2.1 'Song of The Open Road'- Poetic Appreciation

With the help of the following points, write a poetic appreciation of the poem 'Song of the Open Road'. 

* About the poem/ poet and the title

* The theme 

* Poetic style

* The language / poetic devices used in the poem

* Special features

* Messages, values, morals in the poem

*Your opinion about the poem

The " Song of the Open Road " is a poem written by a great American poet, essayist and journalist Walt Whitman. He is known as 'The Father of Free Verse'. This present poem 'Song of the Open Road' is taken from 'Leaves of Grass'. It is a beautiful blend of self-awareness , free will and tenderness of heart. It denotes poet's realization about the journey of life along with a test of wisdom.

'Song of the Open Road' is a free verse as it does not have rhyme or a regular rhythm. The unrhymed and varying length of lines show the complexities and ups and downs in the life of protagonist. It is an inspirational poem. As this is a dramatic monologue, the poet has deliberately used personal pronoun 'I' in this poem.

Freedom ,Joy(happiness), and an Optimistic Approach towards life are the major themes of this poem. The poet encourages the readers to be true to themselves and live a free and happy life. Though his life is full of problems and troubles, he encourages everyone to live their dreams, and become the architect of their own life. 

'Song of the Open Road ' consists four separate stanzas. Each stanza contains four lines of verse except the first stanza. The first stanza contains only three lines.

The special feature of the poem is the addition of last four lines i.e. parentheses given in brackets. It seems this thought has suddenly came in his mind.

Marking scheme :

Title, name of the poet.       1mk

Theme                                     1mk

Poetic devices.                       1mk

Value.                                      1/2 mk

Opinion.                                  1/2mk

                        ---------------------------------

                                                  4mks

Direct Indirect Speech

 Read the following sentences.

1) The stranger said," I have some questions to   ask."(Assertive(Affirmative))

2)"I will not wait for you, today." Ram said to Shyam.(Assertive ( Negative))

3) The astrologer said," Will you give me five rupees ?" (Interrogative (Verbal question))

4) Soapy said," Why don't you call a policeman?"(Interrogative (Wh type))

5)"Get busy and call a cop", said Soapy.(Imperative)

6)"Don't keep a gentleman waiting", said Soapy.(Negative Imperative)

7)"What an attractive picture it is!" she exclaimed.(Exclamatory)

Read the following indirect speech sentences-

1)The stranger told that he had some questions to ask.

2)Ram told Shyam that he would not wait for him that day.

3)The astrologer asked whether he would give him five rupees.

4)Soapy asked why they did not call a policeman.

5)Soapy suggested to get busy and call a cop.

6)Soapy pleaded not to keep a gentleman waiting.

7)She exclaimed that it was a very attractive picture.

The above examples are of four types of sentences:

1) The Assertive sentence

2) The Interrogative sentence

3) The Imperative sentence

4) The Exclamatory sentence

1)THE ASSERTIVE SENTENCE :

Rules : 

1) Use Reporting Verb 'said ' or 'told'.

('told' should be accompanied by an object.)

2)Use Conjunction 'that'.

3) Change of pronouns.

4) Change of tenses --If the reporting verb is in PAST TENSE ,all the tenses in the reported speech will be changed .

  The Simple Present--> The Simple Past

  The Present Continuous -->The Past Continuous

  The Present Perfect --> The Past Perfect

  The Simple Past --> The Past Perfect

  Shall --> should

  Will --> would

  Can -->could

  May --> might

5) Words expressing 'nearness' will be changed into words expressing 'distance'.

  This --> that

  These -->those

  Here  -->there

  Now -->then

  Ago  -->before

  Come --> go

  Today --> that day

  Tonight -->  that night

  Tomorrow --> the next day or the day after.

   Yesterday -->  the previous day or the  day before.

  Last night --> the night before or the previous night.

Ex.

1)"I know these are heavy boots," the conductor said.

2)"I picked it up this morning in a restaurant,"said the umbrella man.

3) "I wouldn't give up my four thousand of the bet," said Andrew Stuart.

4)"Your statement is most interesting,"said Sherlock Holmes.

5) "I have them here," she answered.

Ans:

1) The conductor told that he knew those were heavy boots.

