“SPRINGS”- THE TEXT- IN NUT-SHELL

POEMS SUMMARISED
1.ROMEO AND JULIET:- WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Juliet teaches the torches to burn bright--------Like a
rich jewel in Ethiope’s ear , Juliet shines on the cheek of
night-----Like a white dove (Juliet) among the crows
(companions), Juliet moves among her companions. After
the dance Romeo wants to meet Juliet---- By touching her
hands he wants to make his rude hands blessed. Romeo
challenges that he had never seen such beauty before.
Juliet desperately waiting for Romeo----asks night and
Romeo to come fast-----Like new dew on raven’s back
Romeo shines on the wings of night----After death Romeo
becomes star----Romeo will make the face of heaven (sky)
beautiful---People will not worship the garish sun----people
will worship Romeo.

2.ON CHILDREN:—KHALIL GIBRAN

Mother asks the Prophet to give advice on bringing up
children------Your children are not your children---They are
life’s longing for itself--- they come through you, not from
you----Parents can give them love , not thoughts----- They
have their own thoughts----- Parents can house their bodies
,not their souls---Their souls dwell in the houses of
tomorrow which parents can’t visit even in their dreams---
The parents can imitate their children----But they can’t
force children to be like them---Because the life always moves
forward----Parents are stable bows----Children are flying
arrows----God is the archer—He(God) loves and controls both.

3.WHEN YOU ARE OLD : –W.B.YEATS

 Poet asks his beloved to read the book (of poems he has
written on her) when she would be gray, full of sleep and
nodding sitting near the fire place ---He asks her to dream
of the soft look her eyes once had---- Others loved
moments of glad grace and loved her beauty---But poet
loved pilgrim soul and sorrows of changing face---Love (of
others) fled and paced upon the mountains ----Love hid his
face amid a crowd of stars.

4.TO the Foot from its Child:—PABLO NERUDA

At first a child’s foot wants to be a butterfly or apple----
Gradually stones, bits of glass, streets, ladders, path of
rough earth (problems of life) teach the foot that it can’t be
so--- Foot is defeated, falls in the battle, a prisoner,
condemned to live in a shoe----In the shoe foot feels like a
blind man---Soft nails become opaque substance hard as
horn-----Tiny petaled toes take the shape of eyeless reptiles
with triangular heads like worms--- Foot grows callused---The
‘volcanoes of death’ appear---Still ‘this blind thing’ (foot)
walks without respite(rest)---The foot visits – fields, mines,
markets, ministeries---Foot walks until the whole man
chooses to stop(when man dies)—The foot descends
underground to the darkness (tomb) and thinks of its old
dream now again.

5.HEAVEN IF YOU ARE NOT HERE ON EARTH:- KUVEMPU

The heaven is on earth itself----Men (human beings)
themselves are Gods and nymphs (if humans become
gods/nymphs there are gods/nymphs; if humans don’t become
gods/nymphs there are no gods/numphs)-----The heaven is in
roaring streams, rolling surf, tender sunshine on verdant
gardens, gentle sun, splendour of harvest and splendour of
moonlight------The poet creates heaven on earth imbibing
and spilling the song of nectar.

6.WATER:-CHALLAPALLI SWAROOPA RANI

As dampness on the well’s edge never dries, the
untouchability never disappears. Water is witness for
generations of strife between village and wada---Water
knows the difference of race between Samaria woman and
Jesus the Jew---Water knows the agony of panchama waiting
with empty pot---Water knows the humiliation of wada girl----
Water is the witness for Karamchedu Suvarthamma’s strife
with Kamma land-lords---Water is the witness for centuries of
social injustice---Water is not just H20, it is a mighty
movement--The Mahad struggle at the Chadar tank---A
single drop of water embodies—tears shed over generations,
battles fought, blood that flawed in streams---Water reminds
the weekly bath a wonderous festival, miles of walk with
heavy pots, Malapalle incident (houses burning to ashes)----
Water can give life, quench parched throats ----Also water
can devour lives, become killer tsunami and swallow whole
village---Water can turn village into dry desert or drown
villages in floods---The poor are playthings in its(water’s)
vicious hands---Water ignites struggles and strife---Water sits
innocently in Bisleri bottle---Water today a new name ‘mineral
water’---Water a multi-national commodity---Water is
omniscient---Water contains the world.

