Unit 1 The Last Lesson Alphonse Daudet

 Introduction of the author

Alphonse Daudet was a French novelist and a short story writer. The French – German war had a
deep and lasting impact on his style of writing. He has shared his personal experiences through
this story. The pain of losing his identity and becoming a slave in one’s own country describes the
pain that the author feels when German forces take control of France and force German language
upon the citizens.
 Summary of the unit
The story is narrated by a French boy, Franz. He is lazy but sensitive and likes to play. He dislikes
studying French and hates his teacher M. Hamel. After overpowering their districts of Alsace and
Lorraine in France, Berlin has ordered that German language instead of French be taught in the
schools there. It is the last day of their French teacher M. Hamel, who has been there for forty
years. He is full of grief, nostalgia and patriotism. As a mark of respect to his hard work, the village
men also attend his ‘last lesson’. They are sad as they did not learn their mother tongue, French in
their childhood. Franz is shocked to know that it’s his last lesson, as he does not know French.
Now, suddenly, he gets interested in learning it and understands everything taught on that day! He
develops an instant liking for the teacher, M. Hamel and respects him for his sincerity and hard
work. He feels sad at departing from him and is ashamed for not being able to recite the lesson of
participles. M. Hamel tells them that they all are at fault for not being eager enough to learn,
putting it off to the next day. He blames himself for not teaching them sincerely. His patriotism is
reflected in his praise for the French language as being the most beautiful and most logical
language in the world. He tells the class to guard their language as being close to one’s language is
the key to escape from the prison of slavery. It will help them in getting free from the Germans.
They realize the importance of learning their mother tongue and that they have been defeated by
the Germans because of their illiteracy. Franz feels that it is not possible to take away one’s
language from a person as it is natural to each being, may it be the “coo” to the pigeons or “French”
to the Frenchmen.
 Glossary
Sawmill: a factory for cutting wood
Drilling: exercising
Tempting: attracting
Resist: to stay away, control
Bulletin-board: a notice board for putting up the latest news and communication
A great bustle: a lot of noise created by many people
In unison: at the same time
Rapping: striking
Blushed: face turned red in color due to shame
Solemn: serious
Primer: basic reader of any language
Thumbed: torn and damaged
Grave: serious
Thunderclap: Something startling or unexpected
Wretches: here, it refers to an unfortunate happening
Saar: a river which passes through France
Cranky: strange, short – tempered
Sunday clothes: the best dress that a person has.
Dreadful: frightening
Mixed up: confused

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 1

 Pretend: show
At one stroke: at once, in one go.
Beetles: a large sized insect
Cooed: the sound made by the pigeons
Gazing: looking intently
Fix in his mind: store or keep forever
Worn smooth: had worn out and become smooth due to overuse
Twined: twisted
Angelus: prayer song in the church, the start is marked by the ringing of the bell
Trumpets: a musical instrument.
Pale: used to describe a person's face or skin if it has less color than usual
Choked: became unable to speak due to strong emotions
Gesture: a signal
 Exercise:
1) What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Answer:
Franz studied at a school in Alsace in France. That day he was expected to be prepared for a
test on participles. M. Hamel, his teacher would give a test to the class. Franz didn't know even
the first word about them so for a moment he thought of spending the day out of doors but he
resisted and went to school.
2) What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Answer:
Franz noticed many unusual things about school that day. When the school began usually there
was much commotion but it was missing that day. His teacher, M. Hamel, had worn his special
clothes which he wore on some occasions. There were elderly village people sitting quietly
on the back benches, which were usually empty on other days, they had come to study. Also M.
Hamel didn't scold him for being late but very kindly asked him to take his seat.
3) What had been put up on the bulletin-board?
Answer:
An order which had been received from Berlin had been put up on the bulletin-board. The
order was that from the next day onwards, only German would be taught in the schools of
Alsace and Lorraine. The new teacher who would be teaching German would join the school
from the following day. The people read the notice and realized that that day was the last
French lesson in school.
4) What changes did the order from Berlin cause on school that day?
Answer:
An order had come from the German Government from Berlin. The order was put on the
bulletin board. It stated that the French language to be stopped from being taught in the
schools of Alsace and Lorraine from that day. It stated that only German would be taught in the
schools from the next day. This meant that M. Hamel, the French teacher, would have to leave.
The elder villagers were seen attending the school that day.
5) How did Franz's feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
Answer:
Franz who is the narrator of the story always felt that M. Hamel was very strict and cranky.
Also, he was not much interested in studies because he loved to spend time out of doors.
However, he was shocked when he came to know that it was his last French class. He felt that
he should have bothered about learning his lessons. He forgot about his teacher’s ruler and felt

