POETRY
2. Happiness (Carl August Sandburg)
Meaning For References
| 1. Professors | Senior teachers in a university |
| 2. Executives | top-level administrators |
| 3. Boss | order others to work/supervise others work |
| 4. Shook head | moved head either way to say ‘no’ |
| 5. Wandered | walked around without any particular purpose |
| 6. Desplaines | a river that flows through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois (US) |
| 7. Keg | a container |
| 8. Accordion | a portable, box-shaped musical instrumental |
Annotation For References
- a. I asked the professor who teach the meaning of life to tell me what happiness is
- b. they all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though I was trying to fool with them
- c. And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along the Desplaines rivers
- d. And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the tree with their women and children’s and keg of beer and an accordion.
2. Answer the following questions : [2x 4 = 8 Marks]
- a. Explain the narrator’s experience in finding out what happiness is?
- b. Seeing helps one better in understanding than listening to justify the statement with reference to the poem “happiness’’?
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “Happiness” written by “Carl August Sandburg”.
About The Poet: Carl August Sandburg was an American poet. Winner of three Pulitzer Prizes. He is popular for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. He took up journalism and produced quite a few poems. The present poem “Happiness” is a simple poem with a valuable message. Happiness is from his collection of poems, Chicago Songs.
Context: The narrator tries to find the real meaning of happiness from different people. He consults professors and top executives, however, they could not help him. Feelings dejected he wanders out along the Desplaines rivers on a Sunday afternoon. There he sees a crowd of Hungarians with their women and children. They are spending happy moments under the tree. Along with a keg of beer and an accordion. They were happily singing and dancing in that place. He at once understands what happiness is. Happiness is living in the present and enjoying the moment. It establishes that experience matters more than education. It also shows that man is more comfortable in the lap of nature. Wisdom lives in the lives, but not in the libraries.
Conclusion: Thus, the poem “Happiness” explains that experience matters more than education. It cant be defined in words, it is a state of mind we can sense, it is a feeling of bliss and emotion.
OR
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem “Happiness” written by “Carl August Sandburg”.
About The Poet: Carl August Sandburg was an American poet. He is popular for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. The present poem “Happiness” is a simple poem with a valuable message.
Context: The narrator tries to find the real meaning of happiness from different people. He consults professors and top executives, however, they could not help him. Feelings dejected he wanders out along the Desplaines rivers on a Sunday afternoon. There he sees a crowd of Hungarians with their women and children. They are spending happy moments under the tree. Along with a keg of beer and an accordion. They were happily singing and dancing in that place. He at once understands what happiness is. Happiness is living in the present and enjoying the moment.
Conclusion: Thus, the poem “Happiness” explains that experience matters more than education.
