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English
CENTRAL IDEA
In the poem ‘A Gift’, the poet Edgar A Guest conveys an important idea that life
is a gift. It has to be put to a significant use each day. Life should not be stored in the
chest where one gathers keepsakes and treasures and other precious things. Life is
the most precious gift; even the humblest can boast of possessing it. The poet suggests
that we should live every moment. The more we use life and live it, the more its
beauty increases. The present moment is very important. We must be happy and
cheerful and reach out to others with a smile.
PRE-LISTENING ACTIVITY
1.
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2.
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3.
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Which one/ones of the following pictures do you identify yourself with? Why?
I identify myself with a rose as it spreads its fragrance all around and it
symbolizes life because just like a rose has thorns inspite of its beauty, life also
has its share of sorrows.
Which of the things in the given pictures would you like as a gift? Why?
I would like to receive a candle as a gift as a candle illuminates the entire
surrounding and darkness is compelled to flee away.
What gift would you treasure the most?
(i) a gold chain
(ii) parents
(iii) a mobile phone
(iv) life.
I would treasure life the most because it is only when I have a healthy and
fulfilling life that I can enjoy all the other gifts.
STANZA I (Lines 1-12)
Life is a gift .........................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................... its beauty improves.
GLOSSARY
smothered
chest
keepsakes
-
treasure(v)
sipped
promptly
humble
boast
niches
-
grooves
-
kept from developing or growing, stifled, supressed.
a large box.
small presents that someone gives you so that you
will not forget them. (souvenirs)
to store valuable things.
drink small mouthful of liquid.
done without delay.
modest, not proud.
brag, to praise onself.
hollow places in a wall usually made to hold pieces
of art.
fixed and dull ways (of life), a fixed routine.
PARAPHRASE
Through the poem the poet conveys that life is a gift. It is to
be used everyday. Life should not be smothered and hidden away. Life should not
be stored in the chest the way one gathers keepsakes and other precious things.
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English
EDUCARE LTD.
Life is not a joy which should be sipped now and then or to be promptly put back
in a dark place again away from the reach of others. Life is the most precious gift
that even the humblest may boast of. The humblest make the most of this precious
gift of life. The poet persuades us to get out and live each day of our lives as best as
we can. Life should be used as much as possible. It is not to be kept in niches,
corners and grooves as its beauty will be enhanced in service. When we serve
others in our own small way, life becomes beautiful. We experience immense
happiness and cheer by living life to the fullest.
[I]
*1.
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*2.
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3.
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[II]
*1.
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*2.
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SIMPLE FACTUAL QUESTIONS (SFQ).
(1 Mark)
What should you avoid doing with life as far as possible?
As far as possible, we must avoid smothering life by hiding it, storing it and not
making use of it to the fullest.
What is the attitude of the humblest towards life? OR Who make the most of
life ?
(March ’09)
The humblest boast of life and make the most of it.
What do we treasure in a chest?
(March ‘11)
We treasure our keepsakes and valuable things in a chest.
COMPLEX FACTUAL QUESTIONS (CFQ).
(1 Mark)
How can you make the most of your life?
(March ’09)
We can make the most of our life by living each moment to the fullest with
optimism and cheer.
How does the poet want us to use the gift of life?
(March ’09 & ’11)
The poet wants us to use the gift of life by serving others as pure happiness can
be experienced when one does so.
(1 Mark)
[III]
INTERPRETATIVE / EVALUATIVE QUESTIONS (IQ/EQ).
*1.
Do you agree that life should be measured in deeds and not in years? Why?
(March ‘11)
Yes, I do agree that life should be measured in deeds and not in years because
people will remember the deeds done, not how long a person lives.
How can life’s beauty improve in service?
When we spread cheer and happiness around by doing selfless service to
humanity, it gives us tremendous pleasure which makes life beautiful.
Who are the 'humblest' ? How do they make the most of life ?
The 'humblest' refers to the poor people who make the most of life by living every
moment to the fullest without worrying about the future.
What does the poet mean by ‘a joy to be sipped now and then’ ?
We should consider life as a gift full of happiness and joy which should be
cherished permanently.
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[IV]
*1.
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VOCABULARY QUESTIONS (VQ).
(1 Mark)
Write two pairs of rhyming words :
(March ’09)
day – away, chest – best, then – again, day – may and grooves – improoves. (any
two)
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2.