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 2

 he would miss him. He didn't like the idea of giving up his books and lessons as they
now seemed like old friends now.
6) Whom did M. Hamel blame for Franz's inability to learn the French language?
Answer:
M. Hamel felt that there were many factors that contributed to children like Franz neglecting
their studies. He blamed the parents who were interested in sending their children to work
instead of the school so that they could earn some money for the family. He also blamed
himself for making the children water his plants or giving them a holiday if he wanted to go
fishing instead of letting them concentrate on their studies. He also told the students that they
had put off their studies thinking they had a lot of time and now they really had no time to
learn French.
7) What did M. Hamel have to say about the French language?
Answer:
M. Hamel said that the French language was the most beautiful language in the world. It was
the clearest and the most logical language. He wanted the people to guard it amongst them and
never forget it. When people are enslaved and ruled by others, they should hold fast to their
language as it will be a key to their prison and it will help them get freedom.
8) What was M. Hamel doing as the people in the school were writing?
Answer:
When the class was busy writing, M. Hamel was sitting motionless in his chair and gazing at
one thing after another in the room. It appeared like as though he wanted to remember
everything in that school room. He kept looking at the garden and the trees he had planted. He
was also hearing his sister packing their trunks in the room above. He looked pale and sad.
9) What activities did M. Hamel make the class do on the last day?
Answer:
M. Hamel started with grammar on the last day and then there was a lesson in writing. He had
new copies for everyone. All around in the class there was France, Alsace written and the
papers hung like flags from the desks. Then they had a lesson in history and the babies chanted
their ba, be, bi, bo, bu. All the while they were writing, M. Hamel was staring at the one thing
after another trying to remember everything he was leaving behind after being associated with
it for forty years.
10) How did M. Hamel wind up the last class?
Answer:
When the church clock struck twelve, the class said prayers and M. Hamel looked pale and sad.
He was leaving the school in which he had taught for forty years. He stood up and tried to
address the class but was not able to speak so he wrote ‘Vive La France'-Long Live France. He
stopped and leaned his head against the wall and then he made a gesture to the class to leave.
11) The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them.
What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Answer:
An order had come from Berlin that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace
and Lorraine. The people realised that it was the last day to learn their mother tongue. To
show their respect for the language, many elderly people like the former postmaster, former
mayor and several others came to attend school and occupied the last benches which usually
remained vacant. Little Franz regretted not having learnt his lessons. He felt his books were his
friends whom he didn't want to give up. M. Hamel told the class that the Germans would tell
them that they pretended to be Frenchmen but they couldn't neither speak nor write their
language. Their language was their identity. They were enslaved by the Germans and as long as

