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The Patriot Poem Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. The Patriot Poem is written by Robert Browning.

The Patriot Poem Summary in English by Maya Angelou

The Patriot Poem About the Poet

Robert Browning (1812-1889) was born on May 7, 1812 in Chamberwell, near London. He had little of formal education, but learned a great deal in his father’s substantial library. He was deeply influenced by his vast reading. In 1844 Browning noticed a compliment to himself in a poem by Elizabeth Barret who was a poet of delicate health. Correspondence and visits followed. Secretly, they married in 1846. They left England and settled in Florence in Italy where they lived until Elizabeth’s death in 1861.

Browning wrote both poems and plays. His first poem ‘Pauline’ appeared in 1833. His fame rests on his dramatic monologues. He builds up the characters from within, not merely to depict them from without. He was gifted with wonderful insight, sympathy, extraordinary power of observation and keen psychological penetration. His last volume of poetry Asolando was published on the day of his death in 1889.

The Patriot About the Poem

All about the Poem The Patriot:
The poem is a dramatic monologue. The speaker recalls his heroic achievements a year ago. But just after a year he has fallen in esteem. He is arrested and is being led to the gallows. The patriot believes that God will certainly do justice to him.

‘The Patriot’, first appeared in Men and Women (1855), is a sad commentary on the rise and fall of heroes as a result of whimsical crowd mentality. The poem seems to have been the result of Browning’s experience of the rise and fall of heroes in Italy’s premature struggle to free herself from Austria (1841-49). The patriot in the poem had heroic achievements a year ago.

He was accorded a very warm welcome on his return. But just after a year he has fallen in esteem. He is arrested and is being led to the gallows. People now simply hate him. Some even throw stones at him. Despite his fall, he is ironically optimistic. He feels that God would reward him in heaven, while people have failed to recognize his services. God is the only shelter for those who are betrayed and deserted by their fellow human beings.

The Patriot Poem Theme

I. Fickle-mindedness of people
Ordinary people are not steadfast in their opinions. They are whimsical. This is what the patriot shows in the poem. He was welcomed as a hero after his grand victory by his countrymen. They were ready to do anything for him. Roses were strewn over his path. Church bells were rung to welcome him. But just after a year, his good deeds are forgotten. For some misdeeds he is arrested and is harshly treated. He is led to the scaffold to be executed. People hurl stones at him. This is perhaps the irony of life. One who goes up comes down sooner or later.

II. Spirit of optimism
The patriot in the poem tried to achieve the impossible for the pleasure of his people. He was welcomed as a hero, but then his ‘misdeeds’ turn him into a criminal in the eyes of the same people, just after a year. He feels betrayed and abandoned. But even in the hour of defeat and extreme sorrow he achieves a moral victory. He feels that he has not been rewarded for his services on the earth. Had he been rewarded, God would not have cared for him. But, now betrayed and deserted by the people, he hopes he would be rewarded by God in heaven. So he feels safe in the bosom of God. His faith in God being a true judge marks his unbounded sense of optimism.

The Patriot Poem Summary in English

The poem ‘The Patriot’ depicts the fate of a hero who is glorified and eulogised for his achievements, but it is sad and ironic that his achievements are soon forgotten by the fickle- minded crowd. Sometimes he is treated very harshly.

In the poem, 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 like a villain. He was then accorded a warm welcome on his return after a glorious victory. His path was strewn with flowers. The church-towers were decorated with victory-flags. Huge crowds were there to welcome him. At that time he could have got anything from the people.

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 be executed in public. He recalls how he did his best to serve his people. In a tone of regret he asks what reward he has got for all the troubles taken by him. People have proved to be fickle-minded.

The patriot finds a stark contrast of today’s situation with the one a year ago. While people thronged to have a glimpse of him a year ago, now nobody is on the roof-tops. Most of them have gone to the Shambles’. Gate or are quite near the scaffold in order to have a better view of the execution. Only a few paralysed persons are sitting at the windows.

A rope has been used to tie up his hands more tightly than needed on his back. The rope is so tight that it cuts both his hands. He feels that his forehead is bleeding as some people have hurled stones at him. These stones are the reward of his so-called misdeeds done during the year.

The scene of his tumultuous welcome at his entry in the city a year ago is in sharp contrast with the scene of his disgraceful exit from the city. He is now leaving the city as a hated criminal. Seeing the irony of fate, he pins his hope on God’s justice. If he had been amply rewarded on the earth, he could have been neglected by God. Now abandoned and betrayed by the people, he is hopeful of being rewarded by God for all his services and sacrifices. He feels safe in the bosom of God. Thus, he snatches a moral victory even in his defeat.

The Patriot Poem Stanza Wise Explanation

Stanza 1
The patriot recalls how he was welcomed a year ago when he came back after his grand victory. His path was strewn with fragrant roses (symbol of love). The people were mad in their zeal and enthusiasm. The church-towers blazed with victory-flags. But the scene has drastically changed after a year.

Stanza 2
The whole atmosphere resounded with the sound of church bells rung in honour of the hero, just a year ago. The crowd surged with joy. The patriot appreciated the enthusiasm of the people. If he had demanded from them something impossible like the sun from the sky, they would have granted him. They would have asked him what else he desired. Such was the time just a year ago.

Stanza 3
The patriot says that he tried to do the impossible for the pleasure of his admirers. He did his best. He did whatever he could do for his countrymen. But what reward had he got ? Is this the reward he is getting from his people ? In a sad tone, the patriot feels that people have forgotten all that he had done for them.

Stanza 4
As the patriot is being led to the gallows, he finds no one on the house-roofs to bid him farewell. Only a few crippled persons sitting at the windows are watching him. Most of the people have gone to the Shambles’ Gate or are quite near the scaffold to have the best view of his execution.

Stanza 5
The patriot is being led to the scaffold in the rain. A long rope has been used to tie up his hands tightly on the back. The rope is so tight that it cuts both his hands. He feels that his forehead is bleeding. It is due to the stones hurled at him by some callous and cruel fellows. They hurled the stones to show their resentment for the so-called misdeeds done by him during the year. It is ironic that they have completely forgotten his good deeds.

Stanza 6
The patriot entered his city amid great rejoicings and honour. Now he was leaving it in great humiliation and insult. He feels that if he had died a year ago – some people actually collapse in excess of joy – God would not have cared for him. But now when he had not been rewarded by the people, he was certain to be rewarded in heaven. He feels safe in the bosom of God. Thus, even in intense defeat he finds something to console himself with.

The Patriot Poem Glossary

Stanza 1
myrtle : a sweet smelling flower
like mad : madly, in great enthusiasm
heave : breathe
sway : rise and fall
church-spires : tall pointed structures on the top of church buildings
a year ago : This is what happened only a year back

Stanza 2
broke into a mist : church bells were rung to
with bells : welcome the patriot
rocked : shook
repels : something that is not attractive; hateful
yonder : that
what else : what else he desired

Stanza 3
Alack : Alas
leaped at the sun : tried to do the impossible
nought : nothing
harvest : reward
a year is run : a year has passed

Stanza 4
a palsied few : a few persons afflicted with paralysis
all allow : everyone admits
Shambles’ Gate : the gate leading to the place of execution
better : better view of the execution
scaffold : a platform where the criminal is executed by cutting off his head or hanging him from a rope
foot : near

Stanza 5
more than needs : unnecessarily
a rope cuts : the rope is so tight that it cuts both his hands
by the feel : from the feeling
fling : throw
misdeeds : evil actions

Stanza 6
Thus I entered : I entered the city as a hero
thus I go : I am leaving as a disgraced prisoner
triumphs : victories
what dost thou owe me : what do you owe to me ?

The Patriot Poem Critical Appreciation

Background
Austrian rule over Italy (1841-49) was quite unpopular. Many Italians tried to free their country, but in vain. The patriot in the poem seems to have been one of those heroic people who tried to do the impossible. Browning has been a witness to the rise and fall of such heroes. The patriot – perhaps Arnold of Bresaia – meets a tragic fate because of the whimsical nature of the common people.

Title
The title of the poem ‘The Patriot’ is very suitable and apt because the focus remains on the plight of the patriot. The patriot reveals in his monologue his glorious day a year ago when he was glorified and hailed as a hero in sharp contrast with today when he has been arrested and led to the gallows for his misdeeds. He is bound by a rope and his forehead is bleeding from the stones that have been hurled at him by the same people who had earlier welcomed him as a hero. The subtitle of the poem – An Old Story – underlines the fact that the situation depicted in the poem has universal implication. The poem is about the rise and fall of leaders in every country.

Contrasted pictures
The whole poem is so described as to coalesce the past with the present vividly. The scene of the past tumultuous welcome of the patriot is contrasted with his present plight. Rope-bound, he is led to the gallows in the rain, with his forehead bleeding from the stones hurled at him by the same people who had earlier hailed him as a hero.

Message of Hope and Faith
Through a simple, poignant tale of the rise and fall of a hero, Browning seems to give the message that one, like the patriot, can turn defeat into victory, despair into faith and sorrow into joy. This is, of course, possible only with purity of heart and unflinching faith in God’s justice. The patriot’s belief is that God would reward him for his good deeds. He had not been rewarded by his people for what he had done for them. But his belief would make him feel safe and secure. This is a typical case of Browning’s optimism, unrealistic in our age of doubt and atheism.

The Patriot Poem Style and Literary Devices

A Dramatic Monologue
‘The Patriot’ is a dramatic monologue in which the main character is talking to himself in a dramatic manner. The outer scene of indifferent people is vividly felt. The dramatic opening arrests our attention at once :

It was roses, roses, all the way,
With myrtle mixed in my path like mad :
The house-roofs seemed to heave and sway,
The church-spires flamed, such flags they had,
A year ago on this very day.

When the patriot is being led to the gallows, we feel how cruelly he is being treated. The presence of those who fling stones at him is felt.

Literary Devices

Rhyme Scheme
The poem divided into six stanzas incorporates a regular rhyme scheme, that is, ababa. In each stanza, the first line rhymes with the third line and the fifth line, and the second line rhymes with the fourth line. Most of the rhymed words ‘way, sway; bells, cries; bleeds, misdeeds’, etc. are linked with the theme, and help build up the proper setting.

Imagery
The poet has used various kinds of images.

(i) Visual images :

• the path strewn with roses and myrtle
• the church-spires blazing with flags of victory
• the few paralysed persons sitting at the window
• the patriot being led in the rain, with his forehead bleeding

(ii) Auditory images :

• the ringing of the church bells
• the joyous cries of the crowd

(iii) Tactile image :

• the feeling of blood coming down from the forehead of the patriot
• the feeling of the tight rope cutting his hands

(iv) Kinesthetic image :

• the house-roofs ‘swaying’ with people in excess to have a glimpse of the patriot
• the old walls ‘rocking’ with the crowd and cries
• the act of ‘leaping’ at the sun

Allusion
The poet uses the mythological allusion of Icarus flying to the sky with the help of wings fixed to his arms with wax in the line :

Alack, it was I who leaped at the sun
To give it my loving friends to keep !

Icarus, as we know, fell into the sea as he rose nearer to the sun and his wax melted. The patriot, like Icarus, was overambitious, and hence had his tragic downfall. Overambition often leads to a sad end.

Irony
The poet has used irony to bring about the contrast between the past and the present. It is best used in the last line when the poet says :

‘Tis God shall repay : I am safer so.

It is ironic that when he is dying, he feels safe.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem is written by Maya Angelou.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem Summary in English by Maya Angelou

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem About the Poet

Maya Angelou (1928-2014) : Born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou is known for her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which made literary history as the first non-fiction bestseller by an African-American woman. She is a distinguished African-American author. She has been acknowledged as the champion of the cause of the suppressed black people and women. She has written essays, poems, plays and autobiographies.

The first of her autobiographies entitled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) which tells her life experiences of the first seven year of her life is the most noted of her works. Angelou received several honours throughout her career, including two NAACP Image Awards in the outstanding literary work (non-fiction) category, in 2005 and 2009.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings About the Poem

All about the Poem I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings:
The poem expresses the longing for freedom. 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 and his desire for freedom and equality.

‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Angelou is one of her well-known and forceful poems that has universal appeal. In Angelou’s times, African-American people did not feel free as there were still many restrictions on them in society. The poem gives expression to the feelings of these black Americans, rather of all the oppressed people in the world. Obviously, it deals explicitly and implicitly with the problems related to race, gender, slavery and freedom.

It refers to two birds : one trapped in a cage, and the other free, swaying and flying with the wind. The encaged bird stands for a black American and the free bird for a white person. The poem makes it clear that the encaged bird or an enslaved individual may be physically restricted or restrained but cannot be stopped from singing and dreaming of freedom. A free bird flying with the wind has complete freedom and chance to fly again at will. No such freedom is available to an encaged bird. Its dreams are entombed, but it does not give up singing or dreaming of freedom. Thus, the poem gives the message that hope lies eternal.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem Theme

I. Racism
Maya Angelou herself experienced the worst forms of racial discrimination in America. She felt that the black Americans were not as free as they ought to be. They were denied basic rights. There were a number of restrictions on them in the society. African-Americans longed for freedom and equality.

This longing for freedom is expressed in the poem ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’. The poet presents two birds : the free bird, 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 and his longing for freedom and equality. Despite restrictions, he still sings of freedom :

his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

II. Yearning for Freedom and Equality
Another theme of this poem is yearning for freedom and equality. The poet rightly feels that freedom is the birth right of every individual. Whereas it is a natural state, captivity is an abnormal state. No one likes to be encaged. Even a bird does not. African-Americans voice their protest against all forms of oppressions and exploitations. They are unhappy in their narrow cage which takes the form of racism, gender inequality and powerlessness. The poet is hopeful that the voice of ‘the caged bird’ has begun to be heard faraway. It can no longer be suppressed :

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem Summary in English

‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ is a powerful and meaningful poem that has a universal appeal. The poem is both simple and complex. Its underlying concern for freedom is simple to understand, but its structure being metaphorical is a bit difficult to decode, unless you have a clear background of the circumstances in which African-Americans continue to live.

There are two birds compared and contrasted in the poem : the caged bird and the free bird. The caged bird is a metaphor for the black American, whereas the free bird stands for a white person. The bars of the cage which put restrictions on the encaged bird can be identified in human terms as racism, sexism and the powerlessness of their victims. This ‘imprisonment’ behind these bars is unnatural. It produces the response of the ‘song’ that takes such forms as struggle, self-affirmation or self¬expression for freedom. The freedom of the free bird is naturally envious in contrast.

The poem opens with an image of the free bird flying with the wind in the beautiful, orange sky in the evening. He continues to float in the wind over the stream and dips his wings downstream in the gentle-sunlight. He can claim the whole sky as his own.

On the other hand, the caged bird (a metaphor for an African-American or for any oppressed person) is in rage. His wings are clipped and his feet are tied. His condition is such that he can hardly move and have a glimpse of the beautiful sky. It reminds us of the image of the bird in Dunbar’s poem that strikes his beak against the bars in rage and is wounded, and still he does not stop singing. The bars or restrictions, which are mostly physical in nature, can never suppress mental flights for freedom. The song of the caged bird is heard far and wide.

