Poem - 1

FEAR
1. Title : Fear

Penned by : Khalil Gibran -A Lebanese -American Poet

Laurels : Very renowned for his anthology ‘The Prophet’
Notable works : The Prophet, Jesus, The Son of Man.
Major Theme : Gibran shares his profound wisdom about overcoming fear

Introduction : The philosophical poem “Fear” was written by Khalil Gibran

(1883-1931). He was born in Lebanon and settled in the U.S.A. He became
famous for his book “The Prophet”. He worte both in Arabic and English.

Central Idea: The poet conveys his philosophical insight about overcoming
fear in the poem.He enlightens his reader not to panic or feel terrified while
accepting changes. It may be a small or big change. One should learn to be
bold.

Topic: The poet gives the example of a river. The speaker imagines a river
that flows into sea. He refers to the river as ‘she ‘ to infuse life into the river.
The river over comes many hurdles and finally combines itself into the vast
ocean. The poet describes the feelings of a river very beautifully. He says a
river initially hesitates and fear before it culminates itself into the vast sea.
It does not like to merge into the sea for the fear of losing its identity. In this
context the poet assures his readers by saying that when we accept a
change, we become one with the mighty universe. In the same way like a
small river themselves. Thus, the message of the poem is ‘overcoming fear’.

Critical Commet : The poem FEAR is written in free verse. There is no

rhyme scheme or meter in this poem. Through the river’s emotions, the
poet sends a message that it’s not about losing anything but transforming
into a better and broader world.

“Nothing in life is to be feared. It’s only to be understood.”

 Poem-2

Awake

2. Title: Awake - A patriotic song

Penned by: Sarojini Naidu - A prolific writer, freedom fighter
Culled from: The poem, part of the 'Broken Wing', entitled Songs of
Life and Death
Laurels: The nightingale of India'
"The first women President of Indian National Congress"
Notable works: The Golden Threshold,
The Bird of Time,
The Sceptered Flute
Dedicated to: Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Introduction: The patriotic poem 'Awake' was written by Sarojini Naidu,

the Nightingale of India. She was the first woman to be the President of
Indian National Congress. She was also the first woman to be the Governor of
a state in independent India.

Central Idea: The present poem is a fervent appeal for unity and action.
Sarojini Naidu recited this poem at meetings in Bombay and Lahore. It is an
address to Mother India.

Topic : The poem appears as an address to Mother India. At the outset, the
nation is personified as our mother. All Indians are her children. They pray to
their mother India to give them strength to cut the woes of bondage. They
request her to give them a chance to serve her and admire her glory. Mother
India should gain its glory again and grow and glow. One should remember
the pride and power India basked in once. People of all faiths pledge to come
together to defend and guard their mother, queen and goddess.

Critical Comment: The poem is noteworthy for its magical quality and
rhythm with alofty theme. So it is very much entitled to be applauded as a
patriotic lyric. This lyric of just eighteen lines is also remarkable for its many
literary devices like personification, imagery, rhetoric and rhythm. Thus, the
poem is very impressive with its theme and form.

"The essence of patriotism is the sacrifice of personal interest to the

public welfare."
 Poem-3
On the Grasshopper and Cricket

3. Title: On the Grasshopper and Cricket

Penned by: John Keats
Notable works: Ode to a Nightigale, Ode on Grecian Um,
Endymion.
Poem Structres: Sonnet
Poeitic device: Personification
Rhyming scheme: ABBAABBA

Introduction: The sonnet "On the Grasshopper and Cricket" was written by
John Keats. He was an English Romantic Poet. He devoted his life to the
perfection of poetry.

Central idea: The poem was written in 1816. It was inspired by Nature's
beauty, which was a popular theme of the poetry of Romantic poets.

Topic: According to Keats, the music of nature never ends though it may be
summer or winter.The Grasshopper and cricket are used as symbols. Seasons
may come and go but nature never fails to inspire us with its songs. During
hot season the grasshopper celebrates the beauty of summer in its songs. He
sings endlessly, when tired it takes rest under some pleasant weed. During
winter birds stop singing. Then, the cricket takes the responsibility of singing
the glory of nature in cold and bleak winter. The cricket's song restores
warmth.

Critical Comment: Nature is the best teacher of mankind. The poet sends a
message through the poem that nature remains beautiful all the time,
irrespective of the seasons. In a similar way, he suggests us to be joy and
happy in all circumstances. Man should live with Nature and enjoy all the
seasons.

"The poetry of the earth is ceasing never."