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 3

 they held fast to their language it would be the key to their prison. Everyone in the class was
very attentive and little Franz easily understood the lesson in grammar.
12) Franz thinks, "Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?" What could
this mean?
Answer:
Franz lived in Alsace which was taken over by the Germans. That day was their last French
lesson. The next day a new teacher was going to come to school in the place of H. Hamel and all
of them had to stop learning French and compulsorily learn German. While they were
studying there was pin drop silence. The cooing of the pigeons could be heard. Franz
humorously thought if the pigeons also would be forced to sing in German. French came
naturally to the inhabitants of Alsace and German was a foreign language which was going to
be thrust on them. It would be difficult for the children to accept this. They would find it hard
to communicate and bond with each other with the use of German.
Unit 2 Lost Spring Anees Jung
 Introduction of the author
Anees Jung is a well known authoress and journalist her work majorly focuses on the poor
condition of women in the society. Child labor is a burning question of today’s society, we often
see children doing petty jobs or scrounging the garbage. In this particular unit she writes about
poor state of Bangladeshi refugees living in the slums of Seemapuri and life of poor families that
are caught in the web of poverty and hunger in Ferozabad. Her style of writing shows us the ugly
face of the society which is often kept hidden.
 Summary
The author tells us stories of her interactions with children from deprived backgrounds. She
describes their poor condition and life in an interesting manner. The story touches the reader and
is thought provoking. The author described two of her encounters with children from deprived
backgrounds. Through them she wants to highlight the plight of street children forced into labor
early in life and are denied the opportunity of schooling. Also, she brings out the callousness of
society and the political class towards the sufferings of the poor.
The first encounter is with a rag picker boy named Saheb – E – Alam who migrated from
Bangladesh in 1971 and lives in Seemapuri in Delhi. These rag picker children look for ‘valuables’
in the garbage – things like a coin or torn shoes which are as precious as ‘gold’ for them. They
could hardly manage some food for themselves, other things like identity, education, shoes and
sports are their unfulfilled dreams. Their parents scrounged the garbage searching for things
which helped them survive – afford food, clothing and shelter for the family. The children hunted
through the garbage heaps looking for things which could partially fulfill their unfulfilled dreams.
One day the writer saw the boy, holding a steel can, going towards the milk booth. He had got a job
at a tea stall. He was happy that he would get eight hundred rupees and all the meals. The writer
noticed that Saheb had lost the freedom of being his own master which he had enjoyed as a rag
picker.
The second boy was Mukesh who belonged to a family of bangle makers in Firozabad. The boy had
a dream of becoming a car mechanic. On the contrary, his family was traditionally engaged in
bangle making, although the profession harmed them physically and they hardly earned any
money out of it. Still, no one dared to dream of doing something else due to the fear of the police
and the middlemen. The family elders were content that other than teaching the art of bangle –
making to their children, they had been able to build them a house to live in. The boy wanted to be
a car mechanic. Cars were all that Mukesh had seen on the roads of his town and so, he could not
dream any further.
 Glossary

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 4

 Scrounging – searching for
Amidst – in the middle of
Mutters – to speak in a low voice
Glibly - speaking or spoken in a confident way, but without careful thought or honesty
Hollow – meaningless
Embarrassed - feeling ashamed
Abound - exist in large numbers
Bleak – empty
Barefoot – wearing nothing in the feet
Shuffles - slides them over each other
Excuse - a reason to justify a fault
Perpetual state of poverty - never ending condition of being poor
Desolation - the state of being empty
Panting - taking short and quick breathes
Acquaintance – contact
Periphery- outer area
Metaphorically–symbolically
Squatters - a person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or unused land
Wilderness- a wasteland
Tarpaulin- heavy-duty waterproof cloth
Permits – legal documents
Tattered – torn
Transit homes – a temporary home
Lighting up – show joy and happiness
Content – satisfied
Discarded – thrown away
Bother – worry
Looking straight into my eyes – with confidence and determination
Looms like a mirage - seems that it will be true in the future but actually it will not be so
Amidst – in the middle of
Glass-blowing industry - industry related to making glass
Furnaces - a closed room or container where heat is produced
Welding - the process of joining metal or glass pieces by heating them
Dingy – dark, dim
Slog – work hard
Daylight hours - hours of the day when there is sunlight
Brightness of their eyes - here, refers to the power to see
Beam – shine brightly
Volunteers - freely offers to do something
Stinking – bad smell
Choked – blocked
Hovels – slums
Crumbling – falling down
Wobbly – unsteady
Coexisting - present at the same time and place
Primeval – prehistoric
Bangs – hits
Shack – a roughly built hut

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 5

 Thatched – covered with dry grass
Vessel – container for cooking food
Sizzling - make a hissing sound when frying or cooking
Platters – large plates
Chopped – cut finely
Frail – thin, weak
Eyes filled with smoke - her eyes are filled with the smoke coming out of the firewood stove
Command respect - she is worthy and so, is respected
Withdraws – goes back
Veil - a piece of fine material worn by women to protect or hide the face, cover or hide
Impoverished – very poor
Labour – hard work
Renovate - repair
Destiny – fate
God-given lineage - here, a profession carried on through the generations of a family
Yard – the open area at the back of the house
Mounds – heaps
Unkempt – not taken care of
Piled – kept one on top of the other
Shanty town - a town that is full of small, roughly built huts
Drab – faded, colorless
Soldering – joining
Tongs - an instrument with two moveable arms joined at one end
Sanctity - the state of being sacred or holy
Auspiciousness – good omen
Dawn on her – she will realize
Draped - covered
Ser – a unit of measuring quantity
Reaped – received as a benefit
Rings – a sound which is repeated
Echo – repeat
Lament – complaint
Mind – numbing – boring
Toil – physical hard work done to earn a living
Vicious – cruel
Hauled up – dragged, taken away
Spiral – here, a never-ending continuous process
Apathy – lack of concern
Greed – intense and selfish desire for something
Distinct – separate
Stigma – dishonor
Bureaucrats – government officials
Imposed – forced upon
Baggage – burden
To dare – do something courageous
Hurtling down – moving around
 Exercise

