CONTENTS Happiness

Carl Sandburg
1. POETRY
Carl Sandburg
A. Happiness Robert Burns Objectives
2. A Red Red Rose
Dr Ammangi Venugopal To help the learners understand the true meaning of the
3 The Beggar
Ben Jonson the less-understood emotion, HAPPINESS
much-talked about but
A. The Noble Nature 21
Edgar Guest To prove to the learners that 'living' and
B. Keep Going 'experiencing' matter a lot
IL PROSE To tellthem the value of examples as against
6. Two Sides of Life
Booker T Washington precepts
39 Appetizer
7. Father, Dear Father Raj Kinger
We quite often hear people say, 'Iam happy; I am not happy'. Are
8. The Green Champion -Thimmakka
Internet many of us
Roger Bannister really clear about what happiness is? Have you ever thought that
9. The First Four Minutes
61 is the best teacher?
EXPERIENCE
John Maddison Morton
JÓ. Box and Cox (One-Act Play)
III. SHORTSTORIES Read the poem to find out...
77
M. Playing the Game Arthur Mee
Mark Twain
s4 ABOUT THE POET
12. The Five Boons of Life
Folklore 92
3. The Short-sighted Brothers Carl August Sandburg (1878-1967) is a famous American
100
Sanghala Panthulu Suravaram Prathapa Reddy Poet. Winner of three Pulitzer Prizes, Sandburg is popular
Mona Gardner 113
T5. The Dinner Party for his Biography of Abraham Lincoln. Sandburg was an
IV. GRAMMAR excellent student but he had to leave school early to earn a
16. Parts of Speech 120
livelihood. He worked as a paper boy, delivered milk, assisted
17. Articles 129 in barber shops, washed dishes and painted houses. He
took
18. Prepositions 138 up journalism and produced quite a few poems.
19. Tenses 147
20. Transformations 169 ABOUT THE POEM
21. Correction of Errors in Sentences 195 This seenmingly simple poem asks a pertinent question and
answers it wisely.
22. Word Grammar 212 omposed in free verse, the poem reads like an anecdote. It
establishes that
23. Study Skills 233 CAPerience matters more than education. It also shows that man is more
24. Reading Comprehension Passages in the lap of comfortable
nature.
Revision Test -I :For Units 1,6, 11, 16, 17 & 24 GIST
Revision Test - II :For Units 2,7, 12, 16,17, 18&24 The narrator wants to know what HAPPINESS is. He askS
Revision Test- III:For Units 3,8, 13, 16 to 19 &&24 271 professors and
op executives to help him in this regard. But they
Revision Test- IV: For Units 4,9, 14. 16to20&24 express their inability. At last a
group of young Hungarians, beside aariver and beneath the trees, SHOW the narrator
Revision Test-V :For Units 5, 10, 15, 16 to wnat HAPPINESS is as they enjoy their food, drink, music and fun!
21&24 Wisdom lives
Model Question Paper in lives
/laIvz/ but not in libraries!
xii
 INTERactive ENGLISH Happiness 3
2

The poem depicts the narrator 's

THE POEM experience. He wants to know what
happiness is. He consults many persons, like professors for the
Iasked the professors who
teach the meaning of life to tell answer but he answer. He continues
his search for an fails. The professors claim that they teach
me what happiness is. meaning of life! the
executives who boss the work of
And Iwent to famous
thousands of men. They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though
a smile as though I was trying to fool with them.
They all shook their heads and gave me a) And then one Sunday afternoon Iwandered out along
I was trying to fool with them. the Desplaines river.
wandered out along
And then one Sunday afternoon I And Isaw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with
the Desplaines river. their women and children and a keg of beer and an
the trees with
And Isaw a crowd of Hungarians under accordion.
beer and an
their women and children and a keg of ). Answer the
accordion. following questions in about 100 words each. The first one
has been answered as a model.
Questions that help and check understanding a) Explain the narrator's experience in finding out what
a) "What is happiness?" Who did the speaker
ask the question? happiness is.
Answer: The poem Happiness, by Carl Sandburg, conveys a beautiful message.
b) How did he get an answer? It is extracted from his collection, Chicago
Poems. The poem is an expression of
c) Did he ask them? the narrator's search for what happiness is and his
ultimate realization.
GLOSSARY The narrator seeks to know what happiness is. He enquires with
senior teachers in a university but in vain. Even the top executives are many professors
professors (n-pl) /prfesY(r)z/ consulted, but to no avail. One Sunday
executives (n-pl)_/ig'zekjYt1vz/ top level administrators afternoon, he wanders along a river. He comes across a group of
vder others to work / Hungarians,
boss (v) /bos/ supervncluding women and children. They are spending happy moments under a tree.
others' work He at once understands what happiness is. Happiness is living in the
present, feeling
shook head (v-phrase) /uk hed / : moved headeither way as to say'. Happiness is not wealth or success or fame.
wandered (v-pt) /wpDndY(r)d/ . walked around without any partici b)
Seeing helps one better in understanding than listening to.
purpose
Justify the statement with reference to the poem, Happiness.
Desplaines (Proper noun) a river that flows through South
Wisconsin and Northern llinois( Appreciating the Poem
a container The professors teach the MEANING of LIFE. Famous executives boss the
keg (n) keg/
aportable, box shaped musi work of thousands of men. Have they answered the question, *What is
accordion (n) /a'ko:diYn/
instrument happiness?" Why not?
Has the narrator asked that crowd of Hungarians the same question? Has
1. Annotate the following in about 100 words cach. Thefirst one has b
answered as a model.
he FOUND the answer without asking for it?
a) Iasked the professors who teach'the meaning of life to tell me w Where has the narrator seen those Hungarians? Any significance? Lap of
happiness is. nature as opposed to artificial ambience
Answer:This line is taken from the poem, Happiness written by Carl Sandbu
He is an American poet. Happiness is from his collection of poems, Chii
Songs. It is a simple poem with a valuable message.
 INTERactive ENGLISH

