POEMS

 1. A Day- Emily Dickinson

Summary

Emily Dickinson’s poem ‘A Day’ describes the rising sun, causing events and changes, and the setting of the sun from an innocent child’s perspective.

The poem begins with the speaker confidently describing how the sun rises, and the subsequent events. This speaker shows excitement on spotting birds, hills, and the rising sun itself.

The second stanza explains how the rising sun drives away the mist or fog that is covering the hills. The rising sun also invites the birds to sing songs. The speaker in this stanza is confident of the changes brought about by the rising sun. However, the third stanza shows that he seems unsure about how the sun sets. He just describes the sky gets dark when the sun sets. This stanza presents the transition from sunrise to sunset as life to death. In a metaphorical way, this stanza describes humans like the speaker, who would rather talk about more exciting things than death.

The final stanza, which portrays human mortality, talks about how the sun is going down. The poet asserts, in an optimistic tone, that God guides people after they pass away. 

Understanding the text.                                                                                              

Answer the following questions.

a. How does the poet describe the morning sun in the first stanza?

• In the first stanza, the poet portrays the sunrise as the lovely start of a new day that provides people with hope, brightness, and beauty.

b. What does the line ‘The news like squirrels ran’ mean?

• The line "The news like squirrels ran" refers to how the morning sun's rays spread as swiftly as squirrels scamper.

c. What do you understand by the line ‘The hills untied their bonnets’?

• The line "The hills untied their bonnets" signifies how the sun rays have removed the clouds and darkness that have covered the hills. They are now shining as a result.

d. Is the speaker watching the morning sun? Why? Why not?

• The rising sun is not being watched by the speaker since he is not narrating it in real time. "I'll tell you how the Sun rose" indicates that the speaker has seen the sun rise and the changes that followed, and that at this same time he is relating what he observed to his friends who woke later in the morning.

e. How does the sun set?

• The speaker truly does not understand how the sun sets. He claims that it sets, though, and everything becomes dark.

Reference to the text

a. What, according to the speaker, is a day?

• The speaker states that a day is nothing more than the result of the sun's rays. It has undergone many transformations and portrays the lovely side of life.  It actually offers delight, excitement, and happiness.

b. What purpose does the hyphen in the first line serve in the poem?

• The purpose of the hyphen in the first line in the poem serves the purpose of conveying speaker's intense feelings about how the sun rises. 

c. What makes this poem lyrical and sonorous? Discuss.

• The speaker of the poem uses the first-person pronoun "I" to express his incredibly personal feelings, which makes the poem lyrical. The sonorous tone of the poem is a result of the speakers' intense emotions being echoed in a deep, clear voice.

d. Who are the target audience of the speaker? Why?

• Children are the majority of the speaker's audience in this poem because the poet depicts how naive children are delighted with nature and want to share their experience with those who haven't seen the sun rise, change as the day progresses, and set. The poem's reference to the sunrise and sunset as examples of how life begins, and ends suggests that it is also intended for adults.

e. The poem seems to describe a day for children. How would the adult people respond to this poem? Discuss this poem with your parents/guardians and write the answer based on their responses.

• The answer to this question varies from person to person. When you answer the question, mention how your parents respond to it. 

Reference beyond the text 

a. Observe your surroundings of one fine morning and write a poem based on your own experience.
b. Write a personal essay on A Day in the School.

2. Every Morning I Wake - Dylan Thomas 

Summary

'Every Morning I Wake' by Dylan Thomas, an excerpt from the radio drama "Under Milk Wood," is a prayer to the magnificent God to have mercy on the ordinary people who live beneath the Milk Wood.

The first stanza explains that the speaker every morning prays to God for his compassion on poor people who are born to die. He believes that they require God’s protection as long as they are alive. The second stanza expresses that the speaker prays to God every evening for the blessing of living to see another day since they are unsure whether they will make it through the night. In the third stanza, he claims that neither of them is entirely good or bad and that God is the one who first observes and assesses their characteristics.

The speaker restates the prayer for the continuation of life through the night in the last stanza. He also asks everyone to bow to the sun and say goodbye at that time.

Understanding the text.                                                                                              

Answer the following questions.

a. When does the speaker pray to the Lord?

• In the morning and evening, the speaker prays to the Lord.

b. What does the speaker pray for?

• The speaker prays for the compassion of those people living under Milk Wood.

c. Who are the ‘poor creatures’? Why does the speaker call them ‘poor creatures’?

