POETRY 1st Year (Intermediate)

1. Happiness (Carl August Sandburg)

8. Match any eight of the following words in Column A with their meaning in
column B. [8x ½ = 4 Marks]
1. Professors Senior teachers in a university

2. Executives top-level administrators

3. Boss order others to work/supervise others work

4. Shook head moved head either way to say ‘no’

5. Wandered walked around without any particular purpose

6. Desplaines a river that flows through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois (US)

7. Keg a container

8. Accordion a portable, box-shaped musical instrumental

2. Annotate the following into about 100 words each : [2x 4 = 8 Marks]
a. I asked the professor who teach the meaning of life to tell me what happiness is

b. they all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though I was trying to fool with them

c. And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along the Desplaines rivers

d. And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the tree with their women and children’s and keg of beer and an accordion.

4. Answer the following questions : [2x 4 = 8 Marks]

a. Explain the narrator’s experience in finding out what happiness is?

b. Seeing helps one better in understanding than listening to justify the statement with reference to the poem
“happiness’’?
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “Happiness” written by “Carl August
Sandburg”.
About The Poet: Carl August Sandburg was an American poet. Winner of three Pulitzer Prizes.
He is popular for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. He took up journalism and produced quite
a few poems. The present poem “Happiness” is a simple poem with a valuable message.
Happiness is from his collection of poems, Chicago Songs.
Context: The narrator tries to find the real meaning of happiness from different people. He
consults professors and top executives, however, they could not help him. Feelings dejected
he wanders out along the Desplaines rivers on a Sunday afternoon. There he sees a crowd of
Hungarians with their women and children. They are spending happy moments under the tree.
Along with a keg of beer and an accordion. They were happily singing and dancing in that
place. He at once understands what happiness is. Happiness is living in the present and
enjoying the moment. It establishes that experience matters more than education. It also
shows that man is more comfortable in the lap of nature. Wisdom lives in the lives, but not in
the libraries.
Conclusion: Thus, the poem “Happiness” explains that experience matters more than
education. It cant be defined in words, it is a state of mind we can sense, it is a feeling of bliss
and emotion.
OR
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “Happiness” written by “Carl August
Sandburg”.
About The Poet: Carl August Sandburg was an American poet. He is popular for his biography
of Abraham Lincoln. The present poem “Happiness” is a simple poem with a valuable message.
Context: The narrator tries to find the real meaning of happiness from different people. He
consults professors and top executives, however, they could not help him. Feelings dejected
he wanders out along the Desplaines rivers on a Sunday afternoon. There he sees a crowd of
Hungarians with their women and children. They are spending happy moments under the tree.
Along with a keg of beer and an accordion. They were happily singing and dancing in that
place. He at once understands what happiness is. Happiness is living in the present and
enjoying the moment.
Conclusion: Thus, the poem “Happiness” explains that experience matters more than
education.
 2. A Red Red Rose (Robert Burns)
8. Match any eight of the following words in Column A with their meaning in
column B. [8x ½ = 4 Marks]
1) Sprung opened up, bloomed

2) melodie a pleasing tune

3) art thou are you

4) bonnie pretty, happy

5) lass a young woman

6) thee you

7) gang a Scottish word means ‘go

8) o’ of

9) weel well

10) fare thee weel goodbye

2. Annotate the following in about 100 words each [2x 4 = 8 Marks]

A) O my luve’s like a red, red rose
That newly sprung in June

B) O my luve’s like the melodie

That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

C) And I will luve thee still,my dear,

Till a’ the seass gang dry:

D) And fare thee weel,my only

luve and fair thee weel a while!

