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GENERAL ENGLISH – 25 POEM SUMMARY
LIST OF POEMS:
1. Life - Henry Van Dyke
2. I am Every Woman – Rakhi Nariani Shirke
3. The Secret of the Machines - Rudyard Kipling
4. The Ant and The Cricket - Adapted from Aesop‟s fables
5. No Men are Foreign - James Falconer Kirkup
6. The House on Elm Street - Nadia Bush
7. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening - Robert Frost
8. A Poison Tree - William Blake
9. On Killing a Tree - Gieve Patel
10. The Spider and the Fly - Mary Botham Howitt
11. The River - Caroline Ann Bowles
12. The Comet - Norman Littleford
13. The Stick-together Families - Edgar Albert Guest
14. Special Hero - Christina M. Kerschen
15. Making Life Worth While - George Elliot
16. A Thing of Beauty - John Keats
17. Lessons in Life - Brigette Bryant & Daniel Ho
18. My Computer Needs a Break – Shanthini Govindan
19. Your Space - David Bates
20. Sea Fever - John Masefield
21. Courage - Edgar Albert Guest
22. Team Work - Edgar Albert Guest
23. From a Railway Carriage - Robert Louis Stevenson
24. Indian Seasons – Nisha Dyrene
25. A Tragic Story - William Makepeace Thackeray

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1. LIFE

- Henry Van Dyke

The poem “Life” by Henry Van Dyke is a beautiful inspirational poem depicting the
poet’s determination to live a purposeful, positive, and fruitful life.

In the first stanza the poet says that he wants to live his life without any hesitation,
always looking forward and advancing towards his goal without any hurry and
distraction. He just wants to live in the present without mourning for the things in the
past and without fearing for the future’s uncertainties hidden behind the vein of the
present. He wants to move forward in life with a happy heart, paying all the dues
demanded by age and continue to travel forward.

In the second stanza the poet further expresses his determination to live a great
life. He says he won’t be daunted by the difficult, uphill road of life; whether he gets a
rough road or smooth, he will travel on it with joy. He will continue seeking new
friendship, thrilling adventure, and a crown in the same manner when he was just a
boy. He says his quest will never stop; and continue living in the hope that life would
be the best after the last turn.

2. I AM EVERY WOMEN

- Rakhi Nariani Shirke

This poem “I am Every Woman” is written by Rakhi Nariani Shirke. It talks about the
multifaceted nature of women. Today’s women are empowered, brave, strong and
resolute. They are always ready to take up new ventures. Women have to be treated
respectfully for the growth of a nation.

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Every woman has innate beauty in her. She is a symbol of power and strength. She is
empowered brave and strong. She is prone to put her life at stake and does not fear in
putting her life at stake. She is ready to take risk in her life courageously. She is a
down to - earth - real human being. She is not fake.

The poet says that the woman is an embodiment of sacrifice. She is ready to sacrifice
her whims and fancy for the happiness of the loved ones. According to her, others
happiness is more important than hers. She is hopeful of enjoying happiness even in
the next cycle. This way she proves that she is the woman who does not have fear
about anything. She is hopeful even in times of adversity.

The woman is strongly and inseparably rooted in her faith and beliefs. Nothing can
shake her up. She motivates men so that one should not easily give up, rather one
should keep on persevering and hoping for better results. Though she undergoes
untellable sufferings and hardships in the family, she will not compromise on her faith
and beliefs.

The poet goes on to say that she is a lioness. Never take her for granted. If you are a
prankster, she will not spare you. She will fight for equality in all spheres. We should
be careful. We should not try to outrage her pride, her self-respect and dignity. If we do
so, she knows how to insult or thrash us or outrage our dignity. Moreover, she is
today’s woman, not like yester years woman of lesser expressive nature. She is
outspoken and candid. She expects equality in everything. So we should love her,
respect her and keep her near.

