Class 9 1st poem Crossing the Bar Alfred Lord Tennyson

 1^st poem

Crossing the Bar

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Sunset and evening star,

      And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

      When I put out to sea,

 

   But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

      Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

      Turns again home.

 

   Twilight and evening bell,

      And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

      When I embark;

 

   For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place

      The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

      When I have crost the bar.

 

About the Poet

The poem was written by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), the Poet Laureate of Victorian England. He is regarded as one of the greatest English poets of the 19th century. Tennyson often wrote about themes of nature, death, faith, and immortality. His poems reflect deep personal emotions, especially his thoughts on life’s end and the hope of meeting God after death.

About the Poem

The poem “Crossing the Bar” was composed in 1889, shortly before Tennyson’s death. It is often seen as his farewell poem and was placed at the end of most collections of his works. The imagery of a ship putting out to sea is used as a metaphor for death. The “bar” represents the sandbar at the mouth of a harbor, symbolizing the boundary between life and death.

Summary of the Poem

The speaker compares death to a voyage across the sea at sunset and evening star—symbols of life’s end. He prays for a peaceful departure, without sadness or mourning, just as a calm tide flows silently out to the ocean. He accepts death naturally, seeing it not as an end but as a homecoming.

The poet wishes that when he “crosses the bar,” there will be no sorrowful farewells. Instead, he expresses faith and hope that after leaving the world of time and space, he will meet his “Pilot” (a symbol for God or divine guide) face to face.

The central message is one of calm acceptance of death, faith in God, and hope for eternal life.

Exercise

A. Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B.

moaning – v. complaining

boundless- iv. never-ending; infinite

twilight- vii. dusk

embark – iii. go on board

tho’ – ii. though

bourne- i. a boundary; a limit

crost- vi. crossed

B. Fill in the gaps with the words/phrases given below to complete the paraphrase of the poem.

I notice the sunset and evening stars in the sky and hear a sound calling for me loud and clear. I hope that the sandbar will not be disturbed when I go out to sea. Instead, I want to be carried out on a tide moving so slowly it seems almost asleep, and which is too swollen to make a sound. That’s what I want when I return home to the depths of the great unknown. Twilight comes with the evening bell which will be followed by darkness. There don’t need to be any sad goodbyes when I go. Even though I’ll be going far from this time and place, floating on the tide of death, I hope to meet  God, who has been like my pilot in this journey, when I’ve made it across the bar.

C. Answer the following questions.

a. Where does the speaker have to go crossing the sandbar?

⇒ The speaker has to go to the sea crossing the sandbar.

b. Why can’t the tide make a huge sound or create a lather?

⇒ The tide can’t make a huge sound or create a lather because it seems asleep.

c. What do the twilight and the evening bell suggest in the poem?

⇒ In the poem, the twilight and the evening bell suggest the end of the day. In a deeper sense, the speaker’s approaching his end.

d. Where is the speaker going without accepting sad goodbyes?

⇒ The speaker is going to a sea journey without accepting sad goodbyes.

e. Who is the only agent that helps the speaker to go far on his journey?

⇒ His Pilot (God) is the only agent that helps the speaker to go far on his journey.

f. Does the speaker fear death? Why/Why not?

⇒ The speaker does not fear death because he believes that he will be able to see his creator face-to-face in the afterlife. He believes that death is not the end, but rather a transition to a new life.

g. What does the pilot symbolise?

⇒  The pilot symbolises God (his creator).

 

Class 10 1st Poem Leave this Chanting and Singing Rabindranath Tagore

 1st Poem 

    Leave this Chanting and Singing

            Rabindranath Tagore

Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads!
Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut?
Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee!

He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground
and where the path maker is breaking stones.
He is with them in sun and in shower,
and his garment is covered with dust.
Put off thy holy mantle and even like him come down on the dusty soil!

Deliverance?
Where is this deliverance to be found?
Our master himself has joyfully taken upon him the bonds of creation;
he is bound with us all forever.