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 6

 1) What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come
from?
Answer:
Sahib is a young boy living in the slums of Seemapuri in Delhi. In the garbage dumps Saheb
looked for some useful articles or toys which could be sold for cash or used in daily life. As
these items could be traded for money, they are compared with gold. Saheb and his family had
migrated from Bangladesh because the storms and floods there had swept away their homes
and fields.
2) What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Answer:
Authoress has spoken about Saheb and many other children who are a part of a group of
children who are rag pickers and never been seen wearing footwear. She spoke to four such
children and asked them why they remained bare feet. One boy replied that his mother didn’t
bring shoes form the shelf, this indicated that she might be stealing shoes. The other boy told
that he was told by his parents that it was their tradition to remain bare feet. The third boy
was wearing two different shoes which he might have from the garbage dumps. The fourth one
expressed his desire to wear shoes and told authoress that he wanted shoes but didn’t have
enough money to buy.
3) Is Saheb happy working at the tea – stall? Explain
Answer:
One day authoress saw Saheb carrying a steel canister and came to know that he had got a job
at a tea stall where he would be paid 800 rupees and given meals. His face seemed unhappy
and devoid of his carefree look. He was now tied down to work as a child laborer and is no
longer independent to go scrounging in the garbage dumps. His canister seemed heavier than
his plastic bag.
4) What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Answer:
The city of Firozabad is famous for bangle making. You can find people involved in making
bangles in almost every second home. It is a hazardous profession. Firozabad is the centre of
India’s glass blowing industry where families have spent generations working around
furnaces. They make beautiful and colorful bangles for the women in the country.
5) What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in
poverty?
Answer:
The writer tells us that the bangle – makers of Firozabad are poverty – stricken. They are
burdened by the fact of the particular caste in which they are born – bangle – makers. They
have to continue the traditional profession. Further, the society has formed a harsh circle
around them. The money – lenders, middlemen, policemen, law – keepers, officers and
politicians altogether form a barrier around them and tie them in the grip of poverty. They
cannot escape from it.
6) How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realize his dream?
Answer:
Mukesh dared to dream and wanted to become a motor mechanic. He wanted to drive cars too.
He took the initial step by aspiring to do something different from the family business. I think
that Mukesh can realize his dream with determination and hard work.
7) Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you
think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
Answer:

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 7

 Yes, the promises made to poor children are seldom kept. Often, they are not taken seriously or
have been made on the pretext of retaining a child's fancy for something. This keeps the child
hoping for a better possibility till he/she realizes the truth. It is difficult for people to shatter
the children's dreams; while it is also painful to see these children thrive of false hopes given to
them. Once, while interacting with Saheb, the narrator ends up encouraging him to study and
jokingly talks about opening a school herself. At that time she fails to realize that unknowingly
she has sown a seed of hope in Saheb's heart. She becomes conscious of her mistake when,
after a few days, Saheb approaches her, enquiring about her school. Her hollow promise leaves
her embarrassed.
8) Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Answer:
The impoverished workers in the glass bangles industry toil in potentially hazardous working
conditions while welding. The furnaces they work in have extremely high temperature and
lack proper ventilation. Persistently working in low light conditions, without any protective
eye gear, leaves them blind. Even burns and cuts are quite common. The workers are quite
prone to ailments such as lung cancer.
9) Why should child labor be eliminated and how?
Answer:
Child labor should be eliminated because it takes away from the child his childhood and the
prospect of elementary education. Moreover, since the child laborers are cheap, and
consequently engaged in hazardous and dangerous employment, they are often vulnerable to
mental and physical illness. In order to curb this problem, it is important to make education
easily accessible. Apart from that, the parents must be made aware of the consequences of
working in harmful environments. It is also important to make the public aware of the fact that
child labor is a criminal offence and is punishable under law. The government must ensure
stricter child labor laws and that the offenders are punished.
10) How is Mukesh's attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Answer:
Mukesh belongs to a family of glass bangle makers in Firozabad. Even though the children of
such families usually carry on their family profession, Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic
and drive a car. Unlike his family members, and others of his community, he has dared to
dream. His grandmother's words about the unbreakable lineage represent the attitude they
have towards their situation in life. They believe that it is their destiny to toil as bangle makers.
But Mukesh dreams of a better and safer career. The resolute boy is willing to walk a long
distance from his home to learn to be a mechanic, exemplifying the saying, 'where there is a
will, there is a way'.
Unit – 3 Deep Water William Douglas
 Introduction
William Douglas was born in Minnesota. After graduating with a Bachelors of Arts in English and
Economics, he spent some years teaching high school in Yakima. However, he got tired of this and
decided to pursue a legal career. He met Franklin D. Roosevelt at Yale and became an adviser and
friend to the President. Douglas also had very close relations with President Kennedy. He was a
leading advocate of individual rights. He retired in 1975 with a term lasting thirty-six years and
remains the longest-serving Justice in the history of the court. The following excerpt is taken from
Of Men and Mountains by William O. Douglas. It reveals how as a young boy William Douglas
nearly drowned in a swimming pool. In this essay he talks about his fear of water and thereafter,
how he finally overcame it.
 Summary of the unit

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 8

 The story has been taken from the author’s autobiography- ‘Of Men and Mountains’. In this piece
he tells about his fear of water and how he conquered it by determination and will power. As a
child, when he was 3 or 4 years old, he would go to the beach in California with his father. He
would get scared by the might of the huge waves which swept over him and it instilled a fear in his
sub – conscious mind. A few years later, in his eagerness to learn swimming, he joined a swimming
pool where an incident further increased his terror. He was pushed into the pool by another boy
and experienced death closely. Many years after that incident, he stayed away from water but the
desire to go fishing and swimming in nature was strong enough to motivate him to overcome his
fear. He learned swimming with the help of an instructor who ensured that William knew
swimming well enough to be able to swim in huge lakes and waterfalls also. Still, when he would
swim, the fear from his childhood experiences, embedded in his sub-conscious mind would grip
him over and over again. He wanted to conquer that fear. He faced it sarcastically, thinking that
now, as he knew how to swim, what harm could it do to him. He challenged his fear in the face of it
and finally it would vanish. It was a baseless fear instilled in his sub-conscious mind. This
experience was valuable for him. He had experienced terror and death. He overcame it and finally
conquered it. William realized that death is peaceful and it is the fear of death that is terrorizing.
His will to live life grew intensely as he had overcome his fear and started living fearlessly.
 Glossary
Y.M.C.A. – Young Men’s Christian Association
Yakima – a place in Washington, USA
Treacherous – dangerous
Drop – slope from the shallow area to the deep area
Water wings - A pair of inflatable waterproof bags designed so that one can be attached to each
arm, especially of a child learning to swim
Skinny – thin
Subdued – to overcome
Pride – self-respect
Aversion – dislike
Surf – wave of the sea
Knocked me down – threw him down
Revived – brought back to mind
Aping – copying
To feel at ease – to feel comfortable
Bruiser - a person who is tough and aggressive and enjoys a fight or argument
Specimen – example
Skinny – a thin person
Ducked - push or plunge someone under water
Tossed – threw
Wits – intelligence
Summoned – gathered
Spring – push
Bob – jump
Tinge – touch of colour
Suffocating – unable to breathe due to lack of air
Yell – scream
Flailed – waved his hands
Choked – unable to breathe
Rigid – hard

