2. 2
Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in
the world.
- Hillary Clinton.
Unit -1
Breaking the shackles
3. 3
UNIT AT A GLANCE
• A musical instrument
• Bholi
• The 3ls of empowerment
• Woman
4. 4
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By reading this unit, the learner will be able to:
• Read and understand a prose text.
• Enrich vocabulary by identifying the
meanings of words from contexts.
• Refer to a dictionary or glossary to find out
the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• Read, enjoy, and appreciate poems.
• Communicate effectively in simple English.
• Enhance creative and critical thinking.
• Gather ideas on poetic craft and poetic
devices.
• Develop confidence through performance-
based activities.
5. 5
Let's begin:
Look at the pictures given below.
❖ Identify these famous women personalities.
❖ Which are the fields they are excelled in?
Think and discuss:
❖ Have you ever thought about the various roles taken by
women in our homes & society?
❖ What are the major challenges faced by them.
❖ How can we achieve gender equity?
6. 6
WHAT was he doing, the great god Pan,
Down in the reeds by the river?
Spreading ruin and scattering ban,
Splashing and paddling with hoofs of a goat,
And breaking the golden lilies afloat
With the dragon-fly on the river.
High on the shore sate the great god Pan,
While turbidly flowed the river;
And hacked and hewed as a great god can,
With his hard bleak steel at the patient reed,
Till there was not a sign of a leaf indeed
To prove it fresh from the river.
I. Read and reflect.
Now, let's read the poem ‘A Musical Instrument’ by Elizabeth
Barrett Browning, which describes the decimation of a riverbed
and the crafting of the god Pan's famous flute. The poem has a
mythological background, a favourite topic of her’s.
A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
He tore out a reed, the great god Pan,
From the deep cool bed of the river:
The limpid water turbidly ran,
And the broken lilies a-dying lay,
And the dragon-fly had fled away,
Ere he brought it out of the river.
7. 7
He cut it short, did the great god Pan,
(How tall it stood in the river!)
Then drew the pith, like the heart of a man,
Steadily from the outside ring,
And notched the poor dry empty thing
In holes, as he sate by the river.
Sweet, sweet, sweet, O Pan!
Piercing sweet by the river!
Blinding sweet, O great god Pan!
The sun on the hill forgot to die,
And the lilies revived, and the dragon-fly
Came back to dream on the river.
This is the way,' laughed the great god Pan,
Laughed while he sate by the river,)
The only way, since gods began
To make sweet music, they could succeed.'
Then, dropping his mouth to a hole in the reed,
He blew in power by the river.
Yet half a beast is the great god Pan,
To laugh as he sits by the river,
Making a poet out of a man:
The true gods sigh for the cost and pain,
For the reed which grows nevermore again
As a reed with the reeds in the river
8. 8
About the author
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (born on 6 March 1806)
was an English poet of the Victorian era, popular in
Britain and the United States during her lifetime. She
started writing poetry from the age of eleven. At 15,
she became ill, suffering intense head and spinal
pain for the rest of her life. Her first adult collection
of poems was published in 1838; she campaigned
for the abolition of slavery, and her work helped influence reform in
the child labour legislation. She passed away on June 29, 1861.
Glossary
Reeds - tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems.
Splashing- The act of scattering water
paddling - walk unsteadily.
hoof - the foot of a mammal
God Pan - Greek god of fields and woods and shepherds.
limpid - clear and bright
turbid - clouded as with sediment.
hacked – cut with heavy blows.
hew – strike with an axe.
bleak – offering little or no hope.
Pith - soft sponge like central cylinder of the stems of most flowering
plants
notch - A small cut
Revived - given fresh life.
9. 9
Let’s Revisit
• Why had Pan come to the river? What was he looking for?
• What did he do the read? Was he cruel?
• Why did he need the reed? What was his music like?
• Pan is half-beast and half-human. How is it illustrated in the
poem?
Textual Activities
Activity 1
Let’s look at these lines. Answer the questions with reference to
the context.
