A Day Exercise : Summary and Question Answers

A Day

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. How does the poet describe the morning sun in the first stanza?

In the first stanza, the poet describes the morning sun as the beautiful beginning for a new day which brings hope, glow and beauty along with joy and happiness.

b. What does the line ‘The news like squirrels ran’ mean?

The line ‘The news like squirrels ran’ means that with the beginning of a new day, everything changes so fast and everyone starts accomplishing their task in a hurry after the sunshine.

c. What do you understand by the line ‘The hills untied their bonnets’?

The line ‘The hills untied their bonnets’ implies that hills are no longer covered with darkness and have begun to glow because of sunshine.

d. Is the speaker watching the morning sun? Why? Why not?

In reality, the speaker is not watching the morning sun because all the visions that she had created are not possible to occur in same time. The rising and setting of sun is not possible to occur simultaneously.

e. How does the sun set?

The sun sets by taking all the happiness, glow and beauty of a day and leaving the darker side of dusk.

Reference to the context

a. What, according to the speaker, is a day?

According to the speaker, a day is a minor form of journey throughout the life which usually begins with many new hopes and lots of happiness. After learning many new things and gaining lots of experience throughout the day, it comes to an end leaving a dusk.

b. What purpose does the hyphen in the first line serve in the poem?

A hyphen (-) is a punctual mark used as pauses, longer ones than commas or semi-colons. It enhances the methodical, unhurried nature of the scene. Poet has filled the gap by letting readers imagine after the end of the phrase.

c. What makes this poem lyrical and sonorous? Discuss.

The poem “A Day” by Emily Dickenson is both a lyrical and sonorous poem. Emily has used her magic wand to make this poem lyrical and sonorous. She has depicted her own experience of dusk and dawn in her writing. The pronoun “I”, as used in lyrical poems, indicates the poet’s persona. On that note, ‘A Day‘—like most of Dickinson’s poems—is a lyric; it expresses a powerful thought from the perspective of a single persona. This poem’s musicality is enhanced by the use of sound techniques such as alliteration, assonance, rhyme, and rhythm.

d. Who are the target audience of the speaker? Why?

Basically, children are the target audience of the speaker because the poem has tried to reveal the truth of human life by comparing it with a day. The speaker is imparting the message about the beginning and ending of a day where a kid accomplishes his journey from innocence to experience. Thus, the speaker is delivering her beautiful message about life to everyone mostly the children.

e. The poem seems to describe a day for children. How would the adult people respond to this poem? Discuss this poem with your parents/guardians and write the answer based on their responses.

As this poem speaks about the reality of human life, it is somehow obvious that the adult people will respond normally and will find it meaningful because they also have gained the same experience throughout the life-time.

Reference beyond the text

a. Observe your surroundings of one fine morning and write a poem based on your own experience.

My Surroundings

I look at my surroundings,

The paintings and pictures,

Some are good some are bad,

Some are happy and some are sad,

They are doing sports or dancing,

Others are kissing or singing,

I wish I could be one of those happy people again,

Singing and dancing every day,

But I find myself depressed and deceived,

I long to have a perfect life.

b. Write a personal essay on A Day in the School.

A Day in the School

Everyone loves school life and mostly the beautiful events which one experiences in a school. People develop a sense of emotional and social connection with the school. The school teaches us so many life lessons and values.

But, there comes a day when we all need to part away from our school and our friends. It is difficult for anyone to leave the school one day and forever. When I recall my last day at school, I become very emotional. It was a moment of painful separation.

That day it felt like we had a really short journey together that it passed so fast. Some of my friends became too emotional that tears started rolling down their cheeks. There was a small gathering arranged in our school hall.

Our juniors welcomed us to the hall which was decorated for us. Everyone gathered to bid us goodbye and to wish us for a better future. Our juniors gave speeches. Some of them sang and danced for us. They also asked us to give speeches. Some of my friends and I went to the stage and performed a group song. I also gave a speech on how we spent our school days there.