Why is the speaker going away, so far? When will be the return journey?
How long will a rose stay fresh? Contrast the idea here with that in the
second and third stanzas?
The Beggar
Dr Ammangi Venugopal
"Love knows neither language, nor logic", say people. Do we see any proof
here?
Objectives
" Try to read (recite) aloud the poem (song). Do you see any melody? To introduce to the
4. Word Study learners in making certain harsh realities our
house to society is a
The poem features diiterent spellings of words. For each of the words below
write the normal spellings: .To acquaint them with various ways to
empathize with victims
luve [ melodie [ .To familiarize the learners with
others
methods to strike an emotional chord with
5. Listening and Speaking
A Red Red Rose is a ballad. It is supposed to be sung to a tune. It was .Tohighlight the value of different poetic techniques like imagery,
inspired by folk songs of those days. Listen to the poem in the form of a song (Go Appetizer repetition
to Google). LISTEN to it again and again tillyou CAN SING it! We take food three times a day.
6. Writing Have we, while
hands that grow those food grains? Are we aware eating, ever thought of the
Why do you think the speaker of this poem leaves his lover? Write a shon of the plight of those food
story that explains why the speaker is leaving his beloved. Work in pairs to write Droviders? We say Jai Kisan at times. Do we mean it? Do those food
the story. have enough food for themselves? suppliers
7. Thinking Read on to know their pain
The speaker's love is like a rose. The life span of a rose is very short. Then ABOUT THE POET
the speaker says his love will last till the seas go dry. How can it be both ways?
THINK about it. Love is a feeling. Logic is related to intellect. No coordination? Born in a tiny village, Alampalli, near Hyderabad on
THINK! 20th January, 1948, Dr Ammangi
8. Word Games Venugopal did his
doctoral research in Osmania University, Hyderabad. A
Read the last line of the poem. You see two numbers: ten and thousand. prolific writer as Dr Ammangi is, he has so far published
With thousand we have played a game already. Let us see if we can play with five anthologies of poems, some playlets, many essays and
ten. Look at the three letters carefully. Read it backwards (like Urdu?). What do ten short stories. He has also donned the roles of a translator
you get? Yes - net, a new tool to catch more words! Words like madam that read
forward and backward the same are Palindromes. and an editor. At 74 now (2021), he is still young at heart
and involves himself in literary pursuits! He is the first
civic, reviver, refer, radar, level, race car are some examples ol recipient of the
Palindromes. award instituted by the Government of Telangana in honour of
Rise to vote sir. Madam I'm Adam. These are
Kaloji Narayana Rao in 2015.
Palindrome sentences.
Here is our game, by reading backwards we get new words. Let us catch al ABOUT THE POEM
least TEN words in our NET. Start! wolf ’
flow; pat ’ tap; nap ’ Penned by Dr Ammangi in Telugu (as Bichchagadu) and rendered into
trap -’ part; pin ’ nip; pot ’ top; not ’ ton; bin - nib: ban ’ pan. nab,
noil (fibre) ’ lion. Got TEN! English by Elanaaga (Dr N Surendra) as The Beggar, the poem portrays the
9, Extra Reading
Congratulations!TRY FOR MORE!
pathetic plight of farmers. Consisting of just sixteen lines, the poem depicts the
ditficulties farmers face in a touching way. Imagery and repetition are used
Kead the story, The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde See how effectively to highlight the struggles and sufferings of farmers. The reader is moved
love is expressed differently in the story.
toponder over the problem and to find a way out.
0--
10 INTERactive ENGLISH
The Beggar 11