• The ‘poor creatures’ are those people living under Milk Wood. The speaker calls them ‘poor creatures’ because he thinks they born to die.

d. What does Milk Wood sound like? A type of wood or a place? Why?

• Milk Wood seems to be a location. Since there are no grammatical articles preceding it, Milk Wood must be a specific location and not a particular kind of wood.

e. Why do the inhabitants of Milk Wood bow to the setting sun ‘but just for now’?

• The inhabitants of Milk Wood bow to bid farewell to the setting sun, "but just for now." They hope that God will have pity on them and help them to survive another day.

Reference to the text

a. Discuss “Every Morning When I Wake” as a prayer to the God.

• ‘Every Morning When I Wake’ is a prayer to God. Every morning when the speaker wakes, he begs to God to have mercy on the helpless creatures, especially for those who reside under Milk Wood. Additionally, before going to night, he prays for God's protection so that he and other residents can survive and see another day.’

b. Why does the speaker make a prayer to the God, but not to a king, a billionaire or a scientist?

• The speaker prays to God, not to a king, a billionaire, or a scientist, since he believes that God created the universe and that none of these human beings are more important than him. Because of this, he believes that praying to these people instead of God is pointless.

c. How does the poet highlight the magnificence of the God?

• The poet uses some examples to highlight God's magnificence. For instance, God, who created our universe, is capable of having sympathy and assisting the poor creatures who live under Milk Wood to survive. Additionally, God has the capacity to distinguish between good and wrong, to defend all living things, and to forgive them for their mistakes.

d. How does the rhyme scheme of the poem reinforce its message?

• The poem has a consistent rhyme scheme, such as AABB, CCDD, etc. The poem's fundamental message—a supplication to God for his mercy on helpless creatures—is supported by the melodic impact the poem's consistent rhyming pattern produces.

Reference beyond the text 

a. Does the God exist? Give your opinion.
b. In his Epistle to the author of the book, The Three Impostors (1768), Voltaire says, “Even if the God didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” Write an essay highlighting the importance of the God in the society.

3. I Was My Own Route- Julia de Burgos

Summary

In her poem "I Was My Own Route," De Burgos explores how the patriarchal ideologies of the past oppressed women. In order to discover their genuine identities, de Burgos advises the women to separate themselves from their past. As a response to societal injustice and patriarchal ideals that are imposed on women, it brings up the issues of gender discrimination and women's independence.

She did not like the way people behaved her in society. Therefore, she went against the patriarchal ideology and started her new life. However, she encountered challenges from those who still adhere to old, baseless traditions. Her protests against those ill practices were never supported and taken seriously. Despite this, she managed to acquire the independence that brought her happiness over time.

The speaker is content right now since she is no longer controlled by cultural rules and expectations. Regardless of the past, present, or future, she sees herself as a flower growing from the earth. She credits the changes in her to traditionalists and their patriarchal mentalities, which enabled her to go on a new journey of independence in life. She hopes that the act of freeing women from male dominance will be seen with tremendous regard.

Understanding the text.                                                                                              

Answer the following questions.

a. Why did the speaker try to be the way men wanted her to be?

• The speaker tried to be the way men wanted her to be because she was compelled to do so as she lived in a society where women were dominated by males and their patriarchal ideologies.

b. What do you understand by ‘her feet would not accept walking backwards’?

• It is clear from the statement "Her feet would not accept walking backwards" that the speaker, a woman, does not support patriarchal ideologies. She would rather reject their viewpoints and choose for a different course of action.

c. Who are the old guards? Why did they grow desperate?

• ‘The old guards’ are those conservative people who think they are supreme and want to impose patriarchal ideologies on women. However, they grew desperate because women like the speaker were going against those patriarchal notions that see them as second-class citizens. 

d. How did the speaker have ‘a feeling of intimate liberation’?

• The speaker chose a new way of life that was distinct from the previous approach that embraced previous male-dominated ideals, which gave her "a feeling of intimate liberation."

e. Why did the speaker’s desire to follow men warp her?

• The speaker's desire to follow men warped her because she wanted to fight those social norms based on patriarchal ideas.

Reference to the text

a. What does the speaker mean when she says she was playing a game of hide and seek with her being’?

