Latthe Education Society, Sangli

English (New syllabus)

Appreciation of All Poems
STD -12th

Dr. Uday Purandar Shirgave M.A.,B.Ed., Ph.D.

Balvantrao Zele College, Jaysingpur
Taluka – Shirol, District – Kolhapur. 416101
e-mail: [email protected]
My YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/c/DrProfUdayShirgave?sub_confirmation=1
 Poem 2.1 ‘Song of the oPen Road’.
1) Title - The title Song of the Open Road has a symbolic meaning. It represents happiness, joy and
excitement. Here open roads means a place where people come together without any status or social rank. It
gives freedom to start over towards something new.

2) Poet - The poem is written by an American poet, essayist and journalist Walt Whitman. He is known as ‘The
Father of Free Verse.’ He grew up in Huntington in a family with difficult economic status. His major work
‘Leaves of Grass’ was published in July 1855. His ‘O Captain! My Captain!’, a poem written on the death of
Abraham Lincoln, is widely popular.

3) Theme - The Song of the Open Road is a motivational poem, teaches to live a life of freedom. It is known
as an ode or song of freedom, happiness, celebration of democratic life and optimism. These other major themes
of this poem connected with the symbol ‘Road’. The theme of freedom in life is dominant in the poem. The
poem starts with his inner approach of freedom. The beginning of the poem delineates the approach of freedom.
A single step out of the door leads you towards freedom. And then you feel true meaning of freedom in the
sense of happiness. You will be far away from the burdens of cares, stresses and sorrows. Freedom gives
happiness, rejoice, and choice to take a walk and enjoy desires. Thus freedom is major theme which is
interwoven with minor themes like joy, happiness, relief from stress etc.
4) Poetic Style - The Song of the Open Road is written in unconventional or free style suits with its idea of
freedom. Walt Whitman wrote this verse (Poem) into four stanzas. The first stanza comprises only three lines
and remaining three stanzas contain four lines. The poem is varying in length. It is in the form of free verse and
the lines are unrhymed. He makes use of all different forms of punctuation marks. Punctuation marks found
even in the middle of the sentence. It is used to emphasize a particular phrase or idea. Whitman is able to fully
express himself, using punctuation, fragments, and whatever suits his purpose. The free style of writing
highlights the freedom of life and thoughts.
5) The Language and Poetic Devices – The poet used very motivational language in the poem. It is narrated in
the from a first person speaker. The pronoun ‘I’ in the poem stand for any traveler, the reader, all humans and
Whitman himself. Walt Whitman used metaphorical and symbolic language in the poem. There is no rhyme
scheme in this poem. This poem is in free verse. The poetic devices and figure speech like repetition, metaphor,
symbolism, paradox and inversion are notably used in the poem.
6) Special features – The special feature of this poem is writing style and its subject. The poem is very
symbolic. It has very unconventional subject than other poems. The road in the poem does not mean only the
road to travel. The poet wants to suggest the road of life. The tone of the poem is very vibrant and joyful. This
optimistic poem gives us hope and shows that freedom in one’s life is possible.
7) Message, values, morals – The poem is about being confident and independent. The poem message us live a
free life. We have to give ourselves permission to do good things.

8) Your opinion - I like the poem because it gives clear and important message that you are the maker of your
own luck and destiny. You are your good- fortune, just walk freely on the open road of life without cry. A single
step leads you towards happiness and burden less life. This poem grabs my spirit, inspire me and touch my
heart.
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 Poem 2.2 IndIan WeaveRS

1) Title of Poem - The title of the poem is self explanatory and appropriate. It has symbolic and spiritual
meaning. It is expressed through the Indian weavers and act of weaving different clothes.

2) About the Poet - Sarojini Naidu was a great patriot, politician, speaker, poet and one of the most famous
idols of the 20th century. Her birthday is celebrated as "Women's Day". She is known as The Nightingale of
India (Bharatiya Kokila).

