1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
Warming up!
Chit-chat
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
1. Form Groups of 5 to 6 and discuss. Give a rating of 1 to 5 to each of the following.
When you have to make important decisions what do you generally do?
(a) Consult parents/elders [ ]
(b) Contact friends for advice [ ]
(c) Pray to God for guidance [ ]
(d) Think deeply in silence [ ]
(e) Ask your teacher for help [ ]
(f) Toss a coin to decide [ ]
Answer:
(a) Consult parents/elders [b]
(b) Contact friends for advice [d]
(c) Pray to God for guidance [e]
(d) Think deeply in silence [a]
(e) Ask your teacher for help [c]
(f) Toss a coin to decide [f]
Note: Students may note their own rating after discussion.
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
2. In poetry, very often, there are lines in which the poet seems to talk directly to an absent person, an abstract idea or thing/object.
Such a tactic/device used by the poet is the Figure of Speech ‘Apostrophe’.
For example,
Twinkle, twinkle little star …………
Death! Where is thy sting?
O Cave man! I wish I could live with you.
Now, complete the following, creating examples of Apostrophe of your own.
(a) O, Life! How ………………………………………………………………………..
(b) Dear God, Please ………………………………………………………………….
(c) Books! You are ……………………………………………………………………..
(d) Exams! I wish ………………………………………………………………………
(e) O, You beautiful sky ……………………………………………………………….
Answer:
(a) O, Life! How Strange are your ways?
(b) Dear God, Please keep me calm in my difficult days.
(c) Books! You are my dear companions.
(d) Exams! I wish you were never there, never!
(e) O, you beautiful sky send all your beauty to the earth.
English Workshop:
Question No.1]
1. Choose the correct alternatives and complete the sentences :
(a) According to the poet, …………. are brought by each new day. (new beginnings/new endings)
(b) We must decide to take the road which leads to ……………. . (great distress/great success)
(c) The poet prays to the Lord to help him stand for what is ………………. . (might! right)
(d) The poet wants to see that his teenage years have been the ………… years of his life. (worst/best)
Answer:
(a) According to the poet, new beginnings are brought by each new day. (new beginnings / new endings)
(b) We must decide to take the road which leads to great success. (great distress/great success)
(c) The poet prays to the Lord to help him stand for what is right. (might/right)
(d) The poet wants to see that his teenage years have been the best years of his life, (worst/ best)
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
Question No.2]
2. Find and write the pairs of rhyming words from the poem.
1. …………, 2. …………., 3. …………., 4. …………, 5. ……………
Answer:
1. make – take
2. success – distress
3. see – me
4. way – day
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
Question No.3]
3. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? Choose the correct one from the following options.
(i) aabb (ii)abcd
(iii) abcb (iv) abba
Answer:
(iii) abcb.
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
Question No.4]
4. Match the lines in Column A with the Figures of Speech in Column B.
Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ |
| (i) Decisions, I must make | (a) Apostrophe |
| (ii) Please open up my eyes, dear Lord. | (b) Inversion |
| (iii) Travel down the darkened road | (c) Metaphor |
| (iv) I can choose to take the road of life. | (d) Alliteration |
Answer:
Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ |
| (i) Decisions, I must make | (a) Apostrophe |
| (ii) Please open up my eyes, dear Lord. | (b) Alliteration |
| (iii) Travel down the darkened road | (c) Metaphor |
| (iv) I can choose to take the road of life. | (d) Inversion |
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
Question No.5]
5. Elements of Planning An Interview : (Group Activity)
Form groups and discuss each element of planning an interview and prepare notes on each element.
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
Question No.6]
6. Prepare a set of 10 questions to interview any successful teenager. You may use the following guidelines.
Answer:
Interview questions for blind musician :
- Could you please tell me about your family?
- How did your blindness affect your career as a musician and composer?
- Who supported you in your venture?
- Who were your Gurus and what sort of training did you receive?
- What is your prefer classical singing?
- Which was the best performance in your life according to you?
- What are the awards you have received?
- What are your plans for future?
- What is your advice to young aspirants?
- What can you do to encourage them?
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
Question No.7]
7. Read the poem. Write an appreciation of the poem in about 12 to 15 sentences with the help of the following points.
Answer:
- Title: ‘A Teenager’s Prayer’.
- The name of the Poet: J. Morse.
- Rhyme scheme: The rhyme scheme of the poem is ‘abeb.’
- Figure of speech (Any 1): Apostrophe, Inversion, Metaphor.
- Theme/Central Idea: The theme of the poem is a teenager’s dilemma about making the right decisions. The responsibility of choice falls fully on him/her. A wrong decision may ruin the whole life. Hence the teenager in the poem prays to God for His help and guidance.
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
Question No.8]
8. Compose a short prayer in English asking God to guide you in your teenage years. Later, you can even try to make the lines rhyme to give it a poetic form.
Answer:
O God, bless me with friends
with purest heart,
Who’ll always stand by me in dark and dust.
Let our friendship grow clean and right.
My future bright will be in my sight.
1.1 A Teenager’s Prayer
Question No.9]
9. Look around in your vicinity – your family, friends, neighbours, classmates, etc. and write about any four teenagers who have made a name for themselves by doing something extraordinary.
Answer:
Teenager Group | Name | Special/extraordinary tasks/things performed |
| 1. Family | Vishal | Healthy young boy-body-building was his passion-trained-hard work-took part in various competitions-became ‘Mumbai Shree’ at the age of 20-opened his own Gym-trained many body-builders-they won many titles-became rich and famous. |
| 2. Friends | Meera | Disabled-lost a leg in an accident-prosthetic leg at the age of 15-she excelled in studies-after graduation she appeared for Maharashtra Public Service Commission exams-passed at first attempt-ranked 5th among all-became Tehsildar-worked for common man-all people loved and admired her administration. |
| 3. Neighbours | Yashraj | Special child-born blind-inclined to music since childhood-distressful life-did not give up-used to listen to songs on transistor and TV-practised-learnt harmonium, guitar, tabla, etc.-sang classical songs-mastered every type of music-arranged many concerts-today he is a famous music director at the age of 30. |
| 4. Classmates | Jacob | Wealthy family-were in big business-father wanted him to get into business-but he wanted to change the face of villages-adopted some backward villages-worked selflessly with the poor and needy people-with great patience, perseverance and sacrifice did his noble work-brought transformation in their life-improved their overall quality of life-he is respected as God by the villagers. |
