THE PERSON I AM LOOKING FOR _ Hazara Singh
If you do not get lowered in your own eyes
While you raise yourself in those of others
If you do not give in to gossips and lies
Rather heed them not, saying ‘Who bothers’.
You may be the person I am looking for.
If you crave not for praise when you win
And look not for sympathy while you lose
If cheers let not your head toss or spin
And after a set-back you offer no excuse.
You may be the person I am looking for.
If you accept counsel without getting sore
And re-assess yourself in the light thereof
If you pledge not to be obstinate any more
And meet others without any frown or scoff.
You may be the person I am looking for.
If you have the will to live and courage to die
You are a beacon-light for people far and wide
If you ignore the jeers and, thus, expose the lie
‘That virtue and success do not go side by side’.
You are the person I am looking for.
Q. 4. A. Read the following extract and answer the questions given below: (4 marks) [February 2016 Set B]
Q. 4. A. Read the following extract and answer the questions given below: (4 marks) [February 2016 Set B]
1. What should be your reaction towards gossips and lies?
Ans. We should not give in to gossips and lies. We should not even pay attention to them. Clearly speaking we should not bother about them.
2. Who are your role models? Why?
Ans. My role model is my parents. Who are very simple and humble in their character. They do not seek praise while in achievements and do not expect sympathy while losing. They are ready to face any challenge which comes across in their life.
3. Give the rhyming pairs of words from the first stanza.
Ans. eyes - lies
Others - bothers
4. Which line is repeated in this extract and what is its effect?
Ans. “You may be the person I am looking for” - This line gives importance of that person to whom the poet is looking for.
Q. 4. A. Read the following extract and answer the questions given below: (4 marks) [February 2015]
1. How does the poet expect us to react to winning and losing? (1)
Ans. When we would win we should not crave for praise and when we lose we should not look for sympathy is the expectation of the poet from us.
2. What efforts would you take to be a good citizens? (1)
Ans. I would take utmost care about our social problem and handle it with care to avoid major unwanted causes. I will try to handle the social media in proper way to be a good citizen.
3. Name and explain the figure of speech in the following line.
"If you do not get lowered in your own eyes while you raise yourself in those of others" (1)
Ans. Antithesis: Two opposite ideas of ‘get lowered’ and ‘raise’ are brought together for poetic effect.
4. Pick out the lines that express the expected reaction to rumours. (1)
Ans. If you do not give in to gossip and lies.
Rather heed them not, saying, ‘Who bothers?’
Answer the following:
1. What should you be cautious of when raising yourself in the eyes of others?
Ans. When we raise ourself in the eyes of others we should be cautious of not to be lowered in our own eyes.
2. What should be your reaction towards gossips and lies?
Ans. One should not give in when he/she is targeted by gossips and lies.
3. How should your behave when you are the winner and when you are the loser?
Ans. One should not crave for praise when he/she is a winner. One should not look for sympathy when he/she is a loser.
4. How does the poet expect you to react to "cheers" or a "set back"?
Ans. During "cheers" one should not let his/her head toss or spin and during "set back" one need to offer an excuse.
5. What advice does the poet give you about accepting counsel?
Ans. Without getting sore we should accept the counsel is the advice given by the poet to us.
6. How, according to the poet, should you interact with others?
Ans. Without any frown or scoff one should interact with other while meeting others.
7. What do you mean by the line – 'you are a beacon – light for people far and wide'?
Ans. By the given expression the means that one should be a role – model for other by being so courageous even ready to accept death when need arises, but has the utmost desire to live because of love towards life.
Poetic Devices
(1) Examples of Alliteration
(i) “If you do not give in to gossips and lies”
The letter ‘g’ is repeated for poetic effect.
(ii) “If you crave not for praise when you win”
The letter ‘w’ is repeated for poetic effect.
(2) Examples of Antithesis
(i) “If you do not get lowered in your own eyes /While you raise yourself in those of others”
Here, two opposite ideas of lowering and raising are placed side by side for poetic effect.
(ii) “If you have the will to live and courage to die”
Here, two opposite words ‘to live’ and ‘to die’ are placed close to each other to highlight the contrast for poetic effect.
(3) Examples of Metaphor
“You are a beacon - light for people far and wide”
The person “You” is indirectly compared with a “beacon - light” sharing a common quality of serving as a signal or guide to others.
(4) Example of Inversion
“And after a set - back you offer no excuse”
The word order in the sentence is changed. The proper order is
“And you offer no excuse after a set - back”.
(5) Pick up the pairs of rhyming words from the poem.
Ans. The pairs of rhyming words in the poem are:
Stanza 1 - eyes - lies, others - brothers.
Stanza 2 - win - spin, lose - excuse
Stanza 3 - sore - more , thereof - scoff
Stanza 4 - die - lie, wide - side
(6) Note down the rhyme - scheme used in the poem.
The rhyme - scheme used in the poem is ababc.
