Chapter 4: Please Listen!

Form groups of 6-8. One person (leader) chooses one item - a picture, a paragraph, or a lesson from any one of the 9th standard textbooks and writes the reference on a slip of paper, and folds it. Others ask him/her questions and try to guess what it is, from his/her answers. Follow the rules given below.

The maximum number of questions the rest of the group can ask is 20.
You cannot ask a direct question like ‘What do you have in mind?’
You can ask ‘Wh-’ questions or ‘Yes/no’ questions.
The leader has to give truthful answers.

SOLUTION

List of Questions based on the poem 'Silver':

Questions	Answers
Are there birds with white feathers around?	Yes.
The environment looks cool, is it daytime that the author is referring to?	No.
Is everything in the surroundings all quiet and calm?	Yes.
Does something appear to be silvery and shining?	Yes.
Is the writer referring to a ghost that is trying to haunt him?	No.
If it's not daytime and it is night time, can we hear dogs barking?	No.
Is someone staring at the trees and birds at this time of the night?	Yes.
Is the writer referring to a living being?	Yes.
Is the poet referring to something on earth?	No.
Is the writer talking about some unknown person walking the path, during night time?	No.
If not, a person, then is it some object that he speaks of?	Yes.
Does the writer experience some change around, every night?	Yes, absolutely!
What are some of those changes that he talks about?	The writer observes everything around him sparkling at night.
Is the writer talking of some shining insect, like fireflies at night?	No.
Which creatures does he speak of?	He observes various creatures like the doves along with dogs, mice, and fish.
Does the poet happen to be by any water body, during the night?	Yes.
How does the water look?	The brightness of the water seems to increase at night.
Is there an influence of that object on all our surroundings?	Yes.
From the picture of the landscape, is there some kind of "Reflection" that is affecting the area?	Yes.
Well, then, what is the poet talking about when he compares it to 'Silver'?	It's the moon that the poet is referring to, from the poem "Silver."

Form pairs. List the things on which you have the same opinion and also the ones on which you have different opinions. Prepare a list of ten things in all and see how far you agree or disagree with your friend. Some useful phrases are given alongside. You could talk about:

Clothes, latest fashion.
Performance of sportsmen and women.
Traffic/Transport in your area.
Cleanliness and hygiene in your area.
Future occupations/Careers.
Latest news items.
TV programs
Mobile Apps
Any subject of your choice.

Agreement	Ask for your friend’s opinion:	Disagreement
I totally agree with you.	Do you think ...?	No, I don’t think so.
Exactly/Absolutely!	Do you agree ...?	I totally disagree.
You are right.	What do you think?	Not necessarily.
I don’t know, I need to think about it. (partial agreement)	What is your opinion?	I’m not sure about that.
I suppose so.	How do you feel about that?	Let’s agree to disagree!

SOLUTION

Do it yourself.

The poet uses a free, conversational style in his poem. It is also called Colloquial style.

Pick out and write down such lines or expressions that support the above statement.

______ you have not done what I asked.
_______________________.
_______________________.
_______________________.
_______________________.
_______________________.

SOLUTION

When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice, you have not done what I asked.
Listen! All I ask is that you listen.
Don't talk or do - just hear me.
When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and inadequacy.
So please listen, and just hear me.
And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn - and I will listen to you.

Put the following expressions in a table of Do’s and Dont’s as expressed by the poet.

Please listen.
give me advice
tell me why.
solve my problem
just hear me.
accept as a simple fact.
contribute to my fear
wait a minute.

	Do’s	Don’ts
1.
2.
3.

SOLUTION

	Do’s	Don’ts
1.	Please Listen	Give me advice
2.	Just hear me	Accept as a simple fact (Don't)
3.	Tell my why (Do)	Contribute to my fear
4.	Wait a minute	Solve my problem

Write in your own words:-

What does the listener do when the poet asks him to just listen? Give 3 points.

SOLUTION

When the poet asks the listener to just listen to him, the listener gives him advice, tells him the reason why he shouldn't feel depressed, and tries to solve his problem.

Why does the poet remark that advice is cheap?

SOLUTION

The poet remarks that advice is really cheap in the world because no one is willing to give away anything so happily the way people want to give advice. Just an amount as small as 20 cents can get you two of the greatest advisors Dear Abby and Billy Graham in the same newspaper referring to their advice column in the paper.

Which two facts show that the poet is confident of overcoming his irrational feeling?

SOLUTION

The poet mentions that when he understands what's actually behind this irrational feeling then he doesn't need advice anymore, the situation is clear and the answers are pretty obvious and he can do away with his problems on his own.

According to the poet, how does God help people, when they pray to him for help?

SOLUTION

When people pray to God for help, God just listens and lets you work it out for yourself. God is mute, He doesn't give advice or try to fix things.

Why should one learn to tackle one's problems by one’s own self?

SOLUTION

They say the first step is admitting you have a problem, and that's true in every aspect of life.

We should work hard to cover up our mistakes and fix our own problems before anyone else notices it. It helps to build Self-confidence and also, become Self-aware. Essentially, the more you pay attention to your emotions and how you work, the better you'll understand why you do the things you do, without having to depend on anyone else for our happiness.

Why should seniors not overprotect or over - pamper juniors?

SOLUTION

If juniors are over-protected or over-pampered by their seniors, it will lead to a certain level of dependency factor. They will get emotionally weak and will not be able to handle tougher situations in their lives. Also, because of over protectiveness, people may turn into rebels and may even refuse to take orders I advise from anyone.

