The Hundredth Dove Summary Jane Yolen BBS 2nd year English

 The Hundredth Dove by Jane Yolen

Characters:

*Hugh - fowler (someone who hunts wild birds for food), lives in a cottage in the forest, a dedicated man.
*King

*Lady Columbia - neat as a bird, slim and fair with black eyes. The meaning of her name is a dove
*White dove

summary

The Hundredth Dove, written by Jane Yolen, has a fairytale (the story about magical and imaginary beings) setting. It is a story of the misuse of power and the triumph (success) of love. It asks an important question when you have choices, do you follow your head or your heart?

Hugh, the main character, was called by the King. The king was getting married to Lady Columba in one week. When Hugh saw Lady Columbia, his heart felt warm. She was neat as a bird, slim and fair with black eyes and so beautiful. The king held out her hand to Hugh to kiss but he was nervous and just kissed the golden ring of her finger. The King ordered Hugh to catch one hundred birds for his wedding feast. (विवाह भोज). The queen, Lady Columbia, requested not to catch birds but the king didn't care. Hugh took his master's words as his main duty and went back. 

On the first day, he caught (समात्यो) twenty-one doves, twenty fat gray and one white slim and fair. The white one escaped (भाग्यो) so remained twenty. Although he was not sad still he decided to capture it. For the following four days, the same thing happened. On the fifth night, he caught only nineteen gray doves, there wasn't that white dove. Then he had ninety-nine doves. He needed one more to complete his task. Therefore, he determined (उनले निर्णय गरे) to catch that white dove.

In the evening when the white dove came down to eat, Hugh caught it. She requested him to leave her. She offered gold, silver, fame, and fortune but he rejected all because serving his master was his main purpose. Then the dove offered him queen's love, for the first time he noticed the golden ring on the dove's foot. He imagined Lady Columba. He began to tremble (shake) and his heart began to pulse madly. He felt a burning in his chest. Then he looked down at the dove and it seemed to be smiling at him, its black eyes shining. 

His sense of duty to the king stopped him from hearing his heart's voice. He closed his eyes and twisted the dove's neck. The next day the fowler, (Hugh) brought the hundred doves - the ninety-nine live ones and the one dead to the king's kitchen. But there never was a wedding. The fowler gave up hunting and feed grain to the birds. He hung that gold ring around his neck.

We can understand that the queen actually disguised (e]if abNg') herself as a dove. She liked  Hugh. Hugh also liked her but for him, his duty was his first priority.  In fear the dove flew away again, he killed it avoiding his heart's voice.

Please read the real textbook to get the exact and detailed information. The summary may misguide you. Thank you.

The Old Man at the Bridge summary

An Essay in Aesthetics summary

The Old Man at the Bridge summary Ernest Hemingway BBS 2nd year English

 The Old Man at the Bridge by Ernest Hemingway

Characters:

An old man – Central character, steel, wears spectacles, 76 years old, dusty clothes

The narrator – is a soldier for the Republican (left-wing) side in the Spanish Civil War, in the story he determines the extent of the enemy's advance.

Setting – During the Spanish Civil War, over the Ebro River on Easter Sunday in 1938.

Spanish Civil War (1936 – 1939) – war between leftist (Republican) and rightist (Nationalists)

Easter Sunday:  the day of rebirth of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion.

(left-wing) -Emphasis on ideas such as freedom, equality, fraternity, rights, progress, reform, and internationalism.

Theme: War never brings good, It not only destroys the lives of the soldiers in the battlefield but all living beings. Innocent people have to leave their homes where they had been living since their grandparents' time. Due to unexpected bomb falls, they lose their lives.

 Summary

The Old Man at the Bridge is written by Earnest Hemingway. He is considered as one of the great American 20th-century century novelists. He won the Nobel Prize in 1954.

It was Easter Sunday during the Spanish Civil War. There was a war between leftists and rightists. The story tells of Devastating effects and the misery of the civilians. The narrator was in his duty. He saw an old man of seventy-six sitting on the bridge. He came from San Carlos. He had no family. He was the last one to leave the town of San Carlos because he was taking care of animals. The narrator noticed his black dusty clothes, gray dusty face and his steel-rimmed spectacles.

The old man had two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. He was without politics. It means he didn't belong to any party. He was a common, naïve man unaware of political issues, only concerned with his own daily life. He walked twelve kilometers therefore he was tired and couldn't go further.

The narrator advised him to go to a safer place towards Barcelona, the other side of the river, but he desired to wait for a while. Actually, the old man was tired and he didn't know anyone in another place, therefore he reluctant (अनिच्छुक) to go.  In addition to it, he was worried for his animals. However, he was happy for the cat because it could take care of itself.

Now the narrator asked the old man whether he left the dove cage unlocked. The old man had left the cage unlocked; therefore, the narrator told him not to worry because they would fly. (The narrator uttered dove instead of pigeons. It shows his inner desire for peace as a dove is the symbol of hope and peace) Further, he suggested not to think about other animals too. He urged the old man to try to walk but he couldn't get up so again sat down. Moreover still, instead of his life safety, he was thinking about his animals because they were part of his life and his livelihood.

Fascists were advancing toward the Ebro but due to bad weather, their planes could not come, therefore the old man was safe. The narrator went from there.

Summary in short

It was Easter Sunday, and there was a civil war in Spain between leftists and rightists. All the people were told to move towards a safer place leaving their village. An old man of 76, who lived in San Carlos also left his village but he had domestic animals and had to look after them therefore he could not leave early and became the last one to leave the village. He arrived on the bridge of the Ebro river and sat there due to tiredness. He was too worried about his animals.

