'Grandmother' 

Ray Young Bear

 Theme:

The main two themes of the poem are as follows:

1. The poet's recollection of his grandmother.

2. The search for the identity of his own tribe.

Paraphrase:

If I saw her from far away, I would immediately know it was her

because I would see her purple scarf, and plastic shopping bag.

If I felt her hands touching my head, I would know they were her hands

because they feel warm and wet and they smell of roots.

if I heard a voice coming from a rock, I would know it was her voice

I would hear her words and it would be like,

someone stirring a dying fire.

Summary:

         In the poem 'Grandmother' the American-Indian poet Ray Young Bear draws a realistic picture of his grandmother as all-loving and all-inspiring. The poet remembers the shape, movement, voice and activities of his grandmother.

         The poet says that if he saw her shape from a mile away, he would easily know that she was his grandmother. It is because he would see her purple scarf and plastic shopping bag. If he felt her hands touching his head, he would know that they were his grandmother's hands because they feel warmth of love and the familiar smell of roots. If he heard a voice coming from rock (grave), he would know her familiar voice. Her voice is a source of inspiration for him. The memory of his grandmother takes the poet back to his childhood when his grandmother would stir the fire from the thick ashes to create warmth. In the memory of the poet, the activities, behaviors, instructions, shapes etc. of his grandmother are still fresh.

Q.1 What are the four things that Ray young Bear remembers about his grandmother?

  → The four things which he remembers about his grandmother are: a) purple scarf b) plastic shopping bag c) her wet and damp hands d) her voice       

The poet remembers the purple scarf which his grandmother used to wear over her shoulder and round her neck. She used to carry a plastic shopping bag in her hands. The poet felt her warm and wet hands when she put them on his head. The poet remembers her smelly hands with roots. If the poet hears a sound coming from a rock, he thinks that it is his grandmother's voice.

Q.2 How does the speaker feel towards his grandmother?

 → The speaker feels a deep sense of intimacy towards his grandmother. He finds his grandma all inspiring and all loving. In the lines like "if i felt hands on my head, I'd know that those were her hands--warm and damp with the smell of root", the poet suggests the vanished roots of the Mesquaki Red Indians.

Q.3 How does the speaker feel towards his grandmother? In what words or lines does he make his feelings clear?

   →The speaker has an affectionate and respectful feeling towards his grandmother. He describes his grandmother in such a way that she becomes the source of love and inspiration to him. He expresses his warm and intimate feeling to her through the words like feeling her ‘warm and damp hands’ and ‘her words would flow inside me like the light’. Here, the grandmother’s words are compared with the light of sleeping night fire which lightens the darkness when it is restored by removing the ashes. This means that her words lighten the darkness of his life and show the right path to truth, love and goodness.

Q.4  What is the central idea of the poem Grandmother by Ray Young Bear? 

        →Grandmother is a poem by Ray Young Bear, a Native American poet and novelist belonged to Mesquaki (Red Indians) tribe. The poem is rich in use of symbols and images that bring out a picture of typical Mesqaki grandmother and her native culture. The grandmother portrayed in the poem appears to be all-loving and all-inspiring and affectionate. In the poem, Bear (the poet) feels a kind of loss of his grandmother and expresses his strong desire to be with her. The picture he brings into his mind simply refers to his memories and reminiscences as his grandmother is no more with him. The main idea of the poem is that love and inspiration never dies. Although the poet's grandmother is no longer in this world, she has become a source of love and inspiration for the poet.

Q.5 What images do you find in this poem written by a member of the Sauk and Fox (Mesquaki) Indian tribe of North America? To what senses do these images appeal? 

        → The poet has used images to discover two intertwined themes - recollection of his grandmother at one level and search for identity at another level. The images like 'purple scarf', 'plastic shopping bag', 'the light  at night ' appeal to our sense of sight. These images also have symbolic link to the Red Indian culture. 'Plastic shopping bag' indicates the poverty of Red Indian tribe. 'The light at night' associates that the spirituality of Red Indian culture guides him in the modern concept American society. The images like 'smell of root' appeal to our sense of smell. It indicates the work ethic of Red Indian tribe and his grandmother. They are near to nature and are good farmers. 'Warm and damp hands' appeal to our sense of touch. It also shows how his grandmother and Red Indian tribes work in fields with pleasure and sense of duty. ' A voice' and 'her words' appeal to our sense of hearing. This indicates how the teachings and philosophy of Mesquaki culture enlightens his spirits. 

Thus, by the use of images, the poet has symbolically linked his grandmother to the lost culture of Red Indian tribe of America.

The End

                                                           ABOUT LOVE

-ANTON CHEKHOV

Summary

“About Love” is a famous Russian story written by a famous story-writer and dramatist, Anton Chekhov. In the story, Chekhov presents the contrast between two love stories and tries to prove that “Love” is not bound by conjugal relations. He views that love is true and spiritual. Happiness, unhappiness, morality, sin, virtue, social status, class, prestige etc. have nothing to do with love. 

Alyohin is the narrator in this story. He had been living as a poor farmer at Sofyino since he graduated from the university. The story begins when the narrator and his two guests-Burkin and Ivan Ivanych were having breakfast in a country house. Alyohin told them about the violent love affair between his two servants Nikanor and Pelageya. According to the narrator, pelageya didn’t want to marry Nikanor but she was ready to live with him just so. On the other hand, Nikanor couldn’t stay with her before marriage for some religious reasons. Alyohin says that love is a hindrance and a source of dissatisfaction and irritation. To justify his statement, he began his own story.

