1. A Lecture Upon the Shadow
2. Poems by Milton
3. Poems by Blake
4. Kubla Khan
5. Trees
6. The Wild Swans at Coole
7. Time and Time Again
8. Blood
1.A Lecture Upon the Shadow
Stand still and I will read to thee
रुको, मैं तुम्हें पढ़कर सुनाता हूँ।
A Lecture, Love, in loves philosophy,
प्रेम की
दर्शनशास्त्र पर एक व्याख्यान, प्रिय।
These three houres that we have spent,
ये तीन घंटे जो
हमने बिताए हैं,
Walking here, Two shadowes went
यहाँ चलते हुए, दो परछाइयाँ हमारे साथ चल रही थीं।
Along with us, which we our selves produc’d;
वे परछाइयाँ हमने
ही पैदा की थीं।
But, now the Sunne is just above our head,
लेकिन अब सूरज ठीक
हमारे सिर के ऊपर है।
We doe those shadowes tread;
और अब हम उन्हीं
परछाइयों पर चल रहे हैं।
And to brave clearnesse all things are reduc’d.
और अब सब कुछ
साफ-साफ दिखाई दे रहा है।
So whilst our infant loves did grow,
जब हमारा प्रेम
अभी नया-नया था और बढ़ रहा था,
Disguises did, and shadowes, flow,
तब उसमें कुछ
छिपाव और परछाइयाँ भी थीं।
From us, and our cares; but now ’tis not so.
हमारी चिंताओं से
भी ये परछाइयाँ आती थीं, लेकिन अब ऐसा नहीं है।
That love hath not attain’d the high’st degree,
वह प्रेम सबसे
ऊँचे स्तर तक नहीं पहुँचा है,
Which is still diligent lest others see.
जो हमेशा इस डर
में रहता है कि लोग उसे देख न लें।
Except our loves at this noone stay,
यदि हमारा प्रेम
इस दोपहर की तरह स्थिर नहीं रहता,
We shall new shadowes make the other way.
तो हम दूसरी दिशा
में नई परछाइयाँ बना लेंगे।
As the first were made to blinde
जैसे पहली
परछाइयाँ दूसरों को अंधा करने के लिए थीं,
Others; these which come behinde
वैसे ही जो बाद
में आएँगी,
Will worke upon our selves, and blind our eyes.
वे हम पर ही असर
करेंगी और हमारी आँखों को अंधा कर देंगी।
If our loves faint, and westwardly decline;
यदि हमारा प्रेम
कमजोर हो जाए और सूर्य की तरह पश्चिम की ओर ढलने लगे,
To me thou, falsely thine;
तो तुम मुझसे झूठ
बोलोगी,
And I to thee mine actions shall disguise.
और मैं भी अपने
व्यवहार को तुमसे छिपाऊँगा।
The morning shadowes were away,
सुबह की परछाइयाँ
छोटी होती थीं,
But these grow longer all the day,
लेकिन ये परछाइयाँ
पूरे दिन लंबी होती जाती हैं।
But oh, loves day is short, if love decay.
लेकिन यदि प्रेम
कमजोर पड़ जाए तो प्रेम का दिन बहुत छोटा हो जाता है।
Love is a growing, or full constant light;
प्रेम या तो बढ़ता
रहता है या फिर पूरी तरह स्थिर प्रकाश की तरह होता है।
And his first minute, after noone, is night.
और यदि वह दोपहर
के बाद कम होने लगे तो उसका पहला ही क्षण रात बन जाता है।
Summary of “A
Lecture Upon the Shadow” – John Donne
“A Lecture Upon
the Shadow” is a philosophical love poem. In this poem, the poet explains the
nature of true love by comparing it with the movement of shadows during the
day.
At the
beginning, the poet and his beloved are walking in the morning. Their shadows
fall beside them. The poet says that these shadows are like the doubts, fears,
and secrecy that exist in the early stage of love. When love is new, lovers
often hide their feelings from others, so their love contains “shadows”.
As the sun
rises higher and reaches noon, the shadows become very small. The poet says
that this stage represents mature and perfect love. At this time, love becomes
clear, open, and strong. There are no fears, doubts, or need to hide feelings
from others.
However, the
poet warns that if their love does not remain strong like the noon sun, it may
begin to decline just like the sun moving towards the west. When this happens,
the shadows become longer again. These new shadows represent mistrust,
misunderstanding, and deception between lovers. The lovers may start hiding
their actions from each other.
In the end, the
poet concludes that true love should remain constant and strong like bright
light. If love begins to weaken even a little after reaching its peak, it
quickly turns into darkness. Therefore, love must continue to grow or remain
steady to stay pure and true.
Main Idea:
The poem shows that true love should be constant, honest, and free from doubts,
just like the clear light of the sun at noon.