Come out of thy meditations and leave aside thy flowers and incense!
What harm is there if thy clothes become tattered and stained?
Meet him and stand by him in toil and in sweat of thy brow.

About the Poet

The poem “Leave This Chanting and Singing” was written by Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), the first Asian Nobel Laureate in Literature (1913). He was a poet, philosopher, painter, playwright, and a reformer of Indian society. Tagore believed in universal humanism and spiritual freedom. He rejected blind rituals and emphasized finding God through love, service, and human connection rather than through formal religious practices.

About the Poem

The poem is from Tagore’s famous collection “Gitanjali” (Song Offerings), which earned him the Nobel Prize. In this poem, Tagore criticizes meaningless rituals like chanting, singing, and offering incense in dark temples. Instead, he presents a new vision of spirituality—one where God lives not in rituals or secluded shrines but in the everyday labor of farmers, workers, and ordinary people.

Summary of the Poem

The speaker in the poem tells worshippers to stop chanting, singing, and counting beads in temples. He declares that God is not hidden in dark corners but is present in the real world, among workers tilling the land and breaking stones. God shares in human struggle, under the sun and rain, covered with dust, toiling alongside mankind.

True deliverance, the poet says, cannot be found through ritualistic practices but through sharing life’s burdens with others. God himself has accepted the bonds of creation, so humans too should embrace work and service. The speaker finally urges worshippers to abandon empty meditation, flowers, and incense, and instead seek God in toil, sweat, and service to humanity.

The central message is that real devotion is in action, not ritual; in service, not seclusion.

Reading II

A. Find the words from the poem which have the following meanings.

a. a small piece of glass or stone threaded with others to make a necklace → beads

b. to prepare and use land for growing crops → tile

c. a piece of clothing → garment

d. a layer of something that covers a surface → mantle

e. the state of being rescued from danger, evil or pain → deliverance

f. a substance that produces a pleasant smell when you burn it → incense

g. covered with marks → stained

h. hard unpleasant work that makes you very tired → toil

B. Find the modern equivalents of the following archaic words used in the poem.

a. dost → do/does
b. thou → you
c. thine → your
d. thy → your

C. Answer the following questions.

a. Who is the poem addressed to?
The poem is directed towards people who seek God through age-old rituals like chanting, singing hymns, and counting beads.

b. What does the speaker advise people?
The speaker suggests that people should give up these conventional practices of worship and instead search for God in real life. He emphasizes that God dwells not in temples or secluded corners but in human labor and daily activities.

c. Where do people try to find the god?
People usually try to discover God in holy places like temples, in the shadows of shrines, and in spaces reserved for religious devotion.

d. Where, according to the speaker, does the god actually reside?
The speaker asserts that God truly lives in the living world, especially in the honest work of farmers and laborers who shape and sustain life.

e. How can people have a glimpse of the god?
One can catch sight of God by joining in the struggles of everyday life, by working hand in hand with ordinary people and sharing their labor.

f. Why can't the god rescue people?
God cannot rescue people because He is not present in rituals or lifeless idols. Unless people engage in real action and hard work, they cannot expect God’s help.

g. What does the speaker ask people to do in the last stanza?
In the last stanza, the speaker urges people to leave behind meditation, flowers, and incense, and instead seek God in sweat, effort, and the reality of human toil.

D. Do you believe in the existence of god? What do you do to please him? Share your opinion.
Yes, I believe in the existence of God. To please Him, I try to live a life of kindness, honesty, and service to others. Helping the poor, respecting everyone, and being compassionate are ways I show my devotion. I also pray regularly and express gratitude for the blessings I receive. For me, true worship lies in good deeds and maintaining faith, which gives me courage and inspiration in difficult times.

 

Class 11 Unit 8 Simple Present and Present Continuous

 

Class 11 Unit 8 Simple Present and Present Continuous 

1. Simple Present Tense

Structure

·         Affirmative: Subject + base verb (+ s/es for singular)

a)       I/You/We/They play football.

b)       He/She/It plays football.

