English Summary

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Rain on The Roof Summary in English by Coates Kinney

Rain on The Roof by Coates Kinney About the Poet

Coates Kinney (1826-1904) was a man who had a full life. During the 19th century he was, at various times a wistful and skillful poet, a politician – filling the role of Senator in the State of Ohio for two years, a lawyer in Cincinnati and a journalist on several publications and newspapers. He served in the US Army during the American Civil War as a commissioned officer, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the appointment of Paymaster. Finally, he held several school teaching posts. Throughout all of this though he made the time to write poetry and he had two collections published: Keuka and Other Poems in 1855 and Lyrics of the Ideal and the Real in 1888. One of his most famous poems, written in 1849 was the lilting, and haunting, The Rain on the Roof. It could be said that this poem established the name of Coates Kinney as a popular poet.

Rain on The Roof Introduction to the Chapter

Rain on the Roof by Coates Kinney is a poem lauding the healing power of rain, especially when heard from a cosy bed in a lovely cottage. It is a poem that is also about the poet’s memories of his childhood. At night, when dark clouds cover the sky and it rains gently then the poet lies in his cosy bed listening to the sound of the gentle rain on the roof top of his house. He remembers his mother smiling down at him and his siblings which gave him immense solace and pleasure. The patter of rain stirs in him fond memories of his mother in all her gentle loveliness.

Rain on The Roof Summary in English

Describing a rainy night, the poet says that the stars of the sky have become invisible because they have been covered by clouds. Darkness usually has a negative connotation, and the poet makes no exception to this rule.

He says that the darkness is making him sad and reflective, and the rain also seems to mirror his emotions as it looks like tears falling softly from human eyes. At this point, the only thing that can bring joy to the poet is to curl up with a pillow in the bed of a country cottage. It is the sound of raindrops that help him recover from his melancholic mood. .

The poet describes how the raindrops make a tinkling sound as they fall on the shingles of the roof. Each sound that is made by the rain in this way is repeated the next instant by the beating of his heart. The things he has only been imagining now start to appear before his very eyes. As he is listening to the soft and continuous falling of the raindrops on his roof, all his memories come back to him, but they are not discrete and separated from each other. Instead all of his memories seem to have formed a patchwork by becoming entwined with one another.

He describes the first memory that he can actually identify among the patchwork that all his memories have formed by meshing together. He remembers how many years ago, in his childhood, his mother used to look down at him and his siblings as they were sleeping and having pleasant dreams. His mother would make a point to look at them every night, for she knew she would not see them again till the next morning. What the poet remembers more than anything is how his mother would bend down and watch over him in particular. These memories are evoked as he listens to the repetitive rhythm of the raindrops as they are falling on his roof.

Rain on The Roof Title

The poem has an apt title. The poet enjoys the sound of rain as it falls on the roof and creates a gentle melody, more so because he is lying snug in bed in the lovely cottage where he spent his childhood. The gentle tinkle of the rain on the shingles brings dreamy fancies with bright hues of recollection. It also arouses fond memories of his mother in all her gentle loveliness as she looks down on her sleeping children before leaving them to go to her room.

Rain on The Roof Setting

The poet is lying comfortably snug in his bed with his head pressed against the pillow, in a room in his cottage listening to the patter of the soft rain as it falls on the shingles of the roof.

Rain on The Roof Theme

The poem Rain on the Roof highlights the power of rain to heal the mind. The poet, who is in a melancholy mood, feels oppressed by the humidity of the atmosphere and the dark skies. He lies brooding, in his bed, when rain begins to fall. Its sound produces an echo in Kinney’s heart and starts a thousand fancies in his thoughts. As he listens to the patter of the rain on the roof, he remembers his mother in the early years when she observed all her off-springs in their sleep.

Rain on The Roof Tone

The poem begins on a reflective and solemn note as the poet talks about the gathering darkness. He is sad and thoughtful, and the rain also seems to mirror his emotions as it looks like tears falling softly from human eyes. However, soon the sound of raindrops helps him recover from his melancholic mood. The poet remembers his mother and the poet takes on a nostalgic tone.

Rain on The Roof Literary Devices

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the initial letter (generally a consonant) or first sound of several words, marking the stressed syllables in a line of poetry.
Example: Over all the starry spheres

Imagery

Imagery is a poetic device wherein the author uses words or phrases that appeal to any of the senses or any combination of senses to create “mental images” for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author’s writings. Imagery is not limited to only visual sensations, but also refers to igniting kinesthetic, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, thermal and auditory sensations as well.

Example: When the humid shadows hover
Over all the starry spheres (visual imagery)
And lie listening to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead! (sound imagery)

Onomatopoeia

It is the use of words which imitate sound.

Examples: Every tinkle on the shingles
Has an echo in the heart;
And a thousand dreamy fancies
Into busy being start,
And a thousand recollections
Weave their bright hues into woof,
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof.

Refrain

A refrain is the repetition of lines or whole phrases in a poem, usually at the end of a stanza. It creates a musical effect, emphasizes a point, draws attention to a point, or lends unity to a piece.

Example: And to listen to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead!
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof.
Which is played upon the shingles
By the patter of the rain.

Rhyme Scheme

The rhyme scheme is an unusual one, but was once used by Mozart in his opera Cosi fan tutte. The rhyme scheme is ABCBDE, FG, with the FG lines (“And to listen to the patter / Of the soft rain overhead!”) repeated at the end of each stanza in different variations.

