2.1 Song of the Open Road

ICE BREAKERS:
 Choose the mode of travel that you would like the most for a journey.
(a) Airways (b) Waterways (c) Railways (d) Roadways

Ans: I would like travel by train because:

Give reasons for your preference.

1. I can meet with my Soul Mate:

2. Can have Unlimited Fun with Friends:

3. Can enjoy Bonding with My Family:

4. can buy Clothes, Toys, and Other Stuff at Cheap Prices:

5. Can eat Special Dishes Offered by Indian Railways:

6. Can enjoy the Scenery of the Indian Countryside

7. Can mingle with the colourful Indian crowd.

Or

(a) Airways: • Air transport is free from physical barriers because it follows the shortest and direct routes where seas, mountains and forests do not obstruct. • Air transport provides comfortable, efficient and quick transport services.
• Hospitality is best as compare to the other mode of travel
• It is the fastest mode of transport and therefore suitable for carriage of good over a long distance.


(b) Waterway:
• Waterway is one way to transport bulky amount of things.
• It is really beautiful to travel because the rout has only water. We can see different fishes and water animals during travel.


(c) Railway:
• It is very inexpensive than other mode of travels.
• You can also transport things through train with less charges.
• It has provide good hospitality.

 Discuss with your partner, the preparations you would like to make for the journey chosen.

Ans: My preparation for railway journey:

1.Book Ahead of Time.

2.Register with Cleartrip.com Immediately.

3.Decide Which Class is right for you..

4.Snag a Foreign Tourist Quota Ticket.

5.If Your Route Is Sold Out, Check Nearby Stations..

6.Be Prepared for Long Delays (and Bring Snacks).

7. Pay Attention and Have a Map Download on Your Phone.

8.Opt for Overnight Trains When Possible.

9. carry a small first aid kit, flashlight, reusable water bottle, etc.

10. study non verbal communication and learn basic phrases like hello, goodbye, thank you etc.

11. keep emergency cash with you and keep backup of credit card and Bank cards.

12. Make copies of important documents.
13. Carry a list of emergency contacts.

14. Read before you go.

 Discuss the ways in which you would overcome the problems/ hindrances/ difficulties you face during your journey.

Ans:
(a) we should use google map and GPS system. (b) we should carry emergency contact with us.
(c) we should take small first aid kit with us during journey. (d) we should keep enough cash with us.

Or

1- Unclean and unhygienic- Most trains short or long distance, ordinary passenger trains or super-fast services, barring selected few have no arrangements of proper cleaning. The stinking toilets of trains make it impossible to use these but also make it difficult to travel because the foul smell makes the travel a horrible experience and this is common for all classes of train

2- Unauthorized vendor - You can find them everywhere right from entrance of railway stations to main platform of stations, inside the running trains, general bogies or AC coaches, day or night. You can hear them selling tea & coffee at 2 am in sleeper coaches as if you are not there for sleeping purpose but to keep awake with the help of drinks, they are brewing for you. And the height of irony is that railway staff and protection forces are supporting them while you try to protest.

3- Dirty linen - it is in its literary sense, most blankets and bed sheets EDUCATION HUB towels, pillow covers are stained, and stinking provided in AC coaches, which you use, as there is no alternative. Most coaches have no proper storage space in sleeper trains but the packets of blankets and other clothing are stored near the stinking toilets or even in toilets some times. Imagine the problems sufferings of the passengers when they have to use such stinking clothes. There is one popular saying among Indian travellers especially in Hindi speaking belt Suffer is suffering' (In Hindi suffer means traveling). There is no use making complaints of such poor clothes and service provided as you might face the dirty or rude behavior of attendants or service staff.

4- Theft is common problem. As there is no stoppage for outsiders to enter into coaches of any class the bad characters take full advantage of the situation and your baggage was at risk of being stolen. In most cases, you never recover your luggage and railway police mostly behaves in rude way, never registering your complaints or making it a mere formality with no intention to recover your lost property. People generally believe that police and protection forces are in association with thieves.

5- Passengers do not care for others- Most passengers have no civic sense that the travel even more difficult by their habits of spilling garbage, spitting frequently eating different tobacco products, spilling water, allowing children to urinate or ease bowl without caring for other passengers.

6- Passengers talking loudly - While on mobile phones at night are a favourite pass time for many of so-called cultured and educated persons traveling in trains.

7- Inquiry counters- An inquiry counter is a place on a railway station where you queue up to learn many new experiences but your queries never get an answer as in most cases either there is no one attending the counter. Or if you are lucky enough and there is one sitting at the counter, he is either talking to his co-workers or busy on his personal phone to have spare time to attend you.