·         Negative: Subject + do/does + not + base verb (verb1)

a)       I do not (don’t) play football.

b)       He does not (doesn’t) play football.

·         Interrogative: Do/Does + Subject + Base verb?

a)       Do you play football?

b)       Does he play football?

Uses

1.      Habitual actions / routines

a)       I brush my teeth twice a day.

2.      General truths / facts / laws of nature

a)       Water boils at 100°C.

3.      Permanent situations

a)       She lives in Kathmandu.

4.      Scheduled events (future) or timetables

a)       The train leaves at 6 p.m.

Time Adverbs Used

·         always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every day/week/month/year

Examples:

a)       He always wakes up early.

b)       I usually go to school by bus.

c)       The sun rises in the east.

2. Present Continuous Tense

Structure

·         Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are + verb4+ obj.)

a)      I am reading a book.

b)     He/She/It is reading a book.

c)      We/They are reading a book.

·         Negative: Subject + am/is/are + not + verb(+ing)

a)      I am not reading a book.

·         Interrogative: Am/Is/Are + Subject + verb(+ing)?

a)      Are you reading a book?

b)     Is he reading a book?

Uses

1.      Actions happening now / at the moment

a)       She is studying in her room right now.

2.      Temporary actions / situations

a)       I am staying at my friend’s house for a week.

3.      Future arrangements (planned events)

a)       We are meeting the teacher tomorrow.

4.      Actions changing / developing

a)       The weather is getting colder these days.

Time Adverbs Used

·         now, right now, at the moment, currently, these days, today, tonight, tomorrow

Examples:

a)       She is cooking dinner now.

b)       They are playing football at the moment.

c)       I am reading a new novel these days.

 

D. List any five words found in an English dictionary beginning with the prefix ‘super-.’ What common meaning do all of these words share? How do the words in your list change meaning if you eliminate the prefix?

Five words with the prefix super-

1.      superman

2.      supermarket

3.      superpower

4.      supernatural

5.      superstar

How the words change if the prefix is removed

1.      superman → man

a)       superman = a man with extraordinary powers

b)       man = an ordinary male person

2.      supermarket → market

a)       supermarket = a very large market with many goods

b)       market = a normal place to buy and sell goods

3.      superpower → power

a)       superpower = an exceptional ability or a very powerful country

b)       power = normal strength or energy

4.      supernatural → natural

a)       supernatural = beyond natural, unexplainable by science

b)       natural = existing in nature, normal

5.      superstar → star

a)       superstar = a very famous and talented celebrity

b)       star = an ordinary star in the sky or just a famous person

 Grammar

B. Put the verb into the correct form, present simple or present continuous.

a. Nisha speaks (speak) English very well.

b. Hurry up! We are waiting (wait) for you.

c. Excuse me! Do you speak (you/speak) English?

d. She is having (have) a shower in bathroom.

e. How often do you read (you/read) a newspaper?

f. I'm sorry, I don't understand (not/understand). Can you speak more slowly?

g. You can turn off the radio. I am not listening (not/listen) to it.

h. I usually get up (get up) at 5 o'clock every morning.

i. Look! The river is flowing (flow) very fast.

j. Amrita does not seem (not/seem) very happy at the moment.

C. Are the underlined verbs in the correct form? Correct them where necessary.

a. Water boils at 100° C.

Water boils at 100° C.

b. The water boils. Can you turn it off?

The water is boiling. Can you turn it off?

c. I must go now. It gets late.

I must go now. It is geting late.

d. This sauce's tasting really good.

This sauce tastes really good.

e. I’m thinking this is your key.

I think this is your key.

f. Are you believing in God?

Do you believe in God?

g. I usually go to school on foot.

I usually go to school on foot.

h. Look! That man tries to open the door of her car.

Look! That man is trying to open the door of her car.

i. The moon is going round the earth.

The moon goes round the earth.

j. I'm getting hungry. Let's go and eat.

I'm getting hungry. Let's go and eat.