Rain on The Roof Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What is the setting of the poem?
Answer:
The poet is lying comfortably snug in his bed with his head pressed against the pillow, in a room in his cottage listening to the patter of the soft rain as it falls on the shingles of the roof.

Question 2.
How old do you think the poet is? Justify your answer.
Answer:
The poet is a young man. He remembers his mother looking down at him and his siblings, who are sleeping in their room, long ago. The poet’s mother also is no longer alive as he says she lives on in his memories.

Question 3.
How does the sky look before the rain falls?
Answer:
Before the rain falls, the weather turns humid and great dark clouds gather in the sky. They cover the stars and spread darkness. The poet feels these dark clouds are gloomy and melancholic. To the poet the darkness spells despondence and gloom as the clouds – humid shadows – weep gentle tears that fall as rain.

Question 4.
‘And the melancholy darkness gently weeps in rainy tears.’ Explain the phrase ‘melancholy darkness’. What does it do?
Answer:
“Melancholy darkness” refers to the dark rain bearing clouds. The poet imagines that the clouds covering the sky are gloomy and depressed because they are heavy and grey. The poet further imagines that the clouds are weeping and their tears are falling down as rain drops.

Question 5.
What is a ‘bliss’ for the poet in the poem ‘Rain on the Roof?
Answer:
The poet thinks it is blissful to lie in his cozy bed with his head on the pillow and listen to the sound of rain falling on the shingles of the roof. He enjoys the music of nature which arouses fantasies and memories in his mind.

Question 6.
What does the poet like to do when it rains?
Answer:
The poet likes to lie in his room in his cottage, snug in bed with his head on a pillow when it rains. It gives him the greatest pleasure.

Question 7.
What feelings does the falling rain arouse in the poet in the poem ‘Rain on the Roof?
Answer:
The poet first describes the falling rain as the tears of the dark, gloomy clouds. However, as he lies snug in his bed, listening to the patter of rain on the shingles, the sound provides him immense pleasure and he is lost in fantasies and memories.

Question 8.
What are the poet’s feelings as the rain falls on the shingles?
Answer:
As the rain falls on the shingles, its tinkling sound creates an echo in the poet’s heart. As he listens to the patter of the raindrops on the roof, his gloom is lifted and his heart is filled with a thousand fantasies and fond memories of his mother.

Question 9.
When do the ‘thousand dreamy fancies’ begin to weave in the poet’s mind? What are these fancies?
Answer:
When the poet is in his cottage and lies in his cosy bed listening to the soft music of rain on the roof, his mind is flooded with various thoughts and imaginations. These fancies or imaginary thoughts and ideas spin threads of bright fanciful colours in his mind.

Question 10.
“And a thousand dreamy fancies into busy heart.” When do the ‘thousand dreamy fancies’ begin in the poet’s heart?
Answer:
When the poet is in his cottage and lies in his cosy bed listening to the soft music of rain on the roof, his mind is flooded with various thoughts and imaginations. The soothing sound of the gentle rain on the shingles fires his imagination.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

Wind Summary in English by Subramania Bharati

Wind by Subramania Bharati About the Poet

Chinnaswami Subramania Bharati, also known as Bharathiyar (1882-1921) was a Tamil writer, poet and journalist, and Indian independence activist and social reformer. Popularly known as “Mahakavi Bharati”, he is considered one of the greatest Tamil literary figures of all time. His numerous works were fiery songs kindling patriotism and nationalism during the Indian Independence movement. Bharati’s works were on varied themes covering religious, political and social aspects. Songs penned by Bharati are very often used in Tamil films and music concerts throughout India and overseas, wherever Tamil Indians live. Considered as one of the pioneers of modem Tamil literature, Bharati used simple words and rhythms. His imagery and the vigour of his verse were a forerunner to modem Tamil poetry in different aspects.

A K Ramanujan (1929-1993) wrote in both English and Kannada. Though he wrote widely and in a number of genres, Ramanujan’s poems are remembered as enigmatic works of startling originality, sophistication and moving artistry. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award posthumously in 1999 for his collection of poems, The Collected Poems.

Wind Introduction to the Chapter

Nature in all its manifestations was a source of inspiration for Subramania Bharati. He saw wind and rain as forces of Nature that were designed to destroy the old and evil things in man’s mind and create joy and liberty within him.

In the poem Wind Subramania Bharati has very beautifully expressed his ideas about both the damaging and nurturing aspects of wind. Wind often mocks the weak but glorifies the strong. In the poem wind is symbolic of the difficulties and hardships that we face in life. If we display strength and endurance we can overcome these difficulties, but if we are weak and frail, we may succumb to them.

Wind Summary in English

This poem talks about the power of wind.

In a direct address to the wind, the poet pleads with it not to break down the shutters of the windows, as they are the only protection man has against the storm raging outside. In a manner, the poet is here asking the wind for protection. He also asks the wind not to scatter the papers in his room, or to throw down the books from his bookshelves.

As he continues to address the wind, the poet’s tone now changes to an accusatory one. He remonstrates with the wind as he shows it the mess it has created in his room. With its force, the wind has thrown all the books down from the bookshelves, and tom pages out of those books as well. However, the poet does hot restrict his complaint to the mess created by the wind inside his house. Casting his gaze outside, he also accuses the wind of having brought a spell of rain with itself.

Now the poet’s tone changes to sombre as he accuses the wind of destroying whoever is too meek and mild to withstand its force. The wind, which has the power to tear down doors, rafters, or even entire wooden houses, leaves people without a roof over their heads, or walls to keep them sheltered from the harsh world outside. The wind also tears down weak bodies, and fragile hearts. That is, difficulties in life can lead to a loss of hope, as well as a loss of life.

