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Showing posts from January, 2024

Silver - Walter De La Mare | BOSEM Class 9 English Literature Reader

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Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM) English Literature Reader Class: IX Chapter: 4 Silver Walter De La Mare Substance/Summary of the Poem The poem "Silver" by Walter de la Mare portrays the influence of the moon's silver light on ordinary objects and creatures during the night-time. The speaker begins by highlighting the moon's gentle illumination of the earth as it moves slowly across the sky, seemingly taking its time to observe everything below. Various everyday elements, such as windows, doves, a dog, and sleeping fish, are bathed in this "silver light," transforming them from mundane and ordinary to enhanced and beautiful, providing a different perspective under the moon's glow. Detailed Analysis of the Poem Slowly, silently, now the moon Walks the night in her silver shoon; This way, and that, she peers, and sees Silver fruit upon silver trees; In the opening stanza of this poem, the poet starts by depicting the movement of the moon across

Spring The Sweet Spring - Thomas Nashe | BOSEM Class 9 English Literature Reader (Poetry)

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Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM) English Literature Reader (Poetry) Class: IX Chapter: 3 Spring The Sweet Spring Thomas Nashe Stanza-wise Analysis of the Poem Spring, the sweet spring, is the year’s pleasant king, Then blooms each thing, then maids dance in a ring, Cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing: Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo! The initial stanza describes the beauty of nature in the spring season. The poetic voice personifies spring as "the year's pleasant king" and emphasises its sweetness and unique qualities in contrast to the other seasons. It highlights how spring stands out from the rest, with everything blooming, people being happy and joyful, and nature at its most beautiful. The absence of cold weather and sadness is noted, while the singing of birds symbolises optimism and fulfilment. The stanza concludes by evoking the songs of various birds, including the cuckoo, nightingale, lapwing, and owl, capturing the essence of the spri

Coromandel Fishers - Sarojini Naidu | BOSEM Class 9 English Literature Reader (Poetry)

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Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM) English Literature Reader (Poetry) Class: IX Chapter: 2 Coromandel Fishers Sarojini Naidu Substance/Summary of the Poem "Coromandel Fishers" is a captivating poem penned by Sarojini Naidu, portraying the fearless fishermen of Coromandel, India, and their perilous journey into the unpredictable sea. The poem vividly illustrates the profound connection between nature and these courageous individuals. In the poem, the poet describes the life of the fisherman, with the leader calling his comrades to begin their work early in the morning. The term "Coromandel fishers" refers to the fishermen on the Coromandel Coast of South India. When the leader urges "Rise brothers rise," he is calling his men to prepare for their journey to the sea. The early morning sky is compared to someone awakening from sleep, signifying the start of a new day. The leader alerts his fellow fishermen that the sun has already risen, and the cal

Abou Ben Adhem - Leigh Hunt | BOSEM Class 9 English Literature Reader

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Board of Secondary Education Manipur English Literature Reader (Poetry) Class: IX Chapter: 1 Abou Ben Adhem James Henry Leigh Hunt Substance of the Poem The poem "Abou Ben Adhem" by Leigh Hunt discusses the themes of God's love and Christian values such as love, peace, and care for one's neighbor. The story begins with Abou Ben Adhem being blessed by the narrator. He awakens from a "deep dream of peace" in a beautiful moonlit room, having been awakened by an angel. The angel is seen writing in a book, recording the names of those who love God. Abou Ben Adhem notices that his name is not included in the list. Instead of requesting to be added, he instructs the angel to create a separate list for people who love their "fellow men" and to include his name on it. As a result of this selfless request, his name is added to a list of those blessed by God. This demonstrates the poem's focus on the importance of love for humanity and the moral values it

Adolf - D.H. Lawrence | BOSEM Class IX English Literature Reader

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 Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM) English Literature Reader Class: 9 Chapter: 1 Adolf David Herbert Lawrence Summary The story "Adolf" penned by the renowned English novelist D.H. Lawrence, is a biographical tale that intricately portrays his affection for animals. One day, the writer's father returned home from the coal mine where he toiled and stumbled upon a tiny, brown rabbit. The rabbit was alive but motionless, lying beside its deceased mother and three lifeless siblings. Moved by compassion, the father brought the rabbit home. Upon his arrival, he presented the rabbit to his children, who were instantly filled with excitement and curiosity. However, the children's mother expressed her disapproval of bringing a wild rabbit into their home. She feared the potential emotional distress the children might experience if the rabbit were to perish, as they had previously endured the sorrow of losing pets. Despite her reservations, the children persisted in