Our teachers came to us and started consoling us. They tried to inspire us with motivational words. Our headmaster praised us for being disciplined and honest in school. She also advised us to maintain the same wherever we go. All other teachers encouraged us and told us to do hard work in life because it would help us to be successful in life.

The day was a mixture of sadness and happiness. I felt happy I was going to a new school. I was sad because I was leaving my teachers and was parting from our dearest friends. It was a hard day for every one of us. This is how I experienced my last day at school.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. When does the speaker pray to the Lord?

The speaker prays to the Lord in the morning time and evening time.

b. What does the speaker pray for?

The speaker prays to the Lord for having his loving eye on all poor creatures who are mortal.

c. Who are the ‘poor creatures’? Why does the speaker call them ‘poor creatures’?

The ‘poor creatures’ mean all the innocent creatures that are on planet earth. The speaker calls them ‘poor creatures’ because they are born to die and it is not sure whether they can see another morning or not.

d. What does Milk Wood sound like? A type of wood or a place? Why?

Milk Wood sounds like a place because there is no use of article before this noun. If it is a type of wood then an article either ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘the’ must have been used according to grammatical rules.

e. Why do the inhabitants of Milk Wood bow to the setting sun ‘but just for now’?

The inhabitants of Milk Wood bow to the setting sun ‘but just for now’ because they know that they are not permanent and they are ending the prayer of that day and wishing to see another day.

Reference to the context

a. Discuss “Every Morning When I Wake” as a prayer to the God.

“Every Morning When I Wake” is a prayer poem by Dylan Thoma’s. In this poem, the speaker prays to the magnificent God to have mercy on ordinary inhabitants living under the Milk Wood. The speaker prays to the Lord to keep his loving eye on all mortal poor creatures. He says the remote of all creatures is in the hand of the Lord and prays to have mercy on them. He prays to the Lord to let him/ them see the next morning as no one knows what is going to happen tomorrow.

b. Why does the speaker make a prayer to the God, but not to a king, a billionaire or a scientist?

The God is the creator of all beings. The God is immortal and all creatures are created and destroyed by him. The remote of all creatures life is in the hand of the God. A king, a billionaire and a scientist are nothing in front of the God. They are just humans created by the God. They are born to die but the Lord is immortal. Hence the speaker makes a prayer to the God, but not to a king, a billionaire or a scientist.

c. How does the poet highlight the magnificence of the God?

‘Every Morning I Wake’ is a prayer poem by Dylan Thomas. In this poem, the speaker has highlighted the magnificence of the God. He says that the God is the creator of all creatures who can destroy it too. The God is immortal. We can see next morning because of the blessings of the God. He makes us and is guiding us. He see the best side of us as nobody is perfect to do so. In this way the poet describes the magnificence of the God by highlighting his powers.

d. How does the rhyme scheme of the poem reinforce its message?<

A rhyme scheme is the ordered pattern of rhyming words at the end of each line of a poem. The rhyming structure of this poem is AABB. The rhyme scheme of the poem reinforces its message beautifully. It makes the poem lovely to read. AABB rhyme scheme has made the poem much more attractive. It is a prayer poem in which the speaker prays to the God to have mercy on all creatures. For this poem, the rhyme scheme that has been used is the best.

Reference beyond the text

a. Does the God exist? Give your opinion.

“Does God exist?” is a controversial topic which has been discussed since the beginning of human civilization. It depends upon our belief. Some people believe in the existence if the God and some do not. In my opinion, the God exists. The God live in our mind. The existence of God is like the existence of radiation. We just see the effects of it. We don’t see God but we find effects in our lives. Unexpected and miraculous things are the example of the existence of God. Although there is no physical presence of God but the God exists in our sub conscious mind. Hence god exists upon us and he is immortal and intangible.

