Be My Guest (Love Your Brother, Love Your Neighbour)

 

Word Meaning:

Pleasant – enjoyable

Embarrass – ashamed

Puzzled – confused

Sacrifice – giving up of sth valuable for a good purpose

Accept – take

Expect – demand

Deed – action

 

Answer the following questions:

1.       Who came to see the Prophet (Pbuh)? Why?

Ans: A poor man came to see the Prophet (Pbuh) because he hoped to get some food.

2.       Who was the host of this story?

Ans: Abu Talha was the host of this story.

3.       What is the moral lesson of this story?

Ans: The moral lesson of the story, “Be My Guest” is “We have to sacrifice our own needs for the sake of others.”

 

Helping the Poor (Love Your Brother, Love Your Neighbour)

 

Word Meaning:

Blessing – Allah’s favour

Terrible – trouble

Nod – move

Resume – restart

Tug – sudden hard pull

Rush – Come or go or do sth quickly

Gather – collect

Ordinary - normal

 

Answer the following questions:

1.       What did the Blessed Prophet do?

Ans: The Blessed Prophet followed the man to his home, learning the congregation to wait for him.

2.       What was the most important to the prophet?

Ans: Fulfilling the need of ordinary Muslims was as important to the Prophet (Pbuh) as conducting the prayer.

3.       When did a poor man push up to the Blessed Prophet (Pbuh)?

Ans: Just after the Iqama, a poor man pushed up to the Blessed Prophet (Pbuh).

Give it to him first (Love Your Brother, Love Your Neighbour)

Word Meaning:

Peace – friendliness

Battle – fight

Particular – relating to one, not others

Trouble – pain or difficulty

Wound – injury

Concern – worry

Collapse – fall down suddenly

Enemy – a person who wants to harm

 

Answer the following questions:

1.       Who were the companions of the blessed prophet?

Ans: The companions of the blessed prophet were Ikrama, Harith and Suhail.

2.       What was the job of the water bearer?

Ans: The job of the water bearer was to seek out the wounded and give water.

3.       What is the moral lesson of this story?

Ans: The moral lesson of this story is to sacrifice life for the sake of others.

An Autumn Scene: Walt Whitman

Lo, 'tis autumn,

Lo, where the trees, deeper green, yellower

redder,

Cool and sweeten Ohio's villages with leaves flut-

tering in the moderate wind,

Where apples ripe in the orchards hang and grapes

on the trellis'd vines,

(Smell you the smell of the grapes on the vines?

Smell you the buckwheat where the bees were

lately buzzing?)

Above all, lo, the sky so calm, so transparent after

the rain, and with wondrous clouds,

Below too, all calm, all vital and beautiful, and

the farm prospers well.

Summary: In this poem, 'An Autumn Scene', the poet Walt Whitman describes the beauty of autumn. An autumn is a very comfortable season. It brings comfort to all people. In autumn, the trees in the orchards become deeper green, yellower and redder with different kinds of fruits. There are ripe apples in the orchards of the villages and grapes in the grapevines. The sky is fully covered with wondrous clouds. It brings prosperity to all villagers. The poet explained it as a vital and beautiful season.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree: William Butler Yeats

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, 
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made: 
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee, 
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

Summary: 'The Lake of Innisfree' is a very beautiful poem written by William Butler Yeats. In this poem we see that the poet wants to go to his own village which is near the coast of Ireland. He is very much impatient and desperate to go near the nature and enjoy the beauty of it. Though he lives in a city, his heart always remains in the village. He doesn't like the noise, pollution and everyday life of the city. In the deep of his heart, he can hear the water lapping with low sounds. He wants to built a small cabin, a hive for the honey bee and he wants to live alone in the bee loud glade.

The Mower: Sylvia Lynd

The rooks travelled home,

The milch cows went lowing,

And down in the meadow

An old man was mowing.

His shirt rank with sweat,

His neck stained with grime;

But he moved like the cadence

And sweetness of rhyme.

He moved like the heavy-winged

Rooks, the slow cows,

He moved like the vane

On the roof of the house.

The foam of the daisies

Was spread like a sea,

The spikes of red sorrel

Came up past his knee.

The sorrel, the clover,

The buttercups gold-

A man that was dirty

And twisted and old-

But again and again

Like an eddy he was,

He moved like the wind

In his own tasseled grass.

