Mongoose vs cobra

into the wild questions

voyaging towards excellence

Have you earned your tomorrow?

 

Q.1    Read the extract and complete the activities given below. 

Is anybody happier because you passed his way?
Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today?
This day is almost over, and its toiling time is through;
Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?

Did you give a cheerful greeting to the friend who came along?
Or a churlish sort of “Howdy” and then vanish in the throng?
Were you selfish pure and simple as you rushed along the way,
Or is someone mighty grateful for a deed you did today?

Can you say tonight, in parting with the day that’s slipping fast,
That you helped a single brother of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said;
Does a man whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?

Did you waste the day, or lose it, was it well or sorely spent?
Did you leave a trail of kindness or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber do you think that God would say,
You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?

A1]     Complete the table.
Complete the table giving the essential good things one has to do every time given in the extract.

The essential good things one has to do	————————————————–
	————————————————–
	————————————————–
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A2]    Explain            
            Explain the contrast given the extract in 50 words.   

A3]    Personal response.
           Give your idea with dealing with strange persons.
A4]    Poetic device
1]      Write the rhyming words from the extract 
2]      Write rhyme scheme of the first stanza

A5]    Poetic creativity
Recompose the following poetic lines as assertive lines without changing the theme.
Is anybody happier  because your passed his way
Dose anyone remember that you spoke to him today?
This day is almost over, and its toiling time is through;
Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you ?    

  A1]    Match

1]      Match the words given column ‘A’ with their meaning in column ‘B’
                  A                                B
1]      Cheerful               a]       with the feeling of disappointment
2]      Selfish                  b]      lack of satisfaction
3]      Sorely                   c]       happy
4]      Discontent          d]      concerned with one’s own pleasure

A2]    Explain

Explain the line- ‘You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?’

A3]    Personal response         
Give your ways to develop good social relationships with others.
A4]    Poetic device
Questions are used here as a poetic device. Explain its use.
A5]    Poetic creativity
Add your two poetic lines to rhyme with the given line.
As you close your eyes in slumber do you think that God would say.

2.4 Have you earned your tomorrow?

 

Have you earned your tomorrow?

Is anybody happier because you passed his way?
Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today?
This day is almost over, and its toiling time is through;
Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?

Did you give a cheerful greeting to the friend who came along?
Or a churlish sort of “Howdy” and then vanish in the throng?
Were you selfish pure and simple as you rushed along the way,
Or is someone mighty grateful for a deed you did today?

Can you say tonight, in parting with the day that’s slipping fast,
That you helped a single brother of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said;
Does a man whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?

Did you waste the day, or lose it, was it well or sorely spent?
Did you leave a trail of kindness or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber do you think that God would say,
You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?

Summary of the poem

The poem ‘Have you earned your tomorrow?’ begins with two direct questions. The poet asks the readers if they have made someone’s day better and had nice conversation with other people so that they can remember them. The poet hints that time is running fast.  He asks if their good conduct with someone has made the other person say kind things about them, at the end of the day.

In the II stanza the poet further asks the readers if a friend who came face to face was greeted cheerfully or impolitely without bothering to show any concern. He wishes to know if the readers were selfish as they rushed through the day. This behavior is disapproved by the poet. He asks to recall whether the readers comforted someone & if the person was grateful to them for that gesture.

In the III stanza, the poet asks the readers if they were kind, at least to one single person whom they met that day. At least one person was given joy, made happy because of their actions and deeds. He wishes to know, whether any hopeless man was encouraged to lead a better future.

In the last stanza, the poet wishes to know how the entire day was spent. If the day was wasted or lost and spent unhappily without improving the lives of others. He wishes the readers to reflect upon their negative actions. If there was kindness shown to others, definitely it will urge these people to repeat the action to others. This will begin in creating a kindness chain, a kindness cycle throughout the world.

In the end, the poet asks the readers to recall by closing their eyes while sleeping and thinking about God’s reaction to their actions for the day. If the day was spent in doing kind deeds to others, God’s response will be a positive one. They can be assured of a better tomorrow. The good that is done today, definitely earns us our tomorrow. The good work we do today, assures us hopeful future.

Figures of speech –

1] Alliteration – Consonant sound repeated in successive words for musical effect.      

– This day is almost over, and its toiling time is through

– Or is someone mighty grateful for a deed you did today?

– Did you waste the day or lose it, was it well or sorely spent?

– And then vanish in the throng.

            

2] Synecdoche – (A part of something that stands for the whole thing)

– Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said;

3] Interrogation – (The question is asked not to obtain an answer but to emphasize a certain point)

– Is anybody happier because you passed his way?

– Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today?

– Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?

         – Did you give a cheerful greeting to the friend who came along?

