WORDSWORTH NOTES

 WORDSWORTH

He was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads.

Wordsworth's magnum opus is generally considered to be The Prelude, a semiautobiographical poem of his early years which he revised and expanded a number of times.

Women in 'The Prelude' generally portrayed as slightly more virtuous and patient than men.

Alternative title of The Prelude- "Growth of a poet's mind"

It was posthumously titled and published, prior to which it was generally known as the poem "to Coleridge".

Wordsworth was Britain's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850.

The second of five children born to John Wordsworth and Ann Cookson, William Wordsworth was born on 7 April 1770 in Wordsworth House in Cockermouth, Cumberland—part of the scenic region in northwest England, the Lake District.

His sister, the poet and diarist Dorothy Wordsworth, to whom he was close all his life, was born the following year, and the two were baptised together.

Wordsworth's father, although rarely present, taught him poetry, including that of Milton, Shakespeare and Spenser, in addition to allowing his son to rely on his own father's library.

Along with spending time reading in Cockermouth, Wordsworth would also stay at his mother's parents' house in Penrith, Cumberland.

After the death of their mother, in 1778, John Wordsworth sent William to Hawkshead Grammar School in Lancashire (now in Cumbria) and Dorothy to live with relatives in Yorkshire; she and William would not meet again for another nine years.

Wordsworth made his debut as a writer in 1787 when he published a sonnet in The European Magazine.

That same year he began attending St John's College, Cambridge, and received his B.A. degree in 1791.In 1790, he took a walking tour of Europe, during which he toured the Alps extensively, and visited nearby areas of France, Switzerland, and Italy.

In November 1791, Wordsworth visited Revolutionary France and became enthralled with the Republican movement.

He fell in love with a French woman, Annette Vallon, who in 1792 gave birth to their child, Caroline.

Because of lack of money and Britain's tensions with France, he returned alone to England the next year.

The circumstances of his return and his subsequent behaviour raise doubts as to his declared wish to marry Annette, but he supported her and his daughter as best he could in later life.

The Reign of Terror estranged him from the Republican movement, and war between France and Britain prevented him from seeing Annette and Caroline again for several years.

With the Peace of Amiens again allowing travel to France, in 1802 Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, visited Annette and Caroline in Calais.

The purpose of the visit was to pave the way for his forthcoming marriage to Mary Hutchinson.

Afterwards he wrote the sonnet "It is a beauteous evening, calm and free" recalling a seaside walk with the 9 year old Caroline he had never seen prior to that visit.

In his "Preface to Lyrical Ballads", which is called the "manifesto" of English Romantic criticism, Wordsworth calls his poems "experimental."

The year 1793 saw Wordsworth's first published poetry with the collections An Evening Walk and Descriptive Sketches.

He received a legacy of £900 from Raisley Calvert in 1795 so that he could pursue writing poetry. That year, he met

Samuel Taylor Coleridge in Somerset. The two poets quickly developed a close friendship.

In 1797, Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy moved to Alfoxton House, Somerset, just a few miles away from Coleridge's

home in Nether Stowey.

Together, Wordsworth and Coleridge produced Lyrical Ballads (1798), an important work in the English Romantic

movement. The volume gave neither Wordsworth's nor Coleridge's name as author.

One of Wordsworth's most famous poems, "Tintern Abbey", was published in the work, along with Coleridge's "The

Rime of the Ancient Mariner".

The second edition, published in 1800, had only Wordsworth listed as the author, and included a preface to the poems,

which was augmented significantly in the 1802 edition.

This Preface to Lyrical Ballads is considered a central work of Romantic literary theory.

In it, Wordsworth discusses what he sees as the elements of a new type of poetry, one based on the "real language of men"

and which avoids the poetic diction of much 18th-century poetry.

Here, Wordsworth gives his famous definition of poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its

origin from emotion recollected in tranquility."

A fourth and final edition of Lyrical Ballads was published in 1805.

From 1795 to 1797, he wrote his only play, The Borderers, a verse tragedy set during the reign of King Henry III of

England.

Wordsworth, Dorothy and Coleridge travelled to Germany in the autumn of 1798.

While Coleridge was intellectually stimulated by the trip, its main effect on Wordsworth was to produce homesickness.

During the harsh winter of 1798–99, Wordsworth lived with Dorothy in Goslar, and, despite extreme stress and loneliness,

he began work on an autobiographical piece later titled The Prelude.

He wrote a number of famous poems, including "The Lucy poems".

He and his sister moved back to England, now to Dove Cottage in Grasmere in the Lake District, and this time with fellow poet Robert Southey nearby.

Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey came to be known as the "Lake Poets".

Through this period, many of his poems revolve around themes of death, endurance, separation and grief.

In 1802,Wordsworth married a childhood friend, Mary Hutchinson.

Dorothy continued to live with the couple and grew close to Mary.

The following year, Mary gave birth to the first of five children, three of whom predeceased William and Mary:

Wordsworth had for years been making plans to write a long philosophical poem in three parts, which he intended to call

The Recluse.