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PROSE AND DRAMA SUMMARISED ( PaRT I )

 2. TOO DEAR - COUNT LEO TOLSTOY
• Monaco lies near the borders of France and Italy, on the shore of the
Mediterranean Sea.
• Total population is just 7000 people.
• Monaco has a small army of 60 men.
• Monaco imposes taxes on – tobacco, wine, spirit and poll tax.
• Major source of income- income from gambling houses.
• Famous game of gambling-roulette.
• Some German sovereigns had gambling houses till recently.
• People forced government to ban gambling in Germany because
many lost lives and property by gambling.
• Monaco had monopoly in gambling.
• A man committed murder. He was given death sentence.
• There was hitch in executing the criminal. There was no guillotine.
• France was asked to lend the machine. It demanded 16,000 francs.
• The French government was Republican and they have no respect for
kings.
• Italy has Monarch. Italy demanded 12000 francs.
• Soldiers were asked to kill the criminal. They were not ready. They
were not taught to kill people.
• Death sentence was converted into life imprisonment.
• A guard was kept to watch him and bring him food from palace
kitchen.
• The annual expense to keep the criminal was 600 francs.
• The criminal was convinced to leave prison. He was promised pension
of 600 francs/year.
• The criminal purchased a plot of land and started market gardening.

4. EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN THE FOREST-

VANDANA SHIVA
• Vandana shiva’s ecological journey started in the forests of Himalayas.
• Vandana Shiva’s father was a forest conservator and mother became a farmer
after the partition.
• Mother composed songs and poems about trees, forests and India’s forest
civilizations.
• Vandana’s involvement in ecology movement began with Chipko Movement.
• Chipko Movement is a non-violent response to the large scale deforestation
of Himalayan region.
• Chipko Movement began in the 1970s in Gharwal Himalaya. It was started by
peasant women to save the trees.
• As a result of large scale logging of trees there was landslides, floods, scarcity of
water, fodder and fuel.
• Women had to walk longer for water ,fodder and firewood.
• For women the real value of forest was- springs and streams, food for cattle ,
fuel for hearth. (not timber from dead tree)
• Women hugged the trees and asked the loggers to kill them before cutting the
tree.
• In 1973 before leaving for Canada for her Ph.D., she visited her native and was
shocked to see a stream reduced to a trickle.
• In 1977 in the Himalayan village of Adwani a village woman called Bachni Devi
led a resistance against her own husband who had obtained contract to cut the
trees in large scale.
• For the forest officers the forests are for –profit ,resin and timber.
• For the women the forests are for-soil water and pure air.
• From Chipko Vandana Shiva learnt about bio-diversity.
• Vandana’s mission in life- protection of biodiversity and biodiversity based
living economies.
• In the book “Monocultures of Mind” Vandana says that failure to understand
biodiversity and its functions is the cause of impoverishment of nature and
culture.
• Navadhanya Movement was started in 1987 for biodiversity conservation and
organic farming.
• Navdhanya Farm (a biodiversity farm) was started by Vandana Shiva in 1994,
in the Doon Valley of Himalayan region of Uttarakhand province.
• Functions of Navadhanya Farm
→Save conventional seeds.(3000rice seeds saved so far)
 →Conserve and grow varieties of seeds.(650 rice,150 wheat, hundreds
of
other grains so far.
→Practice and promote biodiversity intensive form of farming.
→Train farmers in organic farming.
• Conservation of biodiversity is the answer for food and nutrition crisis.
• Ecuador has recognised the “rights of nature” in its constitution.
• Bolivia has initiated the Universal Declaration of Rights of Mother Earth.
• UN Secretary General’s report “Harmony with Nature” says human beings
are inseparable part of nature and by damaging nature man damages his own
life.
• Cormac Cullinan , South African environmentalist speaks about eco-apartheid
which refers to separateness of humans from nature in our minds and lives.
• The concept of Terra Madre ( Mother Earth) is replaced by Terra Nullius
(dead earth/empty land) by the industrial revolution.
• Francis Bacon the father of modern science said, science and its inventions
not only exert gentle guidance over nature’s course ,they have the power to
conquer and subdue her, to shake her foundations.
• Carolyn Merchant a philosopher and historian said, “One does not readily slay a
mother dig into her entrails for gold or mutilate her body.”
• Earth University is located in Navadhanya Farm.
• Earth University is inspired by Rabindranath Tagore.
• Earth University teaches earth democracy
• Earth democracy means – freedom to all species to evolve within the web of life.
Freedom and responsibility of humans towards other species.
Shift in outlook –from anthropocentrism to eco-centrism .
• Two popular courses of Earth University are-
a) The A to Z of Organic Farming and agro Ecology
b) Gandhi and Globalisation
• Shanti Niketan is a learning centre
→ started by Ravindranath Tagore
→ in west Bengal .
→ started as forest school
→ to take inspiration from nature and to create cultural renaissance.
→ became a university in 1921
 • Tapovan is an essay written by Ravindranth Tagore—speaks about distinct
nature of Indian civilisation.
• THE END OF CONSUMERISM AND ACCUMULATION IS THE
BEGINNING OF JOY OF LIVING.

