BBA III/b com iii & hons.

English language (FC-II)

Module 1

Faculty: Anjila Qureshi

EMAIL: qureshi.anjila@iper.ac.in
IPERUG/ENGLISH LANGUAGE /FC-II/M1/BBA III YEAR/B COM III & HONS./2022/ANJILA QURESHI
 Some of the good websites that you could refer for
literature content:

● Shmoop
● Sparknotes
● Gradesaver
● Enotes
● LitCharts
1. Stopping by woods on a snowy evening
-Robert Frost

Text link :
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42891/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening
Summary
Our speaker is in the woods, but (gasp) he's trespassing. He first wonders who owns these woods. In the same

breath, he tells us that he thinks he does know who owns them. The lucky landowner lives in a house in the

village. Phew. So, our speaker won't get into trouble for trespassing, because there's no one to catch him

trespassing.

Surprise! Our speaker has a horse (neigh), and this horse is little. Our speaker psycho-analyzes his little horse

and supposes that said little horse must think it's pretty strange for them to be stopping in the middle of

nowhere, with no one in sight, with not even a farmhouse close by, and absolutely no sign of hay. Newsflash:

the speaker and his little horse are chilling (pun intended) between the woods and a frozen lake. Ice skating?

Nope. Also, it happens to be the darkest evening of the year.

Little Horse is starting to really lose it. Fortunately, he has some harness
bells on his back, and he gives them a little shake in order to get his master's
attention. The only other sounds are of a slight wind and of falling snow.
Shhhhhh. It's quiet.

Our speaker admits to having a hankering for the dark woods, but he tells us
he's got things to do, people to see and places to go. He's got a long way to go
before he can rest his head on his little pillow, so he had better get going.
 Analysis
What's Up With the Title?
The title sounds to us like it would work nicely as a title for a painting, and we can easily

imagine (even before reading the poem) gazing at a framed oil painting in a carefully lit museum

that shows a figure paused in a dark and snowy landscape. The "-ing" ending to the word

"stopping" (making it, in fancy grammatical terms, a gerund) gives us the sense of the

immediate present, as though we are just now watching our speaker stop to take a gander at the

woods. This "-ing" ending also makes us feel as if things are in motion, and as if the speaker is

in the middle of a journey or task.

If we were to award a gold medal to the word in this title with the juiciest
meaning, the word "by" would be the lucky winner. When we think of
woods, we imagine being in them, surrounded by trees. However, our
speaker is not in the midst of a great forest: he's actually just next to the
woods and staring at the trees. Staring at woods strikes us as just a wee bit
strange. We can imagine hanging out with trees, because trees are cool. But
our speaker is on the periphery of the woods; he's separate from them.
Before we begin the poem, Frost makes us aware of the fact that the speaker
is not inside the woods, but is rather beside them. And that strikes us as just
plain interesting.
 Themes

● Isolation
● Choices
● Man and the Natural World
● Society and Class
Isolation

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a lonely poem, for our speaker

finds himself far away from any other human being. He kind of digs this

aloneness, however, and is glad that no one is there to watch him. We get the

feeling that he'd rather be all by his lonesome self in the freezing cold than

back in the village. Nature helps make things even lonelier, too, for it

happens to be freezing cold, snowing, and dark out there.

 Choices

The speaker in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" makes several

choices, many of which his dearly beloved horse does not agree with.

The biggest choice that he wrestles with is whether to return to the

warmth and safety of the village or to stay and watch the woods fill up

with snow. Our speaker does seem to have a hard time making his

decision. He ultimately decides to return home, but it seems to take all of

his willpower.
 Man and the Natural World

We're not going to lie, nature seems pretty darn scary in this poem. Not

scary like it's going to throw thunderbolts at our speaker or let hungry tigers

lose on him, but scary in that it is mysterious. Our speaker is almost enticed

into staying and watching the woods fill up with snow, but if he stays too

long, we've got to believe that he might freeze to death, catch a really bad

cold, or forget his way home. Nature is a beautiful siren in this poem,

compelling our speaker to hang out in spite of the dangerous consequences.

 Society and Class

We don't get much information about where our speaker comes from or about
the nearby village in this poem, but we do know that he's far away from

civilization. We also know that the man who owns the woods lives in town in a

house. From this little information, we can deduce that if you own things (like the

owner of the woods does), then you live in the midst of society. Our speaker is

not so concerned with society. In fact, society to him is about as appetizing as

cod liver oil. He'd rather be alone with nature. To us, the village sounds quaint,

cute, and warm. To our speaker, the village represents his obligations,

responsibilities, and promises.

