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Courage comes from heart not from physique P.V.Ch.Sastry Subject Expert, Sri Viswasanthi, Vuyyuru.

POETRY

EQUIPMENT (By Edgar Albert Guest) Introduction: Edgar Albert Guest was a prolific English-born American poet who was popular in the first half of the 20th century and became known as the People's Poet. The theme of this poem is that people are responsible for their own fate. The poet is saying that all people have the "equipment" to succeed. God has given them everything that they need; now it is up to them to determine whether they are going to use that equipment well or badly. This sentiment reflects Guest's own background and his beliefs. Guest himself was forced to do all sorts of jobs as a young boy because his family had been hurt financially by various events. He then had to leave school before finishing high school because his father died. These experiences gave him the attitude that people can improve themselves if they will only work hard enough. "Equipment" is typical of Guest's sentiments. It has a very self-reliant, democratic theme that is very much in line with what most Americans believe. The poem 'Equipment' is about the qualities that one should have to succeed. Successful people are not uncommon. They too are born or created equal by God. All are blessed with the same faculties at birth. All of us have a pair of eyes, hands, legs and arms, for instance, and we all have a brain to with. The basic 'equipment' is the same. The physical and mental faculties are the same. Great men don't enjoy any special advantages or privileges from birth. IMPORTANT QUESTIONS 1. 'Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad'-Denis Waitley. Discuss this statement in the light of the poem 'Equipment'. 'Equipment' is a poem written by Edgar Albert Guest. This poem points out that courage and confidence are essential for success. Successful people have the right attitude towards life and belief in their abilities. All human beings are created equal by god. We are all blessed with same faculties at birth. Great men don't enjoy any special advantages or privileges from birth. Determination and courage are the secret of success. A wise man sets his goals and works hard to

achieve them. He is not dejected or discouraged by obstacles. He has faith in his abilities and is confident that he will win the battle of life. His motto is "I can". Mountains will be pulverized at my will and I can drink up oceans" is the attitude of a determined soul. He knows that a successful man's success depends on himself not on circumstances. He is capable of molding adversity into prosperity. 2. "All men are created equal" is a well known statement made by Thomas Jefferson. Does the poem "Equipment" corroborate this? 'Equipment' is a poem written by Edgar Albert Guest. This poem points out that courage and confidence are essential for success. Successful people have the right attitude towards life and belief in their abilities. The poet says that all are equally created by God. All are blessed with the same faculties at birth. All of us have a pair of eyes, hands, legs and arms, for instance, and we all have a brain to with. The basic 'equipment' is the same. The physical and mental faculties are the same. Great men don't enjoy any special advantages or privileges from birth. Like others, they too use ordinary forks and knives to eat with. There is nothing remarkable about their shoes. Unlike the ordinary man, however, a wise man sets his goals and works hard to achieve them. His motto is 'I can'. One who thinks 'I can' can do anything. What is needed is a strong determination, a will to do.

ANNOTATIONS 1. You are the handicap you must face,

BULL IN THE CITY (By Sri Sri) Introduction: Srirangam Srinivasarao (30 April 1910 - 15 June 1983), popularly known as Sri Sri, was a Telugu poet and lyricist. He was a member of PEN INDIA, Sahitya Academy, and Vice-President of the South Indian Film Writers Association, Madras and President of the revolutionary writers association of Andhra. He was also awarded the Soviet Land Nehru Award of India. Sri Sri was the first true modern Telugu poet to write about contemporary issues that affected day-to-day life of a common man in a style and metre which were not used earlier in classical Telugu poetry. This is a poem (Bull in The City) written by him. It is an ironic comment on man's so-called supremacy over animals. It shows how modernization and industrialization have reduced man into a machine that has no feelings. What is this life full of ca-

You are the one who must choose your face. Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem 'Equipment' written by Edgar Albert Guest. The poem is in the form of advice given by father to his son. The poet says that the