Find out and write down some proverbs/axioms/quotations that convey a message similar to ‘Self-help is the best help.’

SOLUTION

Following are some of the interesting proverbs/ axioms/ quotations that convey a message similar to 'Self-help is the best help.'

"Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Become a priority in your life.
The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in an individual.
Your biggest enemy is you yourself! So, be your own best friend.
"Make the most of yourself .... for that is all there is of you." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them." - Albert Einstein.
"Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune." - Jim Rohn.
Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.
You can be your own greatest motivation.
Self-Awareness can lead you to the path of success.

Maintain a diary at least for a week. Write about your interactions with other people in your surroundings in 3-4 lines. Also write whether you find the interactions happy unhappy, satisfactory-unsatisfactory, enjoyable-stressful, etc.

SOLUTION

DIARY WRITING

Date: 7th June 2017

Day: Wednesday Time: 06:00 PM

Dear Diary,

I was just taking a stroll in the garden of my residential area when I happened to meet an old lady exercising. For a few minutes, I quietly stared at her, she noticed it, and then she asked me whether I was surprised to see her so fit at around the age of 80. She chuckled and told me that she had conquered the disease 'plague' from the time she started having moderate exercise regularly. She told me very politely, that You yourself are the only person that you can and ought to rely on. Her words made sense to me. It made me realize that We are built to survive on our own. I was motivated and replied back to the lady, 'May God gives you even longer life than this', smiled at her, and left from there.

An hour passed, I came across this little girl walking on the road and talking to herself, trying to find out a solution to her problem, and seemed stressful. I stopped by her and asked her this simple question, 'Why are you not discussing the issue with your Mother?' She responded, 'Ma' am, I am capable enough of working through my problems. I do not want to stress my parents anymore. They have raised me to become a powerful daughter, to make positive choices for myself, and to have a voice in making decisions. These statements were enough to inspire me and really made my day. I wished her all. the luck and returned home satisfied and positively influenced.

(Name - XYZ.)

Write an informal letter from a teenager to his/her parent, expressing a few thoughts from the poem.

(My dear /Dearest ./Hi! Are you surprised to see this letter? I wanted to talk to you about this, but then I thought I will be able to express myself better in a letter. Love,/Yours lovingly/Yours ).

SOLUTION

203/B Manisha Apts,

Versova Link Rd,

Malad (W),

Mumbai- 400 064

20th November 2016

Dearest Mom and Dad,

I know I haven't written a letter for a long time but I'm sure you understand. Today I sought out time to pen down this letter as my urge to meet you is immense. Are you surprised to see this letter?

Well, I wanted to talk to you about this, but then I thought I will be able to express myself better in a letter. Throughout the time I was sick and was crying all night, Maa you gave up your sleep and sat all night nursing me. Soaking the towel in ice water and placing it on my head, waiting for the fever to die down. The time Papa, you came back late from work after a long tiring day, yet you went off to get my school supplies without cribbing. Papa, every time I asked you for a certain amount of money, you would give me more than what I asked for, with that perfect smile of yours. I am truly blessed to be the daughter of a perfect set of Indian parents. But yes, now that I have reached an age where I would like to request you a few things from the bottom of my heart. Guide me through my journey. But please do not carve the path for me.

I would like the freedom to make my own decisions and the opportunity to make my own path, no matter how hard it may be. As an adult child, let me depend on myself first before rushing to you for any concern. Also, I am quite capable of solving the daily problems of my life. I am fortunate enough to have a good relationship with you, I listen and appreciate the information, wisdom, guidance you offer. I assure you that I am going to lead a happy life and you will not have to worry about the decisions I make for myself.

I will put in the best of my efforts in the field I am truly passionate about. You will raise your head with pride and tell me, that you are proud of me with those beautiful eyes glistening with tears of joy.

Give my regards to grandpa and grandma and don't miss me too much.

Your loving daughter,

XYZ.

Read aloud a couple of stanzas of the poem ‘Invictus’ and ‘Please Listen’. In what ways do they differ? Think and fill up the table with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

	Invictus	Please Listen
Rhyming lines	______	______
Steady rhythm	______	______
Uniformity in the length of lines	______	______
Uniformity of the number of lines in each stanza.	______	______
Figurative language	______	______

SOLUTION

	Invictus	Please Listen
Rhyming lines	'Yes.' The lines do rhyme in this poem.	No.' It differs from 'Invictus' because, in this poem, the lines do not rhyme.
Steady rhythm	'Yes.' This poem has a steady rhythm.	'No.' This poem does not have a steady rhythm. It varies with every stanza.
Uniformity in the length of lines	'Yes.' This poem has uniformity in the length of lines.	'No.' This poem does not have uniformity in the length of lines. Here, the length varies.
Uniformity of the number of lines in each stanza.	'Yes.' There is uniformity of the number of lines in each stanza.	'No.' There is no uniformity of the number of lines in each stanza.
Figurative language	'Yes.' Figurative language is used.	'No.' Figurative language is not used.

‘Invictus’ is an example of Traditional Poetry. ‘Please Listen’ is an example of Free Verse.

SOLUTION

Yes, this poem 'Please Listen' is an example of Free Verse. Free verse is a literary device that can be defined as poetry that is free from the limitations of a regular meter or rhythm and does not rhyme with fixed forms. Such poems are without rhythms and rhyme schemes; do not follow regular rhyme scheme rules and still provide artistic expression. In this way, the poet can give his own shape to a poem about how he/ she desires.