PARAGRAPH
Paragraph Writing
A paragraph is a group of sentences related to one topic or developing one point. These sentences are closely related in meaning and are arranged in a systematic order. A paragraph may stand independently or may be a part of a longer composition like an essay. The essential features of a good paragraph are unity, coherence, proper emphasis, and variety.
Unity. Since a paragraph happens to be a short composition, the unity of theme is of utmost importance in it. Unity may be achieved by relating all the sentences to the central theme. If we use a key sentence right in the beginning of a paragraph, making a very clear and emphatic statement of the theme, we are likely to achieve better unity than we otherwise could. The key sentence, in a way, defines our field. We should strictly confine ourselves to this field and in no case digress. Any digression, howsoever small, is bound to destroy the unity of the paragraph, so we must be extra-vigilant with regard to digressions. We must judiciously select what is relevant and essential and exclude everything else. Another important principle to be kept in mind is not to split the ideas into two or three paragraphs if only one paragraph can adequately express them, and not to put into one paragraph what should be distributed in two or more.
Coherence. The second important feature of a good paragraph is coherence. It implies that all the sentences should follow each other in a well-connected way; or, in other words, each sentence should have some bearing on the preceding sentence and naturally lead to the next one. Coherence needs to be very systematic. If it is a narrative paragraph, observe proper time sequence, that is, narrate the events in the order in which they took place. In a descriptive paragraph, spatial order has to be observed. If the subject is reflective, the ideas should be so inter-connected that one idea leads to the next, or a number of ideas touching the various aspects of a problem lead to a specific conclusion. Coherence can also be achieved by using linking expressions, such as therefore, moreover, however, yet, nevertheless, thus, consequently, as a result of, in addition to, on the contrary, etc but there must not be too many of these linking expressions in a paragraph, or they will distract the reader.
Proper emphasis. Proper emphasis can be achieved by giving to each aspect or each idea as much space as the importance of its relation with the central theme demands and by giving more prominent position to more prominent aspects or ideas.
Variety. When we talk of variety in a paragraph, it is not the variety in its theme, for, as has already been said, a paragraph needs unity of theme–but the variety in sentence construction. To produce a better effect, the various sentences constituting a paragraph should differ in length and be varied in their form.
While writing a paragraph, the following points should be kept in mind:
1. Think about the subject and select one of its aspects to write about. If a narrative subject, choose only one event; if a descriptive subject, choose only one aspect of the object, person or scene being described. In the case of a reflective subject, have a very clear point of view from which you have to develop your ideas.
2. Now note down all the points relevant to the aspect you have chosen. Carefully exclude digressions and irrelevant ideas.
3. logically arrange these points.
4. If you think it proper, begin your paragraph with a key sentence suggesting the theme.
5. Develop your subject in well-connected sentences.
6. Vary the form of your sentences. They must not be all too long or too short. A paragraph consisting of only simple or only complex sentences makes a very dull reading. Variety is very essential for an effective paragraph.
7. The last sentence of the paragraph must have an air of finality about it. It must give the impression that you have adequately said what you wanted to say.
8. There are no hard and fast rules about the length of a paragraph. It should be only as long as your subject demands. Besides, it should not be so short that it is over before the facts stated in it are properly registered in the reader’s mind, nor should it be so long that it may leave the reader breathless.
SOME MODEL PARAGRAPHS
Paragraph Writing Sample
1. Describe the day when everything went wrong.
There are some inauspicious days when we find ourselves under the effect of some evil star. Everything goes wrong on such a day. I had a similar type of experience one day. I got up early in the morning to find that my scooter had been stolen from the courtyard of my house the previous night. I rushed to the police station and lodged a report about the theft of my vehicle. The moment I returned home from the police station, I received the bad news of my friend Kewal’s having met with an accident and his admittance to a hospital. Hurriedly I changed my clothes and went to the hospital to enquire after his health. Kewal had narrowly escaped death but his right leg had been fractured and his face had been badly bruised. He had been asked to remain in the hospital for a week. It was a woeful sight to see his leg in plaster and most of his face in bandages. I spent some time in the hospital. Then I went to my office. But even there I found myself being dogged by my evil star. My office colleagues told me that I had been transferred to some other section. This bad news completely upset me, for I had been quite at home in this section. With a heavy heart, I came back home just to get another sad news that our next-door neighbour had died of a heart attack. It was really a heart-breaking news; for the poor fellow was so young that nobody could think of his death. I was overwhelmed by deep This quick succession of unfortunate events made me pensive and I began to meditate on the mystery of life.
sorrow.
(Inauspicious-not of good omen; Pensive-thoughtful.)
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2. Describe what you would do if you get off a train at a station and after the train has started you find that you have left your suitcase on the luggage rack.
I am notorious for my absent-mindedness and I am not travel minded at all. So it should not be surprising if I get down from a train and lose myself in a pleasant chit-chat with a friend who has come to receive me only to be reminded by the whistling engine of the train moving out of the platform that I have left my suitcase on the luggage-rack. A highly unnerving situation, but quite possible indeed! I am not athletic enough to jump on to the running train, grab my suitcase, and jump back relieved and triumphant. I suppose I would have to approach the station master and, giving him as plausible an explanation of my folly as I could, furnish all the details of my suitcase and request him to contact the station master of the next station so that my suitcase could be taken down. This done, I would either wait for the next train or take a bus for the next station, cursing my absent-mindedness and praying for the safe recovery of my suitcase.
(Unnerving-causing the loss of self-control; Triumphant-victorious; Plausible-reasonable.)
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3. You are going to appear for an interview and the taxi breaks down on the way. Describe your experience.
I was happy that I had qualified the written test and was going to appear for the final interview for the job of a probationary officer in a reputed bank. I anticipated stiff competition but was quite hopeful of my selection. The interview was to be held at 4 p.m. I left my place in a taxi well in time. But unfortunately we had hardly covered two kilometers when the taxi broke down. All the efforts of the driver to repair the engine and restart the vehicle proved utterly unavailing. The slow-moving hands of my wrist watch appeared to have gained a sudden speed. The fear of missing the interview began to torment me. No other vehicle was in sight and I could not make it to the place of interview on foot. Presently there appeared a gentleman on a scooter. In the first instance, he showed his reluctance to oblige me, but later on, when I explained to him the urgency of the matter, he agreed to drop me at the place of interview. The interview was just about to begin when I reached there. I thanked the gentleman, took a glass of water and felt at ease. Then I tried to concentrate on the fact that I must do well in the interview.
(Unavailing-unsuccessful; Reluctance-hesitation.)
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4. You go to see a movie and find the notice “house full” at the gate of the cinema house. Describe your experience.
I am not a cinema fan, but I seldom miss a good and celebrated movie. Last year, an International Film Festival was celebrated at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. I had heard a lot about the Hungarian entry, The Condemned. The critics had applauded this movie for its excellent editing, competent direction and brilliant photography. I wanted to see this movie at all costs. I reached the auditorium an hour before the scheduled time. As anticipated, I found the house full. Now it was all chance if I could see the movie. There were so many like me in the gathering asking for a spare ticket. Whenever a new party arrived, people ran towards it asking for a spare ticket. Some were lucky to lay their hands on one, but my luck dodged me relentlessly. The show had started and most of the ticket-holders had gone in. I felt like one condemned. In a mood of utter disappointment, I decided to leave. Suddenly I came across my friend Raj. I knew he was a member of the Delhi Film Society. He could guess my position immediately. He told me not to worry about the ticket. He had a double pass of the Delhi Film Society which entitled him to two tickets. He had already got his name noted for the show. He went to the booking office and got two tickets. I was lucky to enjoy this celebrated movie in the company of my friend. The experience it provided was so exquisite that it soon wiped from memory my earlier disappointment.
