OU Degree 3rd Sem English – Life Poem Questions and Answers & Summary
Comprehension – I.
Question 1.
The poet says that sages describe life as dark and gloomy. Does she agree with them?
Answer:
Poet Charlotte Bronte says that sages describe life as dark and gloom. She does not agree with their conventional wisdom. She feels that life is not a dream, but is real. The poet reminds us that the clouds of gloom (difficulties) are only temporary; there will be the sunny hours of life, i.e., the moments of joy.
Question 2.
“O why lament its fall?” Whose fall is the poet referring to? Why does she ask us not to lament its fall?
Answer:
When the poet writes, “O why lament its fall?” She is referring to the ‘shower’, i.e., rainfall. She asks us not to lament the rainfall because it will make the roses bloom and blossom.
Question 3.
What do life’s “sunny hours” refer to, and according to the poet, how should we respond to them?
Answer:
In the present poem “Life”, the life’s “sunny hours” refer to “joyous moments” of our life which usually flit away. Poet Charlotte Bronte advises us to enjoy the beautiful moments of life “gratefully and cheerily” as they fly. She urges us to appreciate the value of the joyous moments that life has to offer.
Question 4.
According to the poet, why should we not lose hope?
Answer:
According to the poet, Charlotte Bronte, we should not lose hope in our life. She says that sometimes ‘hope’ seems to fell, but it is unconquered and knows no defeat. She encourages us not to be disheartened by temporary setbacks. According to the poet, with courage we can quell despair. She urges us to have positive attitude in all situations.
Question 5.
What seems to win initially and over what?
Answer:
Charlotte Bronte says that initially ‘sorrow’ seems to win over ‘hope’. In the battle of life, despair may seem more powerful initially. However, it is transient (temporary) only. Finally, it is ‘hope’ that is the ultimate winner.
Question 6.
What is described as “unconquered” and why?
Answer:
In the present poet Life, “hope” is described as “unconquered”. According to t poet Charlotte Bronte, ‘sorrow’ seems to win over ‘hope initially. However, it is only a temporary phenomenon. Ultimately, ‘hope’ shows resilience, will win eventually. Hence the poet describes ‘hope’ is unconquered and knows no defeat.
Question 7.
Throughout the poem, the poet uses images of nature-flowers, rain, birds and so on. Identify all the words and images associated with nature.
Answer:
Throughout the poem, the poet uses different images of nature. The imagery such as morning rain, pleasant day, clouds of gloom, shower, blooming roses, sunny hours, golden wings, etc. are closely associated with nature.
Comprehension – II.
Question 1.
Examine the poet’s view of life and how it differs from conventional
Answer:
Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) was a 19th century English writer. She was one of the three Bronte sisters – Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Like many women writers of her time, Charlotte Bronte originally published her poems and novels under a male pseudonym (pen name): Currel Bell. Her novel Jane Eyre (1847) is considered a classic of Western literature.
In the present poem, Charlotte Bronte feels that life is not a dream, but real. Conventional wisdom describes life as full of problems and despair. However, the poet differs with sages and their conventional wisdom of life. She views that life is not as dark as sages/wise people usually describe.
Charles Bronte reminds us that we have to face the moments of joy as well as sorrow, hope as well as despair in life. She urges us to have a positive attitude and not be disheartened by temporary setbacks. The poet says,
“Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;”
The poet encourages us to look beyond the immediate disappointments and appreciate the pleasures that life has to offer. She asks us,
“If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall?”
Bronte urges us to enjoy the “Life’s sunny hours” (happy moments in life) gratefully and cheerily. There will be times when “sorrow seems to win, /O’er hope.” Bronte adds that “Hope again elastic springs.” The spring is the season of rebirth. In this way, the poet’s views about life are positive and full of hope. Thus her views about life are different from the conventional wisdom which describes it as a sorrowful and full of despair.
Question 2.
Explain the attitude to life that the poet is recommending in the poem Life.
Answer:
Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) was a 19th-century English writer. Her novel Jane Eyre (1847) is considered a classic of Western literature. In the present poem, Charlotte Bronte recommends a positive attitude to life. She feels that life is not a dream, but real. According to sages and their conventional wisdom, life is full of problems and despair.
However, the poet differs with them. She views that life is not as dark as sages/wise people usually describe. She also motivates us to face the moments of joy as well as sorrow, hope as well as despair in life. The poet says,
“Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;”
Charles Bronte urges us to have a positive attitude and not be disheartened by temporary setbacks. She encourages us to look beyond the immediate disappointments and appreciate the pleasures that life offers. She asks us,
“If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall?”
According to Bronte, we should learn to value the happy moments of life and enjoy them when life offers them. She urges us to enjoy “Life’s sunny hours” (happy moments in life) gratefully and cheerily. She considers life as a battle between hope and despair. In the battle of life, there-will be times when “sorrow seems to win, / O’er hope.”
But they are transient/temporary such as clouds of gloom. Sometimes, ‘hope’ may seem to fell down. Ultimately, it is unconquered and knows no defeat. Bronte adds that “Hope again elastic springs” with her golden wings can bear us all. The spring is the season of rebirth.
In end of the poem, the poet says that if we adopt positive attitude towards our life, we can face the problems manfully and fearlessly; and gloriously and victoriously. According to the poet, we can quell despair, with our courage.
Question 3.
Discuss the language and tone of the poem Life.
Answer:
Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) was a 19th century English writer. She was one of the three Bronte sisters – Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Like many women writers of her time, Charlotte Bronte originally published her poems and novels under a male pseudonym (pen name): Currel Bell. Her novel Jane Eyre (1847) is considered a classic of Western literature.
Charlotte Bronte is a poetic genius. In her poem, she is able to express her views about life effectively. Accordingly, she uses simple and lucid language to express very complex philosophical aspects of life. Nowhere in the poem can we see any unnecessary word. This shows her aptness in writing poetry. The verse (poem) is simple in its structure as well. The lines such as, Life, believe, is not a dream”, can be understood by even a layman.
The tone adopted by Charlotte Bronte is positive and is optimistic. Nowhere in the poem can we find a negative tone. The softness with which the voice of the poem speaks out will have a soothing effect on the ruffled minds. Her encouraging tone to face moments of joy as well as sorrow, hope as well as despair in life will fill our minds with positive vibrations. Due to the apt language and tone, she is successful in expressing her views about life in a convincing manner.
Question 4.
Describe the imagery and its effectiveness in the poem Life.
Answer:
In the poem Life, imagery is used aptly. With the suitable imagery and symbols, beauty is added to the ideas of the poet, Charlotte Bronte. The poet uses imagery, such as, dream, morning rain, pleasant day, clouds of gloom, the shower, blooming roses, sunny hours, Death, Hope, golden wings, etc., to convey her views about life in an effective way.
The poem begins with the line, “Life, believe, is not a dream” Dream symbolizes something that is not true. For the poet, life is real and serious and urges us to live in reality. Early in the poem, she remarks that “morning rain” can foretell a “pleasant day.” Similarly, “clouds of gloom” represent the problems that we have face in our life. She says that “these are transient all”. It means that the human problems are temporary in nature and they pass away with the passing time.
In order to convey her positive outlook towards life, Charlotte Bronte uses the image of “blooming roses” and “sunny hours” of life. She explains that the shower (rain) will help rose bloom. Similarly, the image of “sunny hours” symbolizes ‘the happy moments in our life’ that we have to enjoy gratefully and cheerily.
The images of “Death” and “Hope” are personified giving them the attributes of living beings. According to the poet, hope, though sometimes seems fell, “elastic springs” and is unconquered and knows no defeat. With ‘her golden wings” hope can bear us all. Thus the imagery used in this poem is apt and suitable to the theme of the poem.
Question 5.
Bring out the main argument of the poem and judge whether it is convincing.
Answer:
In her poem titled “Life”, Charlotte Bronte puts forth an argument which can inject a positive attitude into our life. She feels that life is not a dream, but it is real. She opposes the conventional wisdom that describes life as full of problems and despair. For the poet, life is not as dark as sages/wise people usually describe. She also motivates us to face the moments of joy as well as sorrow, hope as well as despair in life. The poet says,
“Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;”
Charles Bronte urges us to have a positive attitude and not be disheartened by temporary setbacks. The poet encourages us to look beyond the immediate disappointments and appreciate the pleasures that life has to offer. She asks us,
“If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall?”
The poet urges us to enjoy the “Life’s sunny hours” (happy moments in life) gratefully and cheerily. Otherwise the joyous moments will fly away unnoticed. There will be times when “sorrow seems to win, / O’er hope.” But as the poet believes, “Hope again elastic springs” is unconquered and knows no defeat. Ultimately, it is hope that wins. Here, spring refers to the season of rebirth. With courage, we can quell despair.
The language adopted by Charlotte Bronte in the poem is lucid and simple. The tone of the poem is also optimistic and convincing. She says that we have to face moments of joy as well as sorrow, hope as well as despair in life. She expresses her views in a convincing manner.
Life Poem Summary in English
Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) was a 19th-century English writer. She was one of the three Bronte sisters Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. like many women writers of her time, Charlotte Bronte originally published her poems and novels under a male
pseudonym (pen name): Currel Bell. Her novel Jane Eyre (1847) is considered a classic of Western literature. In this poem, Charlotte Brontë believes that life Is not a dream, but is real. She differs with the conventional wisdom in which sages (wise people) describe life is full of gloom and darkness.
The poet reminds us that we have to face the moments of joy as well as sorrow, hope as well as despair In life. Charles Bronte urges us to have a positive attitude and not be disheartened by temporary setbacks. The poet says,
“Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;”
The poet encourages us to look beyond the immediate disappointments and appreciate the pleasures that life has to offer. She asks us,
“If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall?”
Bronte urges us to enjoy the “Life’s sunny hours” (happy moments in life) gratefully and cheerily. There will be times when “sorrow seems to win, I O’er hope.” Bronte adds that “Hope again elastic springs.” The spring is the season of rebirth.
The poet uses imagery, such as, morning rain, pleasant day, Death, Hope, clouds of gloom, the shower, the roses, sunny hours golden wings, etc., to convey her views about life in an effective way. Early in the poem, she remarks that “morning rain” can lead to a “pleasant day.”
The language used by Charlotte Bronte is lucid and simple. The tone of the poem is optimistic. She says that we have to face moments of joy as well as sorrow, hope as well as despair In life. She expresses her views in a convincing and effective manner.
Life Poem Summary in Telugu
భ్రాంటే సిస్టర్సులో అందరికంటే పెర్ద వారైన చార్లట్ భ్రాంటీ నవలలు, పద్యాలు ఏ్రాసి గొప్ప పేరు, కీర్తి సంపాదించారు. ‘Life’ అనబడే ఈ పద్యము, జీవిత సత్యములను; ఎంతో ఆకట్టుకొనే రీతిలో చూవిన్తున్నది. జీవితము అనేది సంతోషము మరియు విచారము అను రెండు అంశముల కలయిక అని కవి వర్ణించారు. జీవితము ఒక కలవందిదని, దాని వలన ఏ ప్రయోజనము లేదని, ఋషులు తలంచుచుందురు.
ఉదయ కాల వర్షము, అ రోజున మంచి ఆవ్లాదకరంగా ఉంటుందని చూపిస్తుంది. విచారమును సూచించు మేఘములు, అనછికాలంలోనే త్రోలవేేబడతాయి. గులాది పూలు రాలిపోతాయి. అందువలన నిరాశ కలుగుతుంది. కానీ త్వరలోనే క్రాత్త పూలు వచ్చి, తమ సహాయము లేకుండా ఈ ప్రకృతిని తియ్యని సువాసనతో నింపుతున్నాయి. సంతోషమైన ఘుడియలు వస్తాయి.
చాలా తక్కువ సమయంలో వై్లిపోగా, విచారకరమైన వార్తలు ముందుకు వస్తాయి. ఒక్క్క్క్ సమయంలో విచారం గెలించిందని, అది ఖాయమయ్యింది అని తలంచగలము. మొదట్లో అది నిజముగానే కనబడుతుంది. కానీ చివరికి ఒక ఐలమైన కోరిక మనసులో కలిగి అది బలపడుతుంది.
ఈ సత్యములను చార్లట్ బ్రాంటీ వరుసగా బ్రాశారు మరియు ప్రతి వ్యక్తికి మంచి భవిష్యత్తు ఉంటుంది. అని కూడా చెప్పారు. అందుచేత అైపుగా ప్రయత్నించడానికి గొప్ప ఆశ కలిగియుండాలి. అనేకమైన సంతోషాలు అనుభవించడానికి ఉన్నాయి. మనోనిబ్బరము ముండు తాత్కాలిక అపజయాలు నిలబడలేపు.
ఈ అవర్రాల గుండా, ఒక వ్యక్తిని ధైర్యము అనేది నడుపగలదు. మనిషి చేరవలసిన గమ్యము విజయము. అందుకోరకు ధైర్యముగల హృదయం కావాలి. నిరాశను అణగద్రోక్కుము. జీవితము పట్ల సానుకూల ప్రవర్తన కలిగియుండును. ఈ విధంగా జీవిస్తూ, జీవింతో వచ్చే సవాళ్లకు అనుకూలంగా స్పందించాలి.
పద్యంలో images ఉన్నాయి. విచారము అనే మేఘాలు, పూస్తున్న గులాబీలు, మరణం, స్పింగ్ సీజన్ను, అశ యొక్క బంగారు రెక్కు మరియు ఫైర్యము మొదలైనవి జీవితంలో ఎదురయ్యే విషయములైయున్నవి. వ్యతిరేక ఆలోచనలు, భావనలు పారద్రోలాలి మరియు ఒక ఘనమైన భవిష్యత్తును ఆహ్వానించాలి.
Life – Charlotte Bronte
LIFE, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fair?
Rapidly, merrily,
Life’s sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily
Enjoy them as they fly!
What though Death at times steps in,
And calls our Best away?
What though sorrow seems to win,
O’er hope, a heavy sway?
Yet Hope again elastic springs,
Unconquered, though she fell;
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.
Manfully, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell despair!
Glossary:
