A Nation's Strength by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

A Nation's Strength by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Class VIII

Stanza 1: “What makes a nation’s pillar high

And its foundations strong?

What makes it mighty to defy

The foes that round it throng”

In this poem, the poet makes several questions to clarify what he wants to say. In the very beginning he equates a country to a big building. Then he puts a question as to what are the things which make its pillars high and foundation very strong. What are the things that can challenge its enemies who have crowded around it?

Paraphrase: What are the things that make a nation’s pillars high and its foundation strong? What are the things that make a nation strong enough to defy or challenge its enemies that have surrounded it in a large number?

Stanza 2

“It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand

Go down in battle shock;

Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,

Not on abiding rock.”

Paraphrase : In the second stanza, the poet himself answers. He says that it is not gold that makes a country great.  Here gold stands for material progress of a nation. A nation may have large treasures of gold, money, natural resources. It may be having very high per ca-pita income. Material progress is not permanent. Wealth is also not permanent. It may come and it may go. The riches also make a person or a nation proud and rash.  So any battle can ruin the material progress of a person or a nation. We have so many examples in modern world in this context. Even the mighty and richer country may be destroyed. So the riches and material progress do not provide strong foundation to a nation. The building which stands on weak foundation may fall any time. The foundation made on the basis of wealth is like that made on sinking sand, not on durable rock. It may fall any time. It may be defeated by its enemies any time.

Stanza 3

Is it the sword? Ask the dust

Of empires passed away;

The blood has turned their stones to rust,

Their glory to decay.

Paraphrase: In this stanza, the poet again puts a question. Is it the sword that makes a nation strong? Here the sword stands for power. The people who are economically strong threaten others of dire consequences. They even fight and terrorize them to accept their supremacy. Similar is the case with the nations who are strong and powerful. They bully other nations to accept defeat. History is replete (full of) with examples of the fierce battles fought between such rulers. The poet suggests to us to ask the dust of the empires which are no more now about the result of such fierce battles. The bloodshed made the strong pillars of those empires weak as rust forces iron to decay.  The glory of the powerful empires never lasted for long.

Stanza 4.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown

Has seemed to nations sweet;

But God has struck its luster down

In ashes at his feet.

Paraphrase: After explaining that battles never made a nation strong, the poet proceeds to say that the pride of wearing glittering crowns also never made their nations powerful. Emperors and kings in the past had been very fond of wearing bright crowns on their heads. They also felt proud of being powerful and owning great empires. But their pride had to fall down. Their glory had to fade away with the passage of time. Kingdoms may have achieved glory by making victories over weak kingdoms. But that glory was not permanent.

Stanza 5.

Not gold but only men can make

A people great and strong;

Men who for truth and honour’s sake

Stand fast and suffer long. Brave men who work while others sleep,

Who dare while others fly…

They build a nation’s pillars deep

And lift them to the sky.

Paraphrase: In stanza five, the poet explains his points clearly in a straight forward manner. He says that it is not gold or wealth that makes a nation strong. Only the people who can stand by truth and honesty and who can suffer long for these great virtues can make their country great and strong.

These are the brave men who are always alert and active. These are the men who sacrifice their sleep for the safety and security of their country. These are the men who dare to challenge the enemies of their country and never run away from their duty. These are the men who make the pillars of their nation’s deep, strong and take them high in the sky. They provide strong foundation to the edifice of their nation. 

Television: What can a television do to children…

Television: What can a television do to children…

Class VIII:

Stanza 1: “The most important thing…..the idiot thing at all.” The poet Ronald Dahl appeals to the parents in the most emphatic manner that the children should not be allowed to watch television. It would be better if a TV set is not installed in the house.

Stanza 2: In almost every house, the children are seen glued to the screen of the TV. They are so much lost in watching the programmes that their mouths remain gaping and eyes fixed to the screen until they seem to be popping out of their sockets. The children watch TV in different postures, i.e. in half-lying position while relaxing and in some odd manner also. In the last line of this stanza, the poet humorously points out the seriousness of the matter by saying that a dozen eyeballs were found scattered on the floor in a house the previous week.

