MAK LABS — Std 10 English 2.1 Animals

1 AMatch the words given in table A with their meanings in table B.

Words	Meaning
(i) whine	(b) complain in an annoying way
(ii) sin	(a) an offence against religious or moral law
(iii) evince	(e) show
(iv) mania	(c) craze
(v) negligent	(d) failing to take proper care

1 BFind adjectives from the poem which refer to positive and negative thinking.

Positive	Negative
1. placid	1. dissatisfied
2. self-contain'd	2. demented
3. respectable	3. unhappy

Note: In the poem, the poet uses 'respectable' in a somewhat mocking tone to refer to human societal status, but it remains a structurally positive adjective.

2Complete the following.

(a) The poet wishes he could turn and live with animals.
(b) Animals do not complain about their condition.
(c) Animals do not merely discuss their duty to God.
(d) Animals are not crazy about owning things.

3State whether the following statements are true or false.

(a) Animals are self-reliant. — True
(b) Animals quarrel for their possessions. — False
(c) Animals do not worship other animals. — True
(d) Humans have given up many good qualities. — True
(e) Animals suffer humiliation. — False
(f) The poet has retained all his natural virtues. — False

4With the help of the poem find the differences between animals and human beings.

Human beings	Animals
Always complain about their condition.	Never complain about anything.
Lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins.	Do not lie awake or weep for their sins.
Make others sick by discussing their duty to God.	Do not discuss their duty to God.
Suffer from the mania of owning things.	Are not crazy about owning things.
Kneel to one another or to their ancestors.	Do not kneel to anyone; all are equal.

5Read the text again, and complete the web, highlighting the good values/habits which we can learn from animals.

They are placid and self-contained.
They do not whine or complain about their condition.
They are not dissatisfied or unhappy.
They do not suffer from the mania of owning things (they are not greedy).
They do not kneel to others, meaning they treat everyone as equal.
They show their relationships plainly and accept them naturally.

6Find out lines from the poem that are examples of following Figures of Speech.

Figures of Speech	Lines
Repetition	"I stand and look at them long and long." "They do not... They do not..."
Alliteration	"They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God." (repetition of 'd' sound)
Hyperbole	"Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago"

7Identify the Figures of Speech in the following lines.

(a) I stand and look at them long and long.
Repetition — The word 'long' is repeated for poetic effect. (Also Alliteration due to the 'l' sound).
(b) They do not sweat and whine about their condition.
Tautology — 'Sweat' and 'whine' convey a similar meaning of complaining and fussing over their condition.
(c) They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God.
Alliteration — The consonant sound 'd' is repeated in 'discussing' and 'duty'.
(d) ...not one is demented with the mania of owning things.
Hyperbole — The desire to own things is exaggeratedly described as a 'mania' (madness). (Also Metaphor).
(e) They bring me tokens of myself.
Metaphor — The 'tokens' implicitly represent inner virtues and good qualities like innocence and simplicity.
(f) No one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
Hyperbole — The statement is an exaggeration to emphasize the complete equality and lack of grief among animals.

8Read the poem again and write an appreciation of the poem in a paragraph format.

Appreciation of the poem 'Animals'

The poem 'Animals' is penned by the revolutionary American poet, Walt Whitman. The central idea of the poem revolves around the poet's profound admiration for animals and his deep dissatisfaction with human beings. According to the poet, humans have lost their natural, basic virtues and have become overly complicated, materialistic, and hypocritical. Animals, conversely, have retained the noble tokens of innocence, contentment, and simplicity.

This poem is written in free verse, which means it lacks a regular rhythm or a fixed rhyme scheme, perfectly suiting the poet's conversational and introspective tone. The poet extensively uses Repetition (such as "They do not...") to emphasize the negative habits humans have developed. He employs striking Metaphors, specifically the word 'tokens', which beautifully symbolizes innate good qualities like honesty and calmness. Alliteration ("discussing their duty") adds musicality to the lines.

A special feature of the poem is its thought-provoking and slightly sarcastic tone regarding human "respectability." The poet brilliantly contrasts the peaceful silence of animals with the restless whining of humans. My favourite line is "Not one is demented with the mania of owning things," as it perfectly captures the root cause of human unhappiness: greed. I like this poem very much because it forces us to reflect on our own flaws and reminds us to reconnect with the simple, genuine virtues of nature.

9Divide the class into two groups. One group should offer points in favour of (views) and the other against (counterviews) the topic 'Life of an animal is better than that of a human being.'

View: Life of an animal is better than that of a human being.
The life of an animal is far superior to that of a human being because it is grounded in simplicity and peace. Animals live in the present moment; they do not carry the burden of the past nor do they worry endlessly about the future. They do not suffer from greed, the mania of owning things, or the constant urge to compete and show off. There is no concept of social hierarchy, discrimination, or class divide among them—no animal bows down to another. They are self-contained, content, and deeply connected to nature, free from the stresses, anxieties, and artificial complexities that plague modern human life.

Counterview: Life of a human being is better than that of an animal.
It is incorrect to say that an animal's life is better, as human life offers incredible potential for growth, intelligence, and creation. Humans possess advanced cognitive abilities that allow us to invent, build, and explore the universe. We experience deep, complex emotions, create beautiful art, literature, and music, and can understand morality and justice. While animals act purely on survival instincts, humans have the capacity for self-awareness, compassion, and progress. We can cure diseases, improve our living conditions, and help not only our own species but also animals and the environment. This unique ability to shape our destiny makes human life exceptionally meaningful and superior.

2.1 Animals

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