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3. THE SECRET OF MACHINES

- RUDYARD KIPLING

The poem “The Secret of the Machine” by Rudyard Kipling deals with the problem of
modern technology and automation. In the beginning, the reader is informed about how
machines are produced and what kind of treatment they need. Afterwards the machines
explain how they can serve humanity. But machines are not only useful, but also they
can lead to big disasters, if they are not used in the right way.

The first stanza states that machines were taken from the ore-bed and the mine. They
were melted in the furnace and the pit. They were hammered to design. They were cut
and filed to fit in its place. The second stanza explains that all they require are some
water, coal and oil. They require some space to set them work and start working
immediately. If they are set properly they will serve people twenty four hours a day.

The third stanza enumerates the various types of tasks different type of machines do in
our life. They can pull, haul, lift, drive, print, plough, wave, heat, light, run, swim, fly,
hear, count, read and write. These tasks are done by machines in different workplaces
faster and accurately. The fourth stanza reminds us that they are not built to tell lies.
They neither love nor pity nor forgive. They do not have feelings. If human beings
make a mistake in handling them, they will be dangerous – they will kill the people.

The final stanza reminds us the irony of the machines. They help us a lot in our life’s
activities. Smoke may be created by us and it may block the sight of the sky. But it is
for only a few minutes and then the sky will be clear. They confess one thing that all
their power, weight and size are nothing compared to human brain. It is the human
brain that creates them. They are the children of the human brain.

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4. THE ANT AND THE CRICKET

- Adapted from Aesop’s fables

The poem tells us the story of a careless cricket who was busy in singing only and did
nothing for his future. However, an ant who was very sincere in his work did
everything for the future. The ant lived with self - respect even in harsh time while the
cricket had to beg and could not survive during winter.

The poem “The Ant and the Cricket” is a fable –that is a story consisting of animals as
characters that convey a moral – written in a poetic format. It is about a silly young
cricket and a prudent ant. The cricket used to sing all day long and enjoy his good
times during summer season. He lacked far sightedness, for he never had plans for his
future. When winter arrived, the cricket could not find even a meagre amount of food
to eat. He thought if he did not borrow some grains from the ant, he would die of
starvation and sorrow. So, the cricket went to the ant to borrow food and get shelter.

The ant gave an important life lesson during its conversation with the cricket ants
neither borrow from somebody nor lend to somebody. Instead they work hard and save
for the future. When the ant questioned the cricket what it was doing during summer,
the cricket confessed his in dulgence in merrymaking.

The poem ends with the ant asking the cricket to try dancing and singing again during
its hard times-in winter too. The ant chased him away from his place. This fable drives
home the message even for the human beings that we should indeed enjoy our happy
moments but must not ignore our future. Carefully planning our future is essential and
significant for everyone, in order to ensure security.

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5. NO MEN ARE FOREIGN

- James Falconer Kirkup

The poem “No Men are Foreign” by James Falconer Kirkup points out why it is wrong
to hate others based on differences such as race, culture, or geography. The speaker
goes through points to show how all people are similar and part of the brotherhood of
man. In the end, the speaker mentions how unnatural war is because it is fighting
against ourselves. This poem begins and ends with the same line, with the repetition
serving to emphasize the fact that this is the core message of the poem: “Remember, no
men are strange, no countries foreign”.

The subject of this poem is the unity of the human race, despite differences in race,
geography or language. All people are brothers, in that we all walk on the same land
and will be buried under it. We are all, ultimately, related, and are all born the same
and will die in the same way. Use of language like uniforms suggests that even in times
of war, the opposing sides would do well to remember that under the uniforms, a single
body breathes.

The poem covers various points of similarity between people from all countries: people
have hands like ours, they labour as we do, and they have eyes like ours that wake to
see a similar world. Hating other people because they are different, or raising arms
against other people, is effectively a condemnation of ourselves: it is the human earth,
our own earth that we defile.

This poem could be understood as a protest against such issues as racial discrimination
and warfare, which threaten the peace and safety of human beings.