I Was My Own Route Exercise : Summary and Question Answers

I Was My Own Route

Summary

‘I Was My Own Route’ is a poem written by Julia de Burgos, a writer of Carolina. Puerto Rico, who collected the experiences of a literary writer, journalist and the freedom fighter. Her poems are full of racial and gender sentiments where she provokes the equality between male and female and the black and the white race. She has been also regarded as a contemporary Latino writer who depicts how the women are burdened with the patriarchal ideologies from the past. Therefore, de Burgos urges the women to detach themselves from the past so as to redefine their own identity.

The poem ‘I was My Own Route’ has altogether 6 stanzas. Each stanza expresses the powerful feelings of the poet who is always remaining in between masculinity and her own femininity. She begins her poem reflecting her past feelings when she wished to convert herself as the wishes of the men. In such acts, she has found a hide and seek game between her own instinct and the instinct of the patriarchal society. The same game inspired herself to move forward to investigate a new path that is totally new for all. Though it is challenging, she joyfully accepted it.

In discovering a new path, she moves alone mainly to get her internal happiness and a feeling of intimate liberation. She has described her journey to a new path beautifully where she faced a serious problem in balancing herself and the truth of the time. However, she expresses her joy in discovering a new route of her life that has no history, even she doubts for its future. Anyways she is happy enough living in the present and waiting for the response of the time. To denote this, she has repeated a line in the poem. “a game of hide and seek with my being but l was made of nows”. This refrain has captured the main essence of the poem. The poem is written in free verse and it is the perfect example of a poem of the marginalized community.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Why did the speaker try to be the way men wanted her to be?

The Speaker tried to be the way men wanted her to be because she was a modern woman and actually she didn’t like to be a puppet of male ideologies. Infact, she was determined to fight against the prevailing male domination.

b. What do you understand by her feet ‘would not accept walking backwards’?

The term her feet ‘would not accept walking backwards’ means that she didn’t like to live a life being inferior to men. She was digging out her own route that could lead the entire female race in a similar position to men that is the destination of freedom.

c. Who are the old guards? Why did they grow desperate?

The old guards are the rigid members of male-dominated society. They behave women as inferior creatures and dominate them in each and every aspect of their lives. They grow desperate because Julia was advancing her steps to the liberation of the women race.

d. How did the speaker have ‘a feeling of intimate liberation’?

The Speaker had a feeling of intimate liberation by advancing steps forwards to a new route despite difficulties. Ultimately she made a separate route separating more and more in spite of pains from the old route made by males.

e. Why did the speaker’s desire to follow men warp in her?

The speaker’s desire to follow men wrapped in her because she sensed the rigid rules and regulation imposed by men on woman. She wanted to become independent, enjoy freedom and happiness, and utilize her own potentials which were suppressed by men ideologies that is why she twisted them.

Reference to the context

a. What does the speaker mean when she says she was playing a game of hide and seek with her being’?

The line “she was playing a game of hide and seek with her being” appears in the third line of the first stanza and is repeated in the last stanza too. Hide and seek is a game played by the children in which one player is blind folded, other players hide in different place and the blindfold is unfolded and he or she finds the other places from the hiding places. “A game of hide and seek is also used as an idiom which means a situation in which one is constantly evading or avoiding partly the other. In the poem, the line a game of hide and seek with my being means that the speaker is trying to avoid the norms and limitations set by males to females. Men wanted her to be a woman defined as by them but as a modern and rebellious being, she was evading males.

b. Why, in your view, was her back ripped by the old guards as she was advancing forward?

The Speaker says “At each advancing step on my route forward, my back was ripped by the desperate flapping wings of the old guard” in the second stanza. She was walking ahead on the path of women’s liberation challenging the chains of male ideologists. She was advancing forward the desperate flapping wings of the old guard was pushing her back. The limitations and chains of patriarchal ideologies can be found as the old guard was obstructing her on the way forward intimate liberation of women race. In her advancing steps forward, the old guard imposed several threats to her.

c. What, according to the speaker, did it feel like to be free?

