"If" ESSAY- PART II ENGLISH- SEM II

If - Rudyard Kipling

           The poem “If” is a beautiful insight into human intelligence. In short, it is a little advice on how to become successful and wise in the practical world around us. Kipling describes the virtues of a perfect man. The witty use of words inspires our minds and souls. The poem “If” can also be viewed as a scene in which a father is speaking to his son and giving him the most valuable life lesson on how to become a complete man. The token of personal philosophy and wisdom which the father imparts to his son has universal validity.

             The poet advises possessing the following qualities to become a perfect man. He should maintain the calm [keep his head] during times of crisis. He demands him to show some courage when others are "losing" their heads and "blaming" him. He should persistently move forward. When people doubt and hate him, he must not hate others. He should neither lie nor pose to be wise. Here the poet emphasizes the importance of patience and acknowledgement of the truth.                       He encourages him to dream without daydreaming. He appreciates the thinking and creativity of new ideas but does not like useless thoughts. He considers that "Triumph and Disaster" are not real and they are "impostors". Therefore, he must treat them equally. Self-faith is a virtue which Kipling puts forward with high regard. However, the poet warns him against getting over-confident. It is important to remain humble and live with pride. At times, people will twist his statements and truths and fool him or set up "a trap" for him. He should not worry and face everything calmly and wisely. He must not deal with lies even if the people around him are spreading lies.

            When he meets with great losses, he should use his tools to rebuild his life with them. A victorious person does not become successful by virtue of a single step, he has to try again and again and in these attempts of failure, he would attain success. But he should have patience in life since patience is the virtue of success.

            He may move with crowds but should not lose his virtue. He may move with kings or powerful people but should not lose touch with ordinary people. He should treat all with respect. He should value time and make the best use of every minute.

            The poet in his poem is providing an inspirational insight for the readers to remain humble, soft, and tender and avoid the extremes. If a man fulfils all the conditions listed by him, he will inherit the earth and get everything in life. He will be a real, perfect man.

           

           Courtesy: https://www.risenotes.com/poems/Summary-of-If-by-Rudyard-Kipling.php

                           and Mano Guide

THE DEATH TRAP- H H MUNTRO- PART II ENGLISH

The Death Trap - H H Munro (Saki)

           The one-act play “The Death Trap” revolves around the conspiracy against the reigning prince of Kedaria, Prince Dimitri, who turns the table on his assassins at the end of the play. Prince Dimitri, the young ruler of Kedaria, had a rivalry with Prince Karl, who desired to capture the political power of Kedaria by murdering the reigning prince. So, Dimitri’s enemies hatched a plan to assassin him, and they were waiting for the right moment to execute it.

            Three Military Regiments namely Andrieff Regiment, Lonyadi Regiment and Kranitzki Regiment guarded Prince Dimitri, the reigning Prince of Kedaria. Dr Stronetz, a faithful physician, was also very loyal to the prince Demitri. The Kranitzki Regiment was loyal to the enemy. The three officers of this Regiment, Colonel Girnitza, Major Vontieff and Captian Shultz were planning to murder Prince Dimitri as soon as the loyal Andrieff Regiment had left from its duty. These officers of Kranitzki Regiment were disloyal to Prince Dimitri but very loyal to Prince Karl, who was willing to kill Prince Dimitri and become the king of Kedaria.

            When the play opens, the three guards of Kranitazki Regiment were plotting the assassination of Prince Dimitri so that Prince Karl could ascend the throne. The conversation among the three disloyal guards reveals that they were openly conspiring to murder the prince. They were very aware that Prince Dimitri was already suspecting them. Yet, they went ahead with the murder plan because of the political support of Prince Karl.

            Prince Dimitri came to power at his very young age when he did not know anything about the rules of governance or responsibility. This shows his helplessness, which was an advantage to his enemies. He was well aware that he was “trapped” and that his guards were plotting to kill him. This was a painful realisation for him. He also knew very well that he would be killed at any moment as soon as his loyal Andrieff Regiment leaves. He did not have any weapon to defend himself. No one was allowed to see him except his friend and personal physician Dr. Stronetz. Out of kindness and loyalty, Dr Stonetz devised a clever plan as a physician. Instantly, he asked the Prince to remove his robes for a fake physical examination, which would help him to fool the officers of the disloyal Kranitzki Regiment. His efforts would temporarily delay the murder of the Prince. But this delay helped the Prince to take revenge on disloyal officers.

            However, the hard truth behind the physical examination of the Prince revealed that he was suffering from incurable heart disease. This was another shocking realization to the Prince. He decided to commit suicide instead of being killed in the hands of his disloyal guards. He requested Dr Stronetz to provide him with a phial of poison, which could kill him so that he could invite his death as a ruler without being killed. Dr Strontez gave him a phial of poison. But as the final act of revenge, when death was inevitable to him, Prince Dimitri wanted to die only after punishing his enemies. So he mixed the entire phial of poison in a bottle of wine and invited the three officers for a final drink. He shared the poisoned wine after drinking it himself. It was a sight of pity for the Prince, but at the same time, he showed a clever act of revenge. The Prince thus overcame his helplessness by his intelligence even though he could not avoid his death. 