4. Answer the following in 100 words [2x 4 = 8 Marks]

A. How is the feeling of love expressed in A Red Red Rose?
B. Why is love compared to A Red Red Rose?
C. What does the speaker promise in A Red Red Rose?
D. Describe the speaker’s devotion to his beloved as expressed in the last two lines of A Red Red Rose?
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “A Red Red Rose” written by “Robert Burns”.
About the poet– Robert Burns was a great Scottish poet and lyricist in one of
the best poet known for his lyrical poetry and rewriting of Scottish folk songs. His volume of work particularly
in Scottish earned him the status of the National Bard Of Scotland. He is rightly regarded as a pioneer of the
Romantic Movement His poetic style is marked by spontaneity, directness, and sincerity.
Context – A Red Red Rose pictures a young speaker’s love for his beloved. The speaker compares his love with
a ‘red rose’, he says that his love is like a flower that has just bloomed in the month of June. His love is fresh
and is bursting with life. He compares his love with a beautiful song that fills the heart with joy.
The speaker promises different things to his beautiful beloved. He says that his love is not mortal, his love is
immortal. He says that he loves her with a deep and strong passion. He vows to love her until the earthly seas
have dried up. The fire of the sun has melted the rock, and the sands of life disappear, his love would stay
alive.
For the present, the speaker says goodbye only to return soon, though the journey is to a far off place. He
makes a promise to his beloved that he will return to her life after their temporary separation. He promises to
be with her, No matter how long the journey takes.
Conclusion- Thus the speaker uses such words because his love for his beloved is so deep and genuine, it
conveys the meaning that the true love never dies.
OR

Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “A Red Red Rose” written by “Robert
Burns”.
About the poet– Robert Burns was a great Scottish poet and lyricist in one of
the best poet. He is rightly regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic Movement His poetic style is
marked by spontaneity, directness, and sincerity.
Context – A Red Red Rose pictures a young speaker’s love for his beloved. The speaker
compares his love with a ‘red rose’, he says that his love is like a flower that has just bloomed
in the month of June. His love is fresh and is bursting with life. He compares his love with a
beautiful song that fills the heart with joy.
The speaker promises different things to his beautiful beloved. He says that he loves her with a
deep and strong passion. He vows to love her until the earthly seas have dried up. The fire of
the sun has melted the rock, and the sands of life disappear, his love would stay alive.
He makes a promise to his beloved that he will return to her life after their temporary
separation. He promises to be with her, No matter how long the journey takes.
Conclusion- Thus, the poem conveys the meaning that the true love never dies.
 3. The Beggar (Dr. Ammangi Venugopal)
8. Match any eight of the following words in Column A with their meaning in
column B. [8x ½ = 4 Marks]
Word Meaning

1. dusky having a dark shade

2. hunchback a bent curled forward back

3. blood tinged showing/having marks of blood

4. mitigate reduce, lesson satisfy

5. infinite very great in amount, without limits

6. void emptiness

7. sprout to grow from a seed, germinate

8. gobble eat hastily

9. threshold entrance, the door or gate of a house

2. Annotate the following into about 100 words each : [2x 4 = 8 Marks]
a. Have you sighted anyone With shadows in his dusky eyes?

b. A food giver he is With ability to mitigate the sky’s hunger

c. His stomach is full of infinite void

d. Have you seen a beggar, At your threshold with severed hands? Brother, he is my farmer

4. Answer the following questions : [2x 4 = 8 Marks]

a. “Dr Ammangi Venugopal’s creativity is rooted deeply in the complexities and contradictions of modern life,”
say observers?

b. How does the poem, The Beggar describe the farmer’s pathetic physical condition?

c. List the abilities a farmer is endowed with, according to the poem?

d. The poet addresses the reader as you and talks about the farmer as my farmer. Explain the significance in a
paragraph?
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “The Beggar” written by “Dr.Ammangi Venugopal”.
About the poet: Dr.Ammangi Venugopal born near Hyderabad. He did his doctoral research in Osmania
university, Hyderabad. He is a popular Telugu poet who was honored Kaloji Narayana Rao in 2015. The Beggar
was originally written in Telugu Poem titled as “Bichchagadu“.
Context: The poem “ The Beggar” projects the intense grief of the farmer’s pathetic condition to create an
impact on the reader and to grab the attention.
Explanation: Farmers, the food providers to all struggles to survive. They starve. Yet, they toil. Their feet
bleed. Their eyes are full of shadows of their sad stories. Their hunched backs tell us how hard they work. Yet,
their stomachs get no food. They are capable of feeding millions. And those millions do not include in them
those farmers. To express the farmer’s infinite capacity the poet has used the expression,” ability to mitigate
the sky’s hunger“.
The poet potrays our farmer’s physical appearance frail, dark shadowed eyes, don’t misunderstand him, he is
not a beggar. He is our farmer, who can feed the world but today he is hungry and empty stomach.
How cruel the modern society responsible for this irony is ! the poem shows the complexities of current times,
thus acquiring for itself universal appeal. A farmer today is in misery, farmer’s dusky eyes are dark with
shadows of their hands are soiled and severed and their feet bleed. Yet their ability to produce food and
satisfy others hunger remains fully active. Although he satisfies the hunger of even skies, his stomach gets no
food. The modern society is playing a cruel joke on him.
Conclusion: Thus, the poem, “The Beggar” plays a significant role to think over the problem of the farmer and
finds a way-out.