The free bird who has total freedom can go on another flight with another wind and can have a satisfactory look on fat worms waiting for him to devour. He can claim the sky as his own. On the other hand, the encaged bird stands on the grave of dreams. This reveals the poet’s own dreams. Discrimination and racism formed the bars of her cage, and she could not achieve all that her white counterparts were able to achieve.

Despite the fact that the encaged bird cannot even move freely in the narrow space of his cage, he cries out for freedom and equality. His song for freedom remains irrepressible.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem Stanza Wise Explanation

Stanza 1
The opening stanza captures 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.

Here the poet makes the reader participate in the delightful experience of freedom of the bird. When there is no restriction, every movement becomes blissful and joyous.

Stanza 2
This stanza brings in sharp contrast the condition of the encaged bird. His wings are clipped and his feet are tied. So he 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, but no one can stop him from doing so. Thus, while the free bird can enjoy the full sky, the encaged bird cannot have a glimpse of the sky.

In other words, a person who feels restricted as a result of any kind of discrimination, prejudice or powerlessness cannot enjoy the fruits of freedom and equality. He can only yearn for full freedom and struggle for it in different ways.

Stanza 3
The caged bird here is shown to be afraid of many unknown things. But this fear does not prevent him from giving expression to his dream of freedom. His voice is heard far and wide as he sings of freedom.
Here the poet makes it clear 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.

Stanza 4
This stanza takes us back to the free bird, making the difference between the two birds starkly clear. The free bird can think of another flight in another breeze, and can enjoy the ‘sighing’ of trees. He can find his own food. He can claim the full sky as his own. On the other hand, it is obvious that the encaged bird has no such freedom or right.

Stanza 5
There is again a shift to the encaged bird and his helplessness. The bird in the cage stands on the grave of his unfulfilled dreams. As his movements are restricted, he can only cry out like one who has had a nightmare. This is a frightening image. A person without freedom can only act abnormally, for the state of captivity is abnormal.

Stanza 6
This is the repetition of the Stanza 3. It emphasises again that though the encaged bird has never experienced freedom, he still sings of it. His song is heard now far and wide, and his longing for freedom and equality cannot be dismissed as a distant voice.

In other words, the poet feels that the voice of the black Americans cannot be suppressed. They are made for freedom, and despite all restrictions and suppressions they would not relent and continue to struggle for freedom which is their birth right.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem Glossary

Stanza 1
free bird : suggestive of a white American
leaps : jumps
downstream : towards the mouth of the stream/river
current : flow of air, water
claim the sky : regard the full sky as his own, suggesting claim for full freedom

Stanza 2
stalks : follows
narrow cage : restricted place, where there is little freedom
seldom : hardly
bars : pieces of metal or wood that stop free movement; (here) discriminations and restrictions
rage : anger, wrath
clipped : cut short

Stanza 3
trill : shrill, quiver
longed : desired

Stanza 4
another breeze : another flight in another wind
fat worms : good food to be had at will

Stanza 5
grave of dreams : dreams that seem to be dead
nightmare : bad dream
screams : cries out in fear

Stanza 6
things unknown : strange things or incidents
on the distant hill : faraway, remote area

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem Critical Appreciation

I. Title
The title of the poem ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ is apt as it deals with the theme of the poem. The ‘caged bird’ is used as a metaphor for the black American or for the oppressed person. The poet reflects the miserable plight of those who are denied freedom and equality. The ‘caged bird’, unlike the ‘free bird’ (metaphor for a white American), can only sing and dream of freedom. His wings are clipped and feet are chained. How can he move ? The feelings of the encaged bird are vividly presented by the poet. Thus, the title of the poem is apt and suggestive.

II. Autobiographical Overtones
Maya Angelou, herself a black, faced all kinds of discriminations in the South and elsewhere during her life. The ‘cage’ in her poem is associated with racism, sexism, insecurity, poverty and abuse. These discriminatory forces continued to make her feel inferior. She could not achieve what her white counterparts could, with similar circumstances and opportunities. Like the ‘encaged bird’ she was angry. She could do little, like the encaged bird in his narrow cell, but she voiced her resentment and longed for freedom. In the poem, singing is all her bird can do. The poet hoped that the voice of the oppressed would be heard faraway, as it can never be suppressed. We are reminded of these lines from Dunbar’s poem ‘Sympathy’.

I know why the caged bird beats his wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars

III. Universal Appeal
It is important to read Angelou’s poem in the broader context. Even though the context of the poem relates to the state of the black Americans in the wake of stark racial discrimination practised by the whites, the metaphor of the ‘caged bird’ is applicable to all those who are denied equal rights and opportunities to grow. A person belonging to the backward stratum of life or a woman or a labourer feels as much restricted and oppressed as the ‘caged bird’. His struggle takes many forms. Sometimes it becomes violent. Sadly, the ‘free bird’ has his own sphere to operate, and has no time or inclination to help the ‘encaged bird’.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem Style and Literary Devices

Form and Structure
The poem does not follow any set-scheme of form or structure. The line lengths vary according to the rhythm required, and each segment of the poem has different number of lines. Stanza 3 has been repeated for the sake of emphasis.

Literary Devices

Rhyme
The rhyme scheme used in the poem is irregular, haphazard and faulty. At the most it is sporadic. Only lines 9 and 11 in the first two stanzas employ rhyming words – ‘cage’ and ‘rage’. In the fourth stanza again there are two rhyming words – ‘breeze’ and ‘trees’. Other rhyming words used in the poem are ‘trill’, ‘still’ and ‘hill’, as also ‘heard’ and ‘bird’.

Metaphors
The two obvious metaphors used in the poem are for the two birds. The caged bird is the metaphor for an African-American, while the free bird is the metaphor for a white American. The contrast between the states of these birds reveals the unpleasant plight of the caged bird, and is used to make the reader aware of the tragic story of the oppressed.

Symbols
The poet has used some objects of nature as symbols. The sun, the wind and the hills stand for freedom, power and glory respectively. Only the ‘free’ bird can enjoy these things, which are purposely denied to the ‘caged’ bird.

Imagery
There are many beautiful images which convey the idea of freedom and repression beautifully. In the first stanza, the flight of the free bird in the evening sky is a beautiful visual image, as is the image of the caged bird with his ‘clipped’ wings and ‘tied’ feet in the second stanza.

Television Poem Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. Television Poem is written by Roald Dahl.

Television Poem Summary in English by Roald Dahl

Television Poem About the Poet

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was the most popular British writer of his times. His writings, both for children and adults, are still very popular. In 2008 the well-known newspaper The Times placed him 16th on the list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945.” Born in Wales, he avoided university education and went on an expedition to Newfoundland. He served as a fighter pilot during the World War II. His works for children include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Witches, Fantastic Mr Fox, The BFG, The Twits, etc. Tales of the Unexpected meant for the adults is quite popular.

His main aim in writing is to entertain and edify his young readers. So he uses a light, amusing tone most of the time. His children’s books champion the kind-hearted and castigate the inhuman villains. Most of his works have been translated in several languages of the world. Among the important awards he received were the 1983 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, and the British Book Award as Children’s Author of the Year in 1990.

Television About the Poem

All about the Poem Television:
The poem ‘Television’ is a didactic poem. It makes an earnest appeal to the parents to wean their children from watching television. In their craze for the idiot box, children have lost their innocence and interest in reading books.

‘Television’ by Dahl is a long, didactic poem written in a light tone with a message that is relevant in our times. It is an earnest appeal to parents to wean their children from watching television to reading of books. In their craze for the ‘idiot box’, children have lost their innocence.

They have become unruly and disobedient. They are no longer interested in the world of fantasy in children’s stories. The poet is saddened that watching television in excess makes children dull and unimaginative. So the parents must throw the television set out of their homes and replace it by a set of books. They will at first face bitter opposition but later they will be thanked for this thoughtful, good action. Dahl’s opposition to TV watching is because of it being a passive process during which we are not as actively engaged with the material as we are during the process of reading. This passivity makes our brain slow and strained.

Television Poem Theme

I. Watching Television
The poet describes the television set as the ‘idiot box’ out of his aversion to it. Those who continue to watch television are, in fact, involved in a passive process. They are not actively engaged with the stuff that they watch. They receive and accept it as it is. This is contrary to what happens when we read something interesting. We remain active and alert, and use our mental faculties, sharpening our brain. No wonder, Dahl prefers reading books to watching television.

II. Death of Imagination
Dahl was primarily a story writer and a thinker. He wrote stories for children with the view to inducing them to imagine those things which they cannot see, feel or touch. This is possible only if children are possessed of keen imagination. He was distressed to find that children who begin to prefer television watching to reading of books accept only the things which are visible. They no longer want to enter the world of fantasy. Dahl rightly thinks that television has pronounced the death of imagination, which is essential for creativity. In this sense, he was far ahead of his time in warning the parents against too much television watching by the young ones.

III. Habit of Reading
An important theme of the poem is that reading books is a very useful activity for the children. It must be encouraged by the parents by replacing the television with lots of books. Dahl wants the children to read whatever interests them. Once they have begun to read books they will simply wonder why they have wasted a lot of time in watching the ‘idiot box’.

Television Poem Summary in English

Opposed to Television at Home
‘Television’ is a poem that gives a rude shock to the young TV watchers. However, it makes them aware of the truth about TV watching. Parents, who are addressed in the poem directly, realize how they have neglected their duties towards their children by allowing them to go on watching TV in order to buy time and peace for themselves at home.

The poem begins on an abrupt and dramatic note. The poet addresses parents and exhorts them never to let their children come near the TV set. He goes on to the extent of saying that the ‘idiotic thing’ (TV set) should not be installed at home at all. He cautions parents against the excessive watching of TV by their children. The children go on staring at the TV screen for hours. Their eyeballs, out of exhaustion, come out. In a hyperbolic manner, the poet says :
(Last week in someone’s place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)

Advantages to the Parents
The poet admits that there are some advantages to the parents as their children watch TV. The children remain quiet and do not make mischiefs. They do not disturb their parents. The parents get time to do domestic chores.

But the disadvantages of too much television to the children cannot be ignored. By using all capital letters the poet underlines the fact that watching television in excess means the death of imagination. Says he : ‘

IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND

Parents’ Point of View
The poet, then, introduces the parents’ point of view. The parents might ask him how their children will be entertained in the absence of the television. The poet reminds them that they have forgotten how as children they read books when there was no television. In the past, books were a good source of entertainment. Then he refers to several books of adventure and fantasy used to be read in the past by the children. The children were fascinated by fine fantastic tales of dragons, gypsies, queens, whales and smugglers.

Appeal to Parents
So the poet appeals to parents to throw the TV set away and install in its place a bookshelf on the wall. They should ignore the bitter opposition of their children to this move for some days. Slowly but surely, the children would start reading books and soon realize the uselessness of the ‘ridiculous machine’.
Gradually, the children would consider this ‘ridiculous machine’ nauseating, foul and unclean. The television screen will appear repulsive to the children.

Television Poem Stanza Wise Explanation

Lines 1-6
The poem opens in an abrupt, dramatic way. The poet addresses the parents to convince the childem about the negative impact of watching television on their minds. He says that they have learnt an important lesson about television. It is that television is an ‘idiot box’—that it makes the viewers stupid and dull. Therefore, the children should not be allowed to come near the television set and view its programmes. The poet adds that the television set should not be installed inside our houses at all.

Lines 7-12
The poet gives a general observation here. He says that it has 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. The poet humorously says that a week ago he saw a dozen eyeballs of children lying on the floor, as a result of excessive TV watching.

Lines 13-21
Children go on staring at the television screen. They seem to be hypnotised by it. But what they get out of this activity is useless and harmful stuff. The poet admits that parents have some advantage in letting the children watch television. Children remain quiet and do not disturb them. They do not climb out of the windows. Nor do they indulge in fights with one another. They leave their parents free to cook lunch or wash utensils lying in the sink. The poet here cautions against the inherent danger in getting such freedom by the parents.

Lines 22-33
This is the crux of the poem. The poet uses all capitals to emphasise his point. He asks parents if they have ever considered what harm television does to their children when they continue to watch it for a very long time continuously. He says :

IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!

This is and should be the major concern of all parents. Television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking. So it makes the child-viewer dull. He cannot distinguish between the real and the fantastic. His brain becomes as soft as cheese and he loses the power to think and imagine things. This has been confirmed by many independent research surveys.

Lines 34-48
The poet is aware of the parents’ objection. He knows that the parents will ask him if the television set is removed there will be no means left with them to entertain their children. They will like to know as to how to entertain them. The poet retorts by asking a rhetorical question as to how they used to entertain themselves as children, before this ‘monster’ (television) was invented. Perhaps they have forgotten. As children, they used to read and read and read. The nursery shelves were full of books. Surprisingly, they would spend half of their lives reading books. Reading books was the only and the main source of entertainment in the past.

Lines 49-61
The poet here reminds the parents that the rooms of children were full of books in the past. These books contained wonderful stories about huge monsters, gypsies, queens and princesses, whales and treasure islands. In some of these stories the smugglers and sea-robbers used to operate in boats with covered oars. There were stories about elephants and the cannibals. The cannibals used to eat a very sweet smelling dish named after Penelope, the faithful wife of Odysseus in Homer’s epic poem ‘The Odyssey’. The children who read about it wondered what the dish could be.

Lines 62-69
Small children were fond of the stories of the famous English writer Beatrix Potter. The stories were about Mr Tod and his dirty dog, the squirrel Nutkin, the small pig named Bland or about Mrs Tiggy-Winkle. These stories were fascinating. They were about the camel’s getting the hump on his back or about the monkey losing the rear part of his hairy body. There was a story about Mr Toad, Mr Rat and Mr Mole.
Obviously these are the stories which fascinated all children before the invention of television.

Lines 70-79
Long ago, children used to read a lot of books. Therefore, the poet’s plea to parents is to throw away the television set and in its place on the wall install a bookshelf, and fill it with books. Children would protest, would be angry, could make dirty and angry faces, could cry loudly and might even bite, kick and hit the elders with sticks. Parents should ignore their reactions for their ultimate benefit.

Lines 80-85
The poet persuades parents to remove the television set without any fear. He assures them that their children having nothing to do would begin to feel the need to read something in about a week. Once they begin to read, they would take to reading voraciously.

Lines 86-93
The poet is in an assuring mood. He tells the parents that once the television set is removed and the children start reading books, the children would be so much enamoured of books that they would begin to wonder why they used to watch the stupid ‘machine’. They would find the television set ‘nauseating, foul and repulsive’. Later, they would love their parents for replacing the television set with books.

Television Poem Glossary

Lines 1-6
never let : never allow
install : fix/set
idiotic thing : (here) television. It is called ‘idiotic’ as it makes us idiots.

