Central Idea of "Keeping Things Whole" - The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Three : Ecology and Environment
Central Idea of Poem "Keeping Things Whole"
Mark Strand
The Magic of Words

Interpretation and the and central idea of the poem

The poem, “Keeping Things Whole” talks about the wholeness against the usual fragmentation which goes on in life. The course of actions; incidents and happenings of our life are often fragmented. Nothing is absolute in fragmentation and division. So the poet stresses on wholeness. 

The Nightmare Life Without Fuel - Synopsis | The Magic Words

English | Summary
Unit Three : Ecology And Environment
Synopsis of Essay "The Nightmare Life Without Fuel"
Isaac Asimov
The Magic of Words

The present essay written by the Russian writer Isaac Asimov basically concerns about the fuel shortage in the present world. He has given us the instances from America about how the fuel shortage directly or indirectly relates to human life and its adverse impacts. The writer kindly advises us to preserve the existing natural resources that give us the enormous fuel to sustain life.

Critical Analysis of "The Poplar Field" | The Magic of Words

English | Notes
Unit Three : Ecology And Environment
Critical Analysis of "The Poplar Field"
William Cowper
The Magic of Words

The poem is remarkable for its celebration of the rural and its nostalgic tone. (Nostalgic poems are reminiscences of past life of a writer, is also part of autobiography). The poet recollects the scene of the poplar trees, which he used to enjoy the whispering sound of the tree columns. Winds used to play and sing in the leaves. Rivers reflect the image of the trees beautifully. Birds have shifted to other places. Melody has disappeared. Now he has no pleasures in these poplar trees. After 12 years he sees the field and feels everything dead.

Critical Interpretation of Essay "A Worn Path" - Eudora Welty

English | Notes
Unit Two : Men, Women and Children
Critical Interpretation of "A Worn Path"

Eudora Welty

The Magic of Words

‘A Worn Path’ is a story about an old black woman named Phoenix Jackson, who is courageous and endangers her life to get the medicine for her grandson, who is suffering from extreme throat pain. Literally speaking, the story is the story of journey of old woman who walks towards the city on the cold winter day. She is taking a long trip to the city to visit the hospital and brings some medicine for her grandson. This is not the first time she is going to the city; she goes there frequently for the medicine. She loves her grandson so much that she faces many troubles and obstacles on the long trip.

Understanding of Essay "A Worn Path" | The Magic of Words

English | Notes
Unit Two : Men, Women and Children

Understanding of Essay "A Worn Path"

Eudora Welty

The Magic of Words

Look at a Teacup, written by Patricia Hampl, is a complicated and quite motivating essay which shows the distinction between the traditional norms, notions and dogmas with the new ideology of modern world. There is generation gap between the old and new.

Understanding and Synopsis of Essay "Speaking of Children"

English | Notes
Unit Two : Men Women and Children
Understanding and Synopsis of Essay "Speaking of Children"
Barbara Holland

The Magic of Words

‘Speaking of Children’ is an essay written by Barbara Holland which shows the numerous problems of those parents who have got more than one child. One child is inevitable for all parents but more than one is a headache in various ways and the essayist tires to address such kind of problems. The precious moment, happiness and the family bliss are somewhere lost when the parents have more than one child. 

Complete Syllabus of Compulsory English Class 11

Syllabus | English
Complete Syllabus of Compulsory English
Class: 11

Full Marks 100 | Teaching hours 150

Poems:

1. Arthur Guiterman, " On the Vanity of Earthly Greatness"

2. Darothy Charles, "Concrete Cat"

3. Mark Strand " Keeping things whole"

4. Cowper " The Poplar Field"

5. W. Wordsworth, "My Heart Leaps up when I Behold"

Relation Between Helen and Michael - The Gardener | Magic of Words Class 11

Long Question
What is the real relation between Helen and Michael?

For: Class 11 | The Magic of Words | The Gardener

Subject: Compulsory English

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Ans: The real relation between Helen and Michael can be described as close relatives. Helen Turrell says that her brother George Turrell had a relationship with the daughter of retired non-commissioned police officer. She also says that before George Terrell's death, George gave birth to a child, later on George died falling from a horse.

The Magic of Words - Complete Summary | Compulsory English Class 11

English | Unit-Wise Summary
The Magic of Words
Class : 11

The Magic of Words is based on the idea that reading is an informational as well as a recreational activity, and that a good selection of well-written texts sensitize the readers toward developing an intelligent awareness of some of the most important issues involved in living.

The Gardener - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Six : Life and Death
The Gardener
Rudyard Kipling
The Magic Of Words

‘The Gardener’ ends surprisingly revealing the reality of Helen, the protagonist, and her relationship with Michael. Michael, whom Helen calls nephew, is in reality, her son whose father is unknown throughout the story. The gardener is a mysterious character who does not appear at first and in the middle but only at the last of the story creating confusions in the readers. 

Helen Turrell conceals (hides) the truth about Michael till the end of the story but she does not show any reaction when the gardener confidently says he will tell where her son lies.

In Bed - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Six : Life and Death
In Bed
Joan Didion
The Magic Of Words

‘In Bed’, an essay by Joan Didion depicts her personal experiences with migraine headache, which she inherits from her parents. She presents something unusual about the disease in a more philosophical and meditative domain of thought.