The poet warns his readers that we cannot escape the ill effects of the wind by appealing to it, as it does not listen to anybody. Therefore, we should build our homes on a strong foundation, and ensure that our doors cannot be easily broken. He suggests that we make ourselves strong, both physically and mentally. We must train our bodies and our hearts to combat the ill effects of the wind. If we are able to do this, the wind will no longer be an enemy.

Instead it will be our friend. The poet says that just as the wind blows out a fire if it is weak, but makes it fiercer if it is burning strongly, the wind nurtures that which is already strong. This leads the poet to conclude that if we are strong, then the wind will increase our strength, but if we are weak it crushes us. The poet asks the wind to blow gently, and, tells us to sing our devotion to the wind god every day.

Wind Title

The poem has an apt title. Wind is a powerful force that breaks the shutters and scatters the books. It pokes fun at weaklings — crumbling wood, doors, rafters, bodies, lives, crumbling hearts. However, Wind makes the strong even stronger. It blows out weak fires and makes strong ones bum even more fiercely. Wind inspires us to face the challenges thrown at us with grit and firm determination. We should be strong enough to face all the hardships of life with courage.

Wind Setting

The setting of the poem is the poet’s room during a storm. The strong wind is rattling the windws and blowing his papers about, scattering them in the room. It throws the books down from the shelves and creates a mess.

Wind Theme

In Wind, Subramania Bharti highlights the destructive as well as the constructive aspects of the wind. Wind breaks down weak doors and structures and puts out a weak fire, but it makes a strong fire bum more fiercely. Wind, in the poem, symbolises the challenges and obstacles that one may encounter in one’s life. If we are weak, these problems and hardships may overwhelm us and make us fearful, but if we face them with courage and determination, we are able to overcome our misfortunes. Thus, the poet stresses upon the need to develop a strong character.

Wind Message

In “Wind” Subramania Bharati inspires us to face the wind, which symbolises the hardships, courageously. He tells us that the wind can only extinguish the weak fires; it intensifies the stronger ones. Similarly, adversities deter the weak-hearted but make stronger those who have unfaltering will. In such a case, befriending the wind or the hardships of life makes it easier for us to face them.

Wind Tone

The poet talks about the power of wind. In the beginning, he directly addresses the windin a pleading tone and entreats it to not cause destruction. As he continues to address the wind, the poet’s tone now changes to an accusatory one. He remonstrates with the wind as he shows it the mess it has created in his room. He also accuses the wind of having brought a spell of rain with itself. After looking at the destruction wind causes in his room, Bharati’s tone changes to sombre as he accuses the wind of destroying whoever is too meek and mild to withstand its force. The poet adopts a cautionary tone as he counsels his readers to make themselves strong, both physically and mentally and face challenges with equanimity.

Wind Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why does the poet ask wind to blow softly?
Answer:
The poet asks wind to blow softly because he knows that a strong wind will causes a lot of damage to structures that are not very strong. It will break the shutters of windows, throw the books from the shelves, and tear their pages and bring rain.

Question 2.
What damage does wind cause in the poet’s room?
Answer:
Wind breaks the shutters of the windows, it scatters the poet’s papers. It even throws down his books and tears the pages. Then it brings rain and disturbs everything.

Question 3.
What is winnowing? What, according to the poet, does the wind god winnow?
Answer:
Winnowing refers to blowing away or removing the chaff from grain before it can be used as food. It thus implies segregating people or things by judging their quality. The poet says that the wind god separates the weak from the strong like the chaff from grain.

Question 4.
How does wind make fun of weaklings?
Answer:
Wind makes fun of the weaklings by separating them from the strong and then crushing them by its force. Wind who is very strong does not behave in a friendly way with the weak. It destroys the weak things.

Question 5.
What harm does wind do when it blows hard?
Answer:
When a strong wind blows, it destroys everything. It breaks the shutters of the windows, scatters the papers, throws the books off the shelves, and tears the pages of the books.

Question 6.
What kinds of houses should we build to withstand the power of wind?
Answer:
We should make strong houses with doors that have firm joints as wind will not be able to crumble those.

Question 7.
What does ‘crumbling’ suggests in the poem ‘Wind’?
Answer:
The word ‘crumbling’ in the poem ‘Wind’ suggests fragile or frail. He feels that wind separates the frail or derelict houses, doors, rafters, wood, and weak bodies, lives, and hearts from those that are strong and crushes them all.

Question 8.
Explain what the poet means by ‘Make the heart steadfast’.
Answer:
The poet advises that while facing difficulties and challenges in life, one should have strong determination and courage. Wind causes weak structures to crumble and puts out a weak fire, but has no effect on a strong structure, in fact, it causes a strong fire to bum more intensely. Similarly, a resolute heart can face all adversities.

Question 9.
What should we do to make friends with the winds?
Answer:
The wind makes fun of weak things. Thus, wind teaches us to be strong and determined, as a tme friend should. We should make ourselves physically and mentally strong to overcome the troubles and turmoil we may face in life.

Question 10.
‘He won’t do what you tell him’. Who is ‘he’? Why does he not obey others?
Answer:
In this line, ‘he’ stands for the wind god. The wind god does not obey man because it is so powerful that it cannot be controlled.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

Kathmandu Summary in English by Vikram Seth

Kathmandu by Vikram Seth About the Author

Vikram Seth, (bom June 20, 1952, Calcutta, India) is an Indian poet, novelist, and travel writer. He is better known for his verse novel The Golden Gate (1986) and his epic novel A Suitable Boy (1993).

