The Thief's Story Class 10

The Thief’s Story

            by Ruskin Bond

Analysis :

·        The story ‘The Thief’s Story’ is written by Ruskin Bond, the first Indo Anglian novelist and poet. He is well known writer of children's stories.

·       The story depicts how education casts strong impact upon a thief and brought transformation in him who decides to live as an educated, respectful and trustworthy person.

     The story is about a boy of 15 years who became a thief due to some circumstances, bringing out a strong message that if a person is spoiled by the society, he can be transformed by the responsible people like Anil of the same society.

     The lesson employs the life like characters such as Anil and Hari Singh in a very realistic and striking manner.

Video on Black Aeroplane

Summary  / Synopsis

·        Anil was a young writer of about 25 years, writing for magazines. He had a casual and irregular income. He was easy going, kind and simple man.

·        Ani went to watch a wrestling match where he met Hari, a 15 years old thief but it was not his real name. Hari changed his name for every new target. Hari wanted work but Anil said that he can’t pay but can feed him for his work.

·        Hari accepted the job of a cook though he didn’t know how to cook. First day, he cooked terrible food which was given to a stray dog.

·        Anil agreed to teach him how to read and write his name, sentences and numbers. Hari thought he would grow into a cleverer and smarter thief and would earn better. Anil taught him how to cook as well.

·        Hari started making profit of one rupee from buying the daily supplies. Anil could notice Hari’s stealings but ignored and didn’t seem to mind.

·        One day Anil sold his book to a publisher and brought home a bundle of 600 Rs. in fifties and kept it under the mattress.

·        Anil had given Hari the key to main door and he could come and go whenever he pleased. Anil was the most trusting person he had ever met.

·        Once, Anil was asleep, Hari stole the money and decided to escape catching the Lucknow Express at 10:30 p.m. as with that money he could live like a rich Arab for a week or two.

     Video on Diary of Anne Frank

·        Hari reached the station. The Lucknow express came and went but Hari Singh didn’t dare to take the train as he couldn’t break Anil’s trust. He didn’t have any friend where he could go. He sat on a bench in a ‘maidan’ and it started raining. The notes became damp.

·        The education that he received from Anil brought a big transformation as now he wanted to live as an educated, respectful and trustworthy person like Anil.

·        Hari came back in time and kept money at its place, and without uttering a word about the night resumed his work.

·        Next morning Anil giving a fifty rupee note to Hari said that every month he would get his salary and he would teach him sentences.

·        Touching the damp note Hari Singh thought that Anil might have suspected his theft but his gestures and lips didn’t reveal any sort of suspicion.

Video on Long Walk to Freedom

Message

Ruskin Bond through ‘The Thief’s Story’ very beautifully brought out the age old saying ‘Education is that which liberates’. The prospect of getting education changed a thief’s mind and he decided to change his ways. It became impossible for him to cheat a simple, kind and trusting person like Anil.

 

Important Question - Answers

Q1.  What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving education? Do they change over time? What makes him return to Anil?

Ans. Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education changed over time. Initially, he wanted to be literate so that he would become a cleverer and smarter thief. Later, during his stay with Anil he developed a wish to earn respect and be a part of civilized society in life like his employer who has influenced to the very core. Now, he wanted to be an educated, happy, respectful and trustworthy person like Anil.

Video on A Letter to God

Q2. Why does not Anil hand the thief over to the police? Do you think most people would have done so? In what ways is Anil different from such employers?

Ans. Anil could have suspected Hari’s attempt of robbery to feel the dampness of notes. However, Anil may have been pleased to realise that Hari didn’t break his trust and returned all the notes. Possibly, Anil wanted to give Hari one more chance to change the course of his life and that’s why he did not hand over Hari to police. Probably, due to this, now he seemed more interested in providing education to Hari Singh. This large heartedness and trusting attitude of Anil put him on a high pedestal and make him different from other employers. People like Anil are hard to find. Most employers would have predictably handed Hari over to police.