 Poem - 4
GOODBYE PARTY FOR MISS PUSHPATS

4. Title: Goodbye party for Miss Pushpa T S

Penned by: Nissim Ezekiel-An Indo-Anglian poet.
Culled from: A published collection of Ezekiel's poetry, titled 'Hymns in
Darkness'.
Laurels: Padmashri, Sahitya Academy award
Notable works: Night of the Scorpion,
A time to change,
Latter-day psalms

Introduction : The satirical and humourous poem "Goodbye Party for Miss
Pushpa T S" was written by Nissim Ezekiel (1924-2004). He is one of India's
foremost Indo-Anglian poets. The present poem is a farewell speech for Miss
Pushpa. It offers a satirical look on a specific dialect, 'Babu' English. She is
supposed Ito leave India. Her colleagues arrange a "Goodbye Party" for her to
wish her a happy journey.

Topic : The speaker announces the purpose of the gathering as their friend is
about to leave. The speaker describes the virtues of Miss Pushpa. He treats
Miss Pushpa as his sister. He says that she is a very sweet lady and very
helpful. Her father was a reputed advocate. She is a sweet smiling lady

and smiles even without a reason. She always looks cheerful and never says
'no'. The speaker says that she is beautiful not only because of her charms but
of her pleasing personality. The speaker appreciates her concern for friends.
He invites other friends to speak about her.

Critical Comment: The poem is in free verse, with no specific rhyme scheme
or meter. The poem is a parody of English as used by some Indians. The
speaker's presentation and the sentence structure are the causes of humour.

"Imitation is lack of creativity."

 Prose -1

How to Avoid Foolish Opinions

1. Title: How to Avoid Foolish Opinions

Penned by: Bertrand Arthur William Russell,
Laurels: Nobel Prize in Literature, Kalinga Prize
Notable works: Principia Mathematica, The Problems of Philosophy.
Genre: Logical atomism, logic, philosophy of Mathematics.
Major Theme: Avoiding stapidity is easier than seeking brilliance.

Introduction: The essay "How to Avoid Foolish Opinions" was written by

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970). He was born in the United Kingdom. He was a
philosopher, mathematician, historian, writer, social critic, political activist
and Nobel laureate.

Theme: In this essay, Russel gives us tips on how to avoid foolish opinions.
He offers some suggestions that will assist us in avoiding glaring errors in our
life.

Topic : Russel advises us to first look at things for ourselves. Russel advises
us a healthy dose of modesty and common sense. If someone says that two
and two are five or you should pity rather than anger on him. If any opinion
seems contrary makes you angry. Our principles should not be dogmatic.
There are many ways to avoid being dogmatic. The first way is making a keen
observation. Next is to know what other people think. The third is arguing
with an imaginary character who has a different point of view. Other's
standards and ideals should equally be respected. The fourth one is to deal
with one's sense of self-worth, which is the hardest. To overcome, he adds
that the only solution is to remind people of the episodic human life on a
small planet.

Conclusion: Russell's clarity of thought and fluency of expression lend beauty

to his style. Despite the seriousness of the topic dealt with one can find
elements of cheerfulness and gentle humour.

"Life is Beautiful if we avoid foolish things."

 Prose 2

The Awakening of Women

2.Title: The Awakening of Women

Penned by: KM Panikkar

Introduction : The essay "The Awakening of Women" was written by K.M.

Panikkar, (1895-1963). He was a statesmen, journalist, historian and writer. He
was educated in Madras and at the University of Oxford.

Theme : The present lesson is an interesting essay about the position of

women in ancient India. The interesting essay finds the transformation of
women's position in India over time.

Topic : Women in ancient India enjoyed a desirable position. The eighteenth

and nineteenth centuries witnessed a drastic fall in women's position in India.
Women were isolated from the mainstream. They were kept behind the
'purdah. They were denied education. Child marriages were subjected to
many more restrictions. Awakening of women began with the Gandhijian
movement. Thus, women's advancement spread very soon into many fields.
Women's achievements and their contribution in various fields impacted
legislation and administration in a positive way. They were appointed as
members of the cabinet, as Governors of provinces, as Ambassadors and as
leaders of delegation to international conferences. The Independent India
made legislative reforms and gave the right of equality, to education and
employment.

Conclusion : The write-up is remarkable for its clarity in ideas and their
expression. The essay enables us to develop respect for women. Thematically,
the piece is historical; and it is expository in nature.

"The idea of perfect independence is perfect womanhood."