5 . A SUNNY MORNING - SERAFIN AND JOAQUIN ALVAREZ QUINTERO

• Action of the play takes place in a park in Madrid, Spain. Time is a

sunny morning of autumn.
• Dona Laura visits park with her maid Petra.
• Laura feeds pigeons with bread crumbs in the park to pass time.
• Don Gonzalo visits park assisted by servant Juanito. He reads books
there.
• Gonzalo’s seat is occupied by three priests. So he shares Laura’s
bench.
• Gonzalo reads a poem-“ Twenty years pass. He returns.”
• Gonzalo brushes dust from his shoes with his handkerchief.
• Laura criticizes it and says that she has a neighbour’s right to do so.
• Gonzalo wishes that the authorities should put more benches for sunny
mornings.
• A pinch of snuff brings peace between them.
• Gonzalo visited America for the first time at the age of 6 years.
• Maricela a villa in Valencia-Laura Llorente lived there.
• Laura Liorente (Dona Laura)was called “The Silver Maiden” in the
locality.
• Gallant Gonzalo and the merchant had a duel for Laura’s hand.
• Young Gonzalo (in the fake story) went to Seville to Madrid then
joined army and went to Africa and met with a glorious death in the
battle field holding the flag of Spain and uttering the name of Laura.
• In reality in three months Gonzalo ran off to Paris with a ballet
dancer.
 • Young Laura Llorente (in fake story) became victim to a huge wave
and died.
• Gonzalo didn’t reveal his identity because he is grotesque now.
• Laura didn’t reveal her identity because she is too sadly changed.
• Gonzalo promises to come to park the next day with bread crumbs if it
is a sunny morning.

7. THE GARDENER- P. LANKERSH

• The old man was standing in a coconut grove near

Chennarayapattana. Spade in one hand and news paper tucked in
other arm.
• The owner’s farm was 10 acres initially.
• Tammanna’s important possession was his rival Sangoji (Basvaiah).
• Tammanna had 1000 acres and Basavaiah had 800 acres of land.
• Basavaiah encroached 200 acres of Tammanna’s excess land.
• Tammanna and Basavaiah’s enmity entered invisible domains.
• Tammanna started composing songs and ballads.
• Tammanna’s disease was Basavaiah’s health.
• Tammanna(old man) forgot all his songs and ballads after
Basavaiah’s death.
• Tammanna is the oldman of the owner’s farm.
• Lokya was a labourer in the farm. His son painted well. Old man
wanted to visit him as he was bed ridden with fever.

