2.6 Money
Title of the poem:
The title ‘Money’ shows the influence and importance of money in this world. Money has the ability to change the behaviour of individual persons. Everyone tries to earn a lot of money but surprisingly it is seen that after becoming rich most of the persons loose peace of mind. The poor in comparison to this situation can sleep peacefully and enjoy life neglecting lack of money.
About the poem:
The poem ‘Money’ tells us about a rich man who wants to be a poor man to find real happiness. It is when we do not have money or have lost our money, we realize how important the money is. At the end, the poet says that now he doesn’t have money, but he has true friends. These true friends are few in number.
Poet: William H. Davies:
He was born in Newport, Wales. He was a poet and a writer. He spent a significant part of his life as a tramp (a person who has no home or job and who moves from place to place) or hobo (a traveling worker) in the United Kingdom and the United States. He became a peddler (Someone who travels about selling his wares -as on the streets or at carnivals) and street singer in England.
After several years of a wandering life, he published his first volume, ‘The Soul’s Destroyer and other Poems’.
Ice Breakers:
1) Give your views about 'Importance of money.'
a) Money is used as capital in business.
b) Money is necessary to satisfy basic needs.
c) Money is essential to get good education and health care requirements.
d) Money is useful because it enables us to have more control over our life, more freedom to carve out our own path, and fewer limitations on our choices.
e) Money gives prestige and importance to the individuals in the society.
f) Money helps to gain material pleasures.
3) Make a list of the good qualities of your friend.
a) Kind
b) Clever
c) Good tempered
d) Sensitive
e) Calm
f) Humorous
g) Helpful
i) Smart
4) Share your views on 'Money is the root of all evils'.
According to me money isn’t evil on it’s own. No inanimate object is evil on it’s own. Objects can only become evil through our intentions. If you love money, you become a slave to it. So do not earn money only for money’s sake. Greed of money is definitely the root of all evils. Such greed leads to destruction of morality, good values and sensitivity. Some people literally love money. So in that case money is the root of all evils but for others who don’t have such greed money is just the instrument of living good and secure life.
5) Do you lend money to your friend? Give reasons.
Poetic Appreciation:
Write an appreciation of the poem ‘Money’
Answer:
About the poem: The poem ‘Money’ is written by a Welsh poet William H. Davies. It is a reflective poem. The poem has five stanzas of four lines each.The poet shows the difference in the life of the rich and the poor.He also presented the reality of his friends.
Theme: The theme of the poem is that Money can’t give you at all happiness. When the poet was rich, he had many false friends but when he became poor, he had fewer friends but they all are real.
Language: The language used in the poem is simple and easy to understand. Each stanza of the poem follows a different rhyme scheme. The poet has beautified the poem by using figures of speech such as Simile, onomatopoeia, Antithesis,Repetition and Inversion.
Special Feature: The special feature of the poem is the use of Imagery. The imagery like 'came knocking all day at my door’ or ‘a child that holds a trumpet’ etc. presents word pictures of the events.
Message: By this poem, the poet has given the message that wealth is not required to become happy. But happiness lies in having contentment at heart and to have genuine people in our life. Satisfaction can be achieved in poverty too. This is shown in the behaviour of the poor women.
My Opinion about the poem: The poem is very thought - provoking as it shows the power of money and real nature of friends. I like it very much.
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Chapter 2.6: Money
Discuss in the class about ‘Importance of money’.
Money is used as capital in business.
______________________
______________________
______________________
SOLUTION:
Money is used as capital in a business.
Money is needed to build savings for emergencies and for life after retirement
Money can be used to earn more money by earning interest on deposits or through lending.
Money is needed to buy necessities of day-to-day life.
Complete the web.
SOLUTION:
Make a list of the good qualities of your friend.
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
SOLUTION:
She is intelligent and street-smart.
She is helpful.
She is compassionate.
She is friendly by nature.
Share your views on ‘Money is the root of all evils.’