He had in 1798–99 started an autobiographical poem, which he never named but called the "poem to Coleridge", which

would serve as an appendix to The Recluse.

In 1804, he began expanding this autobiographical work, having decided to make it a prologue rather than an appendix to the larger work he planned.

By 1805, he had completed it, but refused to publish such a personal work until he had completed the whole of The

Recluse.

The death of his brother John, in 1805, affected him strongly.

The source of Wordsworth's philosophical allegiances as articulated in The Prelude and in such shorter works as "Lines

written a few miles above Tintern Abbey" has been the source of much critical debate.

In 1807, his Poems in Two Volumes were published, including "Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of

Early Childhood".

Up to this point Wordsworth was known publicly only for Lyrical Ballads, and he hoped this collection would cement his

reputation. Its reception was lukewarm, however.

In 1814 he published The Excursion as the second part of the three-part The Recluse. He had not completed the first and third parts, and never would.

He did, however, write a poetic Prospectus to "The Recluse" in which he lays out the structure and intent of the poem.

Some modern critics recognise a decline in his works beginning around the mid-1810s.

But this decline was perhaps more a change in his lifestyle and beliefs, since most of the issues that characterise his early

poetry (loss, death, endurance, separation and abandonment) were resolved in his writings.

Wordsworth received an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree in 1838 from Durham University, and the same honour

from Oxford University the next year.

In 1842 the government awarded him a civil list pension amounting to £300 a year.

With the death in 1843 of Robert Southey, Wordsworth became the Poet Laureate.

He initially refused the honour, saying he was too old, but accepted when Prime Minister Robert Peel assured him "you

shall have nothing required of you" (he became the only laureate to write no official poetry).

When his daughter, Dora, died in 1847, his production of poetry came to a standstill.

William Wordsworth died by re-aggravating a case of pleurisy on 23 April 1850, and was buried at St. Oswald's church in

Grasmere.

His widow Mary published his lengthy autobiographical "poem to Coleridge" as The Prelude several months after his

death.

Though this failed to arouse great interest in 1850, it has since come to be recognized as his masterpiece.

class 9 Eng. Complete Revision Beehive

                                                             Revision Notes
Beehive Chapter-1
The Fun They Had

The Fun They Had was written by Isaac Asimov. The story is set in the future when books and schools are conducted digitally through virtual classrooms. These classes are taken by a mechanical teacher (robot) instead of a human class teacher.

The story starts with two children named Margie and Tommy. They live in a world where computers dominate each and every sphere of life, and children attend virtual classes.

Tommy finds a real old book from an attic that has been printed or paper.  

According to Margie's grandfather's grandfather, all books were printed on paper.

They found that old book crinkled with yellow pages and it seemed funny to them to find all the letters at same place as when read the first time.

Tommy thinks it was a waste to have a book printed on paper. Once read, the book is left ignored or just thrown away.

Tommy thinks TV screens are better as they have a million books and it is better for more stuff and would never be thrown.

Margie is surprised to know that the book was about a school and feels it is worthless and fails to understand that why would someone write about a school.

Margie hates school .Now even more because she has not been performing well in her geography test.

Margie has problems about learning geography from her mechanical teacher, so her mother calls the Country Inspector to rebuild her lessons.

The Country Inspector was a round little man with a red face who carried his big box of tools with dials and wires.

Now Margie could see her lessons on the big screen . The questions were asked on the screen only.

 The only part Margie didn't like was when she had to submit her homework and test papers. She hates doing her homework.

The Country Inspector says that Margie's progress is satisfactory and patted her head. 

He tells her mother that it was not her fault to score less but the subject Geography was a little above her level. He tells her that he has adjusted it to a ten years old level now.

But she was disappointed because she was hoping that the mechanical teacher would be taken away, at least for some time.

Margie asks Tommy why anybody would write about a school .

Tommy proudly tells her that the school was not their kind of mechanical school .He says it was a school‘ centuries ago'.

Margie is surprised to know that back in the older days a ‘man' would be the teacher. He would tell the children different things , ask questions and give them homework too.

Tommy also tells Margie that teachers did not live in the house and the kids went to a ‘special building' to learn and all the children of same age group were given the same knowledge and taught the same things.

But Margie is a little confused as Mrs. Jones says that each teacher has to adjust to fit the mind of each boy and girl and that each child has to be taught differently.

Margie finally gets interested and wants to know more about 'those schools'.

Mrs. Jones tells them that it is time to go to school.
The ‘schoolroom' is just next to Margie's bedroom.

The mechanical teacher asks for Margie's homework.

Margie thinks about the time when teachers were people. She thinks about how much fun it would be for all the children in the neighborhood to go to same place together everyday and learn same things and help each other in homework also.

• The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

• This poem emphasis on the importance of taking right decisions at the crucial moments in our life.

• Here the poet has reached a turning point where he has to make a decision.

• There are two paths before the poet. One leads to the undergrowth and the other is less travelled by people.

• The poet takes a long time to arrive at a decision because he knows that the decision which he takes now will make a big difference to his life.

