Chapter 1.1 - Life
The poetess tells us to enjoy every moment in life. We shouldn’t focus on just the good or the bad things. Life is about balance and we should be thankful for everything that life gives us. We should enjoy the good times while they last since bad times don’t last forever. Every situation is temporary in life. Even if we’re stuck in a difficult situation, we should remember that it will not last forever. Bad times are always followed by good things. Charlotte Bronte encourages us to enjoy the ‘sunny’ things as long as they last. In the end, she says that in moments of great trouble, hope will rescue us.
sway : controlling influence
transient : temporary
lament : express grief or regret
buoyant : that which can rise upwards
quell : end, suppress
Title: Life
Poet: Charlotte Bronte
Rhyme Scheme:
abcb in the first stanza, dede in all the remaining stanzas.
Favourite line:
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell despair!
Theme/Central idea:
This is a motivational and inspirational poem. The poet says that nothing is long-lasting in this life, and every one of the terrible things in life will go, and beneficial things will follow. This poem gives a solid message of trust. The poet advises us to have confidence and trust, courageously bear every one of our difficulties, and conquer our concerns with fortitude.
Figure of Speech:
‘What though death at times steps in’.
The figure of speech is Personification.
Special Feature/Implied meaning, etc.:
This poem is exceptionally rousing and hopeful. It is an extremely certain and glad poem that gives us boldness and trust. It advises us that regardless of whether there are issues in life nothing is extremely durable and there will be better days ahead.
Why I like/don’t like the poem:
I like the poem since it gives me trust, strength and boldness.
∗ ∗ ∗ Warming up! ∗ ∗ ∗
1. There are many popular lines like :
‘Life is a game – play it well’.
‘Life is a journey- keep going ahead’.
Discuss and write down a few such metaphorical lines about ‘life’. You can make them up yourselves.
Ans:
(1) You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
(2) Only I can change my life, no one else can do it for me.
(3) Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it.
(4) Life isn’t about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself.
(5) A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.
2. Prepare as many ‘acrostics’ using the word LIFE, as you can. Two examples are given below.
Ans:
Laugh
Imagine
Freedom
Experience
3. Listen carefully and write the word in the appropriate column.
Teacher : hopeful, lonely, happy, jealous, surprised, shy, loving, proud, cheerful, anxious, nervous, excited, embarrassed, scared, silly, comfortable, peaceful, depressed, enthusiastic, motivated, inspired, threatened, crushed, angry
Ans:
| Positive Feelings | Negative Feelings |
|---|---|
hopeful, happy, surprised, loving, proud, cheerful, excited, comfortable, peaceful, enthusiastic, motivated, inspired | lonely, jealous, shy, anxious, nervous, embarrassed, scared, silly, depressed, threatened, crushed, angry |
Note that it is possible to feel both kinds of emotions at the same time. Have you experienced it? Try to describe the situation in short.
Ans: It is possible to experience two emotions at once; it is human psychology that gives birth to such mixed feelings. The feelings I experienced were that my mother was very sick. At that point in time, I was somehow happy and overwhelmed, thinking I could care for and pamper her, but at the same time, I felt my mother was growing old, which made me extremely emotional.
∗ ∗ ∗ In Between the Poetry ∗ ∗ ∗
Q1. What do the sages say?
Ans: The sages say that life is not a dream.
Q2. What does the rain often foretell ?
Ans: Rain often foretells a pleasant day.
Q3. What should we do during joyful times in life?
Ans: During joyful times in life we should enjoy life cheerfully and gratefully.
Q4. Who does ‘our Best’ refer to?
Ans: ‘Our Best’ refers to our loved ones.
Q5. Why are the wings of hope ‘golden’ ?
Ans: The wings of hope are golden because they give us bright hope to face our future bravely and fearlessly.
∗ ∗ ∗ ENGLISH WORKSHOP ∗ ∗ ∗
1. Pick out from the poem, two lines each that reflect an optimistic (positive) attitude and pessimistic (negative) attitude.
