Futility ,The Moon and Nature

Futility
1 From which country did the soldier come and where did he die? What reference is
there in the poem Futility that indicates his social background?
Ans: The man came from England.
He died in the battlefield in France.
In Wilfred Owens poem Futility there is an eloquent indication of the young soldiers
social background. He is from a rustic origin. The expression whispering of the field
unsown is suggestive of the young soldiers peasant family background. At dawn, while
at home, he was awakened by the soothing sunbeams and he would get ready for
cultivation. But this unfortunate man had to embrace tragic destiny for far away from his
land as a victim of war.
2
1.
2.
3.
4.

Substance of the poem

Central idea of the poem
Significance of the title
Critical estimate of the poem
Ans Futility means ineffectuality. In the poem Futility the poets attitude to the war is
revealed. According to Wilfred Owen, war is not a matter of glory. To him war is a
meaningless butchery of the people. He cherishes pity for the soldiers killed in a war. It
only brings about the death and destruction.
In this poem, the young soldier has lost his life which cannot be waked up by the kind old
sun. The poet thinks that the sun knows the secret of life and enlivens everything on
earth. The sun can create life but cannot bring back the death life. It is the futility of the
sun to create life while it is unable to protect it.
After sometime the poet realizes that the solder is dead and it is futile to move the soldier.
He could have enjoyed
Life to his hearts content for many days but the cruel system of war snatched away such
a vigorous life from the earth unnecessarily. So, the sun has faced the futility in both
senses. The sun and the soldiers toil are completely useless. What uses of sun of it
cannot bring back life on the earth? No one can resist the soldiers to face the death. This
tragic picture is presented in the poem Futility/// So the title is suggestive of the tragedy
of war.
The Moon

1
3

Give the substance of the poem the Moon

Bring out the central idea of the poem the Moon
Describe how the moon is compared to a dying lady

4
5

How does Shelley describe the moon in the poem the Moon
Like a dying lady lean and pale,
Who totters forth, wrapped in a gauzy veil
Explain lean and pale & gauzy veil
Ans : Shelley, the poet of the poem the Moon compares the rising moon with a dying
old lady, thin and pale, who comes out of her chamber on trembling steps wrapped up in
gauzy veil which means thin and semi-transparent veil it indicates the thin and light
clouds with which the moons face is covered. Then taking her a lonely maiden, the poet
wants to know if her paleness is caused by her search for companion, who is worth her
love. So every object of nature, like every human being, is a study in contrast
Wandering companionless
Among the stars that have a different birth
What does the poet mean by different birth?
Ans By different birth the poet Shelley indicates that the moon belongs to the solar
system dominated by a star the sun. As,the stars are all like separate suns. From the
astronomical point of view, they originated from hydrogen molecular clouds. So, these
are different from the moon.
Nature

1.
2.
3.
4.

Substance of the poem

Central idea of the poem
Significance of the title
Critical estimate of the poem
Ans : This sonnet, Nature of H.W.Longfellow reveals a deep truth of life from the
religious point of view. Nature has been presented here as a loving mother who always
cares for her child. In our short life span of temporal life we remain obsessed with
worldly possessions like a child with play things. A mother leads her half willing child to
bed who is still gazing at the broken playthings. Similarly man becomes fatigued with the
worldly relation and attraction. At the matured stage of the mundane life. Nature prepares
man for ultimate resort death. Even we scarcely know whether we are mentally prepared
to leave or to stay. We then become, as if benumbed. In this way a men reaches the
climax of his material life and nature quite gently and fondly lulls him to transcend his
soul for the eternal rest.
Posted by JAHIR'S DIARY at 8/29/2012 10:09:00 AM No comments:

Life at Mokameh Ghat

Life at Mokameh Ghat

1

The idea originated with Ram Saran - What was the idea? And how was it
implemented?
Ans : The idea of Ram Saran, an enthusiast of education in Edward James Corbetts Life
at Mokemah Ghat was to start a school for the children of Corbetts workers and those
of the lower paid railway staff
Ram Saran and Jim Corbett rented a hut and appointed a teacher and twenty boys were
admitted to the school.
My tan hid my blushes..
Who said this? What made the author blush?
Ans Jim Corbett, the author of Life at Mokameh Ghat said this to Crosthwaite that the
man sitting on the bench was a hide merchant who was going to Muzzafarpur from Gaya.
But as soon as he finished his speaking, the man on the bench started to laugh. Then he
said in perfect English that he was very much impressed by his accurate description of
the man sitting on the lower deck. But there was one mistake as he was a tobacco
merchant not a hide merchant. Listened to the perfect English from the Mohammedan
gentleman, he felt embarrassed because his descriptions were understood by him

Next to lamas are a group of four men.