• He decides to take the less travelled path because he wants to be unique.& After some time he realizes that both the roads were equally used by people.

• The Poet keeps the other path reserved for another day.

• He doubts that he would ever have a chance to come back. Once a decision is taken it is forever. You have to be satisfied with it.

• The poet says that after many years he would say that he chose the less travelled path and that made all the difference in his life.

• He will tell people that our life depends on the decisions we take. The decisions will have great influence on our life.

• Hence, it can be said that the present holds the future.

The Sound of Music

This lesson is about Evelyn Glennie, the world’s most sought-after multi-percussionist.

Evelyn Glennie was eight when her hearing disability was noticed for the first time by her mother.

When she was 11, it was discovered that her hearing was severely impaired as a result of gradual nerve damage.

She wanted to live a normal life and pursue her interest in music but most of her teachers discouraged her.

Percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential and trained Evelyn to sense the music through different parts of her body.

She had learnt to open her body and mind to sounds and vibrations.

By the time she was sixteen, she had sheer determination to make music her life and worked hard.

She auditioned for the famous Royal Academy of Music and scored the highest marks in the history of the academy.

In 1991, she bagged the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year Award.

She was a workaholic. Apart from her regular concerts, she gave free concerts in prisons and hospitals, took classes for young musicians.
Evelyn soon became a shining inspiration for the handicapped.

• The Little Girl

This story is about a little girl whose feelings for her father change from fear to understanding.

