Poetry Common Wealth Bees

POETRY
1. COMMON WEALTH OF BEES

PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS
1. According to Shakespeare, what are the lessons that human beings must learn from
honey bees? (Or) Real results will emerge when we realize the power of combined
individual actions. Justify this statement.
INTRODUCTION:
Title : COMMON WEALTH OF BEES
Penned : WILLILAM SHAKESPEARE
Culled from : Hendry v. act-1. scene-2
Magnum opus : Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth Julius
Caesar, Henry V, the tempest, Romeo and Juliet,
As you like it and the merchant of Venice.
Milestones: : 36 plays, 154 sonnets and two long poems.
Focus : In this poem Shakespeare wonderfully presents
the kingdom of bees to tell about the structure of
an organization or a family.
MAIN ANSWER:
Shakespeare adored the world over as the greatest playwright and poet. His
dramas are probably the most widely read books. His popular play, Henry v, presents
us the pattern for organization of common wealth in times of war.
"Creatures that, by a rule in nature, teach
the art of order to a peopled kingdom"
The Arch bishop of Canterbury says that honey bees can teach many lessons to
human beings. They are models of political and social organization. They are ideal
team workers. They have the capacity to teach us the art of order. They have a king
and officers like us. They have magistrate to maintain law and order. They have
merchants to do business. They have soldiers to go out and plunder the booty and
bring at home. They have civil citizen bees to make profitable honey. They have
mechanic porters to carry the honey to the hive through narrow gates. They have lazy
bees which are punished by the judges. .
Prepared by V. Balachandra, M.A. Litt, B.Ed., Cell: 9441151983 1

CONCLUSION:
Here the poet says that there are different groups of bees who do their job according to
their nature and capacity. Similarly many different elements can work together with
team spirit and industry towards one common purpose and achieve the goal.
“WHERE THERE IS UNITY THERE IS ALWAYS VICTORY”.
ANNOTATIONS
1. Creatures that, by a rule in nature, teach that art of order to a peopled kingdom
REFERENCE
Milestones: : -36 plays, 154 sonnets and two long poems.
Context : These lines are spoken by the archbishop of
Canterbury about the kingdom of bees as the best
pattern for the organization of his common
wealth in the time of war.
“Creatures that, by a rule in nature, teach the art of order to a peopled kingdom”.
ELUCIDATION:
The speaker says that honey bees can teach many lessons to human beings.
They are models of political and social organization. They are ideal team workers.
They have a capacity to teach us the art of order. They have an organized life with
rules and regulations and perfect discipline each performing its duty. They maintain
law and order. In fact, we can learn a lot about how to run a well-ordered kingdom
from these creatures.
CRITICAL APPRECIATION:
Here the poet makes a comparison between bees and human beings about
working together for a collection purpose. These lines teach us team spirit, industry
active participation and cooperation to achieve a common goal.

“TEAM SPIRIT, INDUSTRY, ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AND COOPERATION
TO ACHIEVE A COMMOM GOAL”.
2. Other's like soldier's, armed in their stings, make boot upon the summer's velvet
buds.
REFERENCE
Context : These words are spoken by Archbishop of
Canterbury when he describes about soldier bees.
"Other's like soldier's, armed in their stinqs. make boot upon the summer's velvet
buds"
ELUCIDATION:
There are different classes of bees engaged in different works. Some of the
bees like soldiers go to far off places for the collection of honey. They go miles and
miles of distance to reach the gardens. They collect honey from attractive flowers.
They return to the bee hive and store honey there. The mason bees cover the chambers
with wax. Thus, honey is ready for the other bees. Soldier bees protect their hives and
the king bees observes the work of everyday including mason bees who build the
hives.
3. The poor mechanic porters crowding in their heavy burdens at his narrow gate.
REFERENCE

Context : These words are spoken by Archbishop of
Canterbury to Henry when he describes about the
poor mechanic porters.
“The poor mechanic porters crowding in their heavy burdens at his narrow
gate”.
ELUCIDATION:
The Arch bishop of Canterbury says that honey bees can teach many lessons to
team workers. They have the capacity to teach us the art of order. They maintain law
and order. The job of porters is presented in detail. The finished honey is stocked in
the compartments of their hive. They transport huge quantities of honey. They crowd
around the pillaged goods into the hives.
4. so many a thousand actions, once a foot End in one purpose, and be all well borne
without defeat.
REFERENCE

Context : These concluding lines of poem are spoken by
Archbishop of Canterbury to Henry about
governance in bee hive.
“So many a thousand actions, once a foot
End in one purpose, and be all well borne without defeat”.
ELUCIDATION:
The Archbishop of Canterbury says that honey bees can teach many lessons to
team workers. They have capacity to teach us the art of order. They maintain law and
order. Honey bees are experts in distribution of duties. It is like many roads meet in a
single town and many fresh streams empty into only one salt sea. Just so, a thousand
actions, once set in motion, will result in one desired goal, and all will be carried out
and have a successful end.
2. THIS IS MY PRAYER TO THEE MY LORD
QUESTIONS
1. How unique is Tagore's prayer to God? (Or)
what kind of strength does Tagore Seek and why?
INTRODUCTION
Title : THIS IS MY PRAYER TO THEE MY LORD
Penned : RABINDRANATH TAGORE
Culled from : Song number 36 of Gitaniali
Magnum opus : Gora (Fair-faced), Ghare-Baire (the home and the
world) and Gitanjali.
Award : In 1913, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature
Focus : In this prayer song, Tagore prays to God to
bestow his supreme qualities upon mankind and

perfect them to create a heaven on the earth.
MAIN ANSWER:
The poem is an extract from the Nobel Prize winner Gitanjali. The poem is in
the form of a universal prayer to the Almighty God to bestow his divine strength upon
mankind so as to convert them into ideal human beings.
"Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles"
The poet prays to God to give him strength to get rid of penury in his heart. He prays
to God to give him strength to bear the joys and sorrows. He further prays to God to
give him strength to do fruitful service. He prays to God to give him strength not to
rob the poor and never to surrender before the mighty and rich. He prays to God to
keep his mind high above daily trifles to make his heart strong and courageous.
Finally he prays to God to give him strength to surrender his total strength before him
with love. Thus Tagore to fulfill his heart with kindness, sympathy, strength, courage
and purity. So strength without obedience leads to power mongering.
CONCLUSION:
The poet says that God must give him strength to dream for a heaven on earth.
The poem has a universal appeal. It is more patriotic and humanistic than spiritual.
“HELPING HANDS ARE BETTER THAN PRAYING LIPS”.
ANNOTATIONS
l. Strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart.
REFERENCE
Context : The poet appeals to God, through his prayer to
get rid penury in his heart.

“Strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart”.
ELUCIDATION:
Tagore begins his prayer to God to hit at the root of poverty in his heart.
Tagore believes that poverty is not purely materialistic. It is the inability of the heart
to be kind and sympathetic towards the needy. The line refers to the cruel and
inhuman attitude of all humans. Ironically India is projected as the poor country while
England is the most impoverished nation at heart. Hence the poet prays to God to
strike at the root of this poverty.
Tagore's prayer to God to hit poverty at the root has a great significance.
Poverty is the root cause for all evils. Hence, the appeal to God begins with hacking
poverty at its roots.
“PRAYER IS MORE POWERFUL WEAPON THAN THE SWORD”.
2. Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles
REFERENCE
Context : Here, the poet prays to God to bestow his divine
strength upon mankind and to keep his mind high
above daily trifles.
“Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles”.
ELUCIDATION:
In these lines Tagore prays for strength to raise above the daily trifles. He does
not want to be disturbed because of the petty activities of daily life. He wants to raise
himself above all these mundane activities which is denoted serve his attention.

