English Literature Made Easy for Students

Music and Immortality(Simplified summary for the students) Mian Tansen was India’s greatest musician. His tomb was built under the shaded branches of a tamarind tree six hundred years ago. According to the popular belief, anyone can increase his music skills by eating just one leaf of that tree. Tansen was born to his parents after they had got the blessings from the great sufi saint and musician Hazrat Mohammad Ghaus. Tansen’s father Mukund MIshra was a wealthy poet and musician. He named his son as Tansen, the master of ‘taan’, or musical notes because he hoped that his . But Tansen showed no interest in music and studies as well as he grew up. Instead, he preferred spending his time in the forest chasing animals and imitating their sounds. One day, a group of travelers was passing through the forest. He was sitting on a tree chirping like the sparrows. Suddenly he saw a group of travelers passing through the forest. As they came nearer, he took a long breath and produced...

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum (Prescribed for class XII in C.B.S.E.) Poet:  Stephen Spender Main Points about the Poem: The poet visits a school located in a slum area. He is shocked to notice the miserable condition of those poor children. Even the condition of the school is pitiable. Description about the children sitting in the class room: 1. He watches the faces of the children sitting in a class room. These are pale and without blood. The poet compares them with the rootless weeds which become yellow and lifeless. Normally, the children are full of activities and energy as we find in the gusty waves of sea. But these children are passive and lacking in energy. 2. The hair of the children is untidy and hanging over their pale faces. Then the poet gives more examples of such children. There is a tall girl whose head is bent (jhuka hua). The poet calls another boy ‘the paper seeming boy’. It means that he is as light as a paper. His eyes are looking l...

After that, the convict narrated to the Bishop his story. He explained that long time ago he was a man and he had the feeling of suffering then. But after that he became a number. He was not a man. His sensitivity had died. He had been living in hell for the last ten years. He also told the Bishop that long time ago, he had a cottage. There were vines growing on it. They looked very pretty. There was a woman. She must have been his wife. He tried to remember her. She was ill and they had no food to eat. He was unemployed and his wife Jeanette was dying. Then he stole to buy food for her. He was caught for that crime. He explained his stand but they did not understand him. He was put in the prison hulks (old ships formerly used for prisons). For ten years. He was also informed that his wife had died on the day when he was sent to prison.  Then he started crying with sobs. After that the Bishop asked him about the prison-ship (Hell). The convict told the Bishop that once he...

The kitchen of the Bishop is simple but sufficiently furnished. There is a big mantelpiece (shelf) at the fireplace. There is a sofa lying there in the living room. There is also a table on which some writing material and a wooden image of Jesus Christ on the cross are lying. There is  also a dining table, chairs and some books, etc. There are two heavy candlesticks on the mantelpiece, which look strange in that simple surroundings. The scene opens with the presence of Marie and Persome. Marie is stirring soup on the fire. Persome is laying the cloth. There is a conversation between Persome and Marrie. Persome asked Marie, the maidservant if the soup was ready. Marie replied that it was not ready. At this, Persome blames her that she had not tended the fire properly, that was why it was not ready on time. Marie answered her back saying that Persome had herself made the fire. That made Persome angry and she warned her not to answer her back. It was rudeness if she did ...

After Twenty Years by O Henry: Class VIII (About the author: William Sydney Porter known as O Henry was an American writer. His short stories are well known for their wit, characterization and suspenseful endings. Some of these are: The last Leaf,  The Gift of the Magi and The Cop and the Anthem.) As the chapter opens, we find a policeman moving up the street of his beat (area of duty) in a very impressive manner. It was his natural style, not artificial one to make a show off because at that time people were very few. The time was hardly 10 p.m., but the chilly (very cold) gusty (blowing hard) winds prevented people from making rush in the streets. The policeman’s duty was to ensure protection to the houses and shops there in the street, so he was checking the doors of the houses if they were properly closed or locked. He also kept twirling (spinning) his staff (stick) in a very artistic way while doing his duty i.e. moving from one door to the other. Also, he was keep...