Class VIICLASS VII MOREPoem

Be The Best of Whatever You Are – By Douglas Malloch

Be The Best of Whatever You Are

— By Douglas Malloch

If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill,

Be a scrub in the valley — but be

The best little scrub by the side of the rill;

Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.

If you can’t be a bush be a bit of the grass,

And some highway happier make;

If you can’t be a muskie then just be a bass —

But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can’t all be captains, we’ve got to be crew,

There’s something for all of us here,

There’s big work to do, and there’s lesser to do,

And the task you must do is the near.

If you can’t be a highway then just be a trail,

If you can’t be the sun be a star;

It isn’t by size that you win or you fail —

Be the best of whatever you are!

বাংলা অনুবাদ:

তুমি যা হও না কেন, সেরা হও

ডগলাস ম্যালোচ

যদি তুমি পাহাড়ের চূড়ায় পাইন হতে না পারো,

উপত্যকায় নিম্নমানের গাছ ও ঝোপঝাড় হও—

তবে হও ছোট নদীর পাশে সেরা সামান্য ঝোপঝাড়;

গাছ হতে না পারলে ঝোপ হও।

ঝোপ হতে না পারলে একটু ঘাস হও,

এবং কিছু হাইওয়েকে সুখী করো

তুমি যদি একজন মিঠাপানির মাছ

হতে না পারো, তবে কেবল একজন ভোজ্যমাছ হও—

কিন্তু হ্রদে প্রাণবন্ত হও!

আমরা সবাই অধিনায়ক হতে পারি না,

আমাদের নাবিক দল হতে হবে,

এখানে আমাদের সবার জন্য কিছু আছে,

অনেক বড় কাজ আছে, আর করার আছে কম,

এবং তোমাকে নিকটবর্তী কাজটি করতে হবে।

যদি রাজপথ হতে না পারো, তবে পথই হও,

সূর্য হতে না পারলে তারা হও;

কাজের আকৃতি দিয়ে তোমার হারজিত পরিমাপযোগ্য নয়—

তুমি আর যা–ই হও না কেন, সেরা হও!

a) Answer the following questions. 2×5=10

(i) What is the significance of ‘pine’ and ‘hill’ in the first sentence of the poem?

(ii) What does the first two lines means?

(iii) What does the line “Be a bush if you can’t be a tree” mean?

(iv) What is the significance of using the symbol of ‘bush’ and a ‘a bit of grass’?

(v) What do ‘a muskie’ and ‘a bass’ in the 2nd stanza of the poem symbolize here?

(b)Extra:

(a) What is the significance of using the example of captains and crew?

(b) What does the last couple of lines in the third stanza mean?

(c) According to the poet, what is the significance of highway and trail?

(d) “If you can’t be the sun a star.” – Why does the poet say so.

(e) Do you find any special significance of using the example of the sun and a star?

(f) Why do you think the poet has made so many contrasting examples in the poem from nature?

(g) What is the theme of the poem?

Answer:

a) The poet starts the poem by giving examples of nature; namely both ‘pine’ and ‘hill’ are symbol of nature and symbol of worthiness.

(b) In the first two lines the poet says that tall pine trees may form large forest but without scrub by the side of the stream, the valley would lose its charm. So, at least be the best scrub if not a pine tree.

(c) Here ‘bush’ is the symbol of soft nature and ‘tree’ is the symbol of hardness. The poet says that if we can’t be as strong nature. be a b as a tree then we can at least be a bush. Both are necessary for

(d) The symbols mentioned in the poem signify that even we can’t be a bush then we can be a bit of grass because a tuft of grass along the highways can make it prettier and its users happier.

(e) Here a muskie is a predatory fish whereas a bass is a small fry. The poet has brought this contradictory concept to mean that the existence of both of them is essential for the healthy balance of nature.

(b) Extra:

(a) The poet has used the examples of captains and crew to let us know that a captain alone cannot sail through the seas. All crew members are equally important to do the job. So, no job is less significant.

(b) In these two lines the poet wants to let us know that job is of little significance, be it or small. So, we must take pride in our job and accomplish with our best effort.

(c) The poet says that if we cannot be a highway, we can at least be a narrow pathway. The reason is that some of the most beautiful parts of nature are led by trails not by highways.

(d) The poet says that if we cannot be the gigantic sun, we should just be a twinkling star. Here the idea is that size doesn’t matter. Success depends only on how good one is at making noticeable contributions to society.

(e) Yes, the special observation is that the smaller and lesser important objects of nature draw our attention just like the big and important ones. We see the sun as an important cosmic body but we also stare at the stars as they make the dark sky so beautiful.

(f) The poet has used so many contrasting examples from nature to make comparisons for something big and its corresponding small one in regard to achievements in life.

(g) The theme of the poem is very simple and so is its language. It’s theme is inspirational and instructional. We should aspire to lofty feats but at the same time should not neglect the little objects and achievements.

(c) Summary:

The poem Be the Best of Whatever You Are by Douglas Malloch is an inspirational poem that conveys the message to be the best version of yourself in whatever you do. The poem’s central theme is that no job is less important and that people should take pride in their work and does it with their best effort. The poem also conveys a message of hope and motivation to people of all ages.

(d) Central them of the poem

‘Be The Best of Whatever You Are’ of Douglas Malloch is an inspirational poem. It shows how keenly he observed the nature. The title of the poem itself reveals the meaning of the poem and its concept. He is trying to tell us that whatever we do, we need to be the best. He has used examples from the nature to convey his message. The poet wants us to know that no job is less important and we need not be ashamed of what we are. We all dream of doing great deeds and being at the top. But what really matters is the contribution we make to the society to make it count. We must take pride in our job. We must accomplish it with our best effort. It’s good to be a pine tree on the top of the hill. You can still be noticeable by being the best bush beside the stream making the valley beautiful. The theme of the poem is inspirational and instructional, It a great instructive poem.