(Relentlessly-mercilessly; Exquisite-excellent.)
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5. You go to the post office to buy some envelopes. When you come back, you find that your scooter is missing. Describe your experience.
I am a careful person in the sense that I do not mind spending a few paise on keeping my scooter at an authorised scooter stand. I seldom park my scooter at stray places. Still, I became a victim of the theft of my scooter last Monday. I went to the post office to buy some envelopes. Since there was no regular or authorised scooter stand at the post office, I parked my scooter at the gate. It took me hardly five minutes to purchase the envelopes. But when I came out I did not find my scooter at the gate. I looked here and there but there was no sign of my vehicle. I told the post master about the theft. But he simply said that the visitors were supposed to park their vehicles outside the post office at their own risk. What consolation could I get from such an unsympathetic reply? I was very much upset. I went to the nearest police station and lodged a complaint about the theft of the scooter, fully convinced that it was merely a formality. Fortunately, my scooter was insured against theft. So, I went to the office of the Insurance Company and filed my claim towards the cost of the vehicle according to the rules of the insurance policy taken by me. The insurance agent told me that I would be paid only the market price of the vehicle. I had to accept the terms. But I am still to get the compensation promised.
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6. You were driving on a lonely highway at night. Describe what happened when you were stopped by three men on the way.
One night when I lay in deep sleep in my room, my mother called me ill with terrible pain in my abdomen and I must bring the doctor from the city. winter midnight and the doctor’s residence was at a distance of ten kilometres from my house. I realised my duty towards my parents. Immediately I changed my clothes, put on my overcoat, took out my scooter and set out for the city to fetch the doctor. But hardly had I covered three kilometres when I was waylaid by three men. I felt there was something fishy about their appearance. But I did not try to run away because I thought it was useless to do so. I told them that I was going to the city to fetch the doctor as my father was seriously ill. I also told them frankly that I had very little ready money with me. I tried my best to convince them about the delicacy of the situation. They seemed convinced by my frank and sincere reply and allowed me to proceed. Soon I reached the doctor’s residence and told him to accompany me to my house. The doctor readily agreed. It was a great relief to be accompanied by an elderly person on the return journey. Soon we reached home and my father received the best possible medical treatment from the doctor. I heaved a sigh of relief that I had done my duty.
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7. You visit your school fifteen years after you passed your senior secondary examination. Describe your experience.
The school time is a formative period in one’s life. Its memories are virtually indelible. It is said that the friendships of school days prove more durable and sincere than the acquaintances of later days in life. Last month I had a chance to visit my village school after a long period of fifteen years. The moment I entered the school gate, old memories flashed across my mind. The gardener of the school was the same old cheerful man. He recognised me easily and was glad to see me after such a long time. Then I went to see the Principal of the school. A few teachers were also sitting in the Principal’s room. I introduced myself to all of them. Most of the teachers were new, but the old Hindi teacher was the same. I touched his feet in reverence. All of them were glad that I had come there to see them and the school. I told them how often I had thought of my school and how the experience and training of those good days had left an imprint on my personality. The Principal and the staff were very happy to know that I was holding a key position in the Home Ministry of the Central Government of India. I told the Principal that I would be happy to help the intelligent students to the best of my ability. I also donated some amount for the help of poor and deserving students. The Principal asked me to address the students on vocational courses available to them at the end of their stay at the school. The Principal invited me for lunch at his residence. Really, it was a fine day spent by me.
(Indelible-that cannot be wiped off; Reverence-respect.)
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8. As you put your hand in your pocket to take out money to buy a bus ticket, you realize that your purse is missing. Describe your experience.
In my office I am known for my punctuality. Even though an acute conveyance problem exists in our city, I try to reach my office in time. Last Friday, I left my house in time to catch the local bus for my office. There was an unusual rush at the bus stop. With great difficulty I managed to board an overcrowded bus. I was forced to keep standing at the gate for a long time. A good number of other passengers were also standing there and I was almost sandwiched between two fat persons. Somehow, I managed to squeeze myself through the crowd to find a little breathing space and approached the conductor to purchase the ticket. I told him to give me a one-rupee ticket. The moment I put my hand in my back pocket to take out money, I was surprised to find that my purse was missing. I was nonplussed and became nervous. My face turned pale at the thought of misery and humiliation in store for me. However, I mustered courage and shouted that my purse had been stolen by someone in the bus. I suggested that the bus be taken to the nearest police station. Since that was office time, many passengers objected to my suggestion. I could also see the look of ridicule and contempt on the face of the conductor. However, I was relieved to see a few of my office colleagues in the bus. They readily supported my proposal. The bus was taken to the police station and I lodged the report there. I was not hopeful of getting back the purse, still I was satisfied that I had done my duty. I reached my office half an hour late. My colleagues were anxious to know the reason of my being late. When I narrated to them the incident, all of them criticised the low climate of morality prevailing in our country.
(Nonplussed-at a loss to understand; Humiliation-insult.)
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9. During a train journey, a passenger sitting next to you is caught travelling without a ticket. Describe the experience.
The other day, during a train journey from Kanpur to Delhi, I had a very interesting experience. I picked a casual friendship with a smart-looking young fellow sitting next to me. We soon fell into an absorbing conversation. He introduced himself as one of the directors of an internationally reputed business concern and said he was going to attend an industrial conference in Delhi. He gave me interesting anecdotes, particularly related to the underworld, and I gave him tea and snacks, of which he took quite a generous helping. I was amazed at his wide experience, his versatility, his sophisticated Ness, and virtually accepted him as my ideal. Time flew like a dream and we made plans to meet again in Delhi, where, he said, he would give me valuable contacts. Just then the ticket-checker entered the compartment and demanded tickets from all the passengers. When my friend’s turn came, he started fumbling into his pockets but could not produce the ticket. Then he put on an innocent and harassed look and tried to give out that perhaps the ticket had been lost. But the ticket-checker was not a man to be easily dodged like this. He threatened him with a severe action. At this, the Youngman broke down. He confessed that he was a highly educated but unemployed person and could not afford to pay for the ticket. It was utter helplessness that had led him to this disgraceful course, he said, and pleaded to the ticker-checker to take a more sympathetic view of the case. But the ticket-checker appeared to be unrelenting. I was often on the verge of offering to pay for the fare and fine but somehow restrained myself. At Mathura the ticket-checker led him to the office to deal with him further, leaving me wondering whether he was the director of a firm, or an unemployed youth or, what was more likely, the member of a gang of smugglers.
(Anecdotes-short, amusing stories; Versatility-cleverness at many different things; Sophisticatedness-refinement; Unrelenting-cruel.)
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10. You receive a telephone call that your father has been admitted to a hospital with a heart attack. Describe what happens.