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6. THE HOUSE ON ELM STREET

- Nadia Bush

Nadia Bush in her poem “The House on Elm Tree” describes a mysterious house.
Nobody knows what happens inside the house. It is still there but still people do not
know what happens inside the house. The house has plenty of space inside and it is a
very big house. But nobody lives there; it is bare. At night the house seems to have
some life. Some light comes and goes. The poet is often tempted to go inside the house
just to see what is inside. But fear never allows her to take any step towards that. Every
day the poet drives past the house. In summer the house seems to be little brighter. It is
always in her mind; it never leaves her mind.

Near the house there is a tree. It never has any leaves on it. In all the seasons it looks
the same. It neither grows nor becomes small. She wonders how it is possible. Some
rumors are going round saying that the house begins to fade away. The poet does not
know what is going on inside the house and it will always remain a mystery to the
poet.

7. STOPPING BY WODS ON A SNOWY EVENING

- Robert Frost

Once the poet happened to travel through the dense woods, on his horse. It was a cold
evening with heavy snowfall. Enchanted by the beauty of the woods, the poet suddenly
stopped to admire the scene of the woods being covered with snow. The poet seemed
to know to whom the woods belonged. He also guessed that the owner of the woods
must be residing at the village and would not know that the poet had halted at his
woods enjoying the snowfall there. The poet’s horse too must have been equally
puzzled at this sudden pause at a place where there was no farmhouse or resting area. It
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happened to be the darkest evening of the year. Hence the horse shook his harness
bells, as if to enquire if the poet had halted by mistake or to set right any sudden
problem. There was total silence all around, except for the gentle sound of the breeze
blowing, carrying with it snowflakes.

Though captivated by the splendid beauty of the lovely, dense and dark woods, the
poet could not remain there for long, as he had to travel over a long distance, covering
many miles. Further, he had to fulfill many promises or carry out many duties before
his daily sleep or the eternal one. Perhaps the poet is reminded of his unfulfilled duties
and responsibilities that he had to carry out before his tenure on earth ended. Hence he,
with regret, realizes that he had to keep continuing his journey and could not rest
before fulfilling his duties in life.

8. A POISON TREE

- William Blake

The poet says that he was angry with his friend. When he told him about it, his anger
ended. When he did not tell it, his anger grew. When his anger grew he gave more life
to it with his fears and tears. He tried to smile but he had some bad thoughts behind his
smiles. Hence his anger towards his enemy grew day and night. It grew like a that bore
a bright apple. His enemy saw the shining apple and he knew the apple belonged to the
poet. He came secretly into the garden when it was night. In the morning the poet’s
anger changed into gladness when he found the enemy outstretched under the poison
tree.

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9. ON KILLING A TREE

- Gieve Patel

“On Killing a Tree” is a sensitive poem. The poet persuades the reader not to destroy
trees and equates it with “killing” a human being. He says that a plant takes sunlight,
water, air, and nutrients from the soil to gradually become a huge tree. It develops a
strong trunk and gets numerous leaves.

Merely cutting the trunk of the tree does not kill it. When a tree is cut, the sap flows
out just like a wounded man bleeds. Once the wound heals, new branches and tiny
leaves grow from there which grow into trees.

In order to destroy a tree, it has to be uprooted. The roots which are white in color and
are damp due to the moisture that they get from the soil are hidden in a pit in the Earth.
These roots are the most sensitive part of the tree as they bind it to the earth. In order to
kill the tree, these roots have to be detached from the soil. Once the roots are detached,
the tree starts dying, It withers, dries up with the action of heat and wind, twists,
hardens and finally, dies.

10. SPIDER AND THE FLY

- Mary Botham Howitt

The poem starts with a conversation between the spider and the fly. The spider requests
the fly to visit him in his parlor because it is a beautiful place ever. The fly knows she
is being trapped and rejects the request and tells him that nobody has gone to that
parlor and comes out. The spider uses another tactic to lure the fly. This time he
assures her of security and alludes that the fly must be tired and she needs a place to
rest. But the fly seems to know every trick of the spider and tells him that whoever
goes to his bed never wakes up.
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The spider keeps on persisting and calls the fly his friend. The spider is cunning and
tricky and offers the fly good food. Being aware of the spider’s tricks, the fly rejects
the offer. The spider never gives up and starts complimenting the fly calling her witty
and wise. The fly does not buy into the spider’s story and appreciates him for the
compliments and assures him that she will visit him another day. The compliments and
flattering words appeal to the fly, and she draws near the spider’s home.

