IMPERIAL HERITAGE SCHOOL, SECTOR-102, GURUGRAM

SESSION 2025-26
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
HANDOUT
TOPIC: - POETS AND PANCAKES GRADE – XII
NAME- DATE:

THEME
In the short story “Poets and Pancakes” by Indian writer and journalist Ruskin Bond, the theme revolves around
the contrast between artistic integrity and the mundane realities of life, particularly in the context of the film
industry:
1. Artistic Integrity vs. Commercialism:
o The story highlights the tension between the pursuit of genuine artistic expression and the
commercial demands of the film industry. The poet in the story represents a commitment to true
art and creativity, while the world of pancakes symbolizes the commercial, superficial side of
the industry.
2. Contrast Between Idealism and Realism:
o Through the character of the poet and the setting of the pancake stall, Bond illustrates the clash
between idealistic artistic ambitions and the practical, often disappointing, realities of life. The
poet's high ideals are juxtaposed with the everyday grind of the film industry, symbolized by the
pancakes.
3. The Struggle for Recognition:
o The story reflects on the challenges faced by artists and writers in gaining recognition and
respect. It underscores the difficulties in maintaining one's artistic vision in a world that often
values commercial success over genuine creativity.
4. Irony and Satire:
o Bond uses irony and satire to comment on the film industry's superficiality and the often absurd
nature of its practices. The poet's disdain for the industry’s focus on trivial matters contrasts
sharply with his own serious approach to art, highlighting the irony in the way art is
commodified.
5. Cultural and Social Commentary:
o The story also offers a glimpse into the cultural and social dynamics of the time, including the
economic and social pressures faced by artists. Bond’s narrative provides a critique of the ways
in which art and artists are sometimes exploited or sidelined in favor of more commercially
viable pursuits.

KEY POINTS
Þ Pancake -a make-up brand.
Þ The make-up room of the Gemini Studios was in a building that used to be Lord Clive’s Stable.
Þ The dazzling incandescent light trapped the men in ‘fiery misery’.
Þ The make-up department comprised people coming from many states. It was a real example of-national
integration.
Þ The chief make-up men were engaged for the hero and heroine. The senior assistant was for number
two’ hero and heroine. There was a junior assistant make-up man for the main comedian. The ‘office-
boy’ was responsible for the make-up of the crowd.
Þ The ‘office-boy was not a boy but a man in his early forties.
Þ He entered the Studios to become a star hero, director, script writer or lyrics writer but ended up as the
‘office-boy’.
Þ Subbu was no. 2 in the Gemini Studios.
Þ Subbu gave direction and definition to the Gemini Studios in its glorious years.
Þ He was a many-sided genius who used all his energy and creativity for the advantage of his ‘Boss’.
Þ Subbu was a good poet and wrote a novel.
 Þ He was an amazing actor and a charitable soul ready to help everyone.
Þ The ‘office-boy was jealous of Subbu. He considered Subbu cause of all his woes and neglect.
Þ The legal adviser, a lawyer, was also a part of the Story Department.
Þ He was a dead-wit, a lonely man of cold-reason. He was a misfit in the establishment.
Þ The Studios served as a host to the MRA, a group of 200 persons.
Þ MRA-a kind of counter-movement to international Communism
Þ The MRA presented two plays in a highly professional manner. Their sets and costumes were copied
for years.
Þ MRA-Someone called the group an international circus. They weren’t very good on the trapeze and their
acquaintance with animals was only at the dinner table.
Þ The message of the plays were usually plain and simple homilies, but the sets and costumes were first-
rate.
Þ Madras and the Tamil drama community were terribly impressed and for some years almost all Tamil
plays had a scene of sunrise and sunset in the manner of ‘Jotham Valley’ with a bare stage, a white
background curtain and a tune played on the flute.
Þ Stephen Spender, an English poet visited the Gemini Studios. His visit was a total disaster.
Þ There was so much communication gap that neither the English poet nor the audience knew what was
happening there.
Þ The people at the Studios wore khadi and worshipped Gandhi. But beyond that they had no political
understanding or leaning.
Þ But the people at the Studios were allergic to Communism. They considered a Communist as a godless
man — who had no filial or conjugal love; who had no compunction about killing his own parents or
his children; he was always out to cause and spread unrest and violence among innocent and ignorant
people.
Þ Writer’s thought about Prose Writing-It is not and cannot be the true pursuit of a genius. It is for the
patient, persistent, persevering drudge with a heart so shrunken that nothing can break it; rejection slips
don’t mean a thing to him.
Þ The narrator after several years read a book ‘The God That Failed’. One of the essayists, was Stephen
Spender.
Þ He was the same English poet who had visited the Gemini Studios years ago.