• The line "she was playing a game of hide and seek with her being." appears in both the first and last stanzas. The sentence implies that the speaker, a contemporary woman, tried to avoid the norms and restrictions imposed by men on women and to live her own life with freedom. However, she felt compelled to be like what men desired. It appears that she was playing a game of hide and seek.

b. Why, in your view, was her back ripped by the old guards as she was advancing forward?

• As she was advancing forward, her back was ripped by the old guards because, in my view, she was opposite to the patriarchal ideologies and might have caused difficulty for them. Additionally, her new path was for emancipation and was very different from the previous one.

c. What, according to the speaker, did it feel like to be free?

• The speaker described freedom as being like a flower that blooms from the soil of the earth. She might have experienced heavenly joy as a result of achieving liberation and being free of such old traditions.

d. Why does the speaker prefer the present to the past?

• The speaker’s past was miserable as she had no freedom. She was dominated by patriarchal restrictions. She had a hard life. She had no identity. However, she tried to free herself from those baseless traditions imposed by male-dominated societies. She finally succeeded in achieving liberty. She is now free and able to travel anywhere she likes. She is a boss of herself now. The speaker, therefore, prefers the present to the past.

e. John Donne, in his poem “No Man is an Island”, says, “No man is an island entire of itself.” Would Burgos agree with Donne? Do you agree with Donne or Burgos?

• In his poem "No Man is an Island," John Donne writes, "No man is an island entire of itself." The expression "No man is an island entire of itself" refers to the fact that people function poorly on their own and must interact with others in order to thrive. It also conveys the concept that no one is entirely independent and that everyone needs the company and assistance of others in order to live and succeed in life. He emphasizes harmony and considers men and women as two wheels on a cart. In the absence of one, the cart cannot move. However, De Burgos would disagree with Donne because she stresses women's liberation while ignoring the value of males as members of society.
  
  
  Yes, I agree with John Donne and support his statement that men and women are equally significant components of society. However, de Burgos' discontent and rage are brought on by the prejudice fostered by patriarchal ideologies present in a male-dominated society.

Reference beyond the text

a. Write an essay on My Idea of Freedom.

b. Not all people, however, seem to agree with the kind of freedom upheld by Burgos in this poem. For example, William Faulkner, in his novel Requiem for a Nun, says, ‘“The past is never dead. It’s not even past. All of us labor in webs spun long before we were born, webs of heredity and environment, of desire and consequence, of history and eternity.” Do you agree with Faulkner? Why? Why not?

4. The Awakening Age- Ben Okri

Summary

Ben Okri's poem "The Awakening Age" portrays the struggles Nigerians face while simultaneously promoting world peace, solidarity, coexistence, and harmony. The poet wishes to awaken humanity from the age of suffering, poverty, and darkness to the age of enlightenment, when all forms of prejudice are abolished and a new light of love and harmony shines upon all human souls.

The poem is divided into seven couplets, each of which includes two lines that rhyme. Though the world is immersed in prejudice, discrimination, poverty, inequality, and countless other miseries, the poet has faith that this hold will soon loosen as people over the world awaken and begin a new period of peace, harmony, and brotherhood. He hopes to live in a tranquil society where love and equality are the priority.

The poet presents those who travel the world and are able to observe and comprehend injustices, prejudice, poverty, and human suffering in an optimistic manner. These are the spiritually enlightened people who hold the ideals of love, peace, and interconnectedness. They want to awaken people to a world of equality, happiness, liberation, love, peace, and prosperity and erase the cloud of injustice and misery from their life.

When the poet compares hope to a mountain rope that will enable the journey from a world of prejudice and suffering to a world of peace, tranquility, and calm, it is clear that he believes in the enormous power of hope. The poet has great faith that by their purity, resilience, creativity, and knowledge, travelers of the world and inspired souls who have a vision of future peaceful and pleasant times would bring in a new age of enlightenment. They would encourage everyone living in the globe to work together to create a society based on respect and love. The poet believes that when all people work together, a new period of enlightenment will begin, one in which love, peace, collaboration, peaceful coexistence, and global brotherhood will govern the planet.

Understanding the text.                                                                                              

Answer these questions. 

a. Who are the people ‘who travel the meridian line’?

• Those who are unified and free of bias are the people “who travel the meridian line." They currently live together in harmony.

b. What does the poet mean by ‘a new world’?

• The poet uses the phrase "A new world" to refer to the union of two distinct parts of Nigeria that are united, prosperous, harmonious, hopeful, true, creative, and wise.

c. How are people connected to each other?