Alyohin had to work hard at Sofyino to pay off his debt as his father had spent a lot of money on his education by mortgaging the land. Though he was a landowner, Alyohin had to work hard in the farm with his servants. Many years before, he had been elected honorary justice for peace and sometimes he had to go to the town to participate in the court session. Unexpectedly, one of his friends, Luganovich invited him for dinner. There, he was very much attracted by the young and beautiful Anna Alexeyevna of 22, the wife of Luganovich. In the later days, he frequently visited her and they spent much time together talking for hours and going to the theatre. Though they couldn’t miss the company of each other, they didn’t express their desires, love and feelings. They hid feelings fearing that it would ruin both of their lives.

At last, as a result of unexpressed feelings, Anna had got mental sickness and she had to go to Crimea for treatment. Many people gathered at the railway station to say goodbye to her. When the train started to move, Alyohin ran to Anna with her basket which she had forgotten at the station. Their emotional eyes met together and their spiritual strength couldn’t stop them falling in each other’s arms. They kissed each other and expressed their deep love. However, they parted forever and Alyohin returned to his farm land (village) being sad and he would never meet her again in his life. The true love of Alyohin is the means of living. The moment of her memory often relieved Alyohin in his life.

Question-Answers

1. The second paragraph of “About Love” is a brief account of a violent love affair between two servants’. Is it significant that Aloyohin is the source of this anecdote?

ANS:   In the second paragraph of the story, Alyohin tells the story of the violent love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya. It is important that Alyohin is the source of this story because in the story Alyohin is not only a character but also the narrator. The whole story revolves around him and his story telling, except slight intervention in the first and last paragraph of the story is undoubtedly appreciable. As he is the narrator, whatever he tells about other and about himself should be believed without any question. The contrast between the love affair of Nikanor-Pelageya and Alyohin-Anna is clear. In the first love story, hero and heroine belong to socially inferior class whereas in the second love story, they belong to socially superior and cultivated class of people. And moreover, the love between first couple is an ordinary and usual love between a man and women to be materialized by marriage but love between Anna and Alyohin is of higher level, an unusual love which goes beyond the social limitation and matrimonial bonds.          

2. How does an account of the occasion and of the setting in which the narrative occurs affect our understanding of Alyohin?

ANS:  First two paragraphs of the story provide an appropriate setting to the story. The story starts with an occasion where few friends including Alyohin are having a leisurely time perhaps celebrating their holiday. What they all are doing is eating, drinking and talking. As the time goes on, Alyohin starts talking about the love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya and nature of their behavior. Their conversation turns to the subject of love which leads to the telling of Alyohin’s own love story. Alyohin’s statement about love is very much influenced by his own experience. By telling his own love story, he wants to free love from marital bonds. So, the setting does affect our understanding of Alyohin.

3. An atmosphere of inertia is established in the opening paragraphs of the story. Cite some specific details which help to create this atmosphere. Is this air of indecisive leisure suggested again at the end of the story? What is the connection between this atmosphere and Alyohin’s behabiour with the women he loves, and the outcome of their relationship?

ANS:  The story begins with an occasion where few friends are having leisurely time. They are eating, drinking and talking about anything they like. They have already had their breakfast and the cook again comes to ask what they would like for dinner. This occasion helps to create the atmosphere of inertia in the sense that they have nothing special to do except eating, drinking and talking. The same air of leisure is suggested again at the end of the story. As Alyohin is telling the story, the rain stops, the sun comes out and two friends Burkin and Ivan Ivanich go out on the balcony and enjoy a fine view of garden. The atmosphere was a close connection with Alyohin’s behavior with the women he loves. Alyohin seems to be lovely fellow and he is always disturbed by the memory of his beloved Anna. Whenever he has any free time, he can’t help telling his love story to others. This also suggests that he has got life long grief and misery as the outcome if his relationship with Anna.       

4.  Alyohin is said to rush around like a squirrel in a cage and this judgment is echoed in the final paragraph of the story. What is the significance of this repetition?

ANS:  Alyohin is said to rush around like a squirrel in a cage and this judgement is repeated in the final paragraph.  This repetition is very much significant. Alyohin is not a common man. He is an educated man with the knowledge of language and intellectual sensibilities. But instead of involving in scholarly activities, he is living a life of a simple farmer which limits the scope of his life. In this sense the first judgement is made by Luganovich-family that he is rushing around like a squirrel in a cage. The same judgement is repeated by his friend when he finishes telling his love story. Alyohin tells his love story so skillfully and beautifully that his friends are greatly impressed by his intelligence and skill. Such a person who can tell stories with such a candor (directness), with kindness and intelligence is living a life of an ordinary farmer. So, his friends are sorry for him and make this judgement. The implication is that he should have been an artist, or writer, not an ordinary farmer.   

5.  Why do you think Chekhov chose to write about and ordinary man instead of a hero or a scholar or actor? Does Chekhov imply anything about Alyohin’s assumption that “Celebrated” people lead more fulfilled lives than the rest of us? Do you agree with Alyohin’s assumption?