The son of a judge, Leila Seth, and a businessman, Prem Seth, Vikram Seth was raised in London and India.

He attended exclusive Indian schools and then graduated from Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He received a master’s degree in economics from Stanford University in 1978 and later studied at Nanking (China) University. In 1987 he returned to India to live with his family in New Delhi.

Although Seth’s first volume of poetry, Mappings, was published in 1980, he did not attract critical attention until the publication of his humorous travelogue From Heaven Lake: Travels through Sinkiang and Tibet (1983. He also wrote a collection of 10 poems Beastly Tales from Here and There (1992).

Kathmandu Introduction to the Chapter

Kathmandu is is an extract from a travelogue written by Vikram Seth, From Heaven Lake which narrates his long journey from China to India via Tibet and Nepal. Kathmandu is an account of his time spent in Nepal and the description of the two famous temples of Kathmandu—the Pashupatinath, sacred to the Hindus and the Baudhnath Stupa, sacred to the Buddhists. He not only describes the ambience inside these temples but also records his observations about their surroundings and contrasts the hectic activity in the Hindu temple with the serenity in the Buddhist stupa.

Kathmandu Summary in English

The writer, Vikram Seth, journeyed from China to India via Tibet and Nepal. On reaching Kathmandu he hires a cheap room in a hotel and slept for hours. The next morning, accompanied by one Mr. Shah and his nephew, he visits the two temples of Kathmandu—the Hindu temple of Pashupatinath and the Bodh temple, the Baudhnath stupa.

The author first visits Pashupatinath Temple, where the right to entry is reserved for the Hindus alone. The atmosphere there is of ‘febrile confusion’ and people (priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists) and animals (cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs) roam through the grounds. People jostle with each other trying to get the priest’s attention. With the entry of the Nepalese princess the crowd makes way. Outside, the westerners continue to argue in vain with the policemen to gain permission for entering the temple, claiming to be Hindus. Priests, devotees, hawkers, dogs, pigeons, tourists—all get together to add to the confusion.

Two monkeys race each other over a shivalinga towards the holy river Bagmati. On the banks of the river a corpse is being cremated, washerwomen are washing clothes and children are bathing in the river. Wilted flowers and old offerings aere thrown into the river, polluting the river. A small shrine half protrudes from the stone platform on the river bank. Legend says when it emerges fully, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of the.Kaliyug will end on earth.

In contrast to the noisy activity in the Hindu temple, Seth finds peace, quietness, and serenity at the Baudhnath stupa. Baudhnath Stupa is a quiet, still place, its white dome ringed by a road. There are small shops on the outer edge of the road mostly owned by Tibetan immigrants. Inside the shrine there are no crowds. There is stillness and quiet. It stands out as a safe haven for quietness amidst busy streets.

After visiting the temples, the writer roams about on the streets of Kathmandu and finds it to be a busy city. Seth chooses the adjectives vivid, mercenary and religious to describe Kathmandu. He finds its narrow streets are busy and very noisy. The streets are crowded with fruit sellers, hawkers of postcards etc. The shops sell Western cosmetics, film rolls and chocolate; or copper utensils and Nepalese antiques. The city is noisy with film songs blaring out from the radios, car horns honking, bicycle bells ringing, stray cows lowing and vendors shouting out their wares.

Tired and homesick, the author decides to return home. He buys an airline ticket and returns to his hotel.

Near his hotel he hears the melodious sound of a flute seller. The flute seller plays spontaneously and without a conscious effort and seems to sell his flutes in a carefree manner. The flutes captivate him and he recalls that there is no culture that does not have its flute—the reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, breathy South American flutes and high pitched Chinese flutes.

He is amazed at himself for noticing such details of these musical instruments for he has not done so earlier. The music of the flute leaves a deep imprint on his mind and he carries it with him when he returns home.

Kathmandu Title

Kathmandu, as we know that it is an extract from an account of a journey that the writer Vikram Seth undertook from Heaven Lake in China to India. However, the. extract does not provides either a description of the city, or information about the Nepalese capital; it is a recording of the writer’s impressions about the city. We expect to know more about Kathmandu. Still, with the author’s main focus on the two famous temples and a brief description regarding his general impression about Kathmandu, this title stands justified.

Kathmandu Setting

In this extract, Kathmandu Vikram Seth describes two famous temples of Kathmandu—the Pashupatinath Temple and the Baudhnath Stupa. The atmosphere at the Pashupatinath Temple is one of feverish confusion. He finds people performing different rituals performing on the bank of the holy river Bagmati. He then visits the Baudhnath Stupa, where there is a sense of stillness. Tibetan immigrants selling different things on the side of the road. After this he roams on the streets of Kathmandu. These streets are busy and crowded. He becomes tired and returns to his hotel.

Kathmandu Theme

The theme of Kathmandu, a brief extract from Vikram Seth’s travelogue, From Heaven Lake, is glimpses of Kathmandu, especially the famous Pashupatinath temple, sacred to the Hindus, and the Baudhnath Stupa, a holy place for the Buddhists. His experiences in the two temples form a kind of commentary on the two ways of worship and the two cultures. The general environment of Kathmandu forms the sub-theme gf this piece. The author briefly discusses the markets, roads etc. of Kathmandu and also adds a few aesthetic remarks about the musical instrument, flute after listening to a flute seller playing the musical instrument.

