Chapter 1.1 - A Time to Believe
The poet begins by saying that to believe is to know that every day is a new day with a new beginning. It means to trust that miracles do happen and dreams do come true.
To believe is to see angels dancing among the clouds. It is to know the beauty and magical quality of a sky filled with stars and to accept the wisdom of the man in the moon.
To believe is to know the value of someone who nurtures us and looks after us. It is to recognize the innocence in a child’s eyes and to acknowledge the beauty of an old person’s hand. It is through the teachings of these old people that we learn to love.
To believe means to know and find the strength and courage that are within us all, especially when it is time to get over a shock or disaster and return to normal once again.
To believe means to know that we are never alone and that life is a gift that we must value and protect.
Finally, the poet says that to believe means to know that wonderful surprises are just waiting to happen and that all our hopes and dreams are within reach. All we must do is have a positive attitude toward life and believe in ourselves.
(1) Poem and poet:
‘A Time to Believe’ by B.J. Morbitzer.
(2) Theme:
To believe in ourselves and to have a positive and optimistic attitude towards life.
(3) Tone:
Serious and inspirational.
(4) Structure and stanzas:
4 lines in each stanza, except in the last stanza, which has 5 lines.
(5) Rhyme and Rhythm:
No rhyme scheme; the poem is written in free verse.
(6) Language and Imagery:
The language is simple and direct. The only instances of Imagery are of ‘angels dancing among the clouds’ and the ‘stardust sky.
(7) Figures of Speech:
Personification, Epigram, Repetition, Metaphor.
stardust : having a magical quality
nurturing : providing nourishment, care and protection
aging : growing old
pick up the pieces : return to normal after a shock or disaster
cherish : hold something as very dear and of great value
within reach : possible to achieve
Warming up!
1. Think, choose and fill up the labels with what a ‘sunrise’ symbolizes.
(jewellery / art / hope / birth / anger / new opportunities / good manners / inspiration / new achievements / happiness / misery / bright moments / new aims / money / new surprises)
Ans:
inspiration
new opportunities
new achievements
happiness
birth
bright moments
hope
new aims
art
money
jewellery
new surprises
2. An acrostic is a poem or a write-up in which the first letter of each line forms a word, when it is read vertically.
For example,
Faithful
Reliable
Inspiring
Encouraging
Noble
Dedicated
With your benchmate / group, complete the acrostic of BELIEVE and FAITH.
(Please note that the words / phrases should be more or less related to the topic. You can use a thesaurus).
Be certain of
E ______
L ______
I ______
E ______
V ______
E ______
Ans:
Be certain of
Expect
Love
Idealize
Endorse
Value
Emerge strong
F ______
A ______
I ______
T ______
H ______
Ans:
Fidelity
Acceptance
Ideology
Trust
Hope
In Between The Poetry
Q1. What should one know and trust every day?
Ans: One should know and trust that every day is a new beginning, that miracles happen and dreams really do come true.
Q2. What are the two supernatural references in the 2nd stanza?
Ans: The two supernatural references in the second stanza are to angels and to the man in the moon.
Q3. What two qualities are needed to recover, after a shocking event?
Ans: Strength and courage are the two qualities that are needed to recover after shocking events.
Q4. What kind of attitude does the poet advise everybody to have?
Ans: The poet advises everybody to have a positive attitude in life. One should have good qualities like wisdom, innocence, strength, courage and to be able to value things in life.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. (A) Rearrange the letters to make meaningful words, occuring in the poem.
(1) clearmis
Ans: miracles
(2) sowmid
Ans: wisdom
(3) gearuoc
Ans: ciurage
(4) rissupser
Ans: surprise
(5) tabyue
Ans: beauty
(6) madres
Ans: dreams
(7) laveu
Ans: value
(8) downre
Ans: wonder
(B) Write words from the poem that describe the following.
(1) sky
Ans: Stardust sky
(2) heart
Ans: nurturing heart
(3) hand
Ans: aging hand
(4) beginning
Ans: new beginning
(5) surprises
Ans: wonderful surprises
2. Say WHY ….
(a) the sky has a magical quality.
Ans: The sky has a magical quality because it has scurrying clouds, twinkling stars and a beautiful moon.
(b) even an aging hand has beauty.
Ans: Even an aging hand has beauty because it can teach us how to love.
(c) we should believe that we are strong and courageous.
Ans: We should believe that we are strong and courageous so that we can recover after we have undergone a shock or disaster, and return to our normal lives again.
3. Make a list of any six things that the poet wants us to accept as true.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
Ans:
(a) that every day is a new beginning
(b) that miracles do happen
(c) that dreams come true
(d) that there are angels dancing among the clouds
(e) that the sky has a magical quality
(f) that the man in the moon is wise
(g) that we have the strength and courage to get back to normal after a setback
(h) that we are never alone
(i) that life is a gift we must cherish
(j) that there are wonderful surprises in store for us
(k) that all our hopes and dreams are within reach
(l) that great things will happen if we have belief in life and in ourselves
4. Find from the poem, positive qualities to fill up the web.
Ans:
5. Read the lines below.
(A) ‘To believe is to see angels dancing among the clouds’.
The above line contains a human characteristic ‘dancing’ given to something non – human, ‘angels’. The Figure of Speech used in the line is called ‘Personification’.
(B) ‘To believe is to know that
Everyday is a new beginning’.
(C) To believe is to know ………. life is a gift
Lines in poetry, such as the above, state a general truth and can be used as sayings or quotes etc. They contain the Figure of Speech called Epigram.
Epigram closely resembles a proverb.
∗ Find from the poem three other examples of Epigram.
(1)
(2)
(3)
Ans:
(1) To believe is to know that every day is a new beginning.
(2) To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart.
(3) To believe is to find the strength and courage that lies within us.
(4) To believe is to know we are never alone, that life is a gift.
(5) To believe is to know that wonderful surprises are just waiting to happen.
6. Divide the class into 5 groups. Each group can prepare a decorative chart / poster using epigrammatic lines from the poem. You may use calligraphy / painting / or a Paint programme on a computer. (With permission, put up these charts in your school.)
Ans: Students must do this on their own.