Grade 12 Poems Highlights

1. The poet is driving from her parent's home to the Cochin airport.

2. Her mother, who is sixty-six years old, is sitting beside her.

The old lady is dozing with her mouth open.

3. 4. Her face looks pale and faded like ash.

5. It arouses pain in the poet's heart.

6. The poet turns away her attention from her mother and looks outside.

7. The world outside is full of life and activity.

8. Trees seem running past and children seem to be enjoying while coming out of their homes.

9. They have to undergo a security check up at the airport,

10. Standing a few yards away, she looks at her mother again.

11. She looks faded and weak like the late winter's moon.

12. The old familiar ache and fear of the poet's childhood return.

13. But she hides her feelings. She scatters smiles wishing to meet her old 'Amma' again.

Keeping Quiet

1. The poet urges us to count twelve and be still.

2. For a moment we should stop talking in different languages. We should not move our arms so
much.

3. The moment of stillness will be a fascinating moment.

4. It will be a moment of complete silence without rush and the noise of machines.

5. Fishermen will not harm whales in the cold sea. The man gathering salt will take care of his
hurt hands.

6. Those who are indulging in different kinds of wars should be still for some time.
7. Let them come out in their best dresses with their brothers and walk under the shady trees.

8. But 'stillness' should not be confused with total inactivity and death. The poet has no
association with death.

9 . Constant moving doesn't do us any good.

10. Men can't understand themselves and keep on threatening themselves with death.

11. If they keep quiet and be still, a long silence can do a lot of good to them.

12. The earth is a symbol of life under apparent stillness. When everything seems dead, life on
the earth goes on under apparent stillness.

A Thing Of Beauty

1. A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.

2. Its value never decreases.

3. A thing of beauty is a shelter for us. It gives us a sound sleep full of sweet dreams.

4. Our sadness, evil nature and unhealthy ways make our living quite unpleasant.

5. But a thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness from our spirits.

6. Trees provide a shady boon for sheep.

7. Clear small streams provide a cooling shady cover of thickets against the hot season.

8. Daffodils bloom among the green surroundings. Beautiful musk-roses bloom around mid
forest thickets.

9. The beauty provided by these beautiful objects of nature is lovelier than all the stories that we
have heard or read.

10. Nature provides us an immortal drink that pours into our hearts right from heaven.

A Roadside Stand

1. There is a roadside stand at the edge of the road.

2. Those who established it certainly did so to earn money.

3. They expected their prospective customers to stop there and buy things.

4. But the rich and the refined people drive past without stopping there.

5. The roadside stand offers ordinary things for sale.

6. Wild berries and golden gourds are sold there.

7. The people who run this stand hope for city-money so that they may also prosper.

8. There is a news that their belongings will be bought.

9. The so called 'good doers' and greedy people will exploit them.

10. Some people who pretend to be generous are even worse than flesh-eating wild animals

11. These greedy people want to mint money by befooling the innocent rural people.

12. The people who run this roadside stand hope that some car will stop there. They keep their
windows open so that some customers may oblige them.

13. But some come only to back or turn around the car or to ask the way where it is bound.

14. The poet will feel greatly relieved if all their pains and troubles are removed at one stroke.
Death is far better than their miserable living.

Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

1. Aunt Jennifer's tigers jump over across a screen.

2. They are 'sleek and chivalric'. They pace with confidence and certainty.

3. She is using ivory needles and fluttering her fingers in the wool to create her tigers.

4. Her fingers find it hard even to pull the ivory needles.

5. The heavy weight of Uncle's wedding band still sits at her hands.

6. Those sufferings and troubles that crushed her during her married life have possessed her
mentally and physically.

7. When Aunt Jennifer is dead, her tigers will survive.

8. They will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.