What did the four men carry and why?
OR
How did Jim Corbett describe the passengers carrying Gangas water in the steamer?
Ans: The writer, Jim Corbett satisfied the curiosity of Crosthwaite by describing the
lower deck passengers. Three Brahmins and four Nepalese were carrying the holy water
of the Gangas. Each of them had two blown glass jars, protected by thin cane basket and
tied to a short bamboo pole. They were carrying Ganges water from Benares in those jars
for selling drop by drop in their own and adjacent villages for religious ceremonies.
Posted by JAHIR'S DIARY at 8/29/2012 09:25:00 AM 1 comment:

Consequences of Environmental Plunder

Consequences of Environmental Plunder
1. What effect does the collapse of the environmental base in Kalahandi have on the lives
of the people there?
2. What has caused chronic hunger and deprivation in Kalahandi? How was the situation
occasionally come to our notice?

3. What plays a major role as a causal antecedent of chronic hunger and deprivation in
Kalahandi?
Ans : Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen have illustrated how chronic hunger and deprivation
in kalahandi is intimately connected with the large scale felling of trees. The local people
depend on the forests for their traditional livelihood and forced a large portion of
workforce into migration. So this decline originates chronic hunger and deprivation in
Kalahandi.
The endless poverty of the people of Kalahandi and extreme cases of starvation
occasionalloy hits the headlines of the newspapers. So, we come to know abouit the
miserable condition of the people in Kalahandi.
Posted by JAHIR'S DIARY at 8/29/2012 09:15:00 AM No comments:

Further progress in Specialisation

Further progress in Specialisation
1 The patients face fell a little at the abrupt form announcement
What was the announcement? Why did the patients face fall a little
Ans: The patients face fell a little when Dr. Follicle firmly announced that the patient
really needed a shave as an urgent remedy to his trouble. But the patient wanted to
postpone it because he had a lot of
works already pending at the office and he had to complete those. So he was disappointed
a bit.
Posted by JAHIR'S DIARY at 8/29/2012 09:12:00 AM No comments:

Rajam and Mani

Rajam and Mani
1 Swaminathan broke into loud protestation what made him break into loud
protestations?
Ans. Swaminathan in R.K. Narayan;s short story Rajam and Mani asserted his loyalty to
his friend Mani and strongly denied the charge brought against him. He insisted that he
had never come close to Rajam. During the drawing period Rajam come to him for a
pencil sharpener, but Swaminathan had directed him to go to a shop and buy it. He
clearly expressed that it was Manis wrong observation about the fact.
2 What made Mani not to kill Rajam?
Or

What did Mani think when he and Swaminathan sat on the banks waiting for Rajam
for the duel? Why was he afraid? What was his last decision?
Ans: It was past six when Swaminathan and Mani were found siting on the sands near
Nallappas Grove. Mani had a wooden club under his arm. He was thinking of hitting
Rajam on the head with the club and throwing his body into the river. But the thought of
Rajams ghost pulling his hair at night as Mani slept after his grandmothers death, made
his change his mind.Then he thought that he would rather break Rajams limbs. But he
feared that Swaminathan might inform the police for this reason he changed his decision
and leave him to his fate.
3. Did you bring the thing that I wantedWhat did Mani ask Swaminathan? How did the latter miss it? What did Mani say at
last?
Ans. Mani said this to Swaminathan in R.K.Narayans short story Rajam and Mani
about lime pickle.
Mani asked Swaminathan if he could manage to steel some lime pickle from their kitchen
and bring it to the river bank, Mani and he could relish it because the pleasant evening
was the ideal for having it while gossiping.
Then Swaminathan confessed that he could not manage to bring the lime pickles as his
mother had been in the kitchen all the time.