• The little girl Kezia was afraid of her father. To the little girl he was a figure to be
• feared and avoided. She always stuttered when she spoke to him.
• On Sunday afternoon Kezia’s grand-mother sent her to talk to her parents, but they
• were always busy.
• Kezia decided to present a pin-cushion to her father on his birthday.
• She stuffed the cushion with sheets of fine paper which were very important to her
• father. On knowing the truth, he got very angry and punished her.
• One day Kezia saw her neighbour, Mr Macdonal playing with his children. She then
• decided that there were different types of fathers.
• One day her mother got ill and Kezia was alone at home.
• Alice, the cook, put her into the bed. She got a horrible nightmare and started
• screaming.
• Her father came and took her to his bed. She lay down close to him.
• He was too tired and slept before her.
• Then did she realize that everyday her father had to work hard and was too tired. She
• understands the reasons for his bad behaviour. He seems to have no time but has got
• a big heart.
• A Truly Beautiful Mind
• Albert Einstein was considered as a scientific genius. He was also a gifted amateur
• violinist.
• He was born on 14 March 1879 in the German city of Ulm.
• Einstein went to high school in Munich but he did not like school regimentation and
• left the school. He continued his education in Switzerland and then decided to study
• at a university in Zurich.
• In 1902, he secured a job as a technical expert in the patent office in Bern.
• In 1903 he married Mileva Maric, his fellow student and in 1919 they got divorced. In
• the same year Einstein married his cousin Elsa.
• In 1905, Einstein developed the Special Theory of Relativity according to which time
• and distance are not absolute.
• In 1915, he published his General Theory of Relativity, which provided a new
• interpretation of gravity.
• Einstein received the Noble Prize for Physics in 1921.
• Albert moved to U.S in 1933. With the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin, American
• physicists were afraid that the Nazis could build and use an atomic bomb.
• In 1939, Einstein wrote a letter to the American President, Roosevelt, warning him
• about the consequences of the atomic bomb.
• The Americans developed the atomic bomb secretly and dropped it on the Japanese
• cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• Einstein was deeply shaken by the vast destruction and wrote to the United Nations to
• form a world government but this made no impact.
• Later Einstein got more involved in politics. He agitated against arms and campaigned
• for peace and democracy.
• He died in 1955 at 76. He was then celebrated as a visionary and world citizen as
• much as a scientific genius.
• The Lake Isle of Innisfree
• By William Butler Yeats
• This poem describes the poet’s longing for the peaceful and calm atmosphere in
• Innisfree, where he had spent his time as a boy.
• One day the poet decides to go to Innisfree.
• On reaching there he plans to build a small cabin of clay and wattles, have nine rows
• for growing beans and a hive for the honey bees. He would stay alone in the open
• space hearing the sound of the bees.
• The poet thinks he will find peace there. He would peacefully enjoy the cricket's song,
• glimmer of the midnight, the purple glow of the noon and the sound made by the
• linnet's wings in the evenings.
• The poet says that many years have passed by but still he can hear in his deep heart's
• core the sound of the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore.
• The memories of Innisfree stayed with him for many years.
• No Men are Foreign
• The poet, James Kirkup, talks about the concept of global brotherhood and equality. He tells
• us that no men are strange and no counties are foreign.The poem begins by asking us to
• constantly remind ourselves that no human being is strange or different. Beneath the
• superficial surface of our bodies, all human beings have hearts, minds and souls. The lines
• also drive home the point about the futility of war. All those who have divisive mindsets, or
• are caught up in war, need to remember that behind such superficial “uniforms” are living
• and breathing human beings just like you and me.
• Each and every land like each and every human being is nourished by sun, air and water.
• People may have adapted to different conditions and situations, but we are all one in the
• spirit. We are all able to sustain our lives during peacetime and would starve to death if wars
• disrupt on earth.
• The poet here again reminds us of the humanity in each human being. We all wake up each
• new day with hope and then take rest. It is only love that can really keep humanity going.
• With love and looking at each human being with kindness, we can truly create a paradise-
• like situation on earth.
• The poet then reminds us that by trying to hate and even exploit others and their lands, we
• will be betraying and condemning ourselves. Such kind of exploitation will only lead to
• superficial short-term success and no deep or spiritual kind of redemption.
• In the last lines of this compelling poem, the poet again reminds us that taking “arms against
• each other,” that is war, is in fact futile. The very human earth is ruined through war, hatred
• and exploitation of any kind. The earth can become ravaged and polluted through war and
• exploitation with the constant firing, destruction and piling up of dust and debris. The air
• that we breathe also becomes polluted as a result. The poet ends with the refrain “no men
• are foreign, and no countries strange.” We need to constantly remember that we are all one
• in the spirit and encourage mutual respect for sustainable world in the future.
• Reach for the Top
• The story is about Santosh Yadav , who has climbed the Mt. Everest,twice.She was born in a
• society where the birth of a son was a blessing and girl child was not much welcomed.When
• her mother was expecting Santosh,a traveling 'holy man' blessed her to have a son but
• Santosh's grandmother said that they wanted a daughter.
• As destiny would have it, Santosh as born ,only girl child in the family ,after five boys.She
• was born in a small village of Joniyawas of Rewari district in Haryana.
• Santosh,which means contentment,was born with a different set of mind. She was never
• content with her place in the traditional way of life.So she started living her life on her own
• terms.She used to wear shorts when other girls wore traditional Indian dresses.She always
• had the thinking of changing the world around rather than changing herself.
• Even though her parents could afford to send her to the best schools but she was sent to the
• local village school.She didn't say anything on that but decided to react when the right
• moment arrived.When she turned sixteen,the age when all other girls of her age got married,
• she wanted to study.She threatened her parents that she would not marry if she is not