GIST GLOSSARY
poem
The pitiable physical position of farmers forns an important part of the dusky (adj) /'daski/ having a dark shade (indicating
Farmers' dusky eves are dark with shadows of their struggles and sufferings.Thei intense pain)
their fea
backs are bent with burden. Their hands are soiled and severed and hunchback (n)'hAntfbæk : a bent, curled forward back
bleed. Yet their ability to produce food and satisfy others' hunger remains fully (showing how hard farmers work till
active. They meet the hunger of even skies. They work hard. They help others their backs bend)
Yet the irony is :they don't find food for themselves, even a morsel! The complexit blood-tinged (adj) /blad-tindzd/ showing / having marks of blood
of the contemporary culture, contaminated by commercialization, is captured in the mitigate (v) /'mtigert/ reduce, lessen (here) satisfy
poem in a captivating way. The way the theme is dealt with in the poem has a infinite (adj) /1nf1nat/ very great in amount; without limits
universal appeal! void (n) /vTId/ emptiness
THE POEM
replete (adj) /n'pli:t/ : filled to full
Have you sighted anyone sprout (v) /spraut/ : to grow from a seed; germinate
With shadows in his dusky eyes?
Spotted anyone with hunchback
gobble (v) /'gpbl/ eat hastily
Holding some soil in hands that give life toearth? threshold (n) /erefYuld/ entrance; the door or gate ofa house
Seen anybody leaving his blood-tinged footprints? 1. Annotate the following in about 100 words each. The first one has been
answered as a model.
Brother, he is my farmer!
A food giver he is, a) Have you sighted anyone
With shadows in his dusky eyes?
With ability to mitigate the sky's hunger.
His stomach is full ofinfinite void Answer:These are the opening lines of the poignant poem, The Beggar, penned
His face, replete with wretchedness. 2 by Dr Ammangi Venugopal, a popular Telugu poet. The original Telugu poem
The seeds he sows (Bichchagadu) is translated into English by Elanaaga (Dr NSurendra).
Sprout, as if they're The poem projects the intense grief the farmers suffer. Afarmer today is
His hands. misery incarnate. His eyes speak volumes about farmers' sorrow. The poet minces
When youwanted to gobble hot rice meal, no words in highlighting farmers' woes. He opens the poem with a question. It
Have you seen a beggar identifies farmers with dark eyes that are filled with the shadows of their struggles.
At your threshold with severed hands? The reader, addressed as 'you', is forced to understand and sympathise with farmers.
Brother, he is my farmer! 3
Question forms set the readers think about the problem. Thus, the lines play a
Questions that help and check understanding significant role in initiating the thought process effectively.
a) Whose eyes are dusky? Why? b) A food giver he is,
b) Spot three signs that reflect the
farmer's hard work as projected in the first With ability to mitigate the sky's hunger.
stanza. c) His stomach is full of infinite void
c) Listthe skills and abilities of the d) Have you seen a beggar
farmer, as pictured in the second stanza.
d) Is the farmer amply At your threshold with severed hands?
rewarded for the risks and toil he undergoes?
Brother, he is my farmer!
12 INTERactive ENGLISH
The Beggar 13