Life is so uncertain that often one does not have even an inkling of what is going to befall one the next moment. It was the British History class and I was eagerly looking forward to the music recital to be held in the college hall in the evening. Suddenly I was summoned by the Principal, who gently explained to me that he had received a disturbing call from my elder sister. My father had been taken to the Safdarjang Hospital because of some restless feeling in the heart. For me it was a bolt from the blue. I could clearly perceive that the Principal was struggling hard to conceal something unpalatable, and all of a sudden my heart was filled with a strong premonition. But avoiding all unnecessary questions, I rushed to the hospital in a taxi. The enquiry office directed me to the Intensive Care Unit. My sister and my old mother were anxiously waiting outside in the corridor. Their faces were pale and harrowed. They narrated to me how the father had suddenly complained of severe pain and had virtually collapsed and how he had been admitted to the hospital. I wasn’t allowed to go in and have a glimpse of him. They had put him on oxygen and glucose. But they told me that his response to the treatment being given was quite encouraging and the crisis would soon be over. These were the most valuable words I could ever hear from anyone. After about two hours, when they finally allowed me to have a look at him from a distance, he was sleeping peacefully. He has since recovered a lot and the situation is gradually returning to the normal, but the very recollection of that experience is sufficient to give me nightmares.
(Inkling-idea; Unpalatable-unpleasant, disagreeable; Premonition-feeling of uneasiness supposed to be a warning of some coming danger; Harrowed distressed; Nightmares-horrible dreams.)
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11. On return from an enjoyable picnic with members of your family, you find your house burgled. Describe your experience.
Very often a spree is followed close on its heels by an unpleasant experience, as if the stern forces of nature were bent upon an immediate reckoning. Last month, one of the most enjoyable picnics we ever had ended in great sorrow when on our return we found our house burgled. It was about 8 PM. When we reached back home, blissfully contented, anticipating a night of refreshing rest. But the front gate, unlocked and slightly ajar, gave us a rude shock. Quite apprehensive of what we might discover, we pushed the door open and stepped in. The scene inside was really unnerving. The burglars had ransacked the entire house and removed whatever valuable they could lay their hands on. The LED and music systems were gone; so were the electronic clock on the table and the laptop. My elder sister, who had come to stay with us, had been robbed of all her costly sarees. We did contact the police, but how often has anything once stolen been recovered through police efforts?
(Spree-merry time; Reckoning-calculation of accounts; Apprehensive-full of fears; Ransack-to search thoroughly.)
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12. Describe an experience which has made a lasting impression on your mind.
Some experiences are felt with such an intensity that they leave an indelible impression on our mind. It was just a fortnight back that I saw off my friend Mr. Malhotra, a healthy young man of twenty-four, pulsating with vitality, beaming with joy and cherishing pleasant dreams of a bright future. As he thrust his neck out of the window and threw a warm smile at me, little did I realise that it was my last meeting with him. For hardly had he reached Calcutta, where he held a prestigious post in a public sector firm when he had a sun-stroke followed by a severe attack of jaundice. He lived in Calcutta all alone, his parents being in Delhi, and within two days, away from all his friends and relatives, he fell prey into the unrelenting hands of death. The news came to me like a bolt from the blue. Ever since, I have been reflecting over the futility of human life and the hollowness of human achievement. A kind of sadness has descended on my spirit and I do not think I shall ever be able to regain my earlier exuberance and gaiety.
(Indelible-that cannot be wiped off; Pulsating-throbbing; Exuberance-high- spiritedness; Gaiety-joy.)
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13. Write a paragraph with the sentence given below appearing somewhere in it:
“I’ve won a prize in the lottery,” shouted my brother.
If there is any mystery in life, it is life itself. And sometimes, it plays very cruel jokes on poor and helpless people. I belong to a family in which how to make both ends meet is a real problem. My father is the only breadwinner in the family and he too earns a rather meagre salary. Last week, my sister got engaged. The ceremony drained away whatever little money we had in the house. Marriage is also hardly a month away. Father got worried. He was sitting lost in his worries when my younger brother entered and shouted, “I’ve won a prize in the lottery.” Father was startled. “How much?” he enquired with eagerness. “A lakh and a half.” “What !” “A lakh and a half,” repeated my brother. It was, undoubtedly, a windfall and would have surely steered us clear of all our difficulties and strains. But alas! it proved too great a news for my weak-hearted father. Today as I pace up and down in the corridor outside the emergency ward of a local hospital and my father lies inside in a coma with a damaged heart, I am ruefully pondering over the tragic tale called life.
(Ruefully with regrets.)
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14. Write a paragraph using the following set of sentences:
(i) “I don’t like this sari either,” said the lady.
(ii) The floor was covered with saris.
The moment the lady entered the well-known sari shop, the salesman at the counter got fascinated by her attire and her sophisticated latest in the garments. Fashion craze was writ large on her face. It looks. Any alert salesman could have guessed her inclination for the was a challenge for the salesman. The oft-quoted maxim ‘customer’s satisfaction is our satisfaction’ flashed across his mind. Quite eagerly he started showing her the latest saris in the world of fashion. All the possible varieties and the latest arrivals, the Banarsi silk saree, the Kanjivaram brand from the south, and many other popular brands were spread on the floor. The lady was attracted by none of them. Sometimes she shook her head, demanding a particular shade; sometimes she turned down the shade in preference to a particular pattern on the border of the sari. The exercise continued for two hours. At last, the salesman brought out something novel and very confidently he showed this rare piece to the lady. ‘I don’t like this sari either,’ said the lady. She stood up and left the showroom. The salesman was nonplussed, for he had done his utmost to satisfy this queer customer. The floor was covered with saris.
(Attire-dress; Nonplussed-puzzled.)
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15. Write a paragraph using the following set of sentences:
(i) I reached the station as the train was leaving.
(ii) “There won’t be another one till tomorrow morning,” said the porter.
I was at my village when the telegram containing the bad news of my friend Harish’s sudden death in an accident reached me. It was a bolt from the blue not only for me but for everybody who knew Harish’s lovable personality. I deemed it my duty to meet the bereaved parents of Harish at the earliest and offer my condolences. I took my bicycle and pedalled towards the railway station. It looked all dark under the cover of night. The village road was also in bad shape. I moved on in a mood of self-forgetfulness. All the time I had been thinking of Harish and his family. His innocent and sincere countenance flashed across my mind. How cruel are the hands of fate! The lovable and again and again smiling face that had greeted me a few days back had been taken away by the cruel hands of death all of a sudden. At last, I reached the railway station. But on reaching there I saw that the train had already left the platform and was moving at a fast speed. I ran after it but could not catch it. In a mood of utter disappointment. I asked a porter about the next train. He said, “There won’t be another one till tomorrow morning.” I was at a loss to understand what to do. Harish’s loving memory haunted my mind as I sank on a nearby bench in utter despair.
(Bereaved-he who has suffered a loss; Countenance-face.)
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16. Write a paragraph using the following set of sentences:
(i) The landlord led me up the stairs to see the room.
(ii) I left so quickly I did not even say good-bye.
