Class XI - Elective English - 6. The Third and Final Continent - Jhumpa Lahiri

Class XI - Elective English - 6. The Third and Final Continent - Jhumpa Lahiri

APPRECIATION

1. Discuss the manner in which the author interweaves details of the narrator’s family with the flow of the main narrative.
   
   
   The details about the narrator's family is important for the readers in order to understand the psyche of the narrator. He had a very turbulent childhood and was brought up among very disturbed conditions at home. This is important for us to understand the bond he shared with Mrs. Croft. The words written by the author expresses that he was very attached to his mother and had fulfilled the role of an eldest son till the time she was cremated. He missed his mother a lot and recollected small incidents about she never forgetting to drape her head before coming in front of his father. When he came to know of Mrs. Croft's age which had crossed a century, he contemplated on how his mother couldn't adjust to his father's death and turned insane. Her insanity led to deterioration of her health. Her death gave him a heavy blow but he cared for her till the very last moment before cremating her. This shows his reason for growth of empathy towards Mrs. Croft because of her old age. Thus, his concern for Mrs. Croft grew which can be clearly reflected in the line: I was mortified. I had assumed Mrs. Croft was in her eighties...that this person was a widow who lived alone mortified me further still.
   
   
2. ‘Mrs Croft’s was the first death I mourned in America, for, hers was the first life I had admired; she had left this world at last,ancient and alone, never to return’—how do these lines encapsulate the bond that is possible between two strangers?
   
   A person usually feels very detached from people staying around him  abroad. Here is where originates the feeling of diaspora. The same happened with the narrator. He was away from his home and his family and, thus, never grew any feeling of affection towards anybody in America. He was quite alienated with the people of America. However, the course of action justifies his attachment and the emotional bonding which grew between him and Mrs Croft. In the foreign land, he grew a fondness towards the old lady because of various reasons. When he got to know that she was older than a century, he felt a sense of responsibility towards her. He was amazed and was quite awestruck at the idea of a widow of that age residing all alone, with nobody to take care of her . Taking up chores like heating her soup every evening or giving her eight dollars in the envelope every month satisfied him. All these instances and many more cite the fact that a very strong bond had developed between the lady and the narrator.
3. Examine the pieces of conversation in the story. How do they reflect the worldview of each of the speakers? The various conversations taking place in bits and pieces during the course of action of the story reflect a lot about people's perception on various issues and attitude towards each other and humanity in general. We see a very firm and hypocritical attitude prevalent in the tone of Mrs Croft when the narrator arrived at her place for the first time. This is when for the first time he realised that belonging to a very high standard place was important, anywhere such as Tech or Harvard. The greatness and biasness of Americans to be the first one to step on the moon, considering it an unattainable and impossibly splendid feat to be attained. However, she becomes mild for the first time when she receives the eight dollars from the narrator. Mrs Croft's orthodox ways become prominently visible when she objects to a lady and a man talking in private without a chaperone. Her conventional ways are quite evident keeping in mind the fact that she had already crossed hundred. The ways of the western world is shown to be in a very high contrast when we see Mrs Croft's daughter Helen being quite indifferent towards her mother's health or meals. Her casual tone when she says “she might have slipped” might disturb readers. However, even with the differences in opinions, perceptions and norms, the bond which had developed between the narrator and an American widow of a hundred years is worth appreciation.

Essay-02 My Three Passions by Bertrand Russel

Class Notes - English - XI - Elective - Woven Words - Essay:02

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

1. Why does Russell call the three passions ‘simple’?
   
   
   The essay actually is the preface to Bertrand Russell's autobiography. Every human is driven by a force, a passion all her/his life. It keeps her/him going. Some desire money, other, fame. There are some who desire simple satisfaction. Bertie's desires that he chased through his life were simple as well. He was driven by passions that any ordinary man or woman might feel for. For one, he wished love and got it too; he believed that it brought ecstasy. He got married four times to tell. Second, he hungered for knowledge and of course we all seek for it. He was a mathematician, a logician, political activist and wrote vastly on philosophy and contributed to literature, for which he received Nobel Prize as well. Third, he shared "an unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind". He took a stand against World War 1 and Vietnam war. Any human will pity a suffering man or a woman for they have a heart and feel, and so did Russell. Russell was a man who did not lust after materialistic gains; he was born in a prominent aristocratic family of Britain and gave away much of what he inherited. He rose his voice in favour of suffragists and world government. He believed in free thought in religion and morals.
   
   
2. Why has he compared the three passions to great winds?
   
   
   Russell compared his three passions to great winds as they were the driving force in his life. They directed his life and gave him the reason for his existence. These great winds are: the love, the knowledge and the pity for the suffering of the mankind. He found ecstasy in the first two that took him to heaven while the third brought him back to the earth with the practical reality. It appears from the words of the author, these are essential parts of his life. It was because of his passions, he found his life to be worth living and that he would gladly live it again if the chance were offered to him. So, his passions are like the great winds of his life directing him all along.
3. What, according to Russell, is the importance of love in life?
   
   
   Bertrand Russell is of the opinion that love brings ecstasy in one's life. He believes that the bliss that love brings is so magnificent that he could sacrifice the rest of his life for this joy of few hours. It relieves one of loneliness of this world. Russell says that in love he has seen the heaven that the great saints and poets have imagined. Here, Russell has given a spiritual dimension to love. He reached beyond through love and it was pity that brought him back.
4. How does Russell’s definition of knowledge differ from what is commonly understood by the term?Why is the quality of pity earth-bound while the other two passions are elevating?
   
   
   Knowledge is a treasure and Russell was a seeker of it. He craved to know and understood the Pythagorean power by which a number holds sway over the flux. He was a much learned man. He did believe that he achieved a little of it as well and yet he yearned for more. The understanding of the higher subjects, why the stars shine? He beseeched beyond all this and it in turn took him upward toward the heavens.
5. Why is the quality of pity earth-bound while the other two passions are elevating?
   
