Activities on Nose Versus Eyes

Std 11 English Poetry Section

Poem:Nose versus Eyes

Notes

The web of adjectives used to describe eyes and nose in all respect.

Legal Terminology and Description

Sr. No.	Legal Terminology	Description
1.	Affidavit.	A written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation for use as evidence in court.
2.	Argument	An exchange of diverging or opposite views.
3.	Consent	Agreement to do something.
4.	Counsel	A legal adviser conducting a case.
5.	Judgement	The ability to make considered decision.
6.	Trial	A formal examination of evidence by a judge.
7.	Verdict	A decision on an issue of fact in civil .
8.	Contempt of court	The offence of being disobedient to a court of law.
9.	Notice	Notification or warning of something .
10.	Stay order	The act of temporary stopping a judicial proceeding through the order.

Sensory Organs and related idioms 

1) To turn a deaf ear

2) Nothing between your ears

3) In the blink of an eye

4) To turn blind eye

5) To follow your eyes

6) To follow your nose

7) Under someone's nose

8) In poor taste

9) A bad taste in your mouth

10) To keep in touch 

(A1) (i) State whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.

(a) Nose can use spectacles. True
(b) Eyes have to be shut when the Nose wears / puts on the spectacles. True
(c) The Ear was appointed as a judge. True
(d) Eyes cannot use spectacles. True
(ii) Discuss with your partner and match the following expressions given in column A with their interpretations in column 'B'.

(ii) Match the following.

Sr. No.	Column A	Column B
1.	While Chief Baron Ear sat to balance the laws.	(a) Eyes are refrained from using spectacles.
2.	They are made with the straddle as wide as the ridge of the Nose is.	(b) The responsibility of giving verdict rested on the shoulders of the hearing organ.
3.	That whenever the Nose put his Spectacles on, by daylight or candlelight Eyes should be shut!	(c) Spectacles are meant for none other than the nose.
4.	So his lordship decreed with a grave solemn tone, decisive and clear, without one if or but.	(d) The judge delivered a firm verdict without any doubt.

Ans: 1-b;2-c;3-a;4-d


(A2) (i) The tongue justifies the possession of the spectacles on behalf of the nose. Pick up the expressions from the poem that argue in favour of the Nose and complete the following web diagram. Arguments in favour of Nose

(ii) Comment on the following characters depicted in the poem, in a sentence or a phrase.
On the Nose- Nose claims ownership of a spectacles.               
On the Eyes - Having no proof of ownership of spectacles, though spectacles belongs to it, eyes are on the verge of loosing case.

(A3) Pick out examples of Inversion(figures of speech) from the poem.
Ans : 1. Between Nose and Eyes a strange contest arose.
2. In behalf of the Nose it will quickly appear,

(A4) (i) Justify the verdict delivered in the poem. I can support my answer with the help of the following suitable arguments:
(a)The nose always wear the spectacles .
(b)The spectacles are  designed to sit close to the nose
(c) It is impossible  to wear spectacles without resting on the nose.
(ii) Compose two lines of your own on any sensory organ (poetic creativity).

Nose is so close to us.
Far fragrance it tells .

(iii) Imagine that you are a lawyer defending the case of the eyes in court. Present your counter statement in support of your client.
Ans : Spectacles are made for eyes. They  protect the eyes from sunlight and dust. They improve eyesight . They are of no use to nose.

Activity Sheet

A1 Mention the names of human organs referred to in the poem.
A2 Judgment is based on hearsay. Explain.
Ans: The judgement given by the Baron Ear is based on the argument by tongue and listened by ear. It is not passed on the truth about who does the spectacles belong to . It is quite true that spectacles are for the use of eyes not for nose . But the judge passes the judgment in favour of nose .
A3 Give your views regarding the argument made by the tongue.

Ans: The tongue argued that nose always wear the spectacles so it belongs to nose. It is a funny argument. The argument is one sided .
A4 Find out examples of Simile and personification and give explanation . (any two)
Simile: Designed to sit close to it, just like a saddle.
Personification: While Chief Baron Ear sat to balance the laws.
A5 Compose four lines on fight between ear and mouth.

Appreciation : Nose versus Eyes

Nose versus Eyes is a satirical poem on the judiciary system. It makes fun of blind justice. It emphasizes the lack of empathy and common sense in judgment. The poem is humorous and satirical.
The poet uses human organs as characters in the poem. He describes the fight between eyes and nose. The dispute is over the ownership of spectacles. Ear is deputed to judge. Tongue is the lawyer who defend the nose. With the clever argument by the tongue Ear is convinced and passes the judgment in favour of nose.
The poet has used different figures of speech such as inversion, personification, simile and Metonymy. The rhyme scheme of the poem is abab.
The poem gives close resemblance to the human life. The images in the poem describes human tendencies. People believe in hearsay rather than truth.