3) About the Poem - Indian weaver is a short poem but it has deep sense of human life. It conveys the journey
from cradle to grave through the use of colours and the stages of a day. The poem is about three types of clothe
that the weavers weave at three particular times of a day. Each stanza of the poem represents the three important
events of human life: birth (childhood), adulthood (young) and death (old). The colours mentioned in the
stanzas are very significant as they indicate the moods related to the events.

4) Theme or Central Idea of the Poem - The theme of the poem is about spiritual implication. The theme of
spiritual implication is portrays through metaphorical symbols which carries eternal truth of human existence.
The central theme of the poem expresses through the weaving act of weavers. They weave, at three specific
times of the day, which are symbolic, of the three stages of a person’s life. The central idea of the poem
remarked that all human being who are born on this earth, rise up, feel their joys, sorrows and finally have to die
one day. Everyone should be bearing in mind that death makes equal for the rich and the poor. No one spare a
drop of pity because I am rich or poor. It is nature’s eternal law and the life of human-beings is fragile. It is the
completely instable and vulnerable. The human life fills with happiness, enjoyment, excitement and sadness.

5) Language and Style - The language texture of the poem is simple yet profound. The poem appears rather
simple in a literal sense, but there are subtle expressions. This poem reflects Naidu’s deeply spiritual and
philosophical mindset. Her simplicity and strength of spiritual thoughts could be seen between the lines of
Indian Weavers. It might have a symbolic meaning. It is a metrical short poem. It has three stanzas, of four lines
each. The stanza pattern of the poem is Quatrain. The first two line of each quatrain has a question which is
asked by poet or speaker and the last two lines of each quatrain are answers to the questions. It creates a rhythm
and musical effect on reader.

6) Poetic devices - The poetic devices of simile, symbolism, metaphor and imagery, have been used here, by
the poetess. Almost all the lines exhibit alliteration: weavers-weaving, garment-gay, wing-wild, plumes-
peacock-purple, solemn-still, white-white, etc. Its rhyming scheme is AABB. The poem has six rhyming
couplets. The pairs of end rhymes in the poem are day-gay, wild-child, night-bright, green-queen, still-chill,
cloud-shroud.
7) Message, values, morals - The poem give us spiritual and philosophical message of life. Every man and
woman who is born finally has to die one day whether they are the rich or the poor. The poem reminds us the
law of the natures and eternal truth of human existence on the earth. The poem also teaches the morals life that,
life is so fragile and vulnerable.

8) Why I like the poem - I like the poem for its images and symbol used by poet. This poem is best to throw
light on Indian philosophy that is birth, youth and death are the ultimate truth of life.
 Poem 2.3 InchcaPe Rock (1802)
1) Title – The title of poem The Inchcape Rock (1802) is very apt because it paved way to a conflict between
good and evil. The Inchcape Rock is the center of the story which is written in poetic form.