Sr. Inter English English

secret of success is very simple. Right attitude towards life and belief in one's abilities, the basic ingredients, lead one to success. Context: Writing about the qualities to succeed, the poet quotes his views in an aphoristic style. Unsuccessful people always complain that life is not good or fair. They think God is partial in giving birth to people. Meaning: The poet says that one should remember that all human beings are equally born or created by God. Great men don't enjoy any special advantages or privileges from birth. Like others, they too use ordinary forks and knives to eat with. There is nothing remarkable about their shoes. They mould disadvantages into advantages. In fact, the disadvantages we face are the ones we ourselves create or imagine and responsible for. We should not blame re when we have no time to stand and stare? As Davies rightly points out, man has no time to stand and stare at nature. With his eyes he is blind. IMPORTANT POINTS a. As the title suggests, the poem is about a bull which stands in the middle of a road. It is not concerned by the hustle and bustle of our daily activities. b. None can ask the bull to move as it stands steadfast in its place. c. Unlike man, it is anti-industrial, pacifist, vegetarian and prohibitionist. d. He doesn't kill other animals or fight on silly issues, or indulge in other vices like drinking or smoking. e. Ironically, the bull, in spite of all its virtues is called "senseless' by man, who is said to have great sense with his doing undo things. f. The bull just blocks the way and hampers man's movement. It is a mute spectator to man's hurried and harried existence. It's man

others for our lapses. Comment: It's we who are to choose what we want and where we should go and how we should become. Any handicap is there, it is we. Success depends on an individual not on circumstances. 2. God has equipped you for life, but He Lets you decide what you want to be. Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem 'Equipment' written by Edgar Albert Guest. The poem is in the form of advice given by a father to his son. The poet says that the secret of success is very simple. Right attitude towards life and belief in one's abilities, the basic ingredients, lead one to success. Context: Writing about the qualities to succeed, the poet quotes his views in an aphoristic style. Unsuccessful people always complain that life is not good or fair. They think God is partial in giving birth to people. Meaning: The poet says that all are equally created by God. All are blessed with the same faculties at birth. All of us have a pair of eyes, hands, legs and arms, for instance, and we all have a brain to with. The basic 'equipment' is the same. The physical and mental faculties are the same. Great men don't enjoy any special advantages or privileges from birth. It is up to us to decide how we should use our faculties. The choice can be made by the individual not by the circumstances. Comment: The poet argues that it's 'you' who are to decide to succeed or to fail. Things are at your option that endangers the life of all animals and at large nature. Is it man or bull that has no sense? IMPORTANT QUESTIONS 1. Explain how the poet compares and contrasts the bull with modern man in his poem "Bull in the City"? Ans: In Sri Sri's poem" Bull in the City" a bull stands quietly in the middle of a road chewing its cud of memories. Eyes half closed, it stands motionless. People on the road think that it provokes them causing in convenience. They comment it is stupid. The bull is compared and contrasted with man. Man believes that progress is life which is wasted in his mad hunt for mundane pleasures or material comforts. He eats meat, drinks alcohol, smokes tobacco and is a bully and selfish but the bull is a pacifist, anti industrial, vegetarian and prohibitionist, patient and unprotesting. It is a symbol of peace and

not at circumstances. 3. Courage must come from the soul within The man must furnish the will to win, So figure it out for yourself, my lad Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem 'Equipment' written by Edgar Albert Guest. The poem is in the form of advice given by father to his son. The poet says that the secret of success is very simple. Right attitude towards life and belief in one's abilities, the basic ingredients, lead one to success. Context: Writing about the qualities to succeed, the poet quotes his views in an aphoristic style. Unsuccessful people always complain that life is not good or fair. Analyzing why only some people achieve success, the poet writes these lines. This is in the form of advice by a father to a son, which is seen from the nominative 'my lad'. Meaning: The father tells the boy that it is easy to succeed if we have right attitude. We need not have extraordinary or superhuman skills to reach our aims. What is needed is determination, courage and confidence. Life would indeed be dull if there were no obstacles. A wise man is not dejected or discouraged by those obstacles. Comment: He moulds or molds them as opportunities. He doesn't lose faith in his abilities. His motto is "I can". He pretty well knows that success depends on himself not on circumstances. Courage comes from heart not from strong physique. You become so as you wish to. non-violence. The arrogant man is in no way superior to the bull. 2. "The earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs but not every man's greed" (Mahatma Gandhi) Describe in the context of Sri Sri's poem what modernization and industrialization have done to modern man. Ans: In his poem "Bull in the City", the Great Poet Sri Sri opines that man is not superior to the bull. Ironically, man equates materialism with progress. In his incessant hunt for mundane pleasure and material comforts, he is losing the beauty of life. Yet he believes that urbanization and industrialization are signs of development. The beauty and resources of nature are cruelly destroyed by him in his greed for wealth. His entire life, the beautiful gift of God, is wasted in his insane hunt for fulfillment of his desires. He is selfish, quarrelsome and a war monger.