I had been acutely facing the problem of finding suitable residential accommodation ever since my arrival in Bombay. This difficult problem had almost wrecked my happiness of getting a good job in a big city. The landlords thought themselves no less than demi-gods and dictated their own terms to the miserable tenants. They demanded ‘pugree’ which meant a huge non-refundable amount as an advance for occupying the house. I used to spend my evenings in search of a room where 1 could keep my luggage and spend the night. Ultimately, a landlord showed a green signal to me and asked me to see the room the next morning. I was very happy, thinking that God is kind to me after all. I reached the landlord’s place early in the morning. He too seemed glad to find a customer. He led me up the stairs to see the room. God, what a room! Was it a room or a cell, where could enter not even a single ray of the sun? The moment he opened the door of the room, a band of mosquitoes greeted me. In the next room occupied by someone, I could hear as many as half a dozen children creating loud vocal music of the classical kind. This place could have been an ideal one for a scientist who has a project to deal with the problem of environmental pollution in a big city. To live in such a room with its filthy surroundings would have been much worse than being confined to a dungeon. I left the place so quickly that I did not even say good-bye to the landlord.
(Wreck to destroy; Dungeon-dark, underground cell.)
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17. Write a paragraph using the following set of sentences:
(i) Just at this point I woke up. (First sentence of the paragraph).
(ii) It was the best game I had ever seen. (Last sentence of the paragraph)
Just at this point I woke up. The tumultuous voices from all sides had startled me. The moments of boredom and laziness were over. All the spectators were enjoying the game. The players of both the teams were in their best form. Our college hockey team was having an upper hand. Our centre-forward was successful in scoring a goal over the rival team. Our players were trying to retain this hard-won goal and were playing carefully and defensively. The players of the rival team were trying their best to equalise the position. Their players seemed intent on winning back the goal, and sometimes they played foul as well. The referee warned one of the players and later turned him out of the field for five minutes. Only ten minutes were left to the close of the play. Our team was again under a heavy attack from the rival team. They got a penalty corner. It was a challenge to our team. The situation was very ticklish. A slight negligence on our part could have changed the situation. But our players fought back with great courage and the penalty corner was averted in time. Our goalkeeper also showed his presence of mind and hit back the ball. All the spectators cheered him. At last, the referee blew the final whistle. Our team had won the match. It was the best game I had ever seen.
(Tumultuous-noisy.)
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18. Write a paragraph using the following set of sentences:
(i) I shall never forget my old headmaster (First sentence of the paragraph).
(ii) The voice was familiar but I could not recognise the face (Last sentence of the paragraph).
I shall never forget my old headmaster. He was not only an ideal teacher but also a noble and virtuous soul. People from all walks of life valued his sane and sagacious advice and often came to consult him on their various problems. In fact, he himself took a lot of interest in the life of the villagers. It was he who advised my father to send me to the army. Soon after my selection as a second lieutenant in the armed forces, I wrote to the good old man and expressed my heartfelt gratitude to him for his valued advice. Soon I received his reply in which he had not only encouraged me but also reminded me of my duty towards the nation. At the time of the Pakistan aggression, when I was fighting against the enemy in the battlefield, the old headmaster’s advice continued ringing in my ears. I fought bravely and won the gallantry award. In the encounter I got my leg fractured and was admitted in the military hospital. The people of my village came to see me. Among them I could see an old and wrinkled face. He came to me and kissed my forehead and uttered a few words as his blessings. I could infer that the voice was familiar but I could not recognise the face.
(Sagacious-wise.)
Paragraphs on well-known quotations
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19. The child is the father of man.
‘The child is the father of man’ is a paradoxical statement by Wordsworth made in one of his renowned poems, The Rainbow. Though it appears to be self-contradictory, it contains a profound truth. Milton also once said, “The child shows the man as the morning shows the day.’ Childhood is the pledge of what one is going to be when one attains maturity. The natural instincts of a man are determined in his childhood. Time nourishes, them, ripens them, modifies them, but cannot efface them. History contains numerous examples of great men who gave clear indications of their future when they were just small children. Einstein was lost in a world of thoughts when, in his childhood, he was given a compass by his father. And he grew up to be the greatest scientist the world has ever produced. A child’s mind is very flexible and impressionable. The mould he receives before his clay is hardened becomes his permanent mark. The values and standards of behaviour which will determine his life as a man are all developed in childhood. Exceptions are, of course, there. A day beginning with a bright morning might end in a storm. But these exceptions are very rare. Besides, if we analyse them carefully, we shall discover that they only indicate an external change. One’s essential personality always remains what it promises to be in one’s childhood.
(Pledge promise; Efface-to wipe away.)
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20. For forms of government let fools contest,
Whatever is best administered is the best.
This celebrated couplet based on great practical wisdom occurs in Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man. The poet affirms that it is futile to argue about the merits and demerits of the various forms of government. The success or the failure of a government depends upon the people who are at the helm of affairs and the way they run their administration. Dictatorship is often condemned. It is taken to be synonymous with tyranny and arbitrary despotism. But if a dictator is efficient and he dedicates himself to the progress of the country, dictatorship can prove a blessing. On the contrary, a democratic form of government is supposed to have certain fundamental merits about it. It acknowledges the sanctity of an individual and provides the common man with the maximum opportunity of development. But if this form of government is headed by an inefficient and corrupt government, it is sure to lead the country to its downfall. A government is an abstract concept. It suggests a lot but signifies nothing till devoted and efficient people are given charge of it. Pope states a profound truth when he says that whatever is best administered is the best.
(Despotism-dictatorial rule; Sanctity-sacredness.)
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21. Sweet are the uses of adversity.
This statement made by the Duke Senior in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, contains a profound truth. Adversity can prove mighty beneficial. to mankind. It can bring one courage, maturity, and understanding. Having once been through adverse circumstances, one is certain to face the rest of one’s life with greater courage and confidence. Adversity also develops a man’s capacity to sympathise with the suffering humanity. He who has never suffered can never understand what suffering is. The value of tears can be appreciated only by a man who has shed them himself. Adversity purifies a man. Gold, when it is melted in fire, gets purified. It is a proverbial saying that God sends us into deep water not to drown us but to wash us clean. Adversity also provides a man with an opportunity to test the sincerity of those who claim to be sincere to him. Prosperity gains friends, adversity tries them. Besides, adversity, by contrast, enhances the pleasure of prosperity. Adversity can be useful to man provided he has a positive attitude towards life.
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22. Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war.
Great conquerors like Alexander left an imprint on history. They filled their nations with foreign spoils. They brought glory to themselves and victory to their country. They are ever remembered in glorious terms by the succeeding generations. But victory is not won only in war. Peace also has its own victories. Great scientists like Newton and Einstein who enriched the storehouse of knowledge, great poets and dramatists like Shakespeare and Kalidas who delighted the world with their creative works, great saints like the Buddha and Mahavir who purged the world of its sufferings – all of them are apostles of peace. They have worked in peace and it is their work that constitutes the victory of peace. It is during peace time that we can wage a war against poverty, disease, and ignorance. It is during peace time that nations engage themselves in the praiseworthy task of national development. Arts flourish in peacetime. War can bring glory to an individual or to a nation for a short while, but enduring victories are won only during peacetime. The victory gained in one war may be lost in the next, but the victory of peace comes to stay since it makes human life better and happier.
