OU Sem 6 Notes

 

Strange Meeting 

Wilfred  Owen

video lesson explained in English

TEXT

It seemed that out of battle I escaped

 Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped

 Through granites which titanic wars had groined.

Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned,

 Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred.

 Then, as 1 probed them, one sprang up, and stared 

With piteous recognition in fixed eyes, 

Lifting distressful hands, as if to bless. 

And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall,- 

By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell.

With a thousand fears that vision's face was grained; 

Yet no blood reached there from the upper ground

, And no guns thumped, or down the flues made moan.

 'Strange friend, I said, 'here is no cause to mourn. 

"None, said that other, 'save the undone years, 

The hopelessness. Whatever hope is yours, 

Was my life also; I went hunting wild 

After the wildest beauty in the world, 

Which lies not calm in eyes, or braided hair, 

But mocks the steady running of the hour, 

And if it grieves, grieves richlier than here. 

For by my glee might many men have laughed, 

And of my weeping something had been left, 

Which must die now. I mean the truth untold, 

The pity of war, the pity war distilled. 

Now men will go content with what we spoiled. 

Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled. 

They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress. 

None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress. 

Courage was mine, and I had mystery; 

Wisdom was mine, and I had mastery: 

To miss the march of this retreating world 

Into vain citadels that are not walled.

Then, when much blood had clogged their chariot-wheels. 

I would go up and wash them from sweet wells, 

Even with truths that lie too deep for taint.

I would have poured my spirit without stint 

But not through wounds; not on the cess of war. 

Foreheads of men have bled where no wounds were.

'I am the enemy you killed, my friend.

I knew you in this dark: for so you frowned 

Yesterday through me as you jabbed and killed. 

I parried; but my hands were loath and cold.

Let us sleep now...

GLOSSARY

battle/ bætal/ a fight between two armed forces, typically of different nations or groups

profound /pra faund/ deep, intense; often used in a metaphorical context to denote seriousness or significance

Hell/hel/ in Christian belief, the place of eternal punishment for the wicked after death, used here metaphorically to describe the brutal and torturous reality of war

bestir /bistar/ to become active after a period of rest

probe /prǝub/ attempt to discover information by asking a lot of questions

strange/streinds/ unusual and unexpected, or difficult to understand

groined/ground/ to create

encumber /in'kambar/ to weigh someone or something down, or to make it difficult for some- one to do something

groan/graon/ a deep, long sound showing great pain or unhappiness

tunnel/tonal/ a passageway through or under something, typically underground

thump /Bamp/ to hit or strike heavily, especially with the fist or a blunt implement

flue /flu/ a pipe that leads from a fire or heater to the outside of a building, taking smoke, gases, or hot air away

moan/maon/ to make a long, low sound of pain, suffering or another strong emotion

mourn /main/ to express grief or sorrow

braid/breid/ made by intertwining two or more strands of hair

mock /mok/ to laugh at someone, often by copying them in a funny but unkind way

grieve /griv/ to feel or express great sadness, especially when someone dies

distil/di'stul/ to get or show only the most important part of something

mystery /'mıstəri/ something strange or not known that has not yet been explained or understood

mastery I'ma stari/ superior skill or knowledge

retreat /n'trit/ to move back or withdraw

citadel /'sıtadel/ a stronghold or fortress that protects and commands a city

clog /klog/ (cause something to) become blocked or filled so that movement or activity is difficult

video lesson explained in Telugu

About the poet:-

Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) was an English poet, born in Oswestry, Shropshire, UK. Celebrated as one of the foremost voices of the First World War (1914-1918), only four of his poems saw publication during his lifetime. Owen had a strong bond with his mother, to whom he wrote 664 letters. Known for his poetic fury at the horrors and futility of war, as well as his compassion for its victims, Owen's work drew heavily from his own wartime experiences. He enlisted in the British Army in 1915.