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 9

 Expending – losing, giving out
Ached – pained
Throbbed – felt pain in a series of beats
Dizzy – faint, unsteady
Strategy – plan of action
Strike out – extend
Thrash – hit with force
Stark – severe
Seized – gripped
Shrieking – screaming
Paralysed – incapable of movement
Pounding – repeated beating
Ceased – ended
Limp – lifeless
Oblivion - the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening around one
Curtain of life fell – life came to an end
Wobbly – weak
Handicap - a circumstance that makes progress or success difficult
Canoes – small boats
Ruined – destroyed
Deprived – to take away
Cable – thick rope
Slack – to reduce
Shed – removed
Panic – fear
Seized – gripped
Vestiges – traces
Miniature – small size
 Exercise
1) What is the ‘misadventure’ that William Douglas speaks about? OR What happened to
Douglas at the YMCA pool?
Answer:
When the narrator William Douglas was about ten or eleven years old he had a misadventure
at the YMCA pool. He was afraid of the water and he was early at the pool so he was waiting for
the others to come. At that time a big bully of about eighteen years picked him up and threw
him into the deep end of the pool. The narrator made many attempts to save himself but they
were in vain. He shouted in fear but no one heard and then lost consciousness. When he came
to his sense, he found somebody had rescued him.
2) How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he
almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description vivid.
Answer:
When Douglas was thrown into the deep side of the pool by the bully, he landed in a sitting
position and swallowed water. He was afraid but he did not lose his mind. He mentally decided
that he would make a big jump when his feet would touch the bottom so that he could come to
the surface, then he would lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool. Unfortunately he
couldn’t as his lungs were ready to burst, He was afraid and suffocating. He tried to shout but
no sound came. He came to the surface but he swallowed water and chocked, his feet wouldn’t

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 10

 come up and he became paralyzed and rigid. He was screaming but no one could hear him.
Then he went limp and blackness swept over his brain and he lost consciousness.
3) How did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool affect the narrator?
Answer:
When the narrator, William Douglas was a child he had almost drowned off in the pool at
YMCA, he was saved but the experience had terrorized him. It had left him weak and trembling.
He used to shake and cry when he lay on his bed. He could no teat that night and for days there
was hunting fear in his heart there was a haunting fear in his heart. The slightest exertion
would upset him and make him wobbly in the knees and sick in the stomach. As he grew up the
fear didn’t allow him to enjoy fishing, boating and canoeing. He couldn’t even wade in the
water.
4) How did the instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas? OR How did Douglas make
sure that he conquered the old terror? OR How did Douglas overcome his fear.
Answer:
William Douglas decided not to continue with his fear of water which he had built in his
childhood so he got an instructor to teach him swimming one October. He went to a pool and
practiced for an hour – five days a week. The instructor put a belt with a rope around the
narrator and the rope went through a pulley. The instructor held on to the other end of the
rope. Each time the instructor relaxed his hold on the rope and the narrator went under the
water the fear came back. It took him three months to overcome this fear. Then he was taught
to put his face under water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale and he also learnt to
move his legs and relax. Finally in April he swam the length of the pool and also dived. The
instructor built a confident swimmer out of Douglas and then the narrator went on to swim
other water bodies and totally conquered his fear of water.
5) Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his
conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
Answer:
The narrator Douglas William said that his childhood experience of the sea water flowing over
his head and his near drowning experience in the YMCA pool had terrorized his life. The
experience had a deep meaning for him just like it would have to those who have known and
experience stark terror and have conquered it. In death there is peace but the fear of death
bring terror. He quotes the words of Roosevelt who said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” The
narrator had experienced the sensation of dying and the terror that the fear of dying had
produced. Therefore, his will to live somehow increased. He felt released and free to take up
any adventure without fear.
6) “All we have to fear is fear itself”. How did the narrator overcome his fear of water?
Answer:
The narrator, Douglas William was terrorized by water due to two incidences in his childhood.
As a young man he realized he had to overcome this fear so he hired a personal instructor and
learnt swimming in a pool. Then he swam alone and even learnt to dive in the pool. However,
he still wasn’t sure if he had conquered his fear so he went to swim in Lake Wentworth, he
dived off a dock at Triggs Island, he swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. He
used all the strokes he knew in swimming. The terror returned only once but the narrator was
firm to overcome it so he went t Lake Worm and swam across it. Thus he removed his fear.
Poem – 1 My Mother at Sixty-six Kamala Das
 Introduction