• allowed a proper education.So , she left her house and got herself enrolled in a school in
• Delhi.When they refused to pay for her education,she politely informed them of her plans to
• work part time.Slowly they understood her urge to study more,they finally consented and
• allowed her to study.She finished her high school and went to Jaipur.She started living in a
• hostel there.Her hostel was near Aravalli hills.She used to watch some people going up the
• hill and then vanishing after a while.Out of curiosity ,she spoke to them and found out that
• they were mountaineers.She asked them if she too could join them.They happily agreed to
• that and motivated her to climb the mountains.
• Then there was no looking back for Santosh. She put all her efforts to train herself and got
• herself admitted at Uttarkashi's Nehru Institute of Mountaineering.After training,she went to
• an expedition every year.She developed a remarkable resistance to cold and height.She
• Material downloaded from myCBSEguide.com.
• 2 / 2
• proved herself because she possessed iron will,physical endurance and an amazing mental
• toughness.
• She scaled Mt Everest at an age of twenty only and became the youngest woman in the world
• to achieve the feat.Her seniors were too much impressed and she found a special place in the
• hearts of her fellow climbers.
• During 1992 Everest mission,she tried to save a climber but unfortunately he lost his life.Still
• she managed to save another climber by sharing her oxygen with him.
• Within 12 months ,she became a member of Indo-Nepalese Women's Expedition.She then
• scaled Mt Everest for a second time and set a record to become the only woman to have
• scaled the Everest twice.She secured a place for herself and India in the annals of
• Mountaineering.She also got an honor to receive Padmashri. She proudly describes the
• moment when she unfurled the tricolour on the roof of the world.She also brought about 500
• kg of garbage from the Himalayas.
• On Killing a Tree
• By Gieve Patel
• The poem On Killing a Tree is a description of man's cruelty towards Nature.
• The poet says that it is not simple to cut a tree.
• The tree has grown slowly over the years absorbing air, water, sunlight and the
• remaining nutrition from the earth. The poet says that the growing stage of the tree is
• similar to humans.
• The mere act of hacking and chopping won't be enough to destroy it.
• The bleeding barks will heal and the tree will start growing again.
• To destroy a tree completely you will have to pull it out of the earth's cave.
• Only then the strength of the tree is exposed. It is the most sensitive part of the tree
• because it was hidden for years under the earth.
• Man further tortures the tree by scorching and choking it in the sun and air.
• Finally the process of browning, hardening, twisting, withering takes place.
• And the tree is completely killed.
• Trees are our best friends but no one realizes it.
• The Bond of Love
• This is a beautiful story about the bonding between a human being and a sloth bear.The
• author rescued it from a sugarcane field near Mysore.People were shooting the wild pigs
• away from the fields when a black sloth bear suddenly popped up in their way.One of the
• author's companion shot it and it instantly fell on the ground.In a moment ,they saw the
• black fur moved back from the body.To their surprise , they found it to be a baby bear ,who
• was riding on its mothers back .The little creature moved around its dead mother making a
• pitiful noise.The author ran after it and tried to grab it and finally caught its hold and put it
• in a gunny-bag.
• On his return to Bangalore, the author gifted it to his wife.She was delighted to hold the baby
• bear in her hands and put a red ribbon around its neck.She named him Bruno.Soon Bruno
• was familiar with the family ,started drinking milk and eat food.He was fed everything like
• fruits ,vegetables,rice, bread, eggs and anything liquid.
• One day , an accident befell him.The author had put barium carbonate, a poison to kill rats
• and mice,in his library.Bruno entered the library and ate some of that poison.Bruno fell sick
• and felt paralyzed. He was taken to the vet immediately.The Dr. referred to his book and
• started his treatment and injected medicine into Bruno's body. Bruno was vomiting and
• breathing heavily.After few hours Bruno sat up healthy and was eating his food.
• Now ,as many months had passed, Bruno had grown to a much bigger size.He was getting
• much closer to the author's wife, who had now changed his name to 'Baba'.Like small
• children,Baba would also follow commands to show off acts like boxing or wrestling.But he
• had to be put in chains because of his size.Everybody suggested them to hand over Bruno to
• zoo authorities.Finally after so much convincing,she agreed to the suggestion and zoo
• authorities were called to take him away.
• Everything went off smoothly but the author's wife was inconsolable.She missed Bruno
• badly.She would write letters to zoo curator seeking Bruno's well being. Initially Bruno
• Beehive Chapter-1
• The Fun They Had
• Tommy finds a real old book from an attic that has been printed or paper.
• According to Margie's grandfather's grandfather, all books were printed on paper.
• They found that old book crinkled with yellow pages and it seemed funny to them to
• find all the letters at same place as when read the first time.
• Tommy thinks it was a waste to have a book printed on paper.Once read, the book is
• left ignored or just thrown away.
• Tommy thinks TV screens are better as they have a million books and it is better for
• more stuff and would never be thrown.
• Margie is surprised to know that the book was about a school and feels it is worthless
• and fails to understand that why would someone write about a school
• Margie hates school .Now even more because she has not been performing well in her
• geography test.
• Margie has problems about learning geography from her mechanical teacher, so her
• mother calls the Country Inspector to rebuild her lessons.
• The Country Inspector was a round little man with a red face who carried his big box
• of tools with dials and wires.
• Now Margie could see her lessons on the big screen . The questions were asked on the
• screen only.The only part Margie didn't like was when she had to submit her
• homework and test papers. She hates doing her homework.
• The Country Inspector says that Margie's progress is satisfactory and patted her
• head.He tells her mother that it was not her fault to score less but the subject
• Geography was a little above her level.He tells her that he has adjusted it to a ten
• years old level now.
• But she was disappointed because she was hoping that the mechanical teacher would
• be taken away,at least for some time.
• Margie asks Tommy why anybody would write about a school .Tommy proudly tells
• her that the school was not their kind of mechanical school .He says it was a school
• 
  