Video on The Thief's Story 
https://youtu.be/Cmi-2vu61ao

The Ball Poem by John Berryman

The Ball Poem

                                           By John Berryman

Analysis :

·        The poem is philosophical in tone and didactic in nature.

·        It is an extract from the poem ‘The Ball’ by John Berryman.

·        The poem is composed as free verse without any rhyme scheme and stanza division and pattern.

·        The poem conveys that this world is materialistic and as a human being we must understand that the things we have received or achieved have to be lost.

·        The theme of the poem is that money is external and loss is the reality of life as gain and loss are the two sides of same coin.

Video on the poem Fog

Line by line explanation

Line 1-7

What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,

What, what is he to do? I saw it go

Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then

Merrily over—there it is in the water!

No use to say ‘O there are other balls’:

An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy

As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down

The poem opens with a boy, in the scene, who has lost his ball. Now the poet is contemplating how the boy may be feeling after losing his ball as well as the poet is concerned about the mental condition of the boy. He is thinking what the boy will do and how he will react after losing his ball. The poet was possibly standing at a distance where the boy was playing with his ball. He could see how the ball had slipped away from the boy’s hands. When the ball went down the street, it was bouncing happily. Then, the ball slipped away bouncing on the ground into a water body nearby. The poet senses overpowering grief of the boy but he knows that any sort of consolation is useless this time. That’s why he doesn’t want to tell the boy that he may take some other ball and should not lament over the lost ball. The poet understands that the boy is so much attached with that ball that he would not accept any other ball as he would not have the same sense of belongingness with a new ball what he had for the old one which is lost. The boy is completely overcome by the grief over losing his ball that’s why he doesn’t move. He is fixed to the ground where he is standing. Due to his grief the boy feels broken from inside and his body is trembling. He is continuously staring the ground while his body is stiff and not moving from the place where he has lost his ball.  

Line 8-14

All his young days into the harbour where

His ball went. I would not intrude on him,

A dime, another ball, is worthless. Now,

He senses first responsibility

In a world of possessions. People will take balls,

Balls will be lost always, little boy,

And no one buys a ball back. Money is external.

The boy is grief-stricken due to the loss of his favourite ball and he feels as if all his memories associated with his toy have also gone into water along with the ball. But, the poet says that he will not interfere nor he will offer the boy to accept money or another ball. He very well knows that such efforts will be of no use. In fact, the poet wants the boy to feel the pain of his first loss and understand what his responsibility is at the moment. He wants the boy to see that this world of ours is full of possessions. In this world we would receive or achieve various possessions such as money, property, job, relations, power, fame and so on. At the same time we would lose them in the course of time. Just as the boy has lost his favourite toy, people would lose their favourite things as they advance in life. The boy has to realise and accept this bitter truth of life. Once a thing is lost, can’t be regained in life. We should not keep crying over the things we lose in the course of time. We have to manage with other things as replacements as the lost things can’t be bought with money. Money can buy new things which can’t give the same sense of belongingness; in this sense money is external. Money can buy material things but not happiness, satisfaction, sense of belongingness and love.

Line 15-18

He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,

The epistemology of loss, how to stand up

Knowing what every man must one day know

And most know many days, how to stand up

The poet is able to see that the boy is trying to learn the philosophy of loss. His desperate eyes are able to understand that his ball is lost forever and it will not come back. Now, the boy seems to be ready to face the loss and accept the truth that loss is a part of life. Every man has to learn how to face the loss of favourite things as well as understand that gain and loss are two sides of the same coin.

Video on Amanda

Poetic Devices

Anaphora

What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,

What, what is he to do? I saw it go                        

Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then

Merrily over — there it is in the water!

Alliteration

And most know many days

And no one buys a ball back

every man must one day know

Assonance

The epistemology of loss,

In a world of possessions.

What, what is he to do?

Imagery

Merrily bouncing, down the street

Repetition

What, what is he to do?

Symbolism

All his young days into the harbour

People will take balls,

Balls will be lost always,

Asyndeton

A dime, another ball, is worthless

Important Question - Answers

Video on Dust of Snow

Q1. What does the poet want to convey through the poem ‘The ball Poem’?

