Life and Death -by Samantha Thompson

Life and Death

–by Samantha Thompson

Life is like a road

You can go left and you can go right

But you can’t go back

For life you have to go forward

It’s as if memories faded away like a shadow

when light dims because

Life can always change

For Death it is a thief in the night where you

never know where and when it will come

For the fact that once it comes, you get no second chances

All mistakes are permanent to how your fate is

Carved in hard stone

Death is a raincloud waiting to fall onto the earth

Without Life there is no Death

Without Death there is no Light.

 

Bengali Translation:

 

তুমি বামে যেতে পারো, ডানেও যেতে পারো

কিন্তু ফিরে যেতে পারবে না আর

জীবনে এগিয়ে যেতে হয় সামনে,

যেন স্মৃতিগুলো ধীরে ধীরে মিলিয়ে যায়

আলো ম্লান হলে যেমন ছায়া মিলিয়ে যায়।

জীবন সবসময়ই বদলাতে পারে।

আর মৃত্যু হলো এক গোপন চোর,

কখন এবং কোথায় সে আসবে, তা জানা নেই।

কারণ একবার সে এলে, আর দ্বিতীয় সুযোগ নেই।

সব ভুলই স্থায়ী, আর সেই ভুলগুলোই তোমার নিয়তি,

যেন কঠিন পাথরে খোদাই করা।

মৃত্যু এক মেঘের মতো, অপেক্ষায় থাকে,

মাটির বুকে বৃষ্টি হয়ে ঝরার জন্য।

জীবন ছাড়া মৃত্যু নেই,

  আর মৃত্যু ছাড়া আলো নেই।

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

01. What is life compared to in the poem? 

Answer: Life is compared to a road, where you can choose different directions but cannot go back.

02What does the poem suggest about the ability to return to past moments in life?

Answer: The poem suggests that you cannot go back in life; you can only move forward.

03. How are memories described in relation to life?

Answer: Memories are described as fading away like a shadow when the light dims, imply in they are temporary and elusive.

04. How is death portrayed in the poem?

Answer: Death is portrayed as a thief in the night, something unpredictable that comes without warning.

05. What does the poem imply about the permanence of actions or mistakes in life?

Answer: It implies that all mistakes are permanent and shape one’s fate, as if they are “carved in hard stone.”

06. What metaphor is used to describe death’s impending presence?

Answer: Death is likened to a raincloud waiting to fall onto the earth, symbolizing its inevitable arrival.

07. What relationship does the poem describe between life and death?

Answer: The poem suggests that life and death are interconnected; without one, the other cannot exist.

08. How does the poem describe the nature of fate? 

Answer: Fate is described as something unchangeable, “carved in hard stone,” indicating its fixed and unalterable nature.

09. What does the poem suggest about second chances in life?

Answer: The poem suggests that there are no second chances after death; once it comes, fate is sealed.

10. What concept is described as dependent on death?

The concept of light is described as dependent on death, suggesting that contrasts like life and death, or light and dark, define each other.

 

B) Imagery

The poem is filled with rich, vivid imagery. Here are three Imagery along with its explanations:

1.”Life is like a road / You can go left and you can go right / But you can’t go back”:

This imagery uses the metaphor of a road to depict life’s journey, choices, and the impossibility of returning to the past. The image of traveling forward on a road reflects life’s linear, one-way nature.

2.”Memories faded away like a shadow / when light dims”**: This imagery of fading shadows vividly conveys the gradual disappearance of memories as time passes. It evokes a sense of fleetingness, with memories slipping away like shadows receding in dimming light.

3.”Death is a raincloud waiting to fall onto the earth”: This comparison paints death as an inevitable force, much like rain that will eventually fall. The image of a dark raincloud hovering creates a sense of looming, unpreventable change that is both natural and inescapable.

Similes

Here are three Similes along with its explanations:

1.”Life is like a road” – This simile suggests that life is a journey filled with choices, twists, and turns, where every decision leads to a new path.

2.”Memories faded away like a shadow” – This simile reflects how memories can fade over time, similar to a shadow disappearing as the light fades.

3.”Death is like a thief in the night” – This simile captures the unpredictable and sudden nature of death, suggesting it comes unexpectedly and without warning.

Metaphor

Here are three Metaphors along with its explanations:

1.”Death is a thief in the night”: Death is likened to a thief, underscoring it is unexpected nature and the sudden, often unanticipated way it arrives.

2.”Fate is carved in hard stone”: This metaphor suggests that our actions have a lasting impact, as fate is depicted as something set in stone, unchangeable and permanent.

3.”Death is a raincloud waiting to fall”: Death is compared to a raincloud, emphasizing its looming presence over life, as something inevitable and eventually descending.

 

C) Express my feelings

In the poem “Life and Death” by Samantha Thompson, life is compared to a road where you can choose to go left or right, but you cannot go back. It highlights that memories can fade away, just like shadows when the light goes out. Death is described as a thief that comes unexpectedly, and once it arrives, there are no second chances. The poem emphasizes that mistakes in life are permanent and shape our future. Finally, it explains that life and death are connected; without life, there is no death, and without death, there is no light.

Extra Question:

(i) What does the poet mean when she says “Life is like a road”? How does this simile help us understand life?

(ii) In the poem, the poet describes death as “a thief in the night.” What do you think she means by this description?

(iii) Why do you think the poet compares memories to a shadow in the poem? How does this comparison relate to the idea of life and change?

(iv) How does the poet use the image of a raincloud to describe death? What does this image suggest about how death affects us?

(v) The poem says, “Without Life there is no Death, and without Death there is no Light.” What do you think the poet is trying to say about the relationship between life and death?

B. Read the poem again, and identify 3 metaphors and 2 similes used in the poem. Then explain the purpose of their uses.

C. How does the poem make you feel about life and death? Read the poem again and express your thoughts in your own words.

Answer:

(1) When the poet says “Life is like a road,” she means that life is a journey with many paths and choices. Just like a road can lead you in different directions, life can take you in various ways. This helps us understand that we have to keep moving forward and make decisions as we go along.

(ii) By calling death “a thief in the night,” the poet means that death comes suddenly and unexpectedly, just like a thief who arrives quietly and takes something away. This description shows that we can never predict when death will come.

(iii) The poet compares memories to a shadow because shadows fade away when the light dims, just like how memories can become less clear over time. This comparison shows that as life changes, our memories can also change and become less vivid.

(iv) The poet uses the image of a raincloud to describe death to show that death comes without warning, like how a raincloud appears and brings rain suddenly. This image suggests that death can have a big impact on us, just like rain can change the weather.

(v) The poet is saying that life and death are connected. Life needs death to give it meaning, and death needs life to exist. Without one, the other cannot be understood. This means that both life and death are important parts of our existence.

Writing Expressions

The poem “Life and Death” makes me think deeply about both life and death. It shows that life is like a road where we can make choices, but we cannot go back. This means that our actions in life are important because we cannot change them later. Life is always moving forward, and memories fade like shadows when the light disappears. This reminds me that life is full of changes. The poem also talks about death, which comes suddenly, like a thief. We don’t know when it will happen, and we get no second chances after it arrives. Death is described as something that is permanent, like a fate carved in stone. This makes me realize that life is precious, and we should be careful with our choices. Without life, there is no death, and without death, there is no life, which means both are connected.

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