Kathmandu Message

The extract Kathmandu is a part of a travelogue and is an account of Vikram Seth’s impressions of Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu. As such, it does not cany any message. Still, it has deeper layers of meaning. The author disapproves of the noise and confusion in the Hindu temple and admires the serenity of the Buddhist temple. He also reveals how we thoughtlessly pollute our rivers washing clothes on its banks, cremating corpses, and dumping rubbish in them. The extract conveys the message that the purity and serenity of the holy places must be maintained.

Kathmandu Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Where did the writer stay in Kathmandu? Which two different places of worship did he visit? With whom?
Answer:
The writer, Vikram Seth, stayed in a cheap room in the centre of Kathmandu. He visited the Pushupatinath temple, sacred to the Hindus, and the Baudhnath stupa, the holy shrine of the Buddhists with his acquaintances Mr Shah’s son and nephew. .

Question 2.
What is written on the signboard outside the Pashupatinath temple? What does it signify?
Answer:
Outside the Pashupatinath temple, the signboard announces: “Entrance for the Hindus only”. It signifies that the temple is rigid in the maintaining of its sanctity and holiness as a place of worship. This rule is practiced with inflexible strictness to prevent the temple from being treated like a tourist destination.

Question 3.
What does the author mean when he says “At Pashupatinath there is an atmosphere of febrile confusion”?
Answer:
The author makes this remark to imply there is hectic and chaotic activity around the temple. There is a huge crowd of priests, hawkers, tourists, and even animals like cows, monkeys and pigeons roaming through the grounds. Inside the temple, there are a large number of worshippers who jostle and elbow others aside to move closer to the priest. Together, they create utter confusion.

Question 4.
Why do devotees elbow others inside the temple?
Answer:
There is a large crowd of worshippers inside the temple, where everyone is trying to vie for the attention of the priests. As some people try to get the priest’s attention, they are elbowed aside by others pushing their way to the front.

Question 5.
How did the arrival of the princess change the situation?
Answer:
At Pashupatinath temple, worshippers were trying to get the priest’s attention and were elbowing and jostling each other as they pushed their way to the front. The situation changed as a princess of the Nepalese royal house appeared; everyone bowed and made way for her.

Question 6.
What did the saffron-clad Westerners want?
Answer:
The saffron-clad Westerners wanted to go inside the Pashupatinath temple. However, as entry to the temple is restricted to Hindus only, they claimed to be Hindus. But the policeman was not allowing them to enter.

Question 7.
Why did the policeman stop the Westerners wearing saffron-coloured clothes from entering the Pashupatinath temple?
Answer:
The policeman stopped the saffron-clad Westerners from entering the Pashupatinath temple as the entry of non- Hindus is banned in this temple and he didn’t believe that they were Hindus, despite their saffron clothes.

Question 8.
Describe the fight that breaks out between the two monkeys around the temple of Pashupatinath?
Answer:
The author describes the fight that breaks out between two monkeys in which one chases the other. The monkey being chased jumps onto a shivalinga, then runs screaming around the temples and finally goes down to the holy river, Bagmati.

Question 9.
What activities are observed by the writer on the banks of the Bagmati river?
Answer:
The writer observes some polluting activities on the banks of the river Bagmati. He notices some washerwomen washing clothes, some children taking a bath and a dead body being cremated on the banks of this sacred river. He also observes someone throwing a basketful of wilted flowers and leaves into the river.

Question 10.
Write a short note on the shrine on the stone platform on the river bank?
Answer:
There is a small shrine on the banks of the holy Bagmati that flows below the Pashupatinath temple. Half part of this shrine protrudes from a stone platform. It is believed that when the shrine will emerge completely from the platform, the goddess in the shrine will escape and that will mark the end of the Kaliyug, or the evil period.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

The Bond of Love Summary in English by Kenneth Anderson

The Bond of Love by Kenneth Anderson About the Author

Kenneth Anderson (1901-1974 ) was an Indian-born, British writer and hunter who wrote books about his adventures in the jungles of South India. His love for the inhabitants of the Indian jungle led him to big game hunting and to writing real-life adventure stories. He often went into the jungle alone and unarmed to meditate and enjoy the beauty of untouched nature. Anderson’s style of writing is descriptive, as he talks about his adventures with wild animals.

While most stories are about hunting tigers and leopards—particularly man- eaters—he includes chapters on his first-hand encounters with elephants, bison, and bears. There are stories about the less ‘popular’ creatures like Indian wild dogs, hyenas, and snakes. He explains the habits and personalities of these animals. Anderson gives insights into the people of the Indian jungles of his time, with woods full of wildlife and local inhabitants having to contend with poor quality roads, communication and health facilities. His books delve into the habits of the jungle tribes, their survival skills, and their day-to-day lives.

The Bond of Love Introduction to the Chapter

The Bond of Love is a touching account of an orphaned sloth bear who is rescued by the author, Kenneth Anderson, and gifted to his wife as a pet. Bruno, the playful baby bear, gets attached to her, but as he grows in size he is sent to a zoo. When the author’s wife goes to meet Bruno at the zoo, they realise how much the bear loves her and misses her. With the permission of the superintendent of the zoo, they bring Bruno back home. At home, a separate island is made for the animal where the author’s wife and the bear spend hours together.

The Bond of Love Summary in English

Once, Anderson and his companions were passing through sugarcane fields near Mysore when they encountered wild pigs that were being driven away from the fields. Some of them had been shot dead, while others had fled. They thought that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear appeared and one of the author’s friends wantonly shot it dead. Soon they discovered that a baby bear had been riding on the back of the mother bear that had been killed. Distressed, the young cub ran around its prostrate parent making a pitiful noise.