MIND MAP
GLOSSARY
1. Affluent: having a great deal of money; wealthy
2. Andre Gide: A French writer, humanist, moralist, received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1947.
3. Anglo-Burmese: The Anglo-Burmese people, also known as the Anglo-Burmans, are a community of
Eurasians of Burmese and European descent, who emerged as a distinct community through mixed
relations between the British and other European settlers and the indigenous peoples of Burma from
1826 until 1948 when Myanmar gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
4. Arthur Koestler: A Hungarian born British novelist, known for his novel Darkness at Noon.
5. Averse: having a strong dislike of or opposition to something
6. Bafflement: confusion, bewilderment
7. Bare: empty
8. Barge in: to walk into a room quickly, without being invited
9. Blew over: to pass by or to end
10. Broadcasting: the transmission of programmes or information by radio or television
11. Catapulted: move suddenly or at great speed
12. Coat of mail:- a protective garment made of linked metal rings (mail) or of overlapping metal plates
13. Cold logic: logic that fails to consider human factors such as culture, language, social dynamics,
personality and emotion
14. Communism: collectivism, socialism
15. Compunction: reluctance
16. Conjugal: relating to marriage or the relationship between a married couple
17. Conscious: aware
18. Contrary: opposite in nature, direction or meaning
19. Countermovement: a movement or other action made in opposition to another.
20. Countryside: from village
21. Covertly: secretly
22. Crimson hue: deep red colour
23. Critic: a person who judges the merits of literary or artistic works
24. Cubicle: a small partitioned-off area of a room
25. Deftly: effortlessly
26. Deliberately: on purpose
27. Demeanour: manner; attitude
28. Devadasis: In South India, a devadasi is a girl “dedicated” to worship and serve a deity or a temple for
the rest of her life. The system was outlawed in all of India in 1988.
29. Dhoti: a garment worn by male Hindus, consisting of a piece of material tied around the waist and
extending to cover most of the legs
30. Diction: the style of enunciation in speaking or singing; articulation
31. Direst: terrible
32. Drudge: a person made to do hard menial or dull work.
33. Dwarfed: cause to seem small or insignificant in comparison
34. Enlightened: having or showing a rational, modern and well-informed outlook
35. Epics: an exceptionally long and arduous task or activity
36. Etched: here, defined, described
37. Fiery: red-hot; scorching
38. Filial: relating to or due from a son or daughter.
39. Forbidden: not allowed; banned.
40. Forthcoming: about to happen or appear
41. Foul: bad
42. French window: each of a pair of glazed doors in an outside wall, serving as a window and door, typically
opening onto a garden or balcony
43. Genius: an exceptionally intelligent person
44. Genuine: true
45. Haunt: frequently visited by
46. Having a hand in: to be involved with something
47. Hideous: extremely ugly
 48. Hierarchy: A system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative
status or authority
49. Homilies: sermon; lecture
50. Hues: complexion
51. Ignazio Silone: An Italian writer, who was the founder member of the Italian communist party in 1921,
and is known for the book. The God That Failed, authored by him.
52. Ignominy: public shame or disgrace
53. Improvident: a person who does not plan his expenses and ends up wasting money
54. Incandescent: emitting light as a result of being heated; burning
55. Incriminating: making someone appear guilty of a crime or wrongdoing.
56. Integration: unification
57. Khadi: an Indian homespun cotton cloth
58. Lead: main
59. Leisure: time when one is not working or occupied; free time
60. Literary: associated with literary works or other formal writing
61. Literati: well-educated people who are interested in literature.
62. Louis Fischer: A well known American journalist and a writer of Mahatma Gandhi’s biography entitled
63. Loyalty: a strong feeling of support for someone
64. Madras Indian Christian: – a particular caste in Indian Christians of people from Madras who have been
converted to Christianity religion
65. Main players: actors performing the main roles
66. Manuscript: an author’s handwritten or typed text that has not yet been published
67. Mess: a building or room providing meals
68. Misery: a state or feeling of great physical or mental distress or discomfort
69. Overshadowed: was better than
70. Persevering: continuing in a course of action despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
71. Perverts: a person whose sexual behavior is regarded as abnormal and unacceptable.
72. played into their hands – to do something that one does not realize will hurt oneself and help someone
else
73. Potions: a liquid mixture
74. Prerequisite: a thing that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or exist
75. Prohibition: the act of forbidding something
76. Pursuit: hobby, activity
77. Refrain: lines that are repeated in poetry
78. Richard Wright: An American writer, known for his novel Native Son and his autobiography Black Boy.
79. Sneaking into: doing something in a secretive or stealthy way
80. Sophistication: having a good understanding of the way people behave
81. Sprawling: spreading over a large area, detailed
82. Stephen Spender: An English poet essayist who concentrated on themes of social injustice and class
struggle.
83. Struck dumb: shocked
84. Subsidiary: secondary, supporting
85. Surmise: guess; suspect
86. Sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously (excessively obedient) towards someone important in order
to gain advantage
87. Tempramental: liable to unreasonable changes of mood.
88. The Life of Mahatma Gandhi. The Oscar winning film Gandhi is based on this biographical account.
89. Tirade: a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation
90. Trapeze: a horizontal bar hanging with two ropes and free to swing, used by acrobats in a circus
91. Unwittingly: unknowingly
92. Vaguely: in a way that is uncertain
93. Virtue: behaviour showing high moral standards; here, good luck
94. Woes: distress