During his recovery at Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh, he met his literary idol, Siegfried Sassoon, who encouraged him to weave his war experiences into his poetry. Among his most famous works are “Dulce et Decorum Est,” “Anthem for Doomed Youth,” and “Insensibility.”Tragically, Owen was killed on November 4, 1918 in World War I. The poem was written in 1918 and published in 1919 after his death. The poem crticises the glorification of war and focuses on the horrifying, tragic outcomes of World War I.

 The title "Strange Meeting" implies an unusual encounter between two soldiers from opposing countries in hell. The poem is narrated by a soldier, who is a speaker in the poem. This meeting is strange because in reality such a meeting between a living and a dead is not possible.After escaping the battlefield, the speaker finds himself in a deep tunnel in the underworld, metaphorically described as hell, where he meets the enemy soldier, he killed the previous day. In this surreal setting, the speaker discovers a deep, dark tunnel made of granite, filled with moaning sleepers. One man suddenly awakens, staring at the speaker with fixed eyes. Recognizing his killer, he raises his hands in distress, as if to bless or forgive him. The speaker realizes he is in hell, evident from the dead soldier's smile and the gloomy atmosphere. The phrase 'a thousand fears' conveys the horror the dead man feels. There is no gunfire or blood from the ground above. The speaker addresses the dead soldier as 'strange friend' and reassures him that there is no need for sorrow.

    The soldier speaks about the “pity of war,” a deep sadness that war brings. He reflects on his unproductive life, regretting the time lost without achieving meaningful goals. He once sought not the beauty in the simple, serene beauty of women’s superficial appearances, but a deeper and more intense beauty that challenges time. He misses the friends and family who once brought him joy. Now, in death, he feels the weight of his unexpressed truths about the futility and devastation of war. The dead soldier regrets the things he has not done in his life. People either accept the destruction caused by war and are happy with what has happened, or they continue the cycle of violence. Soldiers rush into battle without considering the destruction it brings, akin to a tigress hunting prey.

    But even if things are going wrong or nations move backward, no one will stop or question what’s happening. People will keep following the same path without change. The line "None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress" suggests that no one speaks against the warmongers, even as the nations involved in the war move backward in progress and struggle to advance. The dead soldier laments that his courage and wisdom are now useless in death. The soldier imagines that he would go and clean the blood from their chariot wheels after much destruction. He wishes for a world free of pointless wars. War has stolen his spirit rather than utilizing it meaningfully, leaving him with psychological wounds that hurt more than physical injuries.

    He reveals to the speaker that he was killed in battle the day before. Despite wanting to defend himself, he felt cold and reluctant. The phrase 'Let us sleep now' expresses the soldier's wish to end all wars and conflicts forever. This anti-war poem highlights the devastation and tragic lives of soldiers who kill those with whom they have no enmity. Wars are waged by rulers for their selfish interests, underscoring the futility, bloodshed, and destruction caused by conflict.

summary explained in telugu

Unit 4

Critical Reading 

Letter to George Latham

Abraham Lincoln wrote this now-classic letter of encouragement to a close friend of his eldest son Robert. Both boys had been raised in Springfield, Illinois, attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, and were Harvard hopefuls. Several months later, both would travel with the president-elect on his inaugural journey. Robert eventually was graduated from Harvard, while George studied at Yale for two years.

Springfield, Ills. July 22, 1860

My dear George

I have scarcely felt greater pain in my life than on learning yesterday from Bob's letter, that you failed to enter Harvard University. And yet there is very little in it, if you will allow no feeling of discouragement to seize, and prey upon you. It is a certain truth, that you can enter, and graduate in, Harvard University; and having made the attempt, you must succeed in it. "Must" is the word.

I know not how to aid you, save in the assurance of one of mature age, and much severe experience, that you can not fail, if you resolutely determine, that you will not.

The President of the institution, can scarcely be other than a kind man; and doubtless he would grant you an interview, and point out the readiest way to remove, or overcome, the obstacles which have thwarted you.

In your temporary failure there is no evidence that you may not yet be a better scholar, and a more successful man in the great struggle of life, than many others, who have entered college more easily.

