Activity-1.1.1: , 1.1.2, 1.2.1 & 1.2.2 Beauty in Poetry

Activity-1.1.1: Students will bring their experiences of instances where they compare different things/ entities/ situations using some specific words through an exercise.

1.1.1 Read the expression in the bubble. Then, in pairs/ groups ask and answer the questions that follow. Later, share your responses with the whole class.

I am so happy today.I have been
selected to sing in the annual
cultural program. My teacher
liked my voice so much that she
compared me with Runa Laila.
She said,”Your voice is as sweet
as that of Runa Laila.”

আমি আজ খুব খুশি. আমি বার্ষিক সাংস্কৃতিক অনুষ্ঠানেগান গাওয়ার জন্য নির্বাচিত হয়েছি। আমার শিক্ষক আমার কন্ঠ এত পছন্দ করেছে যে সে আমাকে রুনা লায়লার সাথে তুলনা করেছেন। সে বলল, তোমার কন্ঠটাও  রুনা লায়লার মতো মিষ্টি।”

Questions:

(a) Have you ever been compared with anyone or to anything like Riana?

(b) Whom/ what have you been compared to?

(c) Why did s/he compare with that thing/ person?

(d) How did you feel then?

(e) Do you think that comparing one thing to another similar thing helps us to understand something / someone better? If yes, how?

Answer:

(a) Yes, I have been compared.

(b) I have been compared to snow.

(c) Actually, the clothes I wore in a party were as white as snow.

(d) I felt very excited.

(e) Yes, I think so. By comparing two things, I can more easily explain a concept or describe a situation.

1.1.2 Now, in groups, discuss and identify some good qualities (2-3) of your friends. Next, identify something/someone that has a similar quality. Finally, make a comparison between the two and share it in the class.

Answer

Name of my Friend	Name of my friend’s quality	Similar person or thing	The sentence I use to make the comparison
01.Rasel	1.a fast runner	1.Usain Bolt, the famous gold medalist Olympic Sprinter	Rasel runs as fast as Usain Bolt.
02. Samrat	2. brave	2. Lion	Samrat is as brave as a lion.
03. Jonny	3. busy	3. Bee	Jonny is as busy as a bee.
04. Mishu	4. cunning	4. Fox	Mishu is as cunning as a fox.
05. Sonnet	5. kind	5. Mother Teresa	Sonnet is as kind as Mother Teresa.
06. Azad	6. fresh	6. Daisy	Azad looks as fresh as a daisy.
07. Rohan	7. gentle	7. Lamb	Rohan is as gentle as a lamb.
08. Ratan	8.strong	8. Tiger	rattan is as strong as a tiger.
09. Rana	9.wise	9. Navid	Rana is as wise Navid.
10. Jewel	10. clever	10. Sakib	Jewel is as clever as Sakib.
11. Sajib	11. quick	11. Hare	Sajib is as quick as a hare.

1.2.1 Read the two texts given below. And then discuss the following questions in pairs/groups. Next, share your thoughts with the class.

Questions

(a) Read the two texts and list the changes made in Text-2.

(b) Do you think these changes make Text-2 more interesting and meaningful than Text-1? If your answer is yes/no, explain it with examples.

(c) Do you think these changes in Text-2 establish a strong connection between thetext and readers? If your answer is yes/no, explain it with examples.

(d) Do you think, these changes help you to create a picture of the village in your mind? Again, explain your answer with an example.

Answer:

S1           : Have you read the two texts?

S2           : Yes, I have.

S3           : Can any of you make a list of the changes made in Text-2?

S4           : Yes, let me do it.

(i)Fresh- as fleshing as

(ii) Hard-working – as hard as

(iii) Sweet- as sweet as

(iv) Surrounded- surrounds like a snake

(v) busy- as busy as

(vi) as quiet as

S5           : Wow! Do you think these changes make Text-2 more interesting and meaningful than Text-1?

S6           : Yes, I think so. In Text-1, there is a sentence, ‘It’s environment is fresh here.’ It is not clear in which aspect the environment is fresh. But in Text-2, the reader gets specific and descriptive meaning  because here the environment is compared to the gentle morning breeze

S7: Do you think these changes in the Text-2 have established a strong connection between the text and readers?

S8           : Yes, these changes have made the text more interesting and become more helpful to the readers to understand the inner meaning of the text.

S9           : Do you think, these changes help you to create a picture of the village in your mind?

S10         : In fact, these changes provide a mental image of the village. We can easily figure out a picture of an ideal village from these changes.

1.2.2 Read the following text. In pairs/groups, discuss and write someone/ something/some qualities similar to the underlined words. Then, share your responses with the class. Also, explain why Habib compared the persons/things in bold.

I am Habib, a proud Bangladeshi. To me, my motherland is as dear as 1) my parents. We achieved our independence by sacrificing the lives of 30 lacs people who were as brave as 2)_____. The colour of the circle of our flag is as red as 3)____. The green colour of the flag is an emblem of the greenery of nature in Bangladesh. My grandparents also fought for this land. My grandfather was as wise as 4)_____, who faced the enemies bravely and blew away a connecting bridge to our village. My grandmother also helped the Mukti Bahini of our locality with food, shelter and first aid as silently as 5)____. In one face-to-face attack, they killed my 8-year-old aunt, whose dead body was found at the front of our house. My father told me that her face was as fresh as 6)_____ while burying. When my father spoke about the history of our liberation war, it seemed his eyes could visualize those incidents as clearly as 7)_____ and then tears rolled down from his eyes. Use the following grid to record your responses. One is done for you.

Person/ Thing/ Quality I am describing	Person/ Thing/ Quality I am comparing to	Reason for comparing the person/ thing/ quality
1. Motherland	1. Mother	1. This comparison expresses the depth of his love towards his motherland
2. 30 lakh of people	2. lion	2. This comparison shows the bravery of the martyrs of the Liberation War who did not run away from the battlefield. Instead, they fought bravely and sacrificed their lives in a face-to-face wart with the enemies.
3. Our Flag	3. Blood	3. This comparison expresses the price and significance of our independence. The red circle of our flag signifies our great sacrifice to achieve our independence
4. Grandfather	4. Bangabandhu	4. Habib’s grandfather broke up the bridge which was used by the Pakistani occupation forces to enter the village. His grandfather wisdom can be compared to that of Bangabandhu who had wisely preplanned about our war with Pakistani.
5. Grandmother	5. Shadow	5. A shadow cannot make any sound but it remains. Grandmother provided everything to the Mukti Fauj secretly ans silently.
6. Face	6. Daisy	6. Habib’s aunt, a child of 8 years, was killed by the occupational forces. But her face looked as fresh and pure as a daisy.
7. Visualize	7. Daylight	7. Things can clearly be seen during daytime. The comparison between clear visualization and daylight puts up the indelible, dreadful and miserable memory.