete. All of them joined hands and ‘walked’ to the finishing line (i) Their action reveals empathy. The athletes thought what would have been their feelings if they had a similar fall, (¥) There are two rhyming words ~ ‘compete’ and ‘feet’. They are quite significant as they are closely linked to the episode described in the poem. Passage 7. (0 The hundred-metre race, the last event of the ‘Special Olympics, was in progress. (i The runners were quite empathetic. They realized how difficult it was to be defeated. They thought how they would have feltf they had fallen down on the track like the fallen athlete (ii) The spectators could not believe their eyes when the eight athletes stopped the race and walked back to lift the fallen runner. It was quite unexpected and surprising, (i) The race turned into a walk. All the athletes joined hands and walked to the finishing line. (¥) The theme of the poem is that true sportsmanship lies in helping others and cooperating with one another. It gives little importance to winning or losing, This idea is conveyed through an imaginary situation in which eight players stop their race to help the one who falls down on the track. Assignment : Class Activity. (38) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}EE 7. (Q The speaker is a condemned patriot, a war-hero, At the moment he is being led to the gallows in one of the lanes of the town, He is in a miserable condition, (i He was received like a hero on his arrival in the town just a year ago. His path was strewn with flowers. The church towers were decorated with flags. Large crowds were present to welcome him (ii) The roof-tops of the old houses were so crowcded that the walls seemed to be shaken with the load of the crowd and their loud cries of applause. (iv) The poetic device used here is hyperbole. The poet uses it to underline the idea that he could have demanded anything from the people - anything even impossible like the sun from the sky, (¥) The poem tells us that the crowds are fickle-minded and vulnerable to all kinds of passions. It also underlines that that human pomp and glory is not to be proud of, as itis. transient. 8, (9 The scene of sunset is depicted beautifully. The sky looks orange. The wind is blowing. A bird is seen swaying with the wind in its state of happiness and freedom. (i) The birdis in an ecstatic mood. It lets itself sway with the wind. It dips its wings downstream, It seems to feel full freedom as if the whole sky belonged to it, (ii) The free bird is suggestive of the white man. It is a metaphor used by the poet to convey to us that the whites enjoy full freedom while there are many restrictions on the blacks. (iv) The free bird can fiy freely in any direction. There is no restriction on its movement. The bird in the cage is in a miserable condition. His wings are clipped and his feet are tied. (V) The poet contrasts the two birds to show the difference between the life styles of the whites and the blacks in America. The whites enjoy their freedom. The blacks are restricted, exploited and suppressed. The poet conveys the message that the longing for freedom in the minds of the blacks is irrepressible. 9. (9 Atte has been described earlier as a ‘friend of sun and sky, ‘the flag of breezes free’, the treble of heaven's harmony’. The place where there are green trees is nothing short of heaven, (i The line repeated here is ‘he plants who plants a tree’. It is repeated to emphasise the importance of planting trees to preserve ecology. (ii) A tree establishes a link between our present and future, serving as a living legacy for the next generation. It provides a link between us and our children. (i) A tree is‘a harvest of a coming age’ because it reflects a tradition of the past and serves 8 a, living legacy for the next generation. It symbolises the social fabric of the times. (¥) He who plants a tree plants many things-beauty, peace, prosperity and good values. In fact, he gives ecological, social and economic benefits to his country. {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} [39]7. (@ Abou Ben Adhem was a completely noble man. He was very helpful and cooperative towards fellow human beings. He saw God in them and loved them, He was basically God loving (i The presence of an angel in his room awoke him from his deep sleep. He saw a divine spirit, a beautiful angel, in the moonlight of his room. (ii) The angel was writing the names of those who love God. Abou asked him whether his name was among them. On hearing that it was not, he was a bit surprised but was not depressed. (jv) Abou requested the angel to include his name in the list of those who love their fellow human beings. He made the request in a very humble way. (¥ His name topping the list of those blessed by God came as a surprise to Abou. Through this surprising turn, the poem conveys that the love for humanity is the love for God. God showers His blessings on those who love their fellow humans. 