 Prose - 3

Solution to Plastic Polution

3. Title: Solution to Plastic Polution

Adopted/cited from: The Internet
Focussed on: Dr. RajaGopalan Vasudevan
-Plastic Road Man
-Plastic Man of India
Laurels: Padma Shri
Field: Research in Chemistry

Notable works: Developed very simple and effective technology for plastic
waste transformation

Introduction : The lesson "Solution to plastic Pollution." is adopted from the

internet

Theme : The lesson is about the research project of Dr. R. Vasudevan, Head of
Chemistry Department, Thiagarajar college of Engineering (TCE), Madurai
who gave a solution to the plastic wastage.

Topic : Though he was a chemistry professor, Dr. R. Vasudevan looks like a

Sanskrit pandit with a striking namam. He always carries the Bhagwad Gita
and explains the shlokas to the students. His research with chemicals and a
mission for "Clean India" made him find a solution to plastic waste. He was
encouraged by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam and laid the first plastic road in his
college campus. He struggled a lot for a decade for the patent and gave it to
the Govt. of India for free of cost. The plastic roads are economical and long
lasting. They can withstand extreme heat as well as torrential rains. He hopes
that his formula will be of great use for the society in coming future.

Conclusion : The essay is very informative and the style is very lucid. The
lesson offers a permanent solution to the plastic pollution.Thus, the essay has
Focused on the methods of recovery and reuse of plastic waste

"Creativity lies in the same thing but thinking differently."

 Prose - 4

Guilty

4.Title: Guilty

Introduction: The delightful and humorous one-act play 'Guilty' written by

Horace J. Gardiner and Bonneviere Arnaud. Guilty is a delightful one-act play.

Theme : The play is s so sweet that readers (viewers) are left with the feeling
that the playis too short! And they comfort themselves with the saying: Small
is beautiful!

Topic : Jim, the lead character in the play, is an engineering graduate. But he
has been compelled to work as a night watchman. Mrs. Moore, the
neighbouring woman often visits Jim's mother Ma Ryan. She talks about Jim's
pathetic situation. She says that Jim is a fine, good boy and a hard worker. He
won't do anything wrong. They highlight the dignity of labour. Watchmen
are as important as engineers, Mrs. More always dub into Ma Rayan ears that
boys bring woes and worries to their parents. Later, she shows Ma Ryan an
article in the newspaper. It is about a stolen diamond. Coincidently, Ma Ryan
has found a jewel, wrapped in a kerchief in Jim's sweater. She thinks that Jim
has stolen the diamond. Later, Jim clarifies that all her fears are untrue and
she is totally confused, speaking without any sense. The play is full of
gripping narration and it delivers a clear social message too.

Conclusion : The comedy meets all the qualities of a one-act play. The
characters are just a few and the three unities - of time, place, and theme are
meticulously observed.

"Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death"

 Short Story

The Woman on Platform No.8

1. Title: The Woman on Platform No.8

Penned by: Owen Ruskin Bond-An Indian author of British descent
- Eminent contemporary Prolific writer

Laurels: -Sahitya Academy Award

-John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
-Padmashri
-Padma Bhushan

Notable works: The Room on The Roof

-A flight of pigeons
Genre: Short stories and novels, by Ruskin Bond, can vouch for the 'escapism
have provided in their simplicity, mountain-based, and solitude-dripping
style.

A.Introduction : The interesting short story "The Woman on platform No.8"

was written by Ruskin Bond. He is an Indian author of British descent. He
received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 and was awarded the Padma
Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2014.

Theme : The present story is about love and affection that transcends all
barriers of kinship. It is narrated in the first person by a school boy named
Arun.

Topic: Arun is a twelve-year old boy studying in a boarding school. He

keenly observes people and understands their feelings. He is confident and
independent. He is not afraid to travel alone at midnight. Arun is waiting for
the train on platform no. 8. Then an unknown woman comes and speaks with
him affectionately. At first, he suspects the woman but later he notices her
concern. She treats Arun like her own son and offers him samosas, jalebies
and tea. Her soft voice, kindness and concern make him trust her. He relaxes
and shares his details with her. Satish's mother advises him not to believe the
strangers. But he turns a deaf ear to this advice. Arun forms an impression of
people not by their appearance but by their behaviour. He respects elderly
people. Though he hates Satish's mother, he doesn't misbehave.