Again I say let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.

With more than a common interest I subscribe myself Very truly your friend,

A. Lincoln.

Summary

 Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter of encouragement to his son's friend George Latham on 22 July 1860. George Latham was a close friend of his eldest son, Robert Lincoln. Both boys were classmates at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. They both hoped to gain admission to Harvard University. Robert Lincoln secured admission into Harvard while unfortunately, Latham failed the Harvard entrance, which left him sad and depressed. Robert Lincoln informed his father,Abraham Lincoln,about Latham's disappointment through a letter. Despite being busy with the presidential campaign, Abraham Lincoln took time to write a letter of encouragement to Latham. The letter shows Lincoln's concern for a young boy whose father died several years ago as well as his own passion for education. 

            Latham’s rejection from Harvard upset Lincoln. Lincoln wrote to him urging him not to be disappointed or discouraged.

He assured him that Latham had the potential  to enter Harvard.  As a matured and experienced man, Lincoln emphasized that if he was determined firmly, he could be successful. Lincoln himself had faced numerous failures in both his political and personal life using them as stepping stones to success. 

.Lincoln suggests Latham meet with the President of Harvard to discuss how to overcome the obstacles that prevented his admission. The temporary failure didn't mean that Latham was not a better scholar. 

Finally,he reiterated his advice urging Latham  not to let discouragement hold him back.The letter reflects Lincoln’s life-long concern with education for the youth.

Video lesson in Telugu

Unit 4

Framing Questions

Curiosity is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation and learning. Humans have sought answers to the mysteries of the world around them since the very beginning of their existence. This innate curiosity finds its rightful place through posing questions. Therefore, questions are the heart and soul of learning, sparking discovery understanding and critical thinking. Additionally, asking questions is the most common feature of our everyday use of language.

Questions are one of the most effective communication tools for information exchange Asking the right questions and asking them in the right way in a particular situation leads to improving a whole range of communication skills.

Focus on the following questions and their responses:

Q: Where do you live?

A: I live in Hyderabad.

Q: Are you a sportsperson?

A: Yes. / Yes, I am. / Yes, I am a sportsperson.

Q: Do you play cricket or hockey?

A: I play cricket.

Q: Cricket is a popular sport, isn't it?

A: Yes, it is.

In the above conversation, it can be noticed that you can give different kinds of answers to different questions contextually.

There are a number of question types in English:

Yes-no questions

ypothetical questions

Wh-questions

Tag questions

Choice questions

Yes-no questions

These questions start with an auxiliary verb and expect an answer with 'yes' or 'no.

Examples

Are you an engineer?

Do you like this place?

Can you lift this piece of luggage?

Have ever been to Delhi?

Did you attend the exam today?

Yes/No (Yes, I am/No, I am not)

Yes/No (Yes, I do / No, I don't)

Yes/No (Yes, I can / No, I can't)

Yes/No (Yes, I have / No, I haven't)

Yes/No (Yes, I did / No, I didn't)

Wh-questions (Information questions)

These questions start with a question word: 'what', 'which, 'who, 'whose, 'where, 'when, how,

why

Examples

What is your name?

Where do you stay?

When did you come here?

Whose bag is this?

Who is your principal?

My name is Kalyani.

I stay at Ramnagar.

I came here an hour ago.

That's mine.

Mr K. Prabhu is our principal.

Choice questions

These questions are used when we offer choices.

Examples

Would you like coffee or tea?

Tea, thanks.

Do you go with your family or alone?

With my family.

Are you feeling happy or not?

Happy, of course.

Will you meet him now or later?

I will meet him later.

Hypothetical questions

These questions are used to when we want a general idea of a certain situation or to elicit opinions and beliefs about imagined situations.

Examples

What will you do after your graduation?

If you get a job abroad, will you leave your country and family behind?

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Tag questions

These questions are used to ask for confirmation. They mean: "Is that right?" or "Do you agree!"