• The hope of reaching a new level of a prosperous nation binds people to each other throughout history.

d. What can we gain after our perceptions are changed?

• We may gain a lot by changing our perceptions, including prosperity, harmony, peace, security, love, etc. More significantly, the shift in perspective may enable us to find a blossoming truth and eliminate prejudice that separates individuals.

e. How are we benefited by new world?

• New world benefits us with prosperity, peace and harmony. These help us reach new height of success

f. Describe the rhyme scheme of this sonnet.

• A sonnet is a form of poetry containing fourteen lines. This sonnet consists of seven couplets. The rhyme pattern is AA, BB, CC, DD, EE, FF, and GG.

Reference to the text

a. What does the poet mean by ‘the awakening age’?

• The poet indicates ‘the awakening age’ as the period when people come together and see the need of harmony, peace, and togetherness. The poet calls for an end to all forms of violence and hatred and urges people to awaken in order to create a world that is prosperous, peaceful, and democratic.

b. Why, in your view, have these people ‘lived with poverty’s rage’?

• During the period of European colonization, the Nigerian people were exploited. The people's situation worsened when it entered the civil war. The people lacked food, prosperity, peace, and freedom. About a million people throughout the civil war suffered from starvation as a result of the shortage of food. So, in my opinion, these people have "lived with poverty's rage."

c. Why does the poet appeal for solidarity among the people?

• The poet thinks that because of the absence of cooperation, he and the Nigerian people suffered throughout the civil war. He thus makes a call for unity among the people in order to promote peace, prosperity, and harmony in the country.

d. Does the poet present migration in a positive light? Why? Why not?

• Yes, the poet presents a favourable picture of migration because the poem intends that people from different nooks can have creativity and thoughts that can contribute to a nation for prosperity.  

e. Nepal is also known for its economic as well as educational migrants. Have you noticed any change in the perceptions and behaviours of these migrants when they return home from abroad?

• Nepal is known for its economic as well as educational migrants. Yes, I have observed alterations in these migrants' attitudes and behaviors upon their return from overseas. With the skills and knowledge, they acquire overseas, they try to contribute to the prosperity and development of their home nation. Mahabir Pun, who has an international degree from America and is attempting to help the country, is used as an example.

f. Relate the rhyme scheme of this sonnet to the kind of life idealized by the poet.

• There are seven couplets in the poem, which follow the rhyme schemes AA, BB, CC, DD, EE, FF, and GG. The rhyme schemes represent the poet's desire for synchronicity among individuals in order for there to be world peace, harmony, and unity, which would allow people to flourish and advance their countries.

Reference beyond the text

Write an essay on ‘The Impacts of Migration on Nepali Society’.

    ⎯Why people migrate to other countries?

• Quality of education
• Job opportunities/employment
• Natural disaster: famine, draught, earthquake
• Civil War

    ⎯Negative Impacts:

• Encouraging youths for migration
• Influence of foreign cultures, tradition, etc. that can cause the decline of native culture and tradition.

    ⎯Positive Impacts:

• Import of foreign cultures, tradition, costumes, etc.
• Living standard
• Skills, knowledge on farming, education, business, etc.

 5. Soft Storm- Abhi Subedi 

Summary

The free verse poem "Soft Storm" by Abhi Subedi magnificently portrays people's feelings of indifference toward the miserable conditions and suffering of the people, malpractices, turbulent atmosphere, and chaos in Nepalese society. On the surface, it shows the speaker traveling through the small streets and lights of Kathmandu at night.

The poet expresses a sort of attitude regarding the environmental disruption in Nepalese society, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley, in the opening verse. In other words, he finds it upsetting to observe social injustices. He is glad to see the bright side, though, and mentions the expression "sky bloomed like crocuses," which refers to Irish flower family plants blooming over stones. He adds that there were political and current events posters all over the walls, which were moonlight-lit. He was thrilled to see the city illuminated in the soft light of the moon.

In the second stanza, he shows the conditions of homeless kids begging for food and wealthy adults celebrating in Thamel's towers and tall hotels. Through this, he attacks corrupt political figures who don't care for their underprivileged constituents and orphans. The future pillars are under danger and have miserable lives. He claims that the main cause of all of this is the country's social problems. 

He feels frustrated when he sees a lonely child crying and wandering around looking for his mother while wearing a transistor around his neck in the third stanza. Particularly when he witnesses a guy being brutally thrashed for no apparent reason, he softens. This incident demonstrates the cruel nature of humans, which provokes angry feelings against such domination. The poet then portrays a wounded man with a blood-stained shirt who is unable to speak. He is helpless.