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (2 Marks)

1. How does the writer describe the make-up room of the Gemini Studios?
 The make-up room of the Gemini Studios had incandescent lights. It also had lights at all angles around large
mirrors. Those subjected to make-up had to face bright light and a lot of heat there. It was on the upper floor
of the building that was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables.

2. How was the make-up room a fine example of national integration?

Transcending all the barriers of regions, religions and castes, people from all over India came to Gemini
Studios for jobs. The make-up department was headed by a Bengali, succeeded by a Maharashtrian, assisted
by a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian and an Anglo Burmese and the usual local
Tamils. Hence, the writer finds in the make-up department a perfect example of national integration.

3. Explain the appropriateness of the title ‘Poets and Pancakes’?

The chapter describes Gemini Studios and its functioning very clearly. Its employees are little unrecognized
poets. Though they work in a film studio, the focus is on the author’s station in the Studios as a make-up boy
using pancakes on crowd players, and how he failed as a poet. So, the title is appropriate.

4. What does The God that Failed refer to?

"The God That Failed" refers to a collection of essays written by six prominent writers who had at one point
been associated with or sympathetic to communism but later became disillusioned with it. In their essays,
these writers describe their journeys into communism and their subsequent rejection of it due to various
reasons. The book explores the loss of faith in the communist ideology, which had once held great promise
for them but ultimately failed to deliver on its ideals.

5. Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as an unexplained mystery?

Þ The author and the staff at the studio couldn't comprehend the purpose or relevance of his visit.
Þ His speech left the audience baffled because it seemed out of place in a Tamil film studio, and the author
and others were puzzled as to why he was addressing them.
Þ The visit lacked a clear explanation or connection to the studio's work, making it a perplexing and
enigmatic event.

6. Mention the message of the plays presented by MRA. Give one example to show that Gemini Studios
was influenced by the plays staged by MRA.
The message of the plays were usually plain and simple homilies, but the sets and costumes were first-rate.
After the MRA group's visit to Madras and their successful plays, almost all Tamil plays began to incorporate
scenes featuring sunrises and sunsets in the style of the MRA plays. This demonstrates the impact of the
MRA's theatrical productions on the style and themes of Tamil plays produced by Gemini Studios.