 Further reading for the chapter
https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/poetry/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-eve
ning

https://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/frost/section10/
2. Cherry Tree by
Ruskin Bond
 Summary of The Cherry Tree

The protagonist of the story Rakesh plants a seed of a cherry tree and forgets.
The seed continues to grow. One day he notices the plant and remembers that he
had planted it a year ago. The plant has grown into a twig with one or two leaves.
He shows it to his grandfather who suggests him to take care of it. Rakesh
follows the suggestion. The monsoon arrives and the plant grows faster. The
cherry tree has to face many difficulties. It is destroyed thrice. Once it is eaten
away by a goat. At another occasion a grass cutter woman cuts it. At third time a
hairy caterpillar eats the leaves. But despite these attacks the tree revives. After
some time one day the protagonist finds flowers on it. For him it was a miracle.
Birds and bees start drinking its nectar and the tree grows taller than him. Finally
the protagonist of the story gets sweet cherries and ‘I wonder,’ he whispered. ‘Is
this what it feels to be God?’
 Analysis
The Cherry tree is a symbol of survival and it escapes almost eaten by a goat and being cut
with the grass. Just as human beings struggle in life so too does the cherry tree. But the
cherry tree shows resilience and the ability to withstand adversities.
The bond between Rakesh and the tree is of care and nurture, just like a family who is
caring for each other. He never abandons his tree even when the conditions become tough
which highlights the dedication it takes to develop strong and binding relationships of
affection and compassion.
Rakesh is a guardian to the cherry tree. He fulfils his responsibility and in
the end, is rewarded for his efforts. The cherry seed matures into a
fruit-bearing tree just like children grow into adulthood and look after their
parents in old age.

Furthermore, Rakesh’s grandfather fulfils his responsibility towards Rakesh

in advising him about living a healthy life. He is the light that Rakesh needs
to walk on the right path in life. He is nurturing Rakesh just like he is
nurturing his cherry tree.

Another theme of the story is the ability to start something new and help it
to reach its potential. Through toil and determination, Rakesh helps the
cherry tree to grow stronger. Rakesh feels proud of the cherry tree just like a
parent is proud of his/her ward.
 Further reading of the chapter
https://mydevchand.blogspot.com/2019/08/Cherry-Tree-Poem-by-Ruskin-Bond-An
alysis.html

http://www.keveinbooksnreviews.in/2017/12/book-review-cherry-tree-by-ruskin-bo
nd.html
3. The Axe by
R K Narayan
 Summary

Narayan’s short stories have appeared in several

collections and are based on the same material as his
novels. His concern is mainly sociological. The Axe is a
beautiful story about Velan who looks after an excellent
garden. About him an astrologer has predicted that he
would live in a three-story house. Velan came from the
poorest family in his village. At the age of 18, his father
slapped his face in public, and he left his house.
After a few days of walking and begging, he got a
job as a gardener. The plot of land was large. But
one day the property is sold to a builder who
decides to cut off most of the trees and uproot
the flower garden. The fall of the axe on his
beloved tree, margosa, hurts him terribly and he
decides to leave the place before the tree is cut.
 Analysis

