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"Fear" is a reflective poem penned by Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist.  Explanation The omniscient narrator tells a tale about a River. A personified (female) being, the River must merge into sea at the end of its course, just like all the rivers. But she trembles/shakes with fear, perhaps, of its vastness or strength. The River remininsces about the journey she had undertaken starting from her birth in "the peaks of the mountains" and then through forests and villages. And finally, she reaches her destination, the sea. But its enormity makes her afraid as such vastness could easily subsume her whole self. But now there is no alternate option left to return back for the River.  The River has to take the risk of entering the ocean and get rid of the fear, as only when the fear is rid of, the River will know the ultimate truth i.e. this entering into the ocean is the part of the process of being ocean itself. In other words, the River...

This poem by Elizabeth Jennings is about a father and son's relationship, how a generation gap can sometimes create a rift between two close people.  The narrator, a father, is perplexed about his own child. He raised him, but now it seems to the narrator that he doesn't know him, even after living together for so many years in the same house. They are practically living like strangers under the same roof. The narrator couldn't understand him. It seems that the child has changed a lot since he was a little boy. The father fears whether it is he who is responsible for the fracturing of ties, as he might not have nurtured the right values in his son. Or he wonders whether he has been an authoritarian father and interfered in his son's life, who is no longer a child.  He questions his own place in his son's life. There is no warmth left in their communication, and they talk like strangers. There is a lack of understanding between them, which further signifies their acr...

Who is the protagonist of the novel Nana ? a) Satin b) Nana Coupeau c) Madame Hugon d) Rose Mignon Answer: b) Nana Coupeau What is Nana’s profession when the novel begins? a) Seamstress b) Actress c) Opera singer d) Prostitute Answer: b) Actress What role does Nana play in the opera The Blonde Venus ? a) Diana b) Venus c) Hera d) Aphrodite Answer: b) Venus Who is Nana’s first wealthy benefactor in the novel? a) Count Muffat b) Steiner c) Philippe Hugon d) Georges Hugon Answer: b) Steiner What is Count Muffat’s position in society? a) A wealthy banker b) A government official c) A military officer d) A playwright Answer: b) A government official What is Nana’s son’s name? a) Louis b) Georges c) Raoul d) Louiset Answer: d) Louiset What disease does Nana die of at the end of the novel? a) Tuberculosis b) Smallpox c) Cholera d) Influenza Answer: b) Smallpox Who is Satin in the novel? a) Nana’s rival b) Nana’s c...

The sonnet is part of a famous sonnet sequence, "Astrophel & Stella" by Philip Sidney. In this sonnet, Astrophel, the narrator, personifies sleep and calls on it as if it were a person. He praises sleep as "knot of peace", i.e. a flowery bed offering peace. As we all know that sleep gives us rest and recharges our mind and body. If we are sleep-deprived, we grow frustrated/irritated. The narrator further calls it "baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe" to describe its state of calmness, which helps us to think clearly, and of course, we get great ideas during and after a proper slumber. In this way, it sharpens our wit. It also soothes both our physical as well as mental pains. Moreover, it is the only wealth of a poor man, i.e. a poor man can have a better rest than a rich man, on account of his toil during the daytime. A prisoner holds sleep highly as it frees him for a while. Sleep doesn't discriminate between the high class and the low class; e...

In this sonnet, our lover, Astrophel, broods in his self-pitying state of love. In a fine example of Pathetic fallacy, he begins to attribute his love-stricken emotions to the moon. It is nighttime, the moon shines right above in the sky. The narrator, as a lover, relates to the moon and calls him a failed lover like him. The moon's pale appearance signifies to him an illness or a dejection that afflicts the moon. It amazes Astrophel that Cupid, the angel of love, has the strength to shoot his enchanted arrows at a celestial body such as the Moon. Being an experienced lover, Astrophel has eyes that long for love. He can straightaway recognize anyone who burns in love like him, and the moon's desolate state is something he himself has, so he knows and understands the sad state of the moon. He further asks Moon whether, among its inhabitants, being in deep love is a sign of foolishness. He wonders whether beautiful ladies on the moon are more conceited than the ones over here on ...

This story is composed of memories of our narrator about a distinguished and artistic shoemaker.  Although, we are aware that shoemaking is literally a craft, not an art. However, this anecdote tells a different view. If a craftsman is devoted to perfecting the quality of his craft, then surely, why shouldn't we call him an artist? Galsworthy shares his precious memories of his favourite shoemaker, who lives and breathes in his shop, devoting his life to his art or craft, shoemaking. The author knew Mr. Gesslar from his childhood. He had a shop in London owned jointly by him and his brother. One can easily recognize his German accent, giving clue to his ancestry. From the narrator, we know the skill of Mr. Gesslar and his finest quality of shoes. Such was the quality and strength of his shoes that the narrator used to meet him in years as the former hadn't feel the need to visit him. And, after each meeting, he can feel the visible ageing of Mr. Gesslar. The shoemaker had unsha...

A tree symbolizes differently to children, mothers, father, and animals. It doesn't stand for a single thing It is interesting to note that although, a tree is a living being but we, human beings, treat it as a multi-purpose object. Every part of a tree is of utility for us, even after it has been cut down,  Birds build their shelter on trees. For children, trees have always been a source of enjoyment. They love playing around trees, and every child wishes to get a treehouse. Swings are suspended on trees and remain a favourite in a park. Children find a tree a perfect place to hide in their game of hide-and-seek. They find it hassling when their kites get caught in a tree. Adults too love to host their tea parties under a tree. In summertime, a tree provides cool shade for everyone, but during winter, no shade is there due to less sunlight. When a tree has been chopped down, its name changes to "timber", which is again useful to us. Mothers usually tell their children th...