*************
9. I BELIEVE THAT BOOKS WILL NEVER DISAPPEAR
 Borges’ first reading was Grimm’s Fairy Tales in English version.
 Borges was educated by his father’s library more than by high school or the
university.
 Dona Leonor was his mother- extraordinary , gracious, intelligent, kind lady with
no enemies.
 Borges was guilty—he could not give his mother deserved happiness during her
life time.
 All children take their parents for granted as –sun, moon or seasons.
 Blindness for Borges is a way of life that is not entirely unhappy.
 For a writer/artist- humiliations, misfortunes, embarrassments, discord- are all
resource/raw material/clay to shape their art.
 Homer in The Odyssey says- “The gods wrought and spun the skein of ruin for men,
that there might be a song for those yet to be born.”
 Borges dreamt of the burning of a great library- he feels-the library of Alexandria.
 Borges was asked if he had a thought of writing a history of book.
 Borges was 83 years old when he was interviewed by Alifano.
 Spengler in The Decline of the West writes remarkable comments on books.
 Bernard Shaw - “ Every book worth being re-read has been written by the spirit.”
 Poetry- something so intimate , so essential, magical, mysterious, unexplainable,
can’t be defined, but not incomprehensible event.
-aesthetic act-while writing(poet) and reading(reader)
 “This quiet dust was gentlemen and ladies”- a line from Emily Dickinson.
 Five essential metaphors Borges refers are--
➢ Time and river (flow)
➢ Life and dreams (hope)
➢ Death and sleep (stagnancy)
➢ Stars and eyes (glitter)
➢ Flowers and women (beauty).
 Books will never disappear. Because book is the most astounding invention of
man- extension of imagination and memory.
 Telephone - extension of voice
Telescope ,microscope - extension of sight
Sword, plough – extension of hand
Literature is a controlled dream. 
10. JAPAN AND BRAZIL THROUGH A
TRAVELER’S EYE GEORGE MIKES.

JAPANESE MANNERS
 The Japanese are exquisitely well-mannered people.
 Japan is hopelessly overcrowded island.
 The little red telephone on a table or on a counter – in the streets, shops, halls of
hotels- is his castle.
 Most confidential business transactions , intimate love quarrels-conducted in
public; yet in perfect privacy.
 The Japanese have mania for bowing.
 The Japanese bowing- characteristics-
• All bow to one another
• With a ceremonious solemnity of a courtier
• Yet it is quite natural
• It is inimitable and very complex
• It is a casual act like shaking hand, kissing the cheek
• But, bit quainter, more formal, more oriental
• There is a complicated hierarchy in bowing
• All members of the family, babies in saddles, animals bow
 Tokaido Line – between Tokyo and Osaka – famous and fast rail line-two
conductors bowed before proceeding
 At Nara a deer bowed to the author before snatching food packet from him.
 With the arrival of bus bowing gentlemen- savages.
 While eating soup- a fearful noise to be made- a sign of appreciation—if not
called ill-mannered lout
 This noise too is inimitable- if made, termed “disgusting”

TRAFFIC IN BRAZIL
 The Brazilians love leisure and beauty.
 The grey pavements in the streets of Copacabana are often decorated with
beautiful black mosaics.
 As soon as these “leisurely characters” (Brazilians) get steering wheel in hand
(drive in the highest speed) no speed is high for them.
 The cars are very costly in Brazil as the import duties are murderous and
crippling(very high).
 In spite of high cost, the number of motor cars in Brazil are growing by leaps
and bounds- as if they are distributed free of cost to all and sundry.
 The pedestrian’s life is becoming more hazardous every day.
 The drivers are always on look out for the pedestrians to chase , as a fair game –
like hunter and prey- in the end both smile amicably and part.
 Avenida presidente Vargas –worst traffic hit place—to cross the road is
impossible here.