         – Or a churlish sort of “Howdy” and then vanish in the throng?

         – Or is someone mighty grateful for a deed you did today?

         – Does a man whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?

         – Did you waste the day or lose it, was it well or sorely spent?

         – Did you leave a trail of kindness or a scar of discontent?

         – You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?

Rhyme Scheme of the poem is aabb

a) About the poem /Poet and the title

This poem iswritten by the famous poet Edgar Guest. He was known as people's poet and writer. The title of the poem is self-explanatory.This is an inspirational poem.It is a thought provoking poem.

 b)Theme/central idea 

The poet has urged people and reader to be thoughtful in day to day life.The poet has put forward few questions.It made us to think if we are kind, generous, unselfish, patient and compassionate or not. We should be considerate in our lives. We are so selfish and engrossed that we do not bother about others.

c)Poetic devices, language,

style

     The use of interrogation is prominent. Out of sixteen lines,poet has used interrogation in eleven lines. The language is very simple. There is alliteration and rhyme. The poem has four stanzas of four lines each. The first Stanza has four lines having fourteen syllables.The second.third and Fourth have fifteen syllables.

d) special features, tone and type.                     

e) Message, values,moral in the poem.

     The message is clear.ones life is meaningful only if it is useful for humanity at large. If you are are able to help others and kind enough probably you may earn your tomorrow. Instead of waiting for tomorrow,you can utilise each day as if there would be no tomorrow.

f) your opinion about the poem :

I like the poem because it is related to our day to day life.It has a message for all the readers. I like the last stanza of the poem very much..It is an uplifting poem.we can start implementing the message conveyed in this poem.

AN ASTROLOGER’S DAY (R.K.NARAYAN)

 

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. What was the astrologer’s professional equipment?

Ans. The astrologer knew nothing of his profession. But he had all the professional equipment with him. His articles included a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with a strange chart on it, a notebook and some other little things.

Q2. How did he give his face the look of an astrologer?

Ans. The astrologer’s knew nothing of his profession. But he gave himself the look of a perfect astrologer. His forehead was marked with sacred ash and vermilion. He wore a saffron coloured turban round his head.

Q3. Where did he sit every day?

Ans. The astrologer would sit under a tree on a public road. It was a busy road. A crowd of people always kept moving up and down, from morning till night.

Q4. Who were the other professionals on the road where the astrologer carried on his business?

Ans. The astrologer carried on his business under a tree on a public road. Besides him, the other professionals on that road were- medicine-seller, magicians, sellers of stolen goods, a seller of cheap cloth and a vendor of fried groundnut.

Q5. What were the different names given by the vendor of fried groundnuts to his groundnuts?

Ans. Every day the vendor would give his groundnuts fancy names to attract the customers. He would call it ‘Bombay ice-cream’ one day. The next day he would call it ‘Delhi almond’. On the third day, he would call it ‘Rajas delicacy’ and so on.

Q6. What was the source of light used by the astrologer during the evening hours?

Ans. The astrologer had no light arrangement of his own. There was a groundnut vendor sitting near him. The groundnut vendor had a light above the heap of his groundnut. The astrologer would do his work by this light. Besides this, the lights from the nearby shops also helped him.

Q7. How does Narayan describe the astrologer’s knowledge of astronomy?

Ans. The astrologer had no knowledge of astrology or astronomy. He knew as little of it as his customers. He did his job through guesswork and though common understanding of human psychology. First he would let a customer speak for at least ten minutes. It gave him enough stuff for the answer.

Q8. What would the astrologer have done if he had continued to live in his old village?

Ans. The astrologer had to leave his village due to some reason. But if he had continued to live there, he would have carried on the work of his forefathers- tilling the land, living, marrying and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home.

Q9. How could the astrologer ‘guess’ his ‘clients’ problems?

Ans. The astrologer did not know anything of the stars or astrology. It was only a matter of practice and guesswork for him. He would always say thing which pleased his customers. First, he would let a customer speak for at least ten minutes. It gave him enough stuff for the answer.

Q10. What was the challenge thrown by the client to the astrologer?

Ans. The client said to the astrologer that he had to ask questions and that he was ready to pay the price he wanted. But he challenged the astrologer that if he was found bluffing, he would have to return his money with interest.

Q11. How could the astrologer rightly guess the past of the client?

Ans. The astrologer already knew that stranger. He was the same man, Guru Nayak, whom the astrologer had stabbed a few years ago in his village. He had pushed the man into a well and left him for dead. That was why he could rightly guess the past of the stranger.

Q12. What did the astrologer tell his wife?