The narrator was a soldier. He told him to go to Barcelona for his safety. Finding the old man worried about his animals he asked him if he had left the dove cage unlocked, they would have flown. So he didn't need to be worried for them and go from there before enemies attack the place. As he was too tired he couldn't stand up properly. The sky was not clear; therefore, enemies planes could not reach there which saved the old man's life. God had shown him mercy on that Easter Sunday.

Please read the real textbook to get the exact and detailed information. The summary may misguide you. Thank you.

Popular Mechanics 

The Hundredth Dove summary

An Essay in Aesthetics summary

Before the Battle Summary Siegfried Sassoon B. Ed. First Year English

 Before the Battle by Siegfried Sassoon

Music of whispering trees
Hushed by a broad-winged breeze
Where shaken water gleams;
And evening radiance falling
With reedy bird-notes calling.
O bear me safe through dark, you low-voiced streams.

I have no need to pray
That fear may pass away;
I scorn the growl and rumble of the fight
That summons me from cool
Silence of marsh and pool
And yellow lilies is landed in light
O river of stars and shadows, lead me through the night.

- Siegfried Sassoon (1886 - 1967)

 Siegfried Sassoon was a British army captain during World War I. while on the front lines on June 25, 1916 – just days before the Battle of Somme he wrote this poem

Summary

Before the Battle is a poem composed by Siegfried Sassoon. He wrote this poem when he was in the First World War. He didn't like war but he had to fight bravely in the war against Germans in France. The poem reflects the thoughts of the speaker before a battle.

The speaker describes a place which is near a river. It is a peaceful place and getting dark. (the time was evening) . There was quiet music of whispering trees. Due to the gentle wind,  the river's water shakes and shines. Birds are singing songs. Now it is totally dark. The speaker requested streams that are falling quietly to take him safely to the dark or he feels happy in the dark because in the darkness no one can see him. He is safe.

In the second stanza, it is dark; therefore, he is happy and fearless. He doesn't need to pray for the safety of his life. He cannot see the horror of the day. He scorns the loud irritating sound of the fight. Yellow lilies are seen in the light of stars. He prefers dark, night and wants to go in the dark, and requests stars to show him a path in the night.

We can say the speaker instead of seeing a terrific picture of war prefers death. We can connect dark with death. He thinks after death he will live a peaceful life, free from fear and heart trembling sound (काँप्ने आवाज) of the war.

The poet through this poem gives us a message that even soldiers don't like war. They also want peace. War destroys peaceful land into desert. It never brings good.

This explanation of the poem is based on personal opinion so please read the poem to find out the exact meaning of the poem. Thank you

Popular Mechanics summary Raymond Carver BBS 2nd year English

 Popular Mechanics by Raymond Carver (1938 - 1988)

summary

Popular Mechanics is a story through which the writer Raymond Carver wants to give a message to the readers that using unnecessary force in the wrong place never benefits anybody.  Mechanics is a branch of physical science that deals with energy and forces and their effect on bodies. 

 

Later it appeared under the title "Little Things." The story describes an argument between a man and a woman that increases into a physical struggle over their baby. The writer through this story shows the bitter reality of a modern society where instead of solving issues through good communication, couples directly think of divorce. Lack of communication and inability to take the right decisions cause them to break their relationship and destroy their children's future.

 

It was getting dark weather was not good since morning. The husband was packing clothes. His wife came in, she was happy that he was leaving. She picked up the baby's photo from the bed.  The man asked to return the photo back but she refused and went out to the living room.

 

He came out to the living room his wife was standing in the doorway of the little kitchen holding the baby. He asked for the baby. When she refused he tried to snatch the baby. The baby was red-faced and screaming. In the scuffle (fight) they knocked down a flowerpot that hung behind the stove. He tried to break her grip on the baby. The Kitchen window gave no light. He gripped (held - the second form of the verb hold) the screaming baby's arm. As she felt the baby going from her hand, she grabbed for the baby's other arm. When he felt the baby slipping out of his hands, he pulled back the baby's arm very hard.

The writer has ended the story with the line " In this manner, the issue was decided."  It suggests that the struggle is over. Either the baby was killed or his hand had been broken.  Lost in their arrogance, they use the baby as a string and pull him back and forth which intensely hurt the baby.

Please read the real textbook to get the exact and detailed information. The summary may misguide you. Thank you.

Girl summary

The Old Man at the Bridge summary

Butcher Shop summary - Charles Simic B.Ed. first year

 Butcher Shop - Charles Simic

Summary

 Butcher Shop is a poem composed by Charles Simic. It is about the cruel human act of killing innocent animals for food. A butcher shop is a place where animals are killed and their meat is sold. 

The speaker walking at late night sees a butcher shop. There is a single light. The poet describes the butcher shop as much like a prison where great sins of killing and sacrificing innocent, weak and helpless animals is done. The butcher man uses an apron, sharp knives, a wooden block and a light. 

The apron has marks of blood all over it which appear like the map. It shows many innocent animals have been slaughtered in that shop. Sharp shining knives have been used to kill animals. The wooden block is used to cut the animal's meat and bones.

The poet claims to have heard the voice of those innocent animals which were killed in the shop.  All these things help to arise scary images of the place. The poet seems to speak for the rights of animals.

 Some powerful images the poet has created in the poem are: the image of a blood apron, glistening knives, a wooden butcher's block, single light in the shop,  the wailing of the voices, etc.

Q - Killing animals for food is not good. Argue in its favour or against.

From - English for The New Millennium.