SUPPLEMENTARY

Weathering The Storm In Ersama

Introduction

The storm had killed thousands of people and devastated hundreds of villages. Prashant
showed extraordinary courage at the face of the great natural calamity. He saved his own
life and came to the forefront to lead the disaster management in his village.

Summary of the Lesson

On 27 October 1999, Prashant, a young boy of nineteen, went to meet his friend in Ersama,
a small town in coastal Odisha. Osama was some eighteen kilometres away from his
village. In the evening, the weather suddenly changed and soon there occurred a strong
storm with devastating winds. It was later termed a super cyclone. The wind velocity was
350 km per hour. Prashant had never witnessed such a menacing storm.

The storm was followed by heavy and incessant rain which washed away several houses
and people. The angry waters swirled into his friend’s house, neck-deep. So, Prashant and
his friend’s family took shelter on the rooftop where they spent two nights in the same
position. They froze in the cold and continuous rain. Prashant could see in the grey light of
the early morning the destruction caused by the super cyclone.

There was water everywhere in which some fractured cement houses were standing in a
few places. Bloated animal carcasses and human corpses floated in every direction. Even
huge trees had fallen here and there. Prashant was worried about his family. But he was
helpless. Two days later, the rain stopped and the rain waters slowly began to recede. Then
Prashant decided to go to his village and see his family. He took a long, sturdy stick, and
then started on the difficult journey to his village through the swollen flood waters. At
places the water was waist deep which slowed his journey. At several points, he lost the
road and had to swim.

On the way, he came across many human bodies and carcasses of dogs, goats and cattle.
But he could barely see a house standing while passing through the villages. Eventually
Prashant reached his village, Kalikuda. He was depressed to see the widespread
destruction everywhere. He wanted to see his family members but found them nowhere.
So, he went to the Red Cross shelter for them. Fortunately, his family was alive. He thanked
God for this.

N. Prashant was upset to see the miserable condition of the cyclone-affected people in the
shelter. There was a big crowd there. They had nothing to eat except green coconuts. There
was too much filth everywhere. Prashant could not be the silent spectator. He decided to
do something for the survivors. First, he made arrangements for their food with the help of
some youths and elders. Then, he organised a team of youth volunteers to clean the
shelter of filth, urine, vomit and floating carcasses, and to tend to the wounds and
fractures of the many who had been injured.

On the fifth day, a military helicopter dropped some food parcels. But it did not return.
Prashant and others devised a plan to attract the attention of the helicopter. They deputed
children to lie around the shelter with empty utensils on their stomachs, to communicate
to the passing helicopters that they were hungry. The plan was successful and after that
the helicopter started dropping food packets and other basic needs.

Prashant’s rehabilitation work went on ceaselessly. He brought the orphaned children

together and put up a polythene sheet shelter for them. He mobilised men and women to
look after them with food and materials. He also persuaded the women to start working in
the food-for-work program started by an NGO, and for the children he organised sports
events. Later orphans were resettled in new foster families made up of childless widows
and children without adult care. Thus, Prashant became the saviour of thousands of
cyclone-affected people. His self-less service for mankind is praiseworthy.

What is the moral of the story, Weathering the storm in Ersama?

This lesson conveys the message that when a natural calamity strikes, the members of the
community should help themselves. They should not be totally dependent upon the
government to provide help. It also gives the message that the youth have a major role to
play in organizing the community to help themselves.
 THE LAST LEAF
1. What was Behrman’s masterpiece? Why was it called so?
Answer:
The leaf that he painted on the creeper was his masterpiece, because it was realistic that
Johnsy did not realise that it had been painted. As a result, she recovered from her illness.
Even though it was not a famous painting, it was one that saved a life, and thus, it was a
masterpiece.
2. Compare and contrast the characters of Sue and Johnsy?
Answer:
Sue and Johnsy were both artists and good friends. They shared a small flat in an old
building. Sue was a very loyal and caring friend. She did everything she could to take care
of Johnsy when she fell ill with pneumonia. She not only took care of Johnsy physically, but
also helped by earning money by selling her paintings. She cooked and ensured that Johnsy
received the best treatment.

Johnsy on the other hand appears to have been a depressed and gloomy person, who is
very self-absorbed. She did not have the will to fight against her illness, and did not
respond to the doctor or to Sue’s care and concern. She was highly imaginative and
superstitious, as she came to believe that her life was linked to the number of leaves on
the creeper outside her window. She believed that she would die the day the last leaf of
the creeper fell.

It was because of this stubborn belief that Behrman, an older artist, lost his life when he
went out in the storm to paint a leaf onto the creeper so that Johnsy would not realise that
the last leaf had actually fallen.

3. Do you think Behrman was a great artist or a great human being? Give reasons for
your answer.
Answer:
In my opinion, Behrman was a great human being. No doubt he was a talented artist,
which is evident from his painting of the leaf on the wall. The painting was so realistic that
everyone thought it was a real leaf, which saved Johnsy’s life. Johnsy had made up her
mind that she would die of her illness the day the last leaf fell off the creeper.
However, Behrman decided to help Sue, her friend, who was worried about the effect the
falling of the last leaf would have on Johnsy. This shows how caring, selfless and concerned
he was. He went out in the stormy and cold night to paint the leaf, and came back soaked
to the skin, in no condition to even remove his wet clothes and shoes. He made the
supreme sacrifice of his life to save the life of another human being.

A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME

1. What are the changes observed in the writer’s attitude from the time her house is
burnt, till it is rebuilt?

Answer:

In the beginning, before her house was burnt, the writer was unhappy in her new school.
She felt awkward and lonely starting as a freshman after having been a senior in junior
high. She found it difficult to relate to her classmates and teachers, and continued to visit
her old teachers, who she missed terribly.

After the fire, she . was deeply touched by the generosity and kindness shown by her new
schoolmates and teachers. She was overwhelmed, and started opening up to them, making
new friends. The tragedy thus helped her to mature and become more open and accepting
of the changes that were taking place. She was no longer insecure.

2. Would you call the lady who returned the cat a kind and sensitive person? Give
reasons for your answer.

Answer:

Yes, the lady who returned the cat was definitely sensitive, because she allowed the cat
into her house and took care of him. She understood that it must have strayed from its
home, and needed to be cared for. Secondly, she realized that it was loved by someone
who must be desperately trying to locate it. It was very selfless and generous on her part
to try and locate the owners. She took a lot of time and trouble to reunite the cat with its
family, without expecting anything in return.
 3. What kind of a relationship did the writer share with her mother? Give reasons to
support your answer.

Answer:

The writer was very close to her mother. Her father had died years ago, and the only
immediate family she had was her mother. Even though it is mentioned that there had
been times when she felt as though she hated her mother, it is clear that the fire brought
them closer. They supported each other as they rebuilt their lives, both physically and
emotionally.

The writer’s mother had run into the house to rescue her husband’s letters and photos. At
that point, the writer had been so relieved when the firemen brought her mother out
safely, that she ran up and hugged her. She accepted the changes that were inevitable as a
result of the tragedy, and supported her mother in every way she could.

THE BEGGAR

1. Discuss the title of the story. Is it appropriate?

Answer:
The Beggar is an appropriate title for the story, as it revolves around the transformation
that takes place in the life of a beggar. He was a wastrel and did not do any work. It was
only due to the compassion shown by the cook at the narrator’s house that he was able to
change his outlook.

When he was too drunk and weak to perform any of the odd jobs he was supposed to do,
the cook did all the work for him, feeling sorry for him and worrying about his sorry state.
This kindness on her part had a tremendous effect on the beggar, who changed his ways,
stopped drinking and slowly over the years got a steady job as a notary, earning thirty five
roubles as salary.

2. During their conversation, Lushkoff reveals that Sergei’s cook is responsible for the
positive change in him. How did Olga save Lushkoff?
Answer:
Olga, Sergei’s cook, would react to Lushkoffs appearance at the house by shouting at him,
but soon she would grow sad looking at his face, and start weeping. She would remind him
that since he was a drunkard, he would bum in hell and this thought would make her cry
again. Finally, seeing that he did not have the energy and ability to do the task he was
supposed to, she herself would chop all the wood for him. Her concern and worry for him
changed Lushkoff. He stopped drinking and worked hard to improve his life.

Summary:
The Beggar was written by Anton Chekhov which is the story of a poor alcoholic beggar
named Lushkoff who used to beg on roads as he was unable to find work. He resorted to
begging in order to survive. One day, he met Sergie, a wealthy advocate and asked him for
some work. He was wearing a ragged, tanned tattered overcoat and had dull drunken eyes
with a red spot on either cheek. He claimed that he had been a school teacher in a village
earlier and lost his job due to a conspiracy against him. So, he started begging to feed
himself and survive.
Sergei immediately recalled that he had seen the beggar on another street, the other day.
At that time, he had said that he was a student who had been expelled. The lawyer was
filled with disgust and threatened to hand over the beggar to the police for cheating
people by telling lies. Hearing this, Lushkoff broke down and admitted that he was lying to
people so that they would take pity on him for his condition. He confessed that he used to
sing in a Russian choir and was fired for his drinking habit. Hence, he requested Sergie to
give him some work so that he could make a living for himself.
Sergei asked him if he could chop wood for him at his house. Lushkoff instantly agreed and
Sergie hastened and called out his cook, Olga, to take the poor man into the wood-shed
and let him chop wood. Olga did so as she looked at Lushkoff with contempt. Although he
had become very weak due to his drunkenness, he tried chopping wood as instructed.
When Sergie looked at him, he felt sorry and ashamed of himself for making the sick man
do menial labour in such a cold weather. An hour later, Olga informed that the wood had
all been chopped. Sergie ordered her to give Lushkoff half a rouble for his work. Eventually,
he would come once in a month to do the work and leave after receiving his wage.
Soon, Sergie moved to a new house and employed Lushkoff who was now a sober and
courteous fellow, for packing and hauling the furniture. Although he used to shiver in the
cold, he did his work properly. Seeing his dedication, Sergie offered him a cleaner
employment and asked if he could write. Lushkoff replied in the affirmative and Sergie
gave a letter to be sent to a friend where he would need to do some copy work. Lushkoff
did so, but he never returned to Sergie’s place.
Two years passed and one evening Sergei saw Lushkoff at the ticket counter of a theatre
paying for his seat. He was well-groomed and looked sophisticated. Sergie was astonished
seeing his transformation and asked about him. Lushkoff replied that he was working as a
notary and was paid thirty-five roubles every month. Sergei was happy that he could help
Lushkoff become a responsible human being and felt good for showing him the right path.
Lushkoff thanked Sergie for his kindness and helping him when he was a mere beggar.
Besides, he mentioned that he was more grateful to Olga for her compassionate nature. He
revealed that she was the one who used to chop the wood that was assigned to him. Being
a kind-hearted lady, she would give away the money to him for the wood-chopping task
done by her.
Although she would often chide him, she would also weep at his poor condition. She had
advised him to give up his alcoholism and was responsible for helping him to mend his
ways. Owing to her kind words and noble deeds, Lushkoff had a change of heart. He
stopped drinking completely and started working hard to earn his livelihood. She set a right
example before him and he said that he would always remain indebted to her for her
kindness and cooperation.
 PROSE

PACKING

Packing is a story about three friends: Jerome, Harris, and George who are getting ready to
go for a journey. Jerome is the narrator himself and writes about the experience he has
while his friends decide to start packing. It takes through the nuisances they experience in
addition to their dog, Montmorency’s contribution. Similarly, it also shows how his other
two friends are not that great when it comes to packing.

As Jerome, Harris, and George are ready to set out on a journey, they start packing for it.
Being the narrator, Jerome describes how the packing experience went. We can see that
Jerome is quite confident with his packing skills as he handles it all alone. While in reality,
he wishes to simply supervise the packing session while making his friends do the work
under him. However, they listen to him and let him handle it all by himself, while they sit
and relax. This does not impress Jerome; nonetheless, he gets to it.

Finally, after a long packing session, he packs the bag up while his friends watch him
quietly do all the work. Soon, Harris tells him about the shoes that he did not pack and
Jerome will have to reopen the bag to make space for them. Thus, after learning about the
shoes, Jerome remembers his toothbrush which he did not pack. In order to find it, he
empties the whole just for one toothbrush. Alas, he finds it inside a boot and packs the bag
again.

After that, we see that one more query arises for the soap by George. Consequently, this
irritates Jerome so much that he does not pay heed to it and packs the bag anyway.
However, to his mistake, he has to reopen it again due to his spectacles being locked inside
the bag. This packing session finally concludes at 10 o’clock.
So, we see that after taking such a long time to pack, Jerome’s other two friends pack the
hampers themselves to show him how it’s actually done. However, they are also similarly
gawky and break many things including a cup into pieces. Further, they squash tomatoes
and tread on butter while also smashing the pies. In addition, there is salt flying here and
there during this process. Thus, after much chaos, they try to put things back in order.

However, it is not as successful as their pet dog, Montmorency, worsen things. He sits on
things meant to be packed and climbs into the jam as well as crushes lemons as if they
were rats. But, finally, the final packing ends at around 12:50 in the night. After a tiring
packing session, they decide the time to get up for the next morning and George dozes off
before engaging in this conversation. In the end, Jerome and Harris mark 6:30 as the
wake-up time and go off to sleep.

THE BOND OF LOVE

How was Bruno brought to the author’s home? How did he become a member of the
family?
Answer:
The baby bear was brought to the author’s home by chance. Once, when the author and
his companions were going to Mysore, they were passing through the sugarcane fields
when they saw people driving away the wild pigs from the fields by shooting at them.
Some of the animals were shot and some escaped. When the author thought that
everything was over, suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the hot sun, and one
of the author’s companions wantonly killed the bear.
The cub who was riding the back of his mother ran around its prostate parent making a
pitiful noise. Filled with pity, the author chased him and captured him. He brought the
baby bear home and gifted it to his wife as a pet. The author’s wife accepted him with love
and named him Bruno to mark that he was no longer a homeless, wild animal. Soon there
developed a bond of love between Bruno and the author’s wife and Bruno came to be
called ‘Baba’ which means a ‘small boy’. He had now become a true family member who
enjoyed complete freedom and deep affection.

The author ends the story “The Bond of Love” with the rhetorical question: “But who can
say now that a sloth bear has no sense of affection, no memory and no individual
characteristics?” Discuss this statement in the light of Bruno’s character.
Answer:
The Bond of Love revolves around the mutual, sincere and selfless love of the narrator’s
wife and her pet bear, Bruno. The young bear, loved and brought up like a child by the
author’s wife, proves that he richly deserves this love because he himself is capable of
showing equally deep and faithful love.

He is treated like a member of the family and he himself proves that he is as much bound
by loyal love to the members of the family as they are to him. The deep emotions of Bruno
come to the fore when he is sent to the Mysore zoo. He is so pained by the separation
from his mistress that he frets terribly and refuses to eat anything. He grows very lean and
thin.

Even three months is not long enough a period for him to reconcile himself to the
separation from the author’s wife. When she goes to see him, he recognizes her at once,
even from a distance of some yards, and expresses his delight by howling and standing on
his head. At the closing time of the zoo he cries bitterly at the thought of parting again
from his mistress. His emotions move the hearts of the zoo curator and the keepers who
agree to give Bruno back to the author’s family. This proves that animals too feel love and
affection.
 REACH FOR THE TOP

Reach for the Top is a biographical story that tells us about the lives of two great women,
Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova. It celebrates the achievements of these two strong
ladies who achieved success despite hardships. One thing common between these two was
that they defied all odds to pursue their passion and succeeded in it. Through Reach for
the Top summary, we will learn how hard work and determination can help us go a long
way. Moreover, it also shows us that in order to achieve immense success, we require
determination, training, and sacrifice as well. It shows us that the path of success is not
easy but the results are surely sweet and satisfying. Thus, this chapter serves as an
inspiration for anyone looking to find some motivation to pursue their dreams and walk
the path of success.

The first part is about Santosh Yadav, a record-holding mountaineer. Santosh Yadav was
born in a very conservative society in Haryana, where daughters had no freedom but
Santosh took control of her life with her strong will power and dedication. As a result, she
became the first woman to climb Mt. Everest twice. The second part of Reach for the Top is
about Maria Sharapova, a teenager who achieved the number one position in World’s
Women Tennis. Maria had many sacrifices and also suffered humiliation to reach the top.
However, all these only made her tough and more determined. Her hard work and her
mental toughness finally led her to achieve her goal.

Part I

Santosh Yadav is the first woman in the world who has climbed Mt. Everest twice. She was
born in a society where a son was considered as a blessing and a daughter was not
welcomed. Once, a holy man visited the family to bless Santosh’s mother with a son but
Santosh’s grandmother told him that they wanted a daughter. Santosh was the only sister
to her five elder brothers. She was born in a small village in Joniawas of Rewari district in
Haryana.

Santosh’s name means contentment or satisfaction but she was never satisfied with the
traditional life of her society. She started to live her life according to her own terms from a
very early age. When other girls of society wore traditional dress, Santosh wore shorts.

While her brothers were educated properly in good schools, she was sent to the local
village school because of the family custom. Santosh decided to fight the system. When
Santosh’s parents wanted to get her married at the age of sixteen as per the old tradition,
Santosh refused to marry and threatened parents that she would not get married until she
gets a proper education. She left home and got admission in a school in Delhi. Initially, her
parents refused to pay the fees but later agreed because Santosh threatened them that
she would work part-time to pay the fees.

Santosh passed her high school and got admission in Maharani College in Jaipur. Her room
in the Kasturba hostel faced the Aravalli hills. She used to see some villagers going up the
hills and then disappearing after some time. One day, she checked herself to know where
the climbers were disappearing. She found that those people were mountaineers. They
motivated Santosh to take interest in climbing.

Santosh was a determined girl and she took admission in Nehru Institute of
Mountaineering without informing her parents. In Uttarkashi, Santosh went on expeditions
every year. She developed climbing skills and an amazing immunity to cold and high
altitude. Her hard work and determination led her to climb Mt. Everest, the highest peak in
the world in 1992. She was only twenty years old when she first climbed Mt. Everest. Apart
from her mountaineering skills, Santosh also impressed her seniors with her humanity. Her
concern for others and her desire to work together as a team made her a special person.
After a year of her first success, Santosh joined an Indo-Nepalese Women’s Expedition and
again climbed Mt. Everest. She became the first woman to climb Mt. Everest twice. Her
achievements brought glory to her and also gave India a unique place in mountaineering.
She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government. Santosh Yadav is not only a
mountaineer but she is also an environmentalist. She collected five hundred kgs of garbage
from the Himalayas.

Part II

Maria Sharapova was born in Siberia, Russia. She was a calm, confident and friendly
teenager who reached the top position in only four years.

Maris’s journey towards becoming the biggest women tennis player started when she was
nine years old. She went to America to get formal training. On her journey to Florida, only
her father went with her. Her mother could not accompany them because of visa
restrictions. She had to live without her mother for two years. She missed her mother very
much and her father could not give her much time as he was earning hard to earn money
for her training.

At the training centre, Maria was the youngest child and she was bullied by others. Her
experience during the training period made her more determined and tough. She struggled
hard and learned to take care of herself. She was determined to reach her goal so she
never thought about quitting. Her strong determination and will power made her win the
Women’s Single Crown at Wimbledon in 2004. In 2005, she became the number one
women tennis player in the world.

Maria’s journey inspired many youngsters. She believes that all the sacrifices that she had
made were worth it. Maris’s way of answering clearly indicated her confidence. For her,
hard work is the mantra for success. Maria wishes to play in the Olympics for Russia
because she is actually a Russian by birth. Her other hobbies are fashion, singing and
dancing. She loves reading and she is very fond of evening gowns.

Maria’s talent, determination and readiness to sacrifice led her to the path of success and
fame. We learn from these two amazing women that if we put our minds to it,
perseverance, hard work, and dedication will always be rewarded.
 POETRY

No Men are Foreign

The title- ‘No men are Foreign’ means that no men belong to another country. The poet
wants to say that all men are the same, all men are equal. He wants to promote the
concept of universal brotherhood. In this poem, the poet wants to tell us that everyone in
this world is the same. All people, all men are the same – they eat, live, die the same way.
Everyone gets the bounties of nature like sunshine, land etc in equal measure. We can also
say that it is a peace poem.
Literary Devices
1. Rhyme Scheme – The entire poem is written in free verse. There is no rhyme
scheme in the poem.
The literary devices used are as follows –

Alliteration: The repetition of a consonant sound in two or more closely placed

words is called alliteration. The instances of alliteration in the poem are –
● Stanza 1 – Body, breathes ‘b’ sound is repeated
● Stanza 2 – war’s, winter ‘w’ sound is repeated
Metaphor
● Stanza 1 – Uniform refers to the military of different countries
● Stanza 2 – wars time is compared to the winter season
Repetition: It is used in the entire poem.
● ‘Remember’ is repeated 5 times in this poem.
● ‘Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign’ is repeated in stanza 1 and
stanza 5
Enjambment – running lines of poetry from one line to the next without using any
kind of punctuation to indicate a stop. Instances of enjambment in the poem are as
follows-
● Stanza 1 – line 2, 3 and 4
● Stanza 2 – line 3 and 3
● Stanza 3 – line 1, 2, and 3
● Stanza 4 – line 1 and 2
 ● Stanza 5 – Line 2 and 3

The poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’ begins and ends with the same line- ‘Remember no men
are strange, no countries foreign’ as the poet wants to emphasize on the fact that all the
people living on this Earth are the same and that we have created distinctions by erecting
borders and fences, different languages, etc. While we are alive, we walk on the same
Earth and upon our death, we will lie in our graves on the same earth. He draws another
similarity that we all enjoy good food during peace and starve during war and in winter
time. We all have similar hands which we use to do a lot of hard work. All of us have eyes
which remain open when we are awake and close when we are asleep. He reminds the
reader that whenever we hate someone, we cheat and hate ourselves. Also, when we pick
up weapons against someone, we pollute the Earth and make it impure with the huge
mounds of dead bodies strewn on it.

On Killing a Tree

The poet sensitizes and highlights the fact that trees are living things. He equates trees
with humans to convey that trees should not be cut because destroying trees is just like
killing a human being.
A tree does not die by merely cutting because it regrows from where it is cut. If it has to be
destroyed, then it has to be uprooted. “On Killing a Tree” is a sensitive poem. The poet
persuades the reader not to destroy trees and equates it with “killing” a human being. He
says that a plant takes sunlight, water, air, and nutrients from the soil to gradually become
a huge tree. It develops a strong trunk and gets numerous leaves.
Merely cutting the trunk of the tree does not kill it. When a tree is cut, the sap flows out
just like a wounded man bleeds. Once the wound heals, new branches and tiny leaves grow
from there which grow into trees.
In order to destroy a tree, it has to be uprooted. The roots which are white in color and are
damp due to the moisture that they get from the soil are hidden in a pit in the Earth. These
roots are the most sensitive part of the tree as they bind it to the earth. In order to kill the
tree, these roots have to be detached from the soil.
Once the roots are detached, the tree starts dying. It withers, dries up with the action of
heat and wind, twists, hardens and finally dies.
1. No rhyme scheme is there in the poem.
It is written in free verse. There is no rhyme or rhythm.
2 Enjambment: When one sentence continues into two or more lines.
Not a simple jab of the knife
Will do it. It has grown
Slowly consuming the earth
Rising out of it, feeding
Upon its crust, absorbing
Years of sunlight, air, water,
And out of its leprous hide
Sprouting leaves.
The most sensitive, hidden
For years inside the earth.
3. Metaphor : indirect comparison
Leprous hide – the uneven colour of the surface of the trunk of a tree is compared to the
skin of a person suffering from leprosy.
Bleeding bark – the sap coming out of a tree where it is cut is compared to the bleeding
from the wound in a human’s body.
4. Alliteration: repetition of a consonant sound in 2 or more closely placed words.
Bleeding bark – ‘b’ sound
White and wet – ‘w’ sound
5. Repetition: a word or sentence is repeated to lay emphasis on it.
‘Pulled out’ is repeated
 The Snake Trying

The poem revolves around a snake that is struggling after being hit by a stick. Furthermore,
the stick is held by a person who intends to kill this snake. Moreover, the snake is trying to
escape from this predicament. The message that the poet wants to convey is that not all
snakes are harmful. Humans have this belief that all snakes are dangerous. Also, humans
have this tendency to rush to kill a snake as soon as they spot one. The poet tries to tell us
that such thinking is not good and is harmful to the snake. Even if the snake is poisonous, it
does not mean that it will necessarily harm us. The poet tells us the condition of a
harmless green-coloured snake as it tries to hide behind the green bushes. The snake hides
to save itself.

Poetic Devices

1. Imagery:
The poet uses a certain description that is appealing to the senses.
Example: He describes the beauty of the snake as small and green and the reeds as green
shin reeds.

2. Personification:

We find that the poet refers to the snake as he would refer to a human being.

Example:

● He glides through the water.

● O let him go.

3. Alliteration:
A literary device where there is a repetition of a consonant sound into more closely
placed words. Eg. he is harmless… Along the sand he lay until observed and chased
away, and now he vanishes in the ripples among the green slim reeds.