   Bertrand Russell had three passions governing his life all through. The first two being love and knowledge, which elevated him and took him higher to the heavens that great poets and saints have imagined. However, he said that the third one, i.e., pity, brought him back to the Earth, the reality. The pain in the echoing cries reverberated in his heart. All the sorrow in the wide world forced him to return to the Earth; the children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people that become a hated burden to their children. Russell was moved by the loneliness and poverty and pain that mocked human life. He imagined the ideal life of a human without any suffering and sorrow. So, he longed to alleviate the evil, however, he too suffered. He yet respected the human life and found it worth living and fought throughout his life against all evils. Bertrand fought against the Vietnam war and supported suffragists. Throughout his life he fought in favour of mankind to make this world a better place to live.
6. How have the three passions contributed to the quality of Russell’s life?
   
   
   The three passions, the great winds, in the Russell's life contributed immensely to its making. He found his life worth living and had he been given a chance, he would have lived it again. It were not just passions but the three vital virtues governing his life. These gave him directions and were behind all his actions. Bertrand Russell believed in love, knowledge and pity. Whether it was his relationships with women, or fighting against Vietnam war, his stand on Israel, or his support to suffragists it was always these three ideals that ruled all his actions.
   
   

Arms and the Man - Notes for XI Elective English

Class Notes - XI - Elective English - Arms and the Man

Play Summary | Central Idea | Characters

Play Summary

The play begins in the bedroom of Raina Petkoff in a Bulgarian town in 1885, during the Serbo-Bulgarian War. As the play opens, Catherine Petkoff and her daughter, Raina, have just heard that the Bulgarians have scored a tremendous victory in a cavalry charge led by Raina's fiancé, Major Sergius Saranoff, who is in the same regiment as Raina's father, Major Paul Petkoff. Raina is so impressed with the noble deeds of her fiancé that she fears that she might never be able to live up to his nobility. At this very moment, the maid, Louka, rushes in with the news that the Serbs are being chased through the streets and that it is necessary to lock up the house and all of the windows. Raina promises to do so later, and Louka leaves. But as Raina is reading in bed, shots are heard, there is a noise at the balcony window, and a bedraggled enemy soldier with a gun appears and threatens to kill her if she makes a sound. After the soldier and Raina exchange some words, Louka calls from outside the door; she says that several soldiers want to search the house and investigate a report that an enemy Serbian soldier was seen climbing her balcony. When Raina hears the news, she turns to the soldier. He says that he is prepared to die, but he certainly plans to kill a few Bulgarian soldiers in her bedroom before he dies. Thus, Raina impetuously decides to hide him. The soldiers investigate, find no one, and leave. Raina then calls the man out from hiding; she nervously and absentmindedly sits on his gun, but she learns that it is not loaded; the soldier carries no cartridges. He explains that instead of carrying bullets, he always carries chocolates into battle. Furthermore, he is not an enemy; he is a Swiss, a professional soldier hired by Serbia. Raina gives him the last of her chocolate creams, which he devours, maintaining that she has indeed saved his life. Now that the Bulgarian soldiers are gone, Raina wants the "chocolate cream soldier" (as she calls him) to climb back down the drainpipe, but he refuses to; whereas he could climb up, he hasn't the strength to climb down. When Raina goes after her mother to help, the "chocolate cream soldier" crawls into Raina's bed and falls instantly asleep. In fact, when they re-enter, he is sleeping so soundly that they cannot awaken him.

Act II begins four months later in the garden of Major Petkoff's house. The middle-aged servant Nicola is lecturing Louka on the importance of having proper respect for the upper class, but Louka has too independent a soul to ever be a "proper" servant. She has higher plans for herself than to marry someone like Nicola, who, she insists, has the "soul of a servant." Major Petkoff arrives home from the war, and his wife Catherine greets him with two bits of information: she suggests that Bulgaria should have annexed Serbia, and she tells him that she has had an electric bell installed in the library. Major Sergius Saranoff, Raina's fiancé and leader of the successful cavalry charge, arrives, and in the course of discussing the end of the war, he and Major Petkoff recount the now-famous story of how a Swiss soldier escaped by climbing up a balcony and into the bedroom of a noble Bulgarian woman. The women are shocked that such a crude story would be told in front of them. When the Petkoffs go into the house, Raina and Sergius discuss their love for one another, and Raina romantically declares that the two of them have found a "higher love."

When Raina goes to get her hat so that they can go for a walk, Louka comes in, and Sergius asks if she knows how tiring it is to be involved with a "higher love." Then he immediately tries to embrace the attractive maid. Since he is being so blatantly familiar, Louka declares that Miss Raina is no better than she; Raina, she says, has been having an affair while Sergius was away, but she refuses to tell Sergius who Raina's lover is, even though Sergius accidently bruises Louka's arm while trying to wrest a confession from her. When he apologizes, Louka insists that he kiss her arm, but Sergius refuses and, at that moment, Raina re-enters. Sergius is then called away, and Catherine enters. The two ladies discuss how incensed they both are that Sergius related the tale about the escaping soldier. Raina, however, doesn't care if Sergius hears about it; she is tired of his stiff propriety. At that moment, Louka announces the presence of a Swiss officer with a carpetbag, calling for the lady of the house. His name is Captain Bluntschli. Instantly, they both know he is the "chocolate cream soldier" who is returning the Major's old coat that they disguised him in. As they make rapid, desperate plans to send him away, Major Petkoff hails Bluntschli and greets him warmly as the person who aided them in the final negotiations of the war; the old Major insists that Bluntschli must their houseguest until he has to return to Switzerland.

Act III begins shortly after lunch and takes place in the library. Captain Bluntschli is attending to a large amount of confusing paperwork in a very efficient manner, while Sergius and Major Petkoff merely observe. Major Petkoff complains about a favorite old coat being lost, but at that moment Catherine rings the new library bell, sends Nicola after the coat, and astounds the Major by thus retrieving his lost coat. When Raina and Bluntschli are left alone, she compliments him on his looking so handsome now that he is washed and brushed. Then she assumes a high and noble tone and chides him concerning certain stories which he has told and the fact that she has had to lie for him. Bluntschli laughs at her "noble attitude" and says that he is pleased with her demeanor. Raina is amused; she says that Bluntschli is the first person to ever see through her pretensions, but she is perplexed that he didn't feel into the pockets of the old coat which she lent him; she had placed a photo of herself there with the inscription "To my Chocolate Cream Soldier." At this moment, a telegram is brought to Bluntschli relating the death of his father and the necessity of his coming home immediately to make arrangements for the six hotels that he has inherited. As Raina and Bluntschli leave the room, Louka comes in wearing her sleeve in a ridiculous fashion so that her bruise will be obvious. Sergius enters and asks if he can cure it now with a kiss. Louka questions his true bravery; she wonders if he has the courage to marry a woman who is socially beneath him, even if he loved the woman. Sergius asserts that he would, but he is now engaged to a girl so noble that all such talk is absurd. Louka then lets him know that Bluntschli is his rival and that Raina will marry the Swiss soldier. Sergius is incensed. He sees Bluntschli and immediately challenges him to a duel; then he retracts when Raina comes in and accuses him of making love to Louka merely to spy on her and Bluntschli. As they are arguing, Bluntschli asks for Louka, who has been eavesdropping at the door. She is brought in, Sergius apologizes to her, kisses her hand, and thus they become engaged. Bluntschli asks permission to become a suitor for Raina's hand, and when he lists all of the possessions which he has (200 horses, 9600 pairs of sheets, ten thousand knives and forks, etc.), permission for the marriage is granted, and Bluntschli says that he will return in two weeks to marry Raina. Succumbing with pleasure, Raina gives a loving smile to her "chocolate cream soldier."

Theme / Central Idea of the Play

One of Shaw's aims in this play is to debunk the romantic heroics of war; he wanted to present a realistic account of war and to remove all pretensions of nobility from war. It is not, however, an anti-war play; instead, it is a satire on those attitudes which would glorify war. To create this satire, Shaw chose as his title the opening lines of Virgil's Aeneid, the Roman epic which glorifies war and the heroic feats of man in war, and which begins, "Of arms and the man I sing. . . ."

When the play opens, we hear about the glorious exploits which were performed by Major Sergius Saranoff during his daring and magnificent cavalry raid, an event that turned the war against the Serbs toward victory for the Bulgarians. He thus becomes Raina Petkoff's ideal hero; yet the more that we learn about this raid, the more we realize that it was a futile, ridiculous gesture, one that bordered on an utter suicidal escapade.

In contrast, Captain Bluntschli's actions in Raina's bedroom strike us, at first, as being the actions of a coward. (Bluntschli is a Swiss, a professional soldier fighting for the Serbs.) He climbs up a water pipe and onto a balcony to escape capture, he threatens a defenseless woman with his gun, he allows her to hide him behind the curtains, and then he reveals that he carries chocolates rather than cartridges in his cartridge box because chocolates are more practical on the battlefield. Yet, as the play progresses, Bluntschli's unheroic actions become reasonable when we see that he survives, whereas had the war continued, Sergius' absurd heroic exploits would soon have left him dead.

Throughout the play, Shaw arranged his material so as to satirize the glories associated with war and to ultimately suggest that aristocratic pretensions have no place in today's wars, which are won by using business-like efficiency, such as the practical matters of which Bluntschli is a master. For example, Bluntschli is able to deal with the business of dispensing an army to another town with ease, while this was a feat that left the aristocrats (Majors Petkoff and Saranoff) completely baffled. This early play by Shaw, therefore, cuts through the noble ideals of war and the "higher love" that Raina and Sergius claim to share; Arms and the Man presents a world where the practical man who lives with no illusions and no poetic views about either love or war is shown to be the superior creature.

Characters in the Play

Captain Bluntschli: A professional soldier from Switzerland who is serving in the Serbian army. He is thirty-four years old, and he is totally realistic about the stupidity of war.

Raina Petkoff: The romantic idealist of twenty-three who views war in terms of noble and heroic deeds.

Sergius Saranoff: The extremely handsome young Bulgarian officer who leads an attack against the Serbs which was an overwhelming success.

Major Petkoff The inept, fifty-year-old father of Raina; he is wealthy by Bulgarian standards, but he is also unread, uncouth, and incompetent.

Catherine Petkoff: Raina's mother; she looks like and acts like a peasant, but she wears fashionable dressing gowns and tea gowns all the time in an effort to appear to be a Viennese lady.

Louka The Petkoffs' female servant; she is young and physically attractive, and she uses her appearance for ambitious preferment.

Nicola: A realistic, middle-aged servant who is very practical.

Essay-03 - Patterns of Creativity - Woven Words Class 11 Elective English Solved

Welcome to the class notes for English Class XI (Elective), focusing on Woven Words: Essay 03. In this resource, you'll explore thought-provoking questions and answers that analyze the interplay between poetry and science, referencing writers such as Shelley, Wordsworth, and Keats, as well as scientific thinkers like Darwin. Use the Table of Contents below for quick navigation and enhanced accessibility.