Lines 7-12
gaping : looking attentively for a long time/staring
loll : move or stand in a lazy manner
slop : spend time lazily
lounge about : sit or stand in a lazy manner
pop out : bulge outward (sign of complete tiredness)

Lines 13-21
hypnotised : highly influenced and controlled by its charm
absolutely : completely
ghastly : frightening
junk : useless stuff
still : silent
punch : box

lines 22-33
tot : small child
rots : decays
clogs and clutters : blocks the mind and fills it with useless thoughts
fantasy : something unreal
as soft as cheese : very pliable

Lines 34-41
darling : beloved
contented : satisfied
monster : demon (television is here called a demon for its wicked influence)

Lines 42-48
proceed : move forward
Great Scott! : an expression of surprise or disbelief
galore : in plenty
Gadzooks (=God’s hooks) : the nails on the cross – a kind of oath

Lines 49-61
cluttered up : crowded (in large number)
nursery : a room meant for young children
fantastic : marvellous
dragon : a mythical monster in the shape of a huge reptile having a lion’s claws, etc.
gypsies : wandering people
isles : islands
pirates : sea robbers
cannibals : those who eat human flesh
Penelope : the name of the wife of a great Greek hero Odysseus (here: the name of a dish named after Penelope)

Lines 62-69
Beatrix Potter : the name of a British writer famous for his animal stories
rotter : an unpleasant person
Pigling Bland : the story of a young pig written by Beatrix Potter
rump : the rear fleshy part of an animal
mole : an animal that lives underground

Lines 70-79
install : fix
lovely : beautiful
screams and yells : loud cries of protest

Lines 80-85
oh boy, oh boy! : exclamation of great surprise

Lines 86-93
watch : observe, notice
keen : eager
ridiculous : foolish
nauseating : disgusting
repulsive : hateful
kid : child

Television Poem Critical Appreciation

Title
The title of the poem ‘Television’ is very relevant and appropriate as the poem deals with various aspects connected with television. Dahl exhorts the parents not to allow their children to watch television. He enumerates several ill-effects of watching television. Then he proceeds to count the several benefits of reading books. He argues in favour of reading books. He looks upon television as ‘the idiot box’, as ‘a monster’, and as ‘a ridiculous machine’ and dubs it as ‘nauseating’, ‘foul’, ‘unclean’ and ‘repulsive’.

Modern Response
Dahl might seem to be exaggerating to the young viewers of television. However, his viewpoint has been endorsed by several eminent persons and study surveys. There are many homes without television sets. However, in our new technology age, even television set has been replaced by smart phones and other gadgets. Consequently, the habit of reading has been pushed further back. The new generation gets every type of knowledge from the Net or the television. Dahl’s warning, however true, has a few takers these days. But those who want to add wisdom to knowledge must go back to good old books. Books, traditional or non-traditional, are irreplaceable.

Television Poem Style and Literary Devices

Form and Structure
The poem consists of 93 lines and is fairly long in the modern context. It is not divided into separate units or segments. It is written in a free style simply because the poet’s main aim is to give a message, and not to create any special poetic effect. The looseness of form can only be justified keeping in view its didactic purpose.

Literary Devices

Rhyme Scheme
The poet uses rhyming couplets, with the exception in lines 31, 32 and 33, throughout the poem, and the rhyme scheme is aabb; as in these opening lines :

The most important thing we’ve learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set—

Rhetorical Devices

• The poet uses personification by giving human qualities to the television – the quality to kill something or devour something. That is why, the television is to him ‘a monster’, nauseating and repulsive.
• The poet uses apostrophe, a rhetorical device, while addressing his poem to the parents, an absent audience.

Figures of Speech

• The poet uses traditional metaphors as :
  (i) we saw/A dozen eyeballs on the floor
  (ii) this monster
• Only one simile occurs in the poem :
  HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE

Language
The poet uses almost the language of prose in writing this poem. He has avoided the use of figures of speech. The use of capital letters is made to put emphasis on the message. It is significant that the poet uses ‘we’ instead of T to underline the fact that what he wants to say is not merely his personal opinion, rather it is the opinion of a number of persons like him who are worried about the children’s habit of watching the television.

After Blenheim Poem Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. After Blenheim Poem is written by Robert Southey.

After Blenheim Poem Summary in English by Robert Southey

After Blenheim Poem About the Poet

Robert Southey (1774-1843) was born in Bristol and educated at Westminster School and Balliol College, Oxford. He visited Spain and Portugal. His poetry and literary criticism earned him the laureateship in 1813. Southey wrote a vast amount of prose and verse. He is now best known for his short pieces such as Inchcape Rock and The Holly Tree. He wrote a number of poems, plays, romances, letters and biographies. He was a prolific writer. He remained the Poet Laureate of England for thirty years from 1813 till his death in 1843.

His biographies on John Bunyan, John Wesley, William Cowper, Oliver Cromwell and Horatio Nelson (used for the script of the English film ‘Nelson’ in 1926) are well-known. His everlasting work is the children’s classic ‘The Story of the Three Bears’. Among his popular short poems are ‘The Scholar’, ‘The Battle of Blenheim’, ‘The Inchcape Rock’ and ‘Bishop Hatto’. Among his long narrative poems are ‘Madoe’ (1805), ‘The Curse of Kehama’ (1810), ‘Roderick, the Last of the Goths’ (1814) and ‘A Vision of Judgement’ (1821)

After Blenheim About the Poem

All about the Poem After Blenheim:
The poem ‘After Blenheim’ brings out the horrors of war. There is death and destruction everywhere. The English registered a grand victory over the French. Old Kaspar’s grandchildren fail to understand how a horrible war can be called a famous victory. The old man has no answer to this question.

‘After Blenheim’ brings out the horrors of war in a simple but ironic way. The battle of Blenheim was fought in 1704 in the village between the English and the Austrians on the one side and the French on the other side. The battle resulted in a grand victory of the English under the Duke of Marlbrough. In this battle, thousands of men were killed. Women became widows and children became orphans. The battle called war caused much ruin and destruction.

In the poem, written mostly in a dialogue form, the grandfather, Old Kaspar, calls the battle of Blenheim as a great victory. He praises the heroism of English soldiers. His grandchildren, Wilhelmine and Peterkin, who have discovered a human skull, 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.

After Blenheim Poem Theme

I. Horrors of War
‘After Blenheim’ uses an ironic structure to bring home the idea that war is horrible. Thousands of persons are killed, wounded or maimed. Houses are burnt down. People become homeless. Men, women and children suffer physical pain and mental anguish. Ordinary soldiers lay down their lives. War-heroes are praised. Victories are extolled. This is what happened in the war fought at Blenheim in 1704.

The English registered a grand victory over the French. The old man, Kaspar, describes the battle as a ‘famous victory’. His response towards the war is conventional. Only his grandchildren fail to understand how a destructive and evil thing like the war can be praised and hailed as omething grand and famous. The old man has no reply to his grandchild’s innocent question :
‘But what good came of it at last ?’

II. Generation Gap
Another theme that the poem seems to project is the difference between the viewpoints of the old and the new generation. The old men like Kaspar have no fresh thinking over almost anything. They are conventional and undaring. They are mostly guided by blind patriotism. On the other hand, the children’s responses to all things are simple, innocent and instinctive.

The two children in the poem have different line of thinking. They do not understand how their old grandfather could praise the war which was totally purposeless and destructive. The poem has an open ending. The old man continues to stick to his conventional opinion of war. He has no reply to the searching questions of his little grandchildren.

After Blenheim Poem Summary in English

War at Blenheim
The poem, referring to the famous battle of Blenheim fought in 1704, condemns blind patriotism and castigates all wars which only bring out horror, death and destruction. Written as a ballad, it tells us about the war fought at Blenheim in which the English, under the command of the Duke of Marlbrough, won a grand victory. By juxtaposing the opposite viewpoints it effectively conveys the horrors of all wars.

Death and Destruction in War
The poem opens on the scene of a summer evening. The old man Kaspar was sitting in the sun before his cottage door. His granddaughter Wilhelmine was playing beside him in the green grass. Her brother Peterkin brought home a large, round thing he had found while playing near a rivulet. He wanted to know what that thing was. The old man saw it and said that it was the skull of some man who must have been killed in the great ‘victory’ of Blenheim. He added that thousands of men were killed in the battle and that their skulls lay buried around everywhere there.

The children wanted to know about the war fought at Blenheim. They were eager to know why it was fought. Kaspar was puzzled and said that he only knew that the English defeated the French badly and that it was a ‘famous victory’. His father lived at Blenheim during the war. His own house was burnt down, and he had to flee with his family. He had no place to take shelter. The war caused widespread ruin and destruction in every part of the country. A large number of men, women and children were killed.

‘Famous’ Victory for England
After the battle was won, dead bodies were found rotting everywhere. It was a shocking sight. Kaspar, however, said that such things do happen in the war. People praised the Duke of Marlbrough and the Prince Eugene for having a grand victory. The little girl Wilhelmine could not help saying that the war was nothing but ‘a wicked thing’. Her grandfather, however, tried to correct her, saying with half conviction that it was ‘a famous victory’. He again repeated what he had said about the people’s acclaim of this victory and their praise of the English commanders. Little Peterkin wanted to know what good came out of the war. The grandfather had no other words to say than that it was a ‘famous victory’.

The repetition of the old man’s words ” ’twas a famous victory” builds up an ironic pitch to bring home the idea that war is horrible, ruinous and destructive.

After Blenheim Poem Stanza Wise Explanation

Stanza 1
The poem at once makes the setting of the story clear. It was a summer evening. An old man Kaspar having finished his day’s work was sitting before his cottage door. His little granddaughter Wilhelmine was playing near him on the green grass.

The situation described here is commonplace, familiar. Nothing is spectacular.

Stanza 2
The little girl Wilhelmine saw her brother Peterkin rolling something that was large and round. Peterkin had discovered the thing by the side of a rivulet while he was playing there. He came back home to know what that thing was.

Stanza 3
The old man Kaspar took it from Peterkin who stood expectantly for the answer. He looked at it, shook his head in sorrow and sighed. He said that it was somebody’s skull. The person must have died in the battle fought at Blenheim. He called the battle a ‘great victory’. Being a Bavarian, who sided with the English, he was proud of the victory won by the English.

Stanza 4
The old man added that he found a number of skulls in the garden because there were many skulls scattered there around. When he went to plough in his field, many skulls were dug out of the earth. It was so because thousands of men were killed in the battle of Blenheim. He again referred to the battle as a ‘great victory’, as it was something natural and to be proud of.

Stanza 5
The young Peterkin got anxious to know all about the incident. Wilhelmine, too, looked up with keen eyes. They wanted to know all about the war and what they fought each other for.

Stanza 6
Kaspar said that it was the English who completely defeated the French, but he was not sure as to what they fought for. He only repeated what the people generally said that it was a ‘famous victory’. It is clear that the response of the old man was only conventional, and not his own.

Stanza 7
The old man, Kaspar, continued to speak about the war. Pointing to the nearby stream, he said that his father used to live there at Blenheim. His house was burnt down and he was forced to run away, with his wife and child. He had no place to take shelter.

Stanza 8
The whole country, the old man said, was ruined far and wide with fire and sword. Many expectant mothers and new-born children died. Ironically, the old man added that such things do happen to win a grand victory.
People said that it was a ghastly sight after the battle was won. Thousands of dead bodies lay there rotting in the sun. The old man again remarked that such things do happen in the war, at every ‘famous victory’.

Stanza 10
Old Kaspar then showered praises on the Duke of Marlbrough and ‘good’ Prince Eugene who won the war for the English. Little Wilhelmine’s shocking response was instinctive. She remarked in disgust that the war was the most wicked thing. She could not tolerate the old man’s praise of the war. Her grandfather, Kaspar, weakly asserted that she was wrong and it was indeed a ‘famous victory’.

It is here in this stanza that the poet brings about a confrontation between the conventional and instinctive responses to war. The old man’s defence of war is conventional and unacceptable, whereas the child’s innocent condemnation of war is a natural and instinctive response, and brings about the reality of the wicked thing called a ‘famous victory’ by the old man.

Stanza 11
Old Kaspar again referred to the public praise for the glorious victory won by the Duke of Marlbrough at Blenheim. Little Peterkin, like his sister, failed to appreciate the views about the war. He wanted to know what good at last came out of the war. The old man was puzzled and said that he could not tell that but asserted parrot-like that it was ‘a famous victory’.

After Blenheim Poem Glossary

Stanza 1
sported : played
on the green : on the green grass

Stanza 2
roll : play by rotating or revolving something
something large and round : (here) refers to a large, round human skull
rivulet : stream

Stanza 3
it : the skull
expectant : expecting a reply
shook his head : expressed sorrow by shaking the head
natural : instinctive
great victory : (here) grand victory won by the English over the French at the battle of Blenheim in 1704

Stanza 4
them : skulls
ploughshare : ploughpin that cuts the soil
slain : killed

Stanza 5
’twas all about : all about the war
wonder-waiting eyes : surprised, waiting for the reply

Stanza 6
put to rout : defeated completely
make out : understand

Stanza 7
hard by : quite near
dwelling : house
forced to fly : made to run away
fled : ran away

Stanza 8
fire and sword : arson and murder
wasted : destroyed, ruined
far and wide : upto great distance, spread over wide area
childing mother : expectant mother
shocking sight : disgusting scene
after the field was won: after the battle was won
rotting : decaying, perishing

Stanza 10
the Duke of Marlbro’ : the Duke of Marlbrough, the English commander
wicked : evil, sinful

Stanza 11
‘what good came of it’ : what was the good out-come of the war

After Blenheim Poem Critical Appreciation

Historical Background
The poem ‘After Blenheim’ has a historical background. A battle was fought between the English and the French at a small village called Blenheim in 1704. The English who fought and won the battle were assisted by the Austrians and Bavarians. The English fought under the command of the Duke of Marlbrough.

Title
The title of the poem ‘After Blenheim’ is very appropriate as the poet discusses the aftermath of the battle fought at a small village Blenheim between the English and the French.

Anti-war poem
It is obvious that any anti-war poem succeeds in its effect only when it deals with the human aspects of the war. It has to be indirect in projecting any anti-war stance. A direct condemnation of war becomes ineffective. Patriotic sentiments are bound to belittle any clear, logical perception of victory won by your side.

So Robert Southey chooses an incident from a simple household to express his response to the war and its victims. By using a simple response of two innocent children to the war he evokes pity for the victims and hatred for the war. This technique is employed by many later- day poets who wanted to register their opposition to the horrors of war. One is reminded of the dramatic technique employed by Thomas Hardy in his poem ‘The Man He Killed’, a powerful anti-war poem, to convey the uselessness of all wars :

Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You’d treat if met where any bar is,
Or help to half a crown.

After Blenheim Poem Style and Literary Devices

Form
‘After Blenheim’ is a ballad. It is a simple tale involving a conversation between an old man and his two little grandchildren. It begins abruptly, without any attempt at a systematic introduction : .

It was a summer evening,
Old Kaspar’s work was done,
And he before his cottage door
Was sitting in the sun,
And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.

The situation is slowly made clear after another little grandchild of Old Kaspar comes home with a human skull.

Like any other ballad, it is impersonal. There is no attempt to show the writer’s identity or personality. It keeps up the suspense, as is necessary in any tale. The open-ending makes it truly objective, though it makes it powerful in its anti-war stance simultaneously. The clash between the opposed viewpoints brought through dialogue works effectively in the tale.

Literary Devices

Rhyme
The poem has 11 stanzas. Each stanza consists of 6 lines, and incorporates a quatrain and a couplet. The quatrain has the rhyme scheme : abcb. The couplet is sometimes interlinked with the quatrain (as in the second stanza, beginning with ‘She saw her brother Peterkin….’) or forms a separate unit, as in stanza 1 :

And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.

