10 E/M POEMS-NOTES-Prepared by S.R. Prasad from kadapa

1. On killing a tree

- Gieve Patel

1. How does the poet describe the uprooting of a tree?

A. Neither a simple stroke of a knife nor hacking and chopping could kill a

tree. So the root of the tree should be pulled out of the earth. It should, then, be roped; tied and snapped out. So it should be pulled out entirely from the earth cover. This, according to the poet, is the complete process of uprooting a tree.

2. Why does the poet talk about “Killing” a tree?(or)

Why does the poet describe the killing of a tree in such graphic detail?(or)

What is the poet’s attitude to trees?

A. Gieve Patel is sympathetic towards trees and treats them as living organisms. He says trees also feel pain. The are no less to human being. So he uses the work killing for tree which normally used to living beings such as humans and animals. He means that trees should not be cut down. He describes the killing of a tree in such graphic detail as to awaken sympathy to trees.

3. What is the secret source of the tree’s strength? Why is the source of the three the most sensitive?

A. The strength of the tree lies in its roots. They give strength to the tree. So they are ‘the source’ strength. It is the most sensitive because it has been hidden inside the earth for years, unexposed to light.

2. The gallows

- Edward Thomas

1. What did the keeper do to the weasel, the crow and the magpie?

A. Despite it being the duty of the keeper to protect fauna he shot the weasel, the crow, and the magpie dead and hung them on the branch of a' dead oak tree.

2. What was the fate of the weasel, the crow and the magpie?

A. The weasel, the crow and the magpie were shot dead by the keeper and hung on a dead oak tree. They had neither pleasure nor pain. They were just hanging in snow, rain and the sun with enor­mous leisure.

3. What did the keeper do the weasel? Why do you think he did so?

A. The keeper shot the weasel and hung him up on a dead oak tree. He did so because the weasel lives on the tree with his family and, therefore, was a nuisance to other birds.

4. Of all the birds and beasts the keeper had shot, only three are speciallymentioned. What does each of them represent?

A. The weasel is a fierce, rather than cruel animal. The crow is a cunning and mischievous bird and a thief. The magpie is a noisy bird often steals bright objects and carries them to its nest.

5. Who do you think was more cruel – the weasel that killed smaller animals or the keeper who killed the weasel? Why?

A. The keeper was crueler than the weasel. He had not only deprived of the weasel of his legitimate feast but also killed him. Instead of killing he could have driven it out.

6. Why does the keeper hang the dead creatures from the tree?

A. Instead of protecting animals keeper kills them and hangs them to the tree. The reason behind is perhaps to scare the other animals and birds.

3. The snake

- D.H. Lawrence

1. How does the poet behave when he sees the snake at the water through?

A. 1. The Poet sees the snake and notices that he has come to water through much ahead of him.

2. He shows hospitality and treats the snake as his guest.

3. He, therefore, allows him to drink first.

2. What does the poet do to the snake? How does he feel after it?

A. The poet first treats the snake as his guest and allows it to drink water first. But finding the snake going back into its hole, he takes a log and throws it at the snake. The poet regrets his haste and mean act.

3. What are the poet’s views on ‘education’ in the poem snake?

A. According to the poet, true education should give people the power of reasoning. It should enable them to decide which is wrong and harmful, and which is not. In the poem, the poet’s education urged him to kill the snake at once. But he despised it later and realized that he was at loss wisdom.

4. What did the voice of education ask the poet to do? What is the argument for killing a golden snake? Do you think the distinction is rational?

A. The voice of his education asked the poet to kill the snake because the golden snakes are highly poisonous whereas the black ones are not. I don't think this distinction is rational since he considered the snake his guest.

5. What does Lawrence mean when he speaks of ‘the voice of my education’? What did it say to him?

A. “The voice of education” here means the knowledge that Lawrence had acquired about the golden snakes through books. It said to him that golden snakes are poisonous and black ones are not. So the poet tried to kill the golden snake that came to his water trough to drink water.

6. What did the poet do as the snake was going into the hole?

A. When the snake finished drinking water and returning into the hole, struck by horror, following the voice of education the poet threw a log on

it. Fortunately or unfortunately it was a miss. Then poet realized his mistake.

7.. Why did the poet think of the albatross?

A. In Coleridge's poem “The Ancient Mariner”, a soldier killed an albatross which brought him ill-luck. ‘Likewise, in the poem “Snake”, the poet threw a log at the snake to kill which came to quench it’s thirst at his water trough. The poet later feels ashamed of his mean act and his act reminds him of this Ancient Mariner and the albatross.

4. Upagupta

- Rabindranath Tagore

1. Two kinds of lives are depicted in the poem Upagupta. What are they?

A. In the poem ‘Upagupta’, two kinds of lives are depicted. One is dancing girl who was only after bodily pleasures and worldly possessions. The other is Upagupta who is quite opposite in living to the dancing girl. He leads a life of simplicity and gave away all worldly possessions. He leads a saint life.

2. What did the dancing girl ask the ascetic to do? Why do you think he declined her invitation?

A. The dancing girl asked the ascetic to come to her house and sleep on her bed. The ascetic declined since he gave up all his worldly possessions.

3. What happened as soon as the young ascetic had spoken his words?

A. When the young ascetic had spoken his words, the black night showed his teeth in a flash of lightning and a storm growled. This trembled the dancing girl.

4. What did Upagupta mean when he said to the young woman that he would come to her when the time was ripe?

A. The dancing girl was proud of her youth and fond of worldly possessions and pleasures. Upagupta was aware of what was to come to her in future. He, therefore, promised her that when time was ripe i.e., when she was totally discarded and dying he would come in her aid.

5. “The time, at last, has come to visit you……” What time had come? Who was the visitor?

A. The time for the ascetic to come to dancing girl to attend her in need had come as it was promised by him some years ago. The visitor was Upagupta.

5. I’ll get one tomorrow

- Ogden Nash

1. Why did the poet decide to visit the barber?

A. The hair of the poet falls on his sides and irks and frets him. It climbs round his ears like any ivy plant. It moves leisurely down his neck. It tickles wherever it touches. Thus the poet felt much inconvenience. So he decided to visit the barber.

2. What are the different ways in which the poet is troubled by his hair?

A. The poet was troubled by his long-grown hair. It troubled him climbing like an ivy round his ears. It jumped playfully across his collar. It moved irregularly down his neck; it also tripped him and trickled him. Thus it caused him great irritation and inconvenience.

3. Why does the poet ask the barber to make him bald?

A. The poet had been averse to a haircut and dared not go to the barber. But his long – grown hair had troubled him very much. So he reluctantly decided to visit the barber but he wanted his visit to be the first and last. So he asked the barber to make him bald so that he would look like a hairless lizard for ever.

4. What kind of hair-cut does the poet want? What will he look like after the hair-cut?

A. The poet wants a close hair-cut. He will look like a lizard after the hair-cut.