Table of Contents

• Understanding the Text
  • Q1: Shelley's Attitude to Science
  • Q2: Desmond King-Hele's Critique
  • Q3: Darwin's Indifference to Literature
  • Q4: Patterns of Creativity
  • Q5: Central Argument
• Talking About the Text
  • Q6: Poets as Legislators
  • Q7: Compatibility of Poetry and Science
  • Q8: Defence of Science
• Appreciation
  • Q9: Ways of Science and Poetry
  • Q10: Speaker's Commentary
  • Q11: The Cloud - Analysis
• Key Points for Quick Exam Revision

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT (Q&A)

1. How does Shelley’s attitude to science differ from that of Wordsworth and Keats?
   Wordsworth in his poem 'A Poet's Epitaph' looks at science with a critical mind. Even in the poem 'Tables Turned' he praises nature and appreciates the beauty it gives to humanity:
   
   "Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;"
   "Enough of Science and of Art;
   Close up those barren leaves;
   Come forth, and bring with you a heart
   That watches and receives."
   
   Wordsworth requests us to be more inclined towards Nature because there is more wisdom in it. Keats, in his poem 'Lamia', talks of two facets of human nature: one is sensual and other emotional. Keats calls philosophy destructive and pleasure unreal but inseparable. Shelley, however, presents a different view—he loves science and finds in it joy, peace, and illumination, as described by A. N. Whitehead. Shelley expressed in poetry the positive thoughts inspired by science, marking a contrast to Wordsworth and Keats.
2. ‘It is not an accident that the most discriminating literary criticism of Shelley’s thought and work is by a distinguished scientist, Desmond King-Hele.’ How does this statement bring out the meeting point of poetry and science?
   Desmond King-Hele, a British physicist, in his book Shelley: His Thought and Work, highlighted Shelley's modern and scientific approach. Shelley's poetry often demonstrates a fusion of creative imagination and scientific precision. King-Hele, as a scientist reviewing a poet's outlook on science, illustrates how poetry and science can intersect. S. Chandrasekhar referenced two examples: in "The Cloud", Shelley merges myth, science, and storytelling, and in "Prometheus Unbound", he voices humanity's wish for intellectual and spiritual freedom.
3. What do you infer from Darwin’s comment on his indifference to literature as he advanced in years?
   Darwin, known for On the Origin of Species, enjoyed literature—including Byron, Coleridge, Shelley, and Shakespeare's historical plays—until about age 30. As he aged, this interest waned. He admitted that his increased focus on science led to a decline in his aesthetic enjoyment; his mind turned into a "grinding machine to process laws out of facts". This atrophy of higher tastes is attributed to the dominance of scientific thinking over literary appreciation.
4. How do the patterns of creativity displayed by scientists differ from those displayed by poets?
   Poets celebrate nature and the present, while scientists analyze and harness nature to drive progress. Wordsworth and Keats often criticize humans for exploiting nature, whereas scientists invent and uncover natural mechanisms. There isn’t true rivalry—Shelley acknowledged the value of productive utility, and Darwin enjoyed literature in his youth. While poets immortalize the present, scientists invent for tomorrow, marking a fundamental difference in creative patterns.
5. What is the central argument of the speaker?
   In "Patterns of Creativity," S. Chandrasekhar explores why creativity differs in the arts and sciences. Instead of direct answers, he compiles observations illustrating how poets and scientists perceive each other and their crafts. Poets like Wordsworth and Keats revere nature and resist technological intrusion, while Shelley wrote poetry inspired by science. Darwin once found joy in literature but eventually focused solely on scientific pursuits. Chandrasekhar wonders why there is no "A Defence of Science" akin to Shelley's essay on poetry, hinting that perhaps scientists express their defense through their work rather than written advocacy.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT (Q&A)

1. ‘Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world’.
   Shelley, in A Defence of Poetry, declared this, emphasizing the transformative and inspiring power of poetry. Poetry can immortalize beauty, ignite change, and inspire humanity, reflecting past, present, and future. Poets and great writers act as subtle revolutionaries—participating actively in society not merely as observers, but as critics and visionaries driving moral and cultural progress.
2. Poetry and science are incompatible.
   There are always two perspectives: poets like Wordsworth and Keats see science as a threat to nature, while Shelley is a scientific poet blending joy of science into verse. Even among scientists, opinions differ—Darwin appreciated literature in youth, Faraday was absorbed entirely by experimentation. Compatibility depends on the individual, as some bridge the worlds of poetry and science, while others remain committed to their field.
3. ‘On reading Shelley’s A Defence of Poetry, the question insistently occurs why there is no similar A Defence of Science written by a scientist of equal endowment.’
   Passion for a subject shapes its expression: poets praise through words; scientists may praise through discovery. Shelley wrote eloquently for poetry, while Faraday defended his findings via field concepts and practical arguments (as with Gladstone and electricity). Scientists do defend their subject, but their medium is often practical work rather than literary expression.

APPRECIATION (Q&A)

1. How does the ‘assortment of remarks’ compiled by the author give us an understanding of the ways of science and poetry?
   
   The author, S. Chandrasekhar, presents an "assortment of remarks" rather than direct conclusions, creating a nuanced understanding of how creativity differs in science and poetry. Through varied observations and examples—such as Wordsworth’s and Keats’s reverence for nature versus Shelley’s poetic embrace of science—the essay highlights the contrasting yet sometimes overlapping approaches of poets and scientists. Poets are shown to celebrate emotion, intuition, and beauty, often cautioning against the mechanical or reductive tendencies of science, while scientists are depicted as seeking patterns, laws, and empirical truths, sometimes at the cost of aesthetic appreciation. This collection of remarks suggests that, although the creativity of each field is distinct, both contribute to human understanding and are shaped by their practitioners' perspectives and values.
2. Considering that this is an excerpt from a lecture, how does the commentary provided by the speaker string the arguments together?
   