8. (0 Old Kaspar was highly appreciative of the battle fought at Blenheim. He called it a ‘grand victory and a ‘famous victory, repeating the opinion of the common people (i Thousands of people were killed, maimed or wounded. Houses were burt. A number of expectant mothers and new-born babies died. (ii) Kaspar was a blind nationalist, Moreover, he had no mind of his own. He had only the conventional response to the war. That is why, he called the battle of Blenheim ‘a famous victory: (jv) His grandchildren were quite sensitive. They had instinctive response to the war. They could not share their grandfather's opinion about the war. They failed to understand how a destructive war could be eulogised (V) The ironic structure of the poem and the innocent response of the children make it clear that ‘After Blenheim’ is an anti-war poem. It makes us aware how a battle or war is destructive, One fails to share the old man’s view of the battle 9. (@ The parents whose children watch television excessively have been addressed here. Television watching destroys the imagination of the children and makes them dull (i If the parents throw away the television set and in its place on the wall install a bookshelf and fil it with books, it would surely evoke strong protest by their youngsters. (ii) The parents should ignore the protests made by their children who might cry and even bite and hit the elders with sticks. (iv) The poet uses the exclamation ~ ‘oh boy, ch boy’ just to express his surprise and joy at the prospect of the children turning to the reading of the books in place of watching the television. The results will be really amazing. (¥) Once the children stop watching the television, they would be so much enamoured of books that they would begin to wonder why they used to watch the stupid ‘machine They would love their parents for replacing the television set with books. (40) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}:CIMEN PAPE! 7. (0 ‘They’ referred to here were six persons in a group. They were together at a place on a very cold day. They sat round the fire which was fast dying (i Tt was an extremely cold day. In order to save themselves from cold, all the six persons sat around the fire, Each one of them had in his or her hand a stick of wood. (ii) The need of the hour was to keep the fire burning, Each of the persons should have thrown his or her wooden stick into the dying fire to get warmth to protect against the cold (iv) The first person was a white woman, She did not want to help the black in the group in any way. This narrow-mindedness and selfishness prevented her from giving up her stick of wood. (V) As none of the six persons cared to keep the fire burning by adding to it their sticks of wood, the fire died down completely. All the six persons died of extreme cold 8. (9 Television is here described as ‘idiotic thing’ because it makes the viewers stupid and dull It suppresses imagination and creativity i Parents of young children are being addressed here. They are advised never to let children come near the television set. It would be better if they did not instal the television set at all (ii) The poet wants to generalise his own opinion. So he uses ‘we’ instead of 1’ to convey that this is what many other people also feel (iv) Alliteration is used here (st sound is repeated), (¥ The poet is against watching television by children because it has adverse effect on their physical and mental well-being. Too much TV is making them dull, passive and unimaginative, The poet recommends reading of books in place of watching television, 9. (Q The speaker is old Kaspar. In the preceding stanza he described how the great victory of the English over the French in the battle of Blenheim resulted in the deaths of thousands ‘of men, women and children. His own house was burnt down and he had to flee with his family. (i The whole country was ruined far and wide with fire and sword, Many expectant mothers and new-born children died. Gi) The most tragic thing about the war hinted here is the illogic of fighting war when it brings about death, destruction and misery to the people at large, still the people praise the victory won in a war. (iv) Kaspar, the old man, was a Bavarian. The Bavarians had sided with the English in the battle of Blenheim. In that battle the English defeated the French and won the victory. Kaspar was proud of this victory. So he referred to it as a ‘famous victory’ as he considered it natural to be proud of that victory. (¥) There can be no justification of the war when it brings about miseries, death and destruction, ‘The old man justifying the war has conventional and outdated opinion of the war. {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} (411:CIMEN PAPE! 7. (9 The