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 11

 Kamala Das (1934 - 2009) was born in Malabar, Kerala. She was recognised as one of India’s
foremost poets. Her works are known for their originality, versatility and the indigenous flavour of
the soil. Kamala Das had published many novels and short stories in English and
Malayalam under the name ‘Madhavikutty’. Some of her works in English include the novel
Alphabet of Lust (1977), a collection of short stories Padmavati the Harlot and Other Stories
(1992), in addition to five books of poetry. She was a sensitive writer who captured the
complex subtleties of human relationships in lyrical idiom, My Mother at Sixty-six is an
example of it.
 Summary of the poem
This is a touching poem written by Indian poet Kamla Das who wrote under the pen name of
‘Madhavikutty’. In this poem, she describes her feeling of love and attachment towards her ageing mother.
Once the poet went to visit her mother. She was on her way back to the the airport to return to Cochin. She
looked at her mother who was seated beside her in the car. Her mother had dozed off to sleep and her
ageing face - was smoky in colour like ash. Her mouth was open and she resembled a dead body. The poet
realized that her mother was old. She felt pain and sympathy for her. Her mother needed love, affection and
care.
In order to come out of the gloom, the poet shifted her glance and looked out of the car’s window. There she
saw young trees pass by. Little children were running out of their houses into the playgrounds. These
things were contrary to the ageing face of her mother. They symbolised energy, life and happiness.
As they reached the airport and the poet was about to leave for the aeroplane, she glanced at her mother
one more time. Her mother appeared weak and pale just like the moon in the winter season which seems to
have lost all its strength. The poet felt the pain and fear of losing her mother. She was reminded of her
childhood when she used to fear losing her mother. As a child she could not bear to be separated from her
mother even for a few moments. Now the loss would be permanent as her mother was about to die and she
would lose her forever.
The poet did not express her feelings. She smiled and said “see you soon, Amma” because she
wanted that her mother should live and they could meet again.
 Exercise
1) Ageing is a natural process: have you ever thought what our elderly parents expect from
us?
Answer:
Most elderly people go through loneliness and are not able to do many activities
independently. They long for company and they need love, attention and a lot of care. They
have spent their lives in bringing up their children and looking after their needs and now they
wish their children would take care of them. They look for family bonds and whatever time
have left is well spent in the presence of their loved ones.
2) What familiar ache and childhood fear did Kamala Das feel?
Answer:
As a child Kamala Das always had a fear that she would be separated from mother since she
was a child, this familiar ache of her childhood was felt again when she saw her mother
sleeping next to her in the car with her mouth open. Her mother looked like a dead body, pale
and frail. The poetess couldn’t accept that her mother was now old. She was pained by the
thought she might be seeing her mother for the last time and the next she came to her parent’s
home, her mother would not be there.
3) Why are the young trees described as a ‘sprinting’?
Answer:
Kamala Das looked at her mother sleeping beside her on car seat with her mouth open. She
looked like a dead body very pale and frail. The poetess was disturbed by the thought so she
looked outside where she saw young green trees which seemed to be running in the opposite