   Chandrasekhar’s commentary is conversational and reflective, guiding the reader through a thoughtful exploration rather than a rigid argument. He weaves literary references, real-life scientific anecdotes, and philosophical questions together, allowing each to build upon the last. By juxtaposing the experiences of poets and scientists and transitioning smoothly between perspectives, the speaker creates a coherent narrative that invites reflection and connection among ideas. This lecture-style approach not only informs but encourages learners to recognize the mutual influences and tensions between scientific and artistic creativity.
3. The Cloud ‘fuses together a creative myth, a scientific monograph, and a gay picaresque tale of cloud adventure’— explain.
   
   Shelley’s poem "The Cloud" exemplifies a remarkable fusion of creative myth, scientific observation, and playful storytelling. As a creative myth, the cloud is personified and given agency, described as “the daughter of Earth and Water,” which evokes ancient mythological traditions. The poem also serves as a scientific monograph by detailing natural processes like condensation, evaporation, and the water cycle with accuracy, referencing scientific knowledge of the time. Finally, it is a picaresque tale through its lively narrative, chronicling the cloud’s journeys across the sky and various adventures. Thus, Shelley blends imagination, science, and storytelling to portray nature dynamically and vividly, demonstrating that poetry can both enchant and enlighten.

Key Points for Quick Exam Revision

Patterns of Creativity by S. Chandrasekhar

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1. Differences in Creativity: Arts vs. Sciences

• The essay explores why patterns of creativity differ between artists (especially poets) and scientists.
• Chandrasekhar does not provide a direct answer but presents “an assortment of remarks” for reflection.

2. Poets Versus Scientists

• Wordsworth and Keats are often critical of science, viewing it as cold and reductive (e.g., “We murder to dissect”).
• Both poets suggest science destroys the beauty and mystery of nature.

3. Counterview from Scientists

• Some scientists, like Peter Medawar, argue that literature can expel science, not just the other way around.
• Science and literature are sometimes seen as competing rather than complementary endeavors.

4. Shelley: The Scientist’s Poet

• Shelley’s poetry is noted for its positive and modern attitude toward science.
• Desmond King-Hele admires Shelley’s blend of myth, detail, and scientific observation in poetry.
• Shelley contrasts with Wordsworth and Keats, who are more skeptical about science.

5. Example from Poetry

• In "The Cloud," Shelley poetically fuses myth (“daughter of Earth and Water”), scientific observation (cloud formation), and an adventurous narrative.
• In "Prometheus Unbound," he expresses humanity’s yearning for knowledge and liberation.

6. Charles Darwin’s Confession

• Darwin loved poetry, music, and literature in youth but lost his taste as he aged, possibly due to his mind’s focus on scientific analysis (“a machine for grinding general laws”).
• This change hints at the effects of intense scientific thinking on aesthetic appreciation.

7. Faraday’s Example

• Faraday’s scientific insights on electric fields were initially misunderstood or underestimated by contemporaries.
• His exchange with Gladstone (“You will soon be able to tax it”) is a classic example of practical scientific defense.

8. Insights from Shelley’s "A Defence of Poetry"

• Poetry makes everything beautiful and immortal.
• Poets are called “the unacknowledged legislators of the world” for their subtle yet profound societal influence.
• Poetry is described as both the center and root of knowledge, embracing science too.

9. Central Argument of the Essay

• Chandrasekhar wonders why there isn’t an equally passionate "A Defence of Science" as Shelley’s "Defence of Poetry".
• He suggests the difference in creative patterns may be inherent to each field and person.

10. Key Terms to Know

• cold philosophy, mutually sustaining endeavours, picaresque tale, cenotaph, atrophy, prophetic discernment, hierophants of unapprehended inspiration, interlunations of life

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11. Additional Notes

• Chandrasekhar stresses not accusing either field but recognizing unique contributions and perspectives.
• He references Maxwell’s respect for Faraday and discusses the complementary roles of teaching and research in science.
• The essay closes with snippets from an interview with Chandrasekhar, emphasizing his personal and professional journey, views on science in India and the US, and his integrated approach to teaching and research.

The Rocking-horse Winner - Explanation - Summary - Q&A - Solved

The Rocking Horse Winner is a short story written by D.H. Lawrence. It talks about a young boy named Paul who tries to bring luck and money to his family. The story is sad and mysterious. It shows how the desire for money can ruin peace and love in a home. In this blog you will get the following:  

• Explanation and Analysis of 'The Rocking Horse Winner'
• Summary of  The Rocking Horse Winner
• Understanding the Expressions in the story The Rocking Horse Winner
• UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT(Q&A)
• APPRECIATION
• Multiple Choice Questions on The Rocking Horse Winner

Poem 01 - The Peacock - English Elective Class XI Notes - Woven Words

Poem 01 - The Peacock

The Peacock poem analysis, complete text, summary, theme, poetic devices, MCQs, and critical analysis for students and teachers seeking CBSE/ICSE exam preparation and literary appreciation of imagery, symbolism, and sound devices in modern Indian poetry. [Added for discoverability per content-structure guidance.

POEM COMPLETE TEXT

His loud sharp call

seems to come from nowhere.

Then, a flash of turquoise

in the pipal tree.

The slender neck arched away from you

  as he descends,

and as he darts away, a glimpse

  of the very end of his tail. 

I was told

that you have to sit in the veranda

  and read a book,

preferably one of your favourites

  with great concentration.

The moment you begin to live

inside the book

a blue shadow will fall over you.

The wind will change direction,

The steady hum of bees

In the bushes nearby

Will stop.

The cat will awaken and stretch.

Something has broken your attention;

And if you look up in time

You might see the peacock

turning away as he gathers in his tail

to shut those dark glowing eyes,

violet fringed with golden amber.

It is the tail that has to blink

for eyes that are always open.