8- No Time table- There is nothing like fixed time or scheduled running for Indian trains apart from a few selected ones. As against the standards set for late running throughout the world, we do not seem to care much about timetables. As they think if we had our trains running at scheduled timing there was no need of waiting rooms, what I feel is, to take full advantage of waiting rooms they delay their trains. On a serious note, we do not mind trains running late by an hour or two and no one cares much.

9- No pantry services available- In most trains running for medium or even long distances they do not provide pantry car in the train but in most cases they arrange food from out side or the services provided by unauthorized vendor who provide inferior quality and overcharge passengers as per their own sweet will. The trains having facility of dining car/pantry services have lot to be desired as their services are not up to satisfactory level or too poor in quality, overcharged and not hygienic.

 During every journey we have to observe certain rules. Discuss your ideas of the journey without any restrictions. You can begin like this-
(a) I would go alone / with selected friends/ .............

Ans:
(b) i would like to go with my family members.
(c) I will take some stuffs with me for my security.
(d) I will take my favourite bike for travel.
(e) I will choose beautiful destination to visit where there
will be beautiful nature.

Or

Tips for Traveling in India:

1. Don't Try to Cover Too Much Ground

2. Prepare Yourself for Culture Shock

3. Bring Travelers Diarrhea Tablets

4. Go Beyond the Cities.

5. Cover Yourself and Dress Conservatively

6. Take Off Your Shoes Before Entering a Temple

7. Get a SIM Card for your phone.

8. Watch Out for Religious Scams

9. Don't Be Afraid of the Local Pharmacy

10. Understand the Indian Head Waggle

11. Learn How to Haggle

12. Watch Out for Pickpockets

13. Understand that Personal Space Isn't the Same as What You
are Used To.

14. Carry Hand Sanitizer and Toilet Paper.

15. Consider Going Vegetarian During Your Trip.

16. Be Wary of the Common Travel Scams.

17. Don't Be Fooled by Fake Ticket Offices.

18. Don't Expect Things to Happen on Time.

BRAINSTORMING:
(A1) (i) Pick out the lines showing that the poet is prepared to enjoy every moment of his journey.
Ans: 1.Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road, 

2. Henceforth I ask not good fortune, I myself am good-fortune,

3. Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, 
    need nothing, 

4. I do not want the constellations any nearer,

(ii) By ‘old delicious burdens’ the poet means-
(a) the luggage
(b) the food he carries
(c) the stress he bears during the travels
(d) sweet memories of the past
Ans: (d) sweet memories of the past

(iii) The poet is a person who is free from all inhibitions. Discuss how the concept of ‘freedom’ is expressed in the poem.
Ans: at the beginning of the poem the poet says that he is healthy and free to go anywhere in the world. He can choose his own road and control his own journey too.
He says that he does not give importance to any criticism and complaint. He does not ask any prayer for his good fortune because he believes that he can bring his own fortune. He says that he does not postpone his journey. In this way we can say that the poet is a person who is free from all inhibition.
Freedom is the major theme of this poem.
Throughout the poem, the poet encourages the readers to be true to themselves and live a free and enjoy the freedom of life. Although his life is not free from obligations and troubles Subscribe he encourages everyone to live their dreams, leaving the obstacles behind.


(A2) (i) Following are the activities of the poet related to his journey on the road. Divide them into two parts as ‘activities the poet will practise’ and ‘activities he will not practise’.
(a) Walking along the road though he does not know where it reaches
(b) Complaining about the discomforts during the journey
(c) Postponing the journey
(d) Praying for good fortune
(e) Carrying the fond memories of the good people
(f) Creating contacts with famous and influential people
(g) Striving to achieve high and bright success
(h) Reflecting and developing his own ‘self’
Ans:  activities the poet will practise -

(a) Walking along the road though he does not know where
       it reaches

(e) Carrying the fond memories of the good people

(h) Reflecting and developing his own 'self

activities he will not practise -


(b) Complaining about the discomforts during the journey

(c) Postponing the journey

(d) Praying for good fortune

(f) Creating contacts with famous and influential people
  

(g) Striving to achieve high and bright success

(ii) Write down the traits the poet exhibit through following lines. One is done for you.
(a) Henceforth, I ask for no good fortune-I myself am good 
      fortune : Self-confidence

(b) Henceforth, I whimper no more, postpone no more, need 
      nothing- self-dependant

(c) I do not want the constellations any nearer- existentialist

(d) I swear it is impossible for me to get rid of them- Accountable

(e) I am filled with them – I will fill them in return- Responsible

(iii) 'Healthy, free, the world before me'.
Express your views regarding the above line.
Ans: When a person takes the open road, you feel, "Healthy, free, the world before me." Being free means being able to do anything you want to do. It means having no troubles upon you and wants nothing except to relax.

(A3) The poet has used many describing words such as 'healthy' in this poem. Make a list and classify them as -

(a) For the world - Sufficient, well.

(b) For himself - Light hearted, Healthy free, good fortune,
                            strong content.