According to the speaker, she felt being free is like getting cherished liberation. It is like she won independent identity being free from all kinds of social norms and limitations imposed on women by the men.

d. Why does the speaker prefer the present to the past?

The speaker prefers the present to the past because the situation of her past was miserable. She was one of the victims of male domination. Her family background was not so good. Even one of her siblings’ died of malnutrition. She was living under the shadow of a male-dominated society. But in the present, she has become an iconic person, a pathfinder, and a savior of the female race. She has set a route for all the women who can walk freely pursuing their own identity. She feels proud of herself and deserves the homage.

e. John Donne, in his poem “No Man is an Island”, says, “No man is an island entire of itself.” Would Burgos agree with Donne? Do you agree with Donne or Burgos?

John Donne (1572-1631) is an English poet and is considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. He is also famous for his quotes. The quotation, “Noman is an island entire to itself” is taken from his poem “Noman is an island” which means that no one is truly self-sufficient. Everyone must rely on the company and comfort of others in order to thrive. Donne believes in co-existence. Every man is a part of the whole entire population. All human are an equally integral part of the collective group of humanity. We must value and respect all lives. It is said that “a man and a woman are two wheels of a cart”. The cart can’t move ahead if one wheel is broken. Burgos wanted to avoid male’s existence in terms of getting liberation to women. Males and females are equal and the co-existence of males and females shapes a balance in the society. Her concept is impractical in reality; it is just a way to express her race against males.

Reference beyond the text

a. Write an essay on My Idea of Freedom.

My Idea of Freedom

A freedom, what a wonderful word! How much energy there is in it! How much opportunity, dream, even believe that only we ourselves determine our capacity to do something, to achieve new horizons, to acquire new skills.

I am sure that each and every one of us has his or her own definition for this word. Someone believes it to be somewhat ephemeral, unachievable. But somebody has it like a deliberate way of life and for others it is a goal they crave it with all their heart.

So, what is the enigma of this seems to be a simple word? What is freedom? And what is importance of freedom in our life.

To me, freedom means to be able to learn from my mistakes. If I didn’t have freedom, I would have to do what the top authorities always tell me to do. I don’t have any room for mistakes so it would be harder to learn about life.

Freedom also means having the time to do things right. No freedom, in this case, would mean that I wouldn’t have any time for fantastic, clever thoughts. I would have to do things extremely precise and quick. When I don’t have freedom, I am under pressure constantly. While I am under so much pressure, it makes it a more stressful world to live in.

One last example of my idea of freedom is being able to do many things without being forced into doing anything. No freedom means that I might have to enlist in the army reluctantly. I might even be forced to quarter troops and watch them take over my home! If I didn’t have freedom, I might have to get married at a young age and start a family which I have no intention of doing at my age. My life minus freedom would equal being controlled with everything. When I don’t have freedom I can’t do anything except for what the strict laws tell me to do.

In summary, we are lucky to be in a society of freedom. Just remember, we are the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Reference to the context

a. What does the poet mean by ‘the awakening age’?

As the word glorifies itself, ‘the awakening age’ refers to the period when Africans realize and become conscious about their situation as well as the time to create their new world. They realise that this is the time of peace, harmony, integrity, liberty, happiness, prosperity, unity and creativity amongst the people. They strongly believe that their new world will arrive after Nigeria’s brutal civil war.

b. Why, in your view, have these people ‘lived with poverty’s rage’?

In my view, these people have ‘lived with poverty’s rage because since a long time before history Africans are being exploited by the Americans and Europeans. They did a long injustice to the people of Africa and exploited natural resources. Also meanwhile, due to lengthy war in African countries, the political stability was almost negligible. As a result of instability, a few strong people gained control of the authority. This further resulted in an imbalance in the distribution of natural resources and wealth.