Ans. He told his wife that a great load was gone from him. All these years, he had thought that he had the blood of a man on his hands. And it was for this reason that he had run away from his village.
‘He is alive!’’ he said.

THANK YOU

2 On Saying ‘Please’ Vocabulary

 

Alfred George Gardiner was an English journalist, editor and author. His essays, written under the alias "Alpha of the Plough", are highly regarded. He started his literary career as a journalist. At age of 37, he was appointed editor of the Daily News. He made regular contributions to the Daily News, The Manchester Evening News etc. His essays are uniformly elegant, graceful and humorous. ‘The Pillars of Society’, ‘Pebbles on the Shore’, ‘Many Furrows and Leaves in the Wind’ are some of his best known writings. His uniqueness lies in his ability to teach the basic truths of life in an easy and amusing manner. He rai the question of morality in everyday life.

Good Manners are of great value in human life. Bad manners are not a legal crime. But everybody dislikes a man with bad manners. Small courtesies win us a lot of friends. Words like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ helps us in making our passage through life smooth. The law does not permit us to hit back if we are the victims of bad manners. But if we are threatened with physical violence, the law permits us some liberty of action. Bad manners create a chain reaction. Social practice demands politeness from us. A good mannered person will find that his work becomes e person will find that his work becomes easier by the ready co-operation that he gets from others.On Saying "Please" is a beautiful and meaningful essay written by A G Gardiner. The theme of the essay is to bring a social change by bringing a change in the social behaviour of every individuals. The title ‘On Saying ‘Please’ gives us a hint that the topic is related to manners. We should know the importance of saying ‘ please’ to others. Good manners make us a socially accepted person. It makes healthy relationship between individuals. It improves the society and makes people happy. Happiness helps us a lot in our life. 

Here are a few words which may be new for you:- 

New words:-

Undoubtedly - known for certain to be so

Discourtesy - not polite, rudeness

assault and battery - an attack which includes not only threats but the actual use of violence

burglar - thief who breaks into houses shops etc with the intention of stealing

retaliate - to do something bad to someone who has done something bad to you

assailant - an attacker

legislate - to make a law or laws

violence - action or feeling that causes damage, unrest etc

to box - to fight with the fists (closed hands)

haughty - a high opinion of oneself and often a low position of others

boorish - rude, uncultured

laceration - hurt feelings

slur - a cause of blame

redress - remedy, set right

vanity - pride

brooding over - spend time thinking anxiously or sadly about something

equilibrium - balance (of the mind, emotions)

bullied - threatened

insolent - very rude

henpecked –a husband who always does what his wife tells him to do

black eye – dark coloured skin around somebody’s eye ehere he or she has been hit

endorse - official agreement to the decision

martyrdom - the death or suffering of a martyr

morose - unhappy, very sad and ill tempered

Decalogue - the Ten Commandments

Verdict - judgement

intercourse - communication, conversation

resentment - anger

ordeal - difficult or painful experience

knave - a dishonest person

cheerfully - happily

squared - having no doubt, settled

countenance - a person’s face or expression

treading - pressing down something with foot

assured - confident

inexhaulstible - unlimited ,can never be finished

solicitious - caring or concerned, giving helpful care

irradiated - (here) spread or produced

uncouth - impolite, unrefined

benediction - a blessing

conciliatory - trying to win friendly feelings

panegyric - a speech or piece of writing praising someone highly

moral affront – insult, disrespect

boor - a rude insensitive person

Here are a few words to make our speech very polite. -

(Politeness helps us a lot in our life)

1) Thank you – To express gratitude

2) Excuse me – To take permission to go ahead or to ask something

3) Pardon me – To ask to repeat the words

4) May I – To take permission

5) Yes / No sir – To agree or disagree with a man 

6) Yes / No madam - To agree or disagree with a woman

7) You are welcome – To accept the expression of gratitude

8) Mention not – Reply to thank you, need not to say thank you.

9) I am sorry – To tell someone that you are ashamed for hurting them, to say disagree, to oppose other’s view politely

10) My pleasure- To tell you are happy to help or do favour

Explain the following words with examples.

a) Humility          : Modesty

Example- She needs the humility to accept that their way may be better.

b) Self-esteem :Self respect

Example- He got self – esteem earning sufficient money

c) Gratitude: The quality of being grateful.

Example- Students expressed their gratitude to the teachers on Teachers’ Day.

d) Courtesy: The showing of politeness in one's attitude and behaviour towards others.

Example- The manager treated the players with courtesy and good humour.

e) Generosity: The quality of being kind and generous.

Example- I was overwhelmed by the generosity of friends and neighbours.

f) Sympathy: The feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune.

Example- They had great sympathy for the flood victims.

g)Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Example- He had empathy with small children.