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 12

 direction. This made her realize how time had flown by and the trees represented life as they
seemed to be sprinting while her mother seemed to be going closer to her death.
4) Why has the poet brought in the image of merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?
Answer:
Kamala Das looked at out of the window of the car as she was disturbed by the pale and frail
look on her mother’s face next to her. She saw the children happily coming out of their homes.
They seemed to be energetic and full of life. She could feel the contrast with their full of life
state and her mother’s pale and frail condition.
5) Why has Kamala Das compared her mother to a later winter’s moon?
Answer:
The late winter’s moon is hazy and appears dull and without lustre because of the mist and fog.
In the same way Kamala Das felt that old age had made her mother go pale and frail. She
seemed to be quite lifeless.
6) What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Answer:
Kamala Das said ‘see you soon amma’ and repeatedly smiled at her mother before she went
into the airport. The poet has repeated the word ‘smile’ at the end of the poem to hide the pain
she was going through when she was leaving. She was afraid she might be seeing her mother
for the last time for the last time but she wanted to give herself hope and reassurance that her
mother would be there when she came the next time. She didn’t want to show that she was
disturbed to her mother so she just smiled at her.
Poem-2 Keeping Quiet Pablo Neruda
 Introduction of the poet
Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973) was the ‘pen name’ and later, ‘legal name’ of this famous Chilean poet
– diplomat – politician. He won the Noble prize for literature in the year 1971. He wrote in green
ink which was his personal symbol for desire and hope. His writings are simple, wherein lies their
beauty. Originally written in Spanish, the essence of this poem is based on introspection and
retrospection. The poet feels that some soul – searching is needed for us to be at peace with
ourselves and others.
 Summary of the poem
“Keeping Quiet” is a peace poem written by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. The poet asks
humanity to count numbers from one to twelve - twelve being the number of hours shown in a
clock or the number of zodiac signs. He requests everyone not to speak because languages create
barriers between people. The moment when everyone stops moving their body will be very
special and different as we have never experienced such a moment before.
The poet says that in this period of inactivity the fishermen would not harm the whales, the salt
gatherers will not hurt their hands, those who are busy destroying the nature will adopt a new
approach towards life, The men who are preparing for wars and victory based on deaths of
innocent people will join their enemy and stand in unity with them, doing nothing. No one will
harm himself or any other person. Everyone will unite and ponder upon his acts and realize the
results of his deeds.
The poet clarifies his idea and says further that he does not want that people should stand idle. He
wants that there should be no war because he does not want to see trucks laden with dead bodies
of the soldiers. He is promoting Universal brotherhood and peace.
The poet says that everyone is working continuously, to achieve one’s goals. People are threatened
by death and the fear forces them to work endlessly so that they can achieve everything quickly. In
this mad rush, they do not realize the repercussions of their acts. He wants us to pause and come
out of the mad rush. He wants us to be happy about our achievements and celebrate them. He

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 13

 wants us to overcome the fear of death and to relax for a while. We should know the results of our
deeds and celebrate our achievements.
When the people will remain quiet for a while, they will realize the purpose of their lives. Just like
all the creations of nature undergo a rebirth with the change of seasons, similarly, keeping quiet
will be a rebirth for the human soul. It will give a new meaning to our life. Again, the poet says that
he will count till twelve and asks everyone to remain quiet while he leaves.
 Exercise
1) What does the title of the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ Suggest to you? OR How is keeping quiet
related to life?
Answer:
The title of Pablo Neruda’s poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ suggests the importance of stillness and
silence in our life. The poem refers to the need of introspection or meditation for every human
being. This will lead us to refrain from being mechanical and destroying the nature around us.
It will help us listen to nature, stop us from hurting others and bring about mutual care and
understanding among human beings.
2) Why does Pablo Neruda want us to count till twelve and keep still? OR What is the
‘exotic moment’ referred to in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’? OR Why does one feel ‘a
sudden strangeness’ in counting to twelve and keeping quiet?
Answer:
The poet Pablo Neruda requests people to count till twelve keep still during that period to
allow them to meditate by stopping all normal activities. If this is done, human being will
experience an exotic moment when they will think about others and less of their own ego and
greed. They will think about others. Human beings will come closer to nature, the teacher who
will make them shun violent activities and bring more peace and understanding on the earth.
3) Do you think that the poet Pablo Neruda advocates total inactivity and death?
Answer:
The poet Pablo Neruda does not want people to regard his request for keeping quiet and
counting to twelve as total inactivity. Death is associated with total inactivity and not life. The
poet does not want any association with death. He is simply advocating stillness and quietness
so that there is time for introspection or meditation. This would help people to stop being self-
centered and destroying things around them and they will come to understand the need to
love and shun all violent activities.
4) What is the ‘sadness that the poet Pablo Neruda refers to in the poem?
Answer:
The poet Pablo Neruda talks about the sadness that arises because people fail to understand
one another. People have become greedy and self-centered. They destroy life for their
materialistic needs. It is sad that we have become so mechanical in our life that we don’t have
the time to be still and quiet to meditate and introspect about how we are hurting the living
beings on the earth and destroying it.
5) What symbol from nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life apparent
stillness?
Answer:
The poet Pablo Neruda tells us that the Earth can be the best teacher to guide us in the process
of being quiet. He says that a seed seems to be dead and when it is planted, it comes to life and
produces a plant or huge tree. Therefore, though it lay quiet in the soil there was life under the
stillness. The poet offers to count twelve for his reader to introspect and then he wants to
move away so that the reader can enjoy his meditative and introspecting stage.

Prepared by Ashok Sir (M) 9825171058 Page 14