Ans. Q.3.B. of the HSC Board English Question Paper (04 marks)
Note:
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There are a total of 8 poems in the Std. XII Maharashtra State Board textbook, and students must prepare appreciation for all 8 poems.
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This is just a sample. Students should understand the poem well and then write their own appreciation.
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Appreciation must be written paragraph-wise (06 paragraphs in the proper sequence as given in the textbook).
The bold headings are ONLY for understanding. Students should NOT write these headings in the exam. They must write appreciation in paragraph format only.
“Song of the Open Road” – Appreciation
The poem “Song of the Open Road” is written by…
The poem “Song of the Open Road” is written by Walt Whitman and is included in his famous collection Leaves of Grass. It is an inspirational poem that talks about optimism, freedom, self-love, and belief in oneself. The poet/speaker is starting a new journey on an open road, and he feels healthy, free, and confident because he can choose to go wherever he wishes. He is done with his routine life and is ready to explore new things and gain new experiences.
The theme of the poem is…
The theme of the poem is freedom, optimism, self-love, and above all, the joy of taking on the journey. Throughout the poem, the poet encourages his readers to break away from everything that stops them from being free and reminds them to believe in themselves. His aim is to make readers stress-free from worldly burdens, as he believes those burdens can be handled even while travelling.
The language used in the poem is…
The poem is a dramatic monologue. The poet has used free verse so that he does not have to worry about rhyming or metrical patterns and can express his thoughts freely. His writing style is as free as his attitude towards life, and free verse helps him connect with his readers in a natural and familiar manner. The language used in the poem is simple and lucid. The frequent use of the personal pronoun “I” emphasizes self-belief, self-motivation, and freedom from stress. The poet uses repetition to highlight the importance of beginning the journey on the open road. He also uses metaphor to compare the road of travel with the road of life, symbolizing equality, opportunity, and progress.
The special feature of this poem is…
One special feature of the poem is the addition of the last four lines in parentheses—written as if they suddenly came to his mind and he is speaking to his readers in confidence. Apart from this, the poem is one of the early poems written in free verse.
The message that this poem gives us is…
The poem gives an important message that readers should be open to moving forward and enjoying the journey of life. It teaches that one should be bold and content with whatever one has. It also highlights the importance of being free, having faith in our abilities, and understanding that worries can be managed anytime and anywhere.
In my opinion, the poem…
In my opinion, it is a beautiful poem that inspires us to explore the world and our lives by using our abilities. It also teaches that one should not stop progressing because of criticisms or complaints from the world.
Poetic Creativity – Song of the Open Road (02 marks)
Q.3.A (A5)
The example given here is only a sample. Students are expected to compose their own 4 poetic lines based on the theme.2.1 Compose four lines on “The road that leads to my college”
The road that leads to my college Is my gateway to a bright future—
A future full of hopes and happiness,
A future filled with knowledge and enlightenment.This road is my teacher, as it teaches me to be kind and rooted.
It teaches me to be helpful and ever ready to learn new things.