THEME OF THE PEACOCK

The theme of this poem is the beauty of nature and the importance of being present in the moment to fully appreciate it. The peacock is used as a symbol of this beauty and is described in vivid detail, capturing the reader's attention and encouraging them to take notice of the world around them. The poem also suggests that we need to let go of distractions and be fully immersed in the present moment in order to truly appreciate the beauty that surrounds us.

SUMMARY OF THE POEM THE PEACOCK

At the outset of the poem, the poet portrays the peacock's grandeur and loveliness. Throughout the verses, the poet anthropomorphizes the peacock as a male entity, referring to him as 'he.' The bird's piercing cry is difficult to locate, as it appears to emanate from an indiscernible source. The sound actually comes from the peacock, which can effortlessly fly to the top of a pipal or peepal tree, where it is often hidden. Against the verdant background of the pipal tree, the peacock's distinct turquoise hue (a combination of blue and green) glimmers. When it senses a human watching it, it moves its slim neck and darts away, leaving behind only a fleeting glimpse of its tail.

The poet now describes a small ritual for seeing a peacock that she has been advised to follow. One should sit on the veranda and immerse themselves in a book, preferably a cherished favorite. Once the reader is fully absorbed in the book's world, a blue shadow will descend upon them, and the wind will shift, subtly drawing attention to the surroundings. The atmosphere grows tranquil ("The steady hum of bees /In the bushes nearby will stop").

The peacock's cry, similar to that of a cat, will be audible ("The cat will awaken and stretch"), drawing attention. If spotted in time, the observer may catch a glimpse of the peacock. The peacock gracefully turns away, its tail feathers closed like shut eyelids, revealing violet borders and golden amber fillers. "It is the tail that has to blink" (the motion of the tail swaying is likened to blinking), but "the eyes are always open," and the patterns never fade. The observer will feel a sense of inner radiance and stillness that is deep and profound.

The scene's depiction highlights the difficulty of seeing a peacock (underscoring the bird's significance), as peacocks are revered, sacred birds that are not frequently encountered in the world. In Indian culture, peacocks are considered celestial and symbolize beauty and power.

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM (Q&A)

1. Comment on the lines that make you visualise the colourful image of the peacock.
   
   
   The lines which help us visualise the colourful image of the peacock are as follows:
   “a flash of turquoise”, “A blue shadow will fall over you", “To shut those dark glowing eyes”, “Violet fringed with golden amber”.
   These lines give us a clear picture of the magnificent bird in all its glory.
   
   
2. What are the cues that signal the presence of the peacock in the vicinity?
   
   
   A loud sharp call, flash of turquoise, a disappearing tail end, a blue shadow, the wind changing its direction and the awakening of the cat and its stretch are an indication that a peacock is in the vicinity.
   
   
3. How does the connection drawn between the tail and the eyes add to the descriptive detail of the poem?
   
   
   The pattern on the tail of a peacock looks like eyes, but these eyes cannot be blinked. Rather the tail when contracted appears to give an illusion of blinking a lot of eyes together. This adds to the descriptive details of the poem.
   
   
4. How does the poem capture the elusive nature of the peacock?
   
   
   The poem captures the elusive nature of the peacock by describing its activities that signal its presence indirectly. For example in the opening line of the poem we hear “His loud sharp call”, or we get a “glimpse of the very end of his tail” in the last line of the first stanza.
   If someone tries his best to get a glimpse of the elusive bird, he “might see the peacock turning away as he gathers his tail”.
   Such a description presents a very elusive nature of the peacock.
   
   
5. The peacock is a colourful bird. How does the poem capture the various colours that its plumage displays?
   
   
   The poem captures the various colours of the peacock’s plumage by use of expressions like “turquoise”, “blue shadow”, “dark glowing eyes” and “Violet fringed with golden amber”. These expressions as we can see present the colours associated with peacocks very beautifully.

Poetic Devices Used in the Poem

Curated per common literary-device standards: imagery, metaphor, personification, sound, and structure.

• Imagery: Vivid visual cues like “flash of turquoise,” “blue shadow,” and “violet fringed with golden amber” paint sensory-rich scenes.
• Metaphor: The tail’s “eyes” that never close extend the bird’s mystique, equating pattern with watchful presence.
• Personification: Nature “signals” with wind shifts and hush, while the tail “blinks,” animating the scene beyond literal action. 
• Alliteration/Assonance: Soft consonance in phrases like “blue shadow” and vowel echoes in “violet… golden amber” heighten musicality.
• Symbolism: The peacock embodies rare beauty and revelation, accessible through mindful attention.
• Enjambment and lineation: Run-on lines mimic quick movement and the fleeting glimpse of the bird.
• Contrast: Noise versus hush, movement versus stillness, accentuates the shift from distraction to awareness.

Critical Analysis of the Poem The Peacock

Analytical focus on attention, epiphany, and craft choices guiding perception.

The poem frames seeing as an active discipline: stillness, absorption, and sensory attunement precede the rare encounter, aligning with a contemplative poetics in which nature answers the reader’s quiet. The craft—delicate color imagery, sound softening into hush, and the tail’s “eyes” metaphor—renders epiphany as both visual and inner illumination. The peacock’s retreat resists possession, insisting that beauty is transient and must be received, not seized, a stance that critiques hurried attention and privileges mindful presence.

Extract Based MCQs from The Peacock

Each extract has 3 questions; answer key follows each question.

Extract 1

“Then, a flash of turquoise in the pipal tree. The slender neck arched away from you as he descends.”

1. “Flash of turquoise” primarily appeals to which sense?
   A) Hearing
   B) Sight
   C) Smell
   D) Touch.
   
   Answer Key: B.
   
   
2. “Arched away” suggests the peacock’s movement is:
   A) Welcoming
   B) Cautious
   C) Aggressive
   D) Static.
   