Thank You Ma'am - Langston Hughes | BOSEM Class IX English Literature Reader

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Board of Secondary Education Manipur Class: 9 English Literature Reader (Prose) Chapter: 2 Thank You Ma'am Langston Hughes Summary The story "Thank You, Ma’am" revolves around two main characters: Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, a direct and compassionate woman, and Roger, a fifteen-year-old boy who learns a valuable lesson after attempting to steal her purse. The narrative begins with a depiction of a woman, later identified as Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, carrying a large bag slung over her shoulders containing nearly all her necessities. Walking alone on the street at eleven o’clock at night, she feels someone tug the strap of her bag. However, the bag is too heavy for the boy who tried to snatch it, causing him to fall to the ground instead of making off with it. Subsequently, Mrs. Jones gives him a kick and instructs him to pick up her pocketbook. Once he complies, she questions whether he feels any shame for his actions. The boy admits to feeling ashamed

The Princess Who Wanted the Moon - James Thurber | BOSEM Class IX English Literature Reader

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 Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM) English Literature Reader Class - 9 The Princess Who Wanted the Moon James Thurber Summary The Princess Who Wanted the Moon, penned by James Thurber, is a captivating tale filled with cleverness and humour, concluding on a gentle and tender note. The story revolves around Princess Lenore, who falls ill from overindulging in raspberry tarts and believes that she can only recover by obtaining the moon. Concerned for his daughter, the King seeks the advice of his wise men to acquire the moon. However, each wise man presents insurmountable obstacles, leading to the King's distress. It is the Court Jester who proposes a solution: to understand the Princess's perception of the moon. Discovering that the Princess envisions the moon as a small, golden object, the Court Jester orchestrates the creation of a tiny, round golden moon on a chain for her to wear. Overjoyed, the Princess regains her health. Yet, a new problem arises for the King,

Childhood Summer - RK Narayan | BOSEM Class IX English Literature Reader

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Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM) Class - 9 English Literature Reader (Prose) Chapter - 4 Childhood Summer R.K. Narayan Summary "Childhood Summer" is an excerpt from R.K. Narayan's book "My Days," where he recounts his own childhood experiences. As a young boy, Narayan resided in Madras with his maternal grandmother and uncle, while his parents lived in the small town of Chennapatna. In "Childhood Summer," Narayan vividly portrays his grandmother as a resourceful and kind-hearted woman. Every summer, the residents of Madras sought refuge from the sweltering heat by retreating to the hill stations. During this period, Narayan accompanied his grandmother to the lesser-known town of Chennapatna, where his parents resided. His grandmother engaged a team of assistants to prepare sun-dried delicacies for various family members, including his ailing mother. The meticulous process involved pounding, sifting, grinding, mixing, and kneading the rice a

The Rice Cakes | BOSEM Class IX English Literature Reader | Drama

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 Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM) Class - IX English Literature Reader (Prose) Chapter - 6 The Rice Cakes P. Aung Khim Summary of the Play The play begins on a peaceful morning in a small Burmese village, where 8-year-old Ko Ko finds himself alone in his family's bamboo-walled house after his parents have gone to work in the fields. He discovers his favourite treat, four delicious rice cakes, left for him by his mother. Excited at the thought of having the cakes all to himself, he brings them to the table. Just as he is about to indulge in the cakes, his friend Nyi Nyi knocks on the door. In an attempt to keep the cakes to himself, Ko Ko quickly hides them behind the radio, pretending that it is broken to deter Nyi Nyi from finding them. After Nyi Nyi leaves to find another radio, Ko Ko retrieves the cakes, only to be interrupted again by his friend Mi Mi, who brings hot banana fritters to share. Fearing that his lie to Nyi Nyi will be exposed, Ko Ko hides the cakes in

A Day - Emily Dickinson | I'll Tell You How the Sun Rose | BOSEM Class 10 English Literature Reader

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Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM) Class 10 English Literature Reader (Poetry) Chapter - 7 A Day Emily Dickinson I’ll tell you how the sun rose, — A ribbon at a time. The steeples swam in amethyst, The news like squirrels ran. The hills untied their bonnets, The bobolinks begun. Then I said softly to myself, “That must have been the sun!” But how he set, I know not. There seemed a purple stile Which little yellow boys and girls Were climbing all the while Till when they reached the other side, A dominie in gray Put gently up the evening bars, And led the flock away. Substance/Summary of the Poem The poem 'A Day' depicts both the sunrise and sunset. In a metaphorical sense, it also illustrates the passage from life to death. Additionally, the poem presents a child's perspective, showcasing their innocence and confident tone as they appreciate the beauty of a sunrise. The poem commences with an unnamed child, who confidently depicts the sunrise and the subsequent ev