SOLUTION:
Money seems to be the most coveted of all things in today’s world. We, humans, have eyed money since time immemorial, but the greed for obtaining more money has surely reached its culmination in present times. Crimes such as frauds, scams, embezzlements, and thefts have increased due to people’s insatiable greed. The pursuit of money has surpassed all social aspects of human life, wherein friends and relatives are ‘made’ and ‘unmade’ based solely on one’s bank balance, size of a car, or the prestige of residential address. Such a tendency of materialism has spoilt the social fabric that used to be based on human bonds. It has certainly become the root of all evils.
Do you lend money to your friend? Give reasons.
SOLUTION:
‘Money does not mean everything in life’. Discuss with your partner and justify the statement by giving examples. Take the help of the following points.
Money cannot give you eternal happiness.
Art, music, and literature can give you unending happiness.
Money is short-lived.
Money cannot purchase happiness and contentment.
SOLUTION:
The students can elaborate the given pointers in the following ways:
Money cannot give you eternal happiness
The happiness that is derived from money will wear off sooner or later as the excitement provided by material possessions ceases after a point.
Art, music and literature can give you unending happiness
Indulgence in fields of humanities can continually provide one with newer insights, while books can be one’s windows to different worlds enabling one to gather multiple perspectives from different genres. The sublime power of music has been proven time and again. The happiness derived from these indulgences last forever because the emotions experienced through them last forever. Art, music, and literature can have a life-changing impact on one’s life and can be a source of joy so great that everything else pales in comparison.
Money is short-lived
Money is of fickle temperament, it can take one from rags to riches and riches to rags too, due to circumstances beyond one’s control. Thus, one may not always have access to all the comforts and luxuries that money can buy. At such a stage, one would be forced to look for comfort in other things in life like friendships, relationships, etc.
Money cannot purchase happiness and contentment
With money, one can buy the most expensive things, but one cannot put a price on happiness. The feeling of joy and contentment comes from within. It cannot be purchased or sold. One can buy stuff that makes one happy, but that happiness will eventually wear off. The only way for one to be genuinely happy and content is to generate that happiness from within. A person who is content with self is content at all times.
Debate on the following topic in groups.
‘Money is the solution for everything.’
SOLUTION:
The students can conduct a debate on the given topic with the help of the following points:
For the topic -
Everything from food to fuel can be purchased only with money.
It is most essential in one’s time of need - hospital bills, contingencies, etc
It can buy comforts and luxuries, thus helping one to lead a good life.
One can also make more money with the help of the money one already has by investing it smartly.
One can have a good standard of living - a big house, cars, club memberships, spa retreats, etc. When one has money.
Against the topic -
Money cannot buy happiness and contentment.
Money won’t protect one against terminal illnesses.
The luxuries bought with money may not last and may bring with it problems of its own.
One’s greed for making more money can never be satiated, thus causing the person to never be at peace with himself/herself.
Money cannot protect one from natural disasters and epidemics.
State whether the following statement is True or False. Correct the False statement with the help of the poem.
The poet knew no joy till he was rich.
True
False
False.
Correct statement: The poet knew no joy till he was poor.
The poet felt that he should talk about his poverty.
True
False
When poet had money, he had many true friends.
True
False
False.
Correct statement: When poet had money, he had many false friends.
When poet became poor, he had a few real friends.
True
False
Write the reason for the following statement.
Friends came knocking all day at the poet’s door.
SOLUTION:
Friends came knocking all day at the poet’s door because the poet had money and they thought that they could benefit from being with a wealthy man.
Poor men’s wives hum like bees.
SOLUTION:
Poor men’s wives ‘hum like bees’, meaning that they constantly talk, because despite the fact that their husbands work from morning till night, they are happy in their poverty.
Money makes the world go round. Explain it in the light of the poet’s experience.
SOLUTION:
‘Money makes the world go round’ is aptly proved by the poet’s experience. When he had money, many false ‘friends’ would come knocking at his door. But when the poet became poor, his circle had only a few friends left, who were nevertheless true to him.
Poor men need not go up so much as rich men should come down. Express your views regarding this statement.