Conclusion : The story motivates us how to appreciate the beauty in

simplicity, sincerity and true affection. At the time of parting, Arun's calling
her "mother" is a sweet sign of bonding and a loving relationship. The purity
of heart and innocence of children is vividly described by the author.
 Short Story

A Gift for Christmas

2. Title: A Gift for Christmas:

Penned by: William Sydney Porter, known as O. Henry An American short

story writer
Cited from: The four million
Laurels: On his name, "The O Henry Award' given to outstanding short
stories

Notable works:-The Duplicity of Hargreeves

-The Ransom of Redchief
- A service of Love

Introduction: The touching story "A Gift for Christmas" is written by O.

Henry. He is an American short story writer who is known for his wit and
storytelling technique. He wrote nearly 600 stories about life in America.

Theme : The present story is taken from O. Henry's collection "The Four
Million." It narrates the story of a young married couple.

Topic: Della and Jim, a young married couple, live in a small flat. Jim's gold
watch and Della's long beautiful hair are what they consider their treasures.
It's Christmas time. Della has very little money to buy a present for Jim. She
decides to have her hair cut and sold. She buys a platinum watch-chain for
Jim. And Jim sells his gold watch to buy expensive combs for Della. Thus,
both of them show the true meaning of love, sacrifice and generosity for
happy living. The present lesson is a typical O. Henry's story. Most of his
stories have thrilling climax. His ironical storytelling technique makes the
narration interesting and captivating.

Conculsion :Thus It traces the poverty-filled life of a young couple and their
desire to gift each other, A worthy gift and share their true love.

"The value of gift is not in its price, but rather in its sentiment."
 Short story. 3

The Doctor’s Word

3. Title: The Doctor's Word:

Penned by: Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Narayan - A leading writer of
English
Imaginery place: Malgudi
Laurels : -Sahitya Academy.
-Padma Bhushan
-Padma Vibhushan
Notable works: -Malgudi Days
-The Guide
-Swami and his friends

Introduction : The short story "The Doctor's Word" is written by R.K.

Narayan (19062001). He is a leading writer of early Indian literature in
English along with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao. He won many awards like
the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan, Sahitya Akademi, Fellowship
and A.C. Benson Medal.

Theme : The interesting story "The Doctor's Word" has characters like our
next-door neighbors. In this story also, the setting is Malgudi, more
specifically, Lawley Extension. The situation discussed is of a serious nature.

Topic : Dr. Raman is a practicing medical doctor. He is an expert in his

profession. His patients hold him in high regard. He is more a man of deeds
than of words. He maintains high standard of ethics. He never believes in
soothing lies. So people come to him when the patient is on his last legs. He
works hard for hours, days or weeks till he rests his prize from Yama's hands.
He respects human relation and values friendship most. He treats even his
assistance well.

He enjoys great success as person and a doctor. Dr. Raman's best friend,
Gopal was seriously ill. The doctor thought that there was little hope, he put
in his best efforts. Gopal wanted to prepare a will. He was very much worried
about Subbaiah and his gang. Dr. Raman was in a dilemma. Finally, he chose
to his use his assuring, words. And the doctor's word wrested Gopal from the
jaws of death. The reader is left with the rich experience of enjoying a
memorable story.

Conclusion : Thus, the story presents the theme of honesty, friendship,

uncertainty, letting go, fear, connection, trust, compassion, and conflict.
 "Medicines cure diseases but only doctors can cure patients."

Short story. 4

AN INTERVIEW

4. Title: An Interview

Introduction : The short and beautiful story "AN INTERVIEW" was written
by Richard Gordon (1921-2017). He was an English Surgeon and an
anesthetist. He wrote many short write-ups mostly dealing with medicine.
His Doctor Novels, eighteen comic works in a series, were very successful in
Britain during 1960s and 1970s.

Theme : In The short story he discusses the narrator's experience of facing an

school. interview with the dean of a medical

Topic : The narrator came to attend an interview with Dr Lionel Loftus, the
dean of St Swithin's Medical School. He sits nervously in the waiting room,
pre-creating his interview with the dean. Then, a very old man meets the
narrator in the waiting room. The secretary scanned him carefully and asked a
few questions about himself. The dean didn't ask any medical questions. He
asked only about his rugby experience. The narrator replied that he plays
Rugby. That aroused the Dean's interest. The reason was that the school has
many forward players. Wing three quarter players were in demand. The
Dean's interest was to see for such players. The narrator meets their
requirement. He asks a few questions about the narrator's ability to pay the
fees. The dean generally admitted students whom the secretary approved of
and rejected those whose looks the secretary didn't like. So the secretary visits
there. So, he thinks this interview is superfluous.

Conclusion : The short story by Richard Gordon is witty and apparently

autobiographical. It exposes the flaws in admission interviews. The style of
the narration is simple and racy.

"Success is where preparation and opportunity meet."