Anderson tried to seize the cub, but it ran off into the sugarcane fields, only to be chased and finally captured by the author. He presented the young bear to his wife who was delighted with it. She at once put a coloured ribbon around its neck, and after discovering it was a male cub she named it Bruno. At first, the young bear drank milk from a bottle but soon he started eating all kinds of food. He would eat porridge, vegetables, fruit, nuts, meat, curry and rice regardless of spices, bread, eggs, chocolates, sweets, pudding, ice-cream, etc., etc., etc. As for drink, Bruno drank anything including milk, tea, coffee, lime-juice, aerated water, buttermilk, beer and alcoholic drinks. It all went down with relish.

Bruno became very attached to the two Alsatian dogs that the family owned as well as with the children of the tenants. He enjoyed complete freedom and played and moved about in every area of the author’s house, including the kitchen, and even slept in their beds.

One day, Bruno met with an accident. He entered the library and ate some of the barium carbonate, a poison, that the author had kept to kill the rats. The poison soon showed its effect and Bruno suffered an attack of paralysis. However, he managed to reach the author’s wife who at once informed her husband. Bruno was immediately taken to a veterinary doctor who administered two antidote injections of 10 cc each to the bear. Bruno got well and soon started eating normally. Another time, Bruno drank old engine oil the author had kept as a weapon against the inroads of termites. However, it did not have any effect on him.

The author’s family took good care of Bruno, so he grew at a fast pace becoming many times the size he was when he came. He had become mischievous and playful. Bruno was very fond the author’s family, but he loved the author’s wife above all, and she loved him too! The author’s wife now changed his name to Baba which means a ‘small boy’. He leamt to perform a few tricks as well but still had to be kept chained because of the tenants’ children.

Soon the author and his son, and their friends felt that Bruno should be sent to a zoo because he had become too big to be kept at home. The narrator’s wife, who had got deeply attached to Bruno, was convinced after much effort. The bear was taken to the Mysore zoo after getting a positive response from the curator.

Although the author and his family missed Bruno greatly; but in a sense they were relieved. However his wife was inconsolable. She wept and fretted and wouldn’t eat anything. Meanwhile, reports from the curator and the friends of the narrator who visited the zoo, reported that Bruno, though he was well, was sad too and was not eating anything. After three months, at the insistence of his wife, the author took her to the zoo.

Bruno at once recognized the author’s wife and expressed delight by howling with happiness. After spending three hours feeding and pampering Bruno, the author’s wife requested the curator to give Bruno back to her. He, in turn, recommended her to contact the superintendent. Finally, with the Superintendent’s permission, Bruno was brought home. In order to keep him comfortable and safe, an island with a dry pit or moat around it was made especially for him. The author’s wife would spend a lot of time on the island with Bruno sitting in her lap. This indicated that sloth bears too have affection, memory and individual characteristics.

The Bond of Love Title

The Bond of Love is a perfect example of how love begets love. Even animals understand the language of love. They respond to love in equal measure. The author’s wife loves her pet bear like a child and takes care of his needs. The love given to Bruno by her is reciprocated by him in equal measure. When he is sent to the zoo, both the narrator’s wife and Bruno fret, refuse food and pine for each other. When she goes to see him, Bruno recognises her even after a gap of three months. Thus, we can see the author’s wife and Bruno share a deep bond of love. The title is therefore quite apt.

The Bond of Love Setting

The story The Bond of Love starts from the sugarcane fields near Mysore where the female sloth-bear is shot by one of the narrator’s companions and he brings the bear cub home. The scene now shifts to the narrator’s home in Bangalore whereas he grows in size, there is not much space for BrunoHe is then sent to the Mysore zoo. Finally, after Bruno is brought back because the author’s wife and Bruno were pining for each other. Bruno was kept on a special twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide island made for Bruno in the narrator’s compound in Bangalore. It was surrounded by a dry pit, or moat, six feet wide and seven feet deep. A wooden box that once housed fowls was brought and put on the island for Bruno to sleep in at night.

The Bond of Love Theme

The Bond of Love focuses on the mutual love between an animal and a human being. The author wants to say that animals, too, understand the language of love. The relationship between the bear and the author’s wife proves it. Bruno, the bear, is loved dearly by the author’s wife and he loves her in equal measure.

When he is sent away to a zoo, he frets, looks sad and refuses to eat. The author’s wife, too, does not eat. She visits Bruno in the zoo after a gap of three months, and he recognises her at once. He expresses his pleasure on seeing her by standing on his head. Thus, the bond of mutual love that exists between human and animal is too strong to be broken by time or distance.

The Bond of Love Message

The story conveys the message of the need of showing kindness to animals for they too are creatures created by the same God who created human beings. Animals have a right to dignified and free life. Kenneth Anderson’s friend kills the sloth bear, Bruno’s mother, wantonly. This senseless act leaves the bear cub alone. Thus, human beings being superior in intelligence and evolution, have a special responsibility towards animals and birds, pet or wild.

Animals also experience the feelings of love, joy, pain and separation just like human beings. When Bruno is sent to the zoo, the narrator’s wife weeps and frets, especially when she hears her Baba is inconsolable in Mysore and is refusing food. Bruno is delighted when he sees her and stands on his head to show his pleasure. Thus animals are equally devoted and loyal in reciprocating the love human beings give them.

