Invention by experience
Compulsory English IV
1) The letter
Dhumketu (1892–1965)
• Real name: Gaurishankar Govardhanram Joshi- He has been a pioneer of the Gujarati
short story. He played an important role in the development of modern Gujarati
literature. He has written 492 short stories and 29 novels. Some of his well-known
short-story collections include Tankha, Avashesh, Pradeep, and Aakashdeep. His
famous story The Letter became widely known and included in national and
international collections. He has served as an adviser to the Sahitya Akademi.
Characters in the Story
1. Coachman Ali – Coachman Ali is the central character of The Letter. He is an old man who
lives a lonely life after his only daughter Miriam gets married and moves away to Punjab with
her husband.
In his younger days, Ali was a skilled hunter who enjoyed killing birds and animals. However,
after the separation from his daughter, his life changes completely. The pain of loneliness
makes him realize the suffering he had caused to animals. As a result, he gives up hunting
and becomes kind and compassionate.
Ali loves his daughter deeply and waits patiently for a letter from her. Every morning, he walks
to the post office with hope in his heart. Even though the postal staff laughs at him and treats
him like a madman. He never complains. His patience, faith, and silent suffering show his
emotional strength.
Ali is a symbol of true parental love, patience, and hope. Even when he is close to death, he
still believes that a letter from his daughter will arrive. His character represents the dignity o
The Postmaster- The Postmaster is an important character in The Letter. At the beginning
of the story, he is shown as a rude, proud, and insensitive person. He treats Coachman Ali
harshly. He does not understand the pain of a father waiting for news from his daughter.
For the postmaster, letters are only part of his official work. He considers Ali a nuisance and
does not show any sympathy towards him. This behavior reflects the cold and mechanical
attitude of people who fail to understand the feelings of others.
However, his character changes later in the story. When his own daughter falls seriously ill, he
becomes anxious and begins waiting desperately for a letter about her health. This experience
makes him realize the suffering that Ali had endured for years.
When a letter addressed to Ali finally arrives, the postmaster feels deep guilt and regret. He
understands that letters carry emotions such as love, hope, and pain. In the end, he
respectfully places the letter on Ali’s grave.
Thus, the postmaster represents the transformation of a person from insensitivity to
compassion, showing that suffering can teach true humanity.
3. Lakshmi Das- Laxmi Das is a minor but important character in The Letter written by
Dhumketu. Laxmi Das works as a clerk in the post office. At the beginning of the story, he
behaves like the other postal employees and does not show much sympathy towards
Coachman Ali. Like the others, he treats Ali casually and does not fully understand the pain of
the old man who comes every day waiting for a letter from his daughter.
However, Laxmi Das plays an important role near the end of the story. When Ali realizes that
he is close to death, he gives five gold coins to Laxmi Das and asks him to place Miriam’s
letter on his grave if it arrives after his death. This moment shows the deep trust Ali places in
him.
Later, Laxmi Das informs the postmaster that Coachman Ali had died three months earlier.
He also accompanies the postmaster to the graveya
Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher
1) What is the central idea of the poem “Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher”?
Or
What message is conveyed by the poet in “Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher”?
Answer:
“Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher” is written by Nissim Ezekiel. The poem teaches the importance of
patience in life, especially in poetry, love, and observing nature.
The poem begins by saying that we should not try to hurry or force things. A poet cannot write
good poetry by rushing. The best poets wait calmly until the right words come to them naturally.
In the same way, love cannot be forced. A person cannot make someone love them quickly.
True love grows slowly when there is care, trust, and patience. Similarly, a birdwatcher cannot
see rare birds by running around; they must sit quietly and wait.
In the second part of the poem, the poet explains that slow and quiet actions often have deeper
meaning. To find rare birds, one must go to peaceful and lonely places. These places are far
away from noise. This shows that important things in life are not found easily. They need time
and effort. The woman in the poem is not shown only as a physical person, but also as someone
with deep feelings and mystery. A true lover understands these deeper emotions with patience.
For a poet, waiting is very important. When the poet does not rush, he is able to write better
and more meaningful poetry. Such poetry can strongly affect people. It can make people
understand things more clearly, just like helping the “blind to see” and the “deaf to hear.”
In conclusion,
1) The Patience is the key to success in many areas of life. If you hurry, you fail—as a poet, 2) A birdwatcher must sit quietly and observe. Rare birds are found in silent, lonely places
3) True love is not just physical. It is deep and mysterious. Love also needs patience. Forcing
love doesn’t work
4) The best poets wait for the right words. A good poem comes when the poet waits and
Little Girls Wiser Than Men Little Girls Wiser than Men” is written by Leo Tolstoy. It was early spring during Easter time.
Snow had started melting. Dirty water was flowing through the village streets. Two little girls,
Malásha and Akoúlya, met near a muddy puddle after coming from church. They were wearing
new dresses. They began to admire each other’s clothes. Soon, they decided to play in the
puddle. Akoúlya was older between the two. Akoúlya told Malásha to remove her shoes. She
warned the little one not to splash water. Both girls stepped into the puddle. They started walking
toward each other.