When the fly draws near the spider’s home, he holds her tightly and drags her to his
den. After getting into the parlor, the fly does not come out again. The author ends her
story by warning little children against flattering words. The narrator advises the
children to learn from this story of the spider and the fly. Children and everyone should
not repeat the mistake committed by the fly. Sweet words have consequences.

11. THE RIVER

- Caroline Ann Bowles

The River by Caroline Ann Bowles appears to be a rather simple poem describing the
journey of a river as it flows. However, when one looks at it deeply, it appears that the
poetess is secondarily comparing the stages of a river with the life phases of a human.

The poetess addresses the river and calls it little. The river is sparkling and dancing as it
flows over the yellow pebbles. The river passes through the flowers and foliage and is
compared to a child that is playing. This implies that the river is joyful and lively like a
child who plays.

The river is now bigger and less gentle as it brawls and leaps through smooth and rough

surfaces. The second stanza illustrates the river to be acting as an impetuous youth, who
is driven by zest and acts without much thought. The growth in age becomes clear in
this stanza.

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The river appears to be brimming, which is a resemblance to a person maturing and

someone who has reached their full potential. This person is wise and calm. “Seeming

still, yet still in motion”, implies that although it may appear still, the river is moving

towards the ocean, its destination, just like a person working in silence to achieve their

goal.

12. THE COMET

- Norman Littleford
The Comet by Norman Littleford is a poem describing the aesthetics of a comet. The
poetshares his fondness for watching comets as they speed by. It is a rather simple
poem and, in a sense, scientific too. The poem is divided into six stanzas, and each
stanza has fourlines. The rhyme scheme of each stanza is abcb.
The comet travels speedily from the heavens. It neither stops during the day nor the
night.
The poet expresses how a comet in full flight is a spectacle to be watched.
Here the poet shares that a comet is faster than even a cheetah and has a very long tail.
The comet is bigger than a mountain and very powerful and strong. The poet explains
how the ice melts and from the comet’s exterior and turns into vapour. This leads to a
trail behind the comet and becomes its tail.
The poet warns the readers of the possible dangers of what would happen if a comet
comes too close to the earth. The atmosphere will shake and these shockwaves would
cause earthquakes.

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13. THE STICK – TOGETHER FAMILIES

- Edgar Albert Guest

The poem begins by stating that the most “gladsome” families are those that stick
together. They do not let circumstances separate them for any reason. If a family stays
true to this way of being then they will, rich or poor, be joyful.

In the rest of the stanzas, the speaker outlines how much better off “stick-together”
families are than those who do not try to remain by one another’s side. Separate
brothers and sisters will only find barren fields and joyless homes without one another.

The poem concludes with the speaker appealing to a “brother” to stop wandering and
return home. It is only among his family members that he will find true happiness.

14. SPECIAL HERO

- Christina M. Kerschen
The poem is about the father’s love towards a child. The poet describes her father’s
love and care towards her. When she was a baby, he held her in his arms. She felt his
love and kindness. He always kept her safe from harm. She was able to experience his
love for her in his eyes. She felt that she was lucky that he was the dad chosen for her.
There was something special about the father’s love. She thought that he was sent to
her from heaven. She just wanted him to know that their love lasts forever. She wanted
to tell him that he was her special hero.

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15. MAKING LIFE WORTH WHILE

- George Elliot

It is a rather beautiful and inspiring poem that revolves around the themes of learning
virtues and facing problems boldly. The poem aspires one to gain some good values
from every soul they come in contact with, no matter how brief the acquaintance was.

A little grace, a kind thought, an aspiration that was missing until then, learn it all.
Many people come into our lives, each one with their own dynamic persona and traits,
we must learn to adopt at least one good trait or even a thought from them. It helps us to
grow as a person and evolve.