The people of Africa were beyond knowledge and light. They didn’t even know that life exists out of poverty. They were also preoccupied with various internal problems like civil war, discrimination, religion, culture, ethnicity, philosophy and so on which neglected the suffering of ordinary Nigerians. Thus the poverty’s rage had been all their life.

c. Why does the poet appeal for solidarity among the people?

The poet appeals for solidarity among the people to make a reality out of their hope to form a new world for them. He wishes for all Nigeria’s unfortunate and poor people to reach the new height of unity, prosperity, hope, truth, wisdom, liberty and creativity. He strongly believes that solidarity only and only amongst them can help them to overcome challenges and sufferings.

d. Does the poet present migration in a positive light? Why? Why not?

Yes, the poet presents migration in a positive light as it helps the people to change their perceptions. Mostly the migrants are of the working-age population. Migration helps people to raise their height of acceptance and helps to grow their condition to the new state from the past one.

In the poem also, the poet wishes for them to be unified, smart, prosperous and creative in the new age of awakening and appeals for solidarity to create a new world. Most of us have seen that migrants bring skill with them. Some bring capital and some bring creativity. They try to craft their ideas, knowledge and learning in recipient countries. They also wish to be innovative and contribute.

e. Nepal is also known for its economic as well as educational migrants. Have you noticed any change in the perceptions and behaviours of these migrants when they return home from abroad?

Yes, Nepal is known for its economic and educational migrants. The data each year people pursue abroad for education and employment. Certainly, I have noticed many changes in the perceptions and behaviours of these migrants when they return home. I have noticed the change in their attitude and way of thinking. As a person opens in a wide space from the narrow door, he experiences many things, explores many heights, learns, thinks, crafts and thus the way of thinking and way of seeing the world is certainly changed. Every worker or student brings their gained knowledge and tries to use it in their homeland. If either it is capital gain or a degree they try to craft from them. They gain financial literacy and learn to invest and keep the hope of changing traditional thoughts and parameters that limits the exploration. These are the different perceptions that I have seen of people returning from abroad in my community.

f. Relate the rhyme scheme of this sonnet to the kind of life idealized by the poet.

The rhyme scheme of this sonnet is sonorous and is of AA BB CC DD EE FF GG. It can be said that it is the poetry of optimism and hope. The poet is trying to show the idealized existence of Africans, especially Nigerians, in the new world of awakening with the assistance of the poem’s rhyme pattern. All of the lines and rhyming phrases after couplets are linked with the lives of Nigerians and their ideal way of life. This includes realization, hope and solidarity. He also wishes for wisdom, liberty, knowledge and joy. His excellent rhyming scheme synchronizes with the ideal existence of Nigerians in the world of the awakening age.

Soft Storm Exercise : Summary and Question Answers

Soft Storm

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. When does the speaker grow soft? Enlist the occasions when he grows soft?

The poem ‘soft storm’ composed by Abhi Subedi is filled with a touch of compassion and investigates the insanities of tumultuous times. The speaker has said he grows soft when:

• He hears the tumult of earth.

• The sky grew like crocuses

• The moon skids down

• The moon sang of lampposts and gutters in this seamless city.

b. What do you understand by ‘this seamless city’?

I understand the term “this seamless city” as a place that is free from all forms of disturbance, free from awkward transitions, and indications. The city, from boundaries and full of freedom for human choices.

c. Describe the poor children portrayed in the poem.

In the poem, the poor and homeless children seen in Thamel are portrayed. They were hungry and crying with hunger under the bat-bearing tree at kesharmahal.

d. What do you understand by ‘the unwedded gardens of history’?

The term ‘unwedded gardens of history’ signifies the culture and history of the Kathmandu valley that has been ignored for a long time.

e. Why was the forlorn child wailing?

The forlorn child portrayed in the poem was wailing to find his mother in the corridors of violent history.

f. What do you understand about ‘soft storm’?