Summary : Nose versus Eyes

There  was a dispute between nose and eyes about the possession of spectacles. The tongue was the lawyer . It argued the case with a professional skill.  Chief Baron Ear sat in the court to settle the dispute. He was famous for his intelligent judgment .
The argument began in favour of the nose . The  lawyer argued that the Nose always has spectacles to wear .He was the possessor and therefore , the spectacles belonged to him .Then it had a straddle as wide as the ridge of the Nose .It was designed to rest on the nose as perfectly as a saddle was on a horse .This again proved that the spectacles belonged to the Nose.
Another argument was even more interesting .The lawyer drew the attention of the judge to the fact that every face had a nose .There is never a face without nose. Suppose for the sake of argument,that there was such a face .Then who could wear spectacles? He  concluded that the spectacles were plainly made for the nose and nose was meant for the spectacles.
The same lawyer then shifted his side .Now he began to argue in favour of the eyes .He argued in the best possible way he could. But none knew what his arguments were. The court remained unconvinced. The arguments in the favour of eyes were not as convincing as they were in the favor of nose. So the judge gave nose put his spectacles on,by daylight or candle light and ordered  eyes to shut.

Audio Files of The Poem Click On Radio Button to play the audio.

2.4 Upon Westminster Bridge

Std 11 English Yuvakbharti

Short Notes on Poem Upon Westminster Bridge

ICE BREAKERS
• (i) A bridge connects people at either sides of a river or valleys in cities or villages. Discuss with your partner the importance of a bridge to both-the cities and the villages and complete the table.
Cities
Helps to reach other part
Helps to cross the road
Overbridge helps to smooth traffic
Avoids accidents

Villages
Shortens the distance
Saves time
Saves life
Increases contacts


(ii) Building a bridge needs careful planning. Think about what goes on before the actual construction begins.
Proper planning
Inspecting sights
Measurement
Drawing of the bridge (Blueprint)
Estimate
Purchasing land
Tendering

• You might have visited a bridge. Complete the web describing the sights you could see from the bridge.

BRAINSTORMING
Complete the following statements.
1. He would be dull soul who .......
2. ....... lie open to field and sky.
3. ....... never steeped so beautifully.
4. The city wears.......



1. The garment is compared with morning
2. The morning looks beautiful because it is silent.
3. Guess the meaning of ‘glideth’. It is archaic word meaning glide , here swim .
4. Guess what is referred to as the ‘Mighty heart’. People of the city

(A1) For preparing questions based on the poem, overall understanding of the poem is a must. Discuss with your partner and prepare a set of five questions.
For example:
a. What is the name of the bridge?
b. What does the city wear?
c. What is the beautiful morning compared to?
d. Mention the beautiful sights referred to in the poem.
e. State beautiful sights that can be seen from the bidge
f. How is the river?
g. What does the poet tell to the god?

(A2) (i) Choose the correct alternative for the given lines. Focus on the inference of the poet.
(a) ‘Earth has not anything to show more fair:’
The line means-
(1) The poet thinks that the place was not so good.
(2) The poet thinks that there is another place which is more beautiful than this.
(3) The poet thinks that there is no place on the earth which is as beautiful as this one.
(b) ‘Dull would he be of soul who could pass by’
The line means-
(1) One can walk over the bridge and ignore the surrounding beauty.
(2) One can halt at the place to enjoy the beauty.
(3) Anyone with an appreciative mind would not be able to ignore the beauty.
(c) Never did sun more beautifully steep. The line means -
(1)The sun did not shine so beautifully.
(2) The sun rise was more beautiful the poet had ever seen.
(3) The sun did not rise more beautifully that morning.
(d)
(ii) ‘Earth has not anything to show more fair.’
This line expresses the poet’s feelings. The sight he saw from the bridge is beautiful. There are a few more lines similar to the above. With the help of your partner find them and discuss what they express.

Never did sun more beautifully steep

Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm, so deep!

The river glideth at his own sweet will:



(iii) The poem creates a delightful picture of the city, rich in its natural beauty. Work in pairs, groups and pick out the lines from the poem which give the pictorial effect to the poem. Write it in your own words.

This city now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning;


Ships, towers, domes, theaters, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;

(A3) Find out the words and phrases which describe the following. One is done for you.
sight touching in its majesty
air smokeless
river sweet will
house asleep
morning like a garment
sun steep in his splendour
Heart mighty
Sky bright




(A4) Read the line :
(i) ‘The city now, doth, like a garment wear’. The poet imagines that the city is wearing a beautiful garment. Hence, the figure of speech is personification. Find out more examples of personification from the poem.

Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour
(ii) ‘Dull would he be of soul who could pass by.’
This line of the poem can be rewritten as:
'He would be of dull soul.'
The figure of speech is known as ‘Inversion’.
Find out one more example of Inversion from the poem.
Never did sun more beautifully steep

Ne’er saw I
(iii) The poem is a Petrarchan Sonnet. The poem is divided into two parts-
(a) An Octave
The first part comprising eight lines.
(b) A sestet
The second part comprising six lines.
Read the first four lines of the poem. The rhyme scheme is a b b a. Read the rhyme scheme for next four lines. It is a b b a. Now read the first three lines of the sestet and note the rhyme scheme. It is c d c. The rhyme scheme of the last three lines is d c d. This is the common design of a Petrarchan Sonnet.
(A5) (i) Write the appreciation of the poem.
The poem ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’ is a Petrarchan sonnet. In this poem the poet describes the beauty of the bridge. It is a romantic poem. The poet was mesmerised with the panoramic landscape, beauty, calm and quiet nature seen from the Westminster Bridge.
Theme: The theme of the poem is the beauty of the common things seen from the poet’s eyes. The nature is filled with varied beautiful object. The beauty lies in the eyes of beholder.
Poetic Devices:
The use of poetic devices like metaphor, simile, personification adds pictorial beauty to the poem.
The poem is a sonnet (14 lines) which is divided into two parts i.e Octave and sestet . The rhyme scheme is abba abba cdc dcd. The figures of speech like inversion adds special effect. There is use of archaic words. The poet has used simple and lucid language.
Message
Ordinary things also look beautiful if seen from the poet’s eye.

Audio Files of the Poem 

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 

2.2 The Sower : Brainstorming

Ice breakers

Make a list of words related to agriculture.
Farm, crop, sowing, plough, cultivate, yield, seeds, grains, spade, scythe, sprout, pod, spray,

ii) Discuss the activities carried out by a farmer.

Ploughing    furrowing    sowing  cultivating 
iii) In our country engineering, teaching and medical field are much sought after. Other professions, occupations though they make a significant contribution to the society, do not get their due.

iv) ‘Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian Economy’ Fill in the boxes supporting this statement. Complete the web diagram.

Brain storming

(A1) There are a number of challenges a farmer in India faces. Discuss with your friend, how it is possible to improve the condition of farmers.

(A2) The poet has observed the sower closely. Express in your words the reverence the poet has for the sower.
Ans: The poet has great respect for the sower. The sower is described as hardworking and a man of patience. He is dominant.
(A3) The poet is prompted to call the sower an ‘august personality’ which means one who reached the highest position in his work place.
Explain this using the following points.
Hard work          Perseverance              Dedication
The sower is working hard. Though the working hours came to an end, he lingers in his work place. He sows the seeds and waits for the crop all the season. He works day and night to grow his crops.
(A4)I)  Pick out the examples of alliteration from the poem and write them down.

Ans: 1.  Sunlight, I see, dying fast - The consonantal sound 's' is repeated pleasingly.
         2. Darkness deepens. -The consonantal sound 'd' is repeated pleasingly.
II) 'Seems to touch the starry skies'. The poet has used word imagery. Describe
the idea and pick out other similar examples from the poem.
Ans:  The poet has created a mental picture of a farmer touching the sky filled with  stars .
Similar examples of word imagery are as follows: 1.Twilight hastens on to rule
     2. Marches he along the plain.
(A5) (i) Write an appreciation of the poem considering the following points:
 • About the poem/poet/title.
 • Theme
 • Poetic devices, language, style
 • Special features/ novelties/focussing elements
 • Values, message
 • Your opinion about the poem


(ii) Write a summary of the poem using the following points:
 • Title
 • Introductory paragraph (about the poem, type, nature, tone)

Activity sheet

A1. Complete the web chart about poet's observation.

A2. "Soon shall come a time to reap". Name and explain the figure of speech and find one another of similar type.

Ans: Inversion : The line is not in a correct prose order. Correct order - A time shall come soon to reap.

        Other examples of inversion :1. Marches he along the plain 2. Now to sow the task is set.
A3 Pick out the line that shows evening time.
Ans: The following lines indicate evening time
         1. Sunlight, I see, dying fast
         2. Twilight hastens on to rule
         3. Shadows run across the lands
A4. Compose a poem on farmer in 4 line in continuation to the following
         Waiting for the rain
         To grow the grain.
        Eager to take world's care.
        Does he get his fare?
        Sometimes rain makes him.
       Sometimes it takes him. 