ANS:  Chekhov chose to write about an ordinary man instead of a hero, or a scholar or an actor in order to present general human nature and possible events that may happen to a man. Even a hero or a scholar or an actor is a man at first, and then only comes what he does. And moreover, natural human feelings of love, hatred, anger, emotion, happiness and grief do not make any difference between celebrated personality and common and ordinary man. These feelings are common to all. The only thing is that well educated people may perceive things differently and may better handle in a different way. So, I do not agree with Alyohin’s assumption that only the celebrated people lead more fulfilled lives. Each human attempt kindled with virtue and goodness is heroic in its own way. Chekov also doesn’t imply anything about Alyohin’s assumption because Chekhov has presented the plight of common ordinary man as opposed to Alyohin’s assumption. Alyohin does not know that he is the hero of the story of his own life.

6. What kinds of love experiences are suggested by Alyohin in "About Love"?

In "About Love", three kinds of love experiences are suggested by Alyohin. The first one is the love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya. Their love is sensual, often violent. Though there is no understanding between them, sexual passion binds them. Their love is not bound by marital relation. The second love affair is between Alyohin and a girl when he was studying in the university. Though Alyohin loved her, she thought love as a way to earn money. This love affair can be seen as the ugliest where sex is exchanged with money. The third love affair between Alyohin and Anna Alexeyevna can be termed as an unexpressed love or spiritual love. Their heart meet, but being trapped by middle class morality, their love remains unexpressed. They sacrifice their love for more good. Alyohin sacrifices his love because he thinks that it would bring disaster in the life of her children, mother and husband. Similarly, Alexeyevna does not express her love thinking that she wasn't young enough to live with him.

7. Character sketch of Alyohin.

Alyohin, a bachelor and a university graduate, lived in Sofyino working laboriously in his farm. He had to work in his farm to pay the debt that his father had spent on his education. He desired a civilized living of the upper class but could not afford it. In the past while he was a university student, he fell in love with a girl who only loved his money. Since he was elected honorary justice of the peace, he often visited town to take part in assizes and sessions. Once he was invited to the home of Luganovich to dine. There he met Anna Alexeyevna, aged 22 and married to Luganovich. They fell in love with each other but could not express their love. They chatted for hours, went to the theatre together but they parted coldly the next time. Later Anna suffered from nervous prostration and was sent to Crimea for treatment. During her departure, Alyohin had courage to confess his love and kissed her, but had to part with her forever.

Alyohin's vision of love is shaped by his own love affair. He thinks that when people are in love, they ask whether it is honorable or dishonorable, sensible or stupid, and what their love will lead to. For him, this reasoning is the source of dissatisfaction and irritation. He thinks that love is a great mystery. When one is in love, one should start love from higher, without reasoning whether their love is sin or virtue, or whether it brings happiness or unhappiness. According to him to what extent personal happiness counts in love is uncertain, it differs from person to person.

Alyohin is like a squirrel in a cage. He is trapped by reason, middle class morality and poverty. He is a man-of-thought. He fears to express his love to Anna because he is too much thoughtful about society's moral standards. He sacrifices his love thinking that his marriage to Anna Alexeyevna would ruin the lives of her, her children, her mother and her husband. He fears that he could not make her happy in his country house.

8. Character sketch of Anna Alexeyevna.

Anna Alexeyevna is the main female character in the story "About Love". She is a beautiful and charming young lady aged twenty-two. She is married to Luganovich, assistant president of the circuit court and aged over forty. Her marriage to an old man can be seen as the cause of her suffering. Her sexual urge cannot be fulfilled by the man double her age. So, she tries to get emotional fulfillment from Alyohin which later turns into love. She is also trapped in reason. She does not confess her love to Alyohin though she deeply loves him because she fears society's moral standards. She also thought that she was not young and energetic enough for him to begin a new married life. Later she becomes the victim of nervous prostration because of psychological depression and nervousness.

The End

  The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner

 W.B. Yeats

Summary:

'The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner' is an earlier poem revised with a new title. It is composed by an Irish poet and dramatist W.B. Yeats. The poem presents the poet's reminiscence of his young life with a contrast of the present state. Owing to the contrast between his youth and the old age, the poet feels more and more miserable which fills him with rage and the poem ends with a contemptuous expression against time.

According to the poem, the speaker draws comparison between his delightful past and the miserable present and considers the time being responsible for it because he thinks it has transfigured him into an old man. At present, he is obliged to shelter under a broken tree. On the contrary, he used to enjoy talking about love and politics in every company before the time changed him into an old man. Being lost in the reminiscences of the glorious past, the speaker is shocked to see the dreadful present where the mischievous lads and the crazy rascals give him constant troubles. Because of such a shocking contrast, the poet is driven to think of the time with an attitude of blaming it for the change. Thus the lamentation leads him towards contemplation while filling his heart with rage against time. Finally, he feels humiliated to think of women who pay no attention towards him as he is no better than a broken tree. This humiliation provokes him to end the poem with the expression ' I spit into the face of time that has transfigured me'.

Analysis of the poem:

The poem is well-written with the shift in subject matter in the three stanzas. For example, the first stanza deals with reminiscences of the past and the second stanza focuses on the present state with speaker's contemplation of time whereas the third stanza concentrates on his humiliating situation and rage. The refrain in the poem becomes quite significant because it emphasizes the aspect of transfiguration of the speaker and the role played by time. The whole poem is written in the tone of rage (anger).