Spreading ruin and scattering ban,
Splashing and paddling with hoofs of a goat,
And breaking the golden lilies afloat
With the dragon-fly on the river.
a) Find out the major poetic devices in the given extract.
b) Is the speaker happy with the person? Give reasons for your
answer.
c) Justify the title of the poem.
10. 10
Activity 2
Pan was/is a major god whose domain is the forests and groves. Let’s
have a quiz on Greek mythology.
a) Who was Zeus’s wife?
i) Aphrodite
ii) Athena
iii) Artemis
iv) Hera
b) Aphrodite was the goddess of what?
i) Anger and sex
ii) Love and hate
iii) Love and beauty
iv) Beauty and war
c) How was Athena born?
i) From Hera’s womb
ii) From Zeus’s head
iii) From the ocean
iv) From flower’s
d) Who was the god of war?
i) Ares
ii) Hades
iii) Hephaestus
iv) Dionysus
11. 11
e) Icarus few too close to the what?
i) Sun
ii) Moon
iii) Sea
iv) Sand
Activity 3
Think and Answer
1) A didactic poem presents a message to the readers. It teaches
a lesson or has a moral. What lesson, do you think, the
speaker has tried to teach the readers?
2) Art is beautiful but at the same time it can be destructive.
Discuss this with reference to this poem. How does the
speaker use the legend of Pan to bring home the idea?
Activity 4
Read the lines and identify the poetic device from the box given
below. Briefly describe the idea conveyed by these lines.
Metaphor, alliteration, simile, assonance
1) " Spreading ruin and scattering ban”
poetic device:
Explanation:
12. 12
2) "Then drew the pith, like the heart of a man".
poetic device:
Explanation:
3) Go And breaking the golden lilies. a float"
poetic device:
Explanation:
4) And hacked and hewed as a great god can".
poetic device:
explanation
13. 13
II.Read and reflect:
Swimming against the current, women have had to speak louder
to get their voices heard. Do women really enjoy real freedom? Do
women share equal status with men? Let’s read a short fiction,
Bholi, which revolves around a girl who faces discrimination from
every corners of society.
HER name was Sulekha, but since her childhood everyone had been
calling her Bholi, the simpleton.
She was the fourth daughter of Numberdar Ramlal. When she
was ten months old, she had fallen off the cot on her head and perhaps
it had damaged some part of her brain. That was why she remained a
backward child and came to be known as Bholi, the simpleton.
BHOLI
- K.A. Abbas
14. 14
At birth, the child was very fair and pretty. But when she was two
years old, she had an attack of small-pox. Only the eyes were saved,
but the entire body was permanently disfigured by deep black
pockmarks. Little Sulekha could not speak till she was five, and when
at last she learnt to speak, she stammered. The other children often
made fun of her and mimicked her. As a result, she talked very little.
Ramlal had seven children — three sons and four daughters,
and the youngest of them was Bholi. It was a prosperous farmer’s
household and there was plenty to eat and drink. All the children
except Bholi were healthy and strong. The sons had been sent to the
city to study in schools and later in colleges. Of the daughters, Radha,
the eldest, had already been married. The second daughter Mangla’s
marriage had also been settled, and when that was done, Ramlal
would think of the third, Champa. They were good-looking, healthy
girls, and it was not difficult to find bridegrooms for them.
15. 15
But Ramlal was worried about Bholi. She had neither good
looks nor intelligence.
Bholi was seven years old when Mangla was married. The same
year a primary school for girls was opened in their village. The
Tehsildar sahib came to perform its opening ceremony. He said to
Ramlal, “As a revenue official you are the representative of the
government in the village and so you must set an example to the
villagers. You must send your daughters to school.”
That night when Ramlal consulted his wife, she cried, “Are you
crazy? If girls go to school, who will marry them?” But Ramlal had not
the courage to disobey the Tehsildar. At last his wife said, “I will tell
you what to do. Send Bholi to school. As it is, there is little chance of
her getting married, with her ugly face and lack of sense. Let the
teachers at school worry about her.