Audio File of the Poem.

2.1 Cherry Tree

Cherry Tree by Ruskin Bond

(A1) (i) Find proof from the poem for the following.

(a) The poet has mentioned different seasons.
Summer,monsoon, spring,
(b) The poet’s minute observations of the steady growth of the cherry tree.

I found a tree had come to stay.
It was very small, five months child,
Lost in the tall grass running wild.

(c) The colour imagery in the poem.
Green growing pain, blossom small pink, blue blind sky,
(d) The struggle of the cherry tree for survival.

The young tree struggle, upward thrust
Its arms in a fresh fierce lust
For light and air and sun.

(ii) State whether the following statements are True or False. Correct the false
statements by finding evidence from the poem to support your remark.
(a) The cherry tree did not take long to grow. False
The cherry tree took eight years long to grow.
(b) Birds and insects were benefitted from the tree. True
(c) The poet was exalted at the sight of the cherry tree. True
(d) The poem has an underlying message about the importance of trees. True
(e) The poet repents planting the cherry tree. False The poet praised planting the cherry tree
(A2) (i) Discuss in groups, reasons/ consequences/ effects:
(a) The life of the cherry tree was threatened because of goats grazing, grass cutters and monsoon. The cherry tree has no leaves and stem. It gets dried. But as the spring arrives new shoots grow.The young tree struggles for light,air and sun.

(b) The cherry blossomed. : The cherry tree bore just one BERRY. It was unbelievable. But the next year the tree was blossomed. The poet, bees, moon moths and crickets were much excited.

(ii) A small thought, put in action, led to a great achievement. Pick out the
lines from the beginning and end of the poem and explain their significance.
Ans Lines from the beginning : Eight years have passed, Since I placed my cherry seed in the grass.
These lines signify that the poet had a strong desire to plant a tree so put a seed in the grassy ground. It also signifies that a cherry seed gets to long to get growing.
Concluding lines are :Yes, I praised Night and Stars and tree:That small, the cherry, grown by me. These lines are significant as these show the poet’s excitement at seeing the cherry tree grown by him.
(A3) The cherry tree has inspired the poet to compose the poem. Such poems,
describing Nature or aspects of Nature are called ‘Nature poems’. Find
out some expressions from the poem that bring out the elements of beauty
of Nature.
AnsExpressions from the poem that bring out the elements of beauty are as follows : running wild, slender stem, new shoots grow, arms in fresh fierce lust, bees in an ecstasy,the sun sank swiftly.
(A4) (i) Read the line.
Pink, fragile, quick to fall
Notice the arrangement of the words in the line:
They move from healthy to delicate
This figure of speech is called Climax where successive words, phrases,
sentences are arranged in ascending order of importance. Here, the cherry
blossom turns pink, ripens and is ready to be picked.
(ii) Find out examples from the poem.
Alliteration : 1. Its arms in a fresh fierce lust : A consonantal sound 'f' is repeated pleasingly.

2. Made a miracle from green growing pain. : A consonantal sound 'g' is repeated rhythmically.

Antithesis : 1.
but cherries have a way of growing,
Though no one's caring very much or knowing. : Opposite idea of growing without caring is seen in the line.
Personification :1. A Tree had come to stay : A tree has attributed human quality of coming and staying.
2. sleepiest breeze : Breeze is given human quality of being sleepy.
(A5) (i) Cherry tree is a narrative poem. Features that make it a narrative poem
are given below. Justify them with proper examples.
The poem has a beginning, a middle and an end. It begins with a planting of a cherry seed. It struggles to survive. Finally it blossoms. The poet’s residence and Kashmir are mentioned. The poet, grass cutters, bees , cricket and moon moths are the characters referred to in the poem. Incidents are arranged in sequence. It is a time-bound poem.

(iii) Write an appreciation of the poem considering the following points :


The poem, “Cherry Tree” is written by Ruskin Bond. It is about his ecstasy over a tree. He is expressing his wonder at the ways of Nature and how the cherry blossoms are fragile and quick to fall. The tree gives him immense joy as he can see the stars and the blue sky through dappled green trees.
It is enriched with poetic devices. The use of alliteration and rhyming words adds musical effects. The use of personification makes the poem live. Color imagery renders pictorial quality.The focus of the poem is on nature and its elements.

The poem advises the planting of trees. The poet underlines importance of trees in human life.
The poem is interesting to read. It is a story like. It keeps the reader engaged. 

Audio File of the poem.