Important Word
Meanings
Lecture – a serious talk or explanation (व्याख्यान)
Philosophy – deep ideas about life and love (दर्शन / गहरी सोच)
Shadow – dark shape made when light is
blocked (परछाई)
Produce – to create or make (उत्पन्न करना)
Sunne (Sun) – the sun (सूरज)
Tread – to step or walk on something (पैर रखना / चलना)
Clearness – brightness, clarity (स्पष्टता)
Infant love – young or new love (नया प्रेम)
Disguise – to hide the truth or real feeling (छिपाना)
Attain – to reach or achieve (प्राप्त करना)
Highest degree – the greatest level (सबसे ऊँचा स्तर)
Diligent – careful and attentive (सावधान)
Noon – middle of the day (दोपहर)
Blind – unable to see / to make someone
unable to understand (अंधा करना)
Faint – become weak (कमज़ोर पड़ना)
Decline – to fall or decrease (कम होना / गिरना)
Westwardly – towards the west (पश्चिम की ओर)
Disguise
actions – hide one’s
behaviour (अपने काम छिपाना)
Decay – to become weak or worse (कमज़ोर होना)
Constant – steady, not changing (स्थिर)
Light – brightness; symbol of truth and
purity (प्रकाश)
Long Answer Questions
1. Explain the
central idea of the poem “A Lecture Upon the Shadow”.
Answer:
“A Lecture Upon the Shadow” is a philosophical love poem by John Donne. In this
poem, the poet explains different stages of love by comparing them with the movement
of shadows during the day.
In the morning,
when the sun is low, shadows are long. The poet says these shadows represent
the doubts and secrecy of early love. Lovers hide their feelings from others.
At noon, when
the sun is directly above, the shadows become very small. This stage represents
mature and perfect love. At this time love becomes clear, honest, and free from
fear.
However, when
the sun moves towards the west, the shadows grow longer again. This shows the
decline of love. If love becomes weak, mistrust and deception may appear
between lovers.
The poet
concludes that true love must remain constant like bright light. If it begins
to decline even slightly, it can quickly turn into darkness.
2. How does
John Donne use the image of shadows to explain love?
Answer:
John Donne uses the image of shadows as a metaphor to explain the stages of
love. When lovers walk in the morning, their shadows are long. These shadows
represent the fears, doubts, and secrecy present in new love.
As the sun
rises and reaches noon, the shadows become very small. This symbolizes mature
and perfect love. At this stage, love becomes clear and honest, without any
fear or doubt.
But when the
sun moves towards the west, shadows grow longer again. These new shadows
represent mistrust and deception that can appear if love begins to decline.
Through this
comparison, the poet explains that love should remain strong and constant like
the bright light of the sun at noon.
3. Why does the
poet call the poem a “Lecture”?
Answer:
The poet calls the poem a “Lecture” because he is teaching his beloved an
important lesson about love. He explains the nature and stages of love using
the example of shadows created by the sun.
Like a teacher
giving a lecture, the poet carefully explains how love begins, grows, and may
decline. He wants his beloved to understand that true love should remain
constant and honest.
Thus, the poem
becomes a philosophical discussion about love, which is why the poet calls it a
“Lecture”.
4.How does the
poet compare love with shadows?
Answer:
The poet compares love with shadows created by the sun. In the morning the
shadows are long, which represent the doubts and secrecy of early love.
At noon the
shadows become very small. This represents perfect and mature love which is
clear and honest.
When the sun
moves west, the shadows become long again. These shadows represent mistrust and
deception when love begins to decline.
Thus, the poet
explains the stages of love through the image of shadows.
5. Describe the
different stages of love shown in the poem.
Answer:
The poem shows three stages of love.
The first stage
is the early stage of love. At this time love is new and contains doubts and
secrecy.
The second
stage is the mature stage of love. This stage is represented by noon when
shadows are very small. Love becomes clear and strong.
The third stage
is the decline of love. This happens when love becomes weak and mistrust
appears between lovers.
6. What message
does the poet give about true love?
Answer:
The poet gives the message that true love should remain constant and honest. It
should not be weak or full of doubts.
If love begins
to decline, it can create misunderstanding and deception. Therefore, love must
remain strong like bright light.
7. Why does the
poet say that love must remain constant?
Answer:
The poet says that love must remain constant because if it becomes weak,
problems will arise between lovers.
Constant love
is clear, honest, and strong. It creates trust and happiness between lovers.
Short Answer Questions with Answers
1. Who was John
Donne?
Answer:
John Donne was a famous metaphysical poet of England. His poetry is known for
deep thinking, wit, and unusual comparisons. He often wrote about love,
religion, and philosophy.
2. What do the
morning shadows represent in the poem?
Answer:
The morning shadows represent the early stage of love. At this stage, love has
doubts, fears, and secrecy. Lovers sometimes hide their feelings from others.
3. What does
the poet mean by “infant love”?
Answer:
“Infant love” means new or young love. It is the beginning stage of love when
the relationship is not fully mature.
4. What happens
to the shadows at noon?
Answer:
At noon the sun is directly above the head, so the shadows become very small.
This shows that love becomes clear, honest, and perfect.
5. What do the
afternoon shadows symbolize?
Answer:
The afternoon shadows symbolize the decline of love. They represent mistrust,
misunderstandings, and deception between lovers.
6. Why does the
poet call the poem a “Lecture”?
Answer:
The poet calls it a lecture because he is teaching his beloved an important
lesson about love and its different stages.
7. What lesson
does the poet give to his beloved?
Answer:
The poet teaches that true love should remain strong, honest, and constant. If
love becomes weak, it can create problems between lovers.
8. What does
the poet say about the highest degree of love?
Answer:
The poet says that true love at its highest level does not hide itself. It is
open, honest, and confident.
9. What warning
does the poet give about declining love?
Answer:
The poet warns that if love begins to decline like the sun moving west, new
shadows will appear. These shadows bring mistrust and deception.
10. What is
meant by “love’s day is short if love decay”?
Answer:
It means that if love becomes weak or starts declining, the happiness of love
will not last long.