about 100 words each. The first one

2. Answer the follow ing questions in Watch the use of synonyms - sighted,
spotted, seen Do they lend
has been answered as a model. variety to the poem and avoid boredom? Do they enrich readers' experience?
deeply in the complexities
a) "Dr Ammangi Venugopal's creativity is rooted How?
and contradictions of modern life," say observers. Examine the expression, sky's hunger. Can the sky be hungry? Think of
reference point.
Explain the statement, taking The Beggar as a the connotation and its impact.
Punctuation
Answer: Dr Ammangi Venugopal is a creative genius. He is well aware of the 4Eun with
problems farmers
complexities and contradictions of moderm life. The complex Note the punctuation mark in the following lines from the poem.
is
today face form the central idea of his moving Telugu poem Bichchagadu. It Brother, he is my farmer.
rendered into English by Elanaaga (Dr N Surendra). Farmers, the food providers His face, replete with wretchedness.
Their eves
to all, struggle to survive. They starve. Yet, they toil. Their feet bleed. Yes. It is the comma (,). This mark serves a valuable
they
are full of shadows of their sad stories. Their hunched backstell us how hard purpose by indicating
a short pause.
work. Yet, their stomachs get no food. They are capable of feeding millions. And
those millions do not include in them those farmers. How cruel the modem society Examine the use of this all important punctuation mark at two different
responsible for this irony is! Thus, the poem shows the complexities of current places in the Same sentence, thereby changing the meaning of that sentence
times, thus acquiring for itselfuniversal appeal. drastically!
Stop not, read on! (Asking someone to read on without stopping.)
b) How does the poem, The Beggar describe the farmer's pathetic physical Stop, not read on! (Asking someone NOT to read on !)
condition?
The panda eats, shoots and leaves. (After eating, fires at someone and
c) List the abilities a farmer is endowed with, according to the poem. goes.)
d) The poet addresses the reader as you and talks about the farmer as my The panda eats shoots and leaves. (No Comma. Leaves and
tender
farmer. Explain the significance in a paragraph. stems are eaten.)
1. Appreciating the Poem Keep on watching howpunctuation marks are used by collecting interesting
The poem opens with a question. Three more questions, almost with the examples.
same point, follow. Does the speaker really want answers to these questions' 5. Word Study
lf not, why, then, four questions in just sixteen lines? Does the speaker seek
to draw the attention of readers to the gravity of farmers' problems? Do the Note the word sight - the letters and sounds - its meaning too. Now look at
the words: site; cite. What do you notice? Three words with different spelling,
questions set one think seriously? Do those questions evoke empathy
readers for farmers? similar pronunciation and different meanings! Doyou know what such words are
called? Can you make such sets of words with eye, some, seen and sow? Such
Note how the reader is addressed (vocative case) in the poem. Does
words are called homophones.
have any impact? Are you reminded of SwamiVivekananda's world
famous 6. Listening and Speaking
speech on l]September, 1893, in Chicago? How did he begin?
instant impact? What was it
Imagine you have sightedsomeone with shadows in his dusky eyes. Initiate
Ihe speaker says, "He is my farmer". Observe the use of the a dialogue with him asking reasons for his sad state. With a friend - practise
possessive SPEAKING that dialogue and practise LISTENING to your friend as he
pronoun, my. Does the speaker want everyone to own up SPEAKS
with them their problems? farmers, and out the other's part.
 INTERactive ENGLISH
14

7. Writing
suggestions to farmers that h The Noble Nature
Write a small paragraph listing out your
state of aftairs.
them come out of that tragic Ben Jonson
8. Thinking
with a beggar. Does the poet mean to ins Objectives
The poet equates the farmer
3 ate the farmer? lf not, what purpose does the poet have in mind To introduce to the leamers the beauty of brevity (both of life and exnrssioni
t
ae m d Gndot Does the poet want to drive people away fro e To cxplain to the leamers the value of
examples as opposed to nreents
possible solutions? Think.
farming? Does he compel the reader to ponder over To familiarize the learners with certain
aspects of trees plants
. To bring into the experience of the learners the rhvthm of lyTiCs
9. Word Games Appetizer
Note the words (All except under are from the poem.) given below in You haveagrand idea. You would love to share it with others. You
particular order.
want it to be
expressed in a short, sweet and artistic way. Your dreams are great. But do vou
siehted, dusky, you, under, rice, eyes, seeds, sow, with, hunger, replet have the means?
earth, hunchback Have you noticed the pattern? Yes, you are right! T If not, read on to find out!
last letter of the first word begins the second word and the last letter of the secor
word begins the third one and so on. This, as you are familiar with, is knowai ABOUT THE POET
anthyakshari or word chain - the last letter. This is one of the many play w Ben Jonson, (1572 - 1637) the
methods to enrich one's vocabulary! Play on and invent new games! seventeenth century
playwright, is regarded as the second most popular ofEnglish
dramatists, after Shakespeare. He is very well known for
his comedy of humours like Everyman in His Humnour. He
--0 -- had an appetite for controversies - personal, political.
intellectual, philosophical and soon. As a poet, he proved his
expertise with his lyries.
ABOUT THE POEM
Ben Jonson's poem, The Noble Nature is one ot his most popular lries.
This ten-lined short poem discusses a noble thought in simple style. That protound
message is expressedclearly with the help ofexamples and images trom nature. l
highlights the point that quality counts more thanquantity. Rhyme and thythnm add
to its lyrical beauty.
GIST
What adds value to man's life? Ben Jonson, in his po0em, The Noble Nature.
Seeks to answer this question. Leading a meaninglul life makes it noble, Jonson
aSserts. He employs analogies from nature. The oak stands tall and lives long (for
S00 years). But it ends up as a dry, bald log. Whercas, the lily lowers in Mav.
 INTERactive ENGLISH
16 The Noble Nature 17

