OU UG English Sem 1 new syllabus w.e.f 2025-26
OU UG English Sem 1 new syllabus
w. e. f. 2025-26
Unit -1 Poetry
Poem
Sonnet 30
When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
Willian Shakespeare
Telugu explanation video
Line by line explanation in English
When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:
Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancelled woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanished sight:
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restor'd and sorrows end.
Summary of the poem.
About the poet
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English poet, playwright and actor. He is regarded as the greatest playwright and poet in the English language.
He is often called ' Bard of Avon'.He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets. Shakespeare’s sonnets, written in the 1590s and published in 1609, explore themes of love, time, mortality, beauty, and human emotion with unparalleled depth. His greatest tragedies are "Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet and King Lear"
The poem (sonnet) consists of three quatrains and a couplet, with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG .
About the poem
In the first quartain,the speaker begins by describing moments of quiet reflection, likened to a courtroom session. He begins to recall memories from the past. These memories bring back sorrow for missed opportunities and unfulfilled dreams. He feels regret for things he once desired but never achieved, and he feels that his valuable time has been wasted.
In the second quatrain, the speaker becomes more emotional as he reflects on the people he has lost. He says that even though he may not cry often, in these moments of memory, he sheds tears for beloved friends who have died. He also feels the old pain fresh as if for the first time.
In the third quatrain, the poet continues to express how, during these reflections, he re-experiences past griefs. He mourns again the sorrows he had already cried over and feels as though he is paying an emotional debt all over again. This shows that old wounds still affect him and that emotional pain doesn’t always fade with time.
However, in the final couplet, the tone of the poem shifts dramatically. The speaker says that whenever he thinks about a dear friend, all his sorrows vanish and all his losses seem to be restored. The thought of this beloved person is so powerful that it brings comfort and joy that erase the pain of the past.
The couplet introduces the transformative power of love or friendship, which acts as a balm for all sorrows, highlighting Shakespeare’s belief in the restorative nature of human relationships.
Glossary
1. Sessions =A formal gathering or sitting, as in a court of law where matters are judged or deliberated. In the poem, "sessions" metaphorically refers to the speaker’s introspective moments of quiet reflection, where memories are summoned and judged like cases in a courtroom.
2. Sweet= Pleasing or delightful
3. Silent=Quiet, without sound, implying introspection or solitude
4. Summon= deliberately, as one might summon witnesses in a trial.రమ్మని ఆజ్ఞాపించు,పిలువు
5. Remembrance=the act of remembering or recalling past events or experiences.జ్ఞాపకం
6. Sigh= A deep, audible exhalation expressing sorrow, regret, or longing.నిట్టూర్పు
Lack=absence or deficiency of something desired or needed.
8. Sought=(Past tense of seek) to have pursued or strived for.అన్వేషించు/ ఏదైనా కనుగొనడానికి లేదా పొందడానికి, ముఖ్యంగా భౌతిక వస్తువు కానిదానిని/ కోరుకుంటారు,
9. Woes=Sorrows, or troubles. బాధలు
10. Wail= To express grief or sorrow audibly, often with cries or lamentations.ఏడుపు/విలపించు
11. Dear= Precious, valuable
12. Waste= loss or squandering of something valuable, in this case, time.
13. Drown=flood or overwhelm, here used metaphorically to describe excessive weeping.మునుగు
14. Unused= Not accustomed or not typically inclined.
15. Flow= To stream or run, referring to tears.
16. Precious= Highly valued or cherished.విలువైన
17. Dateless= Without end, eternal, or timeless.
18. Night=A metaphor for death, evoking darkness and finality.
19. Afresh=Anew or again, as if for the first time.
20. Cancelled=Nullified, resolved, or no longer relevant
21. Woe= Deep sorrow or distress.బాధలు
22. Moan=: To lament or express grief audibly.బాధతో మూలుగు,/వేదన
23. Expense= Cost or loss, often emotional or intangible.
24. Vanished= Disappeared or gone forever.మాయమైపోయి
25. Grieve=To feel or express deep sorrow దుఃఖించు/విలపించు
26. Grievances=Wrongs, complaints, or causes of sorrow ఫిర్యాదుల
27. Foregone=Past or gone before.మునుపటి / గతించిన
28. Heavily=with great weight, sorrow, or burden.
29. Tell o’er= count or recount, as in tallying items.
30. Account=A record or reckoning, often financial or emotional
31. Fore-bemoaned= Previously lamented or mourned ముందుగానే బాధపడిన
32. Restor’d= Restored or made whole again.పునరుద్ధరించబడింది
33. Sorrows= Griefs, pains, or emotional distress.
దుఃఖాలు
Literary Devices
1. Metaphor
- “When to the sessions of sweet silent thought / I summon up remembrance of things past”
→ The speaker compares his reflection to a courtroom trial, where he reviews past grievances like a judge reviewing old cases
2. Alliteration
Alliteration is a literary device that reflects repetition in two or more nearby words of initial consonant sounds. Alliteration does not refer to the repetition of consonant letters that begin words, but rather the repetition of the consonant sound at the beginning of words.