(c) For the road - Brown path.

(A4) (i) Read the expression ‘old delicious burdens.’ A burden cannot be delicious. The poet has used this combination of words to express that he has many sweet memories of the people and places which he would like to remember forever. The poet has used seemingly contradictory expressions to convey the meaning that his heart is full of sweet memories of good and kind people. Though he wants to be free from any type of attachment, he wants to cherish these sweet memories in his heart forever.
The expression contains opposite ideas that make it seem absurd or unlikely, although it may be true. This is called ‘Paradox.’

(ii) The road in the poem does not mean only the road to travel. The poet wants to suggest the road of life. Explain the metaphor with the help of the poem.
Ans: The road in the poem suggests the road of life which is indirection comparison with the road to travel. So the figure of speech used in Metaphor. The road represents equality, something which everybody can write to. It also symbolises freedom and opportunity. The road of life represents progress and morality and since it is open it propagates democratic value also.
(iii) Free Verse: Free Verse is a poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular rhythm. The features of Free Verse are- 

It is a literary device that is free from limitations of regular metre or rhythm, does not rhyme with fixed forms, and still it provides an artistic expression. In this way, the poet can give his own shape to a poem as he desires and can use various poetic devices to create the effect he considers suitable for the piece.

 As Free Verse gives greater freedom for choosing words and conveying their meanings to readers, it is free from artificiality of a typical poetic expression. This technique is commonly used in modern poetry. 

Remember -

(a) Although Free Verse requires no metre, rhyme or other traditional poetic techniques, it is the use of internal pattern of sounds, the choice of exact words and their chosen places are the factors which attribute the Free Verse, its lyrical or rythmic beauty.

(b) Free Verse is completely different from ‘Blank Verse’ which essentially has to occur in iambic pentameter. Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines. It is described as 'the most common' form of English poetry which has been influential since the 16th century.

(iv) There are certain words that are repeated in the poem.
For example, ‘no more’ (Line 7).
Find out other similar expressions. Explain the effect they have created in the poem.
Ans: The word good - fortune repeated in line number four. I carry' this one also repeated in line number eleven.
Such king of repetition of words ,phrases or sentences create poetic effect in the poem.
This is the examples of a figure of speech called repetition.

(v) The use of personal pronoun 'I' is evident and prominent in this poem. Give reasons.
Ans: The use of personal pronoun T in the poem has differed significance. The poet refers himself in the poem to show his high commitment to the words and stressing the dimension of authorship significantly relevant in his poem.

(A5) (i) With the help of the following points, write a poetic appreciation of the poem ‘Song of the Open Road’.

• About the poem / poet and the title:-
   Song of the Open Road
- This is the suitable title for the poem because the poet has mentioned his journey in the way of freedom. In this poem, the poet is describing open road as his metaphoric journey of freedom, independence and sweet memories. It is taken from the collection "Leaves of grass”.

Poet :- Walt Whitman, He is an American poet who is known as 'the father of free verse.' He is famous for his poems which always talk for freedom, independence, joy of life and existence.

• The theme :- Freedom, joy, Optimism and self dependence, Responsibility these are some of the themes of the poem. In this poem poet who encourage the reader to be true with yourself and enjoy your freedom. Don't expect anything from anyone. You are the one who can make your own future.You can choose your own destiny.

• Poetic style :- Walt Whitman , Who composed this poem in free verse form. He has Not used any kind of rhyming scheme and any specific pattern .The length of the stanzas are varied. In shortly, This poem is a free verse. The lines are unrhymed and of varying length.

• The language/ poetic devices used in the poem :- 
The poet has used different symbols in his poem like freedom, opportunity optimism, joy of life and existentialism. He used metaphor, alliteration, repetition, paradox etc. Such kind of figures of speech.

• Special features :- poem has written in simple language which is very simple to understand for readers. It also explains the meaning of life in simple words. The poem has written in first person I' which represents individuality.

• Message, values, morals in the poem :- this poem, poet suggests action instead of predication. We should believe on ourselves. Don't expect anything from anyone. Believe on yourself. It also tell us to be happy and optimistic in life.

• Your opinion about the poem :- Song of the open road is really a beautiful and inspirational poem. The poet who encourages us to enjoy the life and fill heart with immense pleasure of life journey. The poet also encourage us to be free from all expectations and free for life.

OR

Appreciation

About the Poet

The poem is written by Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. Whitman is often called the father of free verse.


About the Poem

Song of the Open Road is an inspirational poem written in the form of narration. This poem is an ode to one's self which is the part of 'Leaves of Grass'

About the title

The title of the poem is ' Song of the Open Road'. The title of the poem is a key to the general meaning and summary of the thought presented. The title is also indicates the Freedom.