2) About the Poet - Robert Southey (1774 to 1843) was born in Bristol England. He was a son of a draper
(Clothe Wholesaler) and educated at Oxford. He was an English poet, a prolific letter writer, essay writer,
historian and biographer. He was a Poet Laureate of England from 1813 to 1843 (for 30 years). The Inchcape
Rock is a lyrical ballad written in 1802 and it is about the Inchcape Rock Legend, a reef which is situated in the
North Sea, close to the coastal region of Angus in Scotland near the river Tay. The Inchcape Rock is known for
its bad name as notorious for shipwreck. The title of the poem based on it and the kindness act of a monk.
3) About the Poem - The Inchcape Rock is based on the story of the 14th Century attempt by the Abbot of
Aberbrothok who was head of the monastery placed a bell on the Inchcape rock to give warning to sailors about
the impending danger. During rough seas, the sailors could not see the rock clearly and ships faced accident
there. But now because of buoy bell whenever, the bell rang the sailors used to thank the Abbot for saving their
lives. His act of kindness got fame among the all sailors. On the contarary, Sir Ralph, the pirate, got jealous at
the Abbot of Aberbrothok’s fame for putting a bell on the perilous Inchcape Rock. Once he cut the bell to
defame the Abbot. On return journey from Scotland in the absence of the bell they move clueless in the sea and
his boat and all sailors’ crash against the rock to death.
4) Theme - The poem based on the most common theme of literature is the conflict between good and evil. It
carries predictable ideas like - As you sow so shall you reap. Crime gets its own punishment. Evil digs a pit for
others but falls into the same. In this poem Sir Ralph the Rover represents evil forces and the Monk Abbot of
Aberbrothok represents for the Good forces. In the fit of anger Ralph the Rover cut the bell and pushed himself
to death. He was victimized by his own bad deeds. The poem outlines the theme of the humanity between two
persons. It was our deeds of lives which telling us who we are in reality and what are the effects? Thus the basic
theme of the poem is that those who do bad things will ultimately be punished accordingly. The poem
demonstrates the law that crime gets its own punishment.
5) Poetic Devices - The Inchcape Rock is written in the form of a ballad interwoven with a number of poetical
devices alliteration, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia and repetition. As the poem was written in 18 th
century, it endows with rich symbol, imagery and archaism. The poem comprises a lot of images which
mesmerize and captivate the readers. E.g. - The sun shining gay, the waves flowed over the Inchcape Rock, sea
birds screamed etc. The use of archaic word creates 18th century era about the water world, sailors, their
voyages and pirates. The poem is also ironical. It is ironic that the Ralph suffered the same fate as he had
prepared for others by the bells removal.

6) Language and Style - A ballad is traditionally sung by a traveling musician. Here, each stanza of the first
line rhymes with the second and the third with the fourth. The poem is in a narrative tone that lyrical ballad tells
a story. The poet has used expressive narrative techniques to enhance the effect of the poem. The Inchcape Rock
gives a fine verbal image of the calm atmosphere of the sea, act of hanging bell, hazy night etc. These scenes of
the ballad moves from one incident to another very easily. It provides a vivid picture into the reader’s minds.

7) Message values, morals – The poem gives us a message that those who do wrong things will meet with due
punishment. It shows how jealousy is an incurable defect of human character and conveys a moral lesson- ‘As
you sow, so shall you reap.’ Thus the moral of the poem is ‘he who digs a pit for others, falls into it.’

8) Why I like the poem - I like the poem for two reasons, first for its teaching principle that crime gets its own
punishment. And the other, it is written in lyrical ballad form which gives joy, happiness thrill and life time
important lesson ‘Tit for tat’.
 Poem 2.4 have you eaRned youR tomoRRoW (1802)

1. About the poet - Edgar Guest (On August 20, 1881 to 1959) was born in England and was brought to the
United States when he was ten years old. He began his writing career in 1895 at the age of fourteen. Edgar
Guest is known as ‘people’s poet’ for his simple style and optimistic tone of writing. Guest is an American
writer of newspaper and magazines.

2. About the title - The title Have you Earned your Tomorrow is very introspective. It suggests that everyone
should analyse his/her actions whether it is good or bad, useful or not. It also evaluates your act of goodness,
your behaviours with others and what have you done (good things) to earn your better tomorrow? The title also
promotes - do good deeds for better future (Tomorrow means feature) and world. So title is apt.
3. About the Poem and Theme - It is an inspirational poem. In this poem, the speaker is asking the readers
(You) whether they have done anything to improve the life of another human being or not. It is up to you
whether you will have a better future or not. Therefore, one should consider one’s actions and deeds carefully
and plan accordingly for a better future.
4. Poetic devices, language, style – The poem is the best example of a simple uplifting style of writing pieace.
It is a four verse poem that is divided into sets of 4 lines (quatrains). The rhyme scheme pattern of the stanza is -
aabb ccaa ddee ffaa. In each stanza sound - /ay/ is repeated except third. The poetic devices like Interrogation,
Alliteration, Inversion, Antithesis, Personification, and Synecdoche is used in the poem. The poet uses
Interrogative style to elaborate his idea of goodness.
5. Special features-tone and type - The poem is written in Interrogative tone– where a number of probing
questions to a reader about how they spend their days. The wording of the poem is in the form of searching
questions. Each stanza includes 2 to 3 questions. This special feature of Poetry Written in Questions leaves deep
impact on the readers mind and it compel to think them on it. The tone of the poem is suggestive that at the last
of day you have to earn your tomorrow with good deeds which is your duty.
6. Values, message – The present poem gives a great message of good deeds. One should consider one’s
actions and deeds carefully and plan accordingly for a better future. In this world you have to earn your
tomorrow with your good actions.
7. Your opinion about the poem – I like this poem very much because it gives an inspiration to be a good
human being. It gives me positive attitude of act well. It is very inspirational poem. It gives me message like -
‘How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.' So I like this poem.
 Poem 2.5 fatheR RetuRnIng home (1802)