16. 16
The next day Ramlal caught Bholi by the hand and said, “Come
with me. I will take you to school.” Bholi was frightened. She did not
know what a school was like. She remembered how a few days ago
their old cow, Lakshmi, had been turned out of the house and sold.
“N-n-n-n NO, no-no-no,” she shouted in terror and pulled her hand
away from her father’s grip.
“What’s the matter with you, you fool?” shouted Ramlal. “I am only
taking you to school.” Then he told his wife, “Let her wear some
decent clothes today, or else what will the teachers and the other
schoolgirls think of us when they see her?”
New clothes had never been made for Bholi. The old dresses of her
sisters were passed on to her. No one cared to mend or wash her
clothes. But today she was lucky to receive a clean dress which had
shrunk after many washings and no longer fitted Champa. She was
even bathed and oil was rubbed into her dry and matted hair. Only
then did she begin to believe that she was being taken to a place
better than her home!
When they reached the school, the children were already in their
classrooms. Ramlal handed over his daughter to the headmistress.
Left alone, the poor girl looked about her with fear-laden eyes. There
were several rooms, and in each room girls like her squatted on mats,
17. 17
reading from books or writing on slates. The headmistress asked Bholi
to sit down in a corner in one of the classrooms.
Bholi did not know what exactly a school was like and what
happened there, but she was glad to find so many girls almost of her
own age present there. She hoped that one of these girls might
become her friend.
The lady teacher who was in the class was saying something to the
girls but Bholi could understand nothing. She looked at the pictures on
the wall. The colours fascinated her — the horse was brown just like
the horse on which the Tehsildar had come to visit their village; the
goat was black like the goat of their neighbour; the parrot was green
like the parrots she had seen in the mango orchard; and the cow was
just like their Lakshmi. And suddenly Bholi noticed that the teacher
was standing by her side, smiling at her.
“What’s your name, little one?”
“Bh-Bho-Bho-.” She could stammer no further than that. Then she
began to cry and tears flowed from her eyes in a helpless flood. She
kept her head down as she sat in her corner, not daring to look up at
the girls who, she knew, were still laughing at her.
When the school bell rang, all the girls scurried out of the
classroom, but Bholi dared not leave her corner. Her head still
lowered, she kept on sobbing.
“Bholi.”
18. 18
The teacher’s voice was so soft and soothing! In all her life she had
never been called like that. It touched her heart.
“Get up,” said the teacher. It was not a command, but just a
friendly suggestion. Bholi got up.
“Now tell me your name.”
Sweat broke out over her whole body. Would her stammering
tongue again disgrace her? For the sake of this kind woman, however,
she decided to make an effort. She had such a soothing voice; she
would not laugh at her.
“Bh-Bh-Bho-Bho-,” she began to stammer.
“Well done, well done,” the teacher encouraged her. “Come on,
now — the full name?”
“Bh-Bh-Bho-Bholi.” At last she was able to say it and felt relieved as
if it was a great achievement.
“Well done.” The teacher patted her affectionately and said, “Put
the fear out of your heart and you will be able to speak like everyone
else.”
Bholi looked up as if to ask, ‘Really?’
“Yes, yes, it will be very easy. You just come to school everyday. Will
you come?”
Bholi nodded.
“No, say it aloud.” “Ye-Ye-Yes.” And Bholi herself was astonished
that she had been able to say it.
“Didn’t I tell you? Now take this book.”
19. 19
The book was full of nice pictures and the pictures were in colour
— dog, cat, goat, horse, parrot, tiger and a cow just like Lakshmi. And
with every picture was a word in big black letters.
“In one month you will be able to read this book. Then I will give
you a bigger book, then a still bigger one. In time you will be more
learned than anyone else in the village. Then no one will ever be able
to laugh at you. People will listen to you with respect and you will be
able to speak without the slightest stammer. Understand? Now go
home, and come back early tomorrow morning.”