SOLUTION:
The statement “poor men need not go up so much as rich men should come down” signifies that it is not required for the poor people to become rich because it is in poverty that they have found true happiness. However, it is important for rich men to become poor, only to realize the meaning of true happiness. More often than not, joy can be found only when one is poor because richness attracts all kinds of fake people who want to be around a person only to benefit from his/her wealth; whereas poverty attracts genuine people who stay with a person because they truly care about him/her and not about whether he/she is rich or poor.
Find out the meaning of the phrase given below and use them in your own sentence.
be in the money
SOLUTION:
Meaning: to be wealthy or to win a lot of money
Sentence: My friend wants to be in the money by placing bets.
win lots of money
SOLUTION:
Meaning: to earn money by a matter of chance
Sentence: People who gamble in casinos expect to win lots of money.
for my money
SOLUTION:
Meaning: in my opinion
Sentence: For my money, Goa is the best Indian city where one can settle down.
money for old rope
SOLUTION:
Meaning: money earned with little effort
Sentence: The taxi driver charged me `500 for a short ride, which was his money for old rope.
put one’s money where one’s mouth is
SOLUTION:
Meaning: to support one’s belief by action and not just words
Sentence: He puts his money where his mouth is by regularly donating a part of his earnings to charity.
Complete the crossword with the help of the clues from the poem.
SOLUTION:
Complete the following table.
SOLUTION:
Sr.No. | Figure of speech | Line of the poem | Explanation |
1 | Inversion | i. For many a false man as a friend Came knocking all day at my door | i. For many a false man came knocking at my door as a friend all-day |
ii. Then felt I like a child that holds | ii. Then I felt like a child that holds | ||
2 | Simile | i. For many a false man as a friend | i. A ‘false man’ is directly compared to a ‘friend’ with the use of the word ‘as’. |
ii. And how their wives do hum like bees | ii. The ‘wives’ have been directly compared to ‘bees’ with the use of the word ‘like’. | ||
3 | Repetition | When I had money, money, O! | The word ‘money’ has been repeated in line to highlight the importance of wealth. |
4 | Onomatopoeia | And how their wives do hum like bees | The word ‘hum’ denotes the sound made by the wives as they constantly talk about their husbands working from morning till night. |
5 | Antithesis | About their work from morn till night. | Two opposite words ‘morn’ and ‘night’ have been used in the same line to show that the poor men work all day long. |
Identify the rhyme scheme of all the stanzas of the poem.
SOLUTION:
Stanza 1 – a a ba
Stanza 2 – c a d a
Stanza 3 – e f g f
Stanza 4 – h i j i
Stanza 5 – a k ak
Compose a short poem on ‘Friendship’.
SOLUTION:
Friendship
True friendship is something so pure,
That you can always be sure.
To all your problems there lies a cure,
But never can it be based on lure.
Write a poetic appreciation of the poem ‘Money’, with the help of the following points.
About the poem/poet and the title
The theme
Poetic style
The language/poetic devices used in the poem
Special features
Message, values, morals in the poem
Your opinion about the poem.
SOLUTION:
Appreciation of the poem ‘Money’
The poem ‘Money’ is written by William H. Davies. It is a reflective poem that deals with the poet’s status as both, a rich and a poor man. Based on his own narrative, the poet has depicted a connection between money and personal happiness. The theme of the poem is the inverse relationship between money and happiness since the poet had many false friends during his times of richness, and much fewer but real friends when he has become poor. The poem has been written in five stanzas of four lines each and follows a different rhyme scheme for each stanza-
Stanza 1 – a a b a, Stanza 2 – c a d a,
Stanza 3 – e f g f, Stanza 4 – h i j i,
Stanza 5 – a k a k.