The remarkable quality of the poem is the blend of description and reflection of the poet. The speaker's reflection over his state changes his mood and tone from one stanza to another. With the content-tone of the speaker as perceived in the first stanza gradually turns into more and more violent and furious in the second and third stanzas. The bitter realization about the humiliating state makes the pendulum of the speaker's mood swing to the other side of the contentment and strike at the tone of fury in the end.

Question-answers:

1. Why does the poet show his anger against time? Or why does the old man want to spit into the face of time? Or why is the poet angry in 'The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner'?

→The poet shows his anger against time because time has badly changed him into an ugly old man. Time is the main cause of his miserable condition. At present, he has lost much of his vigour, power, beauty and zeal. Time has changed him in such a way that he now can't talk of love and politics in the company of his friends, which he did when he was young. He is completely sad and hurt now because no beautiful young women turn their face upon him simply because he is old and physically unattractive and charmless. Therefore, he wants to spit into the face of time which has transfigured him into an ugly, weak, feeble and unattractive.

2. Mention three things the old man laments about. Why is he sad about them?

→ The three things the old man laments about are listed below:

a) Because of his physical loss, he can't talk of love and politics in the company                       of  young men.

        b) The young ones are preparing weapons to go against the tyrannical government;                     they are enthusiastic ones to launch a revolution, but he can't accompany them. He                 has only become the eye-witness to the various activities of the young people.

c)  Because of his old age and ugly appearance, no women turn their face on him.

The poet is sad about them because he has been badly transfigured (changed) by the             cruel time.

3. What is the tone of the poem: complacency, resignation or rage?

→ In literature, tone is the attitude or approach that the author takes toward the work’s central theme or subject. Works of literature can have many different types of tone, such as humorous, solemn, distant, intimate, ironic, arrogant, condescending, sentimental, complacent, resigning, raging and so on. Any emotion that humans can feel can be an example of tone in literature.

Complacency refers to the self-satisfaction. The speaker at least feels satisfied because time could not defeat or transfigure his mind, imagination power and memory. He can still remember his bygone days because of his intact memory-power.

There is also a touch of resignation in the poem. By resignation we mean to say that the poet has surrendered himself to the destructive power of time. He seems to feel helpless against the powerful time that can change everything without any obstacles.

The poem also consists of the tone 'rage'. The general quality, feeling and the tone of the poem is rage or anger. This is the dominant tone of the poem. Time is the enemy of the poet and therefore he is angry with it and wants to spit into the face of it.

4. Explain the title of the poem.

→ The title of the poem 'The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner' is appropriate. The whole poem presents the anger of an old pensioner. The speaker feels helpless for his physical loss. He feels hurt due to his inability to talk of love and politics. At this age, he is unable to accompany the lads who are enthusiastically ready to fight against the cruel authorities. Now no woman turns her face upon him simply because he is old, physically weak, ugly and unattractive. So the whole poem is about the lamentation of an old pensioner.

5. What is the speaker lamenting on?

→ The speaker of this poem is an old, ugly and unattractive due to his overage. He laments for his physical loss, for his inability to talk of love and politics in the company of young men. He also laments on his charmless appearance upon which no woman turns her face.

6. How and why does the Old Pensioner lament?

→ The Old Pensioner laments by showing his physical weaknesses to talk of love and politics with young people due to the loss of his vigour, strength and zeal. He laments expressing his inability to attract any woman due to his old age.

The Old Pensioner laments because he can't do anything now because he has lost his physical strength and power. He is helpless now. Time has changed him into an old, ugly and vigourless person. He thinks that time is the main culprit for transfiguring his life into a useless substance. He condemns the time by spitting into its face.

The End

 TWO LONG TERM PROBLEMS: 

TOO MANY PEOPLE, TOO FEW TREES

Moti  Nissani

Main Theme

This essay, written by Moti Nissani, deals with ecology and change. it provides a brief introduction to the twin problems: overpopulation and deforestation, especially in the context of Nepal. these problems are interlinked because when there are too many people, forests get cut down more quickly and trees don't get replaced.

Summary

In 1992, over 1500 of the world's scientists signed The World Scientists Warning to Humanity, a document reflecting growing concerns about the state of the biosphere. They worried about what is happening to the world. The concern was also agreed by the Royal Society of London and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. The biosphere is becoming much polluted. The air and water are becoming poisonous and many types of plants and animals are disappearing. The population of the world is going up because people are living longer than in the past, and too many children are being born. Every hour some10, 000 new members are added to the already huge population that the earth is carrying. Our excesses don't end there. We have also dirtied space. We clean pollutants up rather than use cheaper and healthier means of prevention.

For the last few hundred years, human population has increased, especially in the Industrialized countries with the improvements in nutrition, sanitation, and health. People there are living longer and have longer fertility rate. Similarly the world population is growing by more than 80 million people. The population of Nepal has increased exponentially from 9 million to 23 million in less than 50 years. Nepal's population is expected to touch 46 million by 2026. There will be shortage of food and consequently the disappearance of trees. The land, water and air will be polluted. Towns and villages alike will be crowded. Food production and facilities for health will not grow at the ratio of population growth and it may make crime, ethnic conflicts and warfare more common. The world's resources are being used up and problems caused by pollution, like diseases and changes in the world's climate are getting worse. The world already has been facing frightening problems like desertification, depletion of nonrenewable resources (e.g., petrol, natural gas, and helium), acid rain, loss of wild species, ozone layer depletion, and the greenhouse effect.