Bholi felt as if suddenly all the bells in the village temple were
ringing and the trees in front of the school-house had blossomed into
big red flowers. Her heart was throbbing with a new hope and a new
life.
Thus the years passed.
The village became a small town. The little primary school became
a high school. There were now a cinema under a tin shed and a cotton
ginning mill. The mail train began to stop at their railway station.
One night, after dinner, Ramlal said to his wife, “Then, shall I
accept Bishamber’s proposal?”
“Yes, certainly,” his wife said. “Bholi will be lucky to get such a
well-to-do bridegroom. A big shop, a house of his own and I hear
several thousand in the bank. Moreover, he is not asking for any
dowry.”
“That’s right, but he is not so young, you know — almost the same
age as I am — and he also limps. Moreover, the children from his first
wife are quite grown up.”
“So what does it matter?” his wife replied. “Forty-five or fifty — it is
no great age for a man. We are lucky that he is from another village
and does not know about her pock-marks and her lack of sense. If we
don’t accept this proposal, she may remain unmarried all her life.”
“Yes, but I wonder what Bholi will say.”
“What will that witless one say? She is like a dumb cow.”
“May be you are right,” muttered Ramlal.
20. 20
In the other corner of the courtyard, Bholi lay awake on her cot,
listening to her parents’ whispered conversation.
Bishamber Nath was a well-to-do grocer. He came with a big party
of friends and relations with him for the wedding. A brass-band
playing a popular tune from an Indian film headed the procession,
with the bridegroom riding a decorated horse. Ramlal was overjoyed
to see such pomp and splendour. He had never dreamt that his fourth
daughter would have such a grand wedding. Bholi’s elder sisters who
had come for the occasion were envious of her luck.
When the auspicious moment came the priest said, “Bring the
bride.”
Bholi, clad in a red silken bridal dress, was led to the bride’s place
near the sacred fire.
“Garland the bride,” one of his friends prompted Bishamber Nath.
The bridegroom lifted the garland of yellow marigolds. A woman
slipped back the silken veil from the bride’s face. Bishamber took a
quick glance. The garland remained poised in his hands. The bride
slowly pulled down the veil over her face.
“Have you seen her?” said Bishamber to the friend next to him.
“She has pock-marks on her face.”
“So what? You are not young either.”
“Maybe. But if I am to marry her, her father must give me five
thousand rupees.”
Ramlal went and placed his turban — his honour — at
Bishamber’s feet. “Do not humiliate me so. Take two thousand
rupees.”
“No. Five thousand, or we go back. Keep your daughter.”
“Be a little considerate, please. If you go back, I can never show my
face in the village.”
“Then out with five thousand.”
Tears streaming down his face, Ramlal went in, opened the safe
and counted out the notes. He placed the bundle at the bridegroom’s
feet.
21. 21
On Bishamber’s greedy face appeared a triumphant smile. He had
gambled and won. “Give me the garland,” he announced.
Once again the veil was slipped back from the bride’s face, but this
time her eyes were not downcast. She was looking up, looking straight
at her prospective husband,and in her eyes there was neither anger
nor hate, only cold contempt.
Bishamber raised the garland to place it round the bride’s neck; but
before he could do so, Bholi’s hand struck out like a streak of lightning
and the garland was flung into the fire. She got up and threw away the
veil.
“Pitaji!” said Bholi in a clear loud voice; and her father, mother,
sisters, brothers, relations and neighbours were startled to hear her
speak without even the slightest stammer.
“Pitaji! Take back your money. I am not going to marry this man.”
Ramlal was thunderstruck. The guests began to whisper, “So
shameless! So ugly and so shameless!”
22. 22
“Bholi, are you crazy?” shouted Ramlal. “You want to disgrace your
family? Have some regard for our izzat!”
“For the sake of your izzat,” said Bholi, “I was willing to marry this
lame old man. But I will not have such a mean, greedy and
contemptible coward as my husband. I won’t, I won’t, I won’t.”
“What a shameless girl! We all thought she was a harmless dumb
cow.”
