Father to son by Elizabeth Jennings

"Father and son, we both must live /On the same globe and the same land,"

A line from the poem :

Father to Son -by Elizabeth Jennings

A glorious future,  the time would bring to mankind, when the parents and child would go hand in hand and live in the same globe and  the same land. 

About the poet

Elizabeth Jennings was an English poet. She was born on 18 July, 1926,Boston, United

Kingdom.

 She died on 26 October,2001,Bampton, United Kingdom. 

Elizabeth Jennings was the only woman in a group of poets dedicated in a trend of anti-romantic aesthetic in poetry which was  known as The Movement. The other poets were with her, Philip Larkin, Kingsley, Amis and Jhon Gunn. Jennings was a lyric poet and excelled in simplicity in metre and rhyme  in her traditional,objective  and plainspoken  style of poems. 

Elizabeth Jennings had her education at Oxford High School and St. Anne's College, Oxford. 

She had published 26 books on poetry in her life-time. Jennings was not secured with financial position and suffered from severe psychological problems from her very childhood.In her literary work there is an intense shadow of her personal suffering though not explicitly of autobiographical.

Jennings had to undergo severe difficulties in keeping balance between her practical career of life and her well being of health and mind. In 1992 when she was invited to accept the honour from the Queen, she wore a knitted hat, duffle Coat and canvass shoes, and she was named as bag- lady of the sonnets. 

Elizabeth Jennings was the prominent poet of the second half of the twentieth century of England. 

 Due to her immense poverty she had suffered a lot, for which she was nick-named as bag-lady, colloquially. 

Her poems were published in various journals such as in Oxford Poetry, New English Weekly, The Spectator, Outposts and Poetry Review. 

She was influenced by the poets like, Hopkins, Auden, Graves and Muir. 

Jennings second book was published in 1992 "A Way of Looking", won Somerset Maugham award, which was a turning point in her life. The prize-money enabled her to live in Rome for three months. 

Jennings was a devout Roman Catholic.Jennings was awarded an Honorary  Doctorate of Divinity from Darham University shortly before her death. she died in October of 2001.

 

Summary of the poem"Father to Son"

Stanza 1

"I do not understand this child".

The child is like a stranger for the father:

The poem is written in a subjective mood, explaining by a father, his deep love and anguish for his son whose world, now is different from him.Though the father and son are living in the same house under the same roof for years both they are unable to converse and understand each other. So the father says that he speaks with his son like a stranger. 

Father is expressing his helplessness. 

The  father is expressing his extreme helplessness because in their relationship something is lacking that they can't communicate with each other normally and so there exists minimal interactions between them. He lives mentally in a different world with his own interests and ideologies which the father couldn't accept or compromise with. The son doesn't want to walk along with father because he has no understanding with his father.Therefore a is gap occurs in their relationships. Both the father and son suffers for that. 

"I know nothing of him, "

Both the father and son lives in two different world with their own whims and interests. Father don't want to compromise with his son  ways of living which is influenced by modern age.  The son is influenced by thoughts and cultures of the modern times. The son develops a different attitude towards his life rather than developing a resemblance with his father. 

The father is confessing:

"Yet have I killed"

The father is constantly trying to build up a relationship with his son like the relationship which they both enjoyed in the past when his son was a small kid. But the father is failed because he can't accept his son's likes and dislikes. Therefore a gap Or vaccum is created in their relationship because both they are unable to understand each other's world. 

The son, after becoming an adult developed to be a seperate individual with individual interest and thoughts. He is unable to go hand in hand with his father in some matters, as the time has brought changes to various things. 

Stanza 2

"The seed I spent or sown it where

The land is his and none of mine? "

The poet here inputs the image of a gardener as an effective poetic device to bring out the father's helplessness in more clear way. 

The father had invested all his love and support in upbringing his child as a individual like him. The 'seed' here implies the father's sacrifices, love and support in upbringing hs child to a man like him. 

"The land is his and none of mine? "

The son doesn't resemble to his father by character. He develops to be a different  individual.Because his thoughts and ideals doesn't align to his father. His son has created a seperate land by his own individualistic character. He can't compromise his own ideals with his father.

 So the father confesses that both of them speaks like a stranger because in their relationship. There  is no mutual understanding and mutual respect for each other's opinions and views. 

"there is no sign of understanding in the air."

There is no environment of mutual understanding and mutual respect for each other in that home. 

"This child is built to my design

Yet what he loves I cannot share." 

The father says he has brought up his child with his own culture. Like an architect designes a house or a plant the father has brought up his son according to his own desire to see him grow like him. But after becoming an adult the son developed different cultures from his father. The father neither loves nor shares anything with his son's cultures. The father is unable to acknowledge his son's thoughts and his ways of living. And the son has no respect for his father's thoughts and ideals. It is, because of the lack of understanding between the two , there arises a huge vaccum in their relationship. 

Stanza 3

"Silence surrounds us."

The father and the son, both are unable to talk and share any emotion with each other. Both they are living in the two seperate world with their own egos, respectively. 

"I would have Him prodigal, "

The father here considers his son as the Prodigal  Son, which is one of the parables (Luke :15-11-32) from Bible, is important for Jesus's teaching to his disciples. 

Meaning :Prodigal

A person who spends money recklessly, 

spending money in a wasteful way, Spendthrift, 

spending money extravagantly. 

The Parable of the Prodigal Son:

According to the Bible (Luke 15:11-32) a man has two sons.The younger son asks his father for his inheritance. Father agreed to share him his part, as an heir. The son moved out from his father and spend all the money extravagantly, and became penniless at last. At last he realised his fault and returned to his father and asked him to forgive his sin. The father welcomed him by forgiving him and accepted him to live with him as before. 

     

Significance of the Biblical reference of the prodigal son:

It is an important parable in the Gospel of Luke(15:11-32) for Jesus's teaching of His mercy, grace and His desire for relationship. 

The father in the poem wants to forgive his son like the prodigal son. 

The father doesn't want his son to move and make his different world. 

Like Jesus the Father, the father in this poem loves his son unconditionally. Like Jesus's mercy and grace the father in the poem would forgive his son when he would come to him with repentance. 

"Shaping from sorrow a new love"

The father is eagerly waiting to renew his relationship with his son and wishes his son would come to him with repentance.

Shaping -to rebuild or reunion

Sorrow-repentance, confession

new love-new relationship. 

Stanza 4

In this stanza, the father is very assertive that with his son they must live in the same world by following the same ideology. The father is insisting "On the same globe" and "the same land", which is a positive faith of the father regarding his ability to renew his relationship with his son as well as his eagerness in forgiving his son and in accepting his son as he is now. 