OR
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “The Beggar” written by “Dr.Ammangi Venugopal”.
About the poet: Dr.Ammangi Venugopal born near Hyderabad. He is a popular Telugu poet who was honored
Kaloji Narayana Rao . The Beggar was originally written in Telugu Poem.
Context: The poem “ The Beggar” projects the intense grief of the farmer’s pathetic condition to create an
impact on the reader and to grab the attention.
Explanation: The poem says the intense grief the farmers suffer. A farmer today is in misery. His eyes speak
about his sorrow. It identifies farmer with dark eyes, that are filled with shadows of the struggle. Their hands
are soiled and severed and they feed bleed. Yet, their ability to produce food and satisfy others hunger
remains fully active.
They meet the hunger of even skies. They work hard. They help others. Yet, the irony is they don’t find food
for themselves.
Conclusion: Thus, the poem, “The Beggar” plays a significant role to think over the problem of the farmer and
finds a way-out.
 4. The Noble Nature
8. Match any eight of the following words in Column A with their meaning in
column B. [8x ½ = 4 Marks]
1] bulk size, quantity, mass

2] doth old form of ‘does’

3] oak a large tree with hard wood

4] log the trunk of a dead tree

5] bald without leaves, flowers etc

6] sere without moisture, dry

7] proportion quantities; measures

2. Annotate the following into about 100 words each : [2x 4 = 8 Marks]
a] It is not growing like a tree; In bulk doth make Man better be
b] A lily of a day; Is fairer far in May
c] It was the plant and flower of Light
d] And in short measure life may perfect be

4. Answer the following questions : [2x 4 = 8 Marks]

1] Discuss the aptness of the title ‘The Noble Nature’ for the poem

2] Bulk does not make Man better be. How does the oak support this stand?

3] Explain with the example of the lily that size matters not but beauty counts a lot.
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “The Noble Nature” written by “Ben Jonson “.
About the poet: Ben Jonson the 17th-century playwright, is regarded as the second most popular English
dramatist after Shakespeare. He is very well known for his comedy of humor like “Everyman in His Humour”.
As a poet, he proved his expertise with his lyrics .
Context: The poem “The Noble Nature” tells us about the usefulness of our life it is not how long you live
matters but how well you lived. The poem talks about what makes a man noble. The poet employs examples
from flora to drive his point becoming a great man does not mean growing like a tree neither long life nor
large size can help one attain nobility.
He compares man to sturdy Oak tree and a delicate Lily in order to do this. The Oak tree grows big and bulky
and lives too long it lives for 300 years, it looks dull and unimpressive soon it becomes a lifeless dry, and
withered piece of log. So too will be the fate of a man who is only blessed with long life and physical and
material well-being on the other hand Lily is shiny and bright in looks. In May, the lily flower flourishes for a
day and shines for a short while. Yet, it pleases many. Beauty-even in the little measures-fills hearts with
thrills. Quality adds nobility to life. Smartness, even in small measures, impress and impacts everyone It is not
how long we live that matters but how well we lived.
Conclusion: Thus, the poet highlights the points that quantity counts
more than quality. Matter matters, not the magnitude. This is the message from this poem.