Here the last two words in the couplet do not rhyme with any rhyming word in the quatrain.

Repetition
Repetition of keywords and phrases is natural in a ballad. It is used to put emphasis on some idea/feeling. Old Kaspar repeatedly describes the horrible battle as ‘the great victory’ or ‘a famous victory’. This repetition brings out effectively the destructive side of war in an ironic perspective.

Language
The language used in the poem is simple, straightforward and colloquial. The poet has avoided the use of figurative language in order to maintain the simplicity and innocence involved in the whole situation. Old Kaspar is a farmer. The other two characters are small children. The unadorned language suits them the most. Of course, the poet has varied the line length for dramatic effect. For example, the use of ellipses in stanza 10 effectively conveys the hesitation and lack of confidence on the part of the old man.

Irony
The poet makes use of irony in the poem to bring home the idea that war is horrible. The repetition of the old man’s words ” it was a famous victory” builds up an ironic pitch to point out that war is destructive.

The Bangle Sellers Poem Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. The Bangle Sellers Poem is written by Sarojini Naidu.

The Bangle Sellers Poem Summary in English by Sarojini Naidu

The Bangle Sellers Poem About the Poet

Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) was a freedom- fighter, states person and poet. She is known as the ‘Nightingale of India’ because of the beauty and melody of her poetry. She is, perhaps, the foremost among Indians who have written poetry in English, and no anthology of poetry is considered complete without some poems of Sarojini Naidu. She, invariably, chose Indian subjects and themes for her poems.

Some of her important works are – ‘Folk Songs’, ‘Songs of Love and Death’, ‘The Temple : A Pilgrimage of Love’, ‘The Queen’s Rival’, ‘The Golden Threshold.’

The Bangle Sellers About the Poem

All about the Poem The Bangle Sellers:
The Bangle Sellers’ is a poem of typical Indian scene and sensibility. The bangles are happy tokens of happy lives. They are meant for women of all ages.

‘The Bangle Sellers’ is one of her well-known poems. It is included in her collection of poems called The Bird of Time. It focuses our attention on the social, religious and symbolic value of bangles in Indian culture. No Indian widow is supposed to wear bangles. The wearing of bangles is suggestive of happiness, peace and prosperity. The newly weds wear bangles of different hues from those worn by unmarried girls.

The first stanza of the poem describes the brief, familiar setting of the poem : a group of bangle sellers is on the way to the temple fair to sell their bangles. The bangle sellers are poor, but they do not talk of their poverty. One of the bangle sellers tells us of each stage in an Indian woman’s life in terms of the longing for bangles of a particular colour. Each stanza, in fact, deals with each of the three stages in an Indian woman’s life : as a virgin girl, as an expectant bride and as a mature matriarch.

The Bangle Sellers Poem Theme

I. Womanhood
According to the poet, the life of an average Indian woman passes through three main stages- as a maiden, as a bride and as a mother. Each of this stage is described by the colour of bangles. Thus, the main theme of the poem is that the bangles are a part and parcel of a woman’s life in India. Each colour or type of the bangles represents each stage in her life. Silver and blue or pink represent the stage of maidenhood. Yellow (the morning of wedding), fiery red (passionate longings in the bride’s heart, symbolic of her bridal night) are representative of the girl’s wedding. Gold and grey colours represent motherhood and matriarchy.

II. Patriarchy
The poet has not directly referred to the role and dominance of males in a woman’s life. But there are enough hints of patriarchal set-up in the poem. A man, as father, husband and son(s), plays an important role in every stage of her life. The last four lines have been criticised as a tacit approval of patriarchal ideology by a woman poet :

Whose hands have cherished, whose love has blest,
And cradled fair sons on her faithful breast,
And serves her household in fruitful pride,
And worships the gods at her husband’s side.

By using ‘fair sons’ the poet has only upheld the gender discrimination in Indian families. The last line, too, shows woman’s insubordination by her husband. Even if the idea is factual or ironic, it only goes to favour a set-up in which women are mere objects to be placed in fixed boxes.

The Bangle Sellers Poem Summary in English

Bangle Sellers
The poem ‘The Bangle Sellers’ deals with a group of bangle sellers who go to the temple fair to sell their bangles to earn money. It depicts a typical Indian scene and its sensibility.

It is divided into four stanzas of six lines each. The speaker is one of the group of bangle sellers going to a temple fair to sell their bangles. In the first two lines, the life of these poor bangle sellers carrying the load of shining bangles is made clear. By using the phrase ‘shining load’ the poet means to convey the happiness of these bangle sellers despite the toil involved in the work which does not give them money enough for a comfortable living.

The next two lines are in the form of the bangle sellers’ cry for the buyers to come and buy their goods. Their bangles are happy tokens of happy lives. They are meant for happy virgins and happy married women. In Indian culture, widows are forbidden to wear bangles (at least this was the practice in the past).

Bangles for the Maiden
The narrator uses beautiful imagery to describe bangles for the maiden’s wrist. For the unmarried girl lost in the dreams of a happy marriage there are bangles of misty silver, blue, pink and green colours. The young unmarried girl is implicitly described by the poet as a bud that dreams. The similes used come from the world of nature :

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.

Bangles for the Bride
The bride has strong longings and passion in her heart. The bangles that are suitable for her look like corn fields. They are golden yellow and even fiery red. Both these colours are symbolic of love and passion. The poet describes the period of woman at this stage as full of expectations and nervousness. The bride is happy at her marriage but is also sorrowful at the thought of her separation from her parents. She is as beautiful and tender as her bangles.

Bangles for the middle-aged housewife
Finally, there is the proud, middle-aged housewife who has successfully reared her sons, served her household and hence has the place of pride by the side of her husband at all the religious ceremonies. The bangles suitable for her are purple and gold flecked grey.

The Bangle Sellers Poem Stanza Wise Explanation

Stanza 1
The first stanza makes it clear that a group of bangle sellers are on their way to a temple fair so that they could make some money by selling bangles. Though they have carried the loads of bangles, they are not unhappy. That is why, the load of bangles, to them, are ‘shining loads’ meant for ‘happy’ daughters and wives. The multi-coloured bangles are beautifully described as ‘rainbow-tinted circles of light’. By repeating the word ‘happy’ the poet has emphasised the human element of the product. The daughters who expect to be married soon wear bangles to express their happy longings. The wives who wear bangles express their happiness and contentment in their marital life.

Stanza 2
The second stanza describes the bangles of various colours. Some of the bangles are silvery and blue and as misty as mountain mist. They are meant for the virgin girl who has countless longings for her married life. Some are as pink as buds that bloom on the calm surface of a forest stream. Some of these bangles are shining green whose freshness is close to the vivid beauty of the new born, tender leaves. All these kinds of bangles are suitable for unmarried girls. Their colours express their tender longings.

Stanza 3
In the third stanza, the narrator says that they have yellow bangles which look like corn fields. They are suitable for a bride on her marriage morning. Some fiery red bangles are like the flame of her marriage fire. They are expressive of the passion in her heart. They create a light ringing sound as the bride walks. They are shining and delicate, as the laughter of the bride (as she is getting married) or her tear (as she weeps at the separation from her parents).

Stanza 4
The fourth stanza describes the bangles meant for housewives or mothers who have given birth to their children. Some of these bangles are purple in colour and some are gold-flecked grey. All these bangles are meant for the married woman who is middle-aged, and whose hands have cared, loved, blessed and brought up her fair sons, and who has proudly served her family and has the honour of sitting by her husband’s side at religious ceremonies.

The Bangle Sellers Poem Glossary

Stanza 1
shining loads : refer to the loads of bangles which the bangle sellers carry happily
rainbow-tinted circles : bangles of different colours in the rainbow
lustrous tokens : bright signs
radiant lives : happy, prosperous lives

Stanza 2
meet : suitable
maiden : young unmarried girl
flushed : red coloured
buds : flowers still in bloom, not fully open, referring to virgin girls
tranquil : calm
woodland stream : stream in a forest
aglow : shining
cleaves : sticks closely to
limpid glory : clear beauty
new born leaves : here bangles of green colour are compared to the new born leaves

Stanza 3
sunlit corn : corn shining in the sun, referring to corn- coloured bangles (shining yellow)
bridal morn : the morning on which a girl is to become a bride
flame of her marriage fire : referring to fire-coloured bangles expressive of the passion in the heart of the bride
hue : colour
tinkling : creating a ringing sound (the use of onomatopoeia)
luminous : clear
tender : delicate
bridal laughter and bridal tear : refers to the bride’s happiness at her marriage and sorrow at the separation from her parents

Stanza 4
gold flecked grey : gold-covered grey coloured bangles, meant for housewives or mothers
life midway : middle-aged
cherished : enjoyed
blest : blessed
cradled : reared
at her husband’s side : a place of pride given in India to a woman after she has proved her worth as a daughter-in-law, wife and mother

The Bangle Sellers Poem Critical Appreciation

Title
The title of the poem is ‘The Bangle Sellers’, and we expect to read about the life of the bangle sellers. However, the poem refers obliquely to their life in the first two lines of the poem. We are told that a group of bangle sellers is on their way to a temple fair to sell their wares. They cannot be as ‘happy’ as they have been described in a life of poverty and deprivation. They can, of course, appear to be happy !

Excepting these two lines, we are told nothing of the bangle sellers. The narrator, one of the bangle sellers, may be man or woman— we have no clue to the gender. Most probably, the narrator is a woman. She only talks about the bangles of various colours, and colours which are cherished by women in different stages of their growth. Thus, the poem is about bangles, each colour of which represents each stage a woman crosses as a maiden, as a bride and as a mother.

Thus, the title of the poem is inapt. It could have been ‘bangles’ or any other suitable title.

Simplicity and Lyricism
There is no doubt that” ‘The Bangle Sellers’ is simple, evocative and lyrical. Its rhythm appeals to us at once. There are some beautiful expressions which are captivating :

• Rainbow-tinted circles of light
• tranquil brow of a woodland stream
• Lustrous tokens of radiant lives

Little Contemporary Value
Despite the poem’s evocative powers, it does not appeal to the modern reader. First, very few persons, at least in the urban areas, have ever seen the bangle sellers. Some very educated ladies have little or no charm left for old-fashioned bangles.

Moreover, the poet’s presentation of Indian scene and ethos is orthodox, almost in line with the outdated patriarchal ideology. The woman is presented as tender, weak, helpless and dependent. Man as father, husband and son determines her life. The image of the proud mother rearing her fair sons (no mention of daughters) and her hard-earned place at the side of her husband at religious rituals is unacceptable in our times of feminist outlook.

But the poem does have an appeal for the old, conservative and traditional people. It also has an appeal for those students of literature who love literary expressions.

The Bangle Sellers Poem Style and Literary Devices

Form
‘The Bangle Sellers’ is written in a lyric form. It is remarkable for its verbal melody. It is short and gives expression to the single emotion or feeling of happiness. Like any other good lyric, it is a well-knit poem, possessing a definite structure. It is divided into four stanzas. The first provides a setting and introduction. Each of the subsequent stanzas deals with one important stage in an Indian woman’s life.

The rhyme scheme followed in each stanza is : aabbcc, which is a couplet-form. It is mainly responsible for the melodious effect and fast rhythm.

Imagery
The poet has used effective colour imagery in the poem. For example, she chooses silver, blue and pink hues to represent maidenhood; yellow for the bridal morning and red or orange for the bridal night (representative of passionate longings in the heart of a bride); and purple and gold for motherhood to represent woman’s feelings of pride and fulfilment in her married life.

Most of the images come from the world of nature. Flowers, leaves, buds, streams, the sunlit corn, etc. have been used as comparisons. This is quite usual with the poets of Naidu’s age, at least in the Indian context. The radical modern- day imagery is missing in Naidu’s poems, and is perhaps unsuitable for her sensibility.

Literary Devices

Similes
Naidu is quite fond of using similes in her poetry. ‘The Bangle Sellers’ is no exception. In the second stanza, for instance, we have these similes:

• Silver and blue as the mountain mist
• Some are flushed like the buds that dream

There are three similes in the third stanza, using ‘like’:

1. Some are like fields of sunlit com
2. Some, like the flame of her marriage fire
3. Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear

Metaphors
Metaphors are also comparisons, but they are more compressed and direct; as,

1. ‘Rainbow-tinted circles of light’ – metaphor for bangles
2. ‘shining loads’ – metaphor for bundles of shining bangles
3. ‘flushed like the buds that dream’- metaphor for maidens lost in their dreams of marriage

Alliteration

• Or, rich with the hue of her heart’s desire (the sound ‘h’)
• Whose hands have cherished, whose love has blest (the sound ‘h’)

The Cold Within Poem Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. The Cold Within Poem is written by James Patrick Kinney.

The Cold Within Poem Summary in English by James Patrick Kinney

The Cold Within Poem About the Poet

James Patrick Kinney was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, in 1923. He is best known for his poem ‘The Cold Within’ which is a sort of a parable. It is quite strange that during his lifetime the poem was rejected by- many publishers. It was at last published in the January 2000 issue of Liquorian, a Catholic magazine, many years after the death of the poet.

Kinney has actually written many poems, of which some are noteworthy such as ‘A Better World’, ‘I Can’t Change You’, ‘Never Alone’, ‘The Secret of Life’, ‘Who am I ?’ and ‘Who’s To Blame’.

The Cold Within About the Poem

All about the Poem The Cold Within:
The Cold Within’ conveys a useful message. It points out that we must have tolerance and love for one another. We should be kind and generous towards our fellow human beings.

‘The Cold Within’ gives us a useful message through a little story. Six human beings found themselves trapped together in extreme cold. Their fire – their only hope of survival in the cold – was fast dying. Each one of them held a stick of wood. If any one of them gave up his or her stick to feed the dying fire, all of them had the chance to survive. But sadly, none of them was ready to oblige for one reason or the other. It was not the cold without but cold within which was sure to perish them.

This ‘cold within’ refers to lack of feelings for others — cruelty, indifference, hatred, so on and so forth. Like a good parable, the poem coveys the idea that we must tolerate, if not love, one another. We should be kind and generous towards our fellow human beings. We should not allow religion, colour or any other prejudice to become mean, selfish and even self-destructive.

The Cold Within Poem Theme

I. The Cold Within
The cold within refers to the lack of feelings for, or hatred of, others, which is nothing short of a cardinal sin. Many of us develop this coldness in our hearts out of some prejudice. This prejudice may relate to race, colour, caste, religion or region. It makes us mean, stingy, selfish, greedy or unkind.

In the poem The Cold Within’ six persons trapped together in extreme cold somewhere perish because of the one or the other prejudice. The coldness in their hearts rather than the coldness outdoors proves fatal to them. This group of six persons is near the fire which is fast dying. Each one knows that it is only the fire that can make them survive. Each has a stick of wood which can keep the fire burning. Ironically, no one is willing to give up his stick for one reason or the other. The result is their death by cold – the cold within. This is the major theme of the poem. The idea is that the coldness in man’s heart is a kind of death.