- “sessions of sweet silent thought”
→ The repetition of the “s” sound - “Then can I grieve at grievances foregone.”
→ The repeated “g” sounds
3. Personification
Personification is a figure of speech in which an idea or thing is given human attributes and/or feelings or is spoken of as if it were human. Personification is a common form of metaphor in that human characteristics are attributed to nonhuman things
- “I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought.”
→ Time is personified as something that steals dreams and opportunities, reinforcing the theme of regret. - “For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night”
→ Death is personified as a never-ending night, emphasising its permanence and inescapability.
4. The Volta (Shift in Tone) A Volta is a turn or transition in a sonnet's main argument, theme, or tone.
- “But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, / All losses are restor’d and sorrows end.”
→ The dramatic shift from sorrow to joy highlights the redemptive power of love and companionship.
Unit 1 Pronunciation
Consonant Sounds
English alphabet has 26 letters.There are 24 consonants and 20 vowels
Consonant sounds are 24.
Consonant Sounds
Prose -Unit 1
THE APOLOGY OF SOCRATES
Plato
Summary of Plato’s *Apology of Socrates*
Plato’s *Apology* is a philosophical text that recounts the defense speech of Socrates during his trial in Athens in 399 BCE. Accused of corrupting the youth and impiety, Socrates addresses the jury, defending his life, beliefs, and philosophical mission. The dialogue, written by Plato, Socrates’ student, is not an apology in the modern sense but a bold defense (from the Greek *apologia*, meaning defense) of Socrates’ principles and actions. Below is a summary organized by key themes and sections of the text.
The Charges Against Socrates
Socrates faces two main accusations: corrupting the youth of Athens and impiety, specifically not believing in the city’s gods while introducing new deities. He attributes these charges to long-standing prejudices fueled by his reputation as a philosopher who questions traditional beliefs. He references Aristophanes’ comedic portrayal of him in *The Clouds* as a sophist who manipulates ideas, which he argues misrepresents his true character and mission.
Socrates’ Defense: The Philosophical Mission
Socrates asserts that his philosophical inquiries stem from a divine mission inspired by the Oracle at Delphi, which declared him the wisest man. Perplexed, Socrates interprets this as a call to examine others’ wisdom, revealing their ignorance. He explains that his method—questioning people to expose contradictions in their beliefs (the Socratic method)—seeks truth, not personal gain. This process, he argues, benefits Athens by encouraging self-reflection, though it has earned him enemies among those he embarrassed.
Refutation of the Charges
- **Corrupting the Youth**: Socrates challenges the claim that he intentionally corrupts young Athenians. He argues that no rational person would harm their own community, as it would undermine their own well-being. He suggests that if he has influenced the youth, it is through teaching critical thinking, not corruption.
-Impiety*: On the charge of impiety, Socrates defends his belief in divine signs (*daimonion*), a personal spiritual voice guiding his actions. He insists this aligns with Athenian religious practices, as he acknowledges divine forces, even if not the traditional gods. He denies introducing new deities, framing his beliefs as compatible with the city’s religion.
Socrates’ Commitment to Truth
Socrates emphasizes his unwavering dedication to truth and virtue over personal safety. He compares himself to a gadfly stinging the sluggish horse of Athens, awakening it to moral and intellectual vigilance. He refuses to compromise his principles by begging for mercy or altering his behavior, asserting that obedience to divine truth outweighs human judgment.
The Verdict and Sentencing
Despite his defense, the jury convicts Socrates. In the penalty phase, he proposes that his “punishment” should be free meals in the Prytaneum, a reward for benefactors, as he believes his work serves Athens. The jury, unpersuaded, sentences him to death. Socrates accepts the verdict calmly, arguing that death is either a peaceful nothingness or a transition to a realm where he can continue philosophical discussions.
Final Reflections
In his closing remarks, Socrates addresses both his supporters and detractors. To the jury, he warns that silencing critics like him will harm Athens by stifling self-examination. To his friends, he expresses serenity about death, trusting in divine justice. He famously concludes that “no evil can happen to a good man,” affirming his belief in the soul’s resilience and the primacy of virtue.
Key Themes
- **Socratic Method**: Socrates’ questioning approach exposes ignorance and seeks truth, central to his defense and philosophy.