   Answer Key: B.
   
   
3. The mention of “pipal tree” contributes mainly to:
   A) Temporal setting
   B) Cultural-natural setting
   C) Speaker’s age
   D) Rhyme scheme.
   
   Answer Key: B.

Extract 2

“The moment you begin to live inside the book a blue shadow will fall over you. The wind will change direction.”

1. “Live inside the book” is best read as:
   A) Irony
   B) Hyperbole
   C) Metaphor
   D) Pun.
   
   Answer Key: C.
   
   
2. The “blue shadow” most likely signals:
   A) Sunset
   B) Rainstorm
   C) The peacock’s presence
   D) Nightfall.
   
   Answer Key: C.
   
   
3. The change in wind functions as a:
   A) Plot twist
   B) Symbolic cue
   C) Logical fallacy
   D) Metre shift.
   
   Answer Key: B.

Extract 3

“to shut those dark glowing eyes, violet fringed with golden amber. It is the tail that has to blink for eyes that are always open.”

1. The “eyes” here refer to:
   A) The bird’s eyelids
   B) Tail-feather patterns
   C) Raindrops
   D) Stars.
   
   Answer Key: B.
   
   
2. “Tail… has to blink” exemplifies:
   A) Metonymy
   B) Litotes
   C) Personification
   D) Synecdoche.
   
   Answer Key: C.
   
   
3. The color detail chiefly builds:
   A) Plot
   B) Irony
   C) Visual imagery
   D) Internal rhyme.
   
   Answer Key: C.

MCQs from the Poem The Peacock

15 objective items mixing factual recall and inference; answer key at end.

1. The initial cue of the peacock’s presence is a:
   A) Shadow
   B) Call
   C) Feather
   D) Footprint.
   
   Answer Key: B.
   
   
2. The tree specifically mentioned is the:
   A) Banyan
   B) Neem
   C) Pipal
   D) Mango.
   
   Answer Key: C.
   
   
3. The predominant color first noticed is:
   A) Saffron
   B) Turquoise
   C) Indigo
   D) Crimson.
   
   Answer Key: B.
   
   
4. The suggested posture for sighting is to:
   A) Sleep
   B) Meditate
   C) Read intently
   D) Sing.
   
   Answer Key: C.
   
   
5. “Blue shadow” indicates:
   A) Evening light
   B) The bird’s nearness
   C) Moonrise
   D) Cloud cover.
   
   Answer Key: B.
   
   
6. The ambient “hum” that stops is made by:
   A) Birds
   B) Bees
   C) Crickets
   D) Wind.
   
   Answer Key: B.
   
   
7. The domestic animal referenced is a:
   A) Dog
   B) Cow
   C) Cat
   D) Goat.
   
   Answer Key: C. 
   
   
8. The tail patterns are compared to:
   A) Jewels
   B) Raindrops
   C) Eyes
   D) Leaves.
   
   Answer Key: C. 
   
   
9. “Tail… blink” conveys mainly:
   A) Humor
   B) Motion as sight
   C) Danger
   D) Sleep.
   
   Answer Key: B.
   
   
10. The peacock’s overall behavior is best described as:
    A) Domesticated
    B) Aggressive
    C) Elusive
    D) Nocturnal.
    
    Answer Key: C.
    
    
11. The poem’s setting tone shifts toward:
    A) Chaos
    B) Hush
    C) Anger
    D) Satire.
    
    Answer Key: B.
    
    
12. The main theme stresses:
    A) Competition
    B) Possession
    C) Mindful attention
    D) Travel.
    
    Answer Key: C.
    
    
13. The speaker’s “ritual” implies that beauty is:
    A) Earned by patience
    B) Guaranteed
    C) Random
    D) Manufactured.
    
    Answer Key: A.
    
    
14. The color pairing “violet… golden amber” enhances:
    A) Plot
    B) Contrast and richness
    C) Irony
    D) Allusion.
    
    Answer Key: B.
    
    
15. The poem’s structure supports glimpses through:
    A) End-stopped couplets only
    B) Fixed refrain
    C) Enjambment and swift images
    D) Dialogue.
    
    Answer Key: C.
    
    

Poem-02 - Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds - English Elective Class XI Notes - Woven Words

Poem-02 - Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds by William Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

PARAPHRASE OF THE POEM

Let me not declare any reasons why two true-minded people should not be married. Love is not love which changes when it finds a change in circumstances, or bends from its firm stand even when a lover is unfaithful: Oh no! it is a lighthouse that sees storms but it is never shaken; Love is the guiding north star to every lost ship, whose value cannot be calculated, although its altitude can be measured. Love is not at the mercy of Time, though physical beauty comes within the compass of his sickle. Love does not alter with hours and weeks, but, rather, it endures until the last day of life. If I am proved wrong about these thoughts on love, then I recant all that I have written, and no man has ever [truly] loved.

Explanation

The poem is titled "Sonnet 116" and is a sonnet written by William Shakespeare. It is a love poem that celebrates the power and endurance of true love.

The poem begins with the speaker stating that true love is not hindered by external forces or impediments. The love described is not a love that changes with circumstances or that is affected by external influences. Instead, it is an "ever-fixed mark" that remains constant even in the face of adversity.

The speaker then goes on to compare true love to a star that guides wandering ships, emphasizing the importance and value of this type of love. The poem suggests that true love is a force that is not easily swayed by time or external factors.

The next stanza refers to the inevitable effects of time and aging, represented by "rosy lips and cheeks / Within his bending sickle's compass come." However, the speaker argues that true love is not subject to the same limitations and that it endures even in the face of aging and death.

Finally, the poem concludes with the speaker stating that if he is wrong in his beliefs about true love, then he has never written anything of value and no one has ever truly loved. This line reinforces the strength and conviction of the speaker's beliefs about love.

