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TNPSC English: Analysis of Poems on Morality, Deception, and Technology

This guide provides a detailed analysis of the fifth batch of 5 important poems from the TNPSC syllabus. This selection features profound works of British literature that explore morality, deception, the wonders of the cosmos, and the rise of technology. We will examine each poem's message, its author, and its key literary devices.

இந்த வழிகாட்டி, TNPSC பாடத்திட்டத்தில் உள்ள 5 முக்கியக் கவிதைகளின் ஐந்தாவது தொகுப்பை விரிவாக ஆய்வு செய்கிறது. இதில், அறநெறி, வஞ்சகம், பிரபஞ்சத்தின் அதிசயங்கள் மற்றும் தொழில்நுட்பத்தின் எழுச்சி ஆகியவற்றை ஆராயும் பிரிட்டிஷ் இலக்கியத்தின் ஆழமான படைப்புகள் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளன. ஒவ்வொரு கவிதையின் மையக் கருத்து, ஆசிரியர் பற்றிய விவரங்கள் மற்றும் முக்கிய இலக்கிய நயங்கள் பற்றி நாம் கற்றுக்கொள்வோம்.

Learning Patterns & Strategies​

To master the literary works section, follow these proven strategies:

  • Focused Study: Use this guide and the provided material. Do not waste time searching for other notes. (தேவையில்லாமல் வேறு குறிப்புகளைத் தேடி நேரத்தை வீணாக்காதீர்கள், இங்குள்ளதை மட்டும் படித்தால் போதும்).
  • Memorize Authors: Memorize the list of all 30 poems and their authors. This is a potential question area. (30 கவிதைகள் மற்றும் அவற்றின் ஆசிரியர்களின் பெயர்களை மனப்பாடம் செய்யுங்கள்).
  • Understand Themes: For each poem, understand its central idea or summary. This helps in answering appreciation questions. (ஒவ்வொரு கவிதையின் மையக் கருத்தையும் புரிந்து கொள்ளுங்கள்).
  • Master Figures of Speech: This is the most critical part. Most questions from this unit are about identifying figures of speech. (Figures of Speech-ல் இருந்துதான் பெரும்பாலான கேள்விகள் வரும், எனவே இதில் அதிக கவனம் செலுத்துங்கள்).
  • Practice Questions: Regularly practice the appreciation questions and MCQs for each poem to build confidence and speed. (பயிற்சி வினாக்களைத் தீர்ப்பது தேர்வில் உங்கள் வேகத்தை அதிகரிக்கும்).

Key Poems Explained​

21. "A Poison Tree" by William Blake​

This powerful poem explores the destructive consequences of suppressed anger and resentment.

Summary​

The speaker contrasts two scenarios. When angry with a friend, he expresses his wrath, and the anger ends. When angry with an enemy, he suppresses it. This hidden anger is nurtured with fear ("water'd it in fears") and deceit ("sunned it with smiles"). It grows into a metaphorical "poison tree" that bears a single "apple bright." The foe, seeing the apple, steals and eats it during the night. In the morning, the speaker is glad to see his foe lying dead beneath the tree.

About the Author: William Blake (1757–1827)​

  • A visionary British poet, painter, and printmaker of the Romantic Age.
  • This poem is from his famous collection "Songs of Experience," which explores the darker aspects of human nature.

Literary Devices​

Extended Metaphor: The central device is the poison tree, which represents the speaker's growing, nurtured wrath. The entire poem builds on this single, powerful metaphor. (வளர்க்கப்பட்ட கோபத்தைக் குறிக்கும் 'விஷ மரம்' என்பதே கவிதையின் மைய உருவகம்).

Antithesis: A direct contrast of ideas in a balanced way.

  • Example: "I was angry with my friend; / I told my wrath, my wrath did end. / I was angry with my foe; / I told it not, my wrath did grow."

22. "The Spider and The Fly" by Mary Howitt​

This is a classic cautionary fable that warns against the dangers of flattery and succumbing to temptation.

Summary​

A cunning Spider tries to lure an innocent Fly into his "parlour" (web). He uses increasingly persuasive tactics, complimenting the Fly's beauty and offering her rest and treats. The wise Fly initially resists, knowing the fate of those who enter his web. However, the Spider's final, irresistible flattery about her intelligence and beauty finally tricks her. She draws too near, is caught in the web, and falls victim to the "wily" Spider. The poem concludes with a direct warning to children to close their "hearts and ears and eyes" to insincere, flattering words.