On The Vanity of Earthly Greatness - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary

Unit Six : Life and Death

On The Vanity of Earthly Greatness

Arthur Guiterman

The Magic Of Words

“On the Vanity of Worldly Things” is a poem written by Arthur Guiterman, an American poet and journalist, is best known for his humorous verse. Through humour, he has tried to depict the reality of human beings and animals caused by the change in time. It shows the bitter reality that the power of animals or human beings doesn’t remain same when time and situation change. We always run after reputation and prestige. We become or want to be great and we think it will remain the same forever. We earn reputation and prestige and we think it will remain the same forever. We earn reputation and we think that the credit won’t be lost but actually we won’t think that is destroyed in due course of time. Our greatness is dismissed by time. So, time laughs at our blindness and pride.

The Six Million Dollar Man - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Six : Life and Death
The Six Million Dollar Man
Harold J. Morowitz
The Magic Of Words

Dr. Harold J Morowita is a professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. He is a scientist, teacher, and author. ‘The Six Million Dollar Man’ is a popular essay in which Morowitz examines the statistical statement that the chemical value of the human body is only 97 cents. He spends his essay in refining and improving the statement and tries to arrive at a more accurate definition at the end.

Malini - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Five : Identity, Gender and Ethnicity
Malini
Rabindranath Tagore
The Magic of Words

Rabindranath Tagore is a Bengali Indian poet, writer and philosopher. He was born is 1861 and died in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He is famous for his poetic works, philosophical plays, novels and short stories. The poetic play, Malini, is a story of love and hatred. It also deals with the topics such as religion, faith, friendship, devotion, sacrifice, forgiveness, loyalty, betrayal, etc.

Oop's How's That Again - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Four : Humour
Oops ! How's That Again
Roger Rosenblatt
The Magic of Words

“Oops! How’s That Again” is an essay written by Rosenblatt and this essay has a humorous tone. Through the humorous tone also, the essayist has tried to reflect the bitter reality of human beings when they make mistake when they speak. He enriches his discussion with remarkable examples; although, as befits its subject. He is much concerned with the psychological causes of bloopers.

Concrete Cat - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Four : Humour
Concrete Cat
Dorthi Charles
The Magic of Words

“Concrete Cat” is an example of a concrete poem, a poem just giving focus to the physical picture and not the imagination, emotion and language. This type of poem is written for eyes and not for mind and heart. It does not appeal to the heart because it doesn’t emphasize on emotion and thought. It is written in the short form, which is also called “reduced language”. Words do not follow the regular pattern of the poems. Words are scattered in such a way that they form the real portrait of the thing to be expressed by the poem. The chief concern of such a poem is with the physical appearance of poetry- not primarily with ideas or emotions and also not with language as we ordinarily use.

Keeping Things Whole - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Three : Ecology and Environment
Keeping Things Whole
Mark Strand
The Magic of Words

The poem Keeping Things Whole is taken from Selected Poems (1980). The poet pleads for wholeness against the usual fragmentation that goes on in life. The poet believes in whole part and not in partial. He knows the value of each and every part of nature to present nature as whole. He tries to know the value of each and every small and small constituents of nature to continue the wholeness of nature. The poet indirectly pleads human beings to fill the gaps in the nature if they separate the parts of nature. The poet indirectly pleads human beings to keep nature whole by conserving its every small parts in every small part in every nook and corner.

Unchopping a Tree - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Three : Ecology and Environment
Unchopping a Tree
W.S. Merwin
The Magic of Words

In the essay “Unchopping a Tree”, the writer presents impossible example to convey deep meaning. Joining the chopped parts of trees refers to the new plantation of more trees in the open fields, which are full of stumps. Every part of trees refers to the every parts of the nature whether they are small or big. Each and every parts of nature is important. As we are also the creation of the nature, it is our duty to maintain the balance in the nature. We don’t have rights to destroy the nature. Actually we are not destroying the nature but we are destroying ourselves. Our lives totally depend upon the nature. Through the writer’s appeal to join the parts of the chopped trees, he wants to remind human beings about their important works to be done to conserve the greenery of the nature.

The Nightmare Life Without Fuel - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Three : Ecology And Environment
The Nightmare Life Without Fuel
Isaac Asimov
The Magic of Words

“The Nightmare Life Without Fuel” is an essay, which depicts the life of this world in coming future when the fuel resources will have reduced from their source. The main thrust of this essay is: what is going to happen if we do not conserve the world’s natural resources. Asimov focuses on a specific problem that will arise by the lack of fuels. This whole world is run by different resources such as petrol, diesel, water, wood, etc. We cannot imagine this world without the use of fuel. In comparison to the past days, we are now facing the problem of scarcity of fuel resources. Earlier these resources were found in large quantity and life style was easier.

The Poplar Field - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary
Unit Three : Ecology And Environment
The Poplar Field
William Cowper
The Magic of Words

Hemingway is a romantic poet. Like his other literary works, this is also a romantic poem representing nature. He describes the difference in the environment and natural beauty before and after the poplar trees are fallen down. With example of poplar trees, the poet wants to show the real phase of human life according to rule of nature.