TyroCity: English - I Notes

English I Notes

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Piano

Great Scott! Gadzooks!

On the Eve of His Execution

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Where the Mind Is Without Fear

Summary of the poem On the Eve of His Execution

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

The poet in his late-20s is young but unhappy. There is no sign of happiness instead its filled with pain and sufferings. He relates his corn field (life) with tares (an injurious weed resembling to corn when young). He hopes for a better future but all those are in vain as days pass by without him being able to move freely. And, he still finds himself trapped in the jail. He thinks life has ended even though he’s still alive for he is waiting his execution order to be carried out.

The poet continues as he says that the story he says is heard but not passed on forward – nobody has spoken on his behalf. He is to lose everything including his life due to the execution order despite he being in his youth and having a lot to live for. He has seen the world but the world didn’t see him as he’s left ignored and not cared for. His story is familiar to everyone but no one dare speak for him or stand next to him. He emphases on his feeling that the life is now over.

The poet found his death in the womb itself when he looked for it. And, when looking for life, he finds it was just a shade. As he walks in the ground, he believes it is his tomb underneath the soil. He thinks there is lot more he could do, a lot of wishes he could work towards but he doesn’t have any time for those. He says that his life is destroyed and now he’s just waiting for his execution.

Assimilation of the poem Where the Mind Is Without Fear

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

The idea Rabindranath Tagore expressed with the poem impressed me a lot. The poem inspires people to live a life fearlessly while ensuring the society is peaceful, unified and justice is served. Fearing something stops us to think properly and act as an obstacle to our own progress. If all the people in the nation realize the importance of the knowledge that is free, self-respect, love, work and a feeling of unity than a nation can be in a better place – a place where there is freedom, peace, equality, and justice.

Summary of the poem Piano

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Written in 1918 by D.H. Lawrence, the poem “Piano” uses first person point of view with the poet as the narrator recalling about the past as a fully grown adult. Nostalgia is the center of the poem with the title ‘Piano’ serving as a metaphor for it.

The poem sets off at one evening where two persons a man and a woman are sitting in a room. The woman who is a singer and a pianist is singing and playing the piano softly for the poet (who is the other person in the room). Her song takes the poet back to his early childhood period where he sees himself as a small child sitting under the piano as his mother sings. His mother undisturbed smiles at him and continues playing the piano as he presses her feet.

The poem continues as the poet mentions that he knows that it is just a romantic past and wants to live in present facing the reality. However, he can’t control himself regardless of how hard he tries as her skillful piano tone and sweet song is hard to resist for him. It takes him back to his boyhood this time. He mentions that it is very cold outside as its winter and he is in his warm and comfortable room. All his family members are together as well this Sunday evening singing hymns while being guided by the piano.

In the third stanza, the poet doesn’t want to listen to the music anymore and considers the woman’s song to be shout. This is so because the music has done its task which is to take the poet back to his happy past where he wants to be lost with those happy memories and forget about the present completely. He doesn’t find her music sweet anymore and says is a waste for her to play the piano with deep feeling.

Happy with his childhood memories, he doesn’t want to be a man anymore. He beings to cry like a child for the past as he throws his manhood.

Assimilation of the poem Great Scott! Gadzooks!

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

The poem helped me get an idea of why a child would spend most of his/her time infront of a television set. I’ve also learnt the negative impact of watching a television and the ways to influence a child to rather use the time doing other activities. To encourage a child to be do something else, I would control the hours they watch TV and tell them interesting stories to keep them interested in hearing more of the same. I would give them books as gifts during their birthday and other special occasions and try developing educational environment in home and in the community.

Summary of the poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

The speaker in the poem who is traveling through the snow at night pauses with his horse near the woods near a neighbor’s house to watch the snow falling around him. His horse shakes his harness bells, questioning the pause. Maybe this place isn’t on their normal route, or he is curious that there doesn’t appear to be a farmhouse nearby.

The speaker continues to stand near the woods as he’s attracted by the deep, silent dark surroundings. He feels bound to move further into the snowy woods. He ultimately decides to continue, concluding with perhaps the most famous lines of the poem: ‘But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.’

Assimilation of the poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

After reading the poem, I learnt that the duties can’t be fulfilled in the course of time as it doesn’t wait for anyone. All the duties and responsibilities need to be fulfilled and carried out when we can and on time. The poem also talks about the beauty of the nature in even the darkest of elements like the frozen lake, darkness and cold weather.

Interpretation of the poem Where the Mind Is Without Fear

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

This patriotic poem tells us about the importance of freedom in human life. The poem also doesn’t fail to show us the value of reason, knowledge, freedom, universality and honesty. The poet wants to create a perfect place where everyone can live in harmony and there are no artificial borders to divide. He wants the nation and the citizens within to awake.

Critical Thinking of the poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Stopping in the Woods by the Snowy Evening is a beautiful poem composed by Robert Frost. The poem has a good moral with a strong message. However, there are things which I don’t agree with. The poet seems to forget his responsibilities towards his family, friends, and community as he gazes the beauty of woods. That makes me question if everyone finds the nature so beautiful that it makes them forget about their duties and responsibilities completely? The beauty of nature gives us a sense of joy and enjoyment for a moment but that doesn’t mean we have the right to forget what and who we are. Responsibilities come first before anything and I believe that the whole concept of linking duties and responsibilities of a person with natural beauties isn’t justified.

Assimilation of the poem Piano

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

I never gave much importance to the music before reading this poem but the poem made me realize that it can function as a medium for entertainment, relief and spellbound people of all ages. Music has the power to make us feel refreshed both physically and mentally as we enjoy the tone forgetting about this busy life for a moment.

Critical Thinking of the poem Piano

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Although I agree with the moral of this poem that music has potentiality to entertain the people of all ages, I found some parts of the poem unconvincing. Do all people get fully entertained by the music as poet in the poem does? Do all people have happy memorable childhood that they want to recall? Does any responsible person want to go back in the childhood memory? Isn’t it somewhat shameful for one grown up person to weep like a small child recalling his past and wanting to forget his present?

Interpretation of the poem Piano

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Every person be it young or old wanting to listen to music reminds the poet of his happy memories of past freeing him from ongoing troubles. The poet may be suggesting that the music functions as a medium to free us from cruel conscious thought.

Likewise, this poem tells us some moments of our childhood becomes so memorable and important like in the poem when he (the poet) heard a woman singing a song while playing the piano made him recall his happy memories of past days. It may also be interpreted to mean that mother’s love is superior to any other forms of love as they give us lots of love and care making our life beautiful.