2)The umbrella man told / informed that he had picked it up that morning in a restaurant.

3)Andrew Stuart declared that he would  not give up his four thousand of the bet.

4)Sherlock  Holmes told that his statement was most interesting.

5)She answered that she  had them there.

2) THE INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE

Rules:

1) Use Reporting verb 'asked','questioned','enquired'.

2) Use conjunction-- if 'wh' question -- use 'wh' word.

                    If 'verbal' question -- use'if 'or 'whether'.

*(The interrogative sentence will become the assertive sentence.)

3) Rule 3, 4 and 5 will remain the same as given in the Assertive sentence.

Ex.

1) " Where do you want to go?"asked the conductor.

2)"Where's the man that done that ?" inquired the officer.

3) "What are you doing here?" asked the officer.

4)Mr. Fogg  said to Aouda,"Is our marriage still agreeable to you?"

5)"Had he any friends in town?"asked Holmes.

Ans:

1) The conductor inquired where he wanted to go .

2) The officer inquired where the man was that  had done that .

3)The officer asked what he was doing there.

4)Mr. Fogg asked Aouda if their marriage was still agreeable to her.

5) Holmes asked whether he had had any friends in town.

3) THE IMPERATIVE SENTENCE

Rules:

1)Use Reporting Verb 'ordered','requested','commanded','shouted','pleaded'etc.

2) No conjunction (Use infinitive form of the verb)

3)Rule 3, 4 and 5 will remain the same as given in the Assertive sentence.

Ex.

1) "Do not bring police."said he.

2)"state your case," said Holmes.

3) "Finish this activity in time ," said he. 

4) "Tell me more." said the stranger.

5)"Tell me something worthwhile," said the stranger.

Ans : 

1) He requested not to bring police.

2) Holmes suggested to state her case.

3) He ordered to finish that activity in time.

4)The stranger pleaded to tell him more.

5)The stranger requested to tell him something worthwhile.

4)THE EXCLAMATORY SENTENCE

Rules:

1) Use Reporting Verb 'exclaimed','applauded','uttered in sorrow or wonder ','cried in joy' etc.

2) Use conjunction 'that'.

*( The exclamatory statement becomes assertive statement, the sign of exclamation is removed.)

3)Rule 3, 4 and 5 will remain the same as given in the Assertive sentence.

Ex.

1)What a strange compensation!"exclaimed he.

2)"How interesting it is to be a blogger!" said she.

3)The teacher said,"How nicely you have done your work!"

4)"What a stupid fellow you are!", she remarked.

5) Ram said Shyam,"How clever you are!"

Ans : 

1) He exclaimed in surprise that it was a very strange compensation.

2) She exclaimed that it was really very interesting to be a blogger.

3) The teacher cheerfully exclaimed that they had done their work very nicely.

4) She exclaimed in disgust that he was truly a stupid fellow.

5)Ram merrily told Shyam that he was very clever.

Degrees of Comparison

There are three degrees.

                  1)The Positive degree

                  2)The Comparative degree

                  3)The Superlative degree

1)Positive :No other ---------as+adj.+as---------.

               No other ---------so+adj+as ---------.

2)Comparative: -----------more+adj+than any other ----------.

                      ------------adj+er+than any other --------------.

3)Superlative : -------------the most+ adj ------------------.

                     ------------the adj+est ----------------------.

 * Do as directed :

1)He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers. (Change into Comparative degree.)

Ans :His innocent customers were not more stranger to the stars than he was./him.

2)These internet giants provide the greatest data about people.(Begin the sentence with 'No other -----.')

Ans :No other data about people is as great as the one provided by these internet giants.

3)These internet giants provide the greatest data about people.(Use 'greater than'and rewrite the sentence.)

Ans : The data provided by these internet giants about people is greater  than any other data .

4)No other diagnosis is as good as the diagnosis done with the help of Big Data.(Use 'best' and rewrite the sentence)

Ans : The diagnosis done with the help of Big Data is the best one.

5)No other diagnosis is as good as the diagnosis done with the help of Big Data.(Use 'better than' and rewrite the sentence)

Ans : The diagnosis dine with the help of Big Data is  better than any other diagnosis.

*If '---- one of the most -------' construction is used in Superlative degree then ---

1)Positive : Very few ------ are as + adj + as ---------.