II. Holding on to Sins
Another theme of the poem can be : leading a life of sins. The poet shows that each one of us (represented by six ‘humans’) is afflicted with some kind of prejudice or sin (represented by the log of wood in each hand). The most obvious sins are of spite, stinginess, greed, revenge, etc. The poem shows that each person in the unlucky group holds on to his or her stick which should have been given to the dying fire. Had they given up their sticks – their sins – to be consumed by purifying fire, they might have survived, or might have gone to the other world without the burden of their sins. But they preferred to die with their sins in their minds. The poet gives a kind of message or warning to us when he refers to their tragic end :

Their logs held tight in death’s still hands
Was proof of human sin.
They did not die from the cold without
They died from the cold within.

The Cold Within Poem Summary in English

A didactic poem
The poem ‘The Cold Within’ is a didactic poem. Though simple and straightforward in style, it conveys a profound meaning. It conveys a noble message in the form of a parable. The message is suggestive.

Trapping of six human beings
The setting can be anywhere. Just by chance six human beings get trapped in bitter cold. They are all sitting near the dying fire, their only hope of survival. Each one of them has a stick of wood. If any one of them gives up the stick, it will keep the fire burning and all of them will survive. But sadly and strangely, each has a reason to hold his or her stick back.

Each human being holds back his stick
The first of the group is the woman who does not want to give her stick as it will save the black man’s life, whose face she has seen in the light of the fire. The second man holds back his stick as one of them he has noticed, does not belong to his religion. The third is a very poor man in tattered clothes. He holds back his stick thinking that it should not be used to warm the rich man among them. The fourth, a rich man, holds back his stick. He wants to keep his wealth away from the undeserving lazy poor persons. The fifth, the black man, is full of hatred for the white people. He wants to hurt the white somehow by holding back his stick. The last man of the group has his own reason to hold his stick back. As no one else is ready to renounce his stick, so he too will not. He thinks he will only give to those who give first.

All perish
So all of them perish not because of the coldness from the outdoors but because of the coldness in their hearts.

The Cold Within Poem Stanza Wise Explanation

Stanza 1
The poem opens on a dramatic note. It attracts our attention at once by peculiar use of diction. The poet says that ‘six humans’ get trapped by chance in a very bitter cold. He uses ‘human’ and ‘not people’ so as to refer to all human beings. The line-
Six humans trapped by happenstance
—is to be read carefully. Though the six persons were together in a situation which seems to have been arranged, even though it was accidental. That is why, the poet has used the word ‘happenstance’, an event that is arranged. The six persons were thus in a situation from which there was no escape. They were sitting near the fire which was fast dying. Each of them had a stick of wood. This is how it is told in the story. We later realize that the stick in each hand is the symbol of sin.

Stanza 2
The fire which was dying needed to be fed with logs of wood. The first of the group was the woman who was not ready to renounce her stick of wood to keep the fire burning because she had noticed that one of them was a black. She did not want to save the black. Thus, she acted out of her racial prejudice.

Stanza 3
The next one found in the group was a person not belonging to his religion. He could not persuade himself to give up his stick of wood to help a person of another religion. He suffered from intolerance.

Stanza 4
The third man was very poor. He was in tattered clothes. He was full of bitterness and envy for the rich. ‘He gave his coat a hitch’, which is suggestive of his tightness. He thought it would be unjust to give what little he had to help others who had more than he. So he held his stick back.

Stanza 5
The rich man continued to sit back, and think of the money he had, and how he could save it from the lazy poor. He did not want to give anything to the undeserving poor. Thus, he showed his greed and stinginess.

Stanza 6
The black man’s face showed how much revengeful he was. As the fire was dying, he thought he had the chance to hurt the white people by keeping his stick with him. He clearly suffered from the vice of spite.

Stanza 7
The last man in the group lacked generosity. As no one else had given his stick, he would also keep his stick with him. In fact, he did nothing except for gain.

Stanza 8
As the fire extinguished, all the persons died. They died not because of the cold outside but because of the cold within. They died because they were too selfish to help others. Each of them had a log still in his or her hand, suggesting that no one had renounced sinning, being unkind, for one reason or the other.

The Cold Within Poem Glossary

Stanza 1
trapped : caught in a difficult situation of no escape
happenstance : chance, (here) an event
which seems to be pre-arranged, and not accidental
possessed : had
stick of wood : small log of wood

Stanza 2
held…back : did not give up, kept
black : non-white

Stanza 3
not of his church : person of different religion
bring himself to give : force himself to give (something)

Stanza 4
tattered clothes : rags
gave his coat a hitch : tightened his coat, symbolic of his meanness
idle rich : the rich who do not work hard but thrive on the labour of the poor

Stanza 5
had in store : accumulated
lazy : one who shirks work
shiftless : without ambition to succeed in life, lazy

Stanza 6
bespoke : showed
spite : hatred

Stanza 7
forlorn : lonely
nought : nothing

Stanza 8
cold without : the cold out of doors
cold within : lack of human feelings like generosity; selflessness, kindness, etc.

The Cold Within Poem Critical Appreciation

Background
‘The Cold Within’ was considered to be a controversial poem and therefore it was not accepted for publication by the publishers. The writer got it published in a Catholic magazine named Liquorian. Since then it has received a lot of appreciation. Now it is considered one of the most inspirational poems of our times. It has appeared in countless church bulletins, websites and newspapers.

Setting
The poem, which is a parable, is set in the western part of Cincinnati, Ohio – a place where the blacks were simply hated and ignored in the times the poem refers to. There was a law which prohibited the blacks from appearing in public places after the dark, though it was repealed later.

Message
The poem is simple and straightforward. Nothing is complex or mysterious about it. It appeals to our heart forcefully. It asks us to give up all our prejudices. We should stop being unkind, ungenerous, greedy, revengeful or spiteful. If we do not give up our prejudices we are sure to hurt ourselves and others equally. Prejudices, which are sins, are’ self-destructive.

Title
The title of the poem ‘The Cold Within’ is simple, apt and suggestive. In the last stanza, the poet himself explains it. The coldness which we carry in our hearts is dangerous and fatal. It prevents us from reaching out to others, from helping and saving ourselves and others. It makes us lead a sinful life. The aptness of the title comes through the tragic end of the six persons who hold on to their sticks and let the life-saving fire go out in the deadly cold outside. They are consumed by the cold within their hearts.

The Cold Within Poem Style and Literary Devices

Form
The first stanza of the poem makes it clear that the narrator is going to tell a story of six humans trapped in a difficult situation – a situation from which there is no escape :

Six humans trapped by happenstance
In bleak and bitter cold.
Each one possessed a stick of wood
Or so the story’s told.

The poem is, in fact, a parable – a story with a moral. It is so because the narrator/the poet is trying to bring home a very important lesson to his audience. The end of the six persons from the coldness from within and not from without is a plea against harbouring prejudices or sins such as racism, envy, arrogance, revenge and greed.

Diction
As in a parable, the words used by the poet are simple, excepting the word ‘happenstance’ which may seem odd to the present generation. The word ‘happenstance’ is deliberately used to suggest that the situation in which six persons have been trapped is pre-arranged, even though it is accidental. There is no escape from it. The poet says :

Six humans trapped by happenstance
In bleak and bitter cold.

The word ‘humans’ in place of ‘people’ or ‘persons’ is purposeful. The word ‘humans’ endows to ‘six humans’ representative character.

The use of figurative language is simple but effective. For example, the line – ‘He gave his coat a hitch’ – shows that the poor man in tattered clothes is not generous but is jealous.

Literary Devices

Symbols
The use of symbols throughout the poem is almost self-explanatory. Log of wood in each hand is suggestive of sin. It becomes obvious that if logs are added to the dying fire, it will mean helping out someone other than one’s own self. If the logs are held back, as indeed they are, it means holding on to the sins even beyond death. Each person’s prejudice – envy, greed, revenge, spite, intolerance – is thus symbolically represented by the stick of wood in each hand.

The ‘cold within’ is a metaphor for lack of warmth, hard-heartedness, self-centredness, and inability to reach out to others. It is more dangerous than anything else.

Rhyme Scheme
Each stanza, having four lines, uses the rhyme scheme : abcb, which is an easy read. In each stanza, the second line rhymes with the fourth line. This pattern is regular and followed throughout the poem. This rhyme scheme helps the rhythm to be fast. The fast rhythm is in line with the theme of the poem – how fast greed, intolerance and arrogance can ruin you.

The Heart of a Tree Poem Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. The Heart of a Tree Poem is written by Henry Cuyler Bunner.

The Heart of a Tree Poem Summary in English by Henry Cuyler Bunner

The Heart of a Tree Poem About the Poet

Henry Cuyler Bunner was born in Oswego, New York, on August 3, 1851. He received his education in New York City. He gained a lot of popularity as the editor of the humour magazine called Puck. He wrote many short stories and novels. Among his famous novels are A Woman of Honor (1883), Airs from Arcady (1884), In Partnership (1884) and The Midge (1886).

His poetic works are Airs from A Ready and Elsewhere (1884), Rowen (1892) and Poems (1896). His poetry reveals a light play of imagination as also his command over poetic structure. He died on May 11, 1896.

The Heart of a Tree About the Poem

All about the Poem The Heart of a Tree:
The poem ‘The Heart of the Tree’ highlights the need of planting trees. The poet believes that a tree proves to be large hearted as it benefits all and sundry. It leaves a rich legacy for the coming generation.

The Heart of the Tree’ by Bunner focuses our attention on the value of planting a tree. We know that felling of trees has led to environmental disaster in our times. Divided into three stanzas, the poem tells us of the various benefits of planting a tree. Each stanza opens with the same question : ‘What does he plant who plants a tree ?’ The answer is provided by the poet himself.

He who plants a tree, plants many things : the gentle sunlight, free breezes, beauty, music and harmony. He ensures cool shade and tender rain. He leaves a rich legacy for the coming generations. He who plants a tree is conscious of the growth and development of his country. In other words, trees are our best bet for better environment and growth. They are symbolic of so many things.

The Heart of a Tree Poem Theme

‘The Heart of the Tree’ highlights the need of planting trees. The tree proves to be large- hearted as it benefits all and sundry. It has the ability to form the congenial atmosphere, being ‘a friend of sun and sky’. It creates beauty around. It shelters birds which delight us with their croonings in the evening. It creates music and harmony. One who plants a tree ensures cool shade in summer and gentle rain.

Moreover, a plant leaves a rich forest heritage. It proves to be useful to the coming generation. It binds the present with the future. It stands for good values like love and loyalty. One who plants a tree, in fact, plants growth and development of his country. He plants a new nation which ensures peace and prosperity in the whole world (‘from sea to sea’). Thus, planting a tree, according to the poet, has ecological, social and economic benefits.

The Heart of a Tree Poem Summary in English

Utilities of a Tree
The poem ‘The Heart of the Tree’ deals with the utilities and values of the trees. It comments on the relevance and importance of trees in the modem times. The poem opens with a question, which is repeated thrice : ‘What does he plant who plants a tree ?’ The poet himself provides the answer in metaphors. A tree is a friend of the sun and the sky. In other words, it ensures healthy environment. It ensures cool, free breezes. The place where it stands is akin to heaven. As it shelters birds, one can hear their sweet songs in twilights. So one who plants a tree creates a congenial atmosphere all around in which there is peace, comfort, beauty, music and harmony.

Benefits of a Tree
Then the poet goes on to enumerate several other benefits of planting a tree. A tree ensures cool shade for us in summer. It causes tender rains. It gives seeds and buds to bloom into flowers. A tree is a symbol of a forest’s heritage. It can serve us as a living legacy for the next generation. It is the symbol of joy for our future children. Thus, trees link our present and future.

Trees Ensure Growth
Then the poet says that he who plants a tree does a civic good. All his neighbours feel blessed and benefitted. It is he who ensures the growth of his country. In other words, a country’s growth and progress depends on the wealth of trees. He who plants a tree yearns for the welfare of his country. In fact, by planting a tree he plants a nation.

The Heart of a Tree Poem Stanza Wise Explanation

Stanza 1
The poet underlines the value of planting a tree. When a man plants a tree he plants many things. A tree is a friend of congenial atmosphere. It reduces air temperature and even purifies air by trapping dust, pollen and smoke. It ensures free gentle breezes. Thus, it is aptly described as ‘a friend of sun and sky’. It turns a place around it into heaven. The place where there are green trees is nothing short of heaven. He who plants a tree also ensures shelter for the birds whose sweet croonings in silent and happy twilights delight us. By planting a tree he ensures peace, harmony and comfort for himself and others.

Stanza 2
The poet once again repeats the question : ‘What does he plant who plants a tree ?’ The answer provided is simple. By planting a tree we ensure cool shade for us in summer and tender rains in all seasons, which are essential for our very existence. A tree gives us seeds which sprout, and buds which bloom in times to come. The poet describes a tree as ‘the forest’s heritage’ and ‘the harvest of a coming age’. It can serve us as a living legacy for the next generation. It provides many benefits in the times to come. It is, in fact, a link between us and our children.

Stanza 3
There are many other benefits of planting a tree. Good values like love and loyalty are planted when one plants and nurtures a tree. Planting a tree also does civic good. The tree benefits all the neighbours around. The poet emphasises the fact that a country’s growth and development depends upon its wealth of trees. One who plants a tree is conscious of this fact:
Who in the hollow of His hand
Holds all the growth of all our land—

The Heart of a Tree Poem Glossary

Stanza 1
breezes free : gentle winds that move with full freedom
shaft : a long narrow part of something (sunlight, for example)
towering : rising
anigh : near, close to
croon : gentle sweet song, a lullaby of a mother
hushed : silent
twilight : the period of time at the end of the day after the sun has just gone, down
treble : high tone

Stanza 2
tender : gentle, pleasant
days to be : times to come, future
fade and flush : fade out and then brighten up
heritage : history or tradition that lasts for years
harvest : reward
unborn eyes : unborn children

Stanza 3
sap : liquid in a plant that carries food to all parts
civic good : welfare of the people living in the same town or city
hollow : empty space
from sea to sea : all the world
stirs : arouses a feeling

The Heart of a Tree Poem Critical Appreciation

Title
The title of the poem ‘The Heart of the Tree’ is appropriate as the poem focuses on the values and utilities of a tree. The poet refers to the ‘heart’ of the tree – what kind of heart it possesses. It is kind, generous and magnanimous. It does not show any discrimination. It blesses all those who take care of it or even who neglect it. Wherever a tree is planted, it turns the place into heaven. That is why, the poet praises one who plants a tree :

He plants a friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty, towering high;
He plants a home to heaven anigh.

Contemporary Relevance
Though the poem was written many years ago when there was less concern about ecology and environment, it has a profound message for our generation. In our times forests are being decimated for building houses, roads and bridges. Trees seem to attract none. The poet draws our attention to what we do when we plant trees.

He rightly says that one who plants trees plants many things – beauty, peace, prosperity and good values. He says :

A nation’s growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.

Symbol of Peace
It is important to note that the tree is used as a symbol of whatever good there is in our life. It is a symbol of peace and prosperity. It ensures rewards of planting it even for unborn children.