Yet, iit pleases many. Beaut

flourishes for a day and
shines for a short while.
Quantity counts not much Qual nswer: These are the opening lines ot the lyrical poem, The Noble Nature.
measures - fills hearts withthrills.
even in little This impressive picce of artwas etafted by Ben Jonson. The poem seeks to explain
lends nobility to life. what makes Man noble. The poct employs exanples from flora to drive home his
THE POEM noint. He straight away ntroduces the main idea how to become a better Man. But
men bulk doesn't make one great. Smartness, even in small measure, impreSses
It is not growing like a tree
In bulk, doth make Man
better be: and impacts everyone. Neither long life nor large size can help one attain nobility.
hundred year, Matter matters, not the magnitude! This is the message from the image in these
Or standing long an oak, three lines. Capital Min man is signiticant.
and sere:
To fall a log at last, dry, bald,
Alily of aday b) Alily ofa day
Is fairer far in May, Is fairer far in May,
Although it fall and die that night c) It was the plant and flower of Light.
It was the plant and flower of Light. d) And in short measures life may perfecet be.
In smallproportions we just beauties see: 2, Answer the follow ing questions in about 100 ords each. The first one
And in short measures life may perfect be. has been answered as a model.
Questions that help and check understanding a) Discuss the aptness of the title The Noble Nature to the poem
a) How does a tree grow? Is it a good model? Answer:The Noble Nature is one of the most popular lyrics of Ben Jonson. A
b) Describe the way a three hundred-year-old oak tree dies. seventeenth century playwright, Jonson was an intellect and a philosopher. As
c) When does a lily shine?
such, he seeks to explain what makes man's life noble. The core meaning of the
poem centres round this single idea. In just ten lines of the poem, the poet says
d) Why does the poet call the lily the plant and flower of Light? twice: Man better be; and life perfeet be. And to make Man better or life
e) What makes life perfect /better? perfect, he advises one to lead a meaningful life-of Light-like that of a lily. Thus,
GLOSSARY the focus of the poenm is clearly on making Man better. To emphasize the point,
bulk (n) /bAk/ size, quantity (usually large), mas CXamples of the oak and the lily are used. Hence the title, The Noble Nature,
doth (v) /doo/ suits the poem well.
: old form of'does'
oak (n) /auk/ : a large tree with hard wood b) Bulk does not make Man better be. How does the oak support this
log (n) /log stand?
the trunk of a dead tree
bald (adj) bo:ld/ c) Explain with the example of the lily that size nnatters not but beauty counts a
without leaves, flowers etc
lot.
sere (adj) /si(r)/ without moisture, dry
3. Appreciating the 'ocm
proportions (n-pl) /pra pofnz/ quantities; measures
]. Annotate the following in about 100 words each. The first The title of the poenm is The Noble Nature. What is noble? Nature -is the
one has be
answered as a model. obvious answer. Butwhat does nature here mean? Most readers feel it is
a) It is not growing like a
tree Man's personality, attitude, character, behaviour ete. Yes. It is right.
In bulk, doth make But nature here could also mean plants, aninals and things around us. And
Man better be:
it is the lily that shows the way to be noble. How do you feel now, if you
consider nature to have two mneanings and both being relevant?
 INTERactive ENGLISH The Noble Nature 19
I8

sound ofeach line in a row. And find o Note down the adjectives used in the poem.
lines. Putthe last
The poenm has ten some sounds are repeated in
fun for yourself. Do you notice that called dry, bald, sere, fair(er), small, short, perfect
the
repetition of sounds at the end of lines Also note down their significance in the poem.
pattern? What is the synonvms?
proportions and measures are A Note down the synonyms used in the poem.
Have you noticed that them in line two of the
poen22
in meaning to
vou tind out a word related dry (adj) - sere (adj)
significance of those three words.
lo see the small (adË) - short (adj)
4. Fun with Punctuation proportions (n) - measures (n)
Study the following sentence. 6. Listening and Speaking
intelligent.
The teacher said Amith is Audios reciting The Noble Nature are available on the Internet. Practise
meaning? listening to it carefully. Listen to it repeatedly til you can recite (not read) it.
Have you understood its
Concentrate on the pronunciation, pauses, rhythm etc.
You wouldprobably say 'yes!. 7. Writing
improvement in terms of grammar.
But, he sentence needs
?In two possible ways. Write a paragraph narrating your observation where magnitude mattered
not but a minute point proved its might. Like an answer in ten lines scoring more
:Theteacher said that Amith was intelligent. marks than an answer written in ten pages!
understood.
This is most probably what you 8. Thinking
are possible.
Nc see the second way: In this, two different ways The poem, The Noble Nature says leading a meaningful life even for a
a) The teacher said, "Amith is intelligent." short while is worthier than leading a long life with neither charm nor value.
Here only punctuation marks (."....." ) are added. Are you reminded of a popular proverb in Telugu?
Now see the real fun. says : Living for just six months like a swan is more valuable than
b) "The teacher", said Amith, "is intelligent." living eternally likeacrow!
Who is now intelligent? (The grammarian?) Do you agree to the analogy?
Have you ever examined the life of a crow? Have you heard that crows
Keep on adding to your collection of interesting instances involvi
punctuation!
selflessly feed and breed chicks of other birds? Have you at least noticed that a
crow keeps on calling fellow crows whenever it finds some food? It doesn't touch
S. Word Study
a grain, till other crows join it! Keep on thinking on these lines. Can we, then, say
" llaveyou come across the word doth in your reading or listening? Ifythat acrow's life doesn't have any value? Then, why that saying andits popularity?
how frequently and where? Think again! It could have, in all probability, been based on the looks!
°an you lind the word sere in every dictionarv Why nor? One likord Games
cxplunation is that such words were widely used in old English. And they The poem we are discussing is The Noble Nature.
not frequently used in modern English.
As part of word games, let us take up the word nature. Using the letters
hpon noling down such words when you read texts of the l6th. 17h1(only once in agiven word) in that word, let us see how many other words we can
IRhCenturies, particularly poetry! write based on this six-lettered word. Now, start! nut (eat and get energy). net
 INTERactive ENGLISH
20