In The Axe by R.K. Narayan we have the theme of independence, pride,

dedication, prosperity, loss, control, change and acceptance. Taken from
his Malgudi Days collection the story is narrated in the third person by an
unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that
Narayan may be exploring the theme of independence. After Velan has
been slapped by his father he abandons his father and sets out to find
work for himself. Eventually becoming a gardener. This may be important
as Velan is displaying an independent streak. He is showing his father that
he can make it on his own.
That he does not need to be guided by his father. The old man who
employs Velan is also interesting as he allows Velan to have complete
control of the garden which would further suggest that Velan has a degree
of independence in his life. Though he is answerable to the old man. The
old man does not get in Velan’s way. He leaves him to his own devices. It
is also interesting that despite claiming his father’s property on his
father’s death. Velan does not leave the garden preferring to stay in his hut
by the garden. This may be important as it suggests that Velan is
dedicated to the garden. Something that is also noticeable by the fact that
Velan also talks to each plant and flower. Urging them on in growth. If
anything, Velan’s world is dedicated or devoted to the garden.
It might also be a case that Narayan is comparing Velan’s father to the old man who owns
the garden. Both men treat Velan differently. Where Velan’s father has treated Velan
inappropriately the relationship between the old man who owns the garden and Velan is
good. It is possible that Narayan is suggesting that should a person (the old man) treat
another person (Velan) correctly than that person (Velan) will prosper. Which appears to be
the case for Velan. Since moving to his hut by the garden. Velan’s life has prospered and he
is happy. In many ways the growth of the garden and the blooming of the flowers matches
the prosperity and happiness in Velan’s life. He has managed to get married and have
children. Something that may not have been possible should he have stayed working with his
father. Narayan might also be exploring the theme of loss. Despite having gotten married
Velan has lost his wife and eight of his children. All dying before Velan. However it is
noticeable that despite this loss Velan has persevered. He has not been beaten by
circumstances. He again has continued to prosper just as the garden has.
What is also interesting about Velan is that despite his age he never gives up. This along with the fact that
he is answerable to a different master may be important as Narayan may be again highlighting how
dedicated Velan is regardless of the circumstances he finds himself in. It is also obvious to the reader that
Velan takes great pride in the work he has done in the garden. He has taken a patch of land and changed
what was an eyesore into a thing of beauty. Again through hard work, dedication and devotion. It is also
clear to the reader that Velan does not like some of his new masters. They have no interest in the house or
the garden. Despite this Velan still tries his best to keep the garden as tidy and well-preserved as possible.
In reality the garden is Velan’s whole world. He knows no other life. Though some critics might suggest
that Velan has lived a limited life due to his dedication to the garden. It is important to remember that the
garden brings joy to Velan. He is at his happiest when he is in the garden. Velan has never strived for
complexity in his life. He is a simple man who likes simple things.
The end of the story is also interesting as Narayan may be exploring the theme of
control. When Velan hears the axe hitting against the margosa tree he knows that
his life is about to change. He is no longer in control of his environment for the
first time since he was eighteen. This alone is something that would be difficult for
someone to accept but what makes it worse in many ways is the fact that Velan
had no opportunity to prepare himself for the events that were about to happen.
Nobody had told Velan of the new owner’s wishes nor the reader expects had
anybody told Velan that new owners had bought the house and garden. If anything
Velan is ignorant of what is happening though he does know that the life he had
lived working in the garden is over. Change is difficult for anybody but even more
difficult for someone as old as Velan. Even though Velan accepts what is
happening the reader senses as though he is leaving the garden as a broken man.
All the effort he has put in over the years will have been in vain now that the new
owners plan on building houses in the garden.
 Further reading
https://www.bighungama.com/world-news/examsolution-jobs/general-knowledge/j
ustify-the-title-the-axe/

https://abstractdosa.home.blog/2019/04/18/the-axe-rk-narayan/
4. The Selfish Giant
-Oscar Wilde
 Summary
The story starts with the children playing in the garden of the Giant every afternoon after coming
from school. The garden was lovely, large, with soft grass, and fruit trees. The trees bore rich
fruits and birds sang sweetly sitting on them.

One day after seven years the giant came back. He was staying with his friend, the Cornish Ogre.
The children were scared to see him. He saw the children playing and said that he would not
allow anyone to play here as it was his own garden. He built a wall around it and also put a notice
board. The notice board displayed a warning on it, ‘Trespassers will be prosecuted’.
The children became sad as they had no other place to play. They would wander around
the high walls of the garden and remember the beautiful garden inside them.

The spring season came and there were blossoms and little birds all around. But it was
winter in the giant’s garden and there were frost and snow. In the absence of children
birds also did not sing. Once a flower bloomed out of the grass but after seeing the notice
board, it also went back to sleep. Then came the North Wind and the hailstorm. Due to the
giant’s selfishness, autumn’s golden fruits also did not come to his garden.
Then one morning, the giant heard sweet and lovely music. It was a linnet singing outside his
window. The hail and the North Wind stopped and he could feel the spring. He saw that the
children came into his garden through a little hole. The children were sitting on the branches of
trees and the trees were blossoming. He also saw the birds flying and hear them chirping. The
flowers had also come up.

But, to his surprise, in one corner there was still winter. He saw that there a young boy was
standing and he was not able to reach the branches of trees. The tree lowered its branches but
still, he could not climb.
At this scene, his heart melted. He realized that he was really very selfish. He decided to put that boy
on the top of the tree, pull down the walls, and allow children to play here forever. But when the children
saw him, they ran away and the garden became winter again. However, that little boy did not run as he
was weeping. The giant put him on the top of the tree and the tree blossomed at once. He kissed the
giant.