Bholi turned violently on the old woman, “Yes, Aunty, you are
right. You all thought I was a dumb–driven cow. That’s why you
wanted to hand me over to this heartless creature. But now the dumb
cow, the stammering fool, is speaking. Do you want to hear more?”
Bishamber Nath, the grocer, started to go back with his party. The
confused bandsmen thought this was the end of the ceremony and
struck up a closing song.
Ramlal stood rooted to the ground, his head bowed low with the
weight of grief and shame.
The flames of the sacred fire slowly died down. Everyone was
gone. Ramlal turned to Bholi and said, “But what about you, no one
will ever marry you now. What shall we do with you?”
And Sulekha said in a voice that was calm and steady, “Don’t you
worry, Pitaji! In your old age I will serve you and Mother and I will
teach in the same school where I learnt so much. Isn’t that right,
Ma’am?”
The teacher had all along stood in a corner, watching the drama.
“Yes, Bholi, of course,” she replied. And in her smiling eyes was the
light of a deep satisfaction that an artist feels when contemplating the
completion of her masterpiece.
23. 23
About the author
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (7 June 1914 – 1 June 1987)
was an Indian film director, screenwriter, novelist,
and journalist in Urdu, Hindi and English. He won
four National Film Awards in India.
Internationally, his films won the Palme d'Or
(Golden Palm Grand Prize) at Cannes Film Festival
(out of three Palme d'Or nominations) and the
Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. As a
director and screenwriter, he is considered as one of the pioneers of
Indian parallel or Neo-realistic cinema.
GLOSSARY
Simpleton - a foolish person easily tricked by others.
Numberdar - an official who collects revenue.
Matted - entangled squatted: sat on their heels.
Scurried - ran or moved hurriedly.
Ginning - separating raw cotton from its seeds.
Downcast - looking downwards.
Read and respond.
• Why is Bholi's father worried about her?
• For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?
• Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?
• Why does the marriage not take place?
24. 24
Textual Activities
Activity 1
1. Bholi's real name is Sulekha. we are told this right at the beginning.
But only in the last but one paragraph of the story is Bholi called
Sulekha again. Why do you think she is called Sulekha at that point
in the story?
2. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made
her feel that she was to a better place than her home?
Activity 2
Above given are some headlines on women discrimination. What are
your thoughts on this issue. Prepare a write-up discussing the
atrocities faced by women.
UN warns excluding women from top
jobs threatens COVID-19 recovery.
31% Indian women get paid less than
men: Linked In report.
Bengal woman gangraped by six,
two hammered to death.
There's no progress if women lag
behind.
Indian women get paid less than men:
Linked In report
25. 25
Activity 3
We all are familiar with the famous personality Dr. Fathima Asla, who
conquered the sky irrespective of her disabilities. Your school has
invited her for the annual day celebrations. Prepare a questionnaire for
an interview with her.
Activity 4
Let's play with language.
“An adverb describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb.”
Read each sentence and fill in the blanks with an adverb from the box.
1. Kailyah …………………………… waited to hear whether or not
she was accepted into the FOCUS program.
2. Stefan usually gets along ……………………….. with his friends.
3. My neighbours play their music much too ……………………….
4. I can see ………………………….. now that the windows are
clean.
5. Further research is ………………… needed if we are to find a
cure for COVID-19.
Abruptly usually loudly famously angrily anxiously
reluctantly urgently clearly closely
26. 26
6. The man shouted ……………………….. for his dog to go back
home.
7. Jessie ……………………………. admitted to stealing her friend's
eraser.
8. The prefect was asked to ……………… monitor the class.
9. The truck stopped …………………………… causing the driver
behind it to slam brakes.
10. Classes are ………………………. held at school however, due to
COVID-19, all classes are now virtual.
27. 27
III. Read and reflect:
Emancipation and empowerment of women is of prime
importance in every society. In our country, we have achieved
partial success, but we still have a long way to go. What should
we do to achieve this goal? Here is a speech on the requisites of
women empowerment. Read on:
THE 3LS OF EMPOWERMENT
-Christine Lagarde
Good afternoon. It is great to be among friends and kindred spirits.
The 21st century poses many challenges that require new ways of
thinking, none more important than the economic role of women in a
rapidly changing world. But women today remain blocked from
contributing their true potential. This has a huge cost. In some
countries, per capita income lag significantly because women are
denied equal opportunity. They represent half the world's population,
but contribute far less than 50 per cent of economic activity. What is
needed to change this picture is a concerted effort to open the door to
opportunity with what I call the "3 Ls" of women's empowerment:
learning, labour and leadership. First about learning: Education is the
foundation upon which any change is built. Learning helps women to
help themselves and break the shackles of exclusion. Nowhere is this
28. 28
more essential than in the developing world. There is an African adage
that goes: "If you educate a boy, you train a man. If you educate a girl,
you train a village." If learning is just the first step, labour is the
second. Labour facilitates women to flourish and achieve their true
potential. But at present, when women participate in the workforce,
they too often tend to get stuck in low paying, low-status and low-
security jobs. Globally, women earn only three-quarters as much as
men -- even with the same level of education and in the same
occupation. Surely, one of our most basic norms should be ìequal pay
for equal work!î Recent researches show that eliminating gender gaps
in economic participation can bring an increase in per capita income.
We can undoubtedly promote more opportunity for women in the
workplace. It is all about changing laws; for example, by ensuring that
property and inheritance laws do not discriminate against women. It
also means policies that encourage education and health care.
Moreover, we need to provide greater access to credit so that women
can achieve greater economic independence. So, learning and labour
are key factors. The third "L" is leadership that enables women to rise
and fulfil their innate abilities and talents. Here, there is plenty of room
for improvement. The irony is that when women lead they tend to do
as good a job as others, if not a better job. They are more likely to
make decisions based on consensus-building, inclusion, compassion
and with a focus on long-term sustainability. It is true that women
sometimes lack the confidence to match their competence. But they
need to change that mindset and reset the narrative in their favour. So
29. 29
it is essential that women be ready to "dare the difference" -- to take
risks and step outside their comfort zones. Nonetheless, even those
with the drive to succeed continue to face barriers: whether we are
talking about providing primary education for girls in a village, or
executive positions for women in business. It is time to create a world
where all women can meet their potential without impediment or
prejudice and the world will reap the benefits. The three Ls will help
us get there. If we dare the difference, the difference will deliver.
Thank you very much.
About the Author
Christine Lagarde, born in Paris, on 1 January 1956, is
the first woman to become the finance minister of a
G8 economy and to head the International
Monetary Fund (IMF). She calls for opening the
doors to women's learning, labour, and leadership in
the economic field. This speech was delivered at the National
Democratic Institute, Washington DC, on 19 May 2014.
30. 30
Glossary
kindred spirits (n): people who think alike.
concerted (adj): done in combination.
shackle (n): bondage
exclusion (n): not allowing someone to take part in an activity.
adage (n): a wise saying
facilitate (v): to enable
credit (n): loan, funds
innate (adj): inborn
consensus (n): agreement
inclusion (n): act of making a person part of a group
sustainability (n): ability to continue over a period of time
comfort zone (n): a situation or place where one feels safe or comfortable
impediment (n): barrier
Read and Respond.
• What are three essential factors for empowerment?
• What is the role of learning in empowering women?
• How can women are promote more opportunities for in the
workplace?
31. 31
Textual Activities
Activity 1
As part of the Women's Day celebration your school decided to
conduct a campaign against the atrocities faced by women and gender
discrimination. Prepare poster for the campaign.
Activity 2
“Phrasal verbs are an idiomatic phrase consisting of a verb and another
element.”