Ans.  John Berryman wants to convey the significance of loss in our life. He teaches how to cope up with the loss. Experiencing loss helps to grow up and face hardships. The poet makes the boy understand his responsibility when he loses his ball as the loss is inevitable. One needs to accept the loss as a part of life no matter how much it hurts. Life must go on. Life is to be lived and not wasted mourning over the loss which is past and clinging to something that is lost just like the boy who was trembling with grief when his ball went into harbour. He felt that all his childhood memories were lost. But the poet wants the boy to learn the epistemology of loss and understand that the past is gone and, will never come back. Staying strong is the only way to survive. Hence, it is important for everyone to experience loss, to stand up after it and to get on with life.

Q2. What does the poet mean when he says, “Money is external”?

Ans. In ‘The Ball poem’ Money is termed as ‘external in terms of the loss which is immaterial. Money is external as it cannot buy memories. It can buy materials such as toys, gifts, houses, vehicles, etc. It can’t buy lost childhood, lost memories, lost relations, nor can it replace the things that we love and the things that really matter in our life. If such things are lost, they can’t be bought back. Money is external to such losses.

Video on The Ball Poem 
https://youtu.be/1KmQBQjUB44

RTC 1

An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy

As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down

All his young days into the harbour where

His ball went. I would not intrude on him,

A dime, another ball, is worthless. 

Q1. What happened to the boy? 

Q2. Why doesn't the poet want to interfere?

Q3. Describe the boy's emotions.

Q4. Explain the sentence 'All his young days went into harbour'.

Q5. Why will offering another ball or money be worthless?

Q6. Which poetic device is used in third line?

RTC 2

He senses first responsibility

In a world of possessions. People will take balls,

Balls will be lost always, little boy,

And no one buys a ball back. Money is external.

Q1. Which responsibility does the boy sense? 

Q2. How is it his first responsibility?

Q3. How is the ball used here as Metaphor?

Q4. Explain the sentence 'money is external'.

Q5. Which poetic device is used in fourth line.

Answers

RTC1

A1. The boy had lost his ball which was dear to him and he was attached to it.

A2. The poet doesn't want to interfere into the boy's situation as he wants the boy to understand the nature of loss and accept his loss.

A3. 'All his young days went into harbour' means that along with the ball all his memories and emotions have gone into the water as the young days are symbol of his childhood memories.

A4. The boy is utterly shaken with the ultimate grief and due to that the boy is fixed to the ground. He is standing still and his body is trembling due to grief. He is staring down to the ground as he doesn't want to look around.

A5. Offering a new ball or money will be worthless because the boy is sad for the ball which is a priceless possession as his childhood memories are attached with the ball and no other ball will give him any relief.

A6. Symbolism is used in the third line.

RTC2

A1. The boys senses his first responsibility to overcome his first loss by accepting it.

A2. It is the boy's first responsibility because losing the ball is his first loss.

A3. The ball is used here as metaphor for worldly possessions, gains and attractions.

A4. Money is external in the sense that money can buy only the things which exist in the external world such as house, jewellery, gifts, power, fame, etc. and not emotional wealth such as happiness, peace, memories and relations.

A5. The poetic devices used in the fourth line are Alliteration and Metaphor.

Dust of Snow class 10 CBSE

                                          Dust of Snow

                                                                 By Robert Frost

Analysis: 

·        ‘Dust of Snow’ is an eight lines poem composed by Robert Frost, an American poet who is better known for his nature poems with realistic themes.

·        It is a simple and short poem with a deeper meaning and wider perspective. It discusses how petty ways / trivial incidents / insignificant things can impact our life largely and may prove to be a turning point in our life.

·        The poet conveys that the stereotypes / false beliefs must be discouraged as every entity in the universe has its value.

·        Symbolically, snow is presented as cheerful and optimistic view of life whereas crow and hemlock tree are presented as gloomy or pessimistic attitude.

·        Tone of the poem is reflective and philosophical as the poet conveys that every dark cloud has a silver lining. We should not give up hope even when we are surrounded by negativity and sorrow.