A tag question is a special construction in the English language. It is a statement followed by a small question in contraction. These are usually used in conversations. The basic structure of

a tag question is-

Positive statement

Negative tag

The weather is very pleasant,

isn't it?

Negative statement

Positive tag

You won't come tomorrow,

will you?

Note that the tag repeats the auxiliary verb from the statement and changes it to terga or positive. When there is no auxiliary verb in the statement (present indefinite and pos indefinite), take the help of 'do' verbs (do, does, did) to make the question tag. The subject the tag is always a pronoun and it should be a substitute for the subject of the statement

Examples

She is a dancer, isn't she?

You don't like sweets, do you?

They won't attend the party tonight, will they?

Your brother wrote the entrance exam, didn't he?

Gita loves painting, doesn't she?

The children haven't come to the ground, have they?

They won't postpone the exams this time, will they?

I am a doctor, aren't I? (Here we use 'aren't' as there is no 'amn't l' in English.)

EXERCISES

Frame the questions to which the following are answers.

1. Shabnam will prepare the report by tomorrow.

Who will prepare the report by tomorrow?**  

2. You will find the books on the table.

*Where will I find the books?

3. No, they are not coming today.

Are they coming today?

4. I live in Pochampally.

Where do you live?

5. The children play cricket here every evening.

What do the children play here every evening?

6. Raju loves cooking.

What does Raju love?

7. My interests are blogging and writing

What are your interests?

8. She is going with her friends.

Who is she going with?

9. I would like to become an engineer.

What would you like to become?

10. Yes, I shall meet you at 11 a.m.

10. Will you meet me at 11 a.m.?

Frame questions for the following sentences to elicit the underlined part as the answer.

1. The cab driver refused to wait.

2. 1 am 20 years old.

3.Smoking is prohibited in public places.

4. Nature soothes and nurtures

5. Mr Rao has two children.

6.The dialogues throughout the movie were hilarious

7.My daughter is the one in the blue frock.

8.His company launched a new product.

9.I went to Bangalore last week.

10. She went there to meet John.

11. This bridge is 60 years old.

12. I know how to solve this problem.

 Answers:

1. Who refused to wait?
   

2. How old are you?
   

3. What is prohibited in public places?
   

4. What does nature do?
   

5. How many children does Mr. Rao have?
   

6. What were hilarious throughout the movie?
   

7. Who is the one in the blue frock?
   

8. What did his company launch?
   

9. Where did you go last week?
   

10. Why did she go there?
    

11. How old is this bridge?
    

12. What do you know how to solve?
    

Fill in the blanks with appropriate question tags.

1. Juhi is from Agra_______? 

2. We are late for the show,_______? 

3. You are a naughty boy,_______? 

4. I was wrong about this issue,______? 

5. Please, stop talking,_______? 

6. Sabitha won't mind if I use her notebook,_____? 

7. The exams have been postponed,____? 

8. Let's go surfing,_____? 

9. I am a philosopher,____? 

10. These pups are cute,____? 

11. My sister can dance very well,____? 

12. I am not a loser, ---------?

13. We often go for outings on weekends,----? 

14. Don't make noise,-----? 

15. The boys are playing basketball, --------?

Answers question tags:

1. Juhi is from Agra, isn't she?

2. We are late for the show, aren't we?

3. You are a naughty boy, aren't you?

4. I was wrong about this issue, wasn't I?

5. Please, stop talking, will you?

6. Sabitha won't mind if I use her notebook, will she?

7. The exams have been postponed, haven't they?

8. Let's go surfing, shall we?

9. I am a philosopher, aren't I?

10. These pups are cute, aren't they?

11. My sister can dance very well, can't she?

12. I am not a loser, am I?

13. We often go for outings on weekends, don't we?

14. Don't make noise, will you?

15. The boys are playing basketball, aren't they?    

16. Unit 5

                            After Apple-Picking

By Robert Frost

My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree

Toward heaven still,

And there's a barrel that I didn't fill

Beside it, and there may be two or three

Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.