• 2 / 2
• ‘centuries ago'.
• Margie is surprised to know that back in the older days a ‘man' would be the
• teacher.He would tell the children different things , ask questions and give them
• homework too.
• Tommy also tells Margie that teachers did not live in the house and the kids went to a
• ‘special building' to learn and all the children of same age group were given the same
• knowledge and taught the same things.
• But Margie is a little confused as Mrs. Jones says that each teacher has to adjust to fit
• the mind of each boy and girl and that each child has to be taught differently.
• Margie finally gets interested and wants to know more about 'those schools'.
• Mrs. Jones tells them that it is time to go to school.
• The ‘schoolroom' is just next to Margie's bedroom.
• The mechanical teacher asks for Margie's homework.
• Margie thinks about the time when teachers were people.She thinks about how much
• fun it would be for all the children in the neighborhood to go to same place together
• everyday and learn same things and help each other in homework also.
• The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
• This poem emphasis on the importance of taking right decisions at the crucial
• moments in our life.
• Here the poet has reached a turning point where he has to make a decision.
• There are two paths before the poet. One leads to the undergrowth and the other is
• less travelled by people.
• The poet takes a long time to arrive at a decision because he knows that the decision
• which he takes now will make a big difference to his life.
• He decides to take the less travelled path because he wants to be unique.&
• After some time he realizes that both the roads were equally used by people.
• The Poet keeps the other path reserved for another day.
• He doubts that he would ever have a chance to come back. Once a decision is taken it
• is forever. You have to be satisfied with it.
• The poet says that after many years he would say that he chose the less travelled path
• and that made all the difference in his life.
• He will tell people that our life depends on the decisions we take. The decisions will
• have great influence on our life.
• Hence, it can be said that the present holds the future.
• The Sound of Music
• This lesson is about Evelyn Glennie,the world’s most sought-after multi-percussionist.
• Evelyn Glennie was eight when her hearing disability was noticed for the first time by
• her mother.
• When she was 11, it was discovered that her hearing was severely impaired as a
• result of gradual nerve damage.
• She wanted to live a normal life and pursue her interest in music but most of her
• teachers discouraged her.
• Percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential and trained Evelyn to sense the music
• through different parts of her body.
• She had learnt to open her body and mind to sounds and vibrations.
• By the time she was sixteen, she had sheer determination to make music her life and
• worked hard.
• She auditioned for the famous Royal Academy of Music and scored the highest marks
• in the history of the academy.
• In 1991, she bagged the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year
• Award.
• She was a workaholic. Apart from her regular concerts,she gave free concerts in
• prisons and hospitals, took classes for young musicians.
• Evelyn soon became a shining inspiration for the handicapped.
• The Little Girl
• This story is about a little girl whose feelings for her father change from fear to
• understanding.
• The little girl Kezia was afraid of her father. To the little girl he was a figure to be
• feared and avoided. She always stuttered when she spoke to him.
• On Sunday afternoon Kezia’s grand-mother sent her to talk to her parents, but they
• were always busy.
• Kezia decided to present a pin-cushion to her father on his birthday.
• She stuffed the cushion with sheets of fine paper which were very important to her
• father. On knowing the truth, he got very angry and punished her.
• One day Kezia saw her neighbour, Mr Macdonal playing with his children. She then
• decided that there were different types of fathers.
• One day her mother got ill and Kezia was alone at home.
• Alice, the cook, put her into the bed. She got a horrible nightmare and started
• screaming.
• Her father came and took her to his bed. She lay down close to him.
• He was too tired and slept before her.
• Then did she realize that everyday her father had to work hard and was too tired. She
• understands the reasons for his bad behaviour. He seems to have no time but has got
• a big heart.
• A Truly Beautiful Mind
• Albert Einstein was considered as a scientific genius. He was also a gifted amateur
• violinist.
• He was born on 14 March 1879 in the German city of Ulm.
• Einstein went to high school in Munich but he did not like school regimentation and
• left the school. He continued his education in Switzerland and then decided to study
• at a university in Zurich.
• In 1902, he secured a job as a technical expert in the patent office in Bern.
• In 1903 he married Mileva Maric, his fellow student and in 1919 they got divorced. In
• the same year Einstein married his cousin Elsa.
• In 1905, Einstein developed the Special Theory of Relativity according to which time
• and distance are not absolute.
• In 1915, he published his General Theory of Relativity, which provided a new
• interpretation of gravity.
• Einstein received the Noble Prize for Physics in 1921.
• Albert moved to U.S in 1933. With the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin, American
• physicists were afraid that the Nazis could build and use an atomic bomb.
• In 1939, Einstein wrote a letter to the American President, Roosevelt, warning him
• about the consequences of the atomic bomb.
• The Americans developed the atomic bomb secretly and dropped it on the Japanese
• cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• Einstein was deeply shaken by the vast destruction and wrote to the United Nations to
• form a world government but this made no impact.
• Later Einstein got more involved in politics. He agitated against arms and campaigned
• for peace and democracy.
• He died in 1955 at 76. He was then celebrated as a visionary and world citizen as
• much as a scientific genius.
• The Lake Isle of Innisfree
• By William Butler Yeats
• This poem describes the poet’s longing for the peaceful and calm atmosphere in
• Innisfree, where he had spent his time as a boy.
• One day the poet decides to go to Innisfree.
• On reaching there he plans to build a small cabin of clay and wattles, have nine rows
• for growing beans and a hive for the honey bees. He would stay alone in the open
• space hearing the sound of the bees.
• The poet thinks he will find peace there. He would peacefully enjoy the cricket's song,
