2.3 There Is Another Sky: Brainstorming Activities

2.3 There is Another Sky

(i) Life is an amalgam of happy and sad moments. Think of such moments in your life, pair with your classmate and share both the aspects of life.

Happy Moments	Sad Moments
1. Winning the first prize in a competition	Losing your mobile, bicycle or wallet
2. Getting admission in the college of our choice	Not getting admission
3. Meeting old friends	Parting from friends

(ii) Discuss with your partner and find proverbs, idioms or phrases of similar meaning to the one given and fill them in the stars given below:

(i) When we look at the sky, we find several objects. They stand for something or the other. Complete the following table by finding the significance of the given objects. One example is given to you.

Sr. No.	Celstial Bodies	Association
1.	The Sun	Power, Heat, Energy, Commitment etc.
2.	The Moon	Beauty, Light , Calmness, Love etc
3.	The Rainbow	Unity, Beauty , Hope, etc
4.	The Stars	Light, Eternity, Guide, etc

(ii) Colours mentioned in the hexagons given below, are associated with something or the other. Discuss with your partner and fill in the blanks.

There is another sky,

Ever serene and fair,

And there is another sunshine,

Though it be darkness there;

Never mind faded forests, Austin,

Never mind silent fields—

Here is a little forest,

Whose leaf is ever green;

Here is a brighter garden,

Where not a frost has been;

In its unfading flowers

I hear the bright bee hum:

Prithee, my brother,

Into my garden come!

-Emily Dickinson

(A1) (i) Imagine your younger sister is not paying attention to her studies and is seen wasting time playing games on her cell-phone. Suggest some ways that will help her to concentrate on her studies and overcome her bad habit.
Ans : Hey, Amruta, you are not paying attention to your study . It’s a bad habit to play games on cellphone. You should keep in mind that it makes one lazy for everything and busy for nothing. You should be crazy for books. Work hard to be Lord.
(ii) You have noticed that many of your classmates are not interested in outdoor games or participating in co-curricular activities. Discuss some ways in which they will be encouraged to participate in activities.
Ans: The College should organise outdoor games. Participation in at least two activities should be made compulsory. Winners should get reward and certificate. The certificate should have weightage in the exam.
(A2) (i) Discuss with your partner and complete the web, highlighting the sad and gloomy aspects of life mentioned in the first part of the poem.

(ii) The poet encourages her brother in the second part of the poem by telling him about the brighter side of life. Discuss with your partner and make a list of the expressions in the poem that mean encouragement.
(a) Brighter garden
(b) unfading flower
(c) bright bee hum
(iii) The poet has described two different shades of human feelings by using imagery of various forces of Nature in the poem. Pick out the terms or phrases that describe them. Complete the table given below. One is done for you.

Nature	Feelings
Faded forests	Sad/gloomy
Silent fields	loneliness
Bright bee hum	joy

(iv) The poem expresses feelings of serenity. Pick out expressions from the above poem that express the same.

(v) Compare and contrast the two opposing human feelings as expressed by the poet.
(A3) ‘Never mind faded forests, Austin’. The word ‘faded’ means to become dim or faint. The word describes the forests that have become faint or dim in appearance. Now go through the poem again and complete the table.

Describing Word	Object	Explanation
1. faded	forests	The forests have become faint or dim in appearance
2. silent	fields	The field has no trace of birds.
3. unfading	flower	The flower that mains on tree forever.
4. bright	bee	The bee is excited.

(A4) ‘I hear the bright bee hum.’ The poet has used the word ‘hum’ that indicates the sound made by the bee. This is an example of Onomatopoeia. The poet has used different figures of speech like alliteration, inversion and hyperbole in the poem. Identify them and pick out the lines accordingly.
(a) Hyperbole – In its unfading flowers
(b) Alliteration – bright bee, faded forest
(c) Inversion – into my garden come
(A5) Imagine your friend is a table tennis champion who has won the semi-final in the inter-collegiate championship. Due to over confidence, she neither practices nor does she take her opponent seriously. This may result in her losing the final. Suggest some ways to make her aware of the importance of hard work and regular practice.
(A6) (i) Use the following points and write an appreciation of the poem:
• About the poem, poet and title
• Theme
• Poetic style, language, poetic devices used in the poem
• Special features
• Message/values/morals in the poem
• Your opinion about the poem

The poem 'There is Another Sky' written by Emily Dickinson is an inspirational poem with a message of 'never say-die'. It is a Petrarchan sonnet with octave and sestet. The poet is communicating to her brother through a letter. She encourages her brother not to get depressed under any circumstances and pleads with him to return home. Life is full of challenges; one can tackle the challenges with a positive attitude. The poem ends on an optimistic note. The brighter garden stands for choices that life offers to all.

The poem is full of nature imagery. The poem expresses feelings of serenity through them. The poet has deployed various poetic devices in the poem. They are hyperbole, alliteration, inversion, metaphor and onomatopoeia.


(iii) Let’s compose a poem. Two lines are given. Add two of your own.
There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair
Get up and fly
Wait not , ride on mare

Audio File of the Poem