Sometimes we think our life hard but then we meet someone and realise that they have
had harder times. In such moments we must learn from them and borrow some courage
and faith. The phrases darkening sky and thickening ills of life can be understood as the
various troubles of life. However, one must toughen up and become brave.

After all these troubles, it only takes one glimpse of brighter skies to make us
forget our miseries and make life worthwhile, in essence, worth living. If we pass the
tests that life puts forward and make life worthwhile, we will surely ascend to heaven.

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16. A THING OF BEAUTY

- John Keats
A Thing of Beauty is by the famous poet John Keats. Furthermore, the poet says that a
beautiful thing can give us extreme happiness and delight. Moreover, a beautiful thing
is eternal that never declines or fades. Also, a beautiful thing resembles a shady shelter
which gives us a comfortable sleep comprising of sweet dreams and relaxation. This
will ultimately lead to good health. The sight of lovely and beautiful things will live on
in our memories for the rest of our lives. Thinking about them makes our bodies and
minds healthier, as the ideas give us serenity and mental calm.

The author says that individuals have an attachment to Earthly things. This attachment
is such that it has the resemblance of a flowery wreath. Furthermore, there are traps that
keep people connected to materialistic things. This connection with materialistic things
distracts humans from eternal happiness. This is because the focus of such materialistic
people will be on acquiring more and more resources rather than on attaining eternal
happiness. The world has a lot of negativity, hatred, and greed. According to the poet,
the cause of gloom and sadness is this negativity. Moreover, one can fade away these
negative vibes away with the help of beautiful things that surround us. This is because
these beautiful things bring nothing but positivity. Man and nature are strongly
intertwined. The beauty of nature is what keeps us connected to this planet. Every
morning, we select beautiful fresh flowers and make garlands. They lift our spirits and
make us forget about our problems for a while.

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17. LESSONS IN LIFE

- Brigette Bryant & Daniel Ho

It has been said that life is the most patient teacher. You will be presented with the
same experience over and over until you learn the best way to deal with the situation.
This is not because life is cruel. Rather, it is because things have a way of coming back
to haunt us when we don't deal with them. One form of intelligence is the ability to
learn from mistakes. When you are presented with a painful experience, take the time to
think about how you can avoid it in the future. This is an example of a lesson learned.

18. MY COMPUTER NEEDS A BREAK

- Shanthini Govindan
The poet Shanthini Govindan in her poem “My Computer Needs a Break”, talks about
both the positives and negatives of using a computer. A computer makes the lives of
human beings much easier. But when one gets more inclined towards using
technology, it might prove as destructive to the devices. The poet’s computer does not
save files or check spellings just like other normal computers. The computer first gets
infested by a worm and then a virus, which slows down its activity. The poet later
realises that just like human beings, the computer also needs rest to function normally,
and therefore asks the same question to the technician who repairs it. She finally
decides to take a break from the tech life.

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19. YOUR SPACE

- David Bates
The poet David Bates says that we should speak gently as it is easy to control people
by love rather than by fear. The good deeds we do are spoilt by the rough words we
speak. When promises of love are expressed in a low voice, it ties the truly loving
hearts. Friendship grows deeper through the kind words that flow. The language of
affection is kindness. We must speak gently to gain the love of little children. The
childhood period does not extend for a long time, hence we must speak caring, soft and
mild words that they may remember always.

20. SEA FEVER

- John Masefield

“Sea Fever” is an interesting poem written by John Edward Masefield. The speaker of
the poem is a sea lover. He wants to travel in the lonely sea without anyone
accompanying him. He desires to travel in a well-built ship with a star to accompany
him. The sailor follows the direction of the star. When the day breaks, he enjoys the
morning mist. He feels delighted when strong winds are carrying the clouds away from
his path. He wants to lead a “vagrant gypsy life”. He likes to enjoy the way how
seagulls and whales live. Adventures, memories, and journey are the major themes of
this poem. The speaker hears a continuous call from the sea, and he says that it is
unavoidable. He wishes to break the current situation and return to the adventurous life
to enjoy his youth at sea. He wishes to get the company of a rover who tells fictional
stories. He likes to take a sound sleep at the end of the journey and have a sweet
dream.