                  Very few ------ are so + adj + as ---------.

2)Comparative : ------------more + adj + than many (most)other -------.

                           ------------ adj + er + than many (most)other -----------.

3)Superlative : ------------one of the most + adj -----------.

                        ------------one of the adj + est  -----------.

*Do as directed :

1)Advertisers are one of the biggest players in Big Data.(Begin the sentence with 'Very few --------.')

Ans :Very few players in Big Data are as big as advertisers.

2)Advertisers are one of the biggest players in Big Data.(Use 'bigger than' and rewrite the sentence)

Ans : Advertisers are bigger players than many other players in Big Data.

3)Big Data has provided a solution to one of the biggest pitfall in the education industry. (Begin the sentence with 'Very few ---------.')

Ans : Very few pitfalls have provided a solution  in the education industry are  as big as Big Data.

4)Big Data has provided a solution to one of the biggest pitfall in the education industry.(Use 'bigger than' and rewrite the sentence)

Ans :A solution provided by Big Data is bigger than many other  pitfalls  in the education industry.

5)Social practice is more sacred than any law. ( Begin with 'No other ---------.')

Ans : No other law is as sacred as social practice.

4.1.1 Short Notes on History of Novel

 Write short notes on :

1)Realistic novel :The realistic novel tends to take place in the present or recent past.It gives the effect of realism.It is also called as a novel of manner. It can be characterized by its complex characters with mixed motives that are rooted in the social class. The characters are involved in events that could happen and live in places that could be or are real. The characters seem like real people with real issues solved in a realistic way.

Ex.1)The Hate U Give -Angie Thomas.

     2)The Book Thief -Markus Zusak

     3)Evelina -Frances Burney

2)Picaresque novel : The word 'picaresque' is originated from the Spanish word 'Picaro' which means

'a rogue'or 'rascal'. This prose fiction depicts the adventures of a roguish but appealing hero of low social class who lives by his wits in a corrupt society. This type of novel is usually written in first person and in an episodic form. Satire is sometimes a prominent element of picaresque novel.

Ex.1)Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes

     2)The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

     3)Mall Flanders -Daniel Defoe

3)Historical novel ; A historical novel is a novel set in a period earlier than that of the writing.It attempts to convey the spirit, manners and social conditions of a past age with realistic detail fidelity to historical fact.

Ex.1)March Violets - Philip Kerr

      2)Kaputt - Curzio Malaparte

      3)Orlando - Virginia Woolf

4)Epistolary novel ; The word 'epistolary' derives from the Latin word 'epistola',which means a 'letter'.The epistolary novel is that in which the writer presents the narrative through a series of correspondence or other documents. Although letters are the most common basis for epistolary novel, diary entries are also a popular form of this type of novel.

Ex.1)Pamela -Samuel Richardson

     2)Dracula -Bram Stoker

     3)Lady Susan - Jane Austen

5)Gothic novel : The Gothic novels include mystery, horror, terror, thriller, supernatural elements, death, doom,or decay or haunted buildings are called the Gothic novels.This genre of fiction is having a pseudo-medieval setting.

Ex.1)Castle of Otranto - Horace Walpole

     2)Italian - Ann Radcliffe

     3)The Monk ;A Romance -Matthew Gregory Lewis

6)Autobiographical novel :The autobiographical novel is based on the life of the author. The author may change the places or the names of characters  or even certain details of his life experiences.This novel may or may not  in the first person narration.

Ex. 1)David Copperfield -Charles Dickens

      2) Sons and Lovers - D. H. Lawrence

      3)The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

7)Allegorical novel : An allegory  is a work of art which includes the characters ,images,and events act as symbols.The symbolism in an allegory can be interpreted to have a deeper meaning.The surface meaning of such novel is different from the symbolic meaning of it. The symbolic meaning of an allegory may be political, religious,historical or philosophical,or spiritual truth.

Ex. 1)Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan

      2) Lord Of  The  Flies -William Goldings

      3) The Alchemist - Paulo coelho

8)Utopian /Dystopian novel : Utopian or Dystopian fiction are genres of speculative fiction that explore social and political structures.Utopian fiction portrays a setting that agrees with the author's ethos whereas Dystopian fiction offers the portrayal of a setting that completely disagrees with the author's ethos. Both utopian and dystopian are commonly found in science fiction and other types of  speculative fiction.

