Ans. Q.3.B. of the HSC Board English Question Paper which comes for 04 marks.
Note :
1. There are total 8 poems given in the course book of std. XII ( Maharashtra State Board ) and students need to prepare for appreciation of all 8 poems.
2. This is just the SAMPLE. Students are encouraged to understand the poem well and then try writing their own appreciation.
3. Appreciation needs to be written POINT WISE and not in paragraph form.
Appreciation of the poem "Small Towns and Rivers"
Ans.
1. About the poem, poet and title : The poem " Small Towns and Rivers" - taken from the collection "The River Poems" is written by Mamang Dai. Mamang Dai is a poet , journalist and a former civil servant and this poem is based on the belief of tribal people from Northeast India that the souls of their loved ones continue to dwell in the natural elements around. She also throws light on how life and death are transient but rituals and nature are permanent. The title of the poem is suitable because the poet talks about how small towns and Rivers are getting polluted and destroyed due to "modernization" and industrialization.
2. Theme : The major them of the poem is conservation of Nature and it's resources in our surroundings. The poet says that the town's are prospering but nature is getting destroyed. Mamang Dai expresses her anxiety on the development happening in small towns.
3. Poetic devices and language: The poet has used simple language yet her thoughts are fragmented. She has beautifully used free verse to let her emotions flow. The use of figures of speech has enriched the overall impression of the poem. Use of repetition in line " Life and death.... permanent" , alliteration in line "We all want to walk...." , Transferred epithet in line "....sad wreath...", personification in line "River has a soul..", antithesis in life "life and death....", etc. add beauty to the poem.
4. Special feature/s of the poem : This poem is written in free verse so as to express poet's thoughts without any restrictions of rhyme, rhythm of metre. Also ,this poem is a nature poem but here the poet is not just celebrating the beauty of her small town but also lamenting how it is getting destroyed by the development.
5. Value/message from the poem : The message of the poem is quite clear. The poet gives us the message that small towns and nature around it remind us and make us feel the presence of our loved ones as their souls become one with nature after their departure from our world but due to the fast paced development, the nature is getting destroyed and so along with the nature are also going away the souls of our loved ones. She urges to conserve nature by saying that rivers are choking and we must pay attention to the changes before it gets too late.
6.Your opinion about the poem : The poem with its deep meaning and strong message touches the strings of the readers' hearts. For all those who are nature lovers and even those who are not , this poem is a must read and an eye opener.
Poetic Creativity (Comes in exam for 02 marks)
Compose 4 to 6 lines on "Gifts of Seasons"
Ans. Gifts of Seasons
Spring brings buds to happily bloom,
Summer's warmth brightens the room.
Autumn's golden leaves fall with grace,
And Winter takes us in, in it's pleasant embrace.
Each season, a gift, how unique in its reasons,
Nature gifts us, the gift of changing seasons.
