2.8 ‘Small Towns and Rivers’ - Learn in a simple way

2.8 Small towns and rivers - Learn in a simple way

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Poem

Small towns always remind me of death.
My hometown lies calmly amidst the trees,
it is always the same,
in summer or winter,
with the dust flying,
or the wind howling (making sound) down the gorge.

Just the other day someone died.
In the dreadful silence we wept
looking at the sad wreath of tuberoses.(रजनीगंधा)
Life and death, life and death,
only the rituals are permanent.

The river has a soul.
In the summer it cuts through the land
like a torrent of grief. Sometimes,
sometimes, I think it holds its breath
seeking a land of fish and stars

The river has a soul.
It knows, stretching (moving) past the town,
from the first drop of rain to dry earth
and mist (cover) on the mountaintops,
the river knows
the immortality of water.

A shrine (holy place) of happy pictures
marks the days of childhood.
Small towns grow with anxiety
for the future.
The dead are placed pointing west.
When the soul rises
it will walk into the golden east,
into the house of the sun.

In the cool bamboo,
restored in sunlight,
life matters, like this.

In small towns by the river
we all want to walk with the gods

The synonyms/ Vocabulary

1. Death - Demise - End - मृत्यू
2. Hometown - Birthplace - Native place - मूळ गाव
3. Calm - Serene - Peaceful - शांत
4. Tree - Woodland - Forest - वृक्ष / झाड
5. Summer - Warm season - Dry season - उन्हाळा
6. Winter - Cold season - Frosty season - हिवाळा
7. Dust - Dirt - Soil - धूळ
8. Wind - Breeze - Air current - वारा
9. Silence - Stillness - Quietness - शांतता
10. Wept - Cried - Sobbed - रडलो
11. Sad - Gloomy - Sorrowful - दुःखी
12. Life - Existence - Living - जीवन
13. Rituals - Traditions - Ceremonies - विधी
14. Permanent - Everlasting - Eternal - कायमचा
15. River - Stream - Watercourse - नदी
16. Grief - Sorrow - Heartache - शोक
17. Breathe - Respire - Inhale - श्वास घेणे
18. Land - Ground - Terrain - जमीन
19. Fish - Aquatic creatures - Pisces - मासे
20. Stars - Celestial bodies - Night lights - तारे
21. Immortality - Eternity - Timelessness - अमरत्व
22. Water - Liquid - H2O - पाणी
23. Shrine - Sanctuary - Holy place - पवित्र स्थान
24. Childhood - Youth - Early years - बालपण
25. Anxiety - Worry - Concern - चिंता
26. Soul - Spirit - Essence - आत्मा
27. Future - Tomorrow - Destiny - भविष्य
28. Sun - Solar body - Day star - सूर्य
29. Gods - Deities - Divine beings - देव

Summary of the poem

The poem in short

The poem reflects on the serene yet melancholic nature of life in a small town, where life and death coexist in a cycle of permanence. The town, unchanged through seasons, holds a quiet acceptance of mortality, with rituals being the only constant. The river, symbolic of life, has a soul that flows through the land, embodying both grief and immortality. Childhood memories, anxiety for the future, and a desire to connect with the divine are woven into the fabric of the town's existence. Ultimately, the poem contemplates life’s transience and the eternal connection to nature and the divine.

Brainstorming (Questions and Answers)

(A1) 

(ii) The Figures of speech:

1)

Poetic Appreciation

(B) Write an appreciation of the poem,