1. About the Poet - Dilip Chitre (1938 to 2009) was a celebrated bilingual poet and translator with a
remarkable work in Marathi and English. He is creative painter, film-maker and famous magazine columnist.
2. About the Title - The poem a biographical sketch of Dilip Chitre’s own father. His father is a daily
commuter of local train who goes on long day work and return by the late evening train. Dilip Chitre expresses
his father’s estrangement from manmade world. His minuet observation describes in this poem entitled as
Father Returning Home. The poet shows the loneliness and world-weariness of an old man in the modern
society by depicting a picture of his own father returning home from work.
3. About the Poem – The poem is about a common man, suburban commuter who works hard for his
family. On the contrary this commuter means poet’s father feels lonely in his own created world. He feels
neglected in this modern world by his family. So he finds himself unfit and secondary in this modern society.
His lives become dull, and unwillingly he forced to alienation. His children refuse to share their joys and
sorrows with the father. Sense of anxiety forced him to retire into solitude. The poem shows his journey of
hardworking ends into painful loneliness of the selfish world.
4. Theme: The central idea or theme of the poem is man’s estrangement from a man-made world (Home).
Here estrangement means – a state of separation from family, friends, or society. This sense also called
alienation. In this poem poet’s father also faces the problem of estrangement in his own created world means
family. Everyone including his own son and grandchildren avoid him. Obstinately they refused to share
jokes and secretes. They consider him as an outsider or insignificant. Irony is that his feels isolated in his own
family. He creates this world with his own hands by doing hard work but he remains isolated and unhappy.
5. Poetic Style: The poem is written in simple narrative form which is a monologue. The tone of the poem is
gloomy. The various words and description of the poem depicts miserable condition of the character. The poem
consists of two stanzas of 12 lines each. It is written in free verse with no particular meter or rhyme scheme
followed. And the lack of rhythm is symbolic of the poet’s father’s ignored life. It is in first person narrative
where the poet-speaker narrates how his father returns home and what he does afterward.
6. Language and Poetic Devices: The language used in the poem is very simple and easy to understand. As the
poem is based on Indian urban settings poet used simple Indian context like chapati, chapple. The language
used by poet is descriptive carries simple vocabulary. The language is easy and simple but full of symbolic
expressions and poetic devices like simile. The poet uses many figures of speech to create effect in the subject.
Alliteration, Metaphor, Synecdoche, Transferred Epithet are vividly used in the poem. Figures of speech like
Personification, Onomatopoeia, and Simile are used naturally. The example like weak tea, stale chapati, static
radio, sullen children, estrangement, standing silent, unseen eyes, soggy cloths, dimmed eyes etc creates and
develops seriousness of alienation problem in modern world.
7. Special Features: The keen observation and pictorial description of the poet is special. The poet describes it
in such a manner that readers feel pity for father’s pathetic condition. From the beginning to end poem holds its
gloominess with prolong scenes of father’s isolation which remains same.
8. Message, Values, and Morals: The poem gives message of separation of man (old generation) from modern
society. The modern generation is not coping with old one. It focuses the communication gap as well as life
style of modern society. The father or old people are not for negligence but for vigilance.
9. Your Opinion about the Poem: I like this poem very much because the topic is very relevant to present
society. The poem is written in simple and appealing language. The poem paved way a option to realize us the
importance of father and his dedication towards family.
Poem 2.6 money (1922)
1. About the Title - The title of the poem MONEY is very suggestive and reflective. It is a memoir based on
life experiences when he standing as a rich and a poor man. In this narrative poem he depicted real life
experience as the rich and the poor man in the context of money. So title is apt.