In the fifth stanza, he says that the words spoken have not been listened to, and the storms have not been waited for its Leela, or divine play.

The poet expresses optimism for the people in the sixth verse, saying that they have survived and prospered amid the chaos like Irish blossoming plants over the stone.

He asserts that we form our attitudes and emotions based on what we observe in the seventh stanza. He lists a number of contributing factors, such as the heartlessness and greed of contemporary individuals, criminal activity, a troubled and degraded mother earth as a result of human misdeeds, and the agonizing existence of other miserable creatures.

In the last stanza, the speaker concludes the poem stating his intention of helping them and fighting for freedom not only for himself but also for all the creatures of this motherland.

Understanding the text

Answer these questions.

a. When does the speaker grow soft? Enlist the occasions when he grows soft.

•     The speaker grows soft when he:

            -hears tumult crashing on the strange

            -the sky grows like crocuses over stones

            -sees posters of politics, religions, etc.

            -sees homeless children crying with hunger

            -sees a child carrying a radio looking for his mother, and man injured                                 with bloodstained shirt

            -is ignored for help

b. What do you understand by ‘this seamless city’?

• The phrase "this seamless city" may mean different things to different people. For me, it indicates a city that has not been adversely affected by environmental and social problems. The city is serene and well-lit by the moon, making it a good place to rest.

c. What do you understand by ‘the unwedded gardens of history’?

• The phrase "the unwedded gardens of history" refers to Kathmandu's overlooked culture and history, which are little known to the city's inhabitants. They are significant and in danger of disappearing.

d. Why was the forlorn child wailing?

• The orphan kid lost his mother. He was crying out to find her in the corridors of history.

e. What do you understand by ‘soft storm’?

• ‘Soft Storm’ implies a kind of feeling or attitude that comes to the poet when he sees different aspects of society, especially in Kathmandu. The feeling is just mild not devastating or destructive.

f. Why does the speaker call our time ‘mad time’?

• The speaker calls our time ‘mad time’ because people are rude, selfish and unlawful. They have no humanity. They prioritize the materialistic world rather than friendship, sympathy, etc.

g. What does the speaker want to do in ‘hard times’?

• In "hard times," the speaker wants to melt like a rainbow. In other words, he is conscious of how difficult the situation is but is powerless to intervene; instead, he simply feels bad for the people involved.

Reference to the text 

a. The poet uses the word ‘soft’ with the words like ‘storm’ and ‘gale’, which generally refer to disorder and violence. What effect does the poet achieve through the use of such anomalous expressions?

• The speaker uses the word "soft" in the poem together with other words like "storm" and "gale"  in the phrases like ‘soft storm’ and ‘softness rose like a gale. Such combinations convey the inner discomfort he feels when he observes societal and environmental problems. Through the use of such strange expressions, the poet shows psychological effect on the speaker. 

b. What is the speaker’s attitude towards the time he describes in the poem? 

• The speaker has a negative view of the time depicted in the poem; he refers to it as a "mad time" because the people are heartless and not subject to social laws and regulations. There is prejudice among people. Nobody speaks for the poor. While some individuals have everything, others are homeless and in need of food.

c. What is the speaker like? Is he a rebel? Why? Why not? 

• The speaker is not like a rebel since he doesn't rebel against the social injustices that are prevalent. He is only psychologically affected by the unfairness, prejudice, etc. If he were a rebel, he could undoubtedly advocate for the underprivileged and homeless and fight for equality for all.

d. Explain the stanza below in your own words: 

    I became soft
    when I saw
    a blood-stained shirt speaking in the earth’s ears with bruised human lips
    in the far corner
    under the moon
    of history and dreams playing hide and seek
    in open museums
    of human times. 

• The lines from "Soft Storm" convey the speaker's emotions when he sees a man bleeding and wearing a stained shirt. The man tried to speak to the earth's ears but was ignored, leaving him helpless. He undoubtedly pleaded for assistance, but no one came for his assistance. The lines also reflect the brutal actions of humans.

Reference beyond the text

 a. Write an essay, highlighting your dissatisfaction towards social, cultural, economic and political issues prevailing in Nepal at present. 

b. Suppose you are a rebel, who wants to change the society by eliminating malpractices and anomalies prevailing in the society. Draft a speech outlining your vision for change.