Critical Thinking

b. Can education bring change in the belief of superstition? Present your arguments to support your answer.

Yes, education can bring change in the belief of superstition. Superstition is a belief in things that are not based on science or logic, such as believing in ghosts, bad luck from black cats, or fortune told by astrologers. Such beliefs often create fear, confusion, and backwardness in society. The best way to overcome them is through proper education.

Education helps people to think logically and question old traditions. An educated person does not easily accept something without proof. For example, instead of believing that an illness is caused by evil spirits, education teaches us that it is caused by germs and can be treated by medicine. This scientific understanding replaces fear with confidence.

Moreover, education spreads awareness about equality and human rights. Many superstitions, such as discrimination against women during menstruation or untouchability, are based on ignorance. When people are educated, they learn that such practices are harmful and meaningless. They begin to respect others and follow rational ideas instead of blind beliefs.

Education also inspires young people to use modern technology, read books, and access new information. When knowledge increases, superstition naturally decreases.

In conclusion, education is the most powerful tool to change society. It opens the mind, replaces fear with knowledge, and helps people live in a scientific and progressive way. Therefore, education can and does bring positive change in the belief of superstition.

Writing

a. Write an essay on superstitions that exists in your community in about 250 words.

                                                Superstitions in My Community

Superstition means a belief in things that are not based on science or logic but on tradition, fear, or ignorance. Even in modern times, many superstitions still exist in my community. These beliefs have been passed down from one generation to another, and people often follow them without questioning.

One common superstition in my community is about sneezing. If a person sneezes when someone is leaving for an important work, it is believed that the work will not be successful. People sometimes even stop their journey for a while after a sneeze. Another superstition is about cats. If a black cat crosses the road in front of you, people believe it brings bad luck.

There are also superstitions related to dreams. If someone dreams about losing teeth, it is believed that a relative may die soon. Similarly, dreaming of fish is considered a sign of pregnancy in the family. In addition, many people believe that an owl sitting on the roof of a house is a bad omen, bringing misfortune or even death.

Superstitions are also connected to festivals and rituals. During solar eclipses, pregnant women are told not to touch sharp objects or eat food, because it is believed to harm the baby. Many people also believe that keeping lemon and chili at the door of a shop will keep away evil spirits.

Although education and science have advanced, such superstitions still influence daily life in my community. They sometimes create unnecessary fear and prevent logical thinking. However, with more awareness and education, these beliefs can slowly be reduced.

In conclusion, superstitions are still deeply rooted in my community, but through proper knowledge and reasoning, people can learn to live more confidently and scientifically.

b. “Superstition is prevalent in every walk of life.” Argue for or against this statement.

I agree with the statement that superstition is prevalent in every walk of life. Superstition means blind beliefs in things without scientific proof. Although the world has advanced in technology and education, superstitions are still found in villages, cities, and even among educated people.

In family life, many people follow superstitions in marriage, birth, and death rituals. For example, they believe that certain days are unlucky for starting new work, or that a crying owl near the house brings death. In daily activities, people stop their journey if a cat crosses the road or a person sneezes. These practices clearly show how superstitions affect everyday behavior.

In health, instead of going to the doctor, some people still believe in witch doctors or healers. They think that diseases are caused by evil spirits rather than germs or poor hygiene. Even in business, many shopkeepers keep lemon and chili at the door to protect against the “evil eye.” Similarly, farmers sometimes believe that bad harvests are caused by angry gods rather than natural factors like drought.

Superstition is also present in modern society. Educated people still read horoscopes before marriage or making important decisions. Some even believe that certain numbers, colors, or dreams decide their future. This proves that superstition exists in all areas, regardless of age, place, or education.

In conclusion, superstition is truly present in every walk of life. It influences how people think, act, and make decisions. Although education and science are reducing these beliefs, they cannot be removed completely at once because they are deeply rooted in culture and tradition. Only continuous awareness, logical thinking, and scientific education can gradually weaken superstition from our society.