But I am done with apple-picking now.

Essence of winter sleep is on the night,

The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.

I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight

I got from looking through a pane of glass

I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough

And held against the world of hoary grass.

It melted, and I let it fall and break.

But I was well

Upon my way to sleep before it fell,

And I could tell

What form my dreaming was about to take.

Magnified apples appear and disappear,

Stem end and blossom end,

And every fleck of russet showing clear.

My instep arch not only keeps the ache,

It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.

I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.

And I keep hearing from the cellar bin

The rumbling sound

Of load on load of apples coming in.

For I have had too much

Of apple-picking: I am overtired

Of the great harvest I myself desired.

There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,

Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.

For all

That struck the earth,

No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,

Went surely to the cider-apple heap

As of no worth.

One can see what will trouble

This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.

Were he not gone,

The woodchuck could say whether it's like his

Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,

Or just some human sleep.

Unit 5

Critical Reading

 The Method of Scientific Investigation

Thomas Henry Huxley 

 Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895) was a scientist, working on comparative anatomy, an ardent supporter of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, and a promoter of education for the masses. He took part in the famous Oxford Debate held in 1860 on Darwin’s theory, where his famous put down of Samuel Wilberforce, the Bishop of Oxford, led to his being labeled “Darwin’s bulldog.” Huxley was also an essayist and coined the term agnosticism. The Method of Scientific Investigation was published in 1863. 

        The method of scientific investigation is nothing but the expression of the necessary mode of working of the human mind. It is simply the mode at which all phenomena are reasoned about, rendered precise and exact. There is no more difference, but there is just the same kind of difference, between the mental operations of a man of science and those of an ordinary person, as there is between the operations and methods of a baker or of a butcher weighing out his goods in common scales, and the operations of a chemist in performing a difficult and complex analysis by means of his balance and finely graduated weights. It is not that the action of the scales in the one case, and the balance in the other, differ in the principles of their construction or manner of working; but the beam of one is set on an infinitely finer axis than the other, and of course turns by the addition of a much smaller weight. You will understand this better, perhaps, if I give you some familiar example. You have all heard it repeated, I dare say, that men of science work by means of induction and deduction, and that by the help of these operations, they, in a sort of sense, wring from Nature certain other things, which are called natural laws, and causes, and that out of these, by some cunning skill of their own, they build up hypotheses and theories. And it is imagined by many, that the operations of the common mind can be by no means compared with these processes, and that they have to be acquired by a sort of special apprenticeship to the craft. To hear all these large words, you would think that the mind of a man of science must be constituted differently from that of his fellow men; but if you will not be frightened by terms, you will discover that you are quite wrong, and that all this terrible apparatus is being used by yourselves every day and every hour of your lives. 

Unit 6 

The New Colossus 

Emma Lazarus

The New Colossus

By Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Poem explained in Telugu

Summary

Emma Lazarus(1849-1887)

 was born on July 22, 1849 in New York City. She was an American poet,essayist and translator.

Lazarus was born to a wealthy Sephardic (Spanish Jewish) Jewish family. Her family immigrated to

America before the Revolution.Her first book, Poems and Translations (1867), was praised by Ralph

Waldo Emerson. Her major works include: Songs of a Semite (verse),  Alide: An Episode in Goethe's Life (a novel), The Spagnoletto (a play), short stories, essays and translations from Hebrew, 

German and French.She tirelessly worked for the cause of immigrants arriving in the US to escape

poverty, violence andantisemitism

Unit 6 

Critical Reading 

 Higher Education (excerpt) *Jotirao Phule

TEXT

The cry over the whole country has been for some time past that Government have amply provided for higher education, whereas that of the masses has been neglected. To some extent this cry is justified, although the classes directly benefitted by the higher education may not readily admit it. But for all this no well-wisher of his country would desire that Government should, at the present time, withdraw its aid from higher education. All that they would wish is, that as one class of the body politic has been neglected, its advancement should form as anxious a concern as that of the other. Education in India is still in its infancy. Any withdrawal of State aid from higher education cannot but be injurious to the spread of education generally.

A taste for education among the higher and wealthy classes, such as the Brahmins and Purbhoos, especially those classes who live by the pen, has been created, and a gradual withdrawal of State aid may be possible so far as these classes are concerned; but in the middle and lower classes, among whom higher education has made no perceptible progress, such a withdrawal would be a great hardship. In the event of such withdrawal, boys will be obliged to have recourse to inefficient and sectarian schools much against their wish, and the cause of education cannot but suffer. Nor could any part of such education be entrusted to private agency. For a long time to come the entire educational machinery, both ministerial and executive, must be in the hands of Government. Both the higher and primary education require all the fostering care and attention which Government can bestow on it.

The withdrawal of Government from schools or colleges would not only tend to check the spread of education, but would seriously endanger that spirit of neutrality which has all along been the aim of Government to foster, owing to the different nationalities and religious creeds prevalent in India. This withdrawal may, to a certain extent, create a spirit of self-reliance for local purposes in the higher and wealthy classes, but the cause of education would be so far injured that the spirit of self-reliance would take years to remedy that evil. Educated men of ability, who do not succeed in getting into public service, may be induced to open schools for higher education on being assured of liberal grants-in-aid. But no one would be ready to do so on his own account as a means of gaining a livelihood, and it is doubtful whether such private efforts could be permanent or stable, nor would they succeed half so well in their results. Private schools such as those of Mr. Vishnu Shastree Chiploonkar and Mr. Bhavey, exist in Poona, and with adequate grants-in-aid may be rendered very efficient, but they can never supersede the necessity of the high school

Summary

About Jotirao Phule

Jotirao Phule was a thinker, philosopher, writer, activist, social reformer, and feminist. He was born in 1827 in Maharashtra, in a Mali community. He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women's education in India. He established 'Satyashodhak Samaj' in 1873 to provide justice to the Dalits and weaker sections. He was given the title of 'Mahatma' in a huge public meeting in Mumbai in 1888.

The passage is an excerpt from a speech addressed to the Hunter Commission in 1882. The speech was delivered before the Hunter Commission on education in India. Lord Ripon, the Viceroy of India at the time, established a committee with William Wilson Hunter as the chairman to assess the development of education in India.

**Summary of the Passage**

Jotirao Phule addressed the commission, highlighting that some people in the country were complaining about the government providing sufficient funding for higher education. While it is true to some extent for the wealthy classes, the oppressed or marginalized communities are neglected. He argued against completely withdrawing support for higher education. Such a withdrawal could cause significant harm to the education of lower classes. 

Phule suggested a gradual withdrawal of government support for higher education among wealthy classes like Brahmins and Purbhoos. He stressed the continued need for government support for higher education among middle and lower classes. If government support is withdrawn, boys might be forced to choose inefficient private schools, raising concerns about the quality and sustainability of private education. He believed that government intervention and supervision are crucial in maintaining educational standards and that education should remain under government control. Both higher and primary education need government care and support. Government withdrawal from education hinders the spread of education in the country, especially for downtrodden people, and also becomes an obstacle to the government's aim of achieving neutrality among different sects and religious groups in the nation. While recognizing the need for government support, Phule also suggested a gradual shift towards private sector involvement, particularly among wealthier classes. The withdrawal might, to some extent, create self-reliance for wealthy people, but the damage to education would take many years to remedy. 

    The government may encourage private schools by providing grants to those who do not succeed in getting into public service to establish private institutions. However, Phule expressed doubts about the success and outcomes of private agencies in their mission. He provided the example of private schools in Pune established by Mr. Vishnu Shastri Chiploonkar and Mr. Bhave. While these schools with adequate grants-in-aid may become efficient, they can never replace government educational institutions.

    Phule advocated for public schooling, especially for downtrodden and oppressed classes, with government grants and aid for education.