Stanza 3: They sit and keep on staring until they get fully lost in the visuals. They sit fixedly at one place as if they were hypnotised by some power. The parents feel and think that they have relief from their children as they would not jump from the window sill if they watch TV. They would not make any disturbance in the house and the parents feel relaxed and peaceful. The poet asks the parents if they know what damage actually they are causing to their beloved tots (little children).

Stanza 4: It gradually stops the progress of their power of understanding and imagining things around them. Watching TV fills their mind with so much with material and other stuff that they hardly think and imagine freely of their own. The originality of their thoughts is completely lost. A child’s mind becomes blocked to the natural world. They no more enjoy the natural scenery. They fail to enjoy the world of fantasy and fairyland.

Stanza 5: In this stanza, the poet replies to the parents question as to what they should do to entertain their children if they do not allow their children to watch TV. To reply this, the poet makes another question to them as to what they used to do to make their children busy before the invention of TV.

Stanza 6: In this stanza, the poet himself explains as to what the children did before the invention of TV. The poet repeats the word READ to make its effect on the mind of the reader. He says that the children used to read a lot. They used to read about great poets like Scott and Gadzooks. They passed half of their lives reading wonderful tales of dragons, gypsies, queens, whales, treasure islands, distant shores (the edge of the sea) where smugglers rowed their boats with muffled (without creating sound, hushed-up) oars and  sea-pirates (sea robbers) would come to loot ships wearing purple-coloured pants.

The young ones had with them the famous book of Beatrix Potter and they read the famous characters like Mr. Rat, Mr. Ted and Mr. Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s book ‘The Wind in the Willows.’ They also read Rudyard Kipling’s popular stories like ‘How the Camel got his ump’ and ‘How the monkey lost His Rump’. Those were the wonderful books for the children.

In the last four lines the poet ends the poem making an appeal again to the parents to throw away the TV and in its place a lovely bookshelf is to be installed.

Questions:

1.     What is the most important thing the poet has learnt?

Ans. The poet has learnt that the children should not be allowed to watch television. It would be better if a TV set is not installed in the house.

2.     How does the television keep the children still?

Ans. In almost every house, the children are seen glued to the screen of the TV. They are so much lost in watching the programmes that their mouths remain gaping and eyes fixed to the screen until they seem to be popping out of their sockets.

3.     What should the parents do for the entertainment of their children?

Ans. In the last four lines the poet ends the poem making an appeal again to the parents to throw away the TV and in its place a lovely bookshelf is to be installed.

4.     Name some of the things that the poet has seen in houses which have televisions.

Ans. The poet humorously points out the seriousness of the matter by saying that a dozen eyeballs were found scattered on the floor in a house the previous week.

Page 101:  Exercise B

1.     IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!  

IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!

a.     What has been referred to as ‘it’ here?

Ans. The television has been referred to as ‘it’ here.

b.     Whose imagination and the head the poet is talking about here?

Ans. The poet is talking about the children’s imagination and head.

c.      Why has the poet used capital letters? How do you think he is feeling?

Ans. The poet has used capital letters in the above lines to highlight the damage done to the children by watching television. The poet feels concerned or worried about the children.

2.     How used they keep themselves contented

Before this monster was invented?

a.     What has been referred to as monster here?

Ans. The television has been referred to as monster here.

b.     Why has the poet called it a monster?

Ans. The poet calls the television a monster because it does a huge damage to the mind and imagination of the children.

c.      Who are they? How did ‘they’ keep themselves busy earlier?

Ans. ‘They’ are the children of the earlier time before the invention of television. They kept themselves busy in reading books of great writers.

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Detailed Simplified Summary:Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 

This lesson is an extract from a novel ‘Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ written by Mark Twain.

