Song of the Open Road (Ice breakers & Brainstorming)

                                  Song of the Open Road             

                                   ICE BREAKERS
 

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

ª  Give reasons for your preference. Railways
(a) It is the safest and cheapest mode of travel.
(b) It has great network of railway tracks which have reached to all corners of the country.
(c) It provides the most comfortable accommodation for all sorts of passengers.
 

ª  Discuss with your partner, the preparations you would like to make for the journey chosen.
(a) Clothes suitable to the journey
(b) Enough money
(c) Medicines
(d) Some eatables and water bottle

ª   Discuss the ways in which you would overcome the problems/ hindrances/difficulties you face during your journey.
(a) won’t panic by the problems
(b) find alternatives to by-pass the problem
(c) try to take help from the concerning authorities
(d) Seek help from co-passengers and people nearby

ª   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 with selected friends to explore the nature especially in rainy season.
(b) Our destination will not be fixed but the places where there will be scenic beauties – rivers, waterfalls, green jungles, valleys, caves, mountains and such other places.
(c) Though there will be no restrictions to enjoy these natural things but care must be taken as they may pose dangers if precautions are not seen.
(d) We must be ready for the difficulties and dangers such as flood, stones carried away by waterfalls, slippery ways of the forest and valleys, snakes, scorpions or wild beasts. It’s necessary that we must observe rules in such jungle tours.

  

                                               BRAINSTORMING

ª  (A1) (i) Pick out the lines showing that the poet is prepared to enjoy every moment of his journey.

- Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,
- Healthy, free, the world before me,

       - Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,
       - Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,

(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

ª  (iii) The poet is a person who is free from all inhibitions. Discuss how the concept of ‘freedom’ is expressed in the poem.

The title of the poem ‘Song of the Open Road’ itself conveys the concept of ‘freedom’. When one takes the open road, one feels ‘healthy, free, the world before me’. You feel light-hearted because you are free to do anything you want to do. You feel relaxed and untroubled as you have no complaints against anyone.  You want to lead the life in your own way and that is real freedom.

ª (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’.

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 the poet 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-sufficiency
(c) I do not want the constellations any nearer : Self-reliance
(d) I swear it is impossible for me to get rid of them: Indebtedness
(e) I am filled with them – I will fill them in return : Gratitude

ª  (iii) 'Healthy, free, the world before me'.
Express your views regarding the above line.

When you step into the open road, you seem to feel relaxation. The feeling that you are not compelled by anyone or anything rejuvenates your mind and body. I think we should not let ourselves burdened under the expectations of others and do what we feel like doing. Only then the world before us will be healthy and free.

(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 – healthy, free
(b) For himself – strong, content
(c) For the road – long, brown

ª  (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.’

ª  (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.

There is implied comparison between the road to travel and the road to life, the way we lead the life.

ª  (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.

ª  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.

ª  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 rhythmic beauty.

ª  (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.

ª  (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.
‘I know’, ‘I carry’ These words are repeated in the poem. By repetition of these words the emotions behind these expressions are intensified.

ª  (v) The use of personal pronoun 'I' is evident and prominent in this poem. Give reasons.

The use of personal pronoun ‘I’ gives a personal touch to the poem. It seems as if the poet is directly addressing the readers and the distance between the poet and the readers gets close and there is more involvement of the readers. The message in the poem reaches straight to the readers.

ª  (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

·        The theme

·        Poetic style

·        The language/ poetic devices used in the poem

·        Special features

·        Message, values, morals in the poem

·        Your opinion about the poem

                      About the poem / poet and the title :

                  The poem ‘Song of the Open Road’ is composed by the American poet Walt Whitman. It       is an optimistic poem which encourages the readers to choose their own way of life and         free themselves from the worldly expectations.

                  Theme :

                  The theme of the poem is freedom that one experiences when one  chooses his/her own          way of leading life renouncing unnecessary attachment with the world around.

                  Poetic Style :

                  This poem is written in free verse which suits the theme of the poem. It is a fifteen line 

                   poem which has been divided into four stanzas. The first stanza has three lines and other

                  three stanzas have four lines each. 

            The language/ poetic devices used in the poem :

            Written in the free verse the poem is noted for its use of Metaphor, Paradox and  

            Repetition. The journey of life is compared with the open road. To render musical effect, 

            Alliteration is also used.

    Special Features :

    The use of first person pronoun is a special feature of this poem. By this, the poet has                      given  a  personal touch to the poem which invites more involvement of the readers. The                second feature is the use of parenthesis in the last stanza. In the first three stanzas, the poet              is detached from the people around and in the last stanza he shows his great attachment                 towards his ‘delicious burden’.

                 Message, values, morals in the poem :

                 The poem gives us the message of freedom. If you want to enjoy your life, it’s necessary to

                 free yourself from the restrains of others’ expectations. Be yourself and lead your own life 

                 not others’. While leading your life freely, let’s not forget to discharge our duties towards 

                 those whom we owe something.

                 Your opinion about the poem :

                 In my opinion this poem has the universal appeal. It is an inspiration to all. The message of                     freedom is subtly conveyed through the journey on the open road.