But, the father expresses his utmost grief that he is unable to understand what his son speaks to him. The poet is expressing the father's helplessness in a vivid way that the father's shortcomings in character which prevents him to understand and accept his son in his own ways. 

Father's impracticability to compromise with son makes him sad. On the other hand his son also speaks turns to be impractical. Because in both of their approach something is lacking that is their mutual understanding and mutual respect. 

"We each put out an empty hand, 

Longing for something to forgive. "

Both the father and son are eager to come into close to compromise, but both they are stretching an empty hand, for which they fails. 

"Longing for something"

Both the father and son are searching for some excuse to forgive each other. 

But the scene continues. The poet ends her poem in a sense of open ending. 

Theme of the poem:

The poet deals with the theme of a general one, which is universal also,is the theme of generation gap between two generations and it's reasons and the ways to eliminate it .

The poet presents us a father who is in deep anguish, because he has no communication with his son in that sense that he can't understand his son's ways of thinking and his ways of living his life. 

The father is in deep agony that he had brought up his son with all his love and values but his son develops to be a different one from him in thoughts and values.

 

The father is unable to accept his son naturally , who develops his character influenced by the values of modern times. The father is also confessing his fault in character. 

The father and son both are realising their drawbacks in their character that they have no mutual respect and understanding for each other. They are approaching with their empty hands and they fails to  come closer and the gap continues to last. 

The poetic devices used in the poem:

The poet uses certain poetic devices to create a deeper sense of meaning.

 

Metaphor:

In this poem certain comparisons are made on the basis of the sense or quality. 

In the first stanza the word "killed" Is used to mean the destruction of a relationship which is alike the killing a life. 

In the stanza 2 the application of certain words in lines:seed, spent, sown are used as metaphor. "Seed" here compares with the values and ideals. The word "spent"is compared with the sacrifices a father does in upbringing a child. The word "swon" Is metaphorically means giving value learning in upbringing his child. 

Alliteration:

In the second stanza the repetition of consonant in these words-"seed that I spent or swon. "

Speak like strangers

Silence Surrounds us

Simile:

"We speak like strangers"

The conversations of father and son is like the conversations like strangers. 

The rhyme scheme of the poem:

The poem has a consistent rhyme scheme. In each six line stanzas a particular rhyme- scheme is followed in four stanzas. The rhyme -scheme of the poem is abba, ba is followed in four stanzas. 

The rhyme-scheme in stanza 1-(the rhyming words of the each line) 

                child-a

                 now-b

                 Know-b

                 build-a

                 how-b

                 killed-a

The same rhyme scheme is continuing in the last three stanzas. 

Major questions:

1.Does the poem talk of an exclusively personal experience or is it fairly universal? 

Answer:The poet talks of an exclusively personal experience though it has an universal appeal. The father's deep anguish and mental seperation with his prodigal son, his willing to forgive his fault and his desire to build a strong relationship with his son are common in all parents of the world and will occur in every coming generation. 

The problem of generation gap occurs commonly in all the parents due to their inability to accept the changes brought by modern times naturally to their son's character though, quite against their cultures and ideologies

Elizabeth's poem relates about a father who is stoic in nature and remains static in a particular point. The father is indulgent, though forgiving and merciful, his stoicism doesn't help him to recover his pungent relationship with his son. 

The son is the product of the modern times though he is not developing a character of accepting his father, who is representing the elder generation, as naturally as what he is. 

Both the father and son lacks something for which both of them are stretching their empty hand in vain and the problem of the generation gap continues to exist.

 

2.Identify the phrases and lines that indicate the distance between father and son. 

Answer:The father's helplessness are brought out in many phrases throughout the poem.

 In the stanza 1

"I do not understand this child"

"Yet have I killed"

In the stanza 2

"The land is his.... none of mine? "

"We speak like strangers, "

"This child is built to my design

Yet what he loves I cannot share. "

In the stanza 3

"Silence surrounds us"

"I would have Him prodigal"

"I would forgive him too, "

In the stanza 4

"He speaks:I cannot understand

Myself, why grows from grief." 

"Longing for something to forgive. "

3.How is the father's helplessness brought out in the poem? 

Answer:In the poem "Father to Son" the father's helplessness are brought out in a very vivid way. 

In the stanza 1 the father mentions his son as "this child" Which is extremely pathetic. Thought he father and son lives together in the same house for many years the father "knows nothing of him".The father is pathetically expresses his wish to renew his relationship with his son as it was in his childhood days. 

In the stanza 2 the father says that they are now speaking like strangers. The father expresses his deep anguish that his son whom he had brought up by investing his love and cultures, now becomes a individual different in views and ideologies from him. There is a generation gap occues in between them. They are unable to understand each other. The father had brought up his child according to his desire but his desires is being discarded by his son and he develops a new land for him. 

In thestanza 3 the silence gripped in their environment as the father and son is unable to talk and share any emotion. The father feels helpless and wants his prodigal son to return to  his home which he knows well and he is ready to forgive him . The father desires to rebuild a relationship with his son,by turning his repentance to a confession. 

In the stanza 4 the father cries out helplessly for his own inability to understand his son and to extend his hand to build up a new relation with his son. The father is helpless as he says, "Father and son, we both must live On the same globe and the same land. " Both the father and son are wishing each other to forgive but they are looking for an excuse to go ahead. 

4.Does the poem have a consistent rhyme scheme? 

Answer:The poem has a consistent rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is abba, ba, which is followed in four stanzas of the poem. 

                                    

 

 

'The Landscape of the Soul' by Nathalie Trouveroy

The landscape of The Soul

Nathalie Trouveroy was born on 2nd February, 1975 in Buenos Aires in Argentina.

She was the wife of a Belgium ambassador, Guy Trouveroy, who was appointed to India,Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives during the year 1999 to 20003.She travelled  many countries along with her husband. 

Nathalie Trouveroy had her Masters in the history of art and archeology, with a specialization in Japanese Art, form Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. 

Nathalie Trouveroy had learnt calligraphy from Yu Quilling, direct descendent of a seventh century royal calligrapher of China, when she was with her husband in China. 

Nathalie Trouveroy was an accomplished translator. She had translated many catalogues and art work from Dutch into different European languages, as she had worked as a translator in major museums in Belgium.Natalie had a special interest in Asian Art. She was inspired by Indian artists from North to South and she worked to combine her talent as an art historian and archeologist. She had been interested by the artwork of M. F. Hussain, a natural artist in India.

 

Guy Trouveroy was the husband of Natalie Trouveroy who was the ambassador to India during the year 1999 to 2003.

In India Nathalie Trouveroy and Agnes Montanari, a trained lawer and a photographer met in a Delhi based French School where their daughters studied. Their growing friendship became a great event for the Indians. Both of them read the book "City of Djinns"a book on a travell account of India by the author William Dalrymple, a gifted writer who came to India as a correspondent of a London based newspaper " The Spectator".The travel based book "City of Djinns"was a must read book by all foreigners who visited India and it is the best contemporary work on Modern India. 