The Heart of a Tree Poem Style and Literary Devices

Form
The poem is a lyric. It is relatively short, consisting of only three stanzas. Each stanza of 9 lines (called the Spenserian stanza) uses the rhyme ababbccaa, which is quite intricate, though it creates the required rhythm and music. Like a good lyric, it incorporates a single emotion. It appeals to our hearts at once :

What does he plant who plants a tree ?
He plants cool shade and tender rain,
And seed and bud of days to be,
And years that fade and flush again. Literary Devices

Metaphor
The poet describes the tree metaphorically as

• ‘a friend of sun and sky’
• ‘the flag of breezes free’
• ‘the forest’s heritage’
• ‘the harvest of a coming age’

Alliteration

• ‘He plants a friend of sun and sky’ (the sound ‘s’)
• ‘In hushed and happy twilight heard’ (the sound ‘h’)
• ‘And years that fade and flush again’ (the sound ‘f’)
• ‘He plants a home to heaven anigh’ (the sound ‘h’)

Imagery
Visual Images :

• The shaft of beauty, towering high
• The flag of breezes free

Auditory Image :

• For song and mother-croon of bird.

Symbol
A tree is used as a symbol of peace, growth, prosperity, beauty, goodness etc.

My Greatest Olympic Prize Story Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. My Greatest Olympic Prize is written by Jesse Owens.

My Greatest Olympic Prize Story Summary in English by Jesse Owens

My Greatest Olympic Prize About the Author

Jesse Owens was born on September 12, 1913 in Oakville, Alabama. He was known as The Buckeye Bullet’. In high school, he won three track and field events at the 1933 National Interscholastic Championships. Two years later, while competing for Ohio State University, he equalled one world record and broke three others. In 1936, Owens won four gold medals at the Olympic Games in Berlin.

At East Technical High School, Owens quickly made a name for himself as a nationally recognized sprinter, setting records in the 100 and 200-yard dashes as well as the long jump.

After graduating, Owens enrolled at the Ohio State University, where he continued to flourish as an athlete.

His dominance at the Big Ten games was at par for the course for Owens that year, which saw him win four events at the NCAA Championships, two events at the AAU Championships and three others at the Olympic trials. In all, Owens competed in 42 events that year, winning them all.

Jesse Owens, who smoked up to a pack of cigarettes a day for a good deal of his life, died of lung cancer in Tucson, Arizona, on March 31, 1980.

My Greatest Olympic Prize About the Story

All about the Story My Greatest Olympic Prize:
The story is about the true sportsmanship. Luz Long, the German athlete, gave a useful tip to his rival player Jesse Owens which helped him win the Gold Model at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936. He even congratulated Jesse.

The story ‘My Greatest Olympic Prize’ deals with the heart-touching experience of Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens. He was an American Negro. In those days, Adolf Hitler believed in Aryan-superiority theory. He thought that his German athletes belonged to a master’s race and they would perform better than other participants in the 1936 Olympics, Berlin. So nationalistic feelings were running high. The American Negro athlete Jesse Owens took six years of painful practice, purposely to break the theory of Hitler. He had already made a world record in long jump just in the last year. So he expected to win the gold medal easily this time.

Jesse Owens had trained, sweated and disciplined himself for six years with the Games in mind. When the time came, he was startled to see a tall boy hitting the pit at almost 26 feet on his practice leaps. He was a German named Luz Long. He was told that Hitler had kept him under wraps, evidently hoping to win the jump with him.

It was believed that an angry athlete would commit mistakes. He was angry with Hitler’s childish theory. So he committed mistakes. His performance in trial was very poor. This disturbed Jesse Owens very much.

Luz Long, the German athlete helped Jesse Owens. Though he was trained by Hitler, he didn’t believe in Hitler’s theory. Jesse was his opponent player but he was friendly with him and even helped him to get qualified for the final. He suggested to draw a line behind take-off board and to jump.

Luz Long broke his record in long jump. However, it was Jesse who won the gold medal by jumping 26 feet 5 5/16 inches. Luz Long congratulated him. Hitler glared at both of them from the stands not a hundred yards away. Luz shook his hand hard and it was not a ‘fake smile with a broken heart’. He was sincere in expressing his joy at his victory.

Coubertin, the founder of modern Olympic Games, said that the true spirit of Olympics was not winning but taking part. Luz Long did not win, but he was a good example of Olympic spirit. To Jesse Owens, the greatest Olympic prize was not the gold medal but his new and noble friendship with Luz Long.

My Greatest Olympic Prize Summary in English

The Olympic Games of 1936
The Olympic Games were scheduled to be held in Berlin in the summer of 1936. Adolf Hitler foolishly believed in Aryan-superiority theory. Because Adolf Hitler childishly insisted that his German performers were members of the ‘master race’, nationalistic feelings were at an all time high.

Jesse Owens and Luz Long
Jesse Owens was not too worried about all this. He had trained, sweated and disciplined himself for six years. With the Games in mind, while he was going over on the boat, all he could think about was taking home one or two of those gold medals. He had his special eye on the running broad jump. A year before, as a sophomore at Ohio State University, he had set the world’s record of 26 feet 8 1/4 inches.

Everyone expected him to win that Olympic event hands down. He was in for a surprise. When the time came for the broad-jump trials, he was startled to see a tall boy hitting the pit at almost 26 feet on his practice leaps ! He turned out to be a German named Luz Long. He was told that Hitler had kept him under wraps, evidently hoping to win the jump with him. He guessed that if Long won, it would add some new support to the Nazis’ Aryan-superiority theory. After all he was a Negro. A little hot under the collar about Hitler’s ways, he determined to go out there and really show Der Fuhrer and his master race who was superior and who wasn’t.

Jesse Owens’ Mistakes
Jesse Owens says that an angry athlete is an athlete who will make mistakes. Every coach tells this to everyone. He was no exception. On the first of his three qualifying jumps, he leaped from several inches beyond the take-off board for a foul. On the second jump, he fouled even worse. “Did I come 3000 miles for this ?” He thought bitterly. “To foul out of the trials and make a fool of myself.”

Meeting between Jesse Owens and Luz Long :
Walking a few yards from the pit, he kicked disgustedly at the dirt. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look into the friendly blue eyes of the tall German broad jumper. He had easily qualified for the finals on his first attempt. He offered him a firm handshake.

“Jesse Owens, I’m Luz Long. I don’t think we have met”. He spoke English well, though with a German twist to it.

“Glad to meet you,” Jesse Owens said. Then trying to hide his nervousness, he added, “How are you ?”

“I’m fine. The question is : How are you ?”

“What do you mean ?” Jesse asked.

“Something must be eating you,” he said – proud the way foreigners are when they’ve mastered a bit of American slang. “You should be able to qualify with your eyes closed.”

“Believe me, I know it”, Jesse told him – and it felt good to say that to someone.

For the next few minutes they talked together. He didn’t tell Long what was eating him, but he seemed to understand his anger, and he took pains to reassure him. Although he had been schooled in the Nazi youth movement, he didn’t believe in the Aryan-supremacy business any more than Jesse did. They laughed over the fact that he really looked the part, though. An inch taller than Jesse, he had a lean, muscular frame, clear blue eyes, blond hair and a strikingly handsome, chiselled face. Finally, seeing that he (Jesse) had calmed down somewhat, he pointed out to the take off board.

Long’s Suggestion to Jesse
“Look”, Long said. “Why don’t you draw a line a few inches in back of the board and aim at making your take off from there ? You will be sure not to foul, and you certainly ought to jump far enough to qualify. What does it matter if you’re not first in the trials ? Tomorrow is what counts.”

Suddenly all the tension seemed to ebb out of Jesse’s body as the truth of what he said hit him. Confidently he drew a line a full foot in back of the board and proceeded to jump from there. He qualified with almost a foot to spare.

Jesse Visits Long’s Room
That night Jesse walked over to Luz Long’s room in the Olympic village to thank him. Jesse knew that if it had not been for him he probably wouldn’t be jumping in the finals the following day. They sat in the quarters and talked for two hours – about track and field, themselves, the world situation, a dozen other things.

When he finally got up to leave, they both knew that a real friendship had been formed. Luz would go out to the field the next day trying to beat him (Jesse) if he could. But Jesse knew that he wanted him to do his best – even if that meant his (Jesse’s) winning.

Luz Congratulates Jesse
As it turned out, Luz broke his own past record. In doing so, he pushed him (Jesse) on to a peak performance. He remembered that at the instant he landed from his final jump – the one
which set the Olympic record of 26 feet 5 5/16 inches, he was at his (Jesse’s) side, congratulating him. Despite the fact that Hitler glared at them from the stands not a hundred yards away, Luz shook his hand hard-and it wasn’t a fake “smile with a broken heart” sort of grip, either.

Conclusion
“You can melt down all the gold medals and cups I have, and they couldn’t be a plating on the 24 – carat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment. I realized then, too, that Luz was the epitome of what Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, must have had in mind when he said, “The important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well” said Jesse Owens.

My Greatest Olympic Prize Word Notes and Explanations

sophomore : a student in the second year of a college
startled : surprised
wraps : covers
nervousness : anxiety
chiseled : clear and strong features of a person
tension : feeling of anxiety
glared : looked at angrily
epitome : embodiment

My Greatest Olympic Prize Theme

In this lesson ‘My Greatest Olympic Prize’ Jesse Owens reiterates what Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, said, ”The important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting”.

The lesson relates the heart-touching experience of Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens. Adolf Hitler believed in Aryan-superiority theory. He thought that his German athletes belonged to a master’s race and they would perform better than other participants in the 1936 Olympics, Berlin. So nationalistic feelings were running high. The American Negro athlete Jesse Owens took six years of painful practice, purposely to break the theory of Hitler. He had already made a world record in long jump just in the last year. So he expected to win the gold medal easily this time.

It was believed that an angry athlete would commit mistakes. Jesse was angry with Hitler’s childish Aryan theory. So he committed mistakes. His performance in trial was very poor. But Luz Long, a tall German long jumper, did not believe in Hitler’s theory. He was Jesse’s opponent player but he was friendly with him and even helped him to get qualified for the finals. He suggested to him to draw a line behind take-off board and then to jump. Jesse won the gold medal by jumping 26 feet 5 5/16 inches. Luz Long congratulated him by shaking his hand. Hitler glared at both of them.

Thus the theme of the lesson is that the true spirit of Olympics is not winning but taking part. Luz Long did not win but he was a good example of Olympic spirit. Long’s congratulating Owens on his victory was of greater value to Owens than the gold medal itself. Owens felt that nothing could equalize the friendship that formed between the two.

My Greatest Olympic Prize Title

The title of the lesson ‘My Greatest Olympic Prize’ is very apt because Jesse Owens, the American Negro athlete who participated in the 1936 Olympic Games, held at Berlin, narrates his own experience. He narrates that at that time Hitler believed in the Aryan-superiority theory. He thought that his German athletes belonged to a master’s race and they would perform better than the other participants in the 1936 Olympics.

Jesse Owens took six years of painful practice, purposely to break the theory of Hitler. He relates that Luz Long, a tall German long jumper, trained by Hitler, was his opponent player. He did not believe in Hitler’s theory. Both participated in the running broad jump event. Jesse Owens won the gold medal. But Luz Long, who was a true sportsman, did not feel jealous of him. Rather, he congratulated him by shaking hands with him. Thus Jesse Owens broke the theory of Hitler by winning the gold medal at the Olympics.

My Greatest Olympic Prize Message

In this lesson, ‘My Greatest Olympic Prize’, Jesse Owens, the American Negro athlete reiterates what Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, said, “The important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting”. This message is the outcome of the experience of Jesse Owens that he had in the Olympic Games of 1936. Jesse Owens was the Olympic gold medalist.

Adolf Hitler thought that his German athletes belonged to a master’s race and they would perform better than the other participants in the 1936 Olympics, Berlin. So nationalistic feelings were running high at that time. The American Negro athlete took six years of painful practice purposely to break Hitler’s theory. Jesse Owens participated in the Olympic Games. He committed mistakes and his performance in trial was very poor. But Luz long, a tall German long jumper, did not believe in Hitler’s theory. He was Jesse’s opponent player but he was friendly with Jesse and even helped him to get qualified for the finals. When Jesse
won the gold medal by jumping 26 feet 5 5/16 inches, Long congratulated him by shaking his hand. Hitler glared at both of them. Thus the message of the lesson is that the true spirit of Olympics is not winning but taking part.

My Greatest Olympic Prize Character Sketch

1. LUZ LONG

• a tall German athlete
• lean, mascular frame
• did not believe in Hitler’s theory
• a true sportsman
• no inhibitions in giving tips to his rivals
• saw his rivals as friends
• a good human being
• genuinely happy at Jesse’s victory
• without the feeling of jealousy
• true friend of Jesse

Luz Long, the German athlete, had a lean but mascular frame. He was tall and handsome. He had clear blue eyes and blond hair and chiseled face. Though he was trained in the Nazi Youth School, he did not possess the sly characteristics of Nazis. He did not believe in Hitler’s childish theory that his performers were members of the master race and so would perform better than the others in the Olympic Games.

Hitler had kept him under wraps, evidently hoping to win the jump with him. Though Long knew the pressure on him, he did not lose the spirit of a true sportsman. He had no inhibitions in giving his rival a very important tip, even though it could have meant his failure. He told him, “Why don’t you draw a line a few inches in back of the board and aim at making your take off from there ?” He saw his rival as a friend. He was a very good human being and had nothing to hide.

When Jesse visited his room in the Olympic village, he welcomed him and they talked for two hours and shared their views about track and field, themselves, the world situation and a dozen other things. His intentions were clear and he had come to participate, and winning to him was just a matter of effort. He was genuinely happy when Owens won the gold medal. Long congratulated him without feeling a pang of jealousy. His selflessness proved that he was an epitome of goodness and true sportsmanship. His congratulating Owens on his victory was of greater value to Owens than the gold medal itself. Owens felt that nothing could equalize the friendship that formed between the two.

2. JESSE OWENS

• an American Negro athlete
• trained himself for six years to participate in Olympics
• already made a world record in long jump
• initially angry against the German athletes
• soon realized his mistakes
• chance meeting with Luz Long
• did not believe in Hitler’s theory
• became friendly with Luz Long
• visited Luz’s room
• won gold medal by jumping 26 feet 5 5/16 inches.

Jesse Owens, an American Negro athlete, participated in the Olympic Games which were held in 1936, in Berlin. He had trained, sweated and disciplined himself for six years in order to participate in the games. Hitler believed in Aryan- superiority theory and thought that his German athletes belonged to a master’s race and they would perform better than the other participants in the 1936 Olympics. Jesse took six years of painful practice, purposely to break the theory of Hitler. He had already made a world record in long jump in the last year. So he expected to win the gold medal easily this time.

His anger against the German athletes made him commit two mistakes. On the first of his three qualifying jumps, he leaped from several inches beyond the take-off board for a foul. On the second jump, he fouled even worse. But soon he realized his mistakes. “Did I come 3000 miles for this ?” he thought bitterly. “To foul out of the trials and make a fool of myself ?” He was so disgusted that he kicked the pit in anger. But the German Luz Long performed well. He was qualified for the final. This disturbed Jesse very much.