Line by Line Explanation

Line 1-4 with rhyme scheme

The way a crow              a

Shook down on me          b

The dust of snow            a

From a hemlock tree       b

The poem opens with the poet, Robert Frost sitting under a hemlock tree possibly because he is dejected and disappointed due to some sad incident in his life. The poet doesn’t discuss the reason why he is dejected and in suicidal mood. Then, a crow inadvertently shakes the branch of the hemlock tree which was covered with snow as it was winter season. This simple action of crow made some particles of snow fall on the poet. The hemlock tree is presented here as the symbol of dejection and death and poet’s presence there conveys that he is so sad and dejected that he possibly wants to commit suicide. The crow denotes to this world’s stereotypes or fixed beliefs about certain creatures and objects. The common belief about a crow is that it is an ominous bird bringing bad news. Nevertheless, these two supposedly negative things are in touch with snow which is white, bright, pure and beautiful and is presented as the symbol of positivity and optimism. The poet tries to convey that man is so blind with his stereotypes that he fails to see the real worth of the things.

Line 5-8 with rhyme scheme

Has given my heart         c

A change of mood          d

And saved some part      c

Of a day I had rued.        d

                          

In these lines, the poet undergoes a change of mood. When the particles of snow felled by crow touches the poet, it makes him see the worth of life and role of nature in healing human emotions and giving a helping hand in his difficult time. He muses why a man fails to understand that happiness and sorrow are two phases of life, if crow, hemlock tree and snow may exist together. The poet rethinks about the beauty of life and gives up his sad and suicidal thoughts. In fact, the poet goes through a transformation and decides that now he would not waste his life by regretting or feeling sad about any bad phase of life. He wants to teach us all that even the most insignificant thing or incident brings about a great change in our life. It depends on our perspective and the way we look at the things. However difficult phase of life we may be going through, there is always a ray of hope that the things will change.

Rhyme Scheme of the poem

 ABAB CDCD

Video on Fire and Ice

Poetic Devices:

Has given my heart – Alliteration

And saved some part – Alliteration

The dust of snow – Assonance

         

From a hemlock tree – Assonance

The way a crow shook down on me – Imagery

The dust of snow – Symbolism

From a hemlock tree – Symbolism

And saved some part – Consonance

Of a day I had rued – Consonance

Video on the poem Fog

Message of the poem

Sometimes, seemingly insignificant natural things or incidents do bring about a great change in our life. It depends on our perspective and the way we look at the things. However difficult phase of life we may be going through, there is always a ray of hope that the things will change. Even the darkest cloud has a silver lining in it. The message is clear enough that we need to inculcate an optimistic outlook in life and develop a positive frame of mind. There is also an underlying message that every entity of nature provides healing touch and extends helping hand towards mankind.

Important Question Answers

Q1. A simple moment proves to be very significant and saves the rest of the day of the poet from being wasted. Explain the statement on the basis of the poem 'Dust Of Snow'.

Ans. A crow is considered to be an ominous bird bringing bad news and hemlock tree is presented as the symbol of death, dejection and disappointment. The poet is buried in his sorrow that he fails to see the glistening and bright snow which is the symbol of brightness, beauty, peace and positivity in life. He failed to see that smallest particles of snow could cover the entire hemlock tree and its negativity. When the dust of snow falls on the shoulder of sad poet, it is like a lightening among the dark clouds, a big hope in his sad phase of life. He could see that a beautiful and peaceful thing also can cover a posonous tree. Thus, the poet proved that the ominous and negative things like crow and hemlock and  beautiful and positive thing like snow can co exist in nature, just like that our life is a beautiful blend of joy and sorrow. He also stresses that very insignificant things like dust of snow can also be the instruments to bring cheer and positivity in life if we have right perspective and positive frame of mind. He teaches us to inculcate positive attitude and optimistic outlook in life, however dark phase we are going through, even a small hope can help us come out of the difficult time. It is rightly said that 'even a small stick is a great hope for a drowning man'.

Q2. How has the poet used the dust of snow and crow as the symbols to steer clear of the stereotypes? How can positive attitude turn a problem into an opportunity and make the world a better place to live in?

Ans. Robert Frost condemns stereotypes which are fixed beliefs as they are not healthy for our belief system.  For example crow is considered to be an ominous bird bringing bad news and hemlock tree is the symbol of death. The poet is so much engrossed in his sad thoughts that he fails to see the glistening and bright snow which is like a lightening among the dark clouds. But poet proved that the insignificant things like crow and snow can bring significant changes in our life. They can be the instruments to bring cheer and positivity in life if we have right perspective and positive frame of mind. He exhorts us to open our mind and see the worth of things however small or insignificant they are.

Q3. What is the underlying message of the poem ‘Dust of Snow’?

Ans. Sometimes, seemingly insignificant natural things or events do bring about a great change in our life. It depends on our perspective and the way we look at the things. However difficult phase of life we may be going through, there is always a ray of hope that the things will change. Even the darkest cloud has a silver lining in it. The message is clear enough that we need to have an optimistic outlook and positive frame of mind to lead a happy and healthy life. 

 

Video on Dust of Snow
https://youtu.be/fv6Zn4QADjs

Q4. What is a dust of snow? What does the poet say has changed his mood? How has his mood changed?

Ans. Dust of snow are fine particles of snow shed by crow and this movement has changed the poet’s mood. Earlier he was gloomy and disheartened due to some sad incident in his life. But when dust of snow touched him, he became optimistic as he could see that all negative and positive elements coexist in nature and even an ominous bird like crow may fell the particles of snow which are cold, white, bright and beautiful and, represent brighter side of things in life.

Q5. How does Frost present nature in this poem? What do crow and hemlock tree represent? Why does he not talk about more beautiful birds and trees?

Ans. Generally poets describe beautiful birds like cuckoo, peacock, dove and pigeons and more attractive trees like maple and oak tree but Robert Frost breaks the tradition and uses crow and hemlock tree in his poem to represent nature in his poem. Crow represents bad omens and negativity in life and hemlock tree stands for disappointment and depression. The poet does so to emphasise that even unattractive things may do good to us and happiness and sorrow coexist in life. Hence, we need to be optimistic even in the darkest phase of our life. 

RTC 1

The way a crow              

Shook down on me          

The dust of snow            

From a hemlock tree      

Q1. Where is the crow?

Q2. What did the crow do?

Q3. Write the meaning of 'dust of snow'. 

Q4. Why is the poet under hemlock tree?

Q5. Which poetic device is predominantly used in these lines?

RTC 2

Has given my heart         

A change of mood          

And saved some part      

Of a day I had rued

Q1. What is the poet's mood now?

Q2. How has the poet's mood changed?

Q3. Write the meaning of the word 'rued'. 

Q4. What is the rhyming scheme of these lines?

Q5. Which poetic device is used in the lines 1 and 3?  

Q6. What does the poet want to convey through these lines?

Answers:

RTC 1

1. The crow is on the hemlock tree.

2. The crow made some movement, and in that movement it made the particles of snow fall over the poet.

3. The phrase 'dust of snow' means small particles of snow which symbolises here beauty, purity, peace, brightness and happiness. 

4. The poet is sitting or standing under the hemlock tree which represents death. He is shattered due to some unfavourable incident in his life and he is extremely sad, may be in suicidal mood.

5. Imagery and symbolism are predominantly used in these lines.

RTC 2

1. The poet was extremely sad, earlier but now his mood changed into positive.

2. The crow made a movement and the particles of snow fell on the poet's shoulder. This incident helped him realise that negative and positive elements are present in nature and life at the same time, and that positivity is always present however dark a phase we are in. After realising this, his mood changed into positive. 

3. The word 'rued' means feeling sad and depressed over something. 

4. ABAB

5. Alliteration is used in both these lines.

6. The poet wants to convey that negative and positive elements are present in nature and life at the same time. However dark a phase of life we are in, it brings something good with it, only we need to have right perspective to witness it. We should nurture optimistic approach towards life.