Optimism :
Ans:
(1) Oft a little morning rain,
Foretells a pleasant day
(2) If the shower will make the roses bloom,
Oh, why lament its fall?
Pessimism:
Ans:
(1) Sometimes there are clouds of gloom
(2) What though Sorrow seems to win,
O’er hope a heavy sway?
2. Give other ‘-ly’ adverbs of similar meaning for the following. Use a thesaurus if needed.
(a) rapidly
Ans: quickly
(b) merrily
Ans: happily
(c) gratefully
Ans: thankfully
(d) cheerily
Ans: joyfully
(e) manfully
Ans: bravely
(f) fearlessly
Ans: courageously
(g) gloriously
Ans: wonderfully
(h) victoriously
Ans: successfully
3. Pick out three examples of interrogation (rhetorical questions) from the poem.
(a) Explain in your own words the point that each one makes.
Ans:
| Interrogation | Explanation |
|---|---|
(1) If the shower will make the roses bloom, Oh, why lament its fall? | The poet says that whenever the sky is covered with dark clouds, we are not able to see the sun. But when it rains, the roses bloom, so we shouldn’t dislike the rain. |
(2) What though death at times steps in, And calls our Best away? | The poet tells us that sometimes death, which is inevitable, may take our loved ones away, so it is okay and we should accept it as a part of our lives. |
(3) What though Sorrow seems to win, O’er hope a heavy sway? | The poet tells us that sometimes sorrow takes over all other happy things and thus has a negative influence on our hope, so we should accept the situation just as we accept happiness in our lives. |
(b) Explain the metaphor in the following lines :
(1) Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day
Ans: In this statement morning rain is compared to darkness and gloom in life.
(2) Sometimes there are clouds
Ans: In this statement the clouds are compared to sadness and gloom.
(3) … the shower will make the roses bloom
Ans: In this statement, roses refer to the good things in life.
(4) Life’s sunny hours flit by
Ans: In this statement sunny hours are compared to happy days.
(c) Pick out four examples of personification. Write what is personified in each :
Ans:
(1) Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day
Explanation: Rain is given the human quality of foretelling
(2) Life’s sunny hours flit by
Explanation: Sunny hours are given the human quality of flitting by.
(3) What though death at times steps in
Explanation: Death is given the human quality of stepping in.
(4) What though Sorrow seems to win
Explanation: Sorrow is given the human quality of winning.
(d) ‘And calls our Best away’ is a gentle way of expressing the unpleasant idea of a loved one dying. It is an example of euphemism. Think and write down 3 or 4 ways in which we can express the idea of ‘death’ in a tactful and gentle manner.
Ans:
(1) He passed away
(2) He has gone to heaven
(3) He is no more
(4) He is one with God again
(5) He kicked the bucket.
4. ‘….. and that’s how I realised that courage and hope can help me overcome any major mishap/problem in life.’ Write an episode / experience from your own life that leads to the above conclusion.
Ans:
I was really upset when I got my first unit test mark sheet because I failed in all subjects. I had to face lots of embarrassment and shame for not being able to pass even in a single subject. I had resolved that I would pass the 1st Semester Exam at any cost in the coming two months. I had approached my school teacher for help, and indeed, they helped me. And the amazing part was that they gave me a trick to study. In that trick, I was not supposed to by-heart and practice big answers and long sums, respectively. I was very happy to know this. It gave me hope to study. But it was suggested that I had to keep continuity in my studies, which was quite difficult for me. But anyhow. I kept that. Due to my teachers’ support and motivation, I passed my 1st Semester Exam with 50%. It was the most wonderful day of my life.
Receiving the marksheet from my class teacher, I felt so proud, and that is how I realized that courage and hope can help me overcome any major mishap or problem in life.
5. Read : ‘The Psalm of Life’- a poem by H. W. Longfellow.
Ans:
A Psalm of Life
– By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
What The Heart Of The Young Man Said To The Psalmist.
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.