Notwithstanding this, it is possible to stop the growth in population. This has happened in Sweden and Germany. Other countries like China, Thailand and Egypt have lessened their population through the active role played by their governments. Factors such as modernization, literacy, media campaigns and equal economic, educational, and legal opportunities for women, and information about how to avoid having babies (family planning) help reduce population growth. We know now how to control our numbers but we must put this knowledge into practice.

As the population of Nepal grows, forests are cut down to turn the land into farmland. The demand of rich people in the west for beef is also causing forest land to be changed into grassland for cattle farming. Rich people's demand for wood and paper products is also causing the destruction of forests. When forests are chopped down, the soil is destroyed and this can lead to disastrous flooding. Such is the pitiable condition of earth's forest cover that it has come down from 40% in the early part of this century to about 25% now. Indeed, the destruction of forests contributes to such things as the greenhouse effect, irreversible loss of many thousands of species of plants and animals, landslides, soil erosion, siltation of rivers and dams, droughts, and weather extremes. Eventually this ongoing deforestation would damage the quality of life on earth, reduce the number of life forms that share the planet with us, and hamper the ability of the biosphere to sustain life.

Deforestation can be reduced if the increase in the number of people is controlled. Education, family planning and changes in the way we use wood are important. The short term remedy would involve massive tree plantings on abandoned deforested land and on unused lands elsewhere. Sometimes, appropriate and economical technology like the use of smokeless stoves in countries like Nepal can reduce the amount of firewood needed, thereby increasing time to study and provide opportunity to practice other more profitable business. However, even though we know what changes we must make, we are not brave or clever enough to make those changes. Moti Nissani ends optimistically by telling us that the problem of overpopulation and deforestation can be solved by the application of wisdom, courage, and compassion.

Question-Answers

1. What are the causes, consequences and cures of overpopulation and deforestation? (2061/2066)

The world's population is going up due to high birth-rate and low death-rate. With advances in nutrition, sanitation, modern medicines and sound health of people with their ability to reach reproductive age, people are living longer disturbing the balance between birth and death-rate. Every hour we are adding 10000 or annually 80 million people to the total population of the world.

The consequences of overpopulation are horrible and destructive. Overpopulation is causing forests to disappear. The world's resources are being consumed up. We have created pollution inviting environmental decline to suffer from various kinds of fatal diseases like cataract, cancer, emphysema etc. Now we are uneasy due to air, water and soil pollution. We have made our food and drinks poisonous. Disturbing the balanced ecosystem, we are heading ahead being trapped by the signs of global environmental decline. We have lost some endangered species of land and sea creatures and again some are on the verge of extinction. Out attempts have failed to keep pace with population growth. Higher population density is causing crimes, racial conflicts and war.

 The rapid growth of population can be controlled if some preventive measures are taken in time. Sweden and Germany have proved it. China, Thailand and Egypt have remarkably slowed down the growth of population. Modernization, literacy, media campaigns, family planning, easily available contraceptives, equal economic, educational and legal opportunities can be some effective preventive measures for the reduction of population size.

The main cause of deforestation is overpopulation. People are cutting down trees for firewood, furniture, paper products, farmland, grassland and also for the constructions of houses. 

The consequences of deforestation are destructive and terrifying. Destruction of forests has created the problems of deforestation, soil erosion, flooding in the rivers, landslides, siltation of rivers and dams, droughts, weather extremes, greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion, acid rain, loss of animals and plants and many more.

The main cure of deforestation is to control the growing population. Education, family planning, financial supports for saving forests, massive tree plantation on barren, deforested and unused lands of riverbanks, highways and city areas can be the effective measures for saving forests. Moreover, heavy tax imposition and provision of smokeless stoves can also be taken into consideration. The more striking point is that we need greater determination, compassion and wisdom to avoid flooding. Great care is needed to conserve biodiversity and to save topsoil.

2. Are most living Nobel Prize winners optimistic about the future of humanity? Why or why not?

The Nobel Prize winners are guardedly optimistic about the future of humanity, because they are of the opinion that there could be imbalance between the natural world and human world if we don't apply positive attitude towards environment. They warn of the human beings' increasing possibility of inflicting irreversible damage on the environment and on its resources. They opine that if human beings don't check their current bad practices, then life on this planet of and of plants could be at risk, and it may also affect the sustainability of life in the manner we know or like. Thus, urgent change in our approach towards the environment, they say, could avoid the inevitable: irreparable degradation of the environment.

3. What leads Nissani to the belief that the world is facing an overpopulation crisis?

There are various negative indicators that lead Nissani to believe there is an overpopulation crisis. Every year 80 million people new mouths are added to the overburdened earth, which means there is more demand for food, and the corresponding damage to the forests. The trees are felled to clear land for farming. There is increase in pollution and pollution-induced diseases. 60000 Americans die each year because of human-induced pollution. What's more overcrowding has invited crime, conflicts, war, and mass migrations. Many animal species are vanishing or have vanished. Increased population has increased energy use, resource consumption and environmental stress too. Desertification, depletion of natural resources, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, droughts, floods, and weather extremes are other negative markers of overpopulation crisis.