Both Nathalie and Agnes developed a zeal to transform the William Dalrymple's book " City of Djinns"into a photo album. Agnes had the preference for balack and white photograph as she says"Colours can distract the eyes from the essence of the subject especially in an country like India".

The two ladies worked jointly and completed with 49 photograph based on William Dalrymple's book "City of Djinns", translated and published as a book "City of Djinns:A Year in Delhi" (la Cite' des Djinns) . 

Both the ladies after completion of their work affected by a sense of despair, "The people of Delhi don't have a sense of belonging, they don't appreciate their rich heritage, a number of forts and havelis are lying in ruins", says Agnes. 

About the Essay - The Landscape of the Soul

   Chinese landscape painting

Nathalie worte this essay to present it in India's International  center for Art. 

The essay presents the two contrasting form of Art, which are Chinese Art and European Art.

Nathalie Trouveroy describes the two contrasting forms of Art with the help of two stories which  were very popular in teaching the classical Art form. 

The Chinese painter Wu Daozi :

A story about him was very popular in Chinese classical education because it helps the student to learn about the basic characteristics of the Chinese painting.

The story of Wu Dauozi

Wo Dauozi was a Chinese painter of the eight century. He was commissioned by the Chinese emperor Xuangzong to draw a landscape painting to decorate the palace wall. 

When Daozi completed his painting he had hidden his work behind a screen so that the emperor would be the first visitor to see it. The emperor saw the painting and appreciated the forests, high mountains,clouds floating in an immense sky, men on hilly path and birds in flight. But at this point, the artist interrupted him and said, "look Sire, in this cave, at the foot of the mountain, dwells a spirit. " The painter then clapped his hand, and the door of the cave opened. The painter entered the cave and the entrance closed behind him.. The emperor was astonished  but before the emperor could move or utter a word the painting and the painter had gone vanished from the wall without leaving a single trace of Wo Daozi's brush. The painter was never seen again in this visible world. This story has played an important part in China's classical education.

The books of Confucius and Zhuanzi are full of such anecdotes.Such stories reveals the deeper meaning of Chinese painting and helps the student to understand the Chinese art form perfectly.

The Chinese view of art:

1.he Chinese landscape is not a real landscape, it is a conceptual space and an inner spiritual one. 

The emperor appreciated the outer beauties of the landscape painting but the painter interrupted him and directed him to look into his painting by entering into it spiritually as the painter entered into his painting through a cave. 

2.The Chinese landscape is not a real landscape. The Chinese painter doesn't want to reproduce an actual view of a landscape. 

3.To understand a Chinese painting a viewer has to enter into the landscape both physically and mentally at any point with as much as dimension of time it needed to discover it's meaning. 

4.The Chinese painter doesn't want to produce a single viewpoint. One can give various dimension of meaning of a Chinese landscape. 

5.The Chinese landscape is a spiritual landscape. It has the inner meaning in it. 

6.The Chinese landscape is shanshui landscape. The word shanshui literally means mountain water.It is Daozi's view of the universe.

 According to Daozi there are two universal aspects of energy which interacts with each other in the Middle Void. The Middle Void is considered as the third element. "Yang", which is the mountain, represents the masculine aspects of universal energy, is vertical,active, warm and stable. "Yin", which is water,represents the feminin aspects of universal energy,is horizontal, moist, fluid and cool is the receptor. The mountain and water together represents the Chinese landscape. 

Yang and Yin are not the contradictory elements, but are the two complementary poles. Their interactions takes place in the Middle Void, which is the white, unpainted space in the Chinese landscape. 

The third element, which is the Middle Void, cannot be ignored because interactions between the two elements - Yang and Yin occurred in the Middle Void.Where man's role is fundamental in that space between Heaven and Earth. Man becomes the conduit of communication between the both poles  of the universe. 

Man's role in the Chinese landscape is also important.His presence is essential.Without man the landscape painting becomes meaningless. He is in Francois Cheng's wonderful expression "the eye of the landscape".

In the Chinese landscape painting the artist creates a path or a method to enter into his landscape. A viewer may enter at any point both physically and mentally into a Chinese landscape.To understand a Chinese painting one has to enter into the mind of the artist but not to borrow the eyes of the artist. 

Quinten Metsys story vs Wu Daozi's story:

The story represents a contrast to the Chinese view of art. The painter didn't draw the eye of the dragon, for fear that it would fly out of the painting if the eye was drawn. Western painting is figurative , reproduces the actual view in art. 

The story of Quinten Metsys of Antwarp:

In the fifteenth century in Antwarp, there was a master blacksmith , Quinten Metsys, who fell in love with a daughter of a famous painter of that time. But the painter didn't want his daughter to marry with a blacksmith. Then oneday Quinten Secretly entered in the painter's chamber and draw a fly in his latest panel. When the painter entered in his chamber and saw the fly in his panel he tried to swat it away. But he realised that it was a painted fly. Then he immediately appointed that Quinten as his apprentice and allow his daughter to marry him. 

Both the story actually represents the true essence of the European painting. 

The features of the European painting:

1.The European artists tries to reproduces the actual view of the painting. The fly of Quinten Metsys created a kind of illusionistic likeness that it looked so life like and real that the famous artists tried it to drive away. 

2. European artists creates an illusionistic likeness to  reproduces an actual view of the painting. So the European painting is based on delicate realism. Metsys's fly looked so lifelike and real that the famous painter tried to swat it away. But he realised his mistake and immediately appointed Quinten Metsys as his apprentice painter. 

3.The European artists chooses to show a single viewpoint from a specific angle.To understand a European painting one has to borrow the painter's eye and need to learn what the painter actually wants his viewer to see  through his painting. 

4.western painting is figurative painting and the artist tries to reproduce  the actual view in art. 

5.European painter wants his viewer to borrow his eyes and look at a particular landscape exactly as he saw it, from a specific angle. 

2nd part of the "Landscape of the soul" is "Getting Inside the Outsider Art".

It is an another gner of art, which was recognised as the Outsider Art Or the Art Brute. 

Nathalie Trouveroy mentions this excerpt  from an article written by Brinda Suri, published in Hindustan Times, 28 August 2005.

The concept of the Outsider Art was first popularised by a French painter Jean Dabuffet in the year 1940 as "art brut".The " art brut" means  the art work of some artists who have "no right" to be artists as they have received formal training, yet show talent and artistic insight. They are untrained visionaries and have minorities of interest. 

The notion of the Art Brut or the Outsider Art:

The notion of 'art brut' or 'raw art' is the works of art in raw state as regards cultural and artistic influences. The outsider artists have no academic training so their art is not considered equal to the contemporary fine arts. 

Nek Chand is the biggest contributor of outsider artist of India. 

Nek Chand's Rock Garden at Chandigarh

In India such an untutored genius who created, by clearing a little patch of jungle, a garden, with sculpted stone and recycled materials some human figures which is known to the world as the Rock Garden at Chandigarh. His name is Nek Chand, an 80 years old creator and director who is now considered as the greatest contributor of the outside art. 

The Raw Vision, a Uk based magazine, pioneer in outsider art, in it's fiftieth issue(Spring 2005,anniversary issue's cover) highlights Nek Chand's Rock Garden sculptures as "women by waterfall".

Nek Chand considered, to him,is the greatest reward when one will walk through his garden.

 

Questions and answers:

1.Contrasting features of Chinese view of art with the European view with examples.

Answer:Chinese view of art is quite different from the European view of art.

 A classical Chinese artist doesn't want to reproduce an actual view of the landscape. Whereas the European artist creates an illusionistic likeness and it is based on delicate realism. 

The Chinese emperor could appreciated the physical appearance of the landscape only, the artists showed him the way to look within. 

The painter entered into the drawn cave and door closed behind him. The painting was vanished with the painter. 

The emperor could understand the inner meaning of the painting after that. The physical landscape was gone vanished and the spiritual landscape was unfolded to the emperor. 

The painted 'fly' of Quinten

 Metsys was creating an illusion that the painter thought it was a real fly and tried to drive it away. The European artists tries to reproduce the actual view of the painting. A viewer has to borrow the artist's eyes to understand his painting from a specific angle. But the Chinese artist only shows the path to go inside the landscape to understand the inner meaning of the landscape. Chinese artist doesn't choose a single  viewpoint. 

Asian Art tries to capture the essence of inner life and spirit. Contrast to this, the European art tries to achieve a perfect, illusionistic likeness.

 

2.Explain the concept of 'shanshui'. 

Ans:The Chinese landscape is 'shanshui' landscape. According to Wo Daozi there are two universal element, Yang and Yin. That is the Daoist philosophy of universe. Yang is mountain and represents the masculin aspects of energy which is stable, warm and vertical. Yin is the water and represents the feminine aspects of energy which is moist, fluide and cool, horizontally rests on earth. 

The interaction of Yin, the receptive and feminine with the counterpart of Yang, active and masculine is the fundamental notion of Daoism. 

The interaction of Yang and Yin takes place in the Middle Void which is considered as the third element. The white unpainted space of the Chinese landscape represents the Middle Void.

The man plays a fundamental role in the Chinese landscape.The man is in Francoise Cheng's Words 'the eye of the landscape'. Man becomes the connector between the two spaces- the Heaven and Earth. 

 

𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗱𝗮

'keeping quiet' by Pablo Neruda

The poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) was born in the town of chile. His original name is Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. Neruda always uses easily understandable images which makes his poems rich in values. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year 1971. 

The poem 'keeping Quiet' is an earnest call of the poet to all the human being for a  quiet self- introspection and creating a bond through mutual understanding and mutual respect among human being.

summary of the poem:

Stanza 1

An urgent need of the hour -to keep still, a huge silence to self-introspect:

In the first stanza the poet urges us to take a pause --'keep still' by counting one, two, three and upto twelve.

 Stanza 2

In the second stanza the poet calls the human being of the whole world not to engage in any contradictions by speaking different languages which means not involve in unnecessary debates. The poet requests everybody to maintain a silence and quiet environment.The poet says nobody should take any rash decision of any harmful activities and should avoid taking wrong solutions of moving arms, as war is not the solution of any issues. The poet requests all the nations of the world not to engage in any unnecessary debate or contradictions by using their different languages. The poet urges us to keep still for one second to understand the language of silences for once only.

Stanza  3

In the third stanza the poet spuriously  tells us that the moment of silence would be an exotic moment as in which all the human being on earth could feel the oneness or togetherness which would be a very strange experience to all. Which the poet says may happen suddenly and that may be a strange moment when all the human being could be able to understand their relationships as one single nation on earth.

 

Stanza 4

In the 4th stanza the poet shows his consciousness about biological and sociological environment of the human world. The poet requests the fisherman not to hunt whales unnecessarily which is now in the verge of extinction, which definitely effects the biological environment. The poet is very conscious about the safeguard of the natural environment as well as safeguard of the bio-diversity. It is an urgent need of the time for adoption of a sustainable lifestyle to save human life on earth. 

The poet again requests the salt gatherers who are the founders of the economy of a nation,not to work too much in gathering salt which can't uplift their standard of living, rather they should 'take care of their hands' which means the protection and development of their class.The poet means to deliver a massage through these lines that economic balence within every starta of human society is essential for human progress and peace.

 Stanza 5

In the 5th stanza the poet urgently appeals those people who are warmongers, always in search of an issue to manipulate for a kind of their innate traits to fulfill and spread, to think about the global peace. The poet urgently appeals them who are thinking of harming the natural environment by green wars, to those who are preparing wars with gas or fires to think about  taking a pause. They should put on clean clothes and should go for a leisurely walk under the shade of the trees to understand the language of silences and stop all other activities for a while. The poet thinks this can only help people to understand their true purposes of living.The poet hopes in this way people can only develop mutual understanding and brotherhood among the people of the world. The poet advocates a peaceful environment in the world. 

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In the 6th stanza the poet tries to make us understand some values. He says what is his desire or wish is not to be confused or misunderstood as the poet doesn't mean stillness as death.The poet means to say that by maintaining a huge pause to our unnecessary and quick activities we should initiate a process of continuing all our works in a eco-friendly and sustainable way.

The poet says he is not advocating total inactivity, as the total inactivity means death.Because 'life is what is about'means life will be continuing even after everything becomes silent.But the poet doesn't want truck loaded with dead bodies suggestive of the two World Wars.The poet is quite against the war as it bring so many deaths and destructions. The poet says when there is no survivors victory would be meaningless. 

The poet strongly blames them who are quick and rash in their opinions and wants only war as a solution to any issues.  The poet insists that the human being should be united that is to develop a single thought that we should keep our life moving by maintaining peace and tranquilty. Otherwise human bring could do nothing for the mankind on earth. 

Again the poet goes back to his idea that, perhaps a huge silence or a huge pause could 'interrupt this sadness'.The poet says because of the ignorance about what they are doing human being itself causes so much harm to the human as well as to the natural world. 

 The poet is very positive about saying that a huge interruption might recover us from our ignorance, which is not understanding our purpose of living, as well as not understanding our role in the earth. The poet says because of that ignorance human being is always engaging  in some destructive  activities which only brings death and destruction to human world as well as to natural and animal world. 

Stanza 7

In the 7th short stanza the poet is very positive about a fact that the earth could teach us a lesson about life on earth. As, the poet says we see in earth under the visible silence life is in progress quietly and peacefully and will be be continuing. We see a huge silence on earth though all the cycles of changes in seasons are going on and life is seen progressing.It indicates that the earth is alive and active. 

The poet uses the earth as a symbol. The poet says that human being should learn a lesson from the earth. 

In the last two lines the poet is very hopeful that he could make his readers understand about his mission which  he himself starts by counting upto twelve and wishes us to do same.The poet is very hopeful that his mission will be continued.

 

The title of the poem:

Keeping quiet means to maintain a long pause in all our unnecessary rash activities.

 The imagery used in the  poem:

The image of a clock:

It is an easily understandable image which gives his poem

 a different degree of beauties.A clock has the twelve hours of sign for which the poet counts upto twelve. The word 'twelve' also indicates about the twelve zodiac signs in astrology. 

The imagery of clock is used to show us an image of time which is represented by a clock. The twelve hours sign of time is cyclical which has a mechanism to repeat itself. The poet counts upto twelve and urges us to start a huge pause to keep quiet.

The image of the mother earth:

 

The earth is presented as an image of a teacher.The poet says that we can take a lesson from the earth.Because in the earth we see a huge silence but under the apparent stillness all activities are going on. So that the earth can teach us a lesson. 

Major question and answers:

1.why does the poet Neruda 'wish to count to twelve'? 

Ans:The poet wishes us to count up to twelve because it is an urgent need of the time to take a huge pause to all our rash harmful activities to human as well as to animal world and wishes us to stop all unnecessary contradictions. The poet urges us to go for self introspection so that we can develop mutual understanding, mutual respect to strengthen the bond  of human relationship. 

  

2.what is the significance of the phrase'the face of the earth' in Neruda's poem? 

Ans:The phrase 'on the face of the earth' means one whole nation on the earth. The poet means to say that the whole human being on earth  should unitedly take a pledge to stop their destructive activities. 

3.what is considered to be an 'exotic moment' in the poem? 

Ans:According to the poet the exotic moment is a wonderful moment in which everyone would be able to feel a strange feeling that is the feeling of oneness.That would be an exotic moment when there would be no sound of machinaries or engines and when  there would be no rush activities, no contradictions, no differences of opinions and unnecessary destructive activities. That would be an exotic moment as in that moment everybody on earth would be able to feel the strong bond of brotherhood. 

4.'Fisherman in the cold sea/would not harm whales' what is meant by the above lines by Neruda? 

Ans:The poet asks the fisherman not to hunt the whales unnecessarily. The whales are now in the  verge of extinction which is quite against the Nature. So the poet makes them aware of fact. It would effect the bio-diversity and would definitely causes harm to the ecological balance in Nature.

 

5.'...the man gathering salt should look at his hurt hand's. What, is meant by' gathering salt' in the above lines? How are his hands hurt? 

Ans:The men gathering salt are the people from very lower starta of society. The poet asks them to take care of their hands which means that they should'nt hurt their hands by overwork.They should take care of their hands. The poet is very sympathetic about their economic  condition as they couldn't enjoy a rich and comfortable life. The poet is aware of economic balance in society. 

6.what is the meaning

Of: (a)wars with gas

      (b)wars with fire

Ans: The 'wars with gas means the use of poisonous gases as weapon in the war  which not only causes so many deaths but harms to the natural and animal worlds too. 

The 'wars with fire' means the use of blasting chemicals as weapon to kill the human being in wars.

 

7.who are the 'brothers' mentioned in the poem? 

Ans:The 'brothers' mentioned in the poem is the close relatives and neighbourhood people's. 

8.'what  I want should not be confused '. What does it mean by the poet? 

Ans:The poet appeals his readers not to create any confusion about his desire to create a peaceful world. He urges us to take a huge pause for self introspection and for development of mutual understanding and mutual respect,  tolerance and patience.

9.What is the meaning of  'want no truck with death' ? 

Ans:The poet means that he doesn't want war which causes so many of death and destructions only. 

10.About what are we so 'single minded'? 

Ans:According to the poet we should be united and single minded to create a peaceful world and sustainable life. 

11.what is 'this sadness'that Neruda talks of? 

Ans:Neruda says about the ignorance about not knowing our purpose of life and living. So the poet calls it as 'sadness', which is our ignorance only. 

12.who can teach us finally in the poem the poet thinks? 

Ans:The poet says that the earth can teach us finally a lesson how to remain active by maintaing a huge pause to all our  destructive activities. 

 

 

Childhood-A Poem by Markus Natten

 'Childhood' by Markus Natten

About the poet:

Markus Natten is a poet from Norway. A little is known about the poet. He is best known for his poem "Childhood".

Photograph of Markus Natten 

About the poem:

The Poem "Childhood" is a self introspective poem of the poet about the lost of childhood in human life,which is also a general one. The basic question of the poet, which he is repeating several times in the poem is:"when did my childhood go?The poet gets his answer and describes in the stanzas. 

 

The poem is about the loss of childhood in human life which is, as a result of a gradual development of rationality,hypocrisy and individualism in a human being.

 

The poet specifically mentions about the childhood period which extends upto the age of eleven.A question came to his mind that wheather he had lost his childhood at that age. 

The poet considers childhood as the period of innocency and dependency. At the age of eleven certain quality of a human character is  developed which is the first step of losing the childhood and the beginning of adulthood. That is the adolescence stage in human being. Adolescence  is the transitional period in human life as certain physical, emotional and behavioural changes occurs in a human being. A human being developed rational thinking, start to act as a rational being. A human being could understand that the hell and heaven are only imaginary concepts and they don't have any real existence. 

As the age increases a human being could understand the activities of an adult world very perfectly. The poet could learn about the hypocrisy of the adult world that they talk lovingly but act quite differently The poet wants to know by self inquisition that when had he lost his childhood and was that the exact time of losing his childhood when he had begun to act like an adult. 

The poet, as grows up he discovers that he is the owner of his own mind. Because at that period he could think and act according to his own choice and his dependency had gone. The poet realises that was that the exact period of losing his childhood when he could learn to act according to his own choice. The poet finds out the final step of losing his childhood was the growth of of his individual mind. 

At last, the poet wants to know the place,  exactly, where does he leaves his childhood and realises that he might left his childhood in an infant's face where he could never return. 

Summary of the poem:

Stanza 1

The poet starts with a question:"when did my childhood go? ".

The poet wants to find out the exact time of loosing the childhood. The poet asks himself was it the age of eleven, when he developed the ability to rationalise every fact and the ability to differentiate the imaginary and real,may be the exact time of loosing his childhood.The poet  could then rationalised what was hell and what was heaven and understood that they existed only in imagination and they didn't have any geographical identity.The poet could then developed the ability to take his own decisions as to what was good or what was bad for him.

The poet mentions the age of eleven because the age of eleven is the period of transition from childhood to adolescence. The poet says that he might lost  his childhood as he developed his character as a rational being. 

Stanza 2

In this stanza again the poet is questioning "when did my childhood go? ".

The poet asks himself was that the time he had lost his childhood simplicity when he had begun to realise the adult world. The poet was confirmed that he might lost his childhood innocency when he had begun to act as an adult. The poet says he could understand the adult world perfectly that the adults were not doing the same as they talked to do. The poet could understood their hypocrisy and begun to act like them, which may be the first step, he had lost his innocency of his childhood completely.The poet says that might be a great transitional change in his character from childhood to a adulthood. 

Stanza 3

In the third stanza, once again the poet is asking the same question, "when did my childhood go? ".The poet asks himself, was that the period when he had developed his own mind ,as to his ability to take decisions,what was good or what was bad for him, the exact time of loosing his childhood. The poet was confirmed that he had lost his childhood at that moment of time when he had developed his own thoughts and gave up following others. The poet says that that was the period when he could developed his own insights or own intellect which might end up his childhood innocency and dependency completely. 

Stanza 4

In this stanza the poet asks that same question in a different mood that is :"where did my childhood go? ".The poet wanted to confirm his mind that after becoming an adult he had left his childhood long ago in some forgotten phases of life. The poet says that he could not get back that sweet phase of his life but he could see a glimpse of his childhood again in the innocent face of an infant.  

Questions and answers:

1.What according to the poet, is involved in the phase of growing up? 

Answer:According to the poet,three different phases of growing up are involved in loosing childhood. They are the growth of rationality, the growth of hypocrisy in adulthood and the growth of individualism in a human being. 

The growth of rationality

After the age of eleven a human being develops it's character as a rational being.That is a period of transition from childhood to adolescence. One develops the ability to rationalise what is real and what is imaginary. 

At that period one could easily understand the hell and heaven are only imaginary concepts and have no geographical existence, exists only in human mind. 

 

The growth of hypocrisy in adulthood

As the age increases a human being learns and understands the adult world. His mind becomes matured and learns the art of hypocrisy. He begins to act like other adults. That is the second step of becoming matured and Loosing of childhood innocency. 

The growth of individualism

A human being develops his character as an

Individual being which has taken away the childhood completely.Then he develops his ability to think for himself and could work what would be good for himself. A human being could take his own decisions. His childhood character of dependency has lost or gone. He becoms a complete individual. 

2.What is the poet's feeling towards childhood? 

Answer:The poet feels the childhood is the period of innocency, dependency and simplicity. 

3.What do you think are the most poetic lines? Why? 

Answer:The most poetic lines of the poem are "when did my childhood go? "  at beginning of the first three stanzas and "Where did my childhood go? " at beginning of the last stanza, creats a poetic sensibility. In the first three stanzas the poetical term "when" Suggests the  enquiry of the exact time and the term "where" Suggests the enquiry about the place. 

Theme of the poem:

The poet deals with a theme of transitional changes occurred in gradual loss of childhood in human life starts at loosing of innocency, simplicity and dependency and in the process of growing up the development of rationalism, hypocrisy and Individualism. The poet is also deals in a fact that Childhood is lost as a  process growing up in human life and after development of certain qualities in a human being. 

The Ailing planet: the Green Movement's Role by Nani Palkivala

  Global warming 

  The Ailing Planet:the Green Movement's Role by Nani Palkhivala

About the author:     

Nani Palkhivala is the author of the article "The Ailing Planet:the Green Movement's Role, which was published in 'The Indian Express' on 24th Nov. 1994.The subject-matter of the article is about the declining health of the planet earth and about the revolutionary concept of the Green Movement in saving the planet from further degradation and deterioration of the planet. 

 Nani Palkhivala was an eminent Indian author,jurist and liberal economist. He was born in 16th January, 1920 in Bombay, India. Nani palkhivala died on 11 Dec. In Mombai. 

The summary of the article

An unique revolution:

The only revolution in the world history which could gripped the imagination of the entire human race is, the Green Revolution. The revolution originated by an issue which was that, the health of the planet is declining. Still the revolution has it's relevance and is still continued. 

The world's first nationwide Green Party was founded twenty -five years ago in Newzeeland in the year 1972.Since then, the movement is continuing by it's own force. 

The change in human perception-A positive shift:

The Green revolution has brought a huge transformation in our thought about the planet. And Nani Palkhivala says it was a positive shift in our thought. The positive shift was that, previously man had thought about the planet mechanistically but now man can see the planet in a holistic and ecological way. The change in human perception had brought a revolutionary change in the activities of human being which is a positive shift. 

The change from mechanistic view to holistic and ecological one:

The mechanistic view was that human being thought that they were the Lord of the planet.The earth has the abundance of  resources on which the human being earlier thought that they had enough freedom to use it. The Green Revolution has changed the human perceptions completely.

The discovery of Copernicus in the sixteenth century had brought a revolutionary change human mind about the planet.The Green Revolution has also brought the same revolutionary change  in human perceptions. 

The holistic and ecological view:

The Green Revolution has taught that earth is an enormous being. It is like a living organism as it has it's own metabolism and metabolic needs.The earth has some  vital processes  going on continuously and which maintains the earth's ecological environment. 

Now human being has begun to think holistically about the planet.According to the holistic concept the human being should respect and preserve the metabolism and metabolic needs of the planet so that the planet will be in good health. The human being should learn to live like a responsible tenant and a responsible trustee of the legacy of the future generation. The human being should learn to use the natural resources judiciously so that they could handover the planet to the coming generation as it was before. 

The earth is like a living organism:

 According to the holistic concept the earth itself is like a living organism.And just like a human body the earth has it's own metabolic needs and vital processes,for which the earth itself is able to maintain and safeguard the health of the planet. We only need to preserve and safeguard earth's metabolism. 

The only thing, we need to do, is, to respect and preserve the metabolism and metabolic needs of the earth.Then the earth itself could maintain a good ecological environment. 

Now human being has begun to realise their ethical obligation towards the planet and started to live like a good steward. 

 Human being has no right to harm that metabolism of the planet, as the human being are not the only being of the planet.Man shares the planet with 1.4 million species of living creatures.

Because of the so much misdeeds of humans, three to four millions of species are in the verge of extinction uncatalogued and undiscovered.The biologists have warned us seriously about that fact that the harm to the bio-diversity of the planet would cause a great harm to the planet's ecology. 

The earth is now an ailing planet:

The earth is now  a patient in declining health.We have seen some vital indications of degradation and deterioration all around us.The four biological principles  are now reaching an unsustainable level. Fisheries collapsed, forests disappears, grasslands are becoming barren wastelands and croplands deteriorates. The terrible growth of world population is the main factor for the all round degradation and deterioration of natural as well as socio-economic environment. 

Our ethical obligation towards the planet:

The Green Movement has taught us our ethical obligations to be stewards of the planet and responsible trustees of the legacy to future generation. 

There are some vital signs very evident in earth which clearly says that the earth is in poor health. 

The concept of sustainable of development evolved as a solution to the better survival of mankind on the planet. 

The World Commission on Environment and Development had initiated the concept of sustainable development in 1987.The report defined the concept as "Development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs"I.e., without stripping the natural world of resources future generation would need". 

It is now proved that the most dangerous animal in the world is, the man. 

The author gives us a reference, that in the zoo of lusaka in the entrance of a cave there is a written warning in a notice board that is "the most dangerous animal inside".But inside the cave one can discover only a mirror which reflect the person's own reflection.This suggests that the human being is the most dangerous animal in the world. 

One of the early international commissions brandt report raised a question on dealing a issue on ecology and environment  is that "Are we to leave our successors s scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished  landscapes and ailing environment? "

Lester R. Brown in his book, 'The Global Prospect' points out that the earth's principal biological systems are four-fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands. They form  the foundation of global economic system. They provide us food and raw materials for our industries except minerals and petrolium derived synthetics. 

In large areas of the world due to the increase in human claims on these systems causes degradation to an unsustainable level. The productivity of these systems are impaired. Fisheries collapsed due to overfishing. In a protein conscious hungry world overfishing is very common. Wastelands are almost  occupied by human being for industrial or residential expansion for which the natural habitats of fishes are destroyed. 

The increase in population causes much pressure on these four biological systems, which leads to the degradations and deterioration of thesesystems. 

Forests are being decimated in poorer countries very quickly. Due to the cutting of the trees for firewood causes the destruction of local forests in such a way that in some places firewood has become so expensive that "what goes under the pot is now costs more than what goes inside it".

The destructions forests directly effects on the animal habitats. The tropical forests, which is called the powerhpuse of evolution is now faces the extinction of several species. So the destruction of tropical forests causes the destruction of the animal habitats.

 Tropical forests is regarded as an ancient patrimony of several species of animals and flora and fauna  which has been eroding at the rate of forty to fifty million acres in a year. 

The main cause is the growing use of cow dungs by the people of the adjacent areas as fuel for cooking deprives the soil of an important natural fertilizer. Thus the natural increase in the extension of the forest land is reduced. Thus the excessive cutting of trees for the use of wood for furnitures and firewood for cooking causes so much destruction of forest lands. 

The another fact is that the ocupation of the forest land for industrial purposes are very common in developing economy of a country. As a result several living  species are now in the verge of extinction. 

Now the Green Revolution has taught Mankind to live a sustainable life to Safeguard the planet's ecology. 

"It has been wellsaid that forests precede mankind;deserts follow."The meaning is that if the increase in population in terribly high rate will continue in the same way  that would definitely lead to the destruction of forest resources in high rate and the rapid extension of desert land. 

The World Bank estimates that we need to increase the forest planting in a five-fold way to meet up the fuelwood demands in the year 2000,which at present is to be doubled. 

The President of the World Resources, James Speth said "we were saying that we are losing the forests at an acre a second, but it is much closer to acre - and-half to a second. " Deforestation spreads rapidly and it has severe impact on world ecology. 

So it has been well said that forests will disappear before the mankind and mankind will die in desert. 

The constitutional provisions for the safeguard of the natural resources:

Article 48A of the Indian Constitution

The Indian Constitution has the provision to safeguard the natural resources. In the article 48A of the Indian Constitution says, "the State shallendeavour to protect  and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country".

The shameful fact is that, though various factors are responsible, laws are never  respected or cated in the country like India.Thereby an endless anguish continues. There are many examples of such violations of law in India. They are casteism, untouchability and bonded labour which law can't prevent their florishing shamelessly?Even after forty four years of the operation of the Constitution still certain unlawful things are continued. 

In India a recent report  by our Parliament's Report  Committee highlighted the near catastrophic depletion of India's forests over the last four decades.

India, according to reliable data, losing its forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year. Large areas, officially designated as forest land, "are already virtually treeless".The actuall loss of forests zis estimated to be about eight times the rate indicated by government statistics. 

'A three- year study using satellites and aerial photography conducted by the United Nations, warns that the environment has deteriorated so badly that it is critical in eighty-eight countries investigated'. 

The growth of world population increasing in a terrible rate is the major factor for deterioration and degradation of the planet's natural environment as well as social environment. 

Development itself becomes a best contraceptive now. When education spreads, health improves and income rises human fertility rate falls naturally. Thus development itself is the best contraceptive. But the terrible increase in population makes the present scenario quite opposite.

 

The growth of world population is the strongest factors for distorting the future of human society. 

A million years would take human being to reach the first billion, according to the 1800 century statistics. And probably, if this present rate of increase in population continues, the world population will be multiplied in each century.The present world population as the estimated data at the time of the article written was about 5.7 billion. Now in every four days the world population is increasing by one million. 

The changes in natural and social environment due to over-population:

The terrible growth in population in some developing countries creates a drastic changes in socio -economical environment. The rise of class inequality as the rich becomes more rich and poor becomes more poorer. In poorer section of society, due to high birth rate is more condemned to be poor. More children doesn't mean more workers, merely more people without work. Thus the high rate of increase in population  completely turn all kinds of development into nothingness.

 

The choice is really between the control of population and the perpetuation of poverty. 

The voluntary family planning is the only way to control the situation.It would be possible only through proper educational initiative without introducing any element of coercion. 

India has the population estimated to be 920 million  which is more at present. It is more than the entire population of Africa and South Africa put together. If this will be continued in suh a way it may be easily predictable that one day Indian people will die in hunger in their hutments. 

A transcending concern evolves as a result of the Green Revolution:

For the first time in human history a great concern is developed which has the transperancy that it can run from one generation to another generation naturally. 

The concern is not only about the survival of mankind but also for the survival of the planet.

The Green Revolution has taught us to follow a sustainable concept of development to protect and preserve the planet's ecology as well as the survival of the mankind. 

A new hope,in which we have to take part, to be played actively:

The environmental problem doesn't necessarily signal our demise, it is our passport for the future. We can now think and work with better understanding of our planet, actively, to safeguard our planet for the better survival in the future. It is like our passport or right to take initiative as much as we can do for better existence of the planet as well as the better survival of the human being on the planet. 

This is an emerging New World Vision which has introduced a new Era of Responsibility. 

"It is a holistic view, an ecological view, seeing the world as an integrated whole rather than a dissociated collection of parts." The Green Revolution has taught mankind that human being can't survive  without the survival of the planet. 

This era is the era of responsibility

Human being is to be more responsible now and onwards.Now human being has learnt to live with responsibility for the better survival of the mankind as well as the planet. 

"Industry  has a most crucial role to play in this new era of responsibility."

In this respect, it would be a great initiative if more businessman will agree with the view of the chairman of Du Pont, Mr. Edgar S. Woolard who declared himself as the company's " Chief Environmental Officer".He said, "Our continued existence as a leading manufacturer requires that we excel in environmental performance".

 

The most felicitous and decisive statement in current coin of English usage made by the once Prime Minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher was that, "No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life of tenacy -with a full repairing lease".

Mr Lester Brown's statement is that, " We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers;we have borrowed it from our children. "

Both the statement has the same implication that we are not the Lord of the planet but we are living a life by sharing our planet with all the living being on the planet. We have now learnt to live a life of a good stewardship. Because we are not inheriting our planet from our forefathers rather we are borrowing  our planet from our coming generation. We are responsible to handover our planet to the coming generation in the same state as we enjoy now at present. We have only the right,

to live in our planet as good tenant with all the power of repairing lease, as needed in any hour. 

Major question and answers:

1.What is the Green Movement? 

Answer:The Green Movement is the only movement which makes the human being conscious about to stop further degradation and deterioration of natural resources and the ecological balence of the planet. The Green Movement aims at creating a holistic and ecological view of the world. It is an unique revolution which has gripped the mind of the entire human race very quickly and which is still continuing. The first Green Party was formed in the Newzeeland twenty five years ago. Since then it has not looked back  .

 

2.What is the holistic and ecological view of the world? 

Answer:The Green Revolution has brought a revolutionary  change in the human thinking, that is from mechanistic to a holistic and ecological one. According to the holistic and ecological view, the earth is an enormous being having it's own metabolism and metabolic needs. The earth is considered as a living organism. So like a human body the earth has its own metabolism and vital processes which can work for the better health of the planet by itself. 

The ecological view is that man finds himself not as a disassociated part  of the planet rather he considers himself as a part of the planet.Now the revolutionary concern is that, the better survival of the planet is for the better survival of mankind. 

3.what is the concept of sustainable development? 

Answer:The concept of sustainable development is that, the "Development that meets the needs of the present without harming the needs of the future generation. "

It makes the human being conscious about the utilisation of the natural resources as much as judiciously as we can. Fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands are to be used judiciously without harming it's original qualities. The human being should keep in mind that, they have to handover the planet in the same state as they enjoy it at present. 

4.what is the "positive shift" in human thought that has brought by the Green Revolution? 

Answer:The "positive shift in human perceptions" is that human being has now begun to realise their misdeeds which caused so much degradation and deterioration of the natural environment of the planet. Human being has now changed his outlook that his survival depends on the better survival of the planet. That human being alone is not the master of the planet.He only shares the planet with other living beings. Human being along with the nature with all the living beings altogether constitutes the ecology of the planet. Human being should learn to live a sustainable life so that they could protect and preserve the planet's ecology for a better existence of the planet as well as the human being.Human being should learn to live like good steward by preserving the legacy of the future generation. The Green Revolution has brought this change in human mind for which they can convert  their role from a Lord to a responsible trustee. 

5.what is the cause of the collapse of fisheries? 

Answer:The increasing demand of hungry population in the protein conscious world leads to the over-fishing which has resulted the collapse of fisheries in a rapid way. Another reason is that the reduction of the natural habitats of fishes because of the unlawful occupation of wetlands for the industrial extension or residential extension by growing human population. The environmental pollution has also caused the destruction of fisheries. 

6.How are the 'local' and 'tropical' forests being decimated? 

Answer:The 'local' forests are decimated due excessive cutting of trees for the use of firewood for cooking. In the poorer countries the increasing demand of the increasing population for the use of fuel and firewood causes the destruction of the forests. 

Tropical Forests are also decimated  because of the deforestation and reduced natural extension. People in the adjacent areas use cow-dung as fuel for cooking deprives the soil of a most essential fertiliser which prevents the growth and extention of the forest lands. This leads to the extinction of the several species of animals. 

7.'Forests precede mankind;deserts fellow'. Explain this statement. 

Answer:The excessive felling of trees for the use of wood for various purposes, occupation of forests land for the use of industrial set up, extension of residential areas and the setting up of resorts and lodges leads to the destruction of forests land. If this kind of demands by the increasing population will continue for years this will definitely lead to the advancement of desert and forests will disappear before the mankind. 

8."Our grasslands are being converted into barren wastelands, and croplands deteriorate. "Justify this statement. 

Answer:The reducing areas of open grasslands leads to the over- grazing of animals converts into barren wastelands. The excessive application of fertilisers to increase the productivity to meet the demand of the growing population leads to the deterioration of the croplands. It effects the natural quality of lands  and productivity is being impaired.

 

9.How is the population explosion perpetuating poverty? 

Answer:The growth of world population is one of the strongest factorsfor 'distorting' the future of human society. Development in any kind becomes meaningless if the present increase in human population continues. Because it leads to the rise of economically unequal classes. The rich become more richer and the poor becomes more poorer. The birth rate in the poorer section of the society is high due to some misconceptions. That they think more children means more workers but in reality it means more people without work and food. So a choice is necessary for the human being that is,to adapt birth control measures or to  perpetuate poverty. 

10."No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy." Do you agree with the statement of Margaret Thatcher? 

Answer: Nani Palkhivala says no other statement is so perfectly and precisely explained like this statement of Margaret Thatcher. The statement makes it clear that human has no right to think himself as the Lord of the planet. He has to work like a responsible trustee of the legacy of the future generation. Already man had done a lot which causes so much degradation and deterioration of the planet's natural environment. But at present man should think about his earlier misdeeds and from now onwards he should work the better health of the planet. Man should learn to live a life of a good tenant as he has to handover the earth in its best position to the coming generation.

 

11.what signs reveal that the earth is a patient in declining health? 

Answer:The four principle biological systems in the world, the fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands which form the foundation of the global economic system are now reaching an unsustainable level. The human demands on these systems are increasing in such a high level that the present world environment is degrading and deteriorating. All these indicates that the earth is now an ailing planet. 

12.what are the principal biological systems of the earth and what is their importance? 

Answer:Mr Lester R. Brown in his thoughtful book, "The Global Prospect", points out that the earth's principal biological systems are four-fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. They form the foundation of the global economic system. 

They provide us food and raw materials for our industries  except minerals and petroleum derived synthetics.