- **Moral Integrity**: He prioritizes truth and virtue over life, refusing to compromise even under threat of death.
- **Role of the Philosopher**: Socrates sees himself as a societal critic, essential for Athens’ moral and intellectual health.
- **Death and the Soul**: He views death as either a neutral state or an opportunity for eternal philosophical inquiry, reflecting his fearlessness.
Significance
The *Apology* is a cornerstone of Western philosophy, illustrating Socrates’ commitment to intellectual freedom and ethical living. It critiques Athenian democracy’s susceptibility to mob sentiment and highlights the tension between individual truth-seeking and societal norms. Through Plato’s vivid portrayal, Socrates emerges as a martyr for philosophy, inspiring future generations to question authority and prioritize truth.
Text
(from Benjamin Jowett’s translation 1899)
How you have felt, O men of Athens, at hearing the speeches of my accusers, I cannot tell; but I know that their persuasive words almost made me forget who I was, such was the effect of them; and yet they have hardly spoken a word of truth. But many as their falsehoods were, there was one of them which quite amazed me: I mean when they told you to be upon your guard, and not to let yourself be deceived by the force of my eloquence. They ought to have been ashamed of saying this, because they were sure to be detected as soon as I opened my lips and displayed my deficiency; they certainly did appear to be most shameless in saying this, unless by the force of eloquence they mean the force of truth; for then I do indeed admit that I
am eloquent. But in how different a way from theirs! Well, as I was saying, they have hardly
uttered a word, or not more than a word, of truth; but you shall hear from me the whole truth: not, however, delivered after their manner, in a set oration duly ornamented with words and phrases. No, indeed! but I shall use the words and arguments which occur to me at the moment; for I am certain that this is right, and that at my time of life I ought not to be
appearing before you, O men of Athens, in the character of a juvenile orator: let no one expect
this of me.And I must beg of you to grant me one favor, which is this—if you hear me using the same words in my defence which I have been in the habit of using, and which most of you may have heard in the agora, and at the tables of the money-changers, or anywhere else, I would ask you not to be surprised at this, and not to interrupt me. For I am more than seventy years of age, and this is the first time that I have ever appeared in a court of law, and I am quite a stranger to the ways of the place; and therefore I would have you regard me as if I were really a stranger, whom you would excuse if he spoke in his native tongue, and after the fashion of his country: that I think is not an unfair request. Never mind the manner, which may or may not be good; but think only of the justice of my cause, and give heed to that: let the judge decide justly and the speaker speak truly.And first, I have to reply to the older charges and to my first accusers, and then I will go on to the later ones. For I have had many accusers, who accused me of old, and their false charges have continued during many years; and I am more afraid of them that of Anytus and his associates, who are dangerous, too, in their own way. But far more danger-ous are these, who began when you were children, and took possession of your minds with their falsehoods, telling of one Socrates, a wise man, who speculated about the heaven above, and searched into the
earth beneath, and made the worse appear the better cause. These are the accusers whom I
dread ; for they are the circulators of this rumor, and their hearers are too apt to fancy that
speculators of this sort do not believe in the gods. And they are many, and their charges against me are of ancient date, and they made them in days when you were impressible—in childhood, or perhaps in youth— and the cause when heard went by default, for there was none to answer. And hardest of all, their names I do not know and cannot tell; unless in the chance case of a
comic poet. But the main body of these slanderers who from envy and malice have wrought upon you—and there are some of them who are convinced themselves, and impart their
convictions to others—all these, I say, are most difficult to deal with; for I cannot have them up
here, and examine them, and therefore I must simply fight with shadows in my own defence,
and ex-amine when there is no one who answers. I will ask you then to assume with me, as I was saying, that my opponents are of two kinds—one recent, the other ancient; and I hope that you will see the propriety of my answering the latter first, for these accusations you heard long before the others, and much oftener.
Well, then, I will make my defence, and I will endeavor in the short time which is allowed to do away with this evil opinion of me which you have held for such a long time; and I hope that I may succeed, if this be well for you and me, and that my words may find favor with you. But I know that. to accomplish this is not easy—I quite see the nature of the task. Let the event be as God wills: in obedience to the law I make my defence.
I will begin at the beginning, and ask what the accusation is which has given rise to this slander of me, and which has encouraged Meletus to proceed against me. What do the slanderers say?
They shall be my prosecutors, and I will sum up their words in an affidavit: ‘‘ Socrates is an evildoer, and a curious person, who searches into things under the earth and in heaven, and he makes the worse appear the better cause; and he teaches the aforesaid doctrines to others.”