poet once had a glimpse of daffodils when he was wandering alone as a cloud. He describes them by giving minute details. The golden daffodils are described as ‘hosts’ who seem to welcome the poet (@ The number of daffodils was numerous, and so is the number of stars on the Milky Way. Moreover, as the stars twinkle, so do the daffodils seem to do as they flutter in the breeze, (ii) It means that the poet saw a large number of daffodils. He uses the term ‘ten thousand! only to convey the large number. The figure of speech used here is inversion. (iv) The figure of speech used here is alliteration. By the term ‘never-ending line’ the poet conveys an illusion of the endless number of daffodils. (¥) The poet realizes later that the sight of daffodils is a source of endless joy to him in whatever mood he is. This scene of daffodils makes him happy when he is sad and lonely. 8. (0 The poet describes the bangle sellers as a group of poor but happy persons. They carry heavy loads of bangles but they do not make any complaint. (i) Silver, blue, pink and green colours are preferred by unmarried girls in buying bangles. These colours are suggestive of tender feelings and longings in their minds (ii) Some fiery red bangles are like the red flame of the bride's marriage fire. They are expressive of the passion in their heart. (iv) The figure of speech used in the first line is simile. The yellow bangles are compared to yellow corn growing in the field, which is suggestive of fertility (¥) The life of a mature wife and mother is happy and fulfilled after she has carefully reared her sons and served her family to their entire satisfaction. The poet's reference to the married woman's place in the household and her rearing of ‘fair sons’ hints at her acceptance of the secondary place of woman in patriarchal society, which will not be liked by a modern woman. 9. (Q The old man Kaspar is the speaker. He is telling his grandchildren about the great victory won by the English over the French in the battle of Blenheim (i People said it was a ghastly sight after the battle was won, Thousands of dead bodies lay there rotting in the sun. (ii) There is irony inherent in the speaker's utterance. Iti ironical to say that though thousands of men died in the war, it was a great victory. The old man's point of view is conventional and outdated. (iv) Each stanza in the poem consists of 6 lines, and incorporates a quatrain and a couplet. ‘The quatrain has the rhyme scheme : abcb, (¥) The battle called war caused much ruin and destruction. Old Kaspar calls the battle of Blenheim a great victory. He praises the heroism of English soldiers. His grandchildren fail to understand how a destructive war can be called a famous victory. The innocent searching questions of the children puzzle the old man, and evoke pity for the victims and hatred for the war. (42) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}(SPECIMEN PAPER - 5 7. (Q The ‘Special Olympics’ was arranged to encourage the differently-abled persons. A number of such persons came to participate in it. (i There were nine participants in the one-hundred metre race, the last sports item of the Special Olympics, They were all in a happy and energetic mood. (ii) The race started. All the nine participants moved fast. Suddenly one of the participants fell down as he was weaker than others. The other eight participants stopped the race. (iv) The eight participants watched the fallen participants and heard his cry of anguish. They stopped the race and came to him and lifted him up. They all joined hands and walked to the finishing line. They were all awarded a gold medial each. (¥) The human value of empathy is celebrated in the poem. The poem conveys the message that we should help others in the spirit of empathy. We should be able to place ourselves in the place of the needy. 8. (QA man who actually plants a tree plants a friend of sun and sky. He plants a flag of breezes. He plants beauty. In other words, by planting a tree he ensures purification of the air, rainfall and beautiful, shady surroundings. (i) Tree planting is a symbolic act of goodness. A tree stands as a friend of sun and sky. It represents a flag of breezes. It stands like a high tower. (ii) One who plants a tree ensures soothing cool breeze for us. As a flag flutters freely in the breeze, the leaves of the tree flutter and provide us comfort in summer. (i) A tree grows taller and taller It gives the impression of having made a home closer to heaven (¥) The message of the poem is that trees are highly beneficial to us on the earth. We should plant more and more trees to derive many ecological, social, economical and medicinal benefits. In our present-day, highly-polluted world this message is quite relevant. 