Summary: ‘The Mower’ is a beautiful poem by Sylvia Lynd. In this poem, the poet says about a mower who is a hard-working person. He works from dawn to dusk without any break or rest. She compares the movement of a mower with the vane of a house. Every day the mower works on, his shirt ranks with sweat, his neck get stained with grime but still he works on. The foam of the daisies spread as a sea and the spikes of red sorrel come up to his knee, he still works on. He becomes dirty but still he works on like an eddy. And the poet thinks that mowing is a good job. We should respect the job of the mower.

The Kingdom of the Bees: William Shakespeare

So work the honey-bees :

Creatures that, by a rule in Nature, teach

The art of order to a peopled kingdom

They have a king, and officers of sorts;

Where some, like magistrates, correct at home;

Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad;

Others, like soldiers, armed in their stings,

Make boot upon the Summer’s velvet buds;

Which pillage they with merry march bring home

To the tent-royal of their emperor;

Who, busied in his majesty, surveys

The singing masons building roofs of gold;

The civil citizens kneading-up the honey;

The poor mechanic porters crowding-in

Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate;

The sad-eyed justice, with his surly hum,

Delivering o’er to executors pale

The lazy yawning drone.

Summary: ‘The Kingdom of the Bees,’ is a marvelous creation of the greatest English poet named William Shakespeare. Here the poet gives a vivid description of the bees' kingdom in a lyrical form through which we came to know that the life of insect is not that simple the way we think. If we notice their living standard, we can see that they have an organized life. They also have some rules and laws. They also have to maintain discipline in order to run their life. In this poem, the poet observed that in the bee hives, there are different classes of bees engaged in diverse works such as magistrates bees who do the corrective work, merchant bees collects honey, soldier bees protect their hives and the king who observes the work of everyday including masons bees who build the hives. There are other working groups who do their job within due diligence. The lives of bees are organized in an ordered way. They naturally learnt the art of order. Though they are insects, they have the capability to teach the human the art of order.

The Road Not Take: Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Summary: ‘The Road Not Taken’ written by Robert Frost is a nice poem depicting the minds of the modern men. A common feature of a modern man is dilemma which is nicely shown here. Through the traveler, the poet shows the indecisive aspects of the people. A common or an ordinary person normally takes or follows the much trodden path whereas the modern traveler takes the less trodden one. Finally, we also see that the traveler does not bother for undergoing the risk of his life.

Portia at Court: William Shakespeare

The quality of mercy is not strained;

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:

‘T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes

The throned monarch better than his crown:

His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,

The attribute to awe and majesty,

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

But mercy is above this sceptred sway;

It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,

It is an attribute to God himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest God’s

When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,

Though justice be thy plea, consider this,

That, in the course of justice, none of us

Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;

And that same prayer doth teach us all to render

The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much

To mitigate the justice of thy plea;

Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice

Must needs give sentence ‘gainst the merchant there.

Summary: 'Portia at Court' is a poem written by William Shakespeare in 'The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I'. Here the poet tries his level best to show the importance and greatness of mercy. Portia, the protagonist, tries to make the Jew understand the necessity or significance of mercy in human life. She told that mercy is a heavenly quality and the people who will show this to their fellow beings are also great and blessed by the God, the Creator of the Universe. Thus, we see that the magnanimity of mercy is shown by the poet in the poem very successfully through the earnest appeal of Portia.

The Greenwood Tree: William Shakespeare

Under the greenwood tree

Who loves to lie with me,

And turn his merry note

Unto the sweet bird's throat,

Come hither, come hither, come hither:

Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

Who doth ambition shun,

And loves to lie i' the sun,

Seeking the food he eats,

And pleased with what he gets,

Come hither, come hither, come hither:

Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

Summary: In this poem, 'The Greenwood Tree', the poet William Shakespeare describes the charms of forest life and asks people to come and join him in forest. The poet invites any enthusiastic friends to come and take time to relax under the greenwood tree and turn any melodious note of the heart into the sweetest song that the sweetest bird can ever sing. The friend is free to sing like a bird. So anyone can come immediately towards the greenwood tree. Here one shall find no enemies but only the rough and cold weather of winter. 

All the world's a stage: William Shakespeare

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.

Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,

Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,

Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lined,

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts

Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;

His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide

For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,

Turning again toward childish treble, pipes

And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Summary: In this poem, the poet compares the world with a stage and the men and women with actors and actresses. In the whole life a person plays different roles. At the beginning he is an infant. Then he becomes a school boy who is always reluctant to go to school. After this stage he becomes a lover who composes for sing on his beloved's beauty. In the next stage he turns into a proud soldier who is quick an action. After it he becomes a man of wisdom. In the sixth stage he wears spectacles and becomes weak for old ages. Finally he grows so old that he loves his teeth, eyesight and all kinds of strength.

The Village Blacksmith: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

UNDER a spreading chestnut tree

The village smithy stands;

The smith, a mighty man is he,

With large and sinewy hands;

And the muscles of his brawny arms

Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,

His face is like the tan;

His brow is wet with honest sweat,

He earns whate'er he can,

And looks the whole world in the face,

For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,

You can hear his bellows blow;

You can hear him swing his heavy sledge

With measured beat and slow,

Like a sexton ringing the village bell,

When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school

Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,

And hear the bellows roar,

And watch the burning sparks that fly

Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church.

And sits among his boys;

He hears the parson pray and preach,

He hears his daughter's voice,

Singing in the village choir,

And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,

Singing in Paradise!

He needs must think of her once more,

How in the grave she lies;

And with his hard, rough hand he wipes

A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling, -rejoicing, -sorrowing,

Onward through life he goes;

Each morning sees some task begin,

Each evening sees it close;

Something attempted, something done,

Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,

For the lesson thou hast taught!

Thus at the flaming forge of life

Our fortunes must be wrought;

Thus on its sounding avail shaped

Each burning deed and thought! 

Summary: The village Smithy stands under a chestnut tree. The blacksmith is an honest and strong man having muscular arms and crisp, black hair. He works hard from morning to evening using his heavy sledge. While returning from school, the children like to catch the burning sparks. The blacksmith goes to Church on Sunday. His daughter sings songs that sounds like her mother's voice. We have to learn from him that we can reshape our fate by working hard.

The Owl: Lord Tennyson

When cats run home and light is come,

And dew is cold upon the ground,

And the far-off stream is dumb,

And the whirring sail goes round,

And the whirring sail goes round :

Alone and warming his five wits,

The white owl in the belfry sits.

When merry milkmaids click the latch,

And rarely smells the new-mown hay,

And the cock hath sung beneath the thatch

Twice or thrice his roundelay,

Twice or thrice his roundelay :

Alone and warming his five wits,

The white owl in the belfry sits.

Summary: In this poem, ‘The Owl,’ the poet Lord Tennyson describes about the owl. The nocturnal owl has an omniscient force who watches and knows everything in his surroundings. When cats run home, dew is cold upon the ground, and the sound of windmills goes round, then the white owl sits on a part of tower and watches everything by using his five senses or powers. When merry milkmaids close gates and the cock sings a song twice or thrice under the house roof, then the white owl sits on a part of tower and observes all the things by using his five wits or senses.

Daffodils: William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:-

A poet could not but be gay

In such a jocund company:

I gazed – and gazed – but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude,

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Summary: In this poem, ‘Daffodils,’ the poet William Wordsworth describes about the beauty of nature. Once, alone, he was wandering beside a lake. That time a cloud was floating in the sky over valleys and hills. Suddenly he saw a field of golden daffodils beside the lake under the trees. The airy breeze made them wave and dance. They stretch all along the shore till the stars shine and twinkle on the milky way. Though the waves of the lake danced beside the daffodils, the daffodils beat the waves in delight. In this situation, the poet became happy with a joyful company of daffodils. He stared and stared but did not understand the value of the scene. But now when is bored or melancholy, he often thinks of them. The memory of their beauty fills his heart with pleasure.

A Night in June: William Wordsworth

The sun has long been set,

The stars are out by twos and threes,

The little birds are piping yet

Among the bushes and trees;

There's a cuckoo, and one or two thrushes,

And a far-off wind that rushes,

And a sound of water that gushes,

And the cuckoo's sovereign cry

Fills all the hollow of the sky.

Summary: In this poem, 'A Night in June,' the poet William Wordsworth describes about the beautiful night of summer in London. In June, the sun took long time to set. That time two or three stars are coming out, little birds are chirping among the bushes and trees. One or two song birds and a cuckoo are singing. A far-off blowing wind and flowing water make sound. All the spaces of the sky fill up by these beautiful things. 