Ex. 1) The Republic - Plato

      2)News From Nowhere - William Morris

      3) Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift

9)Psychological novel : Psychological novel is the work of fiction in which the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of the characters are of equal or greater interest than is the external action of the narrative.It treats the internal life of the protagonist or even the other characters as much as the external factors.

Ex. 1)Villette - Charlotte Bronte

      2) Into The Water - Paula Hawkins

      3) Romola - George Eliot  

10) Stream of consciousness novel :The stream of consciousness is one of the  distinguishing features of a Psychological Novel. It is an important aspect of a psychological novel. The term 'stream of consciousness' was coined by the American philosopher and psychologist, William James in his treatise  'Principles of Psychology' (1890). It means the flow of thoughts, incidents in the plot are in the sequence of their occurrences. The novelist narrates them as they enter the mind of the character.

Ex.1)Pilgrimage - Dorothy Richardson

     2)Ulysses- James Joyce

     3)To The Lighthouse- Virginia Woolf

11)Bildungsroman novel : The term comes from the German word 'Bildung' (education) and 'Roman'

(novel). The German word 'Bildungsroman' indicates 'growth'. This literary genre focuses on the 

psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood.

Ex.1)Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte

     2)The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Mark Twain

     3) David Copperfield- Charles Dickens.

Compound Words

Read the following words:

saffron -coloured (noun+verb)

empty handed(adjective+verb)

gaslights(noun+noun)

These are called Compounds.They are Noun Compounds and Adjective Compounds.

A Compound is formed from the combination of two or more words.

There are three types of Compound words.--

  

     1)Solid/ without hyphened compound word

     2)Hyphenated compound word

     3)Separate compound word

1)Solid / without hyphened compound word  :

     

      Two different words  come together without using hyphen , is called solid / without hyphened compound word.

Ex.-  Forehead, forefathers , notebook,  etc.

2) Hyphenated compound word  :

       Two different words joined with hyphen ,is called Hyphenated compound word.

Ex. Half-wit, lift-man, half-way ,etc 

3) Seperate compound word :

      Two different words written seperately but considered as one ,is called seperate compound word.

Ex. Lady missionary, junk food, smart card, etc.

1.1 An Astrologer's Day

An Astrologer's Day 1

Page 2-3

Read the first activity read the extract and then do all the activities:  (12)

A1)Global Understanding                                                                         (2)

      Complete the web -

           

   Punctually at midday he opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook, and a bundle of palmyra writing. His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted. The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position- placed as they were between the painted forehead and the dark whiskers which streamed down his cheeks : even a half-wit’s eyes would sparkle in such a setting. To crown the effect he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head. This colour scheme never failed. People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind tree which flanked a path running through the Town Hall Park. It was a remarkable place in many ways. A surging crowd was always moving up and down this narrow road from morning till night. A variety of trades and occupations was represented all along its way : medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians, and above all, an auctioneer of cheap cloth, who created enough din all day to attract the whole town. Next to him  in vociferousness came a vendor of fried groundnut, who gave his ware a fancy name each day, calling it “Bombay Ice Cream” one day and on the next “Delhi Almond,” and on the third “Raja’s Delicacy,” and so on and so forth, and people flocked to him. A considerable portion of this crowd dallied before the astrologer too.

A2)Complex Factual                                                                                                                                      (2)

      Complete-

     The astrologer selected the place for him under a tamarind 

     tree on the path of the Town Hall Park because...

Ans: It was a remarkable place in many ways . As different  trades    

        and occupations were there in that area A surging crowd was 

        always moving to and fro this narrow road from morning till      

        night.

A3) Inference /Interpretative /Analysis                                                     (2)

      'He wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head.This colour 

       scheme never failed. ' Justify this statement.

Ans: The simple and innocent villagers attracted towards  the astrologer 

        due to his tactics.Seeing the appearance of an astrologer people

        thought that he must have the divine qualities. So they come to him

        to know about their fortune .Thus ,the astrologer uses his logic and

        common sense to attract people with his appearance.

A4) Personal Response                                                                         (2)

       Write your own experience of visiting an astrologer.