A chance meeting with Luz Long, a German athlete, who did not believe in Hitler’s theory of Aryan-superiority, calmed him down. He became friendly with Luz Long. Luz gave him a suggestion, “Look, why don’t you draw a line a few inches in back of the board and aim at making your take-off from there ?” Jesse accepted his suggestion. He qualified with almost a foot to spare. He, then, visited Luz’s room in the Olympic village to thank him. They became good friends. They talked for two hours about track and field, the world situation and a dozen other things. Jesse won the gold medal by jumping 26 feet 5 5/16 inches. To Jesse Owens, the greatest Olympic prize was not gold medal but his new and noble friendship with Luz Long.

My Greatest Olympic Prize Critical Appreciation

First Person Narrative
In this lesson, Jesse Owens, the Negro American athlete, is the narrator. He narrates his own experience in the first person at the Berlin 1936 Olympics. He says, “It was the summer of 1936. The Olympic Games were being held in Berlin. Because Hitler childishly insisted that his performers were members of a ‘master race’, nationalistic feelings were at an all-time high. I wasn’t too worried about all this. I’d trained, sweated and disciplined myself for six years with the Games in mind ………… I had my eye specially on the running broad jump ………. On the first of my three qualifying jumps, I leaped from several inches beyond the take-off board for a foul ………. I remember that at the instant I landed from my final jump, he (Luz Long) was at my side congratulating me ……….”

True Sporting Spirit
Luz Long, the German athlete, noticing a world record holder pathetically fouling, understood the reason behind it. Without hesitation, despite being the opponent of Jesse, he extended a hand of friendship to Jesse Owens. Long was expected to beat Owens in the finals. His being friendly with Owens would result in angering his leader. Without paying heed to that he gave his rival crucial tips to avoid fouling. Jesse Owens accepted his suggestion. He won the gold medal by jumping 26 feet 5 5/16 inches. Thus Luz Long exemplified the true sporting spirit.

The Blue Bead Story Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. The Blue Bead is written by Norah Burke.

The Blue Bead Story Summary in English by Norah Burke

The Blue Bead About the Author

Norah Burke was born on August 2, 1907 at Bedford. She was a well known novelist and a famous non-fiction writer.Her father, Redmond St. George Burke, was a Forest Officer in India and her early childhood was spent travelling through the Indian forests, often on elephant back. The Indian jungle and her interactions with its wild animals inspired her autobiographical travel books – Jungle Child (1956), Eleven Leopards (1965), and Midnight Forests (1966). She also wrote a short story “Journey By Night.”

Norah Burke was also an enthusiastic travel writer, relating many of her early adventures in autobiographical travel books – Jungle Child, Tiger Country and Eleven Leopards. She also wrote about wildlife in King Todd (1963), Fire in the Forest arid the Midnight Forest (1966) and numerous short stories. She collaborated with her father on his book of big game hunting and camp life in the Indian jungles, Jungle Days (1935).

She married Henry Humphrey R. Methwold Walrond (1904-1987), a lawyer, and had two sons. She lived for many years at Thorne Court, in Cockfield, near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffollk. She died in 1976.

The Blue Bead About the Story

The story is about the heroic deed of a twelve years old girl Sibia who saves the life of a Gujar woman from a crocodile. But she does not bray about her bravery. She only shows her fondness for a blue bead.

The story The Blue Bead’ depicts the courage and determination of a twelve years old Indian girl who saves the life of a Gujar woman from the crocodile.

It revolves around Sibia, the young girl, who is marked for work. Since her childhood, she had husked corn, gathered sticks and put dung to dry, cooked food and cut grass for fodder. She was going with her mother and some other women to get paper grass from the cliffs above the river, which they sold to the agent who despatched it to the paper mills.

The women followed the dusky track towards the river. On the way they passed a Gujar encampment of grass huts where the nomadic graziers lived. The Gujars were junglis, as Sibia was, too, born and bred in the forest. The women reached the river. They came out on the shore and made for the stepping stones. They shouted as they quarrelled above the gush of the rivers. Noise frightens crocodiles. The big crocodile did not move, and all the women crossed in safety to the other bank. Here they had to climb a still hillside to get at the grass.

Down below there ran the river. Great turtles and crocodiles lived there. Now it was time for the women to return to their homes. The loaded women set out to cross the river. Sibia hung back to see the clay cups. The women crossed the river safely. Silence fell.

Sibia put her big load down on a big boulder. At the same time a Gujar woman came to get good clear water in her two pitchers. She walked into the stepping stone. She was within a yard of the crocodile when he lunged at her. The woman screamed and dropped both brass pots with a clutter on the boulder. The Gujar woman recoiled from the crocodile, but his jaws closed on her leg at the same moment as she slipped and fell on the bone breaking stone, and clutched one of the timber logs to save herself.

The log jammed between two boulders with the woman clinging to it and screaming while the crocodile pulled on her leg and tried to carry her off into the depth of the pool. Blood spread everywhere. Sibia sprang. She aimed at the reptile’s eyes. With all the force of her little body, she drove the hayfork at the eyes and the crocodile reared up in convulsion and then disappeared. Sibia got her arms round the fainting woman and somehow dragged her from the water.

She saved the woman’s life from the crocodile. Then she put sand on her wounds and bound them with rag and took her to her home in the Gujar encament. Thus she displayed her fearlessness in saving the life of a Gujar woman from the crocodile.

The Blue Bead Summary in English

In the beginning of the story ‘The Blue Bead’, the writer gives a detailed description of the crocodile before she introduces a twelve year old Indian girl named Sibia to the readers.

The crocodile lived in a great Indian river. He was twice the length of a tall man. The crocodile rested in the glassy shallows, among logs and balanced there on tiptoe on the rippled sand. The crocodile, blackish brown above and yellow white under, lay motionless, able to wait forever till food came. He was a ferocious and formidable animal. His mouth was closed and fixed in that evil bony smile. Escaping the birds of prey and the great carnivorous fishes that ate baby crocodiles, he had prospered, catching all the food he needed, and storing it till putrid in holes in the bank. Tepid water to live in and plenty of rotten food grew him to his great length.

The big crocodile fed mostly on fish, but also on deer and monkeys, which came to drink, perhaps a duck or two. And sometimes he went to the burning ghats and found the half-burned bodies of Indians cast into the stream. Beside him in the shoals as he lay waiting glimmered a blue gem. It was not a gem, though, it was sand- worn glass that had been rolling about in the river for a long time. By chance it was perforated right through – the neck of a bottle perhaps ? – a blue bead.

Sibia’s poor life
In a village there lived a little girl in a mud house. She came out of her mud house after eating her last meal. She was dressed in an earthen-coloured rag. She was twelve years old girl and had great eyes and ebony hair. She was barefoot and born to toil. She was poor and had never owned anything but a rag. She had never owned even one anna. She knew what finery was, though.

Sibia’s visit to the bazaar
She had been with her parents and brothers all through the jungle to the little town at the railhead where there was a bazaar. She had visited the bazaar and liked several things in the bazaar. She had stood before the sweetmeat stall to gaze at the brilliant confections. She had stood before the cloth shop and liked satin with real silver thread. She had seen the tin trays and a sari which had got chips of looking glass embroidered in the border. She liked them. She had seen several other wonderful things of the world in the bazaar, but there was no end to the wonders of the world.

Sibia’s hard life
Sibia, the poor girl, was marked for work. During her childhood, she husked corn, gathered sticks and put dung to dry, cooked food and cut grass for fodder. She was going with her mother and some other women to get paper grass from the cliffs above the river, to sell it to the agent who would dispatch it to the paper mills.

The Gujars
The women followed the dusky track towards the river. On their way they passed a Gujar encampment of grass huts where the nomadic graziers lived. Sibia glanced at the Gujar woman as she went past. They wore trousers, tight and wrinkled at the ankles, and in their ears large silver rings made out of melted rupees. The men and boys were out of camp just now with the herd or gone to the bazaar to sell produce. The Gujars were junglis, as Sibia was, too, born and bred in the forest.

The women reached the river and could hear it rushing along. They came out on the shore and made for the stepping stones. They had plenty to laugh and bicker about. They shouted above the gush of the river. Noise frightens crocodiles. The big crocodile did not move, and all the women crossed in safety to the other bank. Here they had to climb a still hillside to get at the grass.

The river and the women
Down below, there ran the broad river. Great turtles lived there. Crocodiles too lived there. Sometimes they could be seen lying on the slabs of clay. Now it was time for the women to go back to see to their animals and the evening meal. The loaded women set out to cross the river again. Sibia hung back to see the clay cups. The women crossed the river safely.

Gujar woman’s struggle with crocodile
Sibia came down alone on the stepping stones. She stepped on to the first stone. When she was halfway over, she put her load down on a big boulder to rest. At the same moment a Gujar woman came down with two pitchers to the water on the other side. In order to get the good clear water, she walked onto the stepping stones. She was within a yard of the crocodile when he lunged at her. The woman screamed, dropped both brass pots with a clatter on the boulder, and Sibia saw them bob away in the current.

The Gujar woman recoiled from the crocodile, but his jaws closed on her leg at the same moment as she slipped and fell on the bone breaking stone. She clutched one of the timber logs to save herself. The log jammed between pvo boulders with the woman clinging to it and screaming, while the crocodile pulled on her leg, trying to carry her off into the depths of the pool. Blood spread everywhere. Sibia sprang. From boulder to boulder she came leaping like a rock goat and in one moment she was beside the shrieking woman. The crocodile’s eyes rolled on to Sibia. One slap of tail could kill her. He struck up. Up shot the water, twenty feet, and fell like a silver chain.

Sibia’s attack on the crocodile
Sibia aimed at the reptile’s eyes with all the force of her little body. She drove the hayfork at the eyes, and one prong went in, while its pair scratched past on the horny cheek. The crocodile reared up in convulsion and then disappeared. Sibia got her arms round the fainting woman and somehow dragged her from the water. She stopped her wounds with sand and bound them with a rag, and helped her home to the Gujar encampment where the men made a litter to carry her to someone for treatment. Then Sibia went back for her grass and sickle and fork. She gathered all the things and set off home.

On the way back she met her anxious mother who was worried about the safety of her daughter. She had thought that something must have happened to her daughter. But, Sibia bursting with her story, cried, “Something did ! I found a blue bead for my necklace, look !”

The Blue Bead Word Notes and Explanations

swallowed : made food go down the throat
sleepers : heavy pieces of wood
jostled : pushed roughly
cliffs : rocks
trilling : making high sound
juggernaut : any large destructive force
ferocious : violent / savage
formidable : impressive/ powerful
parasites : small animals that get their food from others
milling : people moving in large number
lunged : moved forward/ attacked
shipped : moved forward
dazzle : impress
encampment : a group of tents
clinking : making sharp sound
pastoral : rural
sickle : a tool with a curved blade
dawdle : to take a long time to go
clatter : to make a sound
convulsion : fit/shaking movement of body
dragged : pulled
wobbling : moving from side to side in an unsteady manner
smudged : smeared
wriggle : twist or turn your body
morose : sad
scolding : rebuke
bead : a small piece of glass

The Blue Bead Theme

In this story The Blue Bead’, Norah Burke depicts the courage, confidence and determination of a twelve years old Indian girl who saves the life of a Gujar woman from the crocodile. She struggles with the crocodile in a heroic manner and defeats the crocodile.

The story conveys the idea that we do not need super powers to help others, we need to toughen up to help others. Sibia, the young girl, displays rare courage and presence of mind to save the Gujar woman from the crocodile.

Sibia is a village young girl who is marked for work since her childhood. Since her childhood, she had husked corn, gathered sticks and put dung to dry, cooked food and cut grass for fodder. She was going with her mother and other women to get paper grass from the cliffs above the river. On the way they pass a Gujar encampment of grass huts where the nomadic graziers lived. The women reached the river. They came out on the shore and made for stepping stones. They shouted above the gush of the river. Noise frightens crocodiles. The big crocodile did not move and all the women crossed in safety to the other bank. Here they had to climb a still hillside to get at the grass.

Down below there ran the river. Great turtles and crocodiles lived there. Now it was time for the women to return to their homes. The loaded women set out to cross the river. Sibia hung back to see the clay cups. The women crossed the river safely. Silence fell.

Sibia put her big load down on a boulder. At the same time a Gujar woman came to get clear water in her two pitchers. She walked into the stepping stone. She was within a yard of the crocodile when he lunged at her. The woman screamed and dropped both the brass pots. The Gujar woman recoiled from the crocodile but his jaws closed on her leg at the same moment as she slipped and fell on the stone and clinched one of the timber logs to save herself. The log jammed between two boulders with the woman clinging to it and screaming while the crocodile pulled on her leg and tried to carry her off into the depth of the pool. Blood spread everywhere. Sibia sprang. She aimed at the reptile’s eyes. With all the force of her little body, she drove the hayfork at the eyes of the crocodile and the crocodile reared up in convulsion and then disapeared. She dragged the woman out from the water and saved her life.

This shows that Sibia is a bold, selfless and helpful girl. She is simple and modest and does not brag about her act of bravery. The story reflects the idea that, like Sibia, we should also do selfless deeds to help others.

The Blue Bead Title

The title of the story ‘The Blue Bead’ seems to be misleading and inappropriate but if we read the whole story very carefully, we find that the title is effective and meaningful because it reflects the true character of Sibia, the protagonist of the story.

The title reveals that Sibia is a simple, humble and modest girl. She does not brag about her act of bravery. At the end of the story when her mother asks her what happened to her, she responds by telling her about the blue bead she has found and not about her act of saving a woman’s life. She is not proud of saving the life of the woman but is excited to get the blue bead. So the title ‘The Blue Bead’ is effective and meaningful.

The Blue Bead Message

In this story ‘The Blue Bead’, the writer conveys a message that we do not need super powers to help others at the time of need, we need to toughen up to help others. Sibia, the twelve years old Indian girl, displays courage, confidence, determination and presence of mind to save the life of a Gujar woman from the crocodile. Sibia is a village young girl who is marked for work from the very childhood. She goes with her mother and other women to get paper grass from the cliffs above the river. On the way they pass a Gujar encampment of grass huts where the nomadic graziers live. The women reach the river. They come out on the shore and make for stepping stones. The big crocodiles do not move and all the women cross in safety to the other bank. Here they have to climb a still hillside to get at the grass.

Down below there runs a river. Great turtles and crocodiles live there. Now the women begin to return home. The loaded women cross the river. Sibia hangs back to see the clay cups. The women cross the river safely. Silence prevails.

Sibia puts her big load down on a boulder. At the same time a Gujar woman comes to get clear water in her two pitchers. She walks into the stepping stone. She is within a yard of the crocodile when he lunges at her. The woman screams and drops both the brass pots. The Gujar woman struggles to save herself. The Gujar woman clings to the boulder while the crocodile pulls on her leg and tries to carry her off into the depth of the pool. Blood spreads everywhere Sibia springs and aims at the reptile’s eyes. With all the force of her little body, she drives the hayfork at the eyes of the crocodile and the crocodile rears up in convulsion and then disappears. She drags the woman out and saves her life.

The writer wants to convey the idea that we should also do selfless deeds to help the others.

