My week with Gandhi by Louis Fischer Study Guide and Questions Answers

My week with Gandhi by Louis Fischer Study Guide and Questions Answers:-

Question:-

Write a description of Gandhi and his habits following the account given by Fischer in “My week with Gandhi’.

Answer:-

Gandhi was 73 when Fischer met him at Sevagram. Still he was stout bodied. He had soft brown complexion. His skin was soft and had a healthy glow. He had round shaped chest, thin waist and long muscular legs. His body did not reveal his age. Only his face betrayed his age. He had a pair of quite gentle eyes. He had no teeth and used dentures only for eating. He had an ever-smiling face.

Gandhi lived a simple life. He put on loin cloth and sandals and lived in a thatched hut. He was very punctual. He was an early riser. He went out on a morning stroll for half an hour. The time of his evening was also fixed. He had extraordinary power of self-control, determination. His love of simplicity, hatred of pretence, his love of man, non-violence. Though he did not have mighty stature like George, Churchill and Roosevelt, he had a wonderful personality that had great impact on everybody.

Question:-

Describe the author’s first meeting with Gandhi.

Answer:-

The author, Louis Fischer, reached Gandhi’s ashram at Sevagram from Wardha. Gandhi received him with outstretched hands at the junction of the village road. At seventy three Gandhi’s health was very good. His waist was thin; his chest was round; and his legs were muscular. By his intimate conduct he made the author felt at home immediately. He told him that the author could have an hour’s talk with him after lunch and walk with him in the evening.

Question:-

What was the author’s impression of the ashram?

Answer:-

During his stay in the ashram, the author was to be looked after by Khursheed Naoroji, the granddaughter of the great Indian leader, Dadabhai Naoroji. She took him to the guest-hut. The hut consisted of two rooms-one bed room and an attached bathroom. The hut was of mud walls and bamboo roof. The floor of the bedroom was earthen, while that of bathroom cemented. In the bathroom where were tubs, pails and pitches of water. It was summer and the temperature was high. At least five or six baths per day were necessary to make oneself comfortable. Running water, electricity, fans, radio or telephone-all these were absent there.

To a Skylark by Percy Bysshe Shelley

"To a Skylark" is one of the famous poems written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. 

“To a Skylark”

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Hail to thee, blithe spirit!
Bird thou never wert-
That from heaven or near it
Pourest thy full heart
In profuse strains of unpremeditated art.

Higher still and higher
From the earth thou springest,
Like a cloud of fire;
The blue deep thou wingest,
And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest.

In the golden light'ning
Of the sunken sun,
O'er which clouds are bright'ning,
Thou dost float and run,
Like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun.

The pale purple even
Melts around thy flight;
Like a star of heaven,
In the broad daylight
Thou art unseen, but yet I hear thy shrill delight-

Keen as are the arrows
Of that silver sphere
Whose intense lamp narrows
In the white dawn clear,
Until we hardly see, we feel that it is there.

All the earth and air
With thy voice is loud,
As when night is bare,
From one lonely cloud
The moon rains out her beams, and heaven is overflow'd.

What thou art we know not;
What is most like thee?
From rainbow clouds there flow not
Drops so bright to see,
As from thy presence showers a rain of melody:-

Like a poet hidden
In the light of thought,
Singing hymns unbidden,
Till the world is wrought
To sympathy with hopes and fears it heeded not:

Like a high-born maiden
In a palace tower,
Soothing her love-laden
Soul in secret hour
With music sweet as love, which overflows her bower:

Like a glow-worm golden
In a dell of dew,
Scattering unbeholden
Its aërial hue
Among the flowers and grass which screen it from the view:

Like a rose embower'd
In its own green leaves,
By warm winds deflower'd,
Till the scent it gives
Makes faint with too much sweet those heavy-wingèd thieves.

Sound of vernal showers
On the twinkling grass,
Rain-awaken'd flowers-
All that ever was
Joyous and clear and fresh-thy music doth surpass.

Teach us, sprite or bird,
What sweet thoughts are thine:
I have never heard
Praise of love or wine
That panted forth a flood of rapture so divine.

Chorus hymeneal,
Or triumphal chant,
Match'd with thine would be all
But an empty vaunt-
A thin wherein we feel there is some hidden want.

What objects are the fountains
Of thy happy strain?
What fields, or waves, or mountains?
What shapes of sky or plain?
What love of thine own kind? what ignorance of pain?

With thy clear keen joyance
Languor cannot be:
Shadow of annoyance
Never came near thee:
Thou lovest, but ne'er knew love's sad satiety.

Waking or asleep,
Thou of death must deem
Things more true and deep
Than we mortals dream,
Or how could thy notes flow in such a crystal stream?

We look before and after,
And pine for what is not:
Our sincerest laughter
With some pain is fraught;
Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.

Yet, if we could scorn
Hate and pride and fear,
If we were things born
Not to shed a tear,
I know not how thy joy we ever should come near.

Better than all measures
Of delightful sound,
Better than all treasures
That in books are found,
Thy skill to poet were, thou scorner of the ground!

Teach me half the gladness
That thy brain must know;
Such harmonious madness
From my lips would flow,
The world should listen then, as I am listening now.