The poet has beautified the poem by employing numerous figures of speech such as Alliteration, Antithesis, Consonance, Exclamation, Inversion, Onomatopoeia, Metaphor, Metonymy, Simile, and Repetition. An example of Onomatopoeia from the poem is “And how their wives do hum like bees” where the word ‘hum’ denotes the sound made by the wives as they constantly talk about their husbands working from morning till night. Among the special features of the poem, imagery and enjambment are more prominent. The use of imagery can be seen in the phrases “came knocking all day at my door”, “...a child that holds a trumpet that he must not blow”, “...and seen how poor men’s hearts are light”, “wives hum like bees”, “hear poor ones laugh”, “see rich ones coldly frown”, “go up” and “come down”. Each line of the poem runs into the next line, thus making enjambment a key feature of the poem. The poet follows a simple, narrative style to convey his thoughts. Through this poem, the poet is trying to spread the message that wealth is not required to be truly happy. In fact, happiness lies in having genuine people in life, which makes the poor man truly wealthy; as he might not have monetary wealth or a lot of people in his life, but the ones he does have are true to him, thus making him wealthy in the true sense. In my opinion, the poem aptly describes the allure of money, which often draws a lot of fake people in one’s life. It is only when one is poor does one realize the meaning of true happiness, because that is when one finds out who actually are his/her real friends.
Visit a library and read a few poems written by William H. Davies.
SOLUTION:
Do it yourself.
There are many career opportunities related to finance and planning. Try to get information about the following careers by surfing the internet.
Finance Management
Banking and Finance
Actuaries
Economics
Share Market
Accountancy
Company Secretary
SOLUTION:
The students can add the following information to their findings regarding careers in finance and planning:
Finance Management:
It means planning, organizing, directing and controlling the financial activities such as procurement and utilization of funds of the enterprise. One can become a finance manager, a finance analyst, an investor relations associate, a budget analyst, an actuary, etc.
Banking and Finance:
It is a field with the study of financial services that includes lending money, collection of deposits, issue of currencies and debit cards, and transaction processing, and the study of investments. Finance can also be defined as the science of money management. One can choose to be an accounts officer, a sales manager, a credit manager, a credit risk specialist, a business analyst, etc.
Actuaries:
Actuaries are experts in risk management. They use their mathematical skills to measure the probability and risk of future events and to predict their financial impact on a business and its clients. Actuaries can be consultants, pricing managers, rick managers for various investment and insurance companies.
Economics:
It is the study of how society uses its limited resources. It is a social science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The career opportunities in this field are economists, data analysts, finance consultants, financial planners, economic researchers, etc.
Share Market:
It is a place, real or virtual, where shares of pubic listed companies are traded. A share market facilitates stock brokers to trade company stocks and other securities. The opportunities available are stockbroker, financial advisor, research analyst, portfolio manager, etc.
Accountancy:
It is the practice of recording, classifying and reporting on business transactions for a business. It provides feedback to management regarding the financial results and status of an organization. One can be an accounting clerk, accounting information specialist, actuarial accountant, bookkeeper, budget analyst, capital accountant, etc.
Company Secretary:
A company secretary is responsible for the efficient administration of a company, particularly with regard to ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. He /She also ensures that decisions of the board of directors are implemented. One can be the assistant to a company’s board of directors, company registrar, legal advisor, corporate policymaker, chief administrative officer, principal secretary, etc.
Economics is a very important subject in which you can pursue your career. Browse the websites of these institutions and get information for various courses in Economics.
Delhi School of Economics
Indian Statistical Institute
Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune
Madras School of Economics
SOLUTION:
The students can use the following guidelines in carrying out this activity.
Delhi School of Economics:
It offers M.A., M. Phil. and Ph.D. in Economics. Department of Commerce, which is also situated there, offers M. Com., M. Phil., Ph.D., MBA in International Business and MBA in Human Resources.
Indian Statistical Institute:
Bachelor (Hons.) in Statistics and M.S. in Quantitative Economics
Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune:
This institute conducts M.Sc. courses in the fields of Economics, Financial Economics, International Business Economics, Agri-Business Economics, and Finance. It also offers a B.Sc. in Economics and Ph.D. courses.
Madras School of Economics:
It offers M.A. in General Economics, MA in Financial Economics, M.A. in Actuarial Economics, M.A. in Environmental Economics.