The term ‘ soft storm’ signifies its meaning itself by presenting the concept of a storm that is soft or smooth. In this poem, the poet’s disturbed feelings that are not disastrous are generalized by the term ‘soft storm’.

g. Why does the speaker call our time ‘mad time’?

The speaker points out time as mad time because the speaker finds out the disturbing mixture of destruction. The narrator finds unusual and selfish behaviour of people. People are mannerless and their activities are unlawful. Their thoughts and actions are reasonable with stupidity. Modern people are trying to dominate and keep themselves up with materialism.

The speaker observes the activities like stones growing on flowers, rhododendrons blooming in winter, the earth is full of tumults in the song of the birds, moon hums melodies, history rashes under the lampposts, and birds share the bizarre journey over the warming earth. Thus the speaker claims mad time.

h. What does the speaker want to do in “hard times”?

The poet wants to melt like a rainbow in “hard times”.

Reference to the context

a. The poet uses the word ‘soft’ with the words like ‘storm’ and ‘gale’, which generally refer to disorder and violence. What effect does the poet achieve through the use of such anomalous expressions?

The poem ‘soft storm’ composed by Abhi Subedi expresses the touch of compassion and the inner disturbance of the poet. The title itself glorifies the emotions of the poet as they were disturbed but yet not disastrous.

In the poem, the speaker uses the word ‘soft’ with the words like ‘storm’ and ‘gale’ to express his inner disturbance. Generally, the anomalous expression refers to the syntactically well-formed but semantically meaningless. In the poem, the expressions ‘soft storm’ and ‘softness rose like a gale’ are unusual and paradoxical. They are used to define the psychological effect of a speaker. By connecting such ideas, the poet is trying to achieve the ability to express his inner state through psychology.

b. What is the speaker’s attitude towards the time he describes in the poem?

The speaker expresses his thoughts toward the time by using the term ‘ mad time’. He considers the time to be mad as he experiences different unusual things and unlawful activities. The things happening around him were unusual and mannerless. Society is in complete disorder and mannerless. Also, he observes that modern society is out of control and it gives him inner disturbance so his attitude toward the time seems not to be positive.

c. What is the speaker like? Is he a rebel? Why? Why not?

The poem ‘soft storm’ describes the inner emotion of the speaker when he observes modern society. With the touch of compassion, the speaker reveals the tumultuous nature and describes what he feels. The poet finds our society in complete disorder. Society and people are suffering from corruption. People with hunger are seen everywhere in the streets. He witnesses modern people ignoring glorious history.

On the other hand, most things are unusual and unlawful. People are forgetting about humanity and are behaving inhumanely with each other. They have forgotten the mutual respect and sympathy. In the poem, the poet seems to challenge these things. So we can call him a rebel though his rebellious nature is not directly presented.

d. Explain the stanza below in your own words:

I became soft

when I saw

a blood-stained shirt

speaking in the earth’s ears

with bruised human lips

in the far corner

under the moon

of history and dreams

playing hide and seek

in open museums

of human times.

The above lines are extracted from the fourth stanza of the poem ‘soft storm’ composed by Abhi Subedi. As the title glorifies, the poem describes his inner emotion using anomalous expression. He seems to be rebellious indirectly to the unlawful activities of modern society.

Through the above lines, the poet expresses his suffering from uneasy feelings when he observes a person in miserable condition during the night. When he sees a person with a blood-stained shirt during the night, he experiences the inner soft storm inside him. In the poem, the person is lying unconsciously on the ground in the moonlit night. Here, human dreams and achievements are presented by the moon of history. When the moon appears in the sky, the moonlight falls on a place of cultural and historical importance. Through this natural interplay during the night, the poet describes people who are indifferent to the injured person who might be the victim of violence.

Through this natural interplay during the night, it seems people are indifferent to the injured person who might be the victim of violence.