Theme

Mainly the poem deals with freedom, optimism and the joy of free life. The poem is highly inspirational and it encourages the readers to be trun to themselves and live and enjoy the Freedom of Life

The Language /Poetic devices.

The poem is written in simple and effective language. As, it is written in a free verse, there is no rhyme scheme. Length of lines and stanza pattern are not equal. Phrases like

'light-hearted ' is interesting. There are many Poetic devices are used in this poem as follows:-1) Metaphor. 2) Paradox

3)Free verse. 4) Repetition.

Special Feature

Special Feature of the poem is it's first person narration "1" which represents every individual.

The Poet has used the special device of parentheses by putting last stanza in bracket to separate himself from the worldly needs. It also shows that there is a meaningful Relationship between him and his delicious burden.

Moral

The poem teaches us to be happy and optimistic as we have everything including freedom and an ample of opportunities.

Opinion

My opinion about the poem is that Poem is nice because it encourages us to enjoy the life in healthy and free world. It motivates me to fill the Heart with immens pleasure of life journey. I really liked the poem


(ii) Write four to six lines of Free Verse on the topic ‘The road that leads to my college’. Express that it is the road to knowledge and bright future. You may begin like this: Every day I tread with the bag of books …
Ans: 
Everyday I tread with the bag of books, 

I look forward to my destination, my centre for knowledge.

Reach my college on time, I must.

My teachers, eager to share their wisdom to us, 

My bright future, their source of happiness.

Must I work hard. I must.

(iii) Write a blog on the following topic.
(a) Man is free by birth.
Ans:                     Man is free by birth 
Man is a social being. He lives in a society with means; he has to get on well with others following the norms of the society. Man is born free, no doubt about it. We do not take birth with a tag attached to us that we have to live in a certain way or must follow certain principles in life. But still there is an unwritten law which every human being in a civilized society needs to follow.

Freedom is everybody's birthright. Right enjoyment of one's freedom, rights, privileges and liberties means doing things in such a manner and extent that it does not interfere in any way with the enjoyment of these by others. So, there cannot be any personal freedom without social order. They go hand in hand.

To enjoy the fruit of freedom, it is essential that man nourishes well the tree with the s ofc nutrients of discipline. A disciplined nation can face any challenges; can overcome any crisis of any magnitude. We get freedom without doing anything to achieve it. So, there is a possibility that we take our freedom for granted. There comes the role of discipline which is the life-line of holding a society together. This restraint and liberty are complementary. Without the existence of one, the existence of the other is impossible. Sometimes, people forget this essential and underlying fact and the problem arises there. Freedom is precious as long as exercised with restraint.

(iv) Expand the ideas suggested in the following lines:
(a) All roads lead to Rome.
Ans: All roads lead to Rome literally means that same result can be achieved by multiple methods and ideas. The saying took its birth from the event that the Roman Empire connected all roads of the country to Rome as Rome was positioned in the centre. There are various ways of approaching a problem but the job has to be accomplished. The idea is to arrive at a decision even if many ways are tried to reach it.

Metaphorically, this proverb indicates that all lives' roads lead to the same destination. The journey to the destination may vary from person to person, but all of us are fulfilling a given destiny through our actions in life.

The saying, philosophically reminds us to be aware of the fact that whatever we do, we have to come back to the point where our life's goal is destined to take us. Apparently, the proverb talks about a specific geographical location. But deep inside, it indicates psychological and emotional lives. It tells us not to worry since it is not important which way we reach our destination but it is necessary to reach the goal. Thus, every life needs to have a direction and the motto of life should be successful and honest completion of the journey.

(b) A man without liberty is a body without a soul.
Ans: Human life without basic freedom and rights is meaningless. Freedom is the most precious possession without which life would become intolerable. In this context, the famous oft-quoted lines of Milton from his poem, Paradise Lost' comes to mind - "Better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven." But then, liberty has its own corresponding obligations and duties. Liberty never means license

               An individual is a part of society in which he enjoys certain rights and freedoms only because of fulfillment of certain duties towards others. Liberty is based on mutual respect for each other's rights. A perfect balance to be maintained between the two or there would be anarchy.

                      It is true that man who does not have the right to liberty, his existence is at stake. But Liberty has to be used with responsibility so that the basic code of conduct of a society is not violated. Liberty has to be exercised with a sense of 'live and let live'. One cannot be selfish to enjoy one's liberty at the cost of other's inconvenience and become a social nuisance.

(A6) (i) Take help from the sources available on the internet and make a list of proverbs and quotations about ‘road.’
Ans: 1) The road to success is not a path you find but a trail 
             you blaze.
2) The way I figure it, everyone gets a miracle.

You can search many other proverbs at link below given: 
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/ road-trip

(ii) Read the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost.

Ans: The poem has given below to read.

The Road Not Taken

BY ROBERT FROST

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.