About the Author: Mary Howitt (1799–1888)​

  • A British poet who wrote this poem as a cautionary tale for children. The opening line, "'Will you walk into my parlour?' said the Spider to the Fly," has become a famous saying.

Literary Devices​

Fable: The poem is a fable, using animal characters to teach a moral lesson. (விலங்குகளைப் பாத்திரங்களாகக் கொண்டு ஒரு நீதியைக் கற்பிக்கும் கதை).

Personification: The Spider and the Fly are given human characteristics like speech, cunning, vanity, and wisdom.

Apostrophe: The narrator directly addresses the reader (specifically children) in the final stanza to deliver the moral.

23. "The Comet" by Norman Littleford​

This poem vividly describes the power, speed, and destructive potential of a comet as it travels through the cosmos.

Summary​

The poem portrays a comet as a "spectacle of a lifetime," "rampaging through the heavens." It moves with incredible speed, faster than a cheetah, and has a tail stretching for miles. The tone is one of awe and slight fear, as the poet emphasizes the immense damage such a celestial body could cause if it were to strike the Earth, leaving behind a "crater" as its "scar."

About the Author: Norman Littleford​

  • A contemporary British poet whose work is often noted for its clear imagery and accessible themes, making it popular in educational contexts.

Literary Devices​

Simile: A direct comparison using "as" or "like."

  • Example: "A tail that's long as miles." (Note: This is an exaggeration, also a hyperbole).

Metaphor:

  • Example: The crater left by a potential impact is called a "scar," comparing the damage to a wound on a body.

Hyperbole: Exaggeration used for dramatic effect.

  • Example: "Rampaging through the heavens," "Faster than a cheetah."

24. "The Star" by Jane Taylor​

This is the globally recognized nursery rhyme "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," expressing a child's wonder about a celestial body.

Summary​

The poem begins with the famous couplet where a child looks up at a star and wonders about its nature. The star is praised for being a guiding light for travellers in the dark, appearing when the sun has set. It is described as a "diamond in the sky" and a tiny, constant spark that watches over the world at night. The poem captures a pure sense of awe and curiosity about the universe.

About the Author: Jane Taylor (1783–1824)​

  • A British poet and novelist. She wrote the lyrics for "The Star," which was first published in the collection "Rhymes for the Nursery" in 1806.

Literary Devices​

Apostrophe: The primary device is the direct address to an inanimate object, the star. (உயிரற்ற பொருளான நட்சத்திரத்திடம் நேரடியாகப் பேசுவது).

  • Example: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, / How I wonder what you are!"

Simile: The poem contains one of the most famous similes in the English language.

  • Example: "Up above the world so high, / Like a diamond in the sky."

Personification: The star is given human-like actions.

  • Example: "For you never shut your eye, / Till the sun is in the sky."

25. "The Secret of the Machines" by Rudyard Kipling​

Narrated by machines themselves, this poem explores their creation, power, and ultimate dependence on and subordination to both humanity and the laws of nature.

Summary​

The machines describe their origin from raw minerals and the violent process of their creation in furnaces and forges. They list their superhuman abilities: serving humans 24 hours a day, pulling, pushing, printing, ploughing, and more. However, they candidly admit their limitations: they are unfeeling, cannot understand human emotions like love or pity, and can be dangerous if mishandled. They deliver a crucial warning: despite their power, they are merely the "children of your brain," and their existence is governed by unchangeable laws. They end with the profound truth that the laws of nature are absolute, and even the machines must obey them.

About the Author: Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)​

  • An influential British novelist, poet, and journalist, born in British India.
  • He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize.

Literary Devices​

Personification (Prosopopoeia): The entire poem is an act of personification, as the machines speak collectively as "We." (இயந்திரங்கள் 'நாம்' என்று பேசுவதால், கவிதை முழுவதும் உருவகப்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது).

Metaphor:

  • Example: "But remember, please, the Law by which we live, / We are not built to comprehend a lie... We are children of your brain."

Alliteration and Rhythm: The poem uses strong rhythms and alliteration to mimic the sound and power of machinery.

  • Example: "We can pull and push and print and plough..."