2. About the Poet - William H. Davies (1871 to 1940) was a great poet of nature. He was popular poet and
autobiographer. He was born on July 3rd, 1871 in Monmouthshire, Wales. His many poems were based on his
experience as a tramp (homeless person) and many characters he encountered along the journey. After several
years of a wandering life at the age of 34 he published his first volume, ‘The Soul’s Destroyer and other
Poems’. His poems highlight about his hardship during the life. He wrote two novels and autobiographical
work. His best known novel is Autobiography of Super Tramp.

3. About the Poem - The poem tells us about the rich man who wants to be a poor man to find the real
happiness. It is when we do not have money or have lost our money; we realize how important the money is. At
the end, the poet says that now he doesn’t have money, he has true friends though they may be few.

4. Theme - The theme of the poem is - Money cannot give you eternal happiness, it means money and
happiness have inverse relation. The central idea of the poem delineates the split aspects of money. A rich man
has a lot of money and so many friends. But he wasn’t happy because all friends are self-seeking and always
thought about self benefits. On the contrary poor man has no enough money and friends. But he was happy and
his friends are true and value the friendship not to money.

5. Poetic Style - The poem is written in narrative form which is a biographical. It is in first person narrative
where the poet-speaker narrates own experience. The poem consists of five stanzas of four line sonnets. The
poem uses an enclosed rhyme scheme with iambic tetrametere (It refers to a line consisting of four iambic
feet. The word "tetrameter" simply means that there are four feet in the line). The author used lexical repetitions
to emphasize a significant image; i, money are repeated.

6. Language and Poetic Devices - Davies has taken familiar subject from ordinary life and described them in
a simple language which is easy to read and understand. The imagery used is easy to understand like – phrases
and words like Came knocking all day at my door, dead man, soundless trumpet, poor laugh and rich’s frown
etc. The poet used normal grammatical structure of language with the various punctuation marks.
The poet has decorated the poem by using ample figures of speech such as Inversion, Alliteration, Simile,
Repetition, Exclamation, Synecdoche and Onomatopoeia. The first stanza and last stanza comprises
Exclamation which focuses on persona duel life portion. The poem follows a different rhyme scheme for each
stanza. But in each four-line stanza (Quatrain) the ending words of lines two (B) and four (B) rhyme with each
other.

7. Special Feature of the poem – The special feature of the poem is a very simple subject but has deep bitter
truth of human realtionship. It relates the experiences and observations of human life. The tone of the poem is
positive and realistic.

8. Message, Values and Morals – The poet gives out the message that money and richness is not essential
for happiness. Money invites many false and selfish people in our life. So happiness lies in having true and real
people in life. The poet point out that poor man is really wealthy in true sense because they had few but real
friends. Though they haven’t enough money, they are happy in their lives.

9. Your opinion about the poem – In my opinion the poem shows the fickle temperament of people and
money in this materialistic world. I like this poem because it has a deep but bitter truth of life. Money may
attract temporary happiness but for real and eternal happiness true people are important in our life. Money is
only tool it never offers eternal happiness.
 Dr. Uday P. Shirgave
Balvantrao Zele College, Jaysingpur
Taluka – Shirol, District – Kolhapur. 416101
Mobile : 9822020801
e-mail: [email protected]

Visit My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/c/DrProfUdayShirgave?sub_confirmation=1

englISh (neW SyllabuS)

fIguReS of SPeech
all PoemS
of Std -12th