Someone || Class 08 || Lesson 12 || All Stanza || Text || Hindi Translation || Word Meaning || Solution || Extra Question ||

 Lesson - 12

Someone

Walter John de la Mare

Let's start:

Walter John de la Mare, (25 April 1873 - 22 June 1956) was an English poet, short story writer and novelist. He is probably best remembered for works for children and for his poems "The Listeners". His career as a writer started from about 1895 and he continued to publish to the end of his life. In his poems de la Mare has described the English sea the coast, the secret and hidden world of nature. 

Let's share:

(1) What are the things that make a forest interesting at night?

Ans:- Forests are fascinating and take on a whole new level of intrigue at night. Here are several things that make forests interesting at night:

1. Nocturnal Wildlife: Many animals that are rarely seen during the day become active at night. This includes owls, foxes, raccoons, bats, and various species of insects. Observing their behavior and listening to their calls can be an exciting experience.

2. Bioluminescent Organisms: Some forests, especially in tropical regions, host bioluminescent organisms like fireflies and certain species of fungi. These creatures emit a soft, magical glow, creating a surreal atmosphere.

3. Starry Sky: Away from urban light pollution, forests offer stunning views of the night sky. Gazing at the stars, planets, and celestial events like meteor showers can be awe-inspiring.

4. Soundscape: Forests at night have a unique soundscape. You can hear the rustling of leaves, the chirping of insects, the hooting of owls, and other nocturnal sounds that create a soothing or eerie ambiance.

5. Mystery and Adventure: The darkness of the forest at night can evoke a sense of mystery and adventure. Your imagination may run wild as you explore the unknown, which can be both thrilling and slightly eerie.

6. Temperature and Smells: Nighttime in the forest often brings cooler temperatures and different smells compared to daytime. The air can be fresher, and you might notice the scent of pine, damp earth, or the sweet fragrance of nocturnal flowers.

7. Biological Phenomena: Some plants and animals have unique nighttime behaviors, such as certain flowers that bloom only at night to attract nocturnal pollinators like moths and bats.

8. Silence and Solitude: The stillness and solitude of the forest at night can be incredibly peaceful and meditative. It's a time to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and connect with nature.

9. Photography Opportunities: The low light conditions of the forest at night can challenge your photography skills. Capturing the play of light and shadow, starry skies, and bioluminescent organisms can result in stunning and unique images.

10. Safety Precautions: While the forest at night is intriguing, it's essential to take safety precautions. Bring appropriate gear, a reliable light source, and inform someone about your whereabouts before venturing into the forest at night.

Remember that visiting a forest at night can be a magical experience, but it's essential to be respectful of nature and wildlife, leave no trace, and minimize disturbances to the ecosystem. Additionally, be aware of any potential dangers and take appropriate precautions when exploring forests in the dark.

(2) Would you prefer staying alone in a forest at night or would you like to have your friends with you? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans:- Do Yourself

Let's read: 

Someone came knocking

At my wee, small door;

someone came knocking;

I'm sure-sure-sure;

I listened, I opened,

I looked to left and right,

But nought there was a stirring

In the still, dark night;

Only the busy beetle

Tap-tapping in the wall,

Only from the forest

The screech-owl's call,

Only the cricket whistling

While the dewdrops fall,

So I know not who came knocking,

At all, at all, at all.

Word Meaning:
Someone: कोई  knocking: खटखटाना wee: नन्हा सा sure: ज़रूर listened: सुना  nought: कुछ नहीं stirring: उत्तेजक still: शांत  busy: व्यस्त	beetle: कीड़ा  Tap-tapping: टप टप की आवाज  screech: चिल्लाने की आवाज  call: पुकार  cricket: झींगुर  whistling: गाना  while: जबकि  dewdrops: ओस की बूँदें fall: गिरना  at all: बिल्कुल भी

Lines 1-8
(Some one came knocking.......................In the still dark night;)

This short poem begins with the major dramatic actions, a knocking that “came” on the speaker’s door. It is the middle of the night and the speaker has been surprised by this sound. He is out in the woods and cannot imagine who it would possibly be. One detail that does provide some additional clues to the setting is the description of the door as being “wee, small.” It is as if the speaker is making a point to emphasize the size of the door and make sure that the reader does not imagine him in a grand house. This is most likely a small cottage or cabin in the woods. 

In the fourth line, the reader comes to their first instance of repetition, a device that is put to effective use in this poem. The speaker is absolutely “Sure-sure-sure,” that he heard the sound of knocking. This repetition is meant to mimic the sound of knuckles rapping on the wooden door. 

When he opens it, and looks to “left and right,” there is nothing there. The only thing that he hears and sees is a “stirring / In the still dark night.”  

(यह छोटी कविता प्रमुख नाटकीय क्रियाओं से शुरू होती है, एक दस्तक जो वक्ता के दरवाजे पर "आई"। आधी रात हो चुकी है और वक्ता इस ध्वनि से आश्चर्यचकित हो गया है। वह जंगल में है और कल्पना नहीं कर सकता कि यह संभवतः कौन होगा। एक विवरण जो सेटिंग के लिए कुछ अतिरिक्त सुराग प्रदान करता है वह है दरवाजे का "बहुत छोटा" होना। ऐसा लगता है जैसे वक्ता दरवाजे के आकार पर जोर देना चाहता है और यह सुनिश्चित करना चाहता है कि पाठक उसे एक भव्य घर में कल्पना न करे। यह संभवतः जंगल में एक छोटी सी झोपड़ी या केबिन है।

चौथी पंक्ति में, पाठक पुनरावृत्ति के अपने पहले उदाहरण पर आता है, एक उपकरण जिसे इस कविता में प्रभावी उपयोग के लिए रखा गया है। स्पीकर बिल्कुल "श्योर-श्योर-श्योर" है, कि उसने खटखटाने की आवाज सुनी। यह दोहराव लकड़ी के दरवाज़े पर पोर की आवाज़ की नकल करने के लिए है।

जब वह इसे खोलता है, और "बाएँ और दाएँ" देखता है, तो वहाँ कुछ भी नहीं है। एकमात्र चीज़ जो वह सुनता और देखता है वह है "सरकती हुई / शांत अँधेरी रात में।")

Lines 9-16

(Only the busy beetle.................................At all, at all, at all.)

In the second half of the poem, the speaker expands upon what he is seeing and tells the reader what there is outside. It is not completely empty as he stated in the first half. There are a number of sounds coming from the wild outside his door, but none of them could have caused the rapping. 

When he listens closely he can hear the “busy beetle” that is “tapping” in the walls of his cabin, he analyzes this sound for a moment, but knows that is not what he heard. 

Additionally, he can hear “from the forest” the sound of a screech-owl calling out and the sound of the “cricket whistling.” It is as if these inhabitants of the forest are very well known to him, they are not “the crickets,” but a single cricket that lives nearby. All this is happening while “the dewdrops fall.” It is an extremely peaceful, and generally quiet evening. The poem concludes with the speaker restating that he has no idea who it was that knocked on his door, but he did not imagine it. The final lines show off de la Mare’s use of repetition once more. 

(कविता के दूसरे भाग में, वक्ता जो देख रहा है उसका विस्तार करता है और पाठक को बताता है कि बाहर क्या है। यह पूरी तरह से खाली नहीं है जैसा कि उन्होंने पहले भाग में कहा था। उसके दरवाज़े के बाहर जंगल से कई आवाज़ें आ रही हैं, लेकिन उनमें से कोई भी रैपिंग का कारण नहीं बन सकती।

जब वह ध्यान से सुनता है तो वह "व्यस्त बीटल" को सुन सकता है जो उसके केबिन की दीवारों में "टैपिंग" कर रहा है, वह एक पल के लिए इस ध्वनि का विश्लेषण करता है, लेकिन जानता है कि यह वह नहीं है जो उसने सुना है।

इसके अतिरिक्त, वह "जंगल से" उल्लू के चिल्लाने की आवाज़ और "क्रिकेट सीटी" की आवाज़ भी सुन सकता है। ऐसा लगता है मानो जंगल के इन निवासियों को वह बहुत अच्छी तरह से जानता है, वे "झींगुर" नहीं हैं, बल्कि एक अकेला झींगुर है जो पास में ही रहता है। यह सब तब हो रहा है जब “ओस की बूँदें गिर रही हैं।” यह एक बेहद शांतिपूर्ण और आम तौर पर शांत शाम है। कविता वक्ता के इस कथन के साथ समाप्त होती है कि उसे नहीं पता कि वह कौन था जिसने उसके दरवाजे पर दस्तक दी, लेकिन उसने इसकी कल्पना नहीं की थी। अंतिम पंक्तियाँ डे ला मारे के दोहराव के उपयोग को एक बार फिर दिखाती हैं।)

Let's do:

Activity - 1

Tick the correct alternative: 

(i) The door was 

     (a) big 

     (b) small 

     (c) wide

(ii) The poet looked 

     (a) background and forward 

     (b) up and down 

     (c) to left and right

(iii) The busy beetle was tap-tapping in the 

      (a) wall 

      (b) door 

      (c) window

(iv) The cricket was 

      (a) singing 

      (b) whistling 

      (c) chirping

Activity - 2

Complete the folowing sentences with information from the text: 

(a) Someone came knocking at the poet’s wee, small door.

(b) There was no stirring in the still, dark night.

(c) The poet heard the screech-owl's call from the forest.

(d) The poet did not know at all who came knocking at his door.

Q.  Who do you think came knocking at the poet's small door?

Ans:-  The poet was sure that someone was knocking on his door. Again, he could feel something uncanny in the stillness and darkness of the night. Mysterious surroundings prevailed. So, the uncertain knocking on the door actually heightens the supernatural atmosphere.

Activity - 4

Fill in the following chart with information from the text:

 

Who	Did What
(i) Someone	knocked at the poet’s small door.
(ii) Beetle	tap-tapped on the wall
(iii) Owl	screeched from the forest.
(iv) Cricket	whistled.

Activity - 5

Answer the following questions:

(a) What did the poet do after he heard the knocking on the door?

Ans:-  The poet listened, opened the door and looked left and right.

(b) What was the night like?

Ans:- The right was still and dark.

(c) Name the insect mentioned in the poem.

Ans:- Beetle and cricket are the insects mentioned in the poem.

 

(d) Why does the poet use the expression ‘at all thrice in the last line of the poem?

Ans:- The poet used the expression ‘at all’ thrice in the last line of the poem to suggest that he did not know who came knocking. But the still, dark night gave him a mysterious feeling that there was someone knocking on the door.

Activity - 6(a)

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the given verbs in brackets:

(i) The Mayor will go to Pune next week. (go)

(ii) By next December, we will stay here for three years. (stay)

(iii) Perhaps they will visit Dooars later. (visit)

(iv) The boy has been watching television since morning. (watch)

Activity - 6(b)

In the following sentences underline the Phrases and state what kind of Phrases they are:

(i) He wanted to speak to his teacher.

>> Prepositional Phrase 

(ii) At this moment it's raining hard.

>>  Adverb Phrase

(iii) To do well in the competition is my aim.

>> Noun Phrase

(iv) They live in a house made of wood.

>> Adjective Phrase

Activity - 6(c)

In the following sentences underline the Clauses and state what kind of Clauses they are:

(i) The child ran away as soon as she saw the strange man.

>> Adverb Clause

(ii) I saw an old woman who was carrying a child.

>> Adjective Clause

(iii) The dog follows his master wherever he goes.

>> Adverb Clause

(iv) We all thought that it would not rain today.

>> Noun Clause

Activity - 6(d)

 Change the following sentences from Active to Passive Voice:

(i) India won the World Cup in cricket recently.

Ans:-  The World Cup in cricket recently was won by India.

(ii) The teacher was teaching English.

Ans;- English was being taught by the teacher.

(iii) Rani is singing a beautiful song.

Ans:- A beautiful song is being sung by Rani.

(iv) The wind blew away the rooftops of the houses.

Ans:- The rooftops of the houses were blown away by the wind. 

Activity - 7

Make meaningful sentences of your own with the following words:

(i) wee:  He looked a wee bit confused.

(ii) stirring: He felt a stirring of anger.

(iii) busy: Are you busy this afternoon?

(iv) dewdrops: Dewdrops sparkle in the morning sun.