That is the nature of the accusation, and that is what you have seen yourselves in the comedy of Aristophanes, who has introduced a man whom he calls Socrates, going about and saying that
he can walk in the air, and talking a deal of nonsense concerning matters of which I do not
pretend to know either much or little—not that I mean to say anything disparaging of anyone
who is a student of natural philosophy. I should be very sorry if Meletus could lay that to my
charge. But the simple truth is, O Athenians, that I have nothing to do with these studies. Very many of those here present are witnesses to the truth of this, and to them I appeal. Speak then, you who have heard me, and tell your neighbors whether any of you have ever known me hold forth in few words or in many upon matters of this sort. . . . You hear their answer. And from
what they say of this you will be able to judge of the truth of the rest.
As little foundation is there for the report that I am a teacher, and take money; that is no more
true than the other. Although, if a man is able to teach, I honor him for being paid…There is
actually a Parian philosopher re-siding in Athens, of whom I have heard; and I came to hear of him in this way: I met a man who has spent a world of money on the Sophists, Callias the son of Hipponicus, and knowing that he had sons, asked him: “ Callias,” I said, “if your two sons were foals or calves, there would be no difficulty in finding someone to put over them; we should hire a trainer of horses or a farmer probably who would improve and perfect them in their own
proper virtue and excellence; but as they are human beings, whom are you thinking of placing over them? Is there anyone who understands human and political virtue? You must have
thought about this as you have sons; is there anyone?” “ There is,” he said. “ Who is he?” said I, “and of what country? and what does he charge?” “ Evenus the Parian,” he replied; “he is the man, and his charge is five mine.” Happy is Evenus, | said to myself, if he really has this wisdom, and teaches at such a modest charge. Had I the same, I should have been very proud and conceited; but the truth is that I have no knowledge of the kind, O Athenians.
I dare say that someone will ask the question, “ Why is this, Socrates, and what is the origin of
these accusations of you: for there must have been something strange which you have been
doing? All this great fame and talk about you would never have arisen if you had been like other men: tell us, then, why this is, as we should be sorry to judge hastily of you.” Now I regard this
as a fair challenge, and I will endeavor to explain to you the origin of this name of “ wise,” and of this evil fame. Please to attend them. And although some of you may think that I am joking, I declare that I will tell you the entire truth. Men of Athens, this reputation of mine has come of a
certain sort of wisdom which I possess. If you ask me what kind of wisdom, I reply, such wisdom as is attainable by man, for to that extent I am inclined to believe that I am wise; whereas the persons of whom I was speaking have a superhuman wisdom, which I may fail to describe, because I have it not myself; and he who says that I have, speaks falsely, and is taking away my character. And here, O men of Athens, I must beg you not to interrupt me, even if I seem to say something extravagant. For the word which I will speak is not mine. I will refer you to a witness who is worthy of credit, and will tell you about my wisdom— whether I have any, and of what
sort—and that witness shall be the god of Delphi. You must have known Cherephon; he was early a friend of mine, and also a friend of yours, for he shared in the exile of the people, and returned with you. Well, Cherephon, as you know, was very impetuous in all his doings, and he went to Delphi and boldly asked the oracle to tell him whether—as I was saying, I must beg you not to interrupt—he asked the oracle to tell him whether there was anyone wiser than I was,
and the Pythian prophetess answered that there was no man wiser. Cherephon is dead himself, but his brother, who is in court, will confirm the truth of this story.
Why do I mention this? Because I am going to explain to you why I have such an evil name.
When I heard the answer, I said to myself, What can the god mean? and what is the
interpretation of this riddle? for I know that I have no wisdom, small or great. What can he
mean when he says that | am the wisest of men? And yet he is a god and can-not lie; that
would be against his nature. After a long con-sideration, I at last thought of a method of trying the ques-tion. I reflected that if I could only find a man wiser than myself, then I might go to the
god with a refutation in my hand. I should say to him, “ Here is a man who is wiser than I am;
but you said that I was the wisest.” Accordingly I went to one who had the reputation of
wisdom, and observed to him—his name I need not mention; he was a politician whom I
selected for examination—and the result was as fol-lows: When I began to talk with him, I could not help think-ing that he was not really wise, although he was thought wise by many, and wiser still by himself; and I went and tried to explain to him that he thought himself wise, but was not
really wise; and the consequence was that he hated me, and his enmity was shared by several who were present and heard me. So I left him, saying to myself, as I went away: Well, although I do not suppose that either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, I am better off than
he is—for he knows nothing, and thinks that he knows. I neither know nor think that I know. In
this latter particular, then, I seem to have slightly the advantage of him. Then I went to an-other, who had still higher philosophical pretensions, and my conclusion was exactly the same. I made
another enemy of him, and of many others besides him. After this I went to one man after
another, being not unconscious of the enmity which I provoked, and I lamented and feared this: but necessity was laid upon me—the word of God, I thought, ought to be considered first. And I said to myself, Go I must to all who appear to know, and find out the meaning of the oracle.
And I swear to you, Athenians, by the dog I swear !—for I must tell you the truth—the result of my mission was just this: I found that the men most in repute were all but the most foolish; and that some inferior men were really wiser and better. I will tell you the tale of my wanderings and of the “Herculean” labors, as I may call them, which I endured only to find at last the oracle
irrefutable. When I left the politicians, I went to the poets; tragic, dithyrambic, and all sorts. And
there, I said to my-self, you will be detected; now you will find out that you are more ignorant
than they are. Accordingly, I took them some of the most elaborate passages in their own
writings, and asked what was the meaning of them—thinking that they would teach me
something. Will you believe me? I am almost ashamed to speak of this, but still I must say that there is hardly a person present who would not have talked better about their poetry than they
did themselves. That showed me in an instant that not by wisdom do poets write poetry, but by a sort of genius and inspiration; they are like diviners or soothsayers who also say many fine
things, but do not understand the meaning of them. And the poets appeared to me to be much in the same case; and I further observed that upon the strength of their poetry they believed
themselves to be the wisest of men in other things in which they were not wise. So I departed, conceiving myself to be superior to them for the same reason that I was superior to the
politicians. At last I went to the artisans, for I was conscious that I knew nothing at all, as I may say, and I was sure that they knew many fine things; and in this I was tot mistaken, for they did know many things of which I was ignorant, and in this they certainly were wiser than I was. But I observed that even the good artisans fell into the same error as the poets; because they were good workmen they thought that they also knew all sorts of high matters, and this defect in
them overshadowed their wisdom—therefore I asked myself on behalf of the oracle, whether I
would like to be as I was, neither having their knowledge nor their ignorance, or like them in
both; and I made answer to myself and the oracle that I was better off as I was. This
investigation has led to my having many enemies of the worst and most dangerous kind, and has given occasion also to many calumnies. And I am called wise, for my hearers always imagine that I myself possess the wisdom which I find wanting in others: but the truth is, O men of
Athens, that God only is wise; and in this oracle he means to say that the wisdom of men is little
or nothing; he is not speaking of Socrates, he is only using my name as an illustration, as if he said, He, O men, is the wisest, who, like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing.
Men of Athens, do not interrupt, but hear me; there was an agreement between us that you
should hear me out. And I think that what I am going to say will do you good: for I have
something more to say, at which you may be inclined to cry out; but I beg that you will not do
this. I would have you know that, if you kill such a one as I am, you will injure yourselves more
than you will injure me. Meletus and Anytus will not injure me: they cannot; for it is not in the
nature of things that a bad man should injure a better than himself. I do not deny that he may,
perhaps, kill him, or drive him into exile, or deprive him of civil rights; and he may imagine, and others may imagine, that he is doing him a great injury: but in that I do not agree with him; for the evil of doing as Anytus is doing—of unjustly taking away another man’s life—is greater far.
And now, Athenians, I am not going to argue for my own sake, as you may think, but for yours, that you may not sin against the God, or lightly reject his boon by condemning me. For if you kill me you will not easily find another like me, who, if I may use such a ludicrous figure of speech, am a sort of gadfly, given to the State by the God; and the State is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has given the State, and all day long and in all places am always fastening
upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you.
And as you will not easily find another like me, I would advise you to spare me. I dare say that
you may feel irritated at being suddenly awakened when you are caught napping; and you may think that if you were to strike me dead, as Anytus advises, which you easily might, then you would sleep on for the remainder of your lives, unless God in his care of you gives you another
gadfly. And that I am given to you by God is proved by this: that if I had been like other men, I should not have neglected all my own concerns, or patiently seen the neglect of them during all
these years, and have been doing yours, coming to you individually, like a father or elder
brother, exhorting you to regard virtue; this, I say, would not be like human nature. And had I
gained anything, or if my exhortations had been paid, there would have been some sense in
that: but now, as you will perceive, not even the impudence of my accusers dares to say that I
have ever exacted or sought pay of anyone; they have no witness of that. And I have a witness of the truth of what I say; my poverty is a sufficient witness…
Wherefore, O judges, be of good cheer about death, and know this of a truth—that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death. He and his are not neglected by the gods;
nor has my own approaching end happened by mere chance. But I see clearly that to die and be released was better for me; and therefore the oracle gave no sign. For which reason, also, I am not angry with my accusers, or my condemners; they have done me no harm, although neither of them meant to do me any good; and for this I may gently blame them.
Still I have a favor to ask of them. When my sons are grown up, I would ask you, O my friends, to punish them; and I would have you trouble them, as I have troubled you, if they seem to care about riches, or anything, more than about virtue; or if they pretend to be when
they are really nothing—then reprove them, as I have reproved you, for not caring about that
for which they ought to care, and thinking that they are something when they are really
nothing. And if you do this, I and my sons will have received justice at your hands.
The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways— I to die, and you to live. Which is
better God only knows.
Glossary
persuasive:-/pəʳsweɪsɪv/
Someone or something that is persuasive is likely to persuade a person to believe or do a particular thing.
upon your guard, :-careful and aware because a situation might be dangerous
Deficiency:-
deficiency is an insufficient amount of something.
Agora:-
noun /ˈæɡ.ə.rə/ :-in an ancient city, especially in ancient Greece, an open space where a market was held:
Slanderers:-noun one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel
malice:-ˈ/mæl.ɪs/ the wish to harm or upset other people:
Propriety :/prəˈpraɪə.ti/-Propriety is following what is socially acceptable in speech and behavior
Gadfly:- someone who is always annoying or criticizing other people
- Unit 2
- Detailed Notes on Skimming in Reading
**Definition of Skimming**:
Skimming is a rapid reading technique used to get a general overview or the main idea of a text without reading every word. It involves selectively focusing on key parts of the text, such as headings, subheadings, topic sentences, or highlighted words, to understand the gist or main points quickly.
We often do this kind of reading when we read a newspaper, magazine or any popular literature.
-Skimming is a reading skill that involves quickly glancing over a text to:
- *Get the main idea*: Understand the central theme or topic.
- *Identify key points*: Recognize important information, such as headings, subheadings, and bullet points.
- *Determine relevance*: Decide whether the text is worth reading in detail.
Why Skim?
1. Time-saving: Skimming helps you quickly understand the content without reading every word.
2. Efficient research: Skimming allows you to scan multiple texts and identify relevant information.
3. Improved comprehension: Skimming helps you focus on key points and retain important information.
*How to Skim*
1. *Read headings and subheadings*: Understand the structure and organization of the text.
2. *Look for bullet points and numbered lists*: Identify key information and summaries.
3. *Scan introductions and conclusions*: Get a sense of the main idea and key takeaways.
4. *Glance at visuals*: Understand the role of images, charts, and diagrams in supporting the text.
5. *Focus on key sentences*: Identify topic sentences or sentences that convey important information.
*Tips for Effective Skimming*
1. *Practice regularly*: Develop your skimming skills through consistent practice.
2. *Use your peripheral vision*: Take in groups of words rather than focusing on individual words.
3. *Don't get bogged down*: Avoid getting caught up in details; focus on the main idea.
4. *Use skimming in combination with other reading skills*: Skim to get an overview, then scan or read closely for more detailed information.
*When to Skim*
1. Researching: Skim multiple texts to identify relevant information.
2. Reading news articles: Skim headlines and summaries to stay up-to-date.
3. *Reviewing study materials*: Skim notes and textbooks to review key concepts.
By mastering the skimming skill, you'll become a more efficient and effective reader!When to Skim
Skimming is useful in situations where you need to quickly assess the content of a text without delving into details. Specific scenarios include:
-What to Skimp
When skimming, focus on specific elements of the text that convey the main ideas or structure. These include:
1. Titles and Headings: These provide an overview of the content and its organization.
2. Subheadings:- They break down the text into sections and highlight key topics.
3. **Topic Sentences**: The first sentence of a paragraph often summarizes its main idea.
4. **Bold, Italicized, or Highlighted Text**: These emphasize important terms or concepts.
5. Introductions and Conclusions: These sections often summarize the purpose and key points of the text.
6. Visual Aids: Charts, graphs, images, or captions can convey critical information quickly.
7. Keywords or Phrases: Look for repeated words or phrases that indicate the main theme.
8. **Summaries or Abstracts**: If available, these provide a condensed version of the content.
Example of Skimming
Scenario:- You’re researching climate change for a project and come across a 10-page article titled “The Impact of Global Warming on Coastal Ecosystems.” You have only a few minutes to decide if it’s relevant.
**Skimming Process*
1. Read the title:-“The Impact of Global Warming on Coastal Ecosystems” suggests the article focuses on how global warming affects coastal areas.
2. Glance at the introduction:-: The first paragraph mentions rising sea levels, temperature changes, and their effects on marine life, indicating the article’s scope.
3. Check subheadings:- Subheadings like “Rising Sea Levels,” “Coral Bleaching,” and “Economic Impacts” reveal the main topics covered.
4. Read the **first sentence of a few paragraphs**: For example, “Rising sea levels threaten coastal habitats by increasing erosion and flooding” confirms a focus on environmental impacts.
5. Skim the **conclusion**: The last paragraph summarizes that global warming poses significant risks to coastal ecosystems and calls for urgent action.
6. Note :-visual aids:- A graph showing sea level rise over time reinforces the article’s focus.
Tips for Effective Skimming
1. Set a Purpose: Know why you’re skimming (e.g., to find relevance or main ideas).
2. Move Quickly: Avoid getting stuck on unfamiliar words or details.
3. Use Text Structure: Rely on formatting (e.g., headings, bullet points) to guide you.
4. Practice Regularly: Skimming improves with practice, especially for academic or professional reading.
5. Combine with Scanning If you need specific details after skimming, switch to scanning.
Scanning
The purpose of this reading subskill is to look for a specific information on the index page of a book, to look for information on a railway timetable, a result sheet, a classified page or an article.
Unit 2
The Solitary Reaper
Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.
Will no one tell me what she sings?—
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?
Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;—
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.
The Solitary Reaper (1807) – William Wordsworth
Stanza 1
Behold her, single in the field, / Yon solitary Highland Lass! / Reaping and singing by herself; / Stop here, or gently pass!
** Look at that lone girl working in the field. She’s a Highland lass (Scottish girl), cutting crops and singing all alone. The poet asks the passerby either to pause and listen or to walk quietly without disturbing her.
Alone she cuts and binds the grain, / And sings a melancholy strain; / O listen! for the Vale profound / Is overflowing with the sound.
👉 She is reaping (cutting) and binding the crop by herself while singing a sad song. Her voice fills the entire valley with music.
Stanza 2
No Nightingale did ever chaunt / More welcome notes to weary bands / Of travellers in some shady haunt, / Among Arabian sands:
👉 Her song is sweeter than the Nightingale’s, which comforts tired travelers in the Arabian desert.
A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard / In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird, / Breaking the silence of the seas / Among the farthest Hebrides.
👉 Her voice is also more moving than the cuckoo’s cry, which delights people in the lonely Hebrides islands of Scotland.
Stanza 3
Will no one tell me what she sings?— / Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow / For old, unhappy, far-off things, / And battles long ago:
👉 The poet wonders what she is singing about. Perhaps it is some sad song about past events, sorrows, or battles from history.
Or is it some more humble lay, / Familiar matter of to-day? / Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain, / That has been, and may be again?
👉 Or maybe her song is about common daily struggles—grief, loss, or pain—that ordinary people often face.
Stanza 4
Whate’er the theme, the Maiden sang / As if her song could have no ending; / I saw her singing at her work, / And o’er the sickle bending;
👉 Whatever the subject, she sang endlessly, pouring her heart into the song while working with her sickle (cutting tool).
I listened, motionless and still; / And, as I mounted up the hill, / The music in my heart I bore, / Long after it was heard no more.
👉 The poet stood still, captivated. As he left and climbed the hill, the music remained in his heart long after it faded from his ears.
Structure
Form: Lyrical ballad (4 stanzas of 8 lines each).
Rhyme scheme: Mostly ababccdd (slightly varied).
Analysis
1. Theme of Nature & Human Connection: The Highland girl’s song merges with the natural surroundings, showing Wordsworth’s love of simplicity and rural life.
2. Mystery of Art: The poet doesn’t understand the language of her song, yet it deeply moves him. This shows the universal power of music and poetry.
3. Imagination: Wordsworth speculates about her song—maybe history, maybe personal sorrow. His imagination transforms her simple act into something eternal.
4. Romanticism: Emphasis on emotion, solitude, nature, and the unknown—hallmarks of Romantic poetry.
5. Memory & Emotion: Even after leaving, the memory of the song lingers in his heart, illustrating Wordsworth’s idea of poetry as “emotion recollected in tranquility.”
Glossary
Behold – Look at, observe.
Solitary – Alone, without company.
Highland Lass – A young Scottish girl from the Highlands.
Reaping – Cutting crops when they are ripe.
Melancholy strain – A sad song or tune.
Vale profound – A deep valley.
Chaunt – Old spelling of chant, meaning to sing.
Arabian sands – Deserts of Arabia.
Hebrides – Remote islands off the coast of Scotland.
Plaintive numbers – Sad verses or lines of song.
Lay – A simple song or ballad.
Sickle – A curved blade used for cutting grain.
Motionless and still – Completely unmoving, lost in listening.
Detailed Analysis
William Wordsworth (1770–1850), a central figure of the Romantic Movement, believed that poetry should express deep emotions inspired by nature and ordinary life. His famous work Lyrical Ballads (1798), co-authored with Coleridge, marked a turning point in English poetry. Wordsworth emphasized simplicity, emotional intensity, and the spiritual connection between humans and nature.