To a Skylark by Percy Bysshe Shelley Summary and Analysis Study Guide

Summary, Analysis and Study Guide of the poem To a Skylark:-

Question:-

What according to Shelley is the source of the Skylark’s joy? Why does he say that man can never come near the Skylark’s happiness?

Answer:-

Shelley says that the Skylark’s song is sweeter than marriage songs or songs in praise of love, wine or victory. The Skylark’s song has a divine quality.

The poet does not know hot the Skylark can sing such beautiful and sweet song. It may be it has been inspired by its love of nature. The bird constantly moves about in the midst of the beautiful fields and mountains, lakes and hills. It may be that it has been inspired by its love for other birds. The bird does not know anything about human pains and sufferings. The bird also loves. But its love is free from all troubles. The Skylark has true and deep knowledge of death.

Man finds joy in love. The Skylark also finds joy in love. But man becomes sad and tired of love when he enjoys it for a long time. The bird does not know love’s sad satiety. Man is unhappy because man thinks of the past and the future. He is never satisfied with his Lord. Man desires things that he can never get. Man can not laugh sincerely. Generally, the sweetest songs of the man are based on saddest thought. Even if man could conquer pride, hate and fear, he could not be as happy as the Skylark.

Ode to Autumn Summary Explanations Meaning Critical Appreciation

Critical Appreciation, Explanation, Questions Answers of the Poem “Ode to Autumn” by John Keats:-

The organic unity of a poem defies analysis and reminds us of Wordsworth’s famous line “we murder to dissect”. Still for practical purposes we are often asked to dissect poems intellectually. However, such an analysis remains harmless as long as we do not equate in with the poem itself. With this qualification we attempt to analyze ‘Ode to Autumn”.

The poem consists of three stanzas, each having eleven lines. The first recreates a panoramic vision of the plants, fruits and flowers growing everywhere on the ‘Happy autumn fields’. Autumn is the bosom friend of the maturing sun. The vines, creeping along the edges of thatched roof are blessed with juicy grapes, in cottages moss-covered tress bend under the heavy weight of too many apples, pumpkins are fully swollen, hazel shells are full of the sweet kernel, innumerable flowers are in full bloom, bees are so merry that they have mistaken autumn for summer. Thus a magnificent landscape rises before our eyes. Surprisingly, this is made of commonplace things. Keats suggests that the poetry of the earth is at our doorstep, if only we keep our eyes and ears open.

The second stanza gives us four grand personifications of Autumn. We visualize the season in the role of a delighted winnower who is sitting carelessly on the granary floor.  While the wind blows away the chaff from the grain it also dallies with farmer’s flowing hair. Next we see Autumn incarnated as a tired reaper who was fallen asleep on half-reaped field with the smell of the opium bearing poppies.

The third picture shows the season as a gleaner who has made a large bundle, collecting left out corns from the reaped field. With that load on his head the gleaner is coming a brook. Finally, Autumn is personified as a cyber-presser who carefully watches for hours together the drops of juice of cracked apples falling from the machine.

The last stanza recreates the music of Autumn. Is has the glorious sunset. While the evening is descending birds, insects are animated with that abundant spirit of music. The small gnats mourn along the river willows full grown lambs bleat from their hilly shelters. All these combine to create the autumnal song.

Ode To Autumn by John Keats Nature Poem

"To Autumn" is of my favourite nature poems written by John Keats.

Ode To Autumn 
by John Keats
 

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
        Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
    Conspiring with him how to load and bless
        With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
    To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
        And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
          To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
        With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
    And still more, later flowers for the bees,
  Until they think warm days will never cease,
          For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

  Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
      Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
  Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
      Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
  Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
      Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
          Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
  And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
      Steady thy laden head across a brook;
      Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
          Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

  Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
      Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
  While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
      And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
  Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
      Among the river sallows, borne aloft
          Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
  And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
      Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
      The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
          And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

To One who has been Long in City Pent by John Keats Questions and Answers

To One who has been Long in City Pent by John Keats - Questions and Answers, Study Guide:-

Question:-
Why does the city-dweller think that the day has passed very quickly?

Answer:-
The city-dweller has fully enjoyed a day’s outing in the country. In the evening, he morns that such a pleasant day has passed so quickly like a dew-drop that falls down on the ground silently through the ether.
The day has neither passed quickly nor slowly. The city-dweller has enjoyed it so much that he cannot understand how it has been spent.

Question:-
What are the feelings of the city-dweller when he returns home after spending the day in the countryside?

Answer:-
After a long stay in the city Keats the romantic poet is delighted to move and breathe in the clear blue sky fills his heart with joy. There is no dust and smoke, no din and bustle as in the city. He prays to God in gratitude. When he feels tired he lies down on a bed of soft wavy grass and reads a sweet love-story. He then thinks himself as the happiest man on earth.