9. (@ In the absence of the television the children will at first get angry, might ery and even bite and hit the elders, but might turn to other kind of entertainment later. (i The children will entertain themselves with reading children’s books about adventure, fantasy and supernatural things. Reading books will provide them better and healthier kind of entertainment. (ii) The reading of fascinating stories and adventure will surely fill the minds of the children with joy much more than they used to get from watching television. (iv) The change will be healthier. Their minds will be activated and brains sharpened. Now they will find the television set ‘nauseating, foul and repulsive. They will consider the television a stupid machine, (¥) The poet is against watching the television excessively as it (a) blocks the fresh thinking of children, it rots the minds of children. (b) It makes them dull as they cannot distinguish between the real and the fantastic. {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} [43](SPECIMEN PAPER - 6) 7. (0 The sports event mentioned early was the Special Olympics’. Itis called special as it was meant for the differently-abled persons. (i One hundred-metre race was about to begin. The athletes were on the starting line. (ii) The race started when the signal was given by a pistol shot. All the nine participants, full of enthusiasm, moved fast. (iv) The rhyme scheme used in the stanza is abab. The rhyming words ‘exploded : staggerect and ‘sound : ground are linked to the underlying idea in the stanza, They are carefully chosen. (¥) One of the athletes was weak. He fell down on the track. He cried loudly in anguish as al his labour had come to nought. Other athletes stopped the race, came back and lifted him. Their gesture of help was warmly applauded. 8. (@ Trees are good for healthy environment. They purify air. They cause rain, They provide soothing, cool shade in summer. Birds take shelter in them. (i Birds behave in a calm, happy mood in trees, The mother-bird sings to her young ones happily with a soft, gentle voice in the twilight. Its song adds to the pleasant harmony of the universe. (ii) With the planting of trees, we make our surroundings clean and green. Planting trees is an act of love and loyalty towards one's family, society and the entire word. (iv) A man who plants a tree is fired with the passion to do good to the entire world. He realizes that the growth of all nations depends upon planting trees. (V) The poetic device used in the sixth line here is alliteration. It focuses our attention to the fact that the tree planter's hand holds the future progress of mankind. 9. (@ One of the bangle sellers ~ may be a man or a woman, is the narrator. The bangle sellers are going to a temple fair to sell their multicoloured bangles to the happy maidens and happy wives who have an ample choice to select bangles of their kings. (id The expression is used for the colour of the bangles which are preferred by virgin maidens. The poet says that the bangles which are silvery and blue and as misty as mountain are preferred by virgin maidens. (ii) The poet has described the multicoloured bangles with the help of similes. For example, she says (@) Silver and blue as the mountain mist (6) Some are flushed like the buds that dream (iv) Some of the bangles are shining green whose freshness is close to the vivid beauty of the new born tender leaves. Such bangles are preferred by the virgin maidens who have countless longings for their married lives. (¥) The bride prefers yellow bangles which look like com field because they are suitable for a bride on her marrige morning, She also likes fiery red bangles which are like the flame of her marriage. These colours represent her happiness on the wedding day (yellow) and her passion on the wedding night (fiery red), (44) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}‘SPECIMEN PAPE! 7. (@ There were six persons in the group sitting by the fire. They were ~ a white woman, a religious fanatic, a rich man, a poor man and a black. Each one of them suffered from one or the other prejudice. (i) It was an extremely cold day. The fire was much needed to provide protection against sure death by cold (i The man observed that there was a person in the group who belonged to a religion different from his. He disliked that person simply because of his different religion, (iv) He was a victim of religious fanaticism. He was narrow-minded and selfish. He did not want to help one who did not belong to his religion. So he decided not to part with his stick of wood. (V) The message of the poem is that we should give up all kinds of discrimination and prejudice. We should be helpful, cooperative, generous and broad-minded. We should not let the ‘coldness’ (lack of warmth) creep inside us and turn us into hard-hearted persons 8. (0 Kaspar was sitting in the sun before his cottage door. His grandson brought a large round. thing home. He did not know what