Wars Should Be Avoided At all Costs_ an article

               


George Washington once said, “My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from earth." War is the march of hell on the surface of earth, and it leaves in its wake, corpses, ruins, rubble, families destroyed, and regret for having invited this monster from hell. Wars can never end conflicts, they complicate it further.





World War 1 and World War 2 are the two ugliest scars on the face of mankind. They wreaked so much havoc that its precedent is impossible to find since the beginning of evolution. Wars are futile and outcome of man’s ignorance and anger. The people of the world must learn a lesson from these two holocausts.



All the wars that were fought in the history of mankind taught man the horrible lessons of its futility. The most heinous and horrible war in the entire history of mankind is the Second World War. The dates August 6, 1945, and August 9, 1945 are written indelibly on the pages of history with blood of thousands of people who died a painful death in the nuclear bomb attacks in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Hiroshima bomb killed approximately 1,40,000 people instantaneously; Nagasaki underwent almost the same nightmare.





 Seeing the enormity of death and destruction, the entire world condemned the use of nuclear bombs. Even those who were in favour of its use in war, felt remorseful. The most frightening aspect related to nuclear bombs is, the world is full of them. Bombs many times more potent than the ones used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are lying ready in the arsenals of many country.



Even in the modern times, the consequences and fallout of wars in countries such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, millions of people have been affected. The cities in these countries that used to be full of life and echoes of happy children and are deserted with destroyed houses, shops, and complexes. One feels miserable seeing such a huge destruction. The world is in a precarious position. Another large scale war involving two or three nations might end very life of man! When will man become wiser and renounce war forever? May be soon!



   In conclusion it can be said that wars are symbolic of savage backwardness. Civilized people resolve their conflicts through peaceful dialogue at the discussion table. So, wars must be avoided at all costs.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree-William Butler Yeats

The Lake Isle of  Innisfree-William Butler Yeats

1.      What does the poet find so attractive about the Leake Lake Isle of  Innisfree?

Ans : The thing that the poet finds so attractive about Lake Isle of Innisfree is its promise of peace.The poet longs for this place which affords a sense of contentment and relaxation far from the busy modem life. The poem’s slow and regular meter helps to convey this languid, dreamy effect. There is also the vivid impressionistic description of the colours and beauties of this place, and the soothing stir of nature which is so different from the strident noise of the city where the poet actually is, as the final stanza makes clear.The poet, then, is physically trapped in the city, but he can imagine the beauty of Innisfree and this gives him spiritual sustenance. This is one of Yeats’s early lyrics, exhibiting a familiar romantic sensibility in its praise of the deep purity and beauty of nature which is contrasted with the drabness, shallowness and sterility of modem urban living

2.      What words does the poet use to describe how calmness and tranquility will come to Innsifree?

Ans: The poet declares that he will arise and go to Innisfree, where he will build a small cabin “of clay and wattles made.” There, he will have nine bean-rows and a beehive, and live alone in the glade loud with the sound of bees (“the bee-loud glade”). He says that he will have peace there, for peace drops from “the veils of morning to where the cricket sings.”

3.      How does the poet describe midnight, noon and evening?

Ans: Apparently, in Innisfree, midnight is shimmering and beautiful and midday is a purple glow—this is starting to sound a little fairy-tale gorgeous. Saying that the evening is full of linnet's wings makes us think not only of one bird, but also of all of them in flight.

The imagery is getting almost dreamlike—purple, hazy, full of birds in flight. 

4.      What is so special about the sound produced by the following line?

Ans : He can hear the lapping of the water on Innisfree in his mind or something.Thats because he's not really hearing the water, we should think of this auditory image as a metaphor for his strong desire to head to Innisfree. We think it's safe to say that he imagines the sounds because he's so absorbed in his desire to get to this ideal place.

5.      What sound is the poet looking forward to hear in Innisfree?

Ans: The speaker wants to be surrounded by the sounds of nature. "Glade" is an open space in a forest. Living in that clearing with only the birds chirping and bees buzzing seems pretty awesome to him. More soothing sounds of nature. Here Yeats writes about the peaceful sounds of the cricket. That's definitely something we don't get in the city.

THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR

Q1) Describe the house where the doctor lived?

Ans1) The doctor lived in a small house. It was not electrified. It had only few things. The roof was tiled. Tiles were rested on the beam over the wall. The room had two windows with one wall facing the open yard.

Q2) What happened when doctor was sitting on his chair?

Ans2) One day the doctor was sitting in the chair and was thinking about his future. Suddenly a snake landed on his shoulder. It coiled around his left arm above the elbow. Its hood was spread and its head was just three or four inches away from the his face.

Q3) What was the doctor’s choice of woman for his marriage?

Ans3) Doctor thought about marrying a rich fat woman. So that, if he committed any silly mistake and wanted to run away she might not be able to run after him and catch him.

Q4) In the story “The snake and the Mirror” the snake has been compared to three objects. What are they?

Ans4) The snake is compared to three objects 1) a rubber tube. 2) a thick leaden rod, 3) a rod made of molten fire. The writer compares it with rubber tube because it falls with thud. It is compared to leaden rod because it looks like a rod. It is compared to rod made of molten fire it caused that sensation and burning in his arm and the whole body.

Q5) What two important decisions did the doctor take?

Ans5) The first important decision taken by doctor was that he would grow a thin moustache and keep an attractive smile on his face. So that he would look more handsome. Secondly he would marry a fat but rich woman doctor.

Q6) Why did the writer smile when death lurked four inches away?

Ans6) A snake coiled around doctor’s arm and death lurked four inches away. At that moment writer thought what medicine he would take if snake bite him. There was no medicine in the room. The narrator was a poor, foolish and stupid doctor. His thinking suddenly changed. He forgot his danger and smile feebly.