            Thus the title of the play “The Death Trap” projects how the Prince and his helplessness becomes the ‘death trap’ to the officers of Kranitzki Regiment as a result of their disloyalty.

Courtesy: https://mastanappa.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-death-trap-h-h-munro-saki.html

The Tiger in the Tunnel- Ruskin Bond

The Tiger in the Tunnel- Ruskin Bond

“The Tiger in the Tunnel” is a tale of the triumph of an Indian family over their poor and humble reality. It highlights the family values and the commitment to honour, duty and service.

           The story revolves around Tembu, a twelve-year-old boy, and his family. He lived with his father, Baldeo, mother and younger sister. They were poor and lived near a jungle. To earn enough money to keep his family fed, Baldeo worked as a watchman near a railway tunnel. This night job was in addition to his work on the rice fields. Baldeo was responsible for keeping the signal lamp lit and the tunnel free from any obstructions for the train passing through it. He stayed in a hut near the tunnel and his son Tembu accompanied him sometimes.

           The villagers talked about various animals around the tunnel as it was situated near the jungle. There were circulating stories about a tiger, ‘man-eater’ who was often seen near the tunnels. Baldeo knew all the frightening rumours but was confident in his ability to face dangers.

           One night while Tembu was asleep, his father left to check the lamp and asked him to stay in the hut. He went armed with a small axe as a precaution to protect himself from any animal and in particular, the infamous ‘man-eater’. The axe was a gift from his father, and Baldeo felt very confident in his ability to use it. When he reached the lamp, it was out, and so he reignited it and went inside the tunnel to clear out any possible obstruction.

           But soon he found the ground shaking which was due to an oncoming train. While Baldeo was looking in front, a tiger suddenly appeared at the entrance of the tunnel and approached towards Baldeo. Undeterred, Baldeo braced to use his axe and when the tiger attacked he evaded to a side and dug his axe in the tiger’s shoulder. The tiger attacked Baldeo again. He repeated the same move, but this time the axe got stuck in the tiger’s shoulder and made Baldeo weaponless. The tiger snatched at Baldeo with its paws and tore into him.

           After this entire scuffle, the train was almost at the tunnel. The tiger tried to get past it at the entrance but was smeared all across the train’s front side. It was found by the driver when he stopped the train at the next station.

           Back at the tunnel, Tembu found his father’s ripped body. The family had to struggle with the loss for many days to come. After Tembu had mourned his father, he returned to the tunnel and took up his father’s job. Like his father, he ensured that the signal light was always lit and cleared all the obstructions in the tunnel. He also wielded the same axe, a tribute to his late father and the commitment to protect his family. Tembu, unafraid and determined, became the new protector of his family.

           The central theme of the story is the protection of family and society at large. Baldeo was the protector of his family and worked hard to ensure their survival. As a watchman, he protected the tunnel and the overnight mail that ran through it. As Tembu assumed the same responsibilities as his father, he continued his work with the same confidence, determination, and even the same axe. The story also celebrates tradition, strength, and pride. The story portrays the courage of Baldeo while fighting the tiger, the courage Tembu and his mother and sister show after losing Baldeo and the pride Tembu feels when he carries on the tradition and work of his father.

Courtesy: https://englishsummary.com/lesson/tiger-inthe-tunnel-ruskin-bond/

The Death Trap & The Never-Never Nest - Quiz

1.         How many days does the doctor say that Dimitri will live for?

2.         “The Death Trap” is the story of a prince named _________, who is the reigning    prince of ________.

3.         Who is the doctor of Dimitri?

4.         Dimitri has enmity with ______________.

5.         What are the three Military Regiments?

6.         Which Military regiment was loyal to the enemy of Dimitri?

7.         Name the three officers in the play.

8.         Which Military regiment was loyal to Dimitri?

9.         _________ gives the Prince a phial of poison.

10.     __________ mixes the entire phial of poison in _____________ and invites            ___________ for a final drink. 

11.     Jack and Jill believe in buying all things in _______.

12.     They have recently purchased a ________ on an easy instalment plan.

13.     _________ came to visit the couple.

14.     The aunt refuses to sit on Jack’s _________ and travel in _________.

15.     Aunt leaves them a cheque of _______ and goes home.

16.     Jill sends _________ to the post office to post a cheque to the doctor.

17.     Jill told Jack that she had sent the cheque to ________________.

18.     Jack and Jill have purchased a villa in _________.

19.     List out the things bought by the couple in instalments.

20.     The aunt had presented a cheque of _______ to Jack and Jill on their wedding.

21.     Jack’s weekly instalments amounted to ___________.

22.     What is Jack’s earnings?

23.     Jack wanted to use the cheque to pay the instalment on the __________.

24.     Jack borrowed from a trust called ___________________.

25.     Give the meaning: Tartar 
26.   Aunt Jane was worried that she had given them  ________ pounds as a wedding gift   
        instead  of __________  pounds.

PART II ENGLISH- II SEM ESSAYS