(Purge to purify; Apostle-leader; Enduring-lasting.)
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23. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
This proverbial statement emphasizes the role of a mother in the building of a nation. This role is indisputable indeed. A mother is the best nurse, guide and guardian that a child can have. It is for her to make a saint of him or a dacoit. It is for her to cultivate in him undaunted courage or abject cowardice. The formative years of a man’s life are spent in the lap of his mother. Whatever stamp or mould his impressionable clay gets from his mother becomes his permanent mark. Shivaji, the great Indian warrior, learnt the fundamental lessons of warfare from his mother, who also inspired him with the legends of the great heroes of the old. D.H. Lawrence, the great English novelist, was equally inspired by his mother Mrs. Lydia Lawrence. Almost all the great men of the world will frankly acknowledge the influence of their mother in their early development. Napoleon was right to remark, “Give me good mothers, and I will give you a good nation.”
(Indisputable-that cannot be disputed; U.. Undaunted-fearless; Abject-miser- able; Legends-stories.)
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24. Patriotism is not enough.
Patriotism is the first virtue commended by all poets. It is one of the noblest sentiments a man could express. It is always a patriot who makes the foundations of a country strong and lifts it to the heights of greatness. Patriotism brings into play the dormant virtues of a man. It inspires him to overcome his weaknesses and display great courage. It makes him dedicated to the progress of his country. Hence it is a very great quality. But we must realise that it is not enough. Today, when we are striving for peaceful co-existence and are dreaming of one world, we need something beyond patriotism. Patriotism, despite its nobility, is a narrow sentiment. What we need today is a cosmopolitan outlook. Our patriotism should not make us incapable of sympathising with others; it should rather be the first stage towards a nobler realisation of the oneness of entire humanity. Today we need an international approach to all problems confronting, and mere patriotism cannot give us that approach.h Surely patriotism is essential but not enough.
(Dormant-lying hidden; Cosmopolitan-belonging to the whole world.)
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25. One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name.
The greatness of a man’s life does not depend upon the number of years he spends in this world, it depends upon his achievements. In one of his short poems, Ben Jonson compares a lily flower with an oak tree. The oak tree lives for three hundred years, but when it falls, it is just a dry and bald piece of wood. The lily flower lives for only one day, but during this brief span it brings beauty and joy to the viewer and thus justifies its existence. How large is the number of people who die at the age of eighty or more, but how many of them are ever remembered? On the contrary, who can forget Keats who lived just for twenty-six years – but enriched English literature and brought joy to millions of readers with his famous odes? Shelley, Byron, President Kennedy, Swami Vivekananda -none of them enjoyed a long life. But all of them are immortal. Surely one lives in deeds and not in years.
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26. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
It is a matter of common observation that a piece of stone lying undisturbed in water for a long while gets covered with a spongy substance known as moss. But if it keeps rolling with the current, it gathers no moss. In fact, it gets worn out. If we make it an analogy of life, it suggests that if a person keeps quickly changing his profession or vocation, he fails to achieve any appreciable success. It takes years of devoted and persevering work to succeed in any profession. Let us take the example of a person who undertakes a new business venture. He has to study the market, establish contacts, enter into profitable business deals, understand the production mechanism and master the other subtleties of the job. All this cannot be accomplished in a day. If despair leads him to abandon this undertaking and launch a fresh one, it will result in enormous wastage of time and resources. Now if he displays the same restiveness in his new venture, it is certain that he is going to cut a sorry figure in his life. He will keep fidgeting from place to place without making any mark in life. Success will ever evade him.
(Persevering patient; Abandon to give up; Restiveness-impatience; Fidget- to move restlessly; Evade-avoid.)
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27. The old order changeth yielding place to new,
And God fulfils himself in many ways,
Lest one good custom corrupt the world.
These lines written by Lord Tennyson contain in them an established truth. Change is the law of Nature. Changelessness implies decay: change stands for eternal freshness. Standing waters breed germs: flowing waters remain ever fresh. Howsoever good a thing might be, too much of it is bound to make one feel sick of it. When the sun shines scorching hot, we yearn for the mercy of rain, but that does not mean it should keep raining incessantly. Moonlit nights are very soothing, but there must not always be moonlit nights, or they would cease to be soothing. Poverty is followed by prosperity, and prosperity leads once again to a period of want and misery. But neither prosperity nor want I can hold an eternal sway, We should accept both the states with the same readiness; for God fulfils Himself in both. To recognise the fact of change and to get reconciled to it is a sure way towards the attainment of but is now gone is to opt for unnecessary and avoidable discomfiture of mental peace and serenity. On the contrary, to pine for what once was
(Incessantly-continuously; Sway-rule, control; Serenity-calmness; Discomfiture-embarrassment.)
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28. Virtue is its own reward.
Virtue should not be practised in the hope of gaining any material advantage. A noble man, by virtue of his being noble, is likely to lose materially, since he can never indulge in those petty tricks that bring material benefits. He cannot, deceive, he cannot betray, he cannot exploit. In fact, being uninitiated into worldly ways, he is himself susceptible to exploitation. But he always enjoys a spiritual advantage. Virtue will bring him great mental peace and happiness. A wicked man, unless he is too thick-skinned, will be torn by acute inner conflict. But a virtuous man enjoys enviable serenity. A wicked man is assailed by uncertainties and apprehensions. He is always afraid of social disapproval and legal penalization. But the life of a virtuous man is not ruffled by any such undesirable cares and tensions. Bacon is right when he says that ‘the noblest reward of virtue is virtue itself; and the extreme punishment of vice is vice itself’. Even Alexander Pone has said,
Know then this truth, enough for man to know,
Virtue alone is happiness below.
(Uninitiated-not introduced to; Susceptible-easily affected by; Assail-attack; Apprehensions-fears; Penalization-punishment; Ruffled-disturbed.)
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29. Time and tide wait for none,
Shakespeare, in his play Julius Caesar, says:
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune: Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
And this tide waits for none. It is we who are required to be ever vigilant. We ought to keep a constant watch and the moment the tide turns in our favour, we ought to take a plunge. Once we have seized this opportunity and brought our ship into the mid-ocean, we are sure to have a smooth sailing. Then new glories can be cornered, new laurels can be won. But if the tide recedes while we are looking the other way and we fail to steer our ship into deep waters, we are bound to be struck for ever in the sands of shallows. No remorse, however deep and genuine, can then extricate us from the unrelenting sands. Repentance is no opportunity, and opportunity knocks but once. So instead of repenting later, we should be watchful in the first instance. Time is a cruel master, and is miserly It will not spare even a moment. The creative and formative years of youth, if once allowed to slip unutilised, will never return. So we should seize time as it approaches, catch it by the forelock as they say, and utilise it to the best of our capabilities.
‘(Vigilant-alert; Recede to withdraw, to go back; Remorse-repentance; Extricate-to pull out; Unrelenting-cruel, that which does not show mercy.)
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30. The crown and glory of life is character.