The other children realizing that the giant is not wicked came back. The spring came back with them.
The giant used to play with the children every afternoon but that little boy was nowhere to be seen. As
the years went by, he grew very weak. One winter morning, he saw a lovely tree with white blossoms in
a corner. The branches of the tree were golden and the little boy stood under it.
The boy was wounded which made the giant very angry. He told the boy
that he will slay the man who has harmed him. The boy told him that these
were the wounds of love. The boy smiled and asked the giant to come to
his garden. Later, the children found the giant dead under the tree covered
with white blossoms.
 Critical analysis
Oscar Wilde’s one of the stylish fairy tales The Selfish Giant was included in, The Happy Prince and
Other Tales published in 1888. Noted for his witty dialogues, humour, careful choice of words and
arrangement of words, Oscar Wilde showed his best in The Selfish Giant . Very simple and very
interesting story The Selfish Giant is full of inner meaning and moral message. It suggests that if
we give happiness to others we can also feel happiness in our life. The story tells about a giant
who was really selfish. In fact, The Selfish Giant moves around a person who is very selfish by
nature. He is tall, massive and looks ugly. He doesn’t like the children who are playing in his
Garden. His selfishness was quite evident in the act of his depriving the children from the
pleasures of his garden.
The Selfish Giant tells the story of the moral decay of everyman. An adherent of the principle that
art exists for art’s sake, Wilde sets out the painting everyman’s inner corruption and way to
salvation. Thus, the story The Selfish Giant focuses a great moral lesson of love and living a stir
among straight-laced Victorian readers. It is the lesson of love. Love is a divine quality. God
Himself is the image of love. God has created man and nature. His boundless love rules the
universe and brings about a harmony among the heterogeneous elements on earth and it lends
grace to everything. Love is a mighty power that has bound man and nature together. Love should
be showered on all equally. He, who loves all things, best, irrespective of their greatness or
smallness, is the best prayed for:
“He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small

For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”—Coleridge :
Love is a great virtue, but it is difficult to cultivate. For the sake of love (which is
the image of God) one has to sacrifice a lot. But once love is enthroned in one’s
mind, one is lifted up to heaven as a reward. For God is Love and Love is God.

The Giant had a beautiful garden where some children played during his prolonged
absence. The children, who played in the Giant’s garden, felt fortunate enough to
enjoy so many beautiful objects of nature like star-like flowers, delicate flowers of
peach-trees, their ripe and delicious fruits and the note of sweet-singing birds. The
birds sat on the trees—in the garden, birds were attracted by beauty of the flowers
and their fragrances and they sat on the trees. Nature provided the garden with so
many objects that the children’s eyes and ears were feasted and they gave up
playing in order to enjoy them. Indeed, they were really very happy in the garden.
However, on his return to his castle the Giant found the garden being used by the children as a
play-ground. He built up a high wall around his garden and put up a notice board “TRESPASSERS
WILL BE PROSECUTED”. This is really an act of selfishness. This very act makes it evident that the
giant is very selfish. His crude selfishness will prompt him to drive away the children playing in the
garden. Thus, he will deprive them of their simple and innocent pleasures in the garden.

The Giant is very conscious about his property and will not allow anybody to enjoy the beauties of
his garden. Of course, the beauties of his garden are the beauties conferred upon it by Nature.

So he built notice board—the wall that the Giant’s wall was the wall of selfishness against the
children who are blessed by Jesus Christ. It is a wall between Nature and man. It amounts a
violation of the commandment of God—the love to and in children, who are simple and innocent,
should be loved.
The Giant deprived the children of their communion with Nature. Of course, the Giant was punished by Nature for
his selfishness. Neither Spring nor Autumn visited his garden, but Winter prevailed all over it.