12. THE VOTER CHINUA ACHEBE

 Rufus Okeke –Roof – of Umoufia was chief campaigner( PAP) and right
hand man of Marcus Ibe.
 Roof spent two years in Port Harcourt working as a bicycle repairer’s
apprentice.
 Roof didn’t abandon his village Umoufia but returned to help the
villagers in their crisis. (as they thought)
 Roof was an expert in campaigning at all levels (village, local govt. or
national).
 Roof had warned Ibe about the radical change that had come into the
thinking of Umoufia since the last national election.
 Marcus Ibe was the Minister of Culture in the outgoing government . He too
is from Umoufia.
 Marcus Ibe belonged to People’s Alliance Party(PAP). His symbol was a
motor car
 Marcus Ibe was a mission school teacher. He was not successful as teacher. He
had a dispute with a lady teacher whom he later married.
 Marcus resigned from the post of teacher –
Either to avoid the imminent dismissal arising from a female teacher’s
complaint,
Or to join politics which was a new entry into their village.
 Marcus Ibe built a huge house in the village and named it as Umoufia
Mansions.
  Ogbuefi Ezenwa a man of high traditional title- in his house Roof carries
out his whispering campaign at night.
 Maduka was the leader of Progressive Organization Party (POP).
Maduka’s symbol was man’s head.
 POP is a new party formed by the tribes down the coast to save themselves
from total political, cultural ,social and religious annihilation.
 Maduka’s campaigner approached Roof and offered 5 pounds to vote for
Maduka.
 The campaigner compelled Roof to take an oath on the Iyi of Mbanta that he
would vote for Maduka.
 On the day of election Marcus Ibe hired a highlife band from Umuru .
 On the election day Marcus was sitting in the owner’s corner of his enormous
green car and smiled and nodded to the voters.
 Roof was the first among the campaigners to go to voting compartment.
 Roof folded the paper ,tore it in two along the crease and put one half in
each box.
 Roof put the first half in Maduka’s box saying “ I vote for Maduka.”


13. WHERE THERE IS A WHEEL

P. SAINATH
 Women’s Cycling movement took place in Pudukkottai in Tamil
Nadu in 1991.
 For women cycle was symbol of freedom, independence and
mobility.
 Cycle movement was a huge success because-
➢ The women of Pudukkottai wanted to hit at the backwardness
➢ They wanted to express defiance
➢ They wished to hammer at the fetters that held them
➢ Cycle offered a way out of enforced routines
➢ Cycle showed a new world beyond the male imposed barriers.
 Cycle movement helped the Arivoli Iyakkam or light of knowledge
movement.
 Lack of mobility was the reason for the failure of literacy
movement.
 Sheela Rani Chunkath (popular DC of Pudukkottai in 1991)
included mobility as a part of literacy drive.
 The women influenced by cycle were neo- literates.
 Cycle helped-
➢ women agricultural workers
➢ quarry labourers
➢ village health nurses
➢ balwadi/anganawadi workers
➢ gem cutters
➢ school teachers
➢ gram sevikas
➢ mid-day meal workers
 Names mentioned-
➢ Jameela Bibi- a neo-cyclist
➢ Fatima-secondary schoolteacher and neo-cyclist
➢ N.Knnammal- a science graduate and Arivoli central
coordinator
➢ S. Kannakarajan –owner of Ram cycles
➢ Muthu Bhaskaran- a male arivoli activist-he wrote famous
cycling song which became their anthem.
➢
 Cycle gave the rural women—
➢ Aesthetic benefits- Gave joy, confidence, freedom, independence
and mobility.
They could do multiple tasks with nonchalance.
They could give time for family.
➢ Utility benefits-Helped carry water, kids, goods, farm produce.
No waiting for vehicle or men folk of the family.
➢ Economic benefits- Increased leisure time
Increased work efficiency
Increased income
Helped expand market
Helped concentrate on trade