Overall, the poem celebrates the power and endurance of true love, emphasizing that it is a force that remains constant even in the face of adversity and the passing of time.

Imagery Used in the Sonnet 116

Sonnet 116 uses a variety of powerful and vivid imagery to convey the idea of enduring, true love.

In the first quatrain, the speaker uses the metaphor of a "marriage of true minds" to describe the nature of true love. This image evokes the idea of two people who are deeply connected and united in their love for one another.

The second quatrain uses a nautical metaphor to describe true love as an "ever-fixed mark / That looks on tempests and is never shaken." The image of a fixed mark or beacon that guides ships through storms suggests that true love provides stability and direction in difficult times.

The third quatrain compares true love to a star that guides lost ships, suggesting that love is a guiding force that leads people through the challenges of life. The image of the star is also associated with beauty and wonder, emphasizing the idea that true love is a precious and valuable thing.

In the final quatrain, the speaker uses the metaphor of Time as a "bending sickle" that inevitably takes away youth and beauty. However, the speaker argues that true love "bears it out even to the edge of doom," suggesting that it is an enduring force that remains steadfast in the face of aging and death.

Overall, the imagery used in Sonnet 116 emphasizes the strength, endurance, and guiding qualities of true love. By comparing love to enduring symbols such as a fixed mark, a star, and a beacon, the speaker creates a powerful image of love as a guiding force that can lead people through the challenges of life.

NOTES 

marriage...impediments (1-2): T.G. Tucker explains that the first two lines are a "manifest allusion to the words of the Marriage Service: 'If any of you know cause or just impediment why these two persons should not be joined together in holy matrimony'; cf. Much Ado 4.1.12. 'If either of you know any inward impediment why you should not be conjoined.' Where minds are true - in possessing love in the real sense dwelt upon in the following lines - there can be no 'impediments' through change of circumstances, outward appearance, or temporary lapses in conduct." (Tucker, p. 192). 

bends with the remover to remove (4): i.e., deviates ("bends") to alter its course ("remove") with the departure of the lover. 

ever-fixed mark (5): i.e., a lighthouse (mark = sea-mark).

Compare Othello (5.2.305-7): 

Be not afraid, though you do see me weapon'd;

Here is my journey's end, here is my butt,

And very sea-mark of my utmost sail. 

the star to every wandering bark (7): i.e., the star that guides every lost ship (guiding star = Polaris). Shakespeare again mentions Polaris (also known as "the north star") in Much Ado About Nothing (2.1.222) and Julius Caesar (3.1.65). 

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken (8): The subject here is still the north star. The star's true value can never truly be calculated, although its height can be measured. 

Love's not Time's fool (9): i.e., love is not at the mercy of Time. 

Within his bending sickle's compass come (10): i.e., physical beauty falls within the range ("compass") of Time's curved blade. Note the comparison of Time to the Grim Reaper, the scythe-wielding personification of death. 

edge of doom (12): i.e., Doomsday. Compare 1 Henry IV (4.1.141): 

Come, let us take a muster speedily:

Doomsday is near; die all, die merrily. 

_____ 

Sonnet 116 is about love in its most ideal form. The poet praises the glories of lovers who have come to each other freely, and enter into a relationship based on trust and understanding. The first four lines reveal the poet's pleasure in love that is constant and strong, and will not "alter when it alteration finds." The following lines proclaim that true love is indeed an "ever-fix'd mark" which will survive any crisis. In lines 7-8, the poet claims that we may be able to measure love to some degree, but this does not mean we fully understand it. Love's actual worth cannot be known – it remains a mystery. The remaining lines of the third quatrain (9-12), reaffirm the perfect nature of love that is unshakeable throughout time and remains so "ev'n to the edge of doom", or death. 

In the final couplet, the poet declares that, if he is mistaken about the constant, unmovable nature of perfect love, then he must take back all his writings on love, truth, and faith. Moreover, he adds that, if he has in fact judged love inappropriately, no man has ever really loved, in the ideal sense that the poet professes. The details of Sonnet 116 are best described by Tucker Brooke in his acclaimed edition of Shakespeare's poems: 

[In Sonnet 116] the chief pause in sense is after the twelfth line. Seventy-five per cent of the words are monosyllables; only three contain more syllables than two; none belong in any degree to the vocabulary of 'poetic' diction. There is nothing recondite, exotic, or metaphysical in the thought. There are three run-on lines, one pair of double-endings. There is nothing to remark about the rhyming except the happy blending of open and closed vowels, and of liquids, nasals, and stops; nothing to say about the harmony except to point out how the fluttering accents in the quatrains give place in the couplet to the emphatic march of the almost unrelieved iambic feet. In short, the poet has employed one hundred and ten of the simplest words in the language and the two simplest rhyme-schemes to produce a poem which has about it no strangeness whatever except the strangeness of perfection. (Brooke, p. 234)

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

1. ‘Constancy’ is the theme of the poem. Indicate the words, phrases and images that suggest the theme.
   
   
   "an ever-fixed mark", "never shaken"; "Love’s not Time’s fool", "Love alters not", "bears it out even to the edge of doom" are some of the expressions that suggest the theme that love is permanent.
2. Why do you think the poet has used so many ‘negatives’ to make his statement?
   
   
   ‘negatives’ are an effective tool to prove one’s point. It highlights the other side of the coin to bring home the positive points of the statement very effectively. In this case the poet puts forward all the negative aspects that love is taken for, and then argues that love is something permanent and beyond physical beauty.
3. What does the line ‘I never writ, nor no man ever loved’ imply?It implies that if the poet is proved wrong about these thoughts on love, then he will recant all that he has written, and no man has ever [truly] loved.