(play this word game in : an

possiblein your net), neat
(catch as many wordsas ten, true, tar, tear,
turn. tare,
tune,
way), a, at, an, art,
urn, ran, run, rat,
are, ate, tan,
rut, rate, eat, era ...
Keep Going
quarter of a century
Edgar Guest
Surprised! The score is already
Objectives
And you can add on ... ..
the poem. Now take un the . To show to the learners how the path ahead may have
Nature is established as the best teacher in thorns as well
pOSsible. Remember thes To equip the learners with means to convert those
TEACHER for our activity. Write as many words as in your threats into opportunities
letter in TEACHER only once word. There To prove to the learners how words work as a wand of
of the game. Use any words. With six letters . magic filling
can use e twice in any of your minds and souls with inspiration inexhaustible
TWO 'e's in it. So, you
could make 25 words. Appetizer
you aim to reach? Dream
Now you have seven letters. What more do You have heard your friend saying that the speech by Shri V.V.
Aim high. You shouldeasily cross halfa century. Learning
can be such an enrich garu was electrifying. You couldn't believe it. You also heardLakshminarayana
elsewhere that
fun! words heal, comfort, console, inspire, motivate, make peace etc. You
was an exaggeration. Here is a chance to find out for yourself how thoughtcan
it
words
charge ...
Hey! Running already! Come on! Keep going
RRBOUTTEROF
Edgar Albert Guest was born in England on 20 August
1881. But soon after, their family moved to the U.S.A. His
father lost his job when Edgar was just 12, and so he had to
work as a copy boy in Detroit Free Press. At 14, 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. For about 30 years he went on
writing a poem a day, which were published in that paper.
All his poems were later published as 20 + volumes. He is
regarded as a people's
poet who wrote easy-to-read poems. He died on S August 1959.
ABOUT THEPOLNN
The poem, Keep Going, by Edgar Albert Guest, has unanimously been
acclaimed as one of the classic inspirational poems. This 24-lined rhymed easy-to
read verse is undoubtedly a people's poem. Edgar Guest proclaimed once: "I take
Simple everyday things that happen to me - which also happen to everyone - and
make simple rhymes of them." This tells us in Edgar's own words, how Keep
Going took its shape. With each word working as a capsule of inspiration, the
poem can dispel depression in tons instantly and permanently.
 INTERactive ENGLISH
Keep Going 23
22

GLOSSARY
GIST
about the need to keep going trudging (vting) /trAdz1n/ walking wearily (in a tired way) with
poem speaks volumes
This simplesounding warning that the path ahea heavy, slow steps
The poem opens with a
despite difficulties in scores. reader NEVER TO QUIT. Trouble queer (adj) kwiY(r)/ : odd, strange
keeps on advising the
has many thorns. It beyond your reach. Fuunds may be lou stuck (past tense of stick) /stak/ remained attached to
Goals may stand
may come and stay. THE POEM - SEGMENT 2/2
March ahead! Rest ifneed be. But stop ng
Needs may be more. Yet, give up not! excusable N
efforts. One more blow may turn failure into success. Fall is Often the goal is nearer than
in
quit. QuittersS never win. Keep goine It seems to a faint and faltering man,
trying to rise is unpardonable. Winners never Often the struggler has given up
invaluable message of the poem.
Success is thine, sure! This is the plain but When he might have captured the victor's cup,
THE POEM - SEGMENT V2 And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
sometimes will, How close he was to the golden crown.
When things go wrong, as they 3

