English Confluence By CL Gautam

5. Father to Son By Elizabeth Jennings I. Introduction to the Poem This poem has an autobiographical tone, an exclusive experience of the poet in relation to his own son. It is a little family drama. The father and lus son have been living together in the same house for years. Instead of coming closer, they are drifting apart. There is a gap of understanding and communication. They don't see eye to eye on any issue. Such a situation is a common feature in most of the families. The dominating father finds his son defiant. The new generation wants to live life on its own terms. The youngsters think independently. They cease to be on talking terms. The father feels helpless. He is ready to forgive the child provided the latter feels sorry. But he rarely tries to understand the young boy's likes and dislikes, demands and dreams. The conflict is never resolved because they refuse to compromise. II. Complete Summary The father and the son have been living together in the same house f...

4. Childhood by Markus Natten I. Introduction to the Poem Childhood is the golden period of life. A child is close to God or an angel. The reasons are obvious. He is simple and carefree. He has not been corrupted by the wicked ways of the world. He is innocent and lovable. It is a fashion to regret the loss of childhood. In this very simple poem, the poet longs for the revival of childhood. He is fed up with the evil symptoms of growing up. As the child grows in years, in body and mind, he loses his simplicity. He starts questioning old ideas and old values. He refuses to be led by the nose, to accept the existence of hell and heaven. Grown-ups become more and more hypocritical. They talk of the virtues of love and brotherhood, but they don't practice it. They think independently chiefly to disagree with others. The poet's search for his childhood remains futile. It is the privilege of a small child only. II. Complete Summary The poem deals with the problems of growing up, from...

Poem -3 The Voice of the Rain by Walt Whitman   I. Introduction to the Poem The Voice of the Rain is the statement of facts in an imaginary dialogue form. It traces the life-story of clouds. Clouds are the transformed shapes of water. They cannot be touched but are the saviours of Nature and all forms of life on the earth. The rain is the song of the Earth. The water moves in a definite order. It turns into light vapour, moves upward, wanders in the sky and finally returns to its birthplace lovingly. It is a boon for the dry earth and the drying vegetation. It removes all the layers of dust from every object. But above all, it waters the dry earth, enables the seeds to sprout, and makes everything clean as well as beautiful. The poet asks the question and the rain tells him all about its birth and end. II. Complete Summary The poet casually asks the gentle rain who she is. Surprisingly, the rain answers the question in detail and in human voice. The poet translates the statement of...

. A Photograph Shirley Toulson       I. Introduction to the Poem The poem captures three different moods and situations in three stanzas. The first one tells about a snapshot or an instant cardboard-photo of three girls. They are cousins. The eldest one, 12 years old, became the mother of the poetess after marriage. They are enjoying a sea holiday, putting on funny dresses. Their uncle clicks the camera and captures the smiling faces of all the three. Some 20-30 years later, the mother looks at the photo and laughs. She tells the poetess how her cousins Betty and Dolly had all dressed for the holiday. The outing on the beach in a quaint dress was the mother's past. But her laughter has become a thing of the past for the poetess. The mother passed away some twelve years ago. The void created by her death has made life dull and eventless. II. Complete Summary The poetess looks at the photograph of her late mother, with her two cousins on a sea beach. The mother wa...

Ch-9 The Accidental Tourist -Bill Bryson   Introduction of the Author Bill Bryson (1951-) is an Anglo-American author of great excellence. He has authored many books with topics varying from science, travel to non-fiction. He served as the Chancellor of Durham University from 2005 to 2011. His book Notes from a Small Island (1995), an exploration of Britain, gained him recognition in the United Kingdom. The book was further made into a television series. He gained widespread recognition with the publication of his science book, A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003). He was awarded the Key to the City in 2006 by Frank Cownie, the mayor of Des Moines. Frank Cownie also declared October 21, 2006 as the 'Bill Bryson, The Thunderbolt Kid Day   Description of the Chapter Bill Bryson presents a funny narrative piece about his clumsy experiences during air travel. Though he is a frequent air traveller, he always gets caught in uncomfortable and comical situations. Chaos at the A...

Ch-2 The Adventures of Toto -Ruskin Bond  Introduction of the Author Ruskin Bond (born 19 May, 1934) is an Indian author of British descent, living in Mussoorie, India. He tried his hand in different genres like fiction, short stories, novella, essays and books for children. His popular works are The Cherry Tree, The Blue Umbrella, Angry River, Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra, A Crow For All The Seasons, etc. He is a master craftsman who deals with child psychology and children related issues with deftness. The Indian Council for Child Education has recognised his role in the growth of children's literature in India. He got the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992, the Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2014 Summary of the Chapter Monkey at Narrator's Home It is a story about a baby monkey. The narrator's grandfather was a lover of animals and had a private zoo. One day, he purchased a baby monkey from a tonga-driver by paying five rupees and kept it in his zoo. It was named To...

Ch-1 The Lost Child- Mulk Raj Anand Short Answer Type Questions    Q1. What fascinated the boy in the mustard fields and what did he do? Ans. The mother showed the child the mustard fields to divert his attention from toys. The child was happy to roam in the field. There he saw a group of dragon-flies that were bustling about in the field. They fascinated the boy. He ran behind one of them and made an attempt to catch it. Q2. Why did the child stop to watch the insects? Ans. The child was truly a lover of nature. Along the footpath, he saw some little insects and worms coming out of their hidings to enjoy the warmth of the sun. He was so attracted towards the movements of these little creatures that he stopped there and gazed at them. Meanwhile, his parents were taking rest under the shade of trees. Q3. How did the child enjoy in the grove? Ans. When the little child entered the grove, a shower of young flowers fell upon him. Mesmerised by this scene, he forgot all about his p...