Tom Sawyer lives with his Aunt Polly and his half brother Sid. Tom Sawyer has been punished by his Aunt for dirtying his clothes in a fight.

The characters in this one act plat are Tom, Jim, Ben, Joe and Aunt Polly.

The scene is at the pavement (roadway) near the fence (boundary wall)  made up of wooden boards and it is morning time. Some boys are passing from that way laughing, shouting, playing tag, etc. They go away and then a boy hurries along the pavement with a fishing rod slung (hung) over his shoulder. Two more boys were also playing leap-frog across the pavement. After that Sid also comes through the gate, then crossing the yard reaches the pavement and he also goes off rolling a hoop (ring) happily.

Then Tom enters through the gate carrying a large bucket of white paint and a broad brush. He puts the bucket down on near the fence and has a look on the long-spread (expanse) of the fence which he was to white-wash as punishment. He seems to be very sad and hopeless about his freedom from the punishment.

He dips the brush in the white-wash and passes it along a part of the topmost part of it. He steps back and surveys the painted streak (line) that was quite unimportant for him and compares it with the rest of the unpainted part.

Feeling unhappy and disappointed, he sits down on an upturned barrel (drum).

Then Jim comes through the gate with an empty pail (bucket).

Tom asked him where he was going.

Jim told him that he was going to the pump to fetch (bring) water. He also told him that if he finished his task early, Miss Polly would allow him to watch Big Ho (awesome person, here it may be something interesting) draw up and then he laughs in delight.

Tom offered to Jim that he could do the work of bringing water if he white-washed some part of the fence.

Jim shook his head rejecting the offer and said that he could not do it because he was told by Miss Polly that he would fetch water and not stop anywhere. She had already expected that Tom would ask him to white wash, so she advised him to go along and mind his own business.

Tom was very clever and he tried to bribe Jim by showing him a marble which he took out from his pocket. Jim was influenced. He began to waver.

Jim was afraid of Miss Polly. Tom assured him that she would never come to know about it. He also promised to show him his sore toe. After some hesitation, Jim got ready to help him. He puts down his pail and collects marbles from Tom and bends over the sore toe. *His eyes widens with interest as Tom starts unwinding the bandage.

In the meantime, Aunt Polly, clutching (holding tightly) a slipper appeared on the scene and gave a powerful blow to Jim and he picked up his pail and giving out a startled (full of surprise) ran away quickly. Tom jumps towards the fence and began whitewashing it.

Aunt Polly went back from the scene feeling victorious. Now Tom was whitewashing at a good speed.

In the distance, he heard a whistle which gave a long mournful (full of sadness) sound. It was the whistling sound of a steam-boat called Big Missouri. Tom felt excited and he looked wishing that he should have been there to see the steam-boat. Then he took a long breath feeling helpless. The whistle was repeated.

After some time, Ben Rogers, a strongly built boy approached (reached) there. He was of Tom’s age. He was eating an apple and imitating the sound and movement of the steamboat as he walked along the pavement.

In the next lines, Ben was speaking some words that showed the sounds created by the moving steam-boat.

Tom looked at Ben and then he looked at the brush and then to the fence. An idea was forming in his mind. He started quickly dipping the brush and beginning the work showing full determination (strong decision).

Ben is speaking the same type of words.

After sometime, Ben noticed Tom doing work and he asked him if he was in a difficult situation.

Tom did not pay any heed (attention) to him. He started doing his work as if he were an artist and was very much interested in it. He wanted to impress Ben. So he surveyed his last touch like an artist who surveys ( watches carefully) his painting or drawing. Then he gave a gentle sweep with the brush and watched it in the same way.

Ben stopped near him and watched Tom doing work and also enjoyed eating his apple.

Then Ben asked him if he was given a work to do.

Tom pretended that he did not noticed (see) him.

Ben told him that he was going to enjoy swimming till he heard the sound of the steamboat. He asked if he did not wish to accompany (go with) them. Then he in a taunting way said that he would prefer work to enjoyment.