OR
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “The Noble Nature” written by “Ben
Jonson “.
About the poet: Ben Jonson , is regarded as the second most popular English dramatist after
Shakespeare. He is very well known for his comedy of humor like “Everyman in His Humour”.
He proved his expertise with his lyrics .
Context: The poem “The Noble Nature” tells us about the usefulness of our life it is not how
long you live matters but how well you lived. The poem talks about what makes a man noble.
He compares man to sturdy Oak tree and a delicate Lily in order to do this. The Oak tree grows
big and bulky and lives too long it lives for 300 years, soon it becomes a lifeless dry, and
withered piece of log. So too will be the fate of a man who is only blessed with long life, In
May, the lily flower flourishes for a day and shines for a short while. Yet, it pleases many. It is
not how long we live that matters but how well we lived.
Conclusion: Thus, the poet highlights the points that quantity counts
more than quality.
 5. Keep Going
8. Match any eight of the following words in Column A with their meaning in
column B. [8x ½ = 4 Marks]
Words Meanings

1. trudging walking wearily (in a tired way) with heavy, slow steps

2. queer odd, strange

3. stuck remained attached to

4. faint weak, lacking energy and courage

5. faltering wavering, moving unsteadily

6. Captured took control of; won

7. tint colour

2. Annotate the following into about 100 words each : [2x 4 = 8 Marks]
a] Rest if you must – but don’t quit.
b] You may succeed with another blow.
c] Often the goal is nearer than; It seems to a faint and faltering man
d] Success is failure turned inside out

4. Answer the following questions : [2x 4 = 8 Marks]

1. Keep going is a classic inspirational poem, claims many critics. Substantiate.
2. Life is queer with its twist and turns, … List a few twists as mentioned
3. It may be near when it seems afar; What seems afar and why?
4. “An easy-to-read poem, Keep Going is rich both in its content and form’. Explain the above statements with
examples.
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “keep going” written by “Edgar Albert Guest”
About the poet: Edgar Albert Guest was born in England. his father lost his job so Edgar had to work as a
copyboy in Detroit free press. At fourteen, Edgar lost his father. That forced Edgar to quit school and work in
that press as a full-time employee. He composed his own experiences as rhymes, he is regarded as a people’s
poet who wrote easy-to-read poems.
Context: The poet is listing about the future difficulties and motivating the readers not to quit under any
circumstances.
Explanation: The poem “Keep Going” by Edgar Albert Guest has unanimously been acclaimed as one of the
classic inspirational poems, the poet motivates the reader that life is not a bed of roses, you may encounter
many different kinds of problems or hardships.
The poem opens with a warning that the path ahead had many thorns. it keeps on advising the readers.
You shouldn’t choose to give up. you must fight and face the troubles. failures are obvious you have to learn
from the failures and lay the path for success through continuous hard work without giving up. The poet says
that the goal is closer than it seems, especially in times. One who is passing through a very difficult phase of
life at this phase of life, a struggler is usually opts to give up. One can never predict what will happen next.
The poet says that when everything goes wrong and every task appears to be an uphill battle the poet
suggests that simply taking a break, rather than quitting sometimes, just taking a break helps clear our minds
and bring solutions. We hadn’t considered before one can never predict what will happen next. It keeps on
advising NEVER TO QUIT.
Conclusion: Thus this poem discusses how life might knock us down, but we must get back up and try again to
succeed.
(OR)

Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “Keep Going” written by “Edgar Albert
Guest”
About the poet: Edgar Albert Guest was born in England. Edgar lost his father. He composed
his own experiences as rhymes, he is regarded as a people’s poet who wrote easy-to-read
poems.
Context: The poet tells about the future difficulties and motivating the readers not to quit
under any circumstances.
Explanation: The poem opens with a warning that the path ahead has many thorns. It keeps
on advising the reader NEVER TO QUIT. Troubles may come and stay. Golds may stand beyond
your reach. Funds may be low. Needs may be more. Yet, don’t give up. Fall is excusable. Not
trying is inexcusable. Winner never quit. Quitters never win. Keep going. Success is sure.
Conclusion: Thus this poem discusses how life might knock us down, but we must get back up
and try again to succeed.