It is neither power nor pelf nor even physical prowess but character alone that can bring glory to a man. Power corrupts and breeds bitterness and resentment; wealth is merely a passing shadow, endowing upon man but shadowy glamour; mere physical prowess is the attribute of a beast or a giant; it is only one’s character-invincible moral courage, unimpeachable integrity-that can bring one personal satisfaction and high esteem among others. Character constitutes one’s essence, what one really is. Want of character implies meaningless existence. If Gandhiji could transform the hearts of millions of people all over the world and shake the foundations of mighty British empire, it was by his character, his unflinching faith in the earnestness of his cause and his unconquerable will power. He has immortalised himself because he was a man of character. Character cannot be developed in a day. It takes years of self-exploration, self-suppression and self-denial to develop character. But these will be years well spent.
(Pelf-wealth; Prowess-power; Attribute-quality; Unimpeachable-that can- not be doubted; Unflinching-firm; Self-exploration-looking within oneself.)
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31. If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
There is a sense of awe in the atmosphere as the nipping winds of winter pierce through one’s body, sending a chill down one’s spine. The cold grows stifling and an overpowering numbness seizes one’s entire existence. Trees shed their leaves and put on a bleak look. Fields look desolate. The sky wears mournful grey. But the laws of Nature decree that winter cannot rule eternally. It is soon followed by the spring when the refreshing spring winds begin to blow. Their caressing touch rejuvenates life and there are sudden thrilling pulsations in the air. Streams gently roll, soft-showering in one’s ears. Flowers bloom and the air gets laden with soothing fragrance. The cyclic pattern of Nature is reflected in life as well. Suffering and misfortune may assail one for a while and envelop one’s entire existence with drooping despair. But they must inevitably disappear and give way to hope and happiness as the fog disappears before the sun. If one can show fortitude and perseverance in the face of difficulties, they are soon overcome. If one can save one’s vision from being blurred by the winter winds, one can perceive a silver lining in the darkest of clouds and hopefully wait for the clouds to vanish from the sky.
(Nipping-biting; Caressing-fondling; Rejuvenate-to revive youth and vigour Pulsations-throbbing’s; Assail-to attack; Fortitude-courage, self-control; Blurred-turned hazy.)
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32. He prayeth well who loveth well
All things both great and small.
“He that loveth not, knoweth not God,” says the Bible, “for God is love.” To know God is to know love, to pray to God is to bestow love on all, unqualified, undistinguishing, unasked for love. Love is the greatest attribute of God. If we acknowledge that God has created all things, whether great or small, and that He is manifest in all his creation, we must show positive love and respect for what He has created. If we want to win a mother’s favour, we must show love for her children. In the same way, loving God’s creation will win for us His approval. On the other hand, disregard for and indifference to God’s creation will alienate us from Him. In S T. Coleridge’s poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, from which these lines have been quoted, the Mariner brings upon himself God’s anger by wantonly killing an albatross, a large sea-bird, and by showing contempt for sea-creatures. He feels tortured. He tries to pray to God, but ‘a wicked whisper’ chokes his heart; his heart gets ‘dry as dust and he fails to pray. Later when he acknowledges the beauty of God’s creation and blesses it, he partially redeems himself, and he is able to pray. That is why he pronounces the moral towards the end of the poem:
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.
(Attribute-quality; Manifest-clear and obvious; Alienate-to estrange; Wantonly-irresponsibly.)
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33. Those who live in glass houses
Should not throw stones at others.
Finding fault with others is a common human weakness. It is one of the most popular pastimes among us to sit down in small, idle groups and rail at the shortcomings of others. But while railing at others, we hardly realise that we are finding exactly those faults in others which can be found in ourselves. This is how we expose ourselves to criticism and condemnation at others’ hands. We ought to realise that a blind man cannot afford to laugh at another blind man. Nor can a lame person ridicule another lame person. Continuing the same logic, a blind man should not make fun of a lame man, since both of them are physically handicapped in one form or the other. None of us is born perfect, and plenty of faults can be found in us and harsh criticism levelled against us. So we should avoid finding fault with others. Paying in the same coin is the rule of our world. Here respect wins respect while criticism begets criticism. Only prophets have the right to criticise others, since they do not stand to lose anything personally and there is no ill will or malice at the back of their criticism. So far as human beings are concerned, it is best for them to forgive and forget. We should do unto others what we wish to be done by, and if we want others to overlook our drawbacks, we should not expose theirs.
(Pastime-hobby; Rail at-to ridicule.)
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34. None but a fool is always right.
We must know people who always claim to be right. Howsoever fanciful, irrelevant or absurd their views on a subject may be, they assert they are right and are not prepared to brook any contradiction or challenge. Their cocksureness makes them presumptuous and presumptuousness destroys all possibilities of acquiring knowledge. The first step towards knowledge is the realisation of one’s ignorance. How can a person who does not realize his ignorance ever be curious to acquire knowledge? He contemptuously looks upon all opinions that differ from what he says and denies himself all possibilities of learning anything new. He is convinced that others are wrong while he is right. Consequently, he fails to learn what is right. Darkness cannot be light, but unless a person realises that he is wallowing in darkness, he can have no desire of going into light. Wisdom ever keeps away from such a person. He is doomed to unrelieved folly.
(Brook-to put up with; Cocksureness-too much of confidence; Presumptuous -too bold or self-confident; Wallowing-rolling.)
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35. Make hay while the sun shines.
Hay can be made only in the summer when the sun is shining brightly. Once the sunshine is gone, one can make but sighs and tears but no hay. Hence we get this well-meaning proverb: make hay while the sun shines, which exhorts us to avail ourselves of the opportunities while we can. When an opportunity slips away un–availed of, no amount of remorse and regret can bring it back. Someone has been impressed by a gesture of goodwill on your part. Immediately exert yourself a little more and turn him into a permanent friend. There has been a bounteous crop and the market is favourable for purchases. Buy your stocks without delay. And if the market is favourable for selling, try to sell before the arrival of fresh stocks. If you are a student, study while there is time, for once the examinations overtake you. You can only break your head against your books, you cannot read them. It is said that opportunity knocks at the door but only once. So be prepared for its knock and take it, like time, by the forelock. Make use of it immediately lest it should give you the slip and you may be left regretting its departure while you are getting prepared only to greet its arrival.
(Exhort-to advise; Remorse-repentance; Bounteous-abundant.)
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36. Honour and shame from no condition rise;
Act well your part, there all the honour lies.
Not very long ago, there was a time when various professions were classified as ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’. A lawyer’s profession was considered to be worthy, so was a doctor’s or an administrator’s, while the work of a mechanic or a labourer was dismissed as unworthy. But this kind of classification is out of tune with modern times. Now what makes a person worthy or unworthy is the quality of his work and not its nature. If done with sincerity and dedication, a labourer’s work is capable of winning him great applause while a second-rate doctor keeps idling away his time in his clinic with no one liking to peep in and say ‘hello‘. Beginning life as a first-rate shoe-shine boy is more creditable than beginning life as a second or third-rate engineer. The first one is bound to go places; the second one will keep rotting in his office forever. Ask someone what is likely to bring glory, honesty in a shopkeeper or corruption in a minister. No thinking is needed to answer that an honest shopkeeper can win greater glory than a corrupt minister. Alexander Pope was quite justified in saying:
Honour and shame from no condition rise;
Act well your part, there all the honour lies.
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37. Cowards die many times before their death.
In Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Caesar’s wife Calphurnia has an ominous dream and fears for Caesar’s life. He consoles her by observing that it is the fear of death which is more horrible and not death itself. “Cowards die many times before their death,” says Caesar. “The valiant never taste of death but once.” He feels it most strange that knowing that death is inevitable and nothing can forestall it, people still fear death. The courageous are not afraid of death. They fully enjoy every moment of their life. On the other hand, cowards meet death many times in their imagination before they actually die. Their whole life is spent in fearful anticipation of death. If we interpret these words metaphorically, a person lives only if he can live respectably; a life of insults and humiliations is virtually death. Since a coward lacks the courage to face the challenges of life boldly, he is subjected to gross humiliations every moment of his life. Thus he is always dying. But a brave man meets death only when he actually breathes his last. Caesar’s words make us realise how important it is to be fearless in life.
(Ominous-foreboding disaster; Forestall-to prevent something from happening.)
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38. All that glitters is not gold.
Gold is a highly glittering metal. But it does not lead us to the conclusion that all that glitters is gold. Appearances are often deceptive. Gilt ornaments shine as brightly as gold ornaments. But they do not possess the intrinsic worth possessed by gold ornaments. In life, many people pretend to be noble and honest. They may actually be scoundrels of the first water. Many people pose to be our friends. They may actually be selfish rogues waiting for an opportunity to get an undue advantage over us. Shakespeare was right when he said that a man may smile and smile and yet be a villain. We should beware of such villains. When a man makes a very moving speech, we should not be immediately carried away by the nobility of his sentiments; we should rather try to assess what he really means. The given proverb does not at all suggest that we should all become sceptical. It only emphasises the importance of being careful while reposing our trust in others.
(Intrinsic-inherent; Sceptical-inclined not to believe; Reposing-placing.)
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39. Where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise.
Knowledge is often said to be power. And it is believed that it also leads to wisdom. It should be, in normal course, everybody’s ambition to acquire as much knowledge as possible. The more knowledgeable a man, the better for him. But there are fields where not knowledge but ignorance is bliss, where knowledge leads to unbearable misery but ignorance brings happiness. We all know that death is inevitable, that it will come when it is to come. But if a patient is told for certain that he can survive only for a week, he will be subjected to such mental torment that even the one week for which he is destined to live will be no less than death. Ignorance of the exact time of death is a blissful state. Parents look after their children with solicitous care. Very often when children grow up, they become careless and ill-treat their parents. Were it known to the parents that they would be neglected or ill-treated by their children in their old age, the entire relationship between the two would be vitiated and life would lose all its charm. Thus there is much truth in this famous line taken from Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man. But we should be very clear that Pope has not condemned knowledge itself. He does not say that all knowledge is bad. His only observation is that there are certain situations in which knowledge can be a source of misery. In such fields it is blissful to be ignorant.
(Solicitous-concerned about; Vitiate-to poison.)
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40. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
This oft-quoted line from Alexander Pope emphasises the danger of having inadequate or shallow knowledge. Knowledge is the ultimate source of power. Whatever little knowledge a person has should do him good, and the more he has, the better for him. To say that knowledge is dangerous seems to be a paradoxical statement. In fact, what is dangerous is not knowledge but the ignorance of the limitations of one’s knowledge. To take a concrete example, let us suppose a man gets injured in an accident. It is good to have a little knowledge so that timely first aid can be given to him. But thereafter he should be taken to the hospital as quickly as possible. It would be dangerous to presume that we know much and start treating the patient ourselves. Quacks virtually know nothing but are highly presumptuous. That is why they are responsible for the death of so many people. In order to avoid the dangers of having only a little knowledge, we should be clear about how much we know and make a positive effort to know more.
(Quack–a person who dishonestly claims to have some knowledge; Presumptuous-over confident.)
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41. It is not growing like a tree
In bulk, doth make man better be.
In this couplet taken from a well-known poem written by Ben Jonson, the poet suggests that it is not the number of years a person spends in this world that determines the greatness of his life but his actual achievement in that period. The oak tree is huge in bulk and lives for a hundred years, but when it ultimately falls, it is just a log of wood, dry, bald and sere. In comparison with the oak, the lily flower is much better. For, though it does not live for more than a day, it is a flower of light and happiness. There must have been numerous people to lived for about a hundred years. They were born in obscurity and they died in obscurity. But John Keats died at the age of twenty-six and people still remember him for his great poetry. President Kennedy died when he was just thirty-seven. Swami Vivekananda and Swami Ram Tirath died at even a younger age. But these great men are remembered for a short while and make some significant contribution to the world that may immortalise our name than spend a long life that is just idled away in gossiping and playing.
(Sere-withered; Obscurity-state of not being well known.)
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42. Where there is will, there is a way.
It has been said that great souls have will, feeble ones only wishes. The feeble ones keep on building fancy castles in the air but achieve nothing. The strong ones work with resolute will and overcome all the difficulties of life to achieve glorious success. Life is beset with difficulties. Physical handicaps, financial limitations, social and political restraints, moral and ethical considerations- the path to success is strewn with numerous such obstructions, but resolute minds trample upon them towards success. The Curies had to work in extreme poverty. Even the shabbiest and most ill-equipped laboratory would have been better than their shed. But their mind was set upon the discovery of radium and they did not allow any of the difficulties to come in their way. Napoleon had to cross the Alps in winter. The mountain was covered with snow. Someone pointed out to Napoleon that it was impossible to cross the Alps at that time. But Napoleon quietly replied that the word ‘impossible’ was found only in the dictionary of the fools and ordered his soldiers to march on. They obeyed and conquered the Alps. Human intelligence, dedication, perseverance and fortitude can overcome all hurdles in life. Whatever be the problem, there is a way to solve it. However difficult the goals may be, it is possible to achieve them. There is always a way to do a thing provided there is will.
(Strewn-scattered; Trample-to tread upon; Fortitude-courage, self-control.)
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43. Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains.
At the time of birth, a child is completely free from cares, worries, restraints. In his infancy, everyone around him is eager to pamper him, and he feels like a lord, the undisputed monarch of all that he surveys. But as he grows up, all kinds of chains and bondages-family ties, social restrictions, economic considerations-advance upon him and get him relentlessly in their hold. He finds himself in a strong cage, helplessly fluttering for free breath, unable to break the bars and fly out. His wings, so eager to fathom the bounds of the sky, lie huddled in the cage. And he just sits there pensively contemplating his helplessness, knowing full well that all thoughts of revolt are as futile as the desire for water in the great Sahara desert. But the irony is that man’s helplessness is by and large of his own creation. In his eagerness to make his life more comfortable and sophisticated, he has gradually devised so many machines that he can no longer exist without them and has been reduced to a condition of abject slavery. Similarly, his evolution has been accompanied with the development of elaborate social, political, and economic structures that have all undermined his freedom.
(Pamper-to be unduly kind to; Relentlessly-mercilessly; Fathom-to measure; Pensively-thoughtfully; Abject-wretched; Undermine-to weaken.)
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44. A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.