However, Malásha accidentally stepped hard into the water. This splashed mud all over Akoúlya’s
dress, face, and eyes. Akoúlya became very angry. Akoúlya ran after Malásha to hit her. Malásha
got scared and tried to run away. At that moment, Akoúlya’s mother saw her dirty dress and
scolded her. Akoúlya blamed Malásha. Without thinking, the mother hit Malásha. Hearing her
daughter cry loudly, Malásha’s mother came out and started shouting. Soon, both mothers began
arguing. The argument grew bigger as other villagers joined in. The men also came, and the
situation turned into a loud quarrel. People started pushing each other, and the fight was about
to become serious.
An old grandmother tried to calm everyone down. She reminded them that it was a holy day.
They should not behave like this. But no one listened to her.
Meanwhile, the two little girls had already forgotten the fight. Akoúlya cleaned her dress and
went back to the puddle. She began making a small channel to let the water flow. Malásha
joined her, and both happily worked together, laughing and playing. The small stream they made
flowed toward the crowd. The girls ran along it, enjoying themselves and calling out in joy.
Seeing this, the old grandmother pointrgiveness of children as opposed
Q.1 How does Wordsworth criticize materialism in the poem? Or
Justify the title of the poem ‘The World Is Too Much With Us’.
Answer:
“The World Is Too Much With Us” is written by William Wordsworth. The poem depicts the picture
of people too busy with money, work, and material things. Humans are so focused on “getting
and spending” that they have lost their connection with nature. According to Wordsworth, this is
a big problem because nature is an important part of our lives. Nature can bring us peace and
happiness.
He feels that people no longer notice the beauty of the natural world. Things like the sea, the
wind, and the moon are full of wonder and beauty. Humans are “out of tune” with them. We are
no longer emotionally connected to nature. Nature does not move or inspire us anymore.
Wordsworth is sad about this loss. He believes that we have “given our hearts away” for
something not truly valuable, material wealth.
The poet wants to be a Pagan who believes in old, nature-based religions. He doesn’t want to
live in modern society that ignores nature. He thinks that belief in religion would allow him to
feel closer to nature and experience its magic. For example, he mentions mythical sea gods like
Proteus and Triton.
Overall, the poem is a warning. Wordsworth wants us to realize that focusing only on money
and material success is not good for our inner life. We lose our ability to appreciate the simple
and beautiful things around us. He encourages us to reconnect with nature so that we can feel
more peaceful, less lonely, and more complete as human beings.
In short, the poem teaches us that true happiness does not come from wealth, but from a deep
What lesson do we learn from the conversation between the mountain and the squirrel?
Or
Critically appreciate the poem ‘The Mountain and the Squirrel’.
Answer:
The Mountain and the Squirrel is written by Ralph Waldo. The poem is teaches an important
lesson that everyone is important in their own way. It is written in the form of a conversation
between a huge mountain and a small squirrel named Bun. The mountain makes fun of the
squirrel for being tiny and weak. It calls the squirrel a “little prig,”. The mountain feels proud of
its own size and strength.
The squirrel replies in a very clever and confident way. The squirrel admits that the mountain is
very big and strong. The squirrel also points out that size is not everything. The squirrel says
that even though it is small, it has its own abilities and importance. For example: The squirrel
says that the mountain has the ability to carry forests on its back but it cannot crack a nut like
the squirrel can.
Through this conversation, Emerson shows that everyone has their own unique role and talent.
Just because someone is big or powerful does not mean they are better than others. Similarly,
being small or less powerful does not make someone useless. Both the mountain and the squirrel
are important in their own ways. They each contribute differently to the world.
The main message of the poem is that we should respect differences. We should understand
that everyone is important and valuable. No one should feel superior or inferior based on their
size, strength, or abilities. Instead, we should appreciate our own talents and also recognize the
talents of others.
In simple terms, the poem teaches us that every individual is special. Every individual has
something valuable to offer. It encourages us to be confident in ourselves.
Marks 10
Q. 3. Write an essay on four types sentences.
Language is the most important tool for communication, and sentences are the building blocks of language. Every sentence expresses a complete thought. Based on their purpose, sentences are classified into four main types: declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences. Each type has its own structure and function in communication.
The first type is the declarative sentence. These sentences are used to make statements or provide information. They express facts, opinions, or ideas clearly. Declarative sentences always end with a full stop. For example, “The sun rises in the east” and “She is reading a book” are declarative sentences. This type is the most commonly used in everyday communication.
The second type is the interrogative sentence. These sentences are used to ask questions and seek information. They usually begin with question words like who, what, where, when, why, or how, or with helping verbs like is, are, do, or can. Interrogative sentences always end with a question mark. For example, “Where are you going?” and “Do you like music?” are interrogative sentences.
The third type is the imperative sentence. These sentences are used to give orders, instructions, advice, or requests. The subject in such sentences is usually implied and understood to be “you.” Imperative sentences can end with a full stop or an exclamation mark, depending on the tone. For example, “Close the door,” “Please help me,” and “Do your homework” are imperative sentences.
The fourth type is the exclamatory sentence. These sentences express strong emotions such as joy, surprise, anger, or excitement. They always end with an exclamation mark. Words like “what” and “how” are often used to begin exclamatory sentences. For example, “What a beautiful day!” and “How amazing this is!” show strong feelings.