Tagore prays to God to confer upon him the capacity to bear the joys and sorrows
equally. He considers the intricacies of daily living to be petty, compared to the whole
hearted worship of God.
Here the poet visualizes a strong and Independent India. He believes that man
perfects himself after the divine; he need not seek any other heaven.
3. Give me the strength, to make my love fruitful in service
REFERENCE
Context : In this line the poet prays to God to give him
strength to raise his mind and to serve with love.
“Give me the strength, to make my love fruitful in service”.
ELUCIDATION:
Here the poet prays to God to strengthen him to manifest his love for him. This
is a request of the poet to God to transfer his love for God into the service to
humanity. The poet's idea is that one should be humble enough to render one's service
for the poor. According to the poet, the best way of expressing our love for God is
serving the needy. According to the poet, man cannot love God without a while
hearted Surrender to God always Manifested in the service to others.
In this short prayer, the poet prays to God to bestow his supreme qualities upon
mankind and perfect them to create a heaven on earth.
4. Give me the strength never to disown the poor.
REFERENCE

Context : Here, the poet prays to God to provide him
strength to overcome all the hurdles in life.
“Give me the strength never to disown the poor”.
ELUCIDATION:
The poet feels that he needs to remove bad thoughts from his heart. He wants to
show his love to God by helping others. He feels that he must not ignore the poor
people. He wants to help in not being afraid of powerful people who treat you badly.
He believes that God will guide him, if he surrenders all his strength with love to God.
The poet expresses noble feelings such as compassion, love, defiance against
oppression.
The poet acknowledges that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Thus Tagore
prays to God to bestow strength to surrender his strength to the divine will with love.
3. AS I GREW OLDER
1. Hold fast to dreams for when dreams go, life is barron field frozen with snow”
how did Langston Hughes hold fast to his sayings he grew older.
2. What is the theme of the poem As I Grew Older?
INTRODUCTION:
Title : As I grew older
Penned / Compiled by : Langston Hughes
Culled from : Collection of poems “The weary Blues”
Magnum Opus : The Weary Blues, Not without laughter
Focus : “This poem tells us about the problems of the
black people in American Society”.

MAIN ANSWER:
The poet is an old man now and he is thinking about his dream which he
dreamt a long time ago. He recalls a dream which he had nearly forgotten. The dream
was about a non-racist society in America. As a child he did not know anything about
the social and racial barriers around him. But as he grew older the wall rose, the wall
was dividing between his dream and the reality. It was dividing the whites and blacks.
The poet wanted to break the wall with his dark hands with determination. After then
he could see the bright light of thousand suns.
CONCLUSION:
The poet urges that it is so important for everyone to have a dream and also to
fight in life to get the dream come true in one’s life.
“ALL ARE CREATED EQUAL BY LORD, DISCRIMINATION LIES IN EYES
THAT BE HOLD”.
ANNOTATIONS:
1. It was long time ago, I have almost forgotten my dream in front of me. Bright like a
sun – my dream.
REFERENCE:
Title : AS I GREW OLDER
Penned / Compiled by : JAMES MERCER LANGSTON HUGHES
Context : In these lines the poet describes how the wall of
race rise.
ELUCIDATION:
His dream is about a non-racist society in America. He also dreams of having
freedom for anyone to do what they choose.
“My Dream. And then the wall rose,
Rose slowly. Slowly”.
He envisions that everyone should be treated equally. The poet’s dream first
appeared “bright like the sun” because as a child he was not aware of what was
actually happening around him. He could not realize various social and racial

obstacles that might come on his way in achieving his dreams. The poet owns his
dream and differentiates it from that of the white people and hence he says “my
dream”. It is so important for everyone to have a dream and also to fight in life to get
the dream come true in one’s life.
It is important for everyone to have a dream in life and must try to make it
come true. Here the wall of race came in the way of poet, in realizing the dream.
“ALL ARE CREATED EQUAL BY LORD, DISCRIMINATION LIES IN EYES THAT
BEHOLD”.
2. And then the wall rose, Rose slowly, slowly. Between me and my dream. Rose until
it touched the sky the wall shadow. I am black.
REFERENCE:
Context : In these lines the poet describes how the wall
rose until touched the sky.
ELUCIDATION:
The poet’s dream is a non-racist society in American. He also dreams of having
freedom for anyone to do what they choose. He envisions that everyone should be
treated equally.
“I lie down in the shadow
No longer the light of my dream before me”.
The poet’s dream first appeared “bright like the sun”. Slowly the wall of
injustice and the shadow that touches the sky.
His race is the barrier that is keeping him from achieving his dream.
The poet started realizing slowly that he was black and so he was a second rate
citizen. He hopes strongly that the dividing wall will fade.
“ALL ARE CREATED EQUAL BY LORD, DISCRIMINATION LIES IN EYES THAT
BEHOLD”.

3. To break shadow, into a thousand lights of sun, into a thousand whirling dreams of
sun.
REFERENCE:
Context : In these concluding lines, the poet hopes for a
new world where his dream was realized.
ELUCIDATION:
The poet’s dream is about a non-racist society in America. The wall is dividing
his dream and the reality. The race discrimination between the Whites and Blacks.
“To Break this Shadow
Into a thousand lights of sun”.
As he grew older the wall of the race rose as high as the sky, darkness occupied the
place of light. The darkness of this wall, threw him into the shadow. He asks his dark,
strong hands to help him to shatter the darkness into pieces. Then each piece would
become a sun and threw thousand lights of sun. Then his dreams in thousand would
aging shine like the sun.
Without dream, life is worthless, without achieving the dream, one could not
survive in the world.
“ALL ARE CREATED EQUAL BY LORD, DISCRIMINATION LIES IN EYES
THAT BE HOLD”.
4. BODY
ANNOTATIONS:
1. A breathing corpse doesn't discompose it floats a midst words like a boat like a
ship on the high seas.
2. My body fertilizes like field, becomes a fundamental element.
3. The word from my womb lashes like sea waves Encompasses like the Sky and
brings down showers like a cloud.
4. The body bears word - fruits sends out word arrows.

REFERENCE:
Title : BODY
Penned / Compiled by : K. SIVA REDDY
Culled from : Mohana ! Oh Mohana !
Translated in to English M. Sreedhar and Alladi
Uma.
Context : The poet describes the potentiality of human
body and words. Words are the most powerful
force available to the humanity. Words have
energy and power with the ability to help to heal,
to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to
humble.
ELUCIDATION:
The poet talks about the innate strength of the human body. He closes his eyes
but he could hear all sounds around made by various objects and men and women. He
thinks that his body is not decaying. It has life. It will not discompose because it is
breathing. It can speak words and listen to words. It floats amidst word like a ship in
the sea. Even breath can make a sound. It can express his emotions, struggles, tears
etc. His body is like fertile land and it becomes a chief element. It discovers new
things. It also becomes a beautiful object. The words produced by the body come out
like sea waves, they surround the sky and bring down showers like a cloud. Body is so
powerful that it is all word fruits and it can shoot the words like arrows.
The poet talks about the innate strength of the human body. He calls the boy a
'breathing corpse' Human body is not just a physical or biological organism. Our body
has immense potential to do any kind of task.
“THE BODY ACHIEVES WHAT THE MIND BELIEVES”.
QUESTIONS
1. Wiry does the poet call the body a breathing corpse?

2. I found a word and carefully placed it next to another soon I had a bridge and a
path way to a wonderful future "Tim Holling Worth"
3. Explain the power of words according to the poet in the poem Body are the
most powerful force available to the humanity. Words have energy and power
with the ability to help to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to
humble.
Title : BODY
Penned / Compiled by : K. SIVA REDDY
Focus : Mohana ! Oh Mohana !
Translated in to English M. Sreedhar and Alladi
Uma.
MAIN ANSWER:
The poet talks about the innate strength of the human body. He closes his eyes
but he could hear all sounds around made by various objects and men and women. He
thinks that his body is not decaying. It has life. It will not discompose because it is
breathing. It can speak words and listen to words. It floats amidst word like a ship in
the sea. Even breath can make a sound. It can express his emotions, struggles, tears
etc. His body is like fertile land and it becomes a chief element. It discovers new
things. It also becomes a beautiful object. The words produced by the body come out
like sea waves, they surround the sky and bring down showers like a cloud. Body is so
powerful that it is all word fruits and it can shoot the words like arrows.
CONCLUSION:
The poet talks about the innate strength of the human body. He calls the boy a
breathing corpse' Human body is not just a physical or biological organism. Our body
has immense potential to do any kind of task.
“The Body achieves what the mind believes”.

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POETRY

1. COMMON WEALTH OF BEES

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