• glimmer of the midnight, the purple glow of the noon and the sound made by the
• linnet's wings in the evenings.
• The poet says that many years have passed by but still he can hear in his deep heart's
• core the sound of the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore.
• The memories of Innisfree stayed with him for many years.
• No Men are Foreign
• The poet, James Kirkup, talks about the concept of global brotherhood and equality. He tells
• us that no men are strange and no counties are foreign.The poem begins by asking us to
• constantly remind ourselves that no human being is strange or different. Beneath the
• superficial surface of our bodies, all human beings have hearts, minds and souls. The lines
• also drive home the point about the futility of war. All those who have divisive mindsets, or
• are caught up in war, need to remember that behind such superficial “uniforms” are living
• and breathing human beings just like you and me.
• Each and every land like each and every human being is nourished by sun, air and water.
• People may have adapted to different conditions and situations, but we are all one in the
• spirit. We are all able to sustain our lives during peacetime and would starve to death if wars
• disrupt on earth.
• The poet here again reminds us of the humanity in each human being. We all wake up each
• new day with hope and then take rest. It is only love that can really keep humanity going.
• With love and looking at each human being with kindness, we can truly create a paradise-
• like situation on earth.
• The poet then reminds us that by trying to hate and even exploit others and their lands, we
• will be betraying and condemning ourselves. Such kind of exploitation will only lead to
• superficial short-term success and no deep or spiritual kind of redemption.
• In the last lines of this compelling poem, the poet again reminds us that taking “arms against
• each other,” that is war, is in fact futile. The very human earth is ruined through war, hatred
• and exploitation of any kind. The earth can become ravaged and polluted through war and
• exploitation with the constant firing, destruction and piling up of dust and debris. The air
• that we breathe also becomes polluted as a result. The poet ends with the refrain “no men
• are foreign, and no countries strange.” We need to constantly remember that we are all one
• in the spirit and encourage mutual respect for sustainable world in the future.
• Reach for the Top
• The story is about Santosh Yadav , who has climbed the Mt. Everest,twice.She was born in a
• society where the birth of a son was a blessing and girl child was not much welcomed.When
• her mother was expecting Santosh,a traveling 'holy man' blessed her to have a son but
• Santosh's grandmother said that they wanted a daughter.
• As destiny would have it, Santosh as born ,only girl child in the family ,after five boys.She
• was born in a small village of Joniyawas of Rewari district in Haryana.
• Santosh,which means contentment,was born with a different set of mind. She was never
• content with her place in the traditional way of life.So she started living her life on her own
• terms.She used to wear shorts when other girls wore traditional Indian dresses.She always
• had the thinking of changing the world around rather than changing herself.
• Even though her parents could afford to send her to the best schools but she was sent to the
• local village school.She didn't say anything on that but decided to react when the right
• moment arrived.When she turned sixteen,the age when all other girls of her age got married,
• she wanted to study.She threatened her parents that she would not marry if she is not
• allowed a proper education.So , she left her house and got herself enrolled in a school in
• Delhi.When they refused to pay for her education,she politely informed them of her plans to
• work part time.Slowly they understood her urge to study more,they finally consented and
• allowed her to study.She finished her high school and went to Jaipur.She started living in a
• hostel there.Her hostel was near Aravalli hills.She used to watch some people going up the
• hill and then vanishing after a while.Out of curiosity ,she spoke to them and found out that
• they were mountaineers.She asked them if she too could join them.They happily agreed to
• that and motivated her to climb the mountains.
• Then there was no looking back for Santosh. She put all her efforts to train herself and got
• herself admitted at Uttarkashi's Nehru Institute of Mountaineering.After training,she went to
• an expedition every year.She developed a remarkable resistance to cold and height.She
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• proved herself because she possessed iron will,physical endurance and an amazing mental
• toughness.
• She scaled Mt Everest at an age of twenty only and became the youngest woman in the world
• to achieve the feat.Her seniors were too much impressed and she found a special place in the
• hearts of her fellow climbers.
• During 1992 Everest mission,she tried to save a climber but unfortunately he lost his life.Still
• she managed to save another climber by sharing her oxygen with him.
• Within 12 months ,she became a member of Indo-Nepalese Women's Expedition.She then
• scaled Mt Everest for a second time and set a record to become the only woman to have
• scaled the Everest twice.She secured a place for herself and India in the annals of
• Mountaineering.She also got an honor to receive Padmashri. She proudly describes the
• moment when she unfurled the tricolour on the roof of the world.She also brought about 500
• kg of garbage from the Himalayas.
• On Killing a Tree
• By Gieve Patel
• The poem On Killing a Tree is a description of man's cruelty towards Nature.
• The poet says that it is not simple to cut a tree.
• The tree has grown slowly over the years absorbing air, water, sunlight and the
• remaining nutrition from the earth. The poet says that the growing stage of the tree is
• similar to humans.
• The mere act of hacking and chopping won't be enough to destroy it.
• The bleeding barks will heal and the tree will start growing again.
• To destroy a tree completely you will have to pull it out of the earth's cave.
• Only then the strength of the tree is exposed. It is the most sensitive part of the tree
• because it was hidden for years under the earth.
• Man further tortures the tree by scorching and choking it in the sun and air.
• Finally the process of browning, hardening, twisting, withering takes place.
• And the tree is completely killed.
• Trees are our best friends but no one realizes it.
• The Bond of Love
• This is a beautiful story about the bonding between a human being and a sloth bear.The
• author rescued it from a sugarcane field near Mysore.People were shooting the wild pigs