it was. It was actually a human skull (i He felt sad and sorrowful on looking at the human skull. He was reminded of the battle fought at Blenheim in which thousands of people were killed and wounded. {ii He told his grand children that the round thing was the skull of a poor fellow who might have been killed in the war. (iv) The war alluded to here is the one fought at Blenheim. It was fought by the English and. the Austrians against the French. The English had won the war, (Vv) The war was very destructive, Even then Kaspar describes it as a ‘famous victory’ simply because of his national prejudice and conventional thinking. He could not have any original response to it. 9. (The poet has advised the parents not to allow their children to watch television, (i The parents let their children watch television to get freedom to do domestic chores and to keep them busy so that they do not make any mischief, (i) When we watch television we are not actively engaged with the stuff we watch. We receive the material passively. We do not think or imagine. Slowly television kills our imagination, We accept only what we receive (iv) The television makes us dull and unimaginative. We no longer possess original thinking, We do not go beyond what we see on the screen (v) We do not fully agree with the poet. Controlled TV watching can be beneficial rather than harmful {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} (45):CIMEN PAPE! 7. (0 We hear the voice of one of the bangle sellers. The bangle sellers are on their way to a temple fair. They want to sell bangles to earn some money. (i The ‘shining loads’ refers to the load of beautiful, shining bangles carried by the bangle sellers, This expression tells us that the bangle sellers cheerfully carry this load. Despite their poverty, they are cheerful (i In line 4 the literary device is metaphor. The round colourful glass bangles are rightly identified with circles of light reflecting colours of the rainbow. (i) Young, unmarried girls prefer to wear silvery, blue, pink and green coloured bangles. These colours suggest the tender longings in their hearts. (¥) Different coloured bangles suit different stages in a woman's life. The unmarried girls like to wear silver, blue, pink and green coloured bangles. The married girls like to wear yellow and red coloured bangles. The mature married women like to wear gold-flecked bangles. 8. (9 The poet has advised the parents never to allow their children to sit near the television. They should not instal the television at all. They should encourage their children to read books. (i) The poet has observed children staring at the television screen continuously. They seem to be hypnotised by it, They tire themselves out watching worthless programmes. (ii) The children feel hypnotised before the television set. They seem to be totally unaware of their surroundings as they watch television. (jv) Television programmes are described as ‘shocking ghastly junk’ because they are totally harmful and worthless. They make the viewers dull and passive. (¥) The poet feels that watching television makes the viewer dull and stupid. It kills imagination and creativity. It has harmful effect on eyes. I do not fully agree with the poet because television programmes if seen selectively and discreetly can be educative also. 9. (@ Itisa hundred-metre race for differently-abled persons in the ‘Special Olympics’ (i The hundred-metre race was the special event because it was the final event of the day. The spectators sitting all around the field were as enthusiastic and excited as were the participants, They cheered up the young athletes in every way. (ii) The spectators were in a jubilant mood. They sat around the field and were as enthusiastic as the participants, They cheered up the young athletes. (iv) A hundred-metre race was about to begin (¥ One among the nine participants fell on the track. The remaining eight contestants, instead of moving ahead, turned and came back to the fallen athlete. They lifted him to his feet and walked hand-in-hand to the finishing line. The poet remarks that the words ‘on the banner ‘Special Olympics’ turned out to be true. (46) [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}:CIMEN PAPE! 7. (@ The poet had a glimpse of the cluster of golden daffodils beside a lake. When he saw them he felt surprised and became cheerful (i The two objects which have been attributed human traits are the waves in the lake and the golden daffodils, Both of them seemed to dance like merry human beings, trying to outdo each other. (iid A jjocund company’ here refers to the happy company of daffodils. The poet feels that no ‘one can remain sad or miserable in such a company. (iv) The use of ‘dash’ in line 5 is deliberate and significant. It introduces pauses which reveal how the poet continued to gaze at the daffodils in almost