But, in one day, in the farthest corner of the garden was the ‘marvelous sight’- a tree covered with lovely white
blossoms. Once, early in the morning he hears a sweet song and thought that kings’ musicians are passing nearby
his home, but he found a linnet in his garden who is singing on a tree. After a long time he hears a sweet song put
into the great joy and he found spring in the farthest corner of the garden. The children came though the little hole.
He goes downstairs and found a little boy who is trying to climb up on the tree. Its branches were golden and silver
fruit hung down and underneath it stood the little boy the Giant loved. The Giant picked up the little boy in his
hands and placed him on the tree. He told the children that the garden belonged to them. Finally, he took a huge
axe and broke down the wall. With these actions the Giant showed his melting heart. The children are pure in heart
and beautiful in mind. They are innocent. They are as pristine and simple as nature. Joy, bliss, warmth and life
returned to the garden with the coming back of the children. They brought about a change in the Giant’s heart and
helped to redeem his soul.
When he gave up his selfishness and began to love the children dearly, he was relieved of his
punishment. The winter weather was removed from his garden. The Giant was rewarded. “But
these are the Wounds of Love” and “You let me play once in your garden, today you shall come.”

The boy was Jesus Christ in disguise. He came to the Giant once again to take him to his garden,
Paradise, as a reward for letting him play once in his garden. The Giant was redeemed by Jesus. He
was absolved of all his sins. His soul became pure and sacred. The ‘white blossoms’ symbolize the
purity and sacredness that the Giant’s soul attained and the ever-lasting peace that he obtained
after death. He was taken to Paradise for his unselfishness by Jesus Christ.
 Further Reading
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-selfish-giant/summary-and-analysis

https://www.learncram.com/english-summary/the-selfish-giant-summary/
On the Rule of the road
- A G Gardiner
An old lady was walking carelessly in the middle of the road, and
when told that she should walk on the pavement, she responds
that because she has liberty, she has the power to do anything she
likes. However, if that were true, then the world would be chaos.
Anarchy would exist over liberty because if everyone was free to
do as they pleased, nobody would have any kind of protection.
So, it is essential to not lose ourselves in the concept of liberty
and understand what the rule of the road is.
A policeman enforcing the laws of the land, or more specifically,
the rules of the road, is a symbol of freedom, not a symbol of
dictatorship. One may believe that such law enforcement is
infringing on their freedom, but a reasonable person will also
understand that law enforcement is what allows a semblance of
order to exist in the world, which in turn supports true liberty.
We can see that liberty is a social contract, an acceptance of
everyone’s needs and an accommodation of them.
However, when what one does is unrelated to anyone else’s liberty, then there are
no restrictions to worry about. The way you choose to dress, or the style in which
you choose to portray yourself, or when you sleep, wake up, eat, bathe, and what
religion you follow are completely irrelevant with regard to another person’s
liberty, and so does not require any sort of regulation. Yet, once this lack of
regulation impinges upon someone else’s freedom, that is where the line of your
restriction-less liberty ends. If you want to learn to play the trombone, it’s
completely up to you, and you do not require anyone’s say-so. If you practice that
trombone in the wee hours of the morning, thereby disturbing family and
neighbours, then there is a problem. It is easy to point out the mistakes of others
when they infringe upon our liberty, but not as easy for us to be conscious of not
infringing upon theirs. A civilized person will be civilized in matters both big and
small. They will follow the rules of the road, and they contribute to the little
things that make life for everyone that much sweeter. Consideration for one
another is integral to real liberty.
 Critical Analysis

In this text, a single example is used as a thread throughout the essay,

that is, the titular “Rule of the Road”. This single example is used to
explain liberty, and it is a metaphor for all the regulations that exist to
protect one’s liberty. This seemingly insignificant rule or example has a
big impact in the big picture, as it represents the little things each person
must adhere to in order to support the structure of life..
Liberty exists when a person is free from oppression from authority and free from
restrictions imposed on their behaviour, political views, decisions, and so on. It
gives people the power to act as they want to, and this is how they become
“liberty-drunk”. People reach a point of not being able to relinquish their
freedom, even at the cost of someone else’s freedom. Liberty for the civilized is a
willingness to restrain or restrict themselves out of consideration for the comfort
and needs of another person. Anarchy exists when there is an absence, or
ignorance, of rules or controls. It is a political ideal of absolute freedom of every
individual, without a care for the needs of others. It is, colloquially, a state of
confusion due to the absence of any regulation.
The mention of “social contract” is in reference to the Social
Contract Theory by philosopher John Locke. This theory
contains the idea that people in a society live together with the
mutual agreement of certain rules or regulations that will be
followed. It shows that people themselves decide to live under a
moral and political rule that has been reasonably set and thus
form a society. Liberty is a social contract because liberty for
everyone requires restraint from everyone, and this is an
agreement between all the people in society to curtail their
individual liberty in the interest of mass liberty.
The essay begins with an anecdote, and it is one that easily sums up the content that follows it. In

this anecdote, the woman’s idea of freedom did not seem to include the fact that people on the

road have the same liberty to drive straight into her, because she was on a public road. The cars

on the road are respecting her liberty to be alive and unhurt, while she disrespects their liberty to

have a safe and peaceful drive. Liberty in society requires mutual respect, and thus this example is

used by the author to show us why the consideration of others is so integral to community liberty.

“Petrograd” is the old name for St. Petersburg, which is a city in Russia. The anecdote about the

woman is set in Russia.

The two main concepts of liberty have been laid out in this essay, that is,
individual liberty and community liberty. The author uses several examples of
personal liberty and ends with the example of playing the trombone. The
trombone example is used to show how the illusion of individual liberty can
interfere with community liberty. As the saying goes, your freedom ends where
my nose begins. The personal liberty of one person can never infringe upon the
personal liberty of another. Any overlap requires consideration for each other and
regulation of each one’s individual liberty. The willingness to participate freely in
a society without feeling the need to be chaotic is the hallmark of a civilized
human in a liberalized world. A “Maelstrom” is a state of confusion or chaos. The
lack of regulation will lead to this sort of violent turmoil that is inescapable.
The crux of this essay is that a truly liberal world requires that people be
considerate of each other. This requires that each person determines the impact of
their actions on others, and on society as a whole. The point is not to look out at
others and see their shortfalls, but to look within and resolve our own. This essay
reinforces this as it begins with the recognition of another person’s mistakes and
ends with the assertion that it is simple to see where others fall, but difficult to
recognize our own inadequacies. Liberty in society requires the sacrifice of
individual desires to support the greater good. Consideration for other people and
sacrifice of one’s own liberty go hand in hand, and the compromises and
agreements that the population accepts becomes the social norm and the expected
behaviour.
Little drops of water make the mighty ocean, as Julia Carney says. In this context, it is the little

changes that people make that provide freedom for everyone. It is not commonplace for a person

to have an opportunity to undertake an immense or heroic sacrifice for the freedom of the general

population, but the little everyday sacrifices that people cumulate into a sweeter life for all

involved.In this essay, when speaking about the freedom to play the trombone, the author saying

“If I went to the top of Everest” is the usage of hyperbole. It is a wild exaggeration in order to get

the point across, and also adds a slight comedic effect“It means that in order that the liberties of all

may be preserved, the liberties of everybody must be curtailed” is an oxymoronic statement that

catches the attention of the reader by its perceived contradiction. However, this contradiction is

resolved through the explanations of the story.

The Song of Kabir
- Translated by Tagore
Kabir also known as Kabir Das was born and brought up in a Muslim
weavers family by Niru and Nima. He was a mystic poet and a musician and
was one of the important saints of Hinduism and also considered a Sufi by
Muslims. He is respected by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. He was a disciple
of Ramananda Poet. He was never formally educated and was almost
completely illiterate. According to legend, the only word that he ever learned
how to write was "Rama".
It is because of poetry that Kabir is held in high esteem all over the world.
Another beauty of Kabir's poetry is that he picks up situations that
surround our daily lives. Thus, even today, his poetry is relevant and
helpful in both social and spiritual context. Following him means
understanding one's inner self, realizing oneself, accepting oneself as is,
and becoming harmonious with one's surroundings. Kabir das has written
poetry and songs. All of his recorded verses are in Hindi. His lyrics are
characterised by a free use of the vernacular, and is unfettered by the
grammatical bonds of his day. It is this quality which has made his
philosophy accessible to generations of Indians.
The present poem ‘Santan Jat Na Pucho Nirguniyan’( It is needless to ask of a saint the caste to
which he belongs) has been taken from ‘Songs of Kabir’, a translation work in English by R. N.
Tagore. This book was published in 1915 with an introduction by Evelyn Underhill. It consists of
100 poems of Sant Kabir who was a great Indian poet and mystic of 15th century.
In this poem Sant Kabir, a great social reformer, criticises the caste system. According to him the
caste system is a blot on humanism. It should be eradicated. Due to this system the Indian society
has been divided into various sections. This is one of the greatest barriers in the way of the
development. That is why the poet advises that one should not ask about the caste of saints. In the
eyes of the poet all are equal. In short, here the poet raises his voice against social discrimination.
The purpose of the poet is to establish peace, prosperity and harmony.