A Father to his Son - 12th English

2. Based on your understanding of the poem answer the following questions in one or two sentences

a) How would the poet’s advice help his son who is at the threshold of the manhood?

The poet’s advice would help his son face life’s challenges and sudden betrayals confidently.

b) ‘A tough will counts.’ Explain.

One should have a deep desire and strong will power to achieve.

c) What happened to the people who wanted too much money?

The people who wanted too much money were dead years before their burial.

d) What has twisted good men into thwarted worms?

The search for more in a dishonorable way has twisted good men into thwarted (frustrated) worms.

e) How would his being alone help the boy?

Being alone will help him to be creative and make final decisions.

f) Where are the final decisions taken?

The final decisions are taken in silent rooms.

g) What are the poet’s thoughts on ‘being different’?

The poet says that instead of being one among many, his son should be different if it is easy and natural.

h) Why does the poet advise his son to have lazy days?

The son may need lazy days to seek his deeper motives and find his inherent talents.

i) The poet says

‘Without rich wanting nothing arrives’ but he condemns ‘the quest of lucre beyond a few easy needs.’ Analyse the difference and write.

One should earn money honestly. He should be satisfied with sufficient money to lead his life. Without the desire for earning money, one cannot satisfy one’s basic needs. But the search for money dishonestly should be discouraged. One should not accumulate money beyond essential needs.

3. Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow

a) “Life is hard; be steel; be a rock.”

i) How should one face life?

One should face life by being like a rock.

ii) Identify the figure of speech in the above line.

Metaphor.

b) Life is a soft loam; be gentle; go easy,
And this too might serve him.”

i) Why does the poet suggest to take life easy?

Life is like a fertile soil. We can make our life fruitful by being gentle and taking life easy.

ii) Identify the figure of speech in the above line.

Metaphor.

c) Tell him solitude is creative if he is strong
and the final decisions are made in silent rooms.

i) Can being in solitude help a strong human being? How?

Yes. Being in solitude helps a strong human being to introspect and make final decisions.

ii) Identify the figure of speech in the above line.

Transferred Epithet.

d) Tell him time as a stuff can be wasted.
Tell him to be a fool every so often

i) Why does the poet suggest that time can be wasted?

Time can be wasted for leisure.

ii) Identify the figure of speech in the above line.

Repetition.

e) Tell him to be a fool ever so often
and to have no shame over having been a fool
yet learning something out of every folly
hoping to repeat none of the cheap follies

i) Is it a shame to be a fool at times?

No, it is not a shame to be a fool at times. But follies should not be repeated.

ii) What does one learn from every folly?

One learns some lessons from every folly and hopes not to repeat anyone of the follies.

f) – – – – – – – – – Free imaginations
Bringing changes into a world resenting change.

i) How does free imagination help the world?

Free imagination helps the world by introducing changes.

ii) Identify the figure of speech.

Transferred epithet.

g) Pick out the alliterated words from the poem and write.

And this might stand him for the storms

stand – storms.

4. Find out the synonym of the underlined word in each of the following sentences.

a) and guide him among sudden betrayals
and tighten him for slack moments.

Reference:-

These lines are taken from the poem ‘A Father to his Son’ written by Carl August Sandburg.

Context:-

This is in the beginning of the advice given by a father to his son.

Explanation:-

The poet wants to direct his son who is reaching manhood. He motivates his son to be like a hard rock. He can face life’s challenges and untoward breach of trust by being firmly resolved. ‘Slack moments’ refers to a state of depression.

b) Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed.

Reference:-

This line is taken from the poem ‘A Father to his Son’ written by Carl August Sandburg.

Context:-

This line comes when the poet wants to say that life is sometime soft and we may need to be
gentle.

Explanation:-

The poet motivates his son reaching manhood to be steely resolved. This will make him face the challenges of life and sudden betrayals. At times gentleness overtakes harshness. Thrashing may fail to change a man. But a gentle approach will make a brute good-natured.

c) Yet learning something out of every folly
hoping to repeat none of the cheap follies

Reference:-

These lines are taken from the poem ‘A Father to his Son’ written by Carl August Sandburg.

Context:-

In the course of giving advice to his son, the father utters these words.

Explanation:-

The poet directs his son who is reaching manhood to be a successful person. From his experience he advises his son to be careful in certain areas. Here he says making mistakes is not something to feel ashamed of. We can learn many things from our mistakes. But we should be careful not to repeat the mistake.

d) He will be lonely enough
to have time for the work

Reference:-

These lines are taken from the poem ‘A Father to his Son’ written by Carl August Sandburg.

Context:-

The poet wants to say that being in solitude, his son will make some changes.

Explanation:-

The poet wants his son to know how free imaginations bring changes to the world which resents change. During such resentment he will know that it is time for him to be his own and try to achieve like great people.

6. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of about 100 words each.

a) Explain how the poet guides his son who is at the threshold of manhood, to face the challenges of life.

“Life is hard; be steel; be a rock.” And this might stand him for the storms

The poet, Carl August Sandburg motivates his son to be like a hard rock to face the challenges of life and betrayals. He can make his life fruitful if he is gentle and takes life easy. He must have a firm will power and deep desire to achieve. He should earn sufficient money to satisfy his basic needs. But he must remember that too much money has killed men and left them dead before their burial.

He must know that it is not a shame to be called a fool. At the same time, he must learn lessons from the mistakes and avoid repeating the follies. He must introspect often and accept his weaknesses. He must not tell white lies to protect himself. Being alone will help him make wise decisions. He can be different if that is his nature. Finding his inherent talents and deeper motives, he must work to achieve like Shakespeare, Wright Brothers, Pasteur and so on.

Tell him to be different from other people
If it comes natural and easy being different

b) How according to the poet is it possible for his son to bring changes into a world that resents changes?

Bringing changes into a world resenting change.

The poet directs his son who is reaching manhood. He motivates him to be as hard as steel to face the challenges of life and sudden betrayals. He tells his son that he may need lazy days to seek his deep motives and find his inherent abilities. He will then know how free imagination can bring changes to the world. It is indeed that the world may disagree to the changes suggested. It may repel them. But with his firm will power and gentle ironical approach, he can convince the world of desirable changes for a better and brighter tomorrow. The growth of a frail flower can shatter and split a rock. At times gentleness overtakes harshness. Thus according to the poet, it is possible for his son to bring changes into a world that resents changes.

He will be lonely enough to have time for the work, he knows as his own.