19. A MAN OF WORDS AND NOT OF NEEDS (Charles Perrault)

CONTEXT: In this poem, the poet tells us that an idle person is always at sea. He falls a victim to despair. He can get nothing. His life is pitiable. On the other hand, a man of action is always optimist. He does not give up his struggle. He succeeds in getting all the aims of his life.

EXPLANATION: LINES 1 TO 8: In these lines, the poet tells that an idle man leads an aimless life. The poet says that a talkative person leads a worthless life. He is like a garden full of weeds. These weeds begin to grow. Then this garden is covered with snow. All the birds and beasts start migrating. He is just like a bird that flies upward like an eagle in the sky, but his flight is aimless.

EXPLANATION: LINES 9 TO 16: In these lines, the poet says that an idle person leads a pitiable life. He is just like lion that stands at the door of house and is ready to enter the house. The door starts cracking. It means his death is at his door. He feels uneasy. He suffers from back pain. He has a heart attack. His heart bleeds and in the end, he dies.

Short Questions

Q.No.1: Who has written this poem?

Answer: This poem has been written by Charles Perrault.

Q.No.2: What is the central idea of the poem? OR Write a critical appreciation of the poem? OR What moral lesson does the poet give his readers? (DGK-11, BWP-12, SAR-12)

Answer: The poet advises that the life should be spent in some fruitful activity because life is the name of action not contemplation.

Q.No.3: How does the life of a man pass through from different phases?

Answer: At first stage, a talkative person gives the people a hope to do something. But at the second stage, he loses his respect because he does nothing. At the third stage, he is too helpless to do anything. He becomes so miserable and dies in the end.

Q.NO.4: What happens when the life is spent with the help of words and not of deeds? (BWP-10, 11, 12, FSD-GW-11, 12, AJK, LHR-12)

Answer: When a person spends his life with the help of words and not of deeds, he cannot do anything fruitful in his life. He loses his respect and is not revered in society.

Q.NO.5: What does the garden look when the weeds start growing?

Answer: The weeds have been symbolized as the useless talk of an articulate person and the garden has been symbolized as the life of that person. The garden with weeds presents a dull look. Similarly, a man’s life loses its charm for others.