The Blue Bead Character Sketch

SIBIA

• poor, brave Indian girl
• twelve years old girl with great eyes
• worked hard during her childhood
• aware of the beauty of the elegant clothes
• fearless, active and alert
• gets attracted by several things in the bazaar
• goes to collect paper grass
• toils the whole day
• brave, selfless, helpful
• displays a rare courage and presence of mind
• saves the life of a Gujar woman from the crocodile
• loves the blue bead

Sibia is a twelve year old Indian girl with ebony hair and great eyes. She is a village young girl who is poor but brave. She is marked for work since her childhood. Since her childhood, she had husked corn, gathered sticks, put dung to dry, cooked food and cut grass for fodder. She has never owned anything but a rag. She does not have any money to buy glass beads from the bazaar. But she is aware of the beauty of the elegant clothes. She is fearless, active and alert. She goes with her parents and brothers all through the jungle to the little town at the railhead where there is a bazaar. She walks through all the milling people. Like many young girls, of her age, she is also attracted by several wonderful things in the bazaar.

She goes with her mother and some other women to get paper grass from the cliffs above the river. Then she sells it to the agent. She toils all the day at this work. She skips along with the sickle and home-made hayfork beside her mother.

She is brave, selfless and helpful. She displays a rare courage and presence of mind in saving the life of a Gujar woman from the crocodile. It is really an act of heroism. But she is simple, modest and humble and does not brag about her act of saving the woman’s life. At the end of the story when her mother asks her what happened to her, she responds by telling her about the blue bead she has found and not of her act of saving the life of a Gujar woman.

The Blue Bead Critical Appreciation

Detailed description
The story ‘The Blue Bead’ begins with a detailed description of the crocodile, before it depicts the life of a twelve years old girl named Sibia.

“The mugger crocodile, blackish brown above and yellowy white under, lay motionless able to wait forever till food came …. His mouth, running almost the whole length of his head, was closed and fixed in that evil bony smile ….” Every minute detail about the crocodile is given. Sibia, the protagonist of the story, is also described in the same way : “With her ebony hair and great eyes, and her skin of oiled brown cream, she was a happy child- woman about twelve years old.”

Pictorial quality
The writer has used his artistic skill in creating vivid scenes in the story. She has created a beautiful images of the Gujar women by using appropriate and exact words. “They (Gujar women) wore trousers, tight and wrinkled at the ankles, and in their ears large silver rings made out of melted rupees; and one of them was clinking a stick against the big brass gurrahs in which they fetched water from the river for the camp, to see which ones were empty.” This quality of creating pictures is poetic in nature.

Language and style
The writer makes use of long sentences to describe the situations and characters. The sentences are involved, complex and cumbersome. Some of them are not easily intelligible. One has to read some of the sentences twice to comprehend the full meaning. The style is neither simple nor lucid. It is learned and poetic.

The Little Match Girl Story Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. The Little Match Girl is written by Hans Christian Andersen.

The Little Match Girl Story Summary in English by Hans Christian Andersen

The Little Match Girl About the Author

Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805 in Odense, Denmark. He received his education in boarding schools for the privileged. He achieved worldwide fame for writing innovative and influential fairy tales. Many of his stories, including ‘The Ugly Duckling’ and ‘The Princess and the Pea,’ remain classics of the genre. He died in Copenhagen on August 4, 1875.

Andersen’s work first gained recognition in 1829, with the publication of a short story entitled ‘A Journey on Foot from Holmen’s Canal to the East Point of Amager’. He followed this with the publication of a play, a book of poetry and a travelogue. The promising young author won a grant from the king, allowing him to travel across Europe and further develop his body of work. A novel based on his time in Italy, The Improvisatore, was published in 1835. The same year, Andersen began producing fairy tales.

The Little Match Girl About the Story

All about the Story The Little Match Girl:
The Little Match Girl’ is a pathetic story of a poor, unfortunate match girl. She goes to sell matches on a cold, wintry night. It snows the whole night. Unable to bear the cold, she is found frozen and dead the next morning.

The story ‘The Little.Match Girl’ which revolves around a poor little girl is full of pathos. It begins on a cold wintry night in which the snow never stopped. It was a New Year’s Eve and dreadfully cold. In this cold and darkness, there went along the street a poor little girl bareheaded and with naked feet. She was trying to sell matches in order to earn money because she was ordered to do so by her strict father. If she did not sell matches and earn money she would get a beating from her father. So she tried hard to sell matches, but failed to do so. She crept along trembling with cold and hunger. She felt miserable.

The flakes of snow covered her long hair. Lights shone from every window and she could smell the delicious smell of roast goose being cooked for New Year’s Eve in all the houses. She could not stop thinking about it. In a corner between two houses, she sat down. Her little hands were almost numb with cold. She thought that a match might warm her fingers if she lit it. She lit the match and felt comfortable. She lit another match and found herself sitting under the magnificent Christmas tree. The lights of the Christmas tree burnt and then she saw one fall. She thought that someone was dead. She lit another match and in its brightness, she saw her dear old grandmother, who was no more, standing before her, beaming love and kindness. “Granny,” cried the child “take me with you.” Her grandmother took the little girl in her arms and flew joyfully to heaven. The next morning, she was found frozen and dead.

This is probably one of the saddest of Andersen’s fairy tales, describing the unfortunate fate of a poor little girl who is dying of cold and hunger.

The Little Match Girl Summary in English

Pathetic story
The story ‘The Little Match Girl’ is a pathetic story. It revolves around a poor little girl who sold matches on a cold wintry night. The weather was rough and the snow was falling.

The Match girl and her slippers
It was New Year’s Eve and dreadfully cold. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded and with naked feet. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true, but they were much too large for her feet. .Her mother had used those slippers till then, but the poor little girl lost them running across the street when two carriages were quickly passing by. When she looked for them, one was not to be found, and a boy grabbed the other and ran away with it. So the little girl walked on with her tiny naked feet, that were quite red and blue from cold.

The Match girl selling matches
She carried a quantity of matches in an old apron and she held a bundle of them in her hand. No one had bought so much as a bunch all long day and no one had given her a penny. She crept along trembling with cold and hunger. She felt miserable.

Heavy fall of snow
The flakes of snow covered her long fair hair, which fell in beautiful curls around her neck, but she did not think of her beauty or of the cold. Lights shone from every window, and she could feel the delicious smell of roast goose being cooked for New Year’s Eve in all the houses. She could not stop thinking about it.

In a corner between two houses, she sat down. She tucked her little feet underneath herself, but still she grew colder and colder. She did not dare to go home, as she had not sold any matches and could not bring any money. Her father would certainly not be pleased. He could be sure to beat her. Besides, it was cold enough at home, as they had only a roof above them that was full of holes.

Dreams of an iron stove
Her little hands were almost numb with cold. She thought that a match might warm her fingers if she lit it. She drew out one and struck it. It blazed and burnt and gave out a warm, bright flame like a little candle as she held her hands over it. It was a wonderful light. It really seemed to the girl as if she sat in front of a great iron stove with a lovely fire inside it. It burned so nicely that the little girl stretched out her feet to warm them. She felt very comfortable. But then the flame went out, the stove vanished, and nothing remained. She had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand.

Dreams of Christmas feast
She rubbed another match against the wall. It burnt brightly and where the light fell on the wall she could suddenly see into the room. A snow-white cloth was spread on the table, on which were laid beautiful china plates, while a stuffed roast goose cooked away and smelt delicious. And what was more delightful and wonderful, the goose jumped from the dish, with knife and fork still in its breast, and waddled along the floor straight towards the little girl. But the match went out then and nothing was left to her but the thick damp wall.

Dreams of a Christmas tree
She lit another match and found herself sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree. Thousands of candles were burning on the green branches and little painted figures, like she had seen in shop windows, looked down on her. She stretched out her hands to them, but then the match went out. Still the lights of the Christmas tree burned higher and higher into sky until she saw one fall, forming a long trail of fire.

“Now someone is dying !” said the little girl; for her old grandmother, the only one who had ever been good to her but who was now dead, had said, “Whenever a star falls, a soul goes up to God.”

Dreams of her grandmother
She struck another match against the wall. It lit and in its brightness, her dear old grandmother appeared before her, beaming love and kindness. “Granny !” cried the little girl. “Oh, take me with you ! I know you will disappear when the match is burnt out; you will vanish like the warm stove, the lovely roast goose and the great glorious Christmas tree !” And she rubbed the whole bundle of matches quickly against the wall, for she wanted to keep her grandmother near her.

The Match girl’s death
They burned with such brilliant light that it became brighter than the midday sun. Her grandmother had never looked so grand and beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms and both flew joyfully together, climbing higher far above the earth, away from cold and hunger, to heaven.

The next morning she was found frozen with a smile on her face. She had died on the last evening of the old year. No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen or how happily she had gone with her grandmother into the new year.

The Little Match Girl Word Notes and Explanations

cradle – a small bed for a baby
huddled – held her arms and legs close together
spluttered – matching soft sounds
stretched – spread
vanished – disappeared
gauze – transparent cloth
hopped – jumped
waddled – walked with short steps
streaking – moving fast
blaze – burn brightly

The Little Match Girl Theme

In this story, the writer depicts the poor, miserable and hard life of a little girl who undergoes untold suffering in her life. It is a pathetic story that touches the hearts of the readers. It revolves around a small poor girl who is trying to sell matches and earn money because she is ordered to do so by her strict father.

The story begins on a cold winter night in which the snow never stopped. It was New Year’s Eve and dreadfully cold. In the cold and darkness, there went along the street a poor little girl bareheaded and with naked feet. She was out to sell matches but failed to do so. She crept along trembling with cold and hunger. She felt miserable, sad and uncomfortable.

The flakes of snow covered her long fair hair. Lights shone from every window and she could smell the glorious smell of roast goose being cooked for New Year’s Eve in all houses. She could not stop thinking about it. In a corner between two houses, she sat down. Her little hands were almost numb with cold. She thought that a match might warm her fingers if she lit it. She lit the match and felt comfortable. She lit another match and then found herself sitting under the magnificent Christmas tree. The lights of the Christmas tree burnt and then she saw one fall. She thought that someone was dead.

She lit another match and, in its brightness, she saw her dear old grandmother, who was no more, standing before her, beaming love and kindness. She suffered from cold and hunger. Her life was full of pain, agony and suffering. So she said, “Granny ! Oh, take me with you.” Her grandmother took the child in her arms and both flew joyfully together, climbing higher far above the earth, away from cold and hunger, to heaven. The next morning she was found frozen and dead. At last death came to her rescue and saved her from cold, hunger and misery.

The Little Match Girl Title

The title of the story ‘The Little Match Girl’ is very apt because the story revolves around a small poor girl who is trying to sell matches and earn some money because she is ordered to do so by her strict father. She fails to sell any matches. But she creeps along trembling with cold and hunger. She feels miserable, sad and uncomfortable. She lights a match to warm her hands. She lights another match and visualizes herself sitting under the magnificent Christmas tree.

The lights of the Christmas tree burn and then she sees one fall. She thinks that someone is dead. She lights another match and sees her grandmother, who is no more, standing before her. She suffers from cold and hunger. Her life is full of pain, suffering and agony. She says, “Granny ! Oh, take me with you.” Her grandmother takes the little girl in her arms and both fly joyfully together, climbing higher far above the earth, away from cold and hunger to heaven. The next morning, she is found frozen and dead. The title is very appropriate because it tells us the tale of an unfortunate little match girl who undergoes untold sufferings in life.

The Little Match Girl Message

In this story, the writer depicts the sad and miserable life of a poor little girl who is asked by her cruel and strict father to sell matches and earn money. She undergoes untold sufferings and pain in life. She walks along the street bare headed and with naked feet on a cold wintry day on New Year’s Eve. She tries hard to sell matches because if she fails to sell the matches she gets a beating from her father. Thus she creeps along with cold and hunger. She feels sad and uncomfortable.

The flakes of snow cover her long hair. Her little hands are almost numb with cold. She lits a match to warm herself. She lits another match and then visualizes herself sitting under the magnificent Christmas tree. The lights of the Christmas tree burn and then she sees one fall. She thinks that someone is dead. She lit another match and in its brightness, she visualizes her grandmother, who is no more, standing before her. She suffers from cold and hunger.

Her life is full of pain, agony and suffering. She is so sick of her sad and painful life that she tells her grandmother, “Granny! Oh, take me with you.” Her grandmother takes the child in her arms and both fly joyfully together, climbing higher far above the earth, away from cold and hunger, to heaven. The next morning she is found frozen and dead. The writer wants to convey that at last death comes to her rescue and saves her from cold, hunger and misery.

The Little Match Girl Character Sketch

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL

• poor little girl
• sells matches to earn money
• has a strict and cruel father
• lives in a cold attic, full of holes
• shivers in cold and is hungry
• poorly dressed, barefoot
• dreams of beautiful scenes
• she sees her dead grandmother
• requests her grandmother to take her with her
• the grandmother takes her along with her

The Little Match Girl is poor and leads a miserable life. She sells matches to earn some money. She walks bareheaded and barefoot through the streets in the cold weather to find customers for her matches. She has a strict and cruel father who beats her when she does not earn enough, so she is afraid to go home empty- handed. She lives in a cold attic, full of holes. She is shivering in the cold and is hungry. She is a pretty girl and has long golden hair. She is good but miserable. She is freezing because she is poorly dressed and barefoot and is very hungry.

Her little hands are almost numb with cold. When she lights a match to warm herself up a little bit, she sees the beautiful scenes. First, a warm stove, a delicious goose and beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Finally she sees her dead grandmother. Although she does not know, she already has died and the grandmother appears before her. “Granny !” cries the little girl. “Oh, take me with you ! I know you will disappear when the match is burnt; you will vanish like the warm stove, the lovely roast goose and the great glorious Christmas tree !” The grandmother takes her somewhere where she will always be fed and remain warm.

The Little Match Girl Critical Appreciation

Third person narrator
The speaker in this story is a third person narrator who reveals his characters by means of direct characterisation. For example, at the beginning of the story, the author introduces the poor little girl, who walks bareheaded and barefoot, through the streets. Then he narrates that the young girl’s feet had become red and blue with cold. In her old apron, she carries a great many matches which she tries to sell and earn some money. The narrator describes about the cold rough weather on the New Year’s Eve, about the poverty of the little girl and the strictness of the girl’s father, about her dreams etc.

Pathos
The story narrated by the author about the poor little, match girl is full of pathos. He has succeeded in producing the feeling of sadness and sympathy for the poor girl among the readers. The description “In the cold and gloom, a poor little girl walked, bareheaded and barefoot, through the streets” arouses sympathy for the poor girl. The narrator produces feelings of sadness among the readers and touches their hearts when he describes the unfortunate fate of a young girl who is going through difficult times and dies of cold and hunger.

Language
The story is written in a simple and easy language. The narrative is plain, lucid and intelligible and is free from any complexities and ambiguities. The writer tells the story of a poor match girl in a direct and straightforward manner. The writer uses simple sentences to convey his meanings. For example, the writer conveys the poor, miserable and pathetic condition of the little girl by the following simple sentences. “In the cold and gloom, a poor little girl walked, bareheaded and barefoot, through the streets.” She crept along, shivering and hungry, the picture of misery, poor little thing!