Unit-9 : Things that Have Changed Our Life,
Lesson-7 (B): Contemplation
(গত ১১ নভেম্বর প্রকাশের পর)
10. Read the poem. Then answer the following questions (any 5 out of 8).
Contemplation
John Carpenter
For days and days, I’ve climbed a tree
A dappled yellow tree
And gazed abroad at many things
I’ve always wished to see.
I see the green and gentle fields
All bounded in with hedge
And shining rivers swimming through
The rushes on the edge,
And little sheep who play all day
I watch them as they run,
While far away the roofs of town
Are shining in the sun.
I think it’s very nice to sit
So high and look so far-
How very large the world can be!
How many things there are!
a) What does the poet like to do while sitting in the tree ?
b) What were the four things the poet could see from the tree?
c) Why is the poet astonished/
d) What does the first stanza of the poem “Contemplation ‘imply?
e) Write about the speaker’s attitude reflected in the last stanza of the poem.
f) What does the poet indicate by saying ‘shining rivers swimming through--’?
g) How is the expression ‘little sheep who play all day’ relevant to the context of the poem ‘Contemplation’?
h) What is the theme of the poem ‘Contemplation’ by John Carpenter?
Answer: 10. a) The poet likes to sit in the tree and look at the things around him, especially the things he has always wished to see.
b. From the tree, the plant could see:
i. Green and gentle fields, ii. Rivers flowing through the rushes, iii. Little sheep playing, iv. The roofs of the town are shining in the sun.
c. The poet is astonished to see the vast world and many things in it.
d. The first stanza of the poem ‘Contemplation’ highlights the speaker’s exploring instinct. His long cherished desire to observe things of nature from above indicates his inquisitive mind and meditative attitude towards the infinite creation of the Creator.
e. The poem ‘Contemplation’ highlights the beauty of the objects of nature. Here, ‘green and gentle field’ symbolizes spring, rebirth and evokes a sense of nature and tranquility. It has long been associated with growth, renewal and fertility.
f. In the poem ‘Contemplation’ by John Carpenter, the speaker is a character with a meditative mind. So, the expression ‘shining rivers swimming through’ symbolizes here hope, life and the comforting permanence of nature which the poet turns to in order to satiate the speaker’s inquisitive mind.
g. Sheep spirit teaches the healing power of silence. Sheep also symbolizes innocence and parity. So, the innocent sheep can spend their time playing only in this vast universe of God. Hence, the expression ‘little ship who play all day’ is quite relevant to the context of the poem.
h. The theme of the poem is the appreciation of nature and the beauty of the world. And also the sense of wonder and contemplation that comes from observing the world from different perspectives.
লেখক : সিনিয়র শিক্ষক, ইংরেজি
লেক সার্কাস গার্লস হাই স্কুল, কলাবাগান, ঢাকা
কবীর
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