a dazzled state, (v) The ‘wealth’ here refers to the cheerfulness that the scene of daffodils has brought to the poet. He realizes it quite late. Whenever he is lonely or sad, the memory of the daffodils. makes his heart dance with them. This inward experience of joy is wealth in the real sense of the term 8. (0 The free bird is a symbol of the white man who is free to move about. The free bird is described as swaying with the wind in the evening, and is happy to go anywhere it likes. (i The encaged bird is symbolic of the black man. The narrow cage is his narrow world in which he cannot move freely. There are many restrictions on him. (ii) The expression ‘bars of rage’ is quite significant. The bird (the black man) is caged, imprisoned and is thus filled with rage, but is helpless. (jv) The bird is restrained and oppressed. It is so because his wings are clipped and his feet are tied. There is a larger context to it. Like an encaged bird, the blacks (African-Americans) feel oppressed and restricted because of racial and colour prejudices and exploitation in America (¥) The encaged bird sings the song of freedom. It indicates his inner longing for freedom No one can be happy in a cage 9. (@ ‘The Special Olympics’ was meant for differently-abled persons. The athletes from different countries came to participate in various sports events to win a medal ~ gold, silver or bronze (i) The differently-abled athletes came to take part in ‘The Special Olympics. (ii) A hundred-metre race was the last event of the day. (iv) Nine young athletes stood on the starting line. They were determined to win a medal (¥ When the race started, all the nine contestants ran as fast as they could. However, one contestant who was weaker could not run. His legs gave in and he fell on the track. The remaining eight contestants stopped and looked back at their fallen companion. They turned and came back to him. So the race stopped. {Teacher's Manual on Tesasure Trove : A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WB} 147]‘SPECIMEN PAPER - 10 7. (@ The speaker says so because he is reminded of the fact that only a year ago the roof-tops were crowded to have a glimpse of him as he entered the town to the hero's welcome, (i Most of the people have gone to the sight where the patriot (the speaker) is to be executed. They want to see the execution of a man whom they regard as a criminal now. ii) Nobody is visible on the roof-top. Only a few paralytic old persons are seen sitting near the windows to see the patriot being led away to the gallows. (iv) The speaker isin a sad, reminiscent mood because he is shocked at the people's behaviour at present, which is entirely different from theirs just a year ago. (¥) The thought that cheers up the patriot is that he will be rewarded by God in the other life for his good deeds. It reveals that the poet is an optimist. He believes that one should not give up hope even in the face of death itself 8. ( Abou Ben Adhem found the angel writing something in his golden book in his room. He was curious to know what he was writing. He was told that a list is made of those persons who love God. (@ When Abou learnt that his name was not among those who love God, he was a bit shocked but not depressed. He had, of course, expected that his name would be among those who love God. (ii) The angel agreed to write Abou’s name in the list of those persons who love their fellow human beings. He appeared in a dazzling light which would awake anyone sleeping, (jv) Itwas a matter of delight and satisfaction to Abou that his name topped the list of those persons who we blessed by God. This poem is didactic as it has a message to give. It wants us to love humanity for the love of humanity is the love of God. This message is relevant even in our times because most of us who profess to be God-loving are not very helpful towards their fellow human beings. 9. (0 The poet was wandering idly like a cloud freely floating over hills and valleys. He was wandering freely without any purpose, He was as lonely as the cloud in the sky. (i A beautiful sight of daffodils attracted his attention. The golden daffodils were in a large number, growing under the trees and spreading along the bank of a lake. ” (ii) The poet does so in order to convey the idea that there is an inherent unity between man and nature, (iv) The poet uses a simile to compare the beauty of the daffodils to the beauty of the twinkling stars in the milky way in the sky. He also uses the simile to underline the large number of daffodils, comparable to the numerous stars in the galaxy. (V) The daffodils seemed to dance in the gentle breeze, The waves in the lake, too, seemed to dance in the wind, However, their dance was surpassed by the dance of the daffodils in vigour and liveliness 148] [Teacher's Manual on Treasure Trove :A Colleton of ICSE Poems : WE}