4. What's wrong, in his view, with a treeless Nepal?

There is bound to be a lot of environmental and human disasters happening in the absence of trees in Nepal. Trees keep the top soil intact, however with their disappearance; the fertile top soil can easily be carried down by rivers, particularly during monsoons, whereby causing landslides and other natural disasters in the mountains and hills and devastating floods and siltation of rivers and dams in the Terai and beyond. Floods kill people as well as ruin standing crops, the source of food. The Koshi carnage is one infamous event in recent history. The bare mountain and hill land become a wasteland too. Many thousands of species of birds and animals could be endangered or lost forever. And, over a long period of time, felling of trees could inflict other environmental repercussions like the greenhouse effect, droughts and whimsical weather patterns

                                                    The End 

                          Full fathom Five Thy Father Lies

-William Shakespeare

Critical Summary:

This poem is from Shakespeare’s play ‘The Tempest’, Act 1, scene 2. Ariel, the mysterious character sings this song to Ferdinand, the prince of Naples. Ferdinand wrongly thinks that his father has been drowned in the sea. The spirit Aries creates illusion in the mind of him that his father has been drowned. He gives false information about the death and goes on tormenting him.

The speaker of the poem, Ariel says that his father lies 30 feet below the surface of the sea. He consoles Ferdinand that his father has got a meaningful death because his body bones have been changed into coral and his eyes in pearls. No part of his body has decayed. Everything has undergone a sea change and has turned into strange and precious thing. The sea beauties are hourly ringing the death-bell to show respect to his father.

It is a musical poem. It has used the literary device ‘Onomatopoeia’ which refers to the word/words whose sound itself conveys the sense of the thing it describes. For example: Ding-dong, meow-mew etc. Another literary device used in the poem is ‘Alliteration’ which occurs when many words in a poetic line begin with the same sound or letter initially. For example:

Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies

How high his honour holds his haughty head?

The third device used in the poem is ‘Assonance’ that occurs when many words in a poem have the same vowel sound. For example:

Sea nymphs hourly ring his knell

Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies

Such rhetorical devices are used to impress the reader by creating special musical effect.

Question-Answers:

1. Is death meaningful in this poem?

Ans:- Yes, death is meaningful in this poem. Here death has been considered as an important event in the sense that it is not the absolute end of life, but is only a process of transformation of one natural object into another natural object. In the poem, Ariel tries to convince Ferdinand through his song that although his father has been drowned in the sea, no part of his body has decayed. His body parts have been transformed into another natural objects that are more valuable and stranger than the mortal body. The bones of his father’s body have been changed into corals and his eyes into pearls. This poem also suggests that death is not the end of life, but it is a change from one object to another or from mortal to an immortal life. All arts created by life are immortal but the life itself is mortal. So, the poem is all about art and life where the former is permanent and the latter is temporary.

2. Find examples of Onomatopoeia, alliteration and assonance in the poem. How do they contribute to the meaning of the poem?

Ans:- See the summary of the poem and write everything from the last paragraph.

Learn these words:

Onomatopoeia: It is the imitation of natural sounds by words. For example: cackle, tin tin, buzz etc. In this poem, 'ding dong' is an example of onomatopoeia. It imitates the sound of the bell which is slow and lingering. meow-mew is another example of onomatopoeia.

Alliteration: It is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or stressed syllables. In 'Full fathom five thy father lies', the repetition of /f/ sound gives it a musical quality. It also reminds us of the flow of the sea.

Assonance: It is the repetition of the vowel sounds at the beginning of words or stressed syllables. It also enhances the singing quality.

The End

  Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star

-Mark Lilla and Chapman Bishop Berry

Summary:

"Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star" is a travelogue taken from the article 'Karnali, Roadless World of Western Nepal' prepared as a research project by two American geographers. They spent nearly 15 months in the hills of western Nepal to explore how Karnali region is economically linked with the lowland regions to the south. These geographers have brought four events in the text- their meeting with a chhetri woman, people processing silajit, their encounter with cutting down trees and the people of Karnali buying and selling things. 

The essay begins with the description of some Karnali people who are making their annual trip to Nepalgunj, a commercial centre in the western lowlands of Nepal. They carry medicinal herbs, hashish, hand-knit sweaters and blankets to sell them in Nepalgunj. It helps them to buy the conventional household items for the whole year. On their way, the geographers meet a chhetri woman who tells them that her husband had gone to Terai 15 years ago, but didn't return. She requests them to find him. This makes the geographers wonder that how small is the world for an uneducated woman in the remote regions of Nepal.

The geographers also find some persons processing Silajit on their way. When they are asked why it's not processed at their home, one of them replies- 'One must begin one's trip when the propitious day arrives'. This event is indicative to the authors that karnali people aren't only ignorant but they are superstitious as well. 

On their way down, they find some persons cutting down the leaves and twigs in the Sal forest for feeding their cattle. When the researchers ask about its future effects, they shrug and reply- 'what can we do? The animals must eat today'. Such remarks makes it clear to the writers how these ignorant Nepalese are running after their immediate gain. They are destroying the wild forests rapidly inviting the natural calamities. They don't think about its outcome but the authors find that the slopes will soon turn into a bare land.

When they reach Nepalgunj, most of their fellow travellers buy conventional household items needed for the smooth running of their house. Karma, one of the karnali inhabitants, spends all of his money on distillery equipments which will help him to make liquor at home and earns enough money to buy everything in Jumla. This is indicative of those people who want to solve their problems permanently. Most of them aren't concerned about how long they continue making painful annual journey to Terai. The essay ends with an exploration of the region where agriculture product is very low, people must work hard and combine farming with 'other pursuits' to survive.

