A Nation's Strength

• ENGLISH
• Secondary Education

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

I WILL BE ABLE TO:

* explore more about the poet 'Ralph Waldo Emerson'.

* identify and relate to the idea and the theme of the poem 'A Nation's Strength'.

* identify and share the poetic devices used in the poem.

* share my responses to the questions based on the same.  

According to you, what makes a nation strong?

THE VIDEO OF THE POEM

Please play the video of the poem on OUP.

https:

What is the rhyming scheme
of the poem?

What, in the opinion of the poet,
is the main source of strength
for a nation?

What makes a nation's pillars high
And its foundations strong?
What makes it mighty defy
The foes that round it throng?
How does the poet relate 'foundations' to 'a nation'?

1. The poet equates 'a nation' to 'a big building'.
2. The poet equates 'a nation' to 'foundations'.
3. The poet equates 'a nation' to 'pillars'.
4. None of these

What makes it mighty defy
The foes that round it throng?
Which of the following can replace 'defy' without changing the intended idea?

1. confront
2. surrender
3. yield
4. None of these

'What makes it mighty defy
The foes that round it throng?'
The poet's question in the last two lines of the stanza can be BEST reframed as ____________________________.

1. What are the things that can challenge its enemies who have crowded around it?
2. What are the things that make a nation strong enough to defy its enemies that have surrounded it in a large number?
3. Both A and B
4. None of these

The poet's has compared a nation to 'an impressive building' that has 'pillars' and 'foundations'.
Which poetic device has the poet used here?

1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Alliteration
4. None of these

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.
What does 'gold' signify in the above lines?

1. Here, 'gold' signifies the powerful kingdoms of the ancient past.
2. Here, 'gold' signifies the material progress of a nation.
3. Here, 'gold' signifies the army that a nation has.
4. None of these

'It is not gold.'
Which poetic device has been used in the above line?

1. Imagery
2. Simile
3. Personification
4. Alliteration

'Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock...'
The intended idea in the above lines can be BEST restated as _______________________.

1. All grand kingdoms experience battle shock.
2. Even a mighty and rich country may be destroyed.
3. Any battle can ruin the material progress of a nation.
4. Both B and C

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.
Which of the following statements can be considered TRUE as shared in the above lines?

1. Material progress is not permanent.
2. Wealth is also not permanent.
3. The riches and material progress do not provide strong foundation to a nation.
4. All of these

Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.
The poetic device ____________ has been used in the phrase 'sinking sand'.

1. Alliteration
2. Simile
3. Both A and B
4. All of these

Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.
Which of the following is NOT synonymous to 'abiding'?

1. everlasting
2. continuing
3. enduring
4. ephemeral

Is it the sword? Ask the dust
Of empires passed away;
The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay.
In the above lines, 'the sword' stands for ___________.

1. army
2. power
3. empires passed away
4. None of these

Is it the sword?
Here, 'the sword', implies the use of the poetic device(s) _____________________.

1. Imagery
2. Symbolism
3. Simile
4. Both A and B

What does the phrase 'the sword' symbolise?

The sword symbolizes war and the thirst for blood.

The intended idea in the line 'Their glory to decay' can be best expressed as ________________.

1. History has witnessed many nations that fought only for the sake of conquering others and destroying; eventually, those warrior nations have disappeared for good, turning “their glory to decay.
2. Many nations that fought only for the sake of conquering and destroying others are incredibly glorious.
3. The warriors lose their blood and let them decay in wars that bring glory to their families later on.
4. None of these.

'Ask the red dust
Of empires passed away;
The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay.'
Share the poet's intended idea in your own words.

Let's rephrase...

History is replete (full of) with examples of the fierce battles fought between such rulers. The poet suggests to us to ask the dust of the empires which are no more now about the result of such fierce battles. The bloodshed made the strong pillars of those empires weak as rust forces iron to decay. The glory of the powerful empires never lasted for long.

Read the poem again. Identify and list at least three poetic devices used in the last three stanzas of the poem.

SUCCESS CRITERIA
Now, I CAN:
* share more about the poet 'Ralph Waldo Emerson'.
* identify and relate to the idea and the theme of the poem 'A Nation's Strength'.
* identify and share the poetic devices used in the poem.
* share my responses to the questions based on the same.

1. Strongly agree
2. Agree
3. Not sure
4. I need some help.

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

I WILL BE ABLE TO:

* identify and share the synonyms and antonyms of some of the words used in the poem.

* identify and relate to the idea and the theme of the poem 'A Nation's Strength' by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

* identify and share the poetic devices used in the poem.

* share my responses to the questions based on the same.

Drag the appropriate word to match the description given.

Antonym of 'foundation'

Synonym of 'throng'

Antonym of 'abiding'

Synonym of 'rust'

Synonym of 'luster'

Antonym of 'sweet'

Synonym of 'lift'

top

crush

temporary

rot

glitter

elevate

savoury

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown
Has seemed to nations sweet;
But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at his feet.
The poetic device _________________ has been used in the above lines.

1. Personification
2. Simile
3. None of the options
4. Both A and B

ENJAMBMENT

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown

Has seemed to nations sweet;

But God has struck its luster down

In ashes at his feet.

Let's identify the instances of Enjambment in the entire poem.

What makes a nation's pillars high

And it's foundations strong?

What makes it mighty to defy

The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand

Go down in battle shock;

Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,

Not on abiding rock.

Is it the sword? Ask the red dust

Of empires passed away;

The blood has turned their stones to rust,

Their glory to decay.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown

Has seemed to nations sweet;

But God has struck its luster down

In ashes at his feet.

Not gold but only men can make

A people great and strong;

Men who for truth and honor's sake

Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,

Who dare while others fly...

They build a nation's pillars deep

And lift them to the sky.

'But God has struck its luster down...'
Which of the following is a synonym of 'luster'?

1. sheen
2. radiance
3. glint
4. All of these

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown
Has seemed to nations sweet;
But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at his feet.
According to the poet, ____________ does/do not make a nation great.

1. a monarch
2. the crowning glory
3. None of the options
4. Both A and B

Restate the idea conveyed by the poet in the given lines of the poem.
'But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at his feet.'

Stand fast and suffer long.
Which of the following is an antonym to 'suffer'?

1. endure
2. soothe
3. deteriorate
4. None of these

Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
List the traits of people who make a nation great and strