End Semester Examination July 2021

Level: BMusic

A.1 What is the difference between a literate and illiterate person? Write in
reference to the poem ‘Illiterate’ by Laxmi Prasad Devkota.
poem ‘Illiterate’ by Laxmi Prasad Devkota.
The poem Illiterate was written by Nepali poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota. The poem tries
to explain the value of literacy and education using various comparisons. The poet
compares the illiterate with different things, objects and animals. The poet also
expresses his anger and sorrow towards the Illiterate.
The poem differentiates the literate and illiterate using various comparisons.
According to the poem, the illiterate person doesn’t understand the value of sun
shine because a literate person utilizes the sunshine in various manner but the
illiterate just uses it to determine the day and night. The poet also compares them
with Vegetables. Vegetable is grown just to be eaten; it doesn’t have control over
its life. Similarly, the poet states that the illiterate has eye of a daisy and ear
of the barley and is acephalous. This means, the illiterate can see, can hear but
cannot speak or do anything. Its presence is as useless as an acephalous. The poet
also compares the illiterate with dodo and mammoth who are extinct today. This
means that they are incapable of sustaining their life and cannot adapt to new and
difficult situations. The poet also states that the illiterate lags behind the
dogs, slave to the wind, genuflector to the snake in the drains fog. This means
that the illiterate bows down to the literate, the literate controls the illiterate
in the similar way the wind controls some objects. The objects do not have any
sense of direction not do they have any aim or destination. They are just like
ragdolls and puppets of the literate. The poet also states that the illiterate
weigh like a straw in the scale and says myopia to the race. This means that the
illiterate doesn’t even have the value as much as a straw and are so blind that
they can’t even see what’s about to happen just like a myopia patient. Similarly,
the poet compares the illiterate with many other things such as cob of the maize,
man with no sense of self-defense, moonshine that fades, owl to the light of day
and many more.
Thus, the poem differentiates the literate and illiterate with the help of various
comparisons as mentioned above. The poet tries to highlight the significance of
education and tells us not to be the illiterate.

poem ‘Illiterate’ by Laxmi Prasad Devkota.

The poem Illiterate was written by Nepali poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota. The poem tries
to explain the value of literacy and education using various comparisons. The poet
compares the illiterate with different things, objects and animals. The poet also
expresses his anger and sorrow towards the Illiterate.
The poem differentiates the literate and illiterate using various comparisons.
According to the poem, the illiterate person doesn’t understand the value of sun
shine because a literate person utilizes the sunshine in various manner but the
illiterate just uses it to determine the day and night. The poet also compares them
with Vegetables. Vegetable is grown just to be eaten; it doesn’t have control over
its life. Similarly, the poet states that the illiterate has eye of a daisy and ear
of the barley and is acephalous. This means, the illiterate can see, can hear but
cannot speak or do anything. Its presence is as useless as an acephalous. The poet
also compares the illiterate with dodo and mammoth who are extinct today. This
means that they are incapable of sustaining their life and cannot adapt to new and
difficult situations. The poet also states that the illiterate lags behind the
dogs, slave to the wind, genuflector to the snake in the drains fog. This means
that the illiterate bows down to the literate, the literate controls the illiterate
in the similar way the wind controls some objects. The objects do not have any
sense of direction not do they have any aim or destination. They are just like
ragdolls and puppets of the literate. The poet also states that the illiterate
weigh like a straw in the scale and says myopia to the race. This means that the
illiterate doesn’t even have the value as much as a straw and are so blind that
they can’t even see what’s about to happen just like a myopia patient. Similarly,
the poet compares the illiterate with many other things such as cob of the maize,
man with no sense of self-defense, moonshine that fades, owl to the light of day
and many more.
Thus, the poem differentiates the literate and illiterate with the help of various
comparisons as mentioned above. The poet tries to highlight the significance of
education and tells us not to be the illiterate.