Elementary School Classroom in
a Slum by Stephen Spender
Notes
·
Life in Slum
·
Far from seas & rivers
·
Far from education
·
Life in Classroom
·
Class room
·
Unlit
·
Windows closed
·
Sour cream walls
·
Donations
·
SKPR's bust
·
Children hate Skpr
·
SKPR tempt them to steal
·
Tyrolese Valley
·
Children hate TV
·
Bekos their valleys are dirty
·
Open handed map
·
Children hate it bekos
·
Map allot partially
·
Rich places for rich ppl
·
Poor places for slum ppl
·
Scene of Sun rise
·
Children hate it bekos
·
They never have sunrise
·
Tall buildings
·
Children feel jealous of the TBs
·
Children
·
Tall girl
·
Weighed down head
·
Stunted boy
·
Twisted bones
·
Unlucky
·
Paper seeming boy
·
Rat's eyes
·
Sweet and Young boy
·
Lives in dream
·
Playing squirrel games
·
Life in Slum Huts
·
Huts
·
Cramped holes
·
Dark
·
Children's apprns.
·
Slag heaps
·
Bony
·
Little clothed
·
Wearing broken glasses
·
Poet's appeal
·
Break this school
·
Reason
·
It will breed anti socials
·
They will break the towns
·
Take the children out to frdm
·
Motives
·
Show them real world
·
Teach them from nature
·
Teach them language of Sun
On sour cream walls.
Donations.
Shakespeare’s head, Cloudless at dawn,
Civilized dome riding all cities.
Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley.
Shakespeare’s head, Cloudless at dawn,
Civilized dome riding all cities.
Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley.
1. What are some of the donations
that adorn the walls of the classroom?
The picture of Shakespeare, the painting of a cloudless morning sky, the pictures of the tall buildings of the world in a canvas and the beautiful Austrian Tyrolese Valley rich with its belled- flowers adorn the walls of the classroom.
The picture of Shakespeare, the painting of a cloudless morning sky, the pictures of the tall buildings of the world in a canvas and the beautiful Austrian Tyrolese Valley rich with its belled- flowers adorn the walls of the classroom.
2. What is cloudless at dawn? Do
you think the children love that? Why?
There is a picture of the cloudless morning sky on the wall of the classroom. No, the children dislike that picture, because, it’s unlike their own slum’s sky, which is never cloudless.
There is a picture of the cloudless morning sky on the wall of the classroom. No, the children dislike that picture, because, it’s unlike their own slum’s sky, which is never cloudless.
3. What is civilized dome riding
all cities? Why do the children hate that, as well as the others?
The classroom is constructed with donations from the visitors. Among them, there lies a beautiful picture of the tall buildings of the developed cities of the world. The donations provide a glimpse of some world to the students, but not their world.
The classroom is constructed with donations from the visitors. Among them, there lies a beautiful picture of the tall buildings of the developed cities of the world. The donations provide a glimpse of some world to the students, but not their world.
4. How does the poet describe the
Austrian Tyrolese valley?
Spender describes the Tyrolese Valley as beautiful. The valley is decorated with the bell flowers.
Spender describes the Tyrolese Valley as beautiful. The valley is decorated with the bell flowers.
Open – handed map awarding the
world its world.
And yet, for these children, these windows,
Not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog,
And yet, for these children, these windows,
Not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog,
1. How does the map award the
world its world?
The map is a symbol of discrimination. Its distribution of the world is uneven and partial. It allots the rich and prosperous lands and cities to the rich while the poor are given the wastelands and slums.
The map is a symbol of discrimination. Its distribution of the world is uneven and partial. It allots the rich and prosperous lands and cities to the rich while the poor are given the wastelands and slums.
2. Why do the children prefer the
windows to the map?
The world that is seen through the windows is bleak, dark and dusty. Yet the children prefer this dark world outside because the interior of the classroom is more hated by them than the world outside.
The world that is seen through the windows is bleak, dark and dusty. Yet the children prefer this dark world outside because the interior of the classroom is more hated by them than the world outside.
3. What does 'future painted with
fog' mean?
It implies that the future holds little promise for them and fate has made out a bleak future for them. These children do not hold any prospect of a bright future and are thus meant to live in such a condition forever.
It implies that the future holds little promise for them and fate has made out a bleak future for them. These children do not hold any prospect of a bright future and are thus meant to live in such a condition forever.
4. How is the phrase, open handed
map' used ironically?
Why do the children hate the map? Open handed means generous. The map inside the classroom generously allots rich world for the rich and slums for the poor. Even though the map is generous, it discriminates between the privileged and the unprivileged.
Why do the children hate the map? Open handed means generous. The map inside the classroom generously allots rich world for the rich and slums for the poor. Even though the map is generous, it discriminates between the privileged and the unprivileged.
A narrow street sealed in with
a lead sky
Far far from rivers, capes and stars of words.
Far far from rivers, capes and stars of words.
1. What closes in the narrow
street of the slum?
A dark and polluted sky closes in the streets of the slum.
A dark and polluted sky closes in the streets of the slum.
2. Why is the sky of lead's
color?
The slum is an industrial area with many factories scattered together. The emission of dark smoke paints the sky lead.
The slum is an industrial area with many factories scattered together. The emission of dark smoke paints the sky lead.
3. How are rivers and capes
responsible for the growth of a people?
Places near capes and rivers are places prosperity because with harbors and sea ports, a cape is exposed to trade and business while rivers render the land fertile and people rich.
Places near capes and rivers are places prosperity because with harbors and sea ports, a cape is exposed to trade and business while rivers render the land fertile and people rich.
4. What are stars of words? How
are they important for the prosperity of a people?
Stars of words are those great men of letters, writers, who inspire people with their written output. With stars of words, a people can prosper drawing inspiration to fight and soar ahead of all difficult times
Stars of words are those great men of letters, writers, who inspire people with their written output. With stars of words, a people can prosper drawing inspiration to fight and soar ahead of all difficult times
Surely, Shakespeare is wicked,
the map bad example,
With ships and sun and love tempting them to steal-
For lives that slyly turn in their cramped holes from fog to endless night?
With ships and sun and love tempting them to steal-
For lives that slyly turn in their cramped holes from fog to endless night?
1. Why is Shakespeare wicked?
Shakespearean stories are full of fortunate, beautiful, happy, romantic characters and magical places and palaces. When these stories are told in the classroom, the children are attracted to these stories and try to imitate these heroic characters. In this attempt they are forced to steal and then are consequently caught. For this they blame Shakespeare.
Shakespearean stories are full of fortunate, beautiful, happy, romantic characters and magical places and palaces. When these stories are told in the classroom, the children are attracted to these stories and try to imitate these heroic characters. In this attempt they are forced to steal and then are consequently caught. For this they blame Shakespeare.
2. Why is map a bad example?
The map inside the class contains colorful marking of the cities while dull and dark blots represent the slum of these children, and hence a bad example.
The map inside the class contains colorful marking of the cities while dull and dark blots represent the slum of these children, and hence a bad example.
3. Why is ship a tempting reality
in the lives of the slum children? What else do tempt the children?
Far away from seas and oceans, the children have not seen a real ship or real sea. They are also tempted by the brightness of the sky and the love in the stories they have heard.
Far away from seas and oceans, the children have not seen a real ship or real sea. They are also tempted by the brightness of the sky and the love in the stories they have heard.
4. What makes the slum houses
'cramped holes?'
The huts of the poor slum dwellers are very small with many members and no space to move around.
The huts of the poor slum dwellers are very small with many members and no space to move around.
5. Why is life slyly turning in
the huts?
The life of the poor slum children remain uncertain with all their inherited diseases and malnourishment. With no hopes for the future they lead a miserable life inside their small huts.
The life of the poor slum children remain uncertain with all their inherited diseases and malnourishment. With no hopes for the future they lead a miserable life inside their small huts.
6. What effect does 'fog to
endless nights' add to the wretchedness of the slum dwellers?
The slum children do not have any hope for their future. For them their future is like a fog-painting, transient and uncertain.
The slum children do not have any hope for their future. For them their future is like a fog-painting, transient and uncertain.
On their slag heap, these
children
Wear skins peeped through by bones and spectacles of steel
With mended glass, like bottle bits on stones.
Wear skins peeped through by bones and spectacles of steel
With mended glass, like bottle bits on stones.
1. Why are the bodies of the
children called slag heap?
Poverty has made its toll on the slum children. Lack of proper food and polluted atmosphere have made them look like a heap of bones and flesh carelessly arranged like a heap of waste.
Poverty has made its toll on the slum children. Lack of proper food and polluted atmosphere have made them look like a heap of bones and flesh carelessly arranged like a heap of waste.
2. Explain, 'skins peeped through
by bones.'
The slum children have fragile built. They are so skinny that their bones are almost visible on the surface of their skin.
The slum children have fragile built. They are so skinny that their bones are almost visible on the surface of their skin.
3. What does 'spectacles of
steel' tell us about the lives inside the huts?
It is to be supposed that the slum children, being part of an industrial slum, are engaged in some sort of manufacturing for which they have to wear protector glasses with steel rims.
It is to be supposed that the slum children, being part of an industrial slum, are engaged in some sort of manufacturing for which they have to wear protector glasses with steel rims.
4. Why is the glass of the
spectacles 'mended?'
The protector glasses have been overused and transferred from older generations and therefore they are scratched and mended.
The protector glasses have been overused and transferred from older generations and therefore they are scratched and mended.
All of their time and space
are foggy slum.
So blot their maps with slums as big as doom.
So blot their maps with slums as big as doom.
1. Explain, 'All of their time
and space are foggy slum.'
The atmosphere of the slum is always filled with industrial smoke and dust. The children do not have a world other than this.
The atmosphere of the slum is always filled with industrial smoke and dust. The children do not have a world other than this.
2. What blots the map of the
slum? How are the slums blots?
The map inside the classroom is blotted with the dark marking of the slums. When marked with huge dark blots, the slums in the map appear odd and awkward among the colorful marks of cities and parks of the rich people.
The map inside the classroom is blotted with the dark marking of the slums. When marked with huge dark blots, the slums in the map appear odd and awkward among the colorful marks of cities and parks of the rich people.
Unless governor, inspector,
visitor
This map becomes their window and these windows
That shut upon their lives like catacombs,
This map becomes their window and these windows
That shut upon their lives like catacombs,
1. How does the school look different
when there are visitors?
When there are visitors, the doors and windows of the classroom will remain open. There will be light and better air passage in the classroom.
When there are visitors, the doors and windows of the classroom will remain open. There will be light and better air passage in the classroom.
2. How is the map their window
when there are no visitors?
What do they see through this 'window?' When there are no visitors, the windows and doors will remain shut and the children will not be able to see the dark sky through the windows. At this time the children have nowhere else to look at than the map. They see their own slum marked in the map.
What do they see through this 'window?' When there are no visitors, the windows and doors will remain shut and the children will not be able to see the dark sky through the windows. At this time the children have nowhere else to look at than the map. They see their own slum marked in the map.
3. What are catacombs? Is the
comparison of the classroom to catacombs apt? How?
Catacombs are underground burial places. They are dark and confined with hundreds of dead bodies resting eternally. The classroom deserves to be called a catacomb because it is also dark with children of half dead bodies and half alive minds.
Catacombs are underground burial places. They are dark and confined with hundreds of dead bodies resting eternally. The classroom deserves to be called a catacomb because it is also dark with children of half dead bodies and half alive minds.
Break O break open till they
break the town
And show the children to green fields,
and make their world run azure on gold sands,
And show the children to green fields,
and make their world run azure on gold sands,
1. What does the poet want his
readers break?
The poet wants his readers to break the windows of the classroom that shut out their freedom in the classroom. The windows remain always closed and restrict light from entering the classroom making it a catacomb for the children.
The poet wants his readers to break the windows of the classroom that shut out their freedom in the classroom. The windows remain always closed and restrict light from entering the classroom making it a catacomb for the children.
2. Who will break the town? How
does the poet expect to stop that?
The poet fears that the children will grow up to become anti-social elements and break the town. He expects to stop this unfortunate occurrence by breaking the classroom and its windows that create these anti-socials.
The poet fears that the children will grow up to become anti-social elements and break the town. He expects to stop this unfortunate occurrence by breaking the classroom and its windows that create these anti-socials.
3. What is the irony in 'run
azure on gold sands?'
Gold sands refer to the sand of deserts while azure is the color of the nature in spring season. Nothing grows in the desert. The world of the poor children is also like the desert sand. The irony in the expression is the impossibility of spring in the desert land.
Gold sands refer to the sand of deserts while azure is the color of the nature in spring season. Nothing grows in the desert. The world of the poor children is also like the desert sand. The irony in the expression is the impossibility of spring in the desert land.
4. What does the poet mean by
'tongues running naked into books?'
The poet is talking about a situation in which the children have access to the beautiful world that they have never seen in life. Here in the class room they learn what they do not love to read while in the world outside they learn without restrictions.
The poet is talking about a situation in which the children have access to the beautiful world that they have never seen in life. Here in the class room they learn what they do not love to read while in the world outside they learn without restrictions.
5. Who, according to the poet,
create history?
According to the poet history is made by those people who speak the language of the Sun.
According to the poet history is made by those people who speak the language of the Sun.
6. What is the language of the
sun? How can people speak this language?
The language of the sun is its warmth and light that make life possible. People can speak this unique language by being as warm, lively and life-giving as the sun.
The language of the sun is its warmth and light that make life possible. People can speak this unique language by being as warm, lively and life-giving as the sun.
Share this
0 Comment to " "
Post a Comment