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[V]
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English
Give another word from the poem that means :
(a) done without delay
(b) modest
(a) promptly
(b) humble.
Explain : Life …………. should not be smothered.
Life should not be prevented from developing.
Which words in the poem mean the following :
(a) kept from developing
(b) hollow places in a wall
(a) smothered
(b) niches
POETIC DEVICE QUESTIONS (PDQ).
(March ‘11)
(1 Mark)
Have you noticed a musical element in the poem? What is it due to?
Yes, there is a musical element in the poem due to the rhyme scheme which is
‘aabb’, also known as rhyming couplets.
What is the tone of the poem?
The tone of the poem is serious as the poet advises us.
Give an example of figurative language from the poem.
‘Grooves’ The figurative meaning of this word is ‘dull and fixed ways of life’.
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
[I]
1.
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2.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
3.
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VOCABULARY.
What does ‘grooves’ mean ?
Dull and fixed ways of life.
Fill in the blanks with appropriate textual words :
(sipped, chest, service, treasure, grooves)
A life spent worthily is measured in service not in years.
Treasures are usually kept in a chest.
What are the best things you treasure?
Life cannot be sipped only sometimes.
Re-arrange the alphabets in the grid so as to make he word LIFE in the
central vertical squares instead of SEED. These words in the grid make ‘Life’
worth while.
(i)
dos and don’ts in life
– Ru l es
(ii) if you don’t live well you merely – E x i s t
(iii) don’t postpone anything in life
– De f er
(iv) perfect in every way
– I d e al
[II]
POETIC DEVICE.
1.
Read the following line from the poem :
“Life is a gift to be used everyday.”
Is there a comparison in the sentence?
Is the comparison implied or direct?
Is the figure of speech a metaphor or a simile? Explain.
(i) Yes, life is compared to a gift that we have received.
(ii) It is an implied comparison.
(iii) It is a Metaphor as it is an indirect comparison between ‘life and gift’.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
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English
2.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
[III]
EDUCARE LTD.
Read the following sentences having comparisons. Identify the Metaphors
and Similes :
She has a heart of stone.
Ans. Metaphor.
Ans. Simile.
The dog was as quiet as it could be.
And then the lover sighing like furnace. Ans. Simile.
Ans. Metaphor.
All the world’s a stage.
WRITING SKILLS.
Write an essay on ‘An Ideal Life’.
‘AN IDEAL LIFE’
An Ideal Life is what we all strive to achieve. As students, one feels that having
all desires fulfilled is an ideal life. There should be no room for sorrows. The definition
of ideal life changes with time and age.
According to me, we have to strive hard to gift ourselves an ideal life. An ideal life
is a balance between work and pleasure. We must derive happiness out of our work. The
most trivial joys of life should be felt and appreciated. A level headed mind would keep us
grounded so we are able to handle sorrows too. Faith in God is of utmost significance.
This helps us move ahead with hope and patience. Success and ambition can give us
materialistic pleasures but real enjoyment emerges from inner happiness and contentment.
We must keep time to admire the beauty of nature that God has created. At the
end of the day, the satisfaction that we have been able to do our bit for the society
brings contentment and a good night’s sleep. I remember lines from the poem “The
Blacksmith” by H.W. Longfellow :“Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing,
Onward with life he goes.”
FIGURES OF SPEECH
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Life is a gift to be used every day.
(March ’09 & ’11)
Metaphor - Life is indirectly compared to a gift.
It isn’t joy to be sipped now and then.
Antithesis - The opposites ideas of ‘now’ and ‘then’ is expressed.
And promptly put back in a dark place again
Alliteration - The sound ‘p’ is repeated.
Life is a gift that the humblest may boast of
Metaphor - Life is indirectly compared to a gift.
Paradox - absurd antithetical ideas (humblest, boast) but true.
And one that the humblest may well make the most of
Alliteration - The sound ‘m’ is repeated.
Wear it and use it as much as you may
Tautology - The two words (wear and use) having similar meaning are used together.
Repetition - The words ‘it’ and ‘as’ are repeated.
Don’t keep it in niches and corners and grooves
Tautology - The two words (niches and grooves) having similar meaning are
used together.
You’ll find that in service its beauty improves
Inversion - The line is not in correct prose order. The correct prose order is
‘You’ll find that its beauty improves in service’.
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