After saying that he laughed in a suppressed way and took another bite of the apple. Tom stared (gazed, looked in a fixed way) at the apple as if feeling entranced (involved, willing to eat), but soon he turned his eyes away from it..

Then he asked Ben as to what he called work.

He also told him that it was not work that he was doing at that time. It suited him and he liked it very much.

Ben Got more interested in it and Tom began to do his work showing more interest. Tom kept creating interest in Ben for the work he was doing.

Ben stopped biting the apple and Tom swept the brush back and forth delicately (softly), stepped back to notice the effect, added a touch here and there, criticized the effect again. Ben stood watching getting more and more interested in the work. Tom pretended not to see Ben.

At last Tom won and Ben asked him to allow him to whitewash a little. In the beginning Tom wanted to give him the brush at once, but then he controlled himself.

He made some excuses. The more Tom refused, the more Ben became interested in it.

Ben became so much interested in the task that he was ready to give his apple to him.

Showing reluctance (hesitation), Tom gave the brush to him and took the half eaten apple. Ben started white-washing and Tom sat on a drum and took a full bite of the apple.

In between, he also kept giving warnings to Ben to remain careful in his work.

Then another boy, named Joe Harper reached there. He was carrying a kite with him.

He talked about the steamboat and suggested to Tom to go together to watch it.

But Tom told him that he and Ben had more important things to do than watching the steamboats.

Then Joe started asking about the white-washing and Tom applied the same method to attract him to it.

Ben asked Tom if he had given Ben something for doing whitewashing for him. Tom told him that he did not give him anything rather Ben gave him his apple.

Tom also created a spirit of competition in Joe and Ben told him that he could whitewash as good as Ben could.

Tom made the work more difficult for Ben by saying that he could not take brush from Ben. Then Joe ran to his house to fetch his father’s brush for doing white-wash.

Joe also promised to give his kite to Tom.

Tom again sat on the barrel (drum), holding the kite given to him by Joe. Joe and Ben stood side by side while white-washing the fence. The steamboat Big Mo sounded again.

Tom looked anxiously (worriedly) at the unpainted fence and wanted to get more victims to help him in his work.

Then another boy of Tom’s age came down picking up a dead rat swinging and held by a string. Soon a crowd of boys came down the pavement Tom collected a big treasure for him I addition to the kite and the dead rat, a window sash (that holds glass in a window), six marbles, a piece of chalk, a glass stopper from a decanter (bottle, vessel), a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles (frog or a toad), six firecrackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass door knob, a dog’s collar, a knife handle, etc.

In addition to Joe and Ben, a number of boys joined in whitewashing the fence. Some were whitewashing, some mixing more whitewash, some waiting their turns at the brushes or mixing buckets. Tom learnt feeling lazy against the barrel. He was surrounded by the valuable things and watching the boys idly (doing nothing) white-washing and sweating due to the work.

Ben wanted to do more work. He said that there was only one board left. Joe also wanted to whitewash on that. In a way they argue for that. The other boys also gathered round and asked for a chance to paint the last board. Tom told them to line up and take their turn in a disciplined way.

Tom gave all the boys their turn till they finished whitewashing.

Aunt Polly was in the kitchen knitting something. She roes and moved out muttering to herself that she should see how much work Tom had done. She had expected only one quarter of it and she decided to be satisfied at it.

Tom was sitting on the barrel and was arranging his wealth. The other boys had gone. Aunt Polly came through the gate spying him. She did not notice the fence and reached near him.

She asked him if he could do whitewashing in that way lying about in the sun and playing with his small things of little value.

Tom informed her happily that it was all done.

She was amazed to see all that. She asked him doubtfully as to how he managed complete all that.

Tom said that he did it without taking any break. She had to believe him and then she caught his wrist and led him inside the house. She promised him to give him doughnut (daonut: a kind of cake) as he had earned a treat.