Q.1 How is Karnali linked economically with the low land regions to the south?  [057/061/063] 

=> Geographically, Karnali lies to the northern part of our kingdom. As it is made up of very sloppy hills, there are many problems. People do not have transportation and other facilities for their better survival. There is no sufficient cultivable land. So, they have to depend on the lowland regions to the south.

People of karnali cannot sell their products in their localities. To sell their items like medicinal herbs, silajit, hashish, hand-knit sweaters and blankets, they have to go to Nepalgunj. Similarly, they cannot buy goods in their places. For this purpose also, they have to depend upon lowland regions. People of Karnali have to depend upon lowland region for their jobs also. Being undeveloped part, it does not have factories. To earn livelihood, young people have no better options than leaving their places and working in the lowland region.

Q.2 What did the two writers learn about the life and culture of the people of the Karnali region during their journey on foot? [059] 

=> ‘Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star” is written by American geographers M. Lilla and C. Bishop Barry. Their essay presents social, economic and educational aspects of Karnali region. To present these aspects, they have brought four events in the text- their meeting with a chhetri woman and the people processing silajit, and their encounter cutting down trees and the people of Karnali buying and selling things. The two writers learnt that the people of Karnali are innocent, simple, laborious and uneducated. Their world is narrow and limited. The Chhetri woman asks the travelers to find her husband and send him to the village. They live in geographically difficult part completely depending on their own or animal strength. They are ignorant about soil erosion and deforestation. Not only that, alcohol consumption in Karnali region is high because one of the porters buys distillery equipments in the bazaar of Nepalgunj. He hopes that he would sell liqueur and earn enough money to buy goods in Karnali. 

Q.3 What is Silajit and how do the Karnali people process it?

Ans:- Silajit is commonly used in Ayurvdic medicine. It is an effective and safe supplement that can have a positive effect on your overall health and well-being.

Silajit is a sticky substance found primarily in the rocks of the Himalayas. It develops over centuries from the slow decomposition of plants.

Karnali people collect Silajit that oozes from the rocks in their home valley of Sinja, far to the north of Nepal. It is boiled and unwanted materials like straws, soil, pebbles and other dirts are removed from it. When it is cool it becomes thicker in consistency. After complete drying, the purified Silajit is obtained to be used for therapeutic purposes. Karnali people have this knowledge to process Silajit.

The End

                       Traveling Through the Dark

-William Stafford

Theme:

It is an ironical, sentimental and suggestive poem composed by William Stafford, an American poet. It is about a great dilemma we often face in our life. Sometimes we face some conflicting realities or the course of action and we are compelled to opt for one or the other. On one hand, we feel compelled to do the actions because of virtues such as efficiency, good judgment and responsibility, but sometimes our actions may result in damage or destruction for others while doing justice.

Summary:

The poet, one night, was driving on the Wilson River mountain road when he happened to see a dead female deer lying on the side of the road. The road is narrow and the best thing to do is to push the dead doe off the road into the canyon. Sudden change of the car's direction might drive you off the road and you may be killed.

He came out of his car leaving the back lights on and went to the deer. It had been killed recently. So, it was stiff and cold. He pulled the dead doe to the edge of the road. Its belly was large (it was pregnant).

The poet touched the belly of the deer with his fingers and realized that her belly was warm because she was pregnant. Its baby, inside her, was still alive and was waiting to be born-but it never would be. The poet stood on that mountain road being uncertain to decide what to do.

The lights of the car were shining and the engine under the hood was still on. The poet stood by the warm red smoke (due to car lights) emitted from the car. He could hear the jungles and animals listen.

The poet thought hard for all of us. His thoughts were the only things that could change the direction. Then he pushed the dead deer off the road into the river.

 The poem is ironical, sentimental and suggestive. The irony is directed towards those so-called nature lovers who drive carelessly and put the life of innocent animals in danger. Although they show pity to the unborn fawn, they have no sympathy for the dead doe. The reference to the fate of alive but never to be born fawn makes the readers very sad and sentimental.

Question-answers

1. Explain the title of the poem. Who are all those travelling through the dark?

Ans:- The poem is about a travel or mountain trip made by a group of men including the poet, who are probably nature travellers. It is night time and the car is passing through the mountain road.

The poem metaphorically reveals the serious conflict between the sophisticated modern men and the life-giving nature. Science and technology-equipped modern men are ironically travelling through the dark without realizing the safety of mankind in the lap of nature. Their activities are destroying the harmonious relationship between nature and men. 

'Traveling Through the Dark' also refers to the insensitive, unmindful and ignorant people heading ahead meaninglessly putting emphasis on their own and belittling the importance of nature, a boon for them.

2. Show how the action develops stanza by stanza.

Ans:- The action moves from physical to mental as the poem progresses. In the first stanza, the speaker sees a dead deer on the road and wants to avoid driving around it. Then, we see the speaker stop his car and get out of it. He walks backward to notice a recently killed pregnant doe. He also drags it to the side of the road. After that, the speaker feels for the ill-fated unborn deer and remains undecided as to what action to take. The penultimate (2nd last) stanza describes the car and its activities in the wilderness. And, in the final stanza, the speaker finally pushes the dead deer into the river after much thinking.

