Kindness -by Edger Albert Guest

Kindness

                            -by Edger Albert Guest

One never knows
How far a word of kindness goes;
One never sees
How far a smile of friendship flees.
Down, through the years,
The deed forgotten reappears.

One kindly word
The souls of many here has stirred.
Man goes his way
And tells with every passing day,
Until life’s end:
“Once unto me he played the friend.”

We cannot say
What lips are praising us to-day.
We cannot tell
Whose prayers ask God to guard us well.
But kindness lives
Beyond the memory of him who gives.

 

Bengali Translation:

একজন কখনই জানে না

দয়ার একটি শব্দ কতদূর যায়;

কেউ কখনো দেখে না

বন্ধুত্বের হাসি কত দূর পালিয়ে যায়।

বছরের পর বছর ধরে,

বিস্মৃত আমল আবার দেখা দেয়।

একটি সদয় শব্দ

এখানে অনেকের আত্মা নাড়া দিয়েছে।

মানুষ তার পথে যায়

আর প্রতিটা দিন বলে,

জীবনের শেষ অবধি:

“একবার আমার কাছে তিনি বন্ধুর চরিত্রে অভিনয় করেছিলেন।”

আমরা বলতে পারি না

কি ঠোঁট আজ আমাদের প্রশংসা করছে.

আমরা বলতে পারি না

যার প্রার্থনা ঈশ্বরের কাছে আমাদের ভাল হেফাজত করতে চান।

কিন্তু দয়া বেঁচে থাকে

যে দেয় তার স্মৃতির ওপারে।

(i) What does the poem say about the impact of kindness?

(ii) What does the poem say about the memory of kindness?

(iii) Who was Edgar Albert Guest?

(iv) How many stanzas are there in the poem? Copy the first stanza and identify the rhyming words.

(v) What is the tone of the poem Kindness?

Answer: The poem’s tone and imagery make Kindness seem somewhat cloying and ineffective. For example, Kindness claims that “Sugar can cure everything” (line 9), perhaps in response to “the cry of a child” (line 6) or to the speaker’s own distress.

Answer:

(i) What does the poem say about the impact of kindness?

Answer: The poem says that the impact of kindness can be far-reaching and that a kind word can stir the souls of many.

(ii) What does the poem say about the memory of kindness?

Answer: The poem says that kindness lives beyond the memory of the person who gives it.

(iii) Who was Edgar Albert Guest?

Answer: Edgar Albert Guest was a poet who published more than twenty volumes of poetry and is considered to have written over 11,000 poems. His poems often presented a sentimental view of everyday life.

(iv) How many stanzas are there in the poem? Copy the first stanza and identify the rhyming words.

Answer: “Kindness” is a 34-line poem made up of three irregular stanzas: 13 lines, 7 lines, and 14 lines. The poem is written in free verse, meaning it has no consistent poetic structure, rhyme scheme, or meter.

(v) What is the tone of the poem Kindness?

Answer: The poem’s tone and imagery make Kindness seem somewhat cloying and ineffective. For example, Kindness claims that “Sugar can cure everything” (line 9), perhaps in response to “the cry of a child” (line 6) or to the speaker’s own distress.

Theme: The theme of the poem “Kindness” by Edgar Albert Guest focuses on the importance of showing compassion and generosity to others. This theme aligns with the concept of living green by emphasizing the positive impact of small acts of kindness on people and the environment. Just as being kind helps create a more caring and harmonious society, embracing a green lifestyle promotes a more sustainable and eco-friendly world. Both kindness and living green contribute to creating a better, more empathetic and healthier environment for everyone.