notes 

because i could not stop for death 

Idea of Poem:

A different thought....Emily personified death. She portrayed different stages of life so beautifully. Death' which is portrayed in this poem as 'A gentleman caller' is absolutely thought - provoking. The images used here such as the school children; the gazing grains and the setting sun refer to the each stage of human life. She gave a good description of graveyard, where one day all of us have to go for our long sleep! According to her, every dead will travel towards eternity.

Reference: 

These lines have been taken from the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” written by Emily Dickinson.

Context: 

A different thought....Emily personified death. She portrayed different stages of life so beautifully. Death' which is portrayed in this poem as 'A gentleman caller' is absolutely thought - provoking. The images used here such as the school children; the gazing grains and the setting sun refer to the each stage of human life. She gave a good description of graveyard, where one day all of us have to go for our long sleep! According to her, every dead will travel towards eternity.

Stanza: 1 

Because I could not stop for Death-

He kindly stopped for me-

The Carriage held but just Ourselves-

And Immortality.

Explanation:

In these lines the poetess says that she was so busy that she could not wait for death to accompany him. Death was so kind that he stopped and waited for her. The vehicle of death carried only two persons-the poetess and death. Also there was immortality which was not visible. Their carriage was carrying them towards eternity. The suggestion is that death is always present with human beings but it is not visible. When death kills a person he goes to eternity and cannot return from there. Death has killed her and now she goes to eternity.

Stanza: 2 

We slowly drove-He knew no haste

And I had put away

My labour and my leisure too,

For His Civility

The poetess says that death and she herself drove very slowly the vehicle of life. Death was not in a hurry. She stopped all her chores. She even put away her hard work and her spare time for the decency of death. Both the poetess and death carried on their journey in the same carriage, towards immortality.

Stanza: 3 

We passed the School, where Children strove

At Recess-in the Ring,

We passed the field of Gazing grain

We passed the Setting Sun-

In these lines the poetess says that she and death passed by the school where children were playing at the recess time in a circle. They also passed by the ripe corn which was waiting to be reaped. During their journey they also saw the setting sun while passing by it. The children at school, the ripe corn and the setting sun refer to different stages of life from childhood to old age

Stanza: 4 

Or rather- He passed Us-

The Dews drew quivering and chill-

For only Gossamer, my Gown-

My Tippet-only Tulle-

In this stanza the poetess says that it was rather the sun which, while going down passed by them. Then, after the sunset, night overcame. The dew-drops began to fall gently. These drops brought light, cold and shivering. She arrived because she was wearing very decent dress. The dress consisted of her feminine scarf and thin clothes.

Stanza: 5 

We passed before a House that seemed

A Swelling of the Ground-

The roof was scarcely visible-

The Cornice-in the Ground-

In these lines the poetess tells that they continued their journey for quite some time. At last they stopped at a house which was merely a swelling of the ground. It was the grave. The roof of the house was hardly visible because its cornice was so low that it was at level with the ground or in the ground. In this stanza the suggestion is that man continues his life, passes by many events, good or bad and finally reaches the grave. The grave is very low and it seems as if it were a bulging of the ground.

Stanza: 6 

Since then-'tis Centuries-and yet

Feels shorter than the day

I first surmised the Horses' heads

Were towards Eternity.

After stopping at the grave, the poetess says that there is a feeling that many centuries pass in the grave but all this time seems to be even shorter than a day. Each man is travelling toward the eternal life. The whole poem is full of the thought man performs many task and acts in various stages of life. Right from his infancy, school-life maturity and old age, he passes and finally reaches the grave, an eternal destination. It is here that eternity, or his never-ending life starts.

The huntsman

Idea of Poem:

Based on Kenyan folk-story this poem reveals a truth a reality of life. A man whether too much physical strength if has no control on talking his physical strength is nothing. In this poem a strong man only being killed for not controlling his tongue. So it is much important what to speak and what not.

Reference: 

These lines have been taken from the poem “The Huntsman” written by Edward Lawbury.

Context: 

This poem tells a Kenyan folk-story. It tells that some-times a hunter becomes hunted himself. Kagwa went hunting and found a talking skull. He came to the king and informed him to the fact. The king ordered to know the reality. When it was found not so, Kagwa was killed. Strange enough it was that after his murder the skull spoke. The story tells us that irresponsible talking can bring destruction. The elements of suspense and irony create a shocking impact.

Explanation:

Stanza 1 

In these lines the poet says that Kagwa, a famous hunter, hunted lions and tigers through forests and bushes. He used his spear for hunting. One day, while hunting, he found the skull of a man in the forest. The skull was talking. Kagwa asked the talking skull, how it had come there. The skull opened its mouth and replied that too much talking had brought it there.

Stanza 2 

In this stanza the poet says that after getting the skull, Kagwa went home hurriedly. And told king about talking. On hearing these words the king was surprised so much. He thought that no dead skull ever talked. After that the king said slowly to himself that he had never heard of or seen a skull that talked. He said, since his birth from his mother he had never heard of such a thing.