7. Describe the strict hierarchy maintained in the make-up department of Gemini studio.
The chief make-up man made the chief actors and actresses ugly, his senior assistant the ‘second’ hero and
heroine, the junior assistant the main comedian, and so forth. The players who played the crowd were the
responsibility of the office boy.

8. How did the canteen mentioned in the lesson contribute to the literary world?
Þ Provided a platform for poets, writers and artists to exchange ideas, discuss literature and collaborate on
creative projects.
Þ Poets and writers found their inspirations and support that contributed growth and development of the literary
world.

9. What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?
The lawyer wore pants and a tie and sometimes a coat whereas everyone else in the Story Department wore
a similar khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt. Thus, the lawyer stood
out from others at Gemini Studios as if he is a dispassionate man who did not take sides. Moreover, he was
a logical man with no emotional attachment whatsoever.

10. How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studios was?
Before investing money in participating in a short story contest organised by an English periodical ‘The
Encounter’, the author did a research on the magazine. He went to the British Council Library where, while
 going through an issue of that periodical, he discovered that its editor was Stephen Spender, the poet who
had once visited the studio.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (5 Marks)

1. What does Asokamitran's narrative in Poets and Pancakes demonstrate about Subbu?
Þ He was a hardworking man because there were no properly established studios and film companies when
he started out.
Þ He was imaginative because he could come up with numerous innovative ways of performing the same
scene.
Þ He was immensely helpful to his friends and acquaintances.
Þ He was a celebrated poet who chose to dedicate his poetry to the masses.

2. How did the writer discover Spender’s identity?

When Gemini Studios prepared to welcome Spender, they did not have any clue about the identity of the
visitor. All they knew was that he was a poet from England. However, he was not one of the poets from
England that they had heard of. Later, they heard that he was an editor. But again, he wasn’t the editor of
any of the known British publications. When the gentleman arrived, the mystery of his identity deepened.
He spoke but none understood because of the British accent.
Much later, when The Encounter, a relatively unknown periodical, announced a short story contest through
The Hindu, the writer went to the British Council Library to find out more about the periodical. When he
read the editor’s name, it sounded familiar. It was the poet who had visited the Gemini Studios. His name
was Stephen Spender.

3. Write a brief character sketch of Kothamangalam Subbu.

Þ Kothamangalam Subbu was universally hated by all in the make-up department.

Þ He had a modest beginning as an office boy and had now reached to the position of No. 2 at Gemini Studios.
Þ He was a Brahmin and hence, had contacts with affluent people.
Þ He looked cheerful at all times.
Þ He could never do things on his own but his loyalty endeared him to the Boss.
Þ His creativity surfaced when commanded.
Þ He could come out with various alternatives for enacting a scene.
Þ He gave direction and definition to Gemini Studios during its golden years.
Þ Subbu was also a poet and capable of complex and higher forms of poetry but he purposely addressed it to
the masses.
Þ His success in films overshadowed his literary achievements.
Þ He composed several ‘story poems’ and also wrote a novel, Thillana Mohanambal.
Þ He was an amazing actor and performed better than the main players.
Þ He loved people and his house was a permanent residence for guests.
Þ Despite this, he had enemies. It could be because he seemed so close to the Boss or because he seemed like
a sycophant.

4. Describe the office boy of the Gemini Studio.

Þ He wasn’t exactly a boy
Þ He was in his early forties, having entered the studios years ago in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top
screen writer, director or lyrics writer.
Þ He was a bit of a poet.
Þ His Job was to do the make-up of the crowd.
Þ He hated Subbu and considered him responsible for all his miseries.

5. What does the writer say about the political leanings of the people at Gemini Studios?
Barring the office boys and a couple of clerks, everybody else at the Gemini Studios radiated leisure and was
a lover of poetry. Most of them wore khadi and worshipped Gandhiji but beyond that, they had no political
leanings at Gemini Studios. Since most of the employees were apolitical and worshipped Gandhiji, they wore
khadi. However, all of them disliked the term ‘Communism’.
To them, A Communist was a godless man — he had no filial or conjugal love; he had no compunction about
killing his own parents or his children; he was always out to cause and spread unrest and violence among
innocent and ignorant people.