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, Success is failure turned inside out
When the funds are low and the debts are high, The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
It may be near when it seems afar:
When care is pressing you down a bit,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
Rest if you must -but don't you quit.
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit. 4
Life is queer with its twists and turns, Questions that help and check understanding
As every one of us Sometimes learns, a) Who sees the goal at a far off place, though it is much nearer?
And many a failure turns about b) When does a struggler learm that he/she has missed the victor's cup?
When he might have won had he stuck it out; c) What does the speaker mean by the golden crown?
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow - d) How does the narrator describe success in the last stanza?
You may succeed with another blow. 2
e) When shouldn't one particularly quit?
Questions that help and check understanding GLOSSARY
a) List four difficult situations mentioned in the first
five lines of the poem. faint (ad/) /fent/ : weak, lacking energy and courage
b) What may be permitted and what is not allowed a
to man facing such proble faltering (vting) /fo:ltYr1ny wavering, moving unsteadily
according to the first stanza?
captured (v-pt) /kæptf(r)d/ : took control of; won
c) What is the essential quality of life
that everyone learns at times!? tint (n) /tunt/ colour
d) What is the hope the
speaker offers one to go ahead? I. Annotate the follow ing in about 100 words each. The first one has been
answered as a model.
a) Rest if you must - but don't you quit.
 Keep Going 25
INTERactive ENGLISH
24

words of valuableeadvice fornm part of the poem, Ke 3. Appreciating the Poem

Answer: These wonderful poet, Edgar Albert Guest. Ke " In this poem of four stanzas, quit and give up (never) appear twice each.
well-known people's
Going. It was penned by theacknowledged as one of the best tinspirational In all never quit and don't give up occur four times. Can you see the
has universally been poem
Going reader neverto give up.T significance? Do they bore the reader? Or do they reinforce the message
poem keeps on advisingthe
True to its popularity,the Yet, shouldn't lose the poem seeks to impress on the reader, like booster doses?
life may pose problems.
one
poem straightaway states that The poem opens with a list of wrong things. Is it to frighten the reader?
types of problems are presented first. They could}
fighting spirit. Samples of If
some other kind. the pressure overweigh
When does, by the way, one need motivation? In times of troubles or in
money-related, health-related or of inspirat. pleasant moments? Do they serve the poet's purpose?
quit. The line encapsulates
one may take rest. But one should never . the night slipped down ...... Is this the night of darkness of doubts
particularly inversion adds to
invaluable! The artistic arrangement of words - and weak spirit or of the absence of the sun?
force and beauty as well. What popular proverb are you reminded of as you see the silver tint of the
You may succeed with another blow. clouds of doubt? How does that proverb strengthen the poet's message?
b)
c) Often the goal is nearer than " Notice the beauty of the rhyme scheme aa, bb, cc in all the four stanzas.
It seems to afaint and faltering man, 4. Funwith Punctuation
d) Success is failure turned inside out Read the following sentences.
The first on
2. Answer the following questions in about 100 words each. It is a china doll. It is a China doll.
has been answered as a model. Are both the sentences identical? If you don't see the difference, go to the
a) Keep Going is aclassic inspirational poem, claim many critics. Substanti topic's name -punctuation. Using capital letters is also apart of punctuation.
Answer: Edear Albert Guest is very popular as apeople's poet. His poem, Ke In the first sentence, the word ehina begins with lower case c. The same word in
and the fun
Going, is undoubtedly an inspirational poem of immeasurable value. All through ne second sentence begins with capitalC. This makes the difference
twenty-four lines of rhymed verse, the poem keeps advising the reader nevert In the first sentence china means porcelain.
quit. With the help of convincing images and commendable comparisons, the po: The doll is made of porcelain.
encourages the reader to keep on the struggle tillthe goal is attained. It oper In the second sentence China with capital C refers to the country.
admits that life may be amixture of more pains and less pleasures. Yet, one mu The doll was made in China!
continue with one's effort, though with intervals of rest,till success greets one wi Now read the following (pairs of) sentences and enjoy for yourself the
Smiles. The poem emphatically announces that the faint see goals afar and l difference and the resulting fun of course!
weak give up in the middle. It asserts that winners never quit. It is no surpr1se
the world welcomes it as a classic
0. We are expecting a guest today even in Covid times!
inspirational poem. What? Is the poet Guest coming to your house today?
b) Life is queer with its twists and turns, .... List a few I. Here comes Constable. (proper noun - capital C - name of a person)
twists as mentio
in the poem.
[No one is worried or afraid.]
C. It may be near when it
seems afar: What seems afar and why? Here comes the constable. (common noun - name of aprofession - lower
d. 'Aneasy-to-read poem, Keep Going is rich both in its content and case c)
lo
Explain the above statement with [The guilty start running away.]
examples.
 Keep Going 27
INTERactiveENGLISH
26

watt (w - Jower case), to meas

a unit, called a) Winners never quit: Quitters never win.
Watt developed
ii. James
electricity. b) Victors see opportunities in difficulties:
classes as a mark of protest.
(b -lower case) Victims see difficulties in opportunities
Students often boycott capital) was
popular Irish land agent Boycott (B - c) Arise! Awake! Stop not till you reach the goal.
A looking for a good mason (m -lo%
house and are (Thundered SwamiVivekananda.)
V. They plan to build a
Case - common
noun)
says that
Now try writing one or two slogans like the above.
capital)
famous
A author John Mason (M - More models for you.
you can and enhance your i
Collect as many
sentences of this type as i. Leave not: Live great.
experience!
levels as you enrich your learning i. Give up not: Gain many.
5. Word Study ii. Depart not: Derive a lot.
antonyms within the poem.
" There are pairs of iv. Fall you may: Forget not to rise: Fame and name be thine!
high (Line 3)
One example is : low x Now, keep going!!!
sets of antonyms.
Now, pick up from the poem three 8. Thinking
too.
Similarly there are pairs of synonyms Keep Going is an inspirational poem. So, it is very popular. Why? Is it
One example : wists = turns because inspiration is in such a demand? Can you figure out who needs inspiration
Pick up one more set of synonyms. Imotivation most? Do you see that those in troubles / sorrows / pain / depression /
a lot? What do you think is the reason for such sorrows/
A Note the difference between the words succeed and success (1n temS failures need inspiration
diffidence/ depression etc?
grammar). Both the words appear in the poem.
Have you heard that Gauthama Buddha said that desire is the root cause of
See more related words (not from the poem).
succeed successful successfully allour sorrows? Is it possible to root out desire from our minds? If not, shall we
succesS
accept sorow as part of our life? Keep on thinking. Who knows, yet another
Note the difference between stick (Line 23) and stuck (Line 10)(agai Buddha may arise from within you!
terms of grammar). 9. Word Games
6. Listening and Speaking One day, our Professor proposed toplay with heroine, not a person, the
Plenty of motivational / inspirational audios / videos are available on word. We were thrilled. He asked us to write the word without the last letter.
Internet. Select one short and interesting piece. Listen and keep listening heroine a female lead character
repeatedly till you listen to each word clearly and correctly. Then speak the s a drug like brown sugar
heroin (-e)
matter to your classmates. Ask them if they have understood the sounds cle
Listen to your teacher as he / she reads / recites the poem Keep Going. (He quipped - the word with e or without e is capable of thrilling you!)
again if there is a need. Then, READ /RECITE (SPEAK OUT) the pu The Professor then asked us to remove the last two letters.
[Listen to some Ted Ex talks on the YouTube] hero Then remove one more letter.
7. Writing her again remove one more letter.
The poem, Keep Going keeps on advising the reader never to
quivg
Now read the following quotations that
sum up the same idea.
 NTERSveENGLISH

he
(-in) ’ hero (-0)
’ her (-r) ’
he Two Sides of Life
beroine (e) ’ heroin teacher. turn a man into a woman 22 Booker T Washington
the English
"Can anyone, except cryptic, concBuding remarkc of that
professor w
instantBy?" wasthe
into a man so lips.
Objectives
smile on his
an enchating To make the learmers know the value of life
Now continue the game. think in terms of understanding men and
anywhere - in the beginning. ending. middle. etc. Ke e Toshow to the leamers how people
Add aletter at atime mattes
words. in the classroom in oulding
on creating new Toenable the learmers to know the role ofa teacher
some odels! citizens
Here are the voung minds into future
tow ards their
I+t=it+h= hit -|= hilt To inculcate in the students a sense of respect and responsibility
teacher
+ w= whit
Appetizer
+ i= plaint
a+n=an + t=ant +p= pant + l=plant Have you heard ofthe word trait? It means a particular quality in one's
personality
or her own traits
and is generally used as personality traits. Everyone has his
on the mental status. This makes a MAN or a WOMAN what he or
+ m=man + i = main depending
she is.
a +t= at + h hat + t = that
traits
Ler's read on to find out the two sides of life or rather two kinds of

te= eat +l= halt

ate + w = what ABOUT THE WRITER
Booker Taliaferro Washington (I8S6-1915) was bom
intoslavery and rose to become a leading Atrican American
t m =meat / mate
intellectual of the 19th Century. He founded Tuskegee
Unlimited are the opportunities to build your vocabulary. The reverse i Normal and Industrial Institute (Now Tuskegee
removing a letter at a time is also equally rewarding. University) in 1881 and the National Negro Business
Smart -S= mart -m = art -r = at -t =a.
League two decades later. He was an American educator,
Let us quit here for now, though Guest advises us to quit not! author, orator, and adviser to several Presidents of the
United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in
-- 0 -- the African American community and of the contemporary black elite. His lite
and industry are the hallmarks of his personality.
ABOUT THE SPEECH
Washington had had the habit of delivering practical, straightforward Sunday
Evening Talks to the students and teachers for many years in Tuskegee Institute.
These addresses have had much to do with the building up of the character of his