According to the dictionary, the word "chivvy" means to nag, "to continuously urge someone to do something, often in an annoying way". Brief summary For children, there is one thing despicable to them, i.e. getting rebuked all the time by grown-up people like parents, teachers, etc. Parents are always mindful of what the children are doing, and it becomes their habit to utter words of caution and prevention to the children like: "Speak up Don't talk with your mouth full  Don't stare  Don't point Don't pick your nose" According to the grown-ups' psychology, children cannot do anything on their own; they need a little push and help from adults. They fear that the children will hurt themselves doing something without the supervision of the guardians. But, on the contrary side, parents complain that children are too dependent on them and can't initiate something on their own. So, the conundrum for the children is that if they take some ...

 This poem was written by a famous nineteenth century writer, Rudyard Kipling. Kipling, a Nobel Laureate, who was renowned for his storytelling. But here, we are discussing his philosophical poem "If". This poem is a practical advice by the poet, in the role of a father to his son, guiding him how to become a "real man". His wisdom points to living a life of integrity, grit and temperance.  His avoidance of the life of extremity is worthwhile and pragmatic. According to Khuswant Singh, the poem is said to summarize the core message of Bhagwata Gita. Notably, this poem is hung on every study table in the rooms of every cadet in the prestigious National Defence Academy, Dehradun (India). Lessons from the poem :- Remain calm and composed in adverse situations when everyone's mind goes boggling. People may blame one for the tough times/conditions, but one shouldn't lose it under such censure. Trust your own abilities and have some confidence in yourself even whe...

This story is about a young prodigy of music, who has the disability of deafness. Evelyn Glennie's loss of hearing couldn't stop her from achieving various feat in a field in which one's oral and auditory prowess is vital. She was not born with this disability, it was gradual. Initially, she was reluctant to share it with her parents, but when her grades were falling down, she finally told them.  It was a jolt to everyone including herself. Her parents were advised to send her to Special schools for the deaf and get her hearing aids. It was not in her nature to give up that easily. Her interest in music was immense. Through a chance incident in which she played a xylophone and a percussionist backing her up, she found a way to sense the drum beating, she could sense its vibrations. Her enhanced senses due to loss of one, aided her different body parts to grasp various notes.  "I had learnt to open my mind and body to sounds and vibrations" She received acclaim due...

"A Gift of Chappals" is an excerpt from a novella (a short novel) by Vasantha Surya, a writer, translator, poet, and journalist. This short story is about the playful activities of a group of cousins:- Mridu, Lalli, Ravi and Meena. Mridu, a young girl resided in Madras (present-day Chennai) with her Tapi (grandmother) and Thatha (grandfather). She visited her aunt, Rukku Manni's house and was welcomed there by her cousins, Lalli, Ravi and Meena. In the beginning, when they entered their house, Mridu took off her slippers unknowingly near old and dusty grey slippers. These slippers are important as we will see later. The cousins were excited as they found a kitten which was the centre of attraction for them. They laid the cat inside a torn football and fed it milk stolen from the kitchen in a coconut shell. Interestingly, they named it "Mahendraverma Pallava Poonai", in short, "M.P Poonai", after the emblematic cat belonging to the Pallava empire. Sudde...

"Wind" is written by Subramania Bharti, a prominent Tamil poet, journalist, and social reformer who played a key role in India's independence movement. In this poem, the poet presents the destroying nature of wind, how it threatens man-made creations, wrecking havoc in our lives. It makes fun of us for our frailty and weakness. The poet asks us to be wind's friend by becoming resilient. The wind respects those who are themselves strong, and who can build lasting things. The poet emphasizes the word "frail" by creating alliterative effect as this weakness is detested by the wind:  Frail crumbling houses, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters, crumbling wood, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives, crumbling hearts Our heart should be stoic to all disasters. According to the narrator, the wind tests our strength as he emphasizes this with  the metaphor of fire. If we are weak like a fluttering flame, the wind will blow it out. But if we are fiery and vigorous like st...

Once upon a time, there was a king who had a fascination to know the answers of the following three questions: 1) What is the right time to begin something? 2) Which people should the king listen to? 3) What is the most important thing for him to do? The king made an announcement that whoever would answer his questions, would get a large sum of money. Many people offered various answers. But the king was not satisfied. He heard about a worldly-wise hermit, so he undertook a journey to the woods where the hermit lived. But there was a catch, the hermit used to meet only common men, so the king went there disguised as a plain man. He saw him digging in front of his hut. The king met him and asked him his questions. He ignored as he was digging the ground. The hermit, being old and weak, tired out soon. The king offered him help and he obliged and gave him his spade. The king worked continuously through the evening. Done with the work, he blurted out the reason why he came to visit him in...

The poem is a sestet , a six line poem, describing a single scenery of a squirrel against the backdrop of a garden. In this poem, the narrator describes an imagery of a squirrel sitting on a ground, relishing (enjoying) "his" nut. Its rolled tailed forms the shape of a question mark.  The narrator uses the metaphor of an "overcoat" to describe its furry skin of grey colour. The squirrel is lively and loves playing with the narrator, who teases it by running around its beloved tree. When he runs, the squirrel gets positive reinforcement and it runs along with him around the tree. You must have noted that the poet used the pronoun "he" for the squirrel.