3. How do the last two lines complete both types of action?

Ans:- There are two types of action – physical and mental – in the poem. These two actions come together in the last two lines. The speaker contemplates (thinks deeply) the possible course of action to be taken on behalf of his group members (human beings) as regards to the dead doe, and finally throws it into the river. Thus, after deep thought he pushes the dead deer.

4. Explain the meaning of the word "swerve" in line 4 and line 17. Does the speaker "swerve"?

Ans:- Swerve in line 4 means "change direction suddenly" and it has a physical meaning. In line 17 it means "mind movement from one idea, thought to another" and it has a mental meaning. In the first instance, neither the speaker nor the car swerves, because if that was done, there would be more casualties on the narrow mountain road besides the dead pregnant doe. In the second instance, the poet swerves between the easy course of action (pushing the deer into the river) and the more difficult, but better course of action (trying to save the unborn baby deer). He chooses the easy course.

5. Stanza 4 is a break in the narrative. How do you explain its significance in the poem?

Ans:- Stanza 4 describes the car, its dim lights, the purring of the engine and the smoke coming out of its exhaust pipe. This description contrasts with the earlier stanzas as he had been describing the occasion of the dead deer knocked down by an unknown passing vehicle and the possible courses of action available to him. The break in the narrative of the poem has an ironic significance as we come to learn that the car is more alive than the deer carrying a live baby inside it. We also see the contrast in that the smoke is "warm" but the doe is stiff and cold. The car seems to be urging the speaker to make quick decision, and hence the physical action of the first three stanzas is replaced by mental action in the fifth stanza that eventually results in the disposal of the dead deer.

6. What is the tone of the poem: ironical, sympathetic, or  indifferent?

Ans:- The speaker seems to combine various moods in the poem. He shows sympathy towards the unborn baby deer, not the doe. However, he is not indifferent as he makes a decision at the end to roll the deer into the river. I feel the tone is mostly ironical. This is so because the speaker thinks one thing and takes another course of action. We think he will rescue the unborn baby, but he doesn't. He could have taken the deer to a nearby animal hospital and could have rescued the baby, but he doesn't do so. The speaker is, indeed, in two minds. This is the irony of life as we can't do all the good things we are taught and brought up to believe and practise. The speaker takes the ugly course of action – pushing the deer. It is ironical also that we kill innocent animals and not decide clearly what appropriate action to make.

7. What is the central idea of the poem?

Ans:-The poet seems to explore the conflict that goes on in the human mind between ugly virtuous actions, like responsibility, duty, etc one is taught to believe in and practise in day to day life and the difficulty of executing them at crucial times. In this poem the speaker is in an ironical situation as he is made to think deeply to do something to save the unborn fawn for which he is not responsible. Sorrowfully, he can do nothing. He is a representative helpless man. He does the unthinkable – pushing the pregnant dead deer off the road. He also seems to advocate for the protection of innocent animals that are killed by careless driving in the narrow mountain road.

8. Do you agree with what the narrator did? Why?

Ans:- Yes, I agree with what the narrator or poet did. He couldn't leave the dead doe on the narrow road because that might bring a fatal accident. He thought hard and weighed the two conflicting realities on the scale of rational decision making. So he pushed the doe into the canyon clearying the road for other travellers and doing the justice for the fawn. The poet took the easy course of action because he could do nothing at the dark hour except allowing the fawn to have a slow death. For this reason, I agree with his quick decision to get rid of his existing dilemma.

9. Why does the narrator hesitate before pushing the dead deer off the road?

Ans:- The poet, Stafford hesitates before pushing the dead doe off the road because he has felt the alive fawn in the womb of its dead mother. He is under moral obligation to save it. But on the other hand, if he leaves the dead doe lying on the road, it may bring a fetal accident to his fellow travellers. He has no choice but to opt for one or the other. So he pushes the doe into the river with hard mind providing a slow painful death to the never to be born fawn.

10. Do you think the reference to the alive but never-to-be-born fawn moving/sentimental?

Ans:- Yes, of course. The poem contains the tone sentimental and sympathetic in the sense that the speaker thinks seriously about the fate and destiny of the fawn which is still alive painfully and waiting in the womb of its mother to be born but it is never born because of its mother's recent death. This reality of life without birth arouses sympathy and makes us completely emotional. the poet feels the alive fawn in the womb of the dead doe. So he's under moral obligation to save it and show pity upon it. But being very indifferent, to bear the assigned responsibility for saving the life of other fellow travellers, he undertakes decision to provide a slow painful death to  the fawn under great obligation. Therefore the reference to the alive but never to be born fawn is indeed a sentimental or moving one.

11. Elaborate the poem in your own words.

Ans:- William Stafford’s poem “Traveling through the Dark” presents both physical and mental actions. The first stanza begins with physical action but ends with mental one. Travelling through the dark is physical and thinking of rolling down the doe into the canyon is mental. In the second stanza, the poet stumbles back, goes up to her and drags. All these activities are physical. Hence, second stanza is the description of physical action. Physical actions of the second stanza continue in the third too. The speaker touches the dear’s belly and knows about the presence of her baby inside. This physical action leads to mental action because he hesitates after he knows its condition. Not knowing what to do further, he stands in the glare of red in the third stanza. Here too, like in the stanza, the physical actions prevail. The fourth stanza presents both actins like the first one. The speaker thinks of returning, but finds it impractical. So he pushes the deer into the river.

                                        The End