To One Who Has Been Long in City Pent Summary Analysis Meaning

Summary and Analysis of the poem To One Who Has Been Long in City Pent:-

The poet describes the experience of a city-dweller who goes out to the countryside on a holiday. After a long stay in the city, he is delighted as he moves and breathes in the open atmosphere of the countryside. The sight of the clear blue sky fills heart with joy. There is no dust and smoke, no din and bustle as in the city. He prays to God in gratitude. When he feels tired he lies down on a bed of soft wavy grass and reads a sweet love-story. At that moment he feels he is the happiest man on earth.
At the end of the day, the city-dweller must return to the city. While returning home, he hears the sweet notes of the nightingale and sees the patches of clouds sailing across the sky. He has enjoyed the day so much that he cannot understand how the day has rolled by quickly. He feels sad for the sweet day has passed by rather too soon.


To One who has been Long in City Pent
by John Keats

To one who has been long in city pent,
    'Tis very sweet to look into the fair
    And open face of heaven,--to breathe a prayer
Full in the smile of the blue firmament.
Who is more happy, when, with heart's content,
    Fatigued he sinks into some pleasant lair
    Of wavy grass, and reads a debonair
And gentle tale of love and languishment?
Returning home at evening, with an ear
    Catching the notes of Philomel,--an eye
Watching the sailing cloudlet's bright career,
    He mourns that day so soon has glided by:
E'en like the passage of an angel's tear
    That falls through the clear ether silently.

To One who has been Long in City Pent by John Keats Nature Poem

John Keats is one of my most favourite English poets, in fact, my most favourite English poet. I love very much the poems written by John Keats. “To One who has been Long in City Pent” is one of his romantic poems. The poem shows his love to nature.

To One who has been Long in City Pent
by John Keats

To one who has been long in city pent,
    'Tis very sweet to look into the fair
    And open face of heaven,--to breathe a prayer
Full in the smile of the blue firmament.
Who is more happy, when, with heart's content,
    Fatigued he sinks into some pleasant lair
    Of wavy grass, and reads a debonair
And gentle tale of love and languishment?
Returning home at evening, with an ear
    Catching the notes of Philomel,--an eye
Watching the sailing cloudlet's bright career,
    He mourns that day so soon has glided by:
E'en like the passage of an angel's tear
    That falls through the clear ether silently.

The Lotus Eater by Somerset Maugham Questions Study Guide

The Lotus Eater by Somerset Maugham Questions Study Guide :-

The Lotus Eater is one of my fevourite English short story. Here are some questions and answers I studies in my college days.

Question:-

What does Somerset Maugham say about the majority of the people?

Answer:-

The majority of people live the life that circumstances have thrust upon them. Though they accept their luck they repent for what they are. They lack the courage to face new challenges and to take the course of their lives in their own hands.

Question:-

Why was the author curious to meet Thomas Wilson?

Answer:-

The author was curious to meet Thomas Wilson because Wilson was somewhat different from others. He took the course of his life in his own hands. The author admired Wilson’s courage to face life in his own way.

The Lotus Eater by Somerset Maugham Questions and Answers

The Lotus Eater by Somerset Maugham Questions and Answers:-

Question:-

How did the author know that Mr. Wilson was not ill-read?

Answer:-

On one occasion when the author met Wilson, the letter told him all about Tiberius. Also Wilson was acquainted with the Roman history. So the author knew that Wilson was a well-read person.

Question:-

How did Wilson try to commit suicide? Was he successful?

Answer:-

The twenty five years passed off very quickly. They were the days of happiness and enjoyment for Wilson. After the expiry of the annuity Wilson somehow got on for a year on credit. He borrowed money from anyone he could. Thereafter his land lord asked him to leave the house. Wilson tried to commit suicide by charcoal poisoning in a closed room.

He was not successful, because he did not die. On the following morning he was found alive and was taken to a hospital. But he became insane.

The Lotus Eater by Somerset Maugham Discussion Questions and Answers

The Lotus Eater by Somerset Maugham Discussion Questions and Answers :-

The Lotus Eater is a short story written by Somerset Maugham. It is one of my most favourite short story in English.

Question:-

Why did the author want to know about the man directly from him?

Answer:-

Most of us accept life as it comes in our way and lack the courage to change its course. Wilson was somewhat different from others because he changed the course of his life. People generally exaggerate and romanticize. The author wanted to hear all the facts from Wilson’s own lips in order to know the reality.  

Question:-

What did the author heard about Wilson?

Answer:-

The author heard that Wilson was an odd sort of fellow. He had the courage to change the course of his life. He did not follow the common route on which the common people traveled.

Sonnet no.18 Shall I compare thee questions and answers study questions

Sonnet no.18 Shall I compare thee questions and answers study questions:-

Exam Questions and Answers of Sonnet No. 18 “Shall I compare thee” by William Shakespeare:-

Question:-

In the sonnet “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day”, why can not death boast about the poet’s friend?

Answer:-

According to the poet, the beauty of his friend is everlasting and it will never fade away. That is why the eternal summer of his friend will never end. Hence death will have no hold upon him.

How does Shakespeare conclude his couplet?

The concept of time, death, love and immortality found predominance in Shakespearean sonnets. The poet firmly believes that his verse will be immortal. Time will not devour it up. Hence his friend’s beauty which he has praised in this sonnet will also be immortalized. 

To His Love

(Sonnet no. 18)

by William Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd.

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:—

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.