Read the passage given below and choose the appropriate phrasal
verbs given in brackets and complete the passage.
check in get on get off (2x) take off turn back break down
John and David's flight home from Amsterdam was at nine in the
morning. They had arranged to meet with John's friend Mark at half
past six, but Mark arrived at the hotel almost half an hour late that,
however, was just the beginning of their problems. On the way from
the hotel to the airport, their car (1)………………….. in the middle of
a busy intersection, causing a traffic jam. Then, David realized that he
had left his mobile phone in the hotel, but it was too late for them to
(2)……………………. airport, they had just enough time to (3)
…………………. and security check and (4)………………………
32. 32
When they arrived at the go through passport control the plane. The
plane (5)…………………………….. very shortly after that and eight
hours later, they landed in New York, but they couldn't
(6)…………………. the plane because there was a problem on the
runway. They felt a jet lag and finally, forty-five minutes after landing,
they (7)……………………….
Activity 3
Prepare a profile of the famous women writer Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie using the information given below.
Name: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Born: 15 September 1977
Pen name: Amanda N Adichie
Genre: novels, short stories, non-fiction
famous as: Nigerian writer
Notable works: Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of a Yellow Sun (2006),
Americanah (2013)
Notable awards: MacArthur Fellowship (2008), International Nonino
Prize (2009), PEN Pinter Prize (2018)
33. 33
IV. Read and Reflect.
"There is no limit to what we, as woman, can accomplish."
-Michelle Obama.
These are the most powerful words by the former first lady of
United states. Let's read the poem, "Woman” by Nikki Giovanni;
where woman goes through a painful journey of trying to turn
herself into something she is not for a man.
WOMAN
- Nikki Giovanni
she wanted to be a blade
of grass amid the fields
but he wouldn't agree
to be a dandelion
she spun herself into a web
and looking for a place to rest
turned to him
but he stood straight
declining to be her corner
she wanted to be a robin singing
through the leaves
but he refused to be
her tree
34. 34
About the Author
Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Jr. (born June
7, 1943) is an American poet, writer,
commentator, activist, and educator. One of the
world's most well-known African-American poets,
her work includes poetry anthologies, poetry
recordings, and nonfiction essays, and covers
topics ranging from race and social issues to
children's literature. She has won numerous awards, including the
Langston Hughes Medal and the NAACP Image Award. She has been
nominated for a Grammy Award for her poetry album, The Nikki
Giovanni Poetry Collection.
she tried to be a book
but he wouldn't read
she turned herself into a bulb
but he wouldn't let her grow
she decided to become
a woman
and though he still refused
to be a man
she decided it was all
right
she tried to be a book
but he wouldn't read
she turned herself into a bulb
but he wouldn't let her grow
35. 35
Glossary
Amid - in the middle of
dandelion - A herb having long tap roots and bright yellow flowers.
Robin - Small Old-World songbird
Spun - revolve quickly.
Read and respond.
• What a are the themes of the poem?
• What does Nikki Giovanni teach through this poem?
• Do you think that women are inferior to men?
Textual Activities
Activity 1
Nikki Giovanni has penetratingly captured the inferior position of the
women in her poem, where she has portrayed that a woman's identity
is merged with man in her life Write an appreciation of the poem
“Woman”.
36. 36
Activity 2
Read the following sentences and identify and correct the errors.
1. Many peoples attended the funeral of the great man.
2. The shepherd took the cattles to the field.
3. Sita could not understands what the teacher was saying.
4. Do you know the importance for clean water?
5. Laugh is the best medicines.
6. The flock of sheeps blocked the road.
7. The children was playing in the Giant's garden.
8. The children decided to surprise Miss Holmes on teacher's day.
9. I saw Richard when I'm on the flight.
10. Man have depended on nature for a long time.
11. Ramu is a honest man.
12. Bread and butter are Sheldon's favourite breakfast.
13. Birds of feathers flock together.
14. The teacher called me on 12 o'clock.
15. The sweets was distributed between all the children.
37. 37
Activity 3
The poem “Women” depicts the strong will of womanhood. Fill in the
bubbles with the qualities of womanhood that every single should
possess.
Self confidence
Womanhood