• away from the fields when a black sloth bear suddenly popped up in their way.One of the
• author's companion shot it and it instantly fell on the ground.In a moment ,they saw the
• black fur moved back from the body.To their surprise , they found it to be a baby bear ,who
• was riding on its mothers back .The little creature moved around its dead mother making a
• pitiful noise.The author ran after it and tried to grab it and finally caught its hold and put it
• in a gunny-bag.
• On his return to Bangalore, the author gifted it to his wife.She was delighted to hold the baby
• bear in her hands and put a red ribbon around its neck.She named him Bruno.Soon Bruno
• was familiar with the family ,started drinking milk and eat food.He was fed everything like
• fruits ,vegetables,rice, bread, eggs and anything liquid.
• One day , an accident befell him.The author had put barium carbonate, a poison to kill rats
• and mice,in his library.Bruno entered the library and ate some of that poison.Bruno fell sick
• and felt paralyzed. He was taken to the vet immediately.The Dr. referred to his book and
• started his treatment and injected medicine into Bruno's body. Bruno was vomiting and
• breathing heavily.After few hours Bruno sat up healthy and was eating his food.
• Now ,as many months had passed, Bruno had grown to a much bigger size.He was getting
• much closer to the author's wife, who had now changed his name to 'Baba'.Like small
• children,Baba would also follow commands to show off acts like boxing or wrestling.But he
• had to be put in chains because of his size.Everybody suggested them to hand over Bruno to
• zoo authorities.Finally after so much convincing,she agreed to the suggestion and zoo
• authorities were called to take him away.
• Everything went off smoothly but the author's wife was inconsolable.She missed Bruno
• badly.She would write letters to zoo curator seeking Bruno's well being. Initially Bruno
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• would also not eat and looked sad and worried.
• But she could not resist too long and wished to go to see him.They thought that Bruno must
• have forgotten them but when he saw them in front of his cage , he howled with
• happiness.The author's wife spent a good time with Bruno there and fed him all his favorite
• food.Finally it was the time to go .She requested the zoo curator to give Bruno back to her.He
• replied in negative as Bruno was now Government's property.But he suggested that if the zoo
• superintendent agrees then only he can hand over Bruno to them.The family then went to
• Bangalore to meet him. She pleaded in front of him and the superintendent being a kind-
• hearted person, gave his consent.
• The zoo curator was ordered to send Bruno back to the family, securely in a cage.
• At home, a special island ,twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide, was created in their
• compound.The author's wife and Baba were delighted to be together again and spent hours
• together, playing and Bruno would lie with his head on her lap and take a nap.Looking at
• their affection for each other who can say that a sloth bear does not have sense of affection
• for human being.
• The Snake Trying
• By W.W.E. Ross
• The poem 'The Snake Trying' Is a description of a snake who is a victim.
• The poet on seeing a snake, pursues it with a stick.
• The snake tries to escape with sudden curvings of thin long body.
• The poet admires its beautiful and graceful shapes.
• Suddenly the small, green snake glides through the water into the reeds to hide.
• The poet lets him go because it is a harmless one.
• The poet recollects, the snake laid along the sand until it was found and chased. Now
• it has disappeared in the ripples among the green slim reeds.
• The poet wants to say that people consider snakes as fearsome symbols of death.
• They try to kill it even if it is harmless because of the false information they have.
• Kathmandu
• In this lesson you can find Vikram Seth's description of Kathmandu.
• Vikram Seth visits Pashupatinath temple. There he finds an atmosphere of complete
• chaos. The streets bustled with people, monkeys, dogs, pigeons, etc.
• The river Bagmati flows below where people are busy performing rituals and
• routines. A small shrine half protruded from the stone platform on the river bank.
• Next, he visits Baudhnath stupa,the Buddhist shrine. There he experienced a sense of
• stillness. He says that it was a haven of quietness in the busy streets around. Most of
• the shops were owned by Tibetan immigrants.
• The author finds that Kathmandu is more vivid, mercenary and religious. It has the
• narrowest and busiest streets.
• He roams through the street mindlessly with some refreshments and buying some
• books.
• From there, he decides to return home because he is too exhausted and homesick.
• The author finds himself too attracted to the flute music by which he is drawn into the
• commonality of all mankind,
• He says that he was surprised to find that the bansuri affected him so much. Earlier
• he had hardly noticed such details but now they are very significant for him.
• A slumber did my Spirit Seal
• By William Wordsworth
• This poem is about the poet's feelings on the death of a loved one.
• The poet says that he had been in a state of deep sleep. It seemed as if the slumber
• had sealed his spirit.
• In that dream like stage he was unable to sense any realities and had no human fears
• or anxieties.
• His beloved being dead will not be able to feel the touch of earthly years.
• She doesn't have motion or force, she is unable to hear or see.
• She has become a part of nature with other rocks, stones and trees.. She is also
• turning around with the earth in its everyday motion.
• If I Were You
• A man named Gerrard lives alone in a small cottage.
• He is engaged in packing his travelling bag when silently an intruder enters with a
• revolver in his hand.
• The intruder asks him some questions to which Gerrard replies in a roundabout way.
• The intruder threatens to kill him.
• The intruder says that he has killed a policeman and already he is a wanted person.
• The intruder thought that he was similar to Gerrard. He would kill Gerrard and then
• pretend to be Vincent Charles Gerrard to escape from the police.
• Gerrard acted cleverly and tells the intruder that he himself is a murderer. One of his
• men have been caught. The police is after him. He had packed his bag to escape.
• Intruder wont be safe after taking his identity. He asks the intruder to accompany
• him.
• Gerrard opens a door as if to the garage. As the intruder leans forward, Gerrard
• pushes him into the cupboard, knocked the revolver out of his hand, slammed the
• door, locked it, picked up the revolver and called the police.