Ls 2 - The Lost Spring

Author: Anees Jung

Theme! 🎤

Lost Spring, based on socio-economic problems (poverty is considered a legacy), is a sad commentary on how poverty and tradition condemn children to exploitation and misery. The lesson reveals grinding poverty in India and exposes the underbelly of India's economic miserable and pitiable progress. The author depicts conditions which our children live in. The title signifies how childhood, often compared to and marked by fun, frolic and movement, is Spring snapped away from the children. The children in Seemapuri and Firozabad are exploited badly and are deprived of their childhood i.e. the spring is of their life.

Overview

What do you think of when someone utters the word "spring"?

We think of the spring season, a indicator of new life, new beginnings, new hope, and the end of winter. It signifies the time when the plants blossom and saplings sprout out from the ground. Saplings are young, vulnerable, vibrant, full of vitality (potential) and brittle (or fragile). With the proper nourishment and the right conditions, the sapling can grow into a strong plant or huge tree. Saplings, as a metaphor, can be used to relate to childhood. Childhood is the time when kids are fearless, proactive and inquisitive. They dream and think of all that they can be, even if it isn't possible. Being a tooth fairy, for example, is one such dream of a child. But we, the elders, crush the sapling. We crush the child's dream by imbibing fear and subservience in them. We say and reason that not all things are possible; some ideas (like becoming a tooth fairy) are too absurd. That's at least fair in some respects. If you're able to read this information online, then you are better off than a whole lot of other children, ones who have faced war, famine, homelessness, assault, toiling away to earn some money to eat; and most importantly, ones who have faced death and murder, the ones who are left orphans. However, we, the blessed children, fail to look at the half-full part of the tumbler. Well, some of us, the better-off ones, donate what we can to help these people. However, some of these donations do not reach the ones that we intended. Instead, some of them are dry-cleaned and resold in the second-hand market for a profit of the entire MRP that is stuck onto these clothes. Charity is being used to making profits. This is, one of the worst forms of stealing. Developed countries are very very good when it comes to child development programs. They have good support system, like social workers and foster homes to take care of kids facing trouble. Most importantly, there is no distinction between the education received by children in public schools and private schools.

But in India? The average fees for a "good school" in Chennai is around 1 lakh per year. Most parents still can't afford to pay these fees, as that might be their annual income itself. For those who think that public schools have quality education, yes, it is true, and situation is still improving. Looking past the above things, why are there still dropouts? Greed. In today's world, GREED forces others into poverty. We kill childhood due to greed. Most of today's problems could be easily solved if we can factor out "Greed" and "Gain".

READ THE EXTRACT AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS GIVEN BELOW:

Question 1

What I want would not be confused with inactivity. Life is what it is about; I want no truck with death. If we were not so single-minded about keeping our lives moving, and for once could do nothing, Perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness Of never understanding ourselves And of threatening ourselves with death.

1. Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract? (a) Power of war (b) Power of violence (c) Power of silence and thought (d) Power of disputes

2. State whether the given statement is TRUE or FALSE, with reference to the extract. The poet wants to have no association with death as death is the end of life. False

3. Complete the sentence appropriately. The poet asks to be calm in the whole extract of the poem.

4. The literary device used in the line, “what I want should not be confused with total inactivity” is Metaphor.

5. Based on the poem rhyme scheme, evident in lines 3 to 7, of the given extract, which word would rhyme with line 2? (a) Captivity (b) Haste (c) Naste

6. Select the option that is NOT true about the punctuation mark used in the line 3 of the given extract. (a) Creates a sense of anticipation and expectation for the reader. (b) Encourages the reader to continue reading seamlessly without any pause. (c) Creates a sense of continuity and flow that connects the line with the second one. (d) Encourages a revisit to the ideas in the preceding line.

Question 2

“Fishermen in the cold sea would not harm whales and the man gathering salt would look at his hurt hands.”

1. What do the given lines tell us about mankind? (a) Selfish nature (b) Greed (c) Materialism (d) All of these

2. What does the poet expect of the fisherman?

3. What figure of speech has been used in the first line of the stanza or in words ‘Cold Sea’? (a) Personification (b) Metaphor (c) Transferred epithet (d) Simile

4. State whether the given statement is TRUE and FALSE. The selfish nature of man is leading to environmental degradation. True.

5. How is ‘keeping quiet’ going to help the man who works as ‘salt gatherer’? By keeping quiet, the manual labourers would be able to rethink and retrospect, and decide to come up in life.

6. Complete the sentence appropriately. The tone of the poet in the given lines is suggestive and advisory in nature.

Question 3

Now we will count to twelve And we will all keep still. For once on the face of the Earth Let’s not speak in any language Let’s stop for one second And not move our arms so much.

1. Why is the poet asking the people not to speak? (a) It creates noise. (b) The poet doesn’t like talkative people. (c) It gives the people time to introspect their actions. (d) There are less chances of infection.

2. State whether the given statement is TRUE or FALSE. The poet wants us to do nothing and remain inactive for one second. True

3. Complete the sentence appropriately. “Not move our arms” in the given extract refers to _____.

4. During counting to twelve, the poet wants us to remain _____.

5. In the given extract, the poet has used ______. (a) metaphor (b) blank verse (c) heroic couplet

6. Select the option that is NOT true. (a) During this moment, we will forget our differences and experience a strength of togetherness. (b) When we stop for a second, we get an opportunity to introspect our follies. (c) We will realize the harm we are causing to the world with our words and actions. (d) We should always remain lazy.

ANSWER IN BRIEF IN ABOUT 40-50 WORDS:

1. How can suspension of activities help?

2. What, according to Pablo Neruda, would be the ultimate end of man if the present scenario of wars continued? VER 1: Pablo Neruda believed that man would end up digging his own grave if the present state of affairs continued. He believed so due to the rising concerns of handling of ammunition across the world, and mounting tensions which could lead to the next world war. His beliefs were also based on the fact that people were becoming ignoramus of others needs and were subjugating others by not allowing them to come up in life. VER 2: Pablo Neruda believed that if the present scenario of wars continued, humanity would end up digging its own grave. He expressed concerns about the reckless handling of ammunition and mounting global tensions, which could lead to another world war. Additionally, he pointed out that people were becoming increasingly ignorant of others' needs and were subjugating others, preventing them from progressing in life.

3. How does the poet bring out the images of disharmony between man and nature in ‘Keeping Quiet’ and how can it be resolved? The poet's use of imagery to drill down on the negative impact of wars is phenomenal in nature. He ensures it by describing the different kind of wars that we humans wage by wielding different elements of Mother Earth that provides us with life. He metaphorically connects the fisherman and the whales as the oppressors and the oppressed, and also literally asks us to preserve Mother Nature as it is. He vividly illustrates his point to see the effect that manual labourers and basic natural things had on society by alluding them to the salt labourers and asking them to look at themselves for once, to realise their importance to the society which has disregarded and subjugated them. It also promotes the idea of universal brotherhood by drawing parallels with the people who would walk among others normally, whereas if the world was not silent, they would have been part of the war effort. Man, who wishes to destroy others for the sake of personal gain, is at odds with nature which wishes to provide life to all and recovers easily from the attacks that man may propagate on it.

ANSWER IN DETAIN IN ABOUT 120-150 WORDS:

1. The world has become a global village, and people across boundaries, nationalities and communities are now connected to one another. With the advancement of technology, and the advent of social media, do you think that the task of keeping quiet, as envisaged by Neruda, has become easier or more complicated? Justify your stance.