John Keats, one of the celebrated romantic poets, begins his poem Endymion with this oft-quoted line: A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. And he goes on to assert that its loveliness keeps increasing with the passage of time and it never passes into nothingness. Keats’s concept of beauty is quite comprehensive. It includes, besides physical beauty, mental excellence and moral purity. If an object is to be a source of permanent joy, it must be beautiful in its entirety and not just physically attractive. Skin- deep beauty decays fast. But beauty ingrained in the tissues of an object is a permanent quality. The very touch of this kind of beauty comforts one’s heart and elevates one mentally and morally. If we are surrounded by real beauty of the kind conceived of by Keats, it moves away the pall of darkness from our spirits and enables us to shed our despondency and regain our happiness. The sun, the moon, the daffodils, the clear streams, and other objects of nature possess this kind of beauty, and so do the great. people who transcend their ego and selflessly dedicate themselves to the service of mankind.
(Ingrained deeply fixed; Pal-cover; Despondency-dejection; Transcend- to rise above.)
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45. Politics should not be divorced from morality.
There is a wide-spread notion prevalent among the people that politics and morality have no affinity for each other. The day a person decides to join politics, he bids farewell to all moral considerations and is guided by purely selfish motives. The quality of politicians active around us tends to confirm this view. But basically this view is not tenable. The basic aim of politics is social welfare. Governments are formed not to give unlimited power to a few individuals for their personal advancement but to provide the general masses with peace, security and opportunities for general progress in all spheres of life. If politicians set aside their moral scruples, they can never help in the realisation of this goal. In fact, we, once again, badly need politicians like Mahatma Gandhi, who firmly believed that politics should always be kept reconciled with religion and morality.
(Affinity-close connection; Tenable-that can be defended.)
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46. Freedom cannot be granted; it must be taken.
Freedom may be our birth right, but ironically, most of us are oppressed by slavery. If we want to break the shackles of slavery and regain our freedom, we have to struggle for it. In the early phases of our struggle for freedom, we pleaded and argued with the British to grant us freedom. Bet either they gave us hollow promises or subjected us to ruthless oppression. However, when they were convinced that we were determined to fight for our freedom, it took them just three days to pass the India Independence Bill. Masters stand to gain from enslaving others. Why should they grant freedom? It is for the slaves to protest against their slavery and force the masters to loosen their hold. French Revolution, American War of Independence, the National Movement of India, all bear testimony to the fact that freedom is never granted voluntarily, it has to be fought for.
(Shackles-chains; Ruthless-merciless.)
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47. It is more profitable to read one man than ten books.
Practical experience is much better than theoretical knowledge. Books give us only theoretical knowledge. They explain to us the basic principles that govern human life. But it is the application of these principles which is more valuable. Application changes with contexts and books cannot explain contexts. Human life is like a game of chess. Rules govern the game. But the knowledge of rules does not make one an expert player. To become a good player, one must play. It is desirable to play against a variety of players to grasp the subtleties and complexities of the game. Similarly, to understand life, one should meet as many people as possible. And one should try to understand their strengths and weaknesses, their motives, their inspirations, the factors that govern their thinking and conduct. Understanding even one man like this is more profitable than reading ten books.
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48. A nation without heroes is a nation without a future.
A country can only be as great as its citizens. If the citizens are brave and heroic, wise and intelligent, diligent and persevering, they will raise their country to the heights of greatness. On the contrary, if the citizens are foolish, cowardly and unenterprising, the country will not be able to forge ahead on the path of progress. It is undeniable that only heroic people can ensure a bright future for their country. Heroism, however, does not consist only in showing bravery in war. A scientist dedicated to the pursuit of scientific knowledge, a poet living in poverty but writing beautiful poems, a teacher sacrificing his comforts to raise the standard of his pupils, and even an ordinary parent facing numerous difficulties to carve out a good career for his child are all equally heroic. The future of a nation can be quite safe in the hands of people capable of displaying such heroism.
(Diligent-hard working; Unenterprising-lacking adventurous spirit; Carveour-to make, to achieve.)
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49. Man is the maker of his destiny.
It is an old controversy whether man is stronger or his destiny. Several people believe that a man can be only as successful as his destiny permits. Others aver that man himself carves out his destiny. There is an element of truth in both the beliefs. Ninety-nine per cent of our life is determined by our birth, where and when we are born, the family and the country in which we are born, and our birth is determined by our destiny. If we give due weightage to heredity, even our character is partly determined by our destiny. But man is a rational being. He has perception. He is capable of thinking. He is capable of developing. If he is patient and persevering, he can wage a perpetual war against his destiny and ultimately succeed in making it better. There is much truth in what Cassius says to Brutus in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar:
Men at some times are masters of their fates;
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
(Aver-to state positively; Perpetual-permanent.)
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50. Chance favours only the mind prepared.
Chances and opportunities do not come to us with their values stamped upon them. Each day that dawns is quite like the other days. Every single hour that it contains is quite like other hours. But there is some hour in some day that brings to us the chance of a lifetime. This chance has to be recognised and seized. Opportunities keep knocking at the door, but if our head is turned the other way when an opportunity is knocking, we may miss it for good. We ought to be ever vigilant lest we should miss it. Besides, not all chances may be equally favourable. If we are mentally prepared to seize them, we can eventually turn them in our favour and exploit them to our maximum advantage. But in the event of our being negligent, we may allow even the most obliging of our chances to slip through our bands unutilised.
(Vigilant-alert.)
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51. The surest way to remain poor is to be an honest man.
Gone are the days when honesty was extolled as a virtue and recommended as the best policy. Today, honesty is a liability, a disqualification. It is presumed by one and all that unless a person is well versed in the art of telling lies smoothly and convincingly, it is impossible for him to prosper in life. The honest man cannot overcharge, cannot adulterate foodstuffs, cannot sell imitation goods, cannot indulge in corrupt practices. He is ignorant of the art of accepting bribes without as much as a wince and he does not know how to grease the palms of others without feeling embarrassed. So he is just unfit to make a fast buck. He can hardly earn enough to make both ends meet. He is going to be doomed to a state of perpetual poverty. However, this statement can be accepted as true only if we confine the concept of poverty to material poverty. It needs great courage to assert that poverty can be mental, moral and spiritual as well as material, and though an honest man may be materially poor, he is morally and spiritually richer than most of our illustrious millionaires and multi-millionaires.
(Extol-to praise; Wince-showing distress; Perpetual-permanent; Illustrious- famous.)
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52. First deserve, then desire.
Cherishing heavenly desires is quite a habit with mankind. It is these desires which are at the back of weaving gilded, honey-sweet, the dreams. But unfortunately, these dreams are most often utterly out of proportion with people’s capabilities and merits. Their realisation is just not possible. A tottering child desires to be at the steering wheel of an Impala which he would drive in the sky and not on the road. A student wary of his books like an infectious disease desires to stand on the high pedestal and be awarded a gold medal for having stood first. A man utterly deficient in business organisation and unacquainted with the complex structure of modern business desires to build a huge business empire like Henry Ford. Needless to say, such desires look either funny and ridiculous or even sad and pathetic. They provoke ridicule rather than appreciation. But if these people deserved before desiring, they would be conscious of the justness of their desires and make requisite efforts to realise them. The people around them would also recognise their merit and offer them their unflinching co-operation. Their efforts would then be crowned with success and their desires fulfilled.
(Desert-what is deserved; Tottering–walking unsteadily; Unflinching-firm.)
