English X - Chapter No.9 - Reference To Context

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A NATION'S STRENGTH (POEM)
Reference To Context

Note : Students are advised to read whole chapters and poems thoroughly for reference to context.

Text Book Name: Secondary Stage English Book Two For Class X 
Explain With Reference To Context (Poem)
Poem: A Nation’s Strength
Poet: An American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1903-1882)

1. Not gold, but only men can make,
A people great and strong,
Men who for truth and honour’s sake,
Stand fast and suffer long.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) What makes a nation great and strong?
(iii) What is the message of the poem?
Ans:
(i) Poem: A Nation’s Strength
Poet: Ralph Waldo Emerson.
(ii) Wealth can not make a nation strong and powerful. But only the result of hard work, high moral character and virtues of great people can make it strong. A nation’s strength is a fruit and labour is its seed.
(iii) The message of the poem the Nation's strength is that a nation is strong only by its people. These people should be brave, daring, hardworking, determined and patient. Such people build a nation's pillars deep and lift their nation to the sky.

Words / Meanings:
1. To suffer long: to face hardships for a long time.

Reference to context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “A Nation’s Strength” written by an American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. In this poem poet tells that wealth has nothing to do with the strength of a nation. It is only man who alone can make a nation great and strong.

Explanation:
In these lines poet says that wealth can not make a nation strong and powerful. But only sincere men can make it strong. Brave and courageous men who are ready to suffer and who can stand firm for the sake of truth and honour during the period of hardships.

2. Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while other fly
They build a nation’s pillars deep,
And lift them to the sky.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) Give the central idea of the poem
(iii) How do brave men build a nation's pillars deep?
(iv) What kind of people can lift the nation to the sky?
Ans:
(i) Poem: A Nation’s Strength
Poet: Ralph Waldo Emerson.
(ii) The vigorous growth of any nation does not depend on wealth. But a strong nation’is the result of hard work, high moral character and virtues of great people.  Such people raise the pride of their nation.
(iii) Brave men are those who work hard while others waste their time in enjoying comfortable sleep. They face all challenges of time bravely and courageously while others run away. Only these brave men can build their nation's pillar deep and strong.
(iv) The poet believes that brave, courageous, sincere and honest persons can lift the nation to the sky.

Words / Meanings:
1. To fly: to run away from.
2. A nation's pillars: columns; here it means foundations at tasting virtue.
3. Lift them to the sky: make their nation famous.

Reference to context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “A Nation’s Strength” written by an American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. In this poem poet tells that wealth has nothing to do with the strength of a nation. It is only man who alone can make a nation great and strong.

Explanation:
In these lines poet says that secret of a nation’s greatness are indeed those heroes who work hard while others waste their time in enjoying comfortable sleep. They face all challenges of time bravely and courageously while others run away. Only these brave men can build their nation on fast and sure foundations of virtue and take it to highest point of greatness and make it very famous in the community of nations.


About Poet:
This poem is written by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1903-1882). He was born in Boston (USA). He was an essayist, a poet and a philosopher. His philosophy is everlasting, because it arose from a desire to make all things new, to seize life freshly, experience it first hand and use it to build beyond the old.