Stanza 3 

In these lines the poet says, when Kagwa told about the talking skull, the king wanted to see the skull so he called out his guards. The king ordered two of the guards to go with Kagwa and find the talking skull. He also told the guards if Kagwa proved a liar, and there was no such thing as the talking skull, Kagwa must be killed himself. Because he told a lie.

Stanza 4 

In the given lines the poet says that Kagwa and two guards of the king rode their horses to the forest. For some days they looked for it but found nothing like a talking skull. But after some more struggle they found a skull. Kagwa asked the skull how he had come there. The skull remained silent. Kagwa again earnestly requested the skull but it did not talk. And they all were surprised.

Stanza 5 

In the concluding stanza the guards ordered Kagwa to kneel down. The guards killed him with sword. When Kagwa was put to death, the already dead skull opened its mouth and asked the hunter, how he had come there. The dead body of Kagwa replied, talking had brought him there. This simple story has a meaningful moral. It teaches us that irresponsible and worthless talking can bring destruction or death to the talker.

­ Poem: Rebel

Idea of poem.

The poet simplifies the personality of a rebel. He could be noticed and judged by his actions. Although it is a negative quality as the person breaks the rule and shows totally opposite behaviours of what is expected. He/she does not follow the general norms, he challenges the society.

Reference

These lines has been taken from the poem, ‘Rebel’ written by ‘D. J. Enright’.

Context

In these lines the poet expresses the attitude of a social rebel. When everybody keeps short and uniform hair, the rebel knowingly grows his hair long. This, he does for the fact that he wants to look different from others.

Explanation 

Poem:

Lines 1 - 2 

When everybody has short hair,

The rebel lets his hair grow long.

In these lines the poet says that the rebel goes against the custom and tradition of the society. When the rest of the society cut their hair short, the rebel grows his hair long and goes against the fashion. This he does just to have a difference from others.

Lines 3 – 4 

When everybody has long hair,

The rebel cuts his hair short.

In these lines the poet says that the rebel goes against the custom and tradition of the society. When the rest of the society grows long hair, the rebel cuts his hair short. This he does just to have a difference from others.

Lines 5 – 6 

When everybody talks during, the lesson,

The rebel doesn't say a word.T

he rebel always goes against the class and gatherings. When in a class students discuss some topic, rebel never says a word about the lesson. He proves that he is different than others in the class.

Lines  7 – 8

When nobody talks during the lesson,

The rebel creates a disturbance.

In these lines the poet expresses the thought when people or students keep silent and listen or pay attention to something rebel always creates problems in this situation with his loud and noisy behaviour.

Lines 9 – 10 

When everybody wears a uniform,

The rebel dresses in fantastic clothes.

These lines show a different position of a rebel. When every person of the society wears simple and uniform clothes, the rebel uses strange and odd clothes. He wants to look distinguished from others.

Lines 11 – 12 

When everybody wears fantastic clothes,

The rebel dresses soberly.

In these lines the poet says when all other members of the society use unusual and strange clothes, in some party at this time the rebel dresses himself very seriously and soberly.

Lines 13 – 14 

In the company of dog lovers,

The rebel expresses a preference for cats.

In these lines the poet expresses his idea of a rebel. If some people love dogs as pet animals, the rebel talks about the usefulness of cats. He prefers cats to dogs. Just to get attention he can do anything.

Lines 15 – 16 

In the company of cat lovers,

The rebel puts in a good word for dogs.

In these lines the poet expresses his idea of a rebel. If some people love dogs as pet animals, the rebel talks about the usefulness of cats. He prefers cats to dogs. Just to get attention he can do anything.

Lines 17 – 18 

When everybody is praising the sun,

The rebel remarks on the need for rain.

The poet says that rebel also show difference of opinion about weather as well. If people require the sunlight and praise the sun the rebel is against them. He says that the sun is not required and there is need for rain.

Lines 19 – 20 

When everybody is greeting the rain,

The rebel regret the absence of sun.

When everybody of the society welcomes and requires rain, the rebel says positive something about the sun. He feels sorry for the absence of the sun. According to him, there is need for the sunlight.

Lines 21 – 22 

When everybody goes to the meeting,

The rebel stays at home and reads a book.

When every members of the society goes to some gathering and attends the meeting, the rebel stays at home and keeps himself busy by reading a book indoors.

Lines 23 – 24 

When everybody stays at home and reads a book,

The rebel goes to the meeting.

When everybody of the society stays at home and reads book, the rebel tries to find some crowd of the people and wants to attend to them. Meaning even in his outing he shows different behaviour than others.

Lines 25 – 26 

When everybody says, yes please!

The rebel says, No thank you.

When every person asks for something, the rebel rejects the same with thanks because he is a person quite different from others. His shows that he just goes against the society and laws.

Lines 27 – 28 

When everybody says, No thank you,

The rebel says, Yes please!

When everybody of the society does not like and does not receive anything and says no thanks, for that, the rebel, on purpose, requires that thing and asks for it.

Lines 29 – 30 

It is very good that we have rebels

You may not find it very good to be one.

In these lines the poet concludes that it is very good that we have social rebels in the society. But naturally, it is not good to become a social rebel. The poet further suggests that if we already have the social rebels, we should tolerate them. Without them life will become monotonous and dull.