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21. COURAGE

- Edgar Albert Guest

Edgar Albert Guest, in his poem “Courage”, talks about how the concept of courage
has been misconceived. It is not a momentary flash that shows up only during the times
of emergency. It is not an instant thing that flashes across only in times of trouble or
despair. It does not show up when one has almost lost hope and is trying to give a final
tug. It is rooted within oneself. It is not the final call for help or a back-up plan for the
future. It is the will to hold on during difficult times and the determination to pursue a
distant goal. Courage is not about showing everyone that one is not scared, rather it is
the acceptance of loss and win equally. Courage is the patience one exerts when he is
facing trouble. It stays with a person forever and is not a recurring phenomenon.

22. TEAM WORK

- Edgar Albert Guest

Teamwork is a poem written by Edgar Albert Guest. He emphasizes on the importance

of teamwork than individual performance. We may be counted as a star because we are
skilled, but we should know whether we will be able to manage a team. There are no
single hands when it comes to the game of life - all hands join together to make lives
easier. Even if we are praised and called great by others, we must be able to work with
our running mates, or we will never win the game. If we want only our self to win, it is
selfish. Whether we win or lose a battle is decided only by the spirit of the team. Set
your mind and will to helping your fellow mates to win, even when his chances seem
poor and hopeless. Forget yourself until the game gets over, play, fight and win for the
team.

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23. FROM A RAILWAY CARRIAGE

- Robert Louis Stevenson
The poem “From a Railway Carriage” is about the experience of the poet “R.L.
Stevenson” during his train travel. He has written the poem very expressively that we
also travel along with him, in his railway carriage. He says that the train travelled much
faster than imaginary characters like fairies and witches. He saw bridges, houses,
hedges, and ditches along the way. He felt the train charged forward like troops of
soldiers in a battlefield, who were ready to attack. He saw many brightly painted
stations along the way, as he heard the whistles that indicated the arrival of the stations.
But all these sights flew past him in a wink of an eye, because the train was speeding
fast.

The poet saw a child, scrambling up brambles to gather some blackberry fruits. He also
saw a tramp who was standing and gazing at the things happening around him. Some
people were stringing daisies to make garlands from it. He saw a cart that was lumping
along laboriously with the weight of a man and the cartload. Finally, he saw a mill and
a river. The poet saw all these sights only in a glimpse, as the train sped away – leaving
the images behind them.

24. INDIAN SEASONS

- Nisha Dyrene

“Indian Seasons” is a poem written by Nisha Dyrene. She has described the seasons
prevalent in India. She begins by saying that summers start with an intense blazing
heat. It cheers up people and makes them smile, as it is a season to venture out and play
in the warm and pleasant sunshine, making their feet dusty. Then the season changes to
monsoon - when the rains make the roads muddy. During rainy season, water stagnates

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everywhere and therefore frogs and toads are found in great numbers. It is also a
season of ripening mangoes.

Spring is the prettiest season as it marks the beginning of new life - fresh grass and new
leaves sprout during this time. It is also the shortest and sweetest time of the year.
Autumn in English countries denote the change of colours in leaves - it turns to shades
of red, yellow and brown. But in India, leaves wither and fall during autumn season.

25. A TRAGIC STORY

- William Makepeace Thackeray

The poem “A Tragic Story” talks about a learned sage who lived years ago. The sage
had a handsome pigtail that hung from the back of his head. But he was not happy with
it because it hung from the back. He put in all the efforts and tried to bring it to the
front of his face. He thinks a lot and comes up with different plans to change the
pigtail's position. He finally thinks the mystery is solved when he comes up with the
idea that he could turn himself around and bring the pigtail to his face. He tries
jumping around in various positions and twists and twirls his body in a desperate
attempt. But nothing worked, but it is impossible to bring the pigtail attached to his, to
his face. The sage does not give up his attempt but continues with his attempt in spite
of repeated failed attempts.

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