English

Poem Annotations and Answers {Question Number- 2,4}

Happiness

Title : HAPPINESS

Penned by : Carl Sandburg

Culled from : Chicago Songs

Laurels : Three Pulitzer Prizes

Reference-

This line has been taken from the heart-touching poem “Happiness” written by Carl Sandburg,
one of the famous American poets. The poem is extracted from his collection of poems, Chicago
songs. Sandburg is famous for his biography of Abraham Lincoln, which made him the winner of
three Pulitzer Prizes.

Context-

The narrator tries to find out the real meaning of happiness from different people. He approaches
different people with different perspectives such as professors and top executives to get the answer.

Elucidation-

The poem “Happiness” by Carl Sandburg is about a man who is asking what is happiness, and can
it be described. Happiness doesn’t have a single definition and it also doesn't have a formula; it is
experienced he says. The narrator tries to find out the real meaning of happiness from different
people. He consults the professors to help him in his regard. The professors think that they know the
meaning of happiness while actually, they don’t. Probably they might be equating happiness with
power, intelligence, and success.

“The Happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of
everything they have.”

But later he finds the real meaning of happiness from a crowd of Hungarians with their women and
children beside a river and beneath the trees enjoying their food, drink, music and fun. Carl
Sandburg reveals the real meaning of happiness,- which is not about money or success but about
living in the moment. Finally, he felt that happiness can’t be described everyone has a different view
on happiness. Happiness can come from simple materials and it is not essential that u need money,
wealth, fame, and power to be happy. Sometimes even one person can make you happy and a
thousand of them cannot it is different from one person to another person. Thousands and
thousands of people tried to define true and real happiness some people say that money doesn't
bring happiness but for some people it does. What is happiness is a question that cannot be
resolved.

“Happiness is not wealth or success or fame but the feeling of togetherness”

“Wisdom lives in lives but not in libraries!”

Critical Appreciation-
Carl Sandburg uses lots of symbols to describe his feelings about the real meaning of happiness and
gives a valuable message that happiness is not defined but needs to be experienced.

The Beggar

Title : THE BEGGAR

Penned by : Dr. Ammangi Venugopal

Laurels : 1 st Recipient of Kaloji Narayana Award

Reference-

These thought-provoking lines are extracted from a significant poem “ The Beggar”, penned by Dr.
Ammangi Venugopal in Telugu and was translated into English by Dr. N. Surendra. The Poem
portrays the miserable plight of farmers. It depicts the woes and problems of farmers in a touching
way.

Context-

The poet describes the pitiable physical position of farmers and brings out the question which
explains the farmer’s hard work and grief. The Poet says that a farmer is made as a beggar, stands at
the doorway of others seeking alms to eat.

“Farming is not just a job. It’s a Way of Life”

Elucidation-

The Poem projects the intense grief of the farmers’ suffering. A farmer today is misery incarnate. His
eyes speak volumes about the farmer’s sorrow. The poet eliminates no words in highlighting
farmers’ woes. He opens the poem with a question. It identifies farmers with dark eyes that are filled
with the shadows of their struggles. Their backs are bent with the burden. Their hands are soiled and
served and their feet bleed. Yet, their ability to produce food and satisfy others’ hunger remains fully
active. They meet the hunger of even skies. They work hard. They help others. Yet, the irony is they
don’t find food for themselves, even a morsel. The complexity of the contemporary culture,
contaminated by commercialization, is captured in the poem in a captivating way. The way the
theme is dealt with in the poem has a universal appeal.

“ Farmers don’t need sympathy. They need our Respect.

And we owe them that respect.”

Critical Appreciation-

The poem portrays the pathetic plight of farmers. The poet says that farmers have the ability to
produce food and draws the attention of readers and describes the complex problems the farmers
face today. We say Jai Kisan at times but a farmer is made a beggar in this contemporary society so
the poet wants everyone to own up to farmers and with them their problems.
Prose Annotations and Answers {Question number 1, 3}

Two Sides of Life

Title : TWO SIDES OF LIFE

Penned by : Booker T Washington

Laurels : Founder of Tuskegee University

Reference-

We come across these analytical words in the motivating piece, “Two Sides of Life”. It is the
creation of Booker T Washington, who was born into slavery and rose to become a leading African
American intellectual of the 19th century. He was an American educator