The Bond of Love Characters

Bruno

Bruno, the pet sloth bear, is affectionate, emotional, sensitive, and playful. Through him the author reveals that animals are sensitive beings with emotions akin to human emotions. Once the bear cub, Bruno, is brought to the family and presented to the lady of the house as a pet, he behaves like a member of the family with a specifically deep bond of love for the author’s wife. He runs about the house, even sleeping in the author’s bed.

Bruno is a very loving bear. He quickly makes friends with the Alsatian dogs and the children of the tenants. He loves the narrator and his family. So much so that when he is sent to the zoo in Mysore, he is inconsolable. He refuses to eat anything and looks thin and sad. Bruno’s selfless love is evident when he is sent to the zoo where he suffers the pain of separation. He frets and refuses to eat. He is overjoyed when he sees the narrator’s wife after three months. He stands on his head to show his pleasure on seeing her.

Bruno is playful and full of life. He entertains everyone by his tricks. He spends his time in playing, running into the kitchen and going to sleep in the beds of the narrator’s family. And he knows a few tricks, too. At the command, ‘Baba, wrestle’, or ‘Baba, box,’ he vigorously tackles anyone who comes forward for a rough and tumble. If he is given a stick and ordered ‘Baba, hold gun’, he points the stick like a gun. If one asks him, ‘Baba, where’s baby?’ he immediately produces and cradles a stump of wood.

Bruno is mischievous and inquisitive. On one occasion, Bruno eats barium carbonate which is kept in the kitchen to kill rats. He is paralysed and has to be taken to a vet. On another occasion, he drinks up old engine oil.

The Author’s Wife

The author’s wife, who is not given any name in the story, is the caretaker of the sloth bear, whom she names Bruno and later on affectionately calls ‘Baba’. She is an embodiment of love, care, concern, consideration and kindness. She is delighted when her husband gifts her a young cub of a sloth bear. She is selfless and highly affectionate and takes good care of the pet as if he were her own child. It is due to her love and care that the pet bear survives despite losing his mother. She takes him into her family and calls him ‘Baba’ which in Hindi means a ‘young boy’. Because of her affection, he becomes playful and fun-loving. She is kind and gentle with animals as is evident not only in the love with which she brings up Bruno, but also the fact that she has two pet Alsatians too.

However, she is considerate and does not resent putting him in chains for the sake of the children of the tenants. She also agrees to have him sent to a zoo when he grows too big and unmanageable. She is terribly sad at being separated from him. Like a real mother, she carries food for him when she visits him at the zoo. She is so overwhelmed by seeing Bruno’s sorrow at being separated from her that she is able to convince the curator and the Superintendent that he should be sent back home. She is delighted to have him back and makes the pet sit in her lap although he has grown big.

She is sentimental and when Bruno is sent to the zoo, she preserves the stump and the bamboo stick with which he used to play and returns them to him when he comes back.

The Bond of Love Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How did the author get the baby sloth bear?
Answer:
The author got the baby sloth bear in a freak accident. Once the author and his friends were passing through the sugarcane fields near Mysore, Bruno’s mother was wantonly shot dead by one of his companions. The cub was found moving on the body of his mother. It was in great shock and tried to flee but the author managed to capture it, and bring it home.

Question 2.
Why did the author not kill the sloth bear when she appeared suddenly?
Answer:
Being kind-hearted, the author did not kill any animals without any motive or provocation. As the sloth bear had not provoked or attacked him, he did not kill it. That is why he describes his companions shooting of her a wanton act.

Question 3.
Why did one of the author’s companions kill the bear?
Answer:
One of the author’s companions killed the bear wantonly, in a moment of impulsive rush of blood. He may have though the bear would attack them and he may have shot it as an impulsive act bom of self-preservation.

Question 4.
How did the author capture the bear cub?
Answer:
When the bear cub’s mother was shot, it ran around its prostrate parent making a pitiful noise. The author ran up to it to attempt a capture. It scooted into the sugarcane field. Following it with his companions, the author was at last able to grab it by the scruff of its neck and put it in a gunny bag.

Question 5.
How did the author’s wife receive the baby sloth bear?
Answer:
The author’s wife was extremely happy to get the baby sloth bear as a pet. She put a coloured ribbon around his neck and named him Bruno.

Question 6.
How was Bruno, the baby bear, fed initially? What followed within a few days?
Answer:
Initially, the little Bmno was given milk from a bottle. But soon he started eating all kinds of food and drank all kinds of drinks. He ate a variety of dishes like porridge, vegetables, nuts, fruits, meat, eggs, chocolates etc., and drank milk, tea, coffee, lime-juice, buttermilk, even beer and alcoholic liquor.

Question 7.
“One day an accident befell him”. What accident befell Bruno?
Answer:
One day Bmno ate the rat poison (barium carbonate) kept in the library to kill rats. The poison affected his nervous and muscular system and left him paralysed. He rapidly became weak, panted heavily, vomited, and was unable to move.

Question 8.
How was Bruno cured of paralysis?
Answer:
Bmno had mistakenly consumed poison and had got paralysed. However, he managed to crawl to the author’s wife on his stumps. He was taken to the veterinary doctor who and injected 10 cc of the antidote into him. The first dose had no effect. Then another dose was injected which cured Bruno absolutely. After ten minutes of the dose, his breathing became normal and he could move his arms and legs.

Question 9.
Why did Bruno drink the engine oil? What was the result?
Answer:
Once the narrator had drained the old engine oil from the sump of his car and kept it to treat termites. Bruno, who would drink anything that came his way, drank about one gallon of this oil too. However, it did not have any effect on him.

Question 10.
What used to be Bruno’s activities at the author’s home?
Answer:
In the beginning, Bruno was left free. He spent his time in playing, running into the kitchen and going to sleep in our beds. As he grew older, he became more mischievous and playful. He learnt to do a few tricks, too. At the command, ‘Baba, wrestle’, or ‘Baba, box,’ he vigorously tackled anyone who came forward for a rough and tumble. If someone said ‘Baba, hold gun’, he would point the stick at the person. If he was asked, ‘Baba, where’s baby?’ he immediately produced and cradled affectionately a stump of wood which he had carefully concealed in his straw bed.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

Reach for the Top Summary in English

Reach for the Top Summary Part 1 in English

Santosh Yadav, the only woman in the world to have scaled Mt. Everest twice, was bom in an affluent landowning family of Joniyawas, a small village of Rewari District, Haryana. Although Santosh was bom in a conservative society, where sons are preferred over the daughters, she was welcomed in the family as she was the sixth child and the only sister to five elder brothers. When her mother was expecting a baby, a holy man visited and blessed her with giving birth to a son. But to everyone’s surprise her grandmother said that she wanted a girl. The girl was bom and was named Santosh which means contentment.

From the beginning, Santosh was a bit of a rebel right and defied conventions. She neither liked to wear traditional dresses nor followed the traditional course of life. Though Santosh attended the local village school for her early education, she decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived. And the right moment came when she turned sixteen. Most of the girls in her village used to get married at sixteen. When Santosh’s parents also put pressure on her to do the same, rather than succumbing to parental pressure to get married early, she insisted on pursuing her studies. Her parents had to give in to her desire to study at a high school in Delhi, followed by higher education at Maharani College, Jaipur.

In Jaipur, she lived in Kasturba Hostel and could see the Aravalli hills from her room. Attracted by the villagers climbing these hills, one day she decided to check the route herself. There she met a few mountaineers, who allowed her to join them and encouraged her to take to mountaineering.

There was no looking back for this determined young girl after that. Before completing her college degree, Santosh Yadav got herself enrolled at Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. As soon as she completed her last semester in Jaipur, she had to rush straight to the Institute and had no time to visit home. So, she wrote her father a letter apologizing for not having sought his permission before joining the Institute.

During this training, she went for an expedition each year. Her climbing skills matured rapidly. Also, she developed a remarkable resistance to cold and the altitude. Endowed with an iron will, physical endurance and an amazing mental toughness, she proved herself repeatedly. In 1992, after training for four years, she became the youngest woman in the world to conquer Mt. Everest at the age of 22. Her physical and mental strength impressed her seniors, while her

team spirit and concern for others endeared her to her fellow climbers. Santosh provided special care to a fellow climber in critical condition at South Col., who unfortunately could not be saved. However, she managed to save Mohan Singh, who too was in distress, by sharing her oxygen with him.

In less than a year of scaling Everest she got a second invitation from an Indo-Nepalese Women’s Expedition to repeat the feat. She was successful in scaling Mt. Everest once again. While unfurling the tricolour on top of the world, Santosh experienced indescribable pride as an Indian. It was truly a spiritual moment for her. Showing exceptional concern for the environment, she collected and brought down about 500kg of garbage from the Himalayas. The government of India honoured her with Padmashri for her unparalleled mountaineering feats.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 in English

Reach for the Top (Part II) briefly narrates the life and career of Maria Sharapova, one of the world’s best-known tennis stars. Behind her ready smile, disarming manner and glamorous attire lies the hard work and sacrifice that enabled Maria Sharapova to achieve the world number one position in women’s tennis on 22 August 2005. Poised beyond her years, the Siberian bom teenager took just four years as a professional to reach the pinnacle. However, the rapid ascent in a fiercely competitive world began nine years before with a level of sacrifice few children would be prepared to endure. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when her father,

Yuri, brought her to the US to be trained in tennis. Her mother Yelena could not accompany her due to visa restrictions. In the US she missed her mother badly; her father, too, was working as much as he could to pary for her tennis-training, so, she couldn’t see him either. But she knew that the sacrifice was an inevitable price to pay for her big aspirations.

Apart from the pangs of separation from the mother, the child also suffered harassment from her inconsiderate fellow trainees, who were older in age. At the training academy, Maria would go to bed at 8 pm as she was very young. Her fellow trainees, who were older, would return at 11 pm and wake her up and make her tidy the room. Instead of letting this upset her, Maria drew mental strength and determination from this bullying. This mental toughness gradually became a trait of her personality that helped her both as a person and as a sportswoman.

If proved to be instrumental in helping her to reach the zenith of glory in the world of tennis. She bagged the women’s singles crown at Wimbledon in 2004 and became the number one tennis player in the world. However, Maria is not sentimental about her journey and the sacrifices she has had to make to achieve her goal. She says, “I am very, very competitive. I work hard at what I do. It’s my job.”

Hard work, dedication and mental courage paved the way for Sharapova’s rapid rise to success.

Imbued with patriotic sentiments, she feels proud to be a Russian. Though grateful to the US for bringing out the best in her, she would like to represent her own country Russia at the Olympics.

Although Maria is fond of fashion, singing and dancing, she focuses all her attention on tennis. She considers tennis as both a business and a sport, which has poured riches in her life. However, her main aim is to shine as a tennis player. It is this aspiration that constantly governs her mind and motivates her for ceaseless efforts.