Q7) What was the similarity between the doctor and the snake?

Ans7) There was similarity between the doctor and the snake. Both of them were admirer of their own beauty. The doctor remained in his imagination. The snake was attracted towards the mirror. Both were carried by their beauty.

Class 11 A Photograph - Shirley Toulson

1) What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word beenused?


Ans: The cardboard means a very stiff and thick paper, here the cardboard is a part of the frame that keeps the photograph intact. It's use in poem is ironical  It keeps the photograph of that 12 year old girl safe who herself was terribly transient  The player's mother had died some years ago.

2) What has the camera captured?
Ans: The camera had captured all the three girls alive in it. It has captured the pretty face of the poet's mother who as a girl of twelve at that time. It has also captured the smiling faces of the two girl cousins Betty and Dolly. They are holding the hands of the poet's mother.

3) What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?
Ans: The sea has not changed over the years. It rings out the transient nature and its object. Time spares none. The pretty faces and the feet of the three girls are terribly transient or moral when compared to the ageless and unchangeable sea. 

4) The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate?
Ans: The poet's mother laughs at the snapshot which was taken years ago. In the photograph, she as well as her two little cousins stood at the each. She laughed at the ay all of them were dressed up for the beach. Perhaps they looked funny. Their laughter indicated the youthful spirit.

5) What is the meaning of the line “Both wry with the laboured ease or loss”
Ans: Both the mother and the poet suffered a great sense of loss. The mother has lost her childhood innocence and joyful spirit that the photograph has captured some years ago. For the poet, the smile of her mother has become thing of the past. She has silently resigned to her faith. Ironically both labour to bear their loss with ease. 


6) What does "this circumstance" refer to?
Ans: The circumstance refers to the death of the poet's mother. The photograph of her dead mother brings sad nostalgic feelings in the past. But the poet has nothing to say at all about the circumstance. The silence of the poet makes the silence prevailing their still deeper.

7) The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they?
Ans: In the first stanza, the poet's mother is shown as a twelve yearold girl with pretty smiling face. Then she is paddling with her two girl cousins. This face is before the poet's birth. The second face describes the middle aged mother laughing at her own snapshot. The third face describes the chilling pale of silence that the death of her mother has left of the past.

Class 12 Lesson-The Tiger King (Vistas)

Short Answer Type Questions
Q. 1. Who is the Tiger King?
The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the Tiger King of the story. He was known 
in his kingdom by different names as His Highness Jamedar, General Khiledar-
Major, Sata-Vyaghrasamhari, MaharajadhirajaVisvaBhuvanasamrat, Sir Jilani 
Jung Jung
Bahadur, M.A.D., A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K. 
Q2. Why does the Tiger King get this name? 

Ans. Tigers dominate the life and even death of the king. So he is named the 
tiger king. The chief astrologer foretells that he is born in the hour of the Bull. 
The Bull and the Tiger are enemies. Therefore, his death will come from the 
Tiger. Ironically, the king who killed 99 tigers, his death was caused by a 
wooden toy tiger.
Q3. What was the miracle that took place in the royal palace?
Ans. When the Maharaja was a 10 day old baby, he spoke and asked intelligent 
questions about his death. After knowing that he would be killed by a tiger, he 
uttered saying ―Let tigers beware.‖
Q4. How did the chief astrologer react to the tiger king‟s question about the 
manner of his death? How did the tiger king take it?
Ans. When the baby barely ten days old, opens its lips in speech. The chief 
astrologer was wonderstruck. He thought it to be incredible that the baby raised 
an intelligent question –to know about the manner of his death. The astrologer 
told that the prince was born in the hour of the bull. The bull and tiger are 
enemies. Therefore, death to him shall come from the Tiger. The tiger king 
growled, ―Let tigers beware!‖
Q5. How was the Tiger King brought up?
Ans. As a child the Tiger King was brought up by an English nanny and tutored 
by an Englishman. He was given the milk of an English cow. He watched only 
English movies.
Q6. Why was it celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting 
Pratibandapuram?
Ans. There was a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram 
because the state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja and a 
proclamation was issued to the effect that if any one dared to fling a stone at a 
tiger, all his wealth and property would be seized. 
Q7. What did the State astrologer say he would do „if the hundredth tiger 
were also killed‟?
Ans. The State astrologer was so sure of his prediction that he announced that 
he would cut off his ceremonial tuft, crop his hair short and become an 
insurance agent in case the king was able to kill the 100th tiger, too. He was 
sure that the Maharaja‘s death would be caused by the 100th tiger.
Q8. What did the high-ranking British officer wish to do? Was his wish 
fulfilled?
Ans. The high-ranking British officer wanted to kill a tiger. When he was 
denied the permission for hunting, he sent a word to the king that he would be 
happy if he was allowed to get photographed with the dead body of a tiger 
killed by the king. However, his wish remained unfulfilled.
Q9. How did the Maharaja manage to save his throne?
Ans. The Maharaja had annoyed the visiting senior British officer over the issue 
of tiger-hunting and ‗stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself‘. So, the 
Maharaja and the Dewan decided to please the officer through bribe by sending gifts of expensive diamond rings to the duraisani, the wife of the British 
officer. Thus he managed to save his throne.
Q10. What did the Maharaja do when he stood in danger of losing his 
kingdom? 
Ans. The Maharaja obtained some fifty expensive diamond rings of different 
designs from a British Jewellery Company in Calcutta and sent them to the 
British officer‘s good lady expecting her to choose one or two rings and send 
the rest back. But she kept all the rings and thanked the Maharaja for the gift. 
This cost the Maharaja three lakh rupees but his kingdom was saved.