The Solitary Reaper reflects these ideals. The poem describes a Highland girl reaping grain alone while singing a sorrowful song. Though the poet cannot understand the words, he is deeply moved by its haunting beauty. He compares her voice to the nightingale that comforts weary desert travelers and the cuckoo bird that breaks the silence of the Hebrides. These comparisons highlight the universality of music that transcends language barriers.
Wordsworth speculates on the theme of her song: perhaps it is about historical battles, past sorrows, or ordinary human suffering. Regardless of its subject, the song leaves a lasting impression on him. The poem celebrates the power of art and music to evoke emotions beyond intellectual comprehension.
Structurally, the ballad form with its musical rhyme scheme mirrors the song itself. The imagery of nature, solitude, and lingering memory ties the poem to Romantic ideals. Importantly, the experience is not fleeting—the song remains in the poet’s heart long after it fades.
Thus, The Solitary Reaper is not merely about a girl singing; it is about how simple, natural beauty can touch the soul and live forever in memory.
Unit 3
Frost at Midnight
By Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Frost performs its secret ministry,
Unhelped by any wind. The owlet's cry
Came loud—and hark, again! loud as before.
The inmates of my cottage, all at rest,
Have left me to that solitude, which suits
Abstruser musings: save that at my side
My cradled infant slumbers peacefully.
'Tis calm indeed! so calm, that it disturbs
And vexes meditation with its strange
And extreme silentness. Sea, hill, and wood,
This populous village! Sea, and hill, and wood,
With all the numberless goings-on of life,
Inaudible as dreams! the thin blue flame
Lies on my low-burnt fire, and quivers not;
Only that film, which fluttered on the grate,
Still flutters there, the sole unquiet thing.
Methinks, its motion in this hush of nature
Gives it dim sympathies with me who live,
Making it a companionable form,
Whose puny flaps and freaks the idling Spirit
By its own moods interprets, every where
Echo or mirror seeking of itself,
And makes a toy of Thought.
But O! how oft,
How oft, at school, with most believing mind,
Presageful, have I gazed upon the bars,
To watch that fluttering stranger ! and as oft
With unclosed lids, already had I dreamt
Of my sweet birth-place, and the old church-tower,
Whose bells, the poor man's only music, rang
From morn to evening, all the hot Fair-day,
So sweetly, that they stirred and haunted me
With a wild pleasure, falling on mine ear
Most like articulate sounds of things to come!
So gazed I, till the soothing things, I dreamt,
Lulled me to sleep, and sleep prolonged my dreams!
And so I brooded all the following morn,
Awed by the stern preceptor's face, mine eye
Fixed with mock study on my swimming book:
Save if the door half opened, and I snatched
A hasty glance, and still my heart leaped up,
For still I hoped to see the stranger's face,
Townsman, or aunt, or sister more beloved,
My play-mate when we both were clothed alike!
Dear Babe, that sleepest cradled by my side,
Whose gentle breathings, heard in this deep calm,
Fill up the intersperséd vacancies
And momentary pauses of the thought!
My babe so beautiful! it thrills my heart
With tender gladness, thus to look at thee,
And think that thou shalt learn far other lore,
And in far other scenes! For I was reared
In the great city, pent 'mid cloisters dim,
And saw nought lovely but the sky and stars.
But thou, my babe! shalt wander like a breeze
By lakes and sandy shores, beneath the crags
Of ancient mountain, and beneath the clouds,
Which image in their bulk both lakes and shores
And mountain crags: so shalt thou see and hear
The lovely shapes and sounds intelligible
Of that eternal language, which thy God
Utters, who from eternity doth teach
Himself in all, and all things in himself.
Great universal Teacher! he shall mould
Thy spirit, and by giving make it ask.
Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,
Whether the summer clothe the general earth
With greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing
Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch
Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch
Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall
Heard only in the trances of the blast,
Or if the secret ministry of frost
Shall hang them up in silent icicles,
Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.
unit 4
I taste a liquor never brewed
Emily Dickinson
I taste a liquor never brewed –
From Tankards scooped in Pearl –
Not all the Frankfort Berries
Yield such an Alcohol!
Inebriate of air – am I –
And Debauchee of Dew –
Reeling – thro’ endless summer days –
From inns of molten Blue –
When “Landlords” turn the drunken Bee
Out of the Foxglove’s door –
When Butterflies – renounce their “drams” –
I shall but drink the more!
Till Seraphs swing their snowy Hats –
And Saints – to windows run –
To see the little Tippler
Leaning against the – Sun!
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