A5) Language Study(Grammar)                                                           (2)

      Do as directed :

       1) People were attracted to him. (Change the Voice)

               (Select the correct option)

             a) He was attracted to people.

             b) He attracted people.

             c) He is attracted people.

             d) He will attract people.

      

       2) It was a remarkable place.(Make a Rhetorical question) 

       Ans: Wasn't it a remarkable place?

       3) A groundnut vendor gave his ware a fancy name each day.

           (Replace the verb using habitual action in past)

       Ans: A groundnut vendor used to give his ware a fancy name each day.

 

       4) He opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment.

           ( Begin the sentence with 'Opening')

       Ans: Opening his bag, he spread out his professional equipment. 

A6) Vocabulary                                                                                      (2)

 

        Pick out 4 solid compound words.

        Ans: Midday, Notebook, Forehead, Outcome, Groundnut. 

3.1 Writing Skill - Summary writing

A summary is a clear , compact ,logical gist of a passage.It preserves only the essential or important ideas of the original.

Summary writing involves summarizing a document to convey the maximum information into minimum words.

Dos 

1)Read the passage carefully.

2)find out the central idea.

3) Pick out the sentences in the extract relevant to the central idea.

4) Convert the information given in these sentences in your own, simple, unambiguous language.

5) Write a suitable title.(Title should be in a word or phrase.)

Don'ts

1)Avoid the sentences as it is from the passage .

2) Avoid giving illustration, proverbs or quotations.

3) Avoid sentence construction like 'In my opinion....','According to me....','I think....'etc.

IMPORTANT

1)  Summary should be in one paragraph only.

2) Summary must be in the past tense.

3) It should be written in a third person.

4) It should be written in indirect narration.

5) Give a suitable title or heading  for summary.

Example 1-

          

           Stress is a twentieth century illness. The pressures on all of us are very great because speed and competition have become part of everyday life.Social isolation, over crowding, the competitiveness of our society and several other factors are responsible for stress. In English we refer to the competition as the 'rat-race'. All of us react to the rat race in different ways. Some of us get tired easily, others get depressed, others are often irritable or worried and so on. The rat race affects everybody in society from toddlers to senior citizens. There is always something that worries us. Sometimes the stresses on us are too great we fall out of the race and have a nervous breakdown. Extreme cases of illness can lead to suicide. There is hope because only some people crack while most others do not.

Ans- 

                                                                        Stress

                 Stress a twentieth century illness, is caused due to social isolation, over crowding or competitive society. This competition is referred to as a 'rat race'. While some people can cope others get depressed, irritable or tired. It affects both young and old. Some may have nervous breakdowns while the extreme cases commit suicide.

Example 2-

                University life is a co-operative enterprise between teachers and students and I do hope that the students will not do a disservice to themselves by resorting to activities which are anti-social in character.
                Character is destiny. Character is that on which the destiny of a nation is built. One cannot have a great nation with men of small character. We must have young men and women who look upon others as the living images of themselves as our Sastras have so often declared. But whether in public life or student life we cannot reach great heights if we are lacking in character. We cannot climb the mountain when the very ground at our feet is crumbling. When the very basis of our structure is shaky, how can we reach heights which we have set before ourselves? We must all have humility. Here is a country which we are interested in building up. For whatever service we take up, we should not care for what we receive. We should know how much we can put into that service. That should be the principle which should animate our young men and women. Ours is a great country. We have had for centuries great history. The whole of the East reflects our culture. We have to represent what India taught right from the time of Mohenjodaro and Harappa.

              Whether in domestic affairs or in international affairs we must adhere to certain standards. My advice to the young men and women who are graduating today through this University is: Mother India expects of you that your lives should be clean, noble and dedicated to selfless work.

Ans-

                                                            Character is Destiny

 According to the writer university life calls for co-operation between teachers and students in building the characters of students which in turn helps to develop the destiny of the country. A country can not achieve greatness with men of weak characters. An essential criteria is humility which enables an individual to be selfless, dedicated and noble. These traits are necessary for developing a great country.

Marking scheme : 

Title                                               1mk

Presentation                                1mk

Covering main points with

 style and grammar                    1mk

                          -------------------------------------

                                                        3 mks