The Kitten At Play: William Wordsworth

See the kitten on the wall,

Sporting with the leaves that fall,

Withered leaves, one, two, and three

Falling from the elder-tree,

Through the calm and frosty air

Of the morning bright and fair.

See the kitten, how she starts,

Crouches, stretches, paws and darts;

With a tiger-leap half way

Now she meets her coming prey.

Lets it go as fast and then

Has it in her power again.

Now she works with three and four,

Like an Indian conjuror;

Quick as he in feats of art;

Gracefully she plays her part;

Yet were gazing thousands there,

What would little Tabby care?

Summary: In this poem, ‘The Kitten at Play,’ the poet William Wordsworth describes about the kitten which is taking preparation to prey. The poet calls us to see the activities of the kitten before prey. The kitten was playing on the wall with the falling leaves. In the bright and fair morning, these leaves fall from the elder tree. The kitten bend down, stretch and goes half-way with a tiger–leap. When she comes near to her prey, she runs fast and jump on her prey. She elegantly plays her part like an Indian magician. She does not care anyone, though thousands were gazing there.

The Rainbow: William Wordsworth

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky:

So was it when my life began;

So is it now I am a man;

So be it when I shall grow old,

Or let me die!

The Child is father of the Man;

I could wish my days to be

Bound each to each by natural piety.

Summary: In this poem, 'The Rainbow,' the poet William Wordsworth describes about the appearance of the rainbow and expresses his desire to pass his days with the great respect for nature. The poet’s heart becomes full of pleasure when he looks at the rainbow. The appearance of the rainbow always remains unchanged. When the poet was born, the rainbow was there. It remains there, when he is young. It will be there, when will grow old or when he will die. Like the rainbow, our life is connected with our past, present and future. Today's child will be tomorrow's father. So, he wants goodness every day.

To Daffodils: Robert Herrick

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see 

You haste away so soon; 

As yet the early-rising sun 

Has not attain'd his noon. 

Stay, stay, 

Until the hasting day 

Has run 

But to the even-song; 

And, having pray'd together, we 

Will go with you along. 

We have short time to stay, as you, 

We have as short a spring; 

As quick a growth to meet decay, 

As you, or anything. 

We die 

As your hours do, and dry 

Away, 

Like to the summer's rain; 

Or as the pearls of morning's dew, 

Ne'er to be found again. 

Summary: In this poem, ‘To Daffodil’, the poet Robert Herrick compares human life with the life of daffodils. He is so sad because the life of daffodil is very short. He has struck a note of mourning at the fast dying of daffodils. The poet asks the daffodils to stay until the day ends with the evening prayer. After praying together he wants to go with them because like the daffodils, men also have a very transient life. Men have short spring or youth which ends up very quickly. Their life is as short as the rain of the summer season which comes for a very short time and the dew-drops in the morning which vanish away and never come back.

Pippa Passes: Robert Browning

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn:
God's in His heaven—
All's right with the world!

Summary: In this poem, the poet Robert Browning describes about God’s flawless governing. In an early spring morning, the grass on the hill sides is wet with dew-drops, the larks are singing and flying, the snails are feeding on the thorn. Everything around is beautiful and good because God is looking after all these things. 

Winter The Huntsman: Osbert Sitwell

Through his iron glades

Rides Winter the Huntsman,

All colour fades

As his horn is heard sighing.

Far through the forest

His wild hooves crash and thunder,

Till many a mighty branch

Is torn asunder.

And the red reynard creeps

To his hole near the river,

The copper leaves fall

And the bare trees shiver.

As night creeps from the ground,

Hides each tree from its brother,

And each dying sound

Reveals yet another.

Is it Winter the Huntsman

Who gallops through his iron glades,

Cracking his cruel whip

To the gathering shades?

Summary: In this poem, 'Winter The Huntsman,' the poet Osbert Sitwell describes about Winter The Huntsman who rides on his noble steed in the middle of the forest during winter to search for his next prey. That time all colours are fading as he runs through his iron glades. His horn is heard sighing while he is running through the cold wind. The crash and thunder of wild hooves heard from far away until mighty branches are divided. The red reynard moves to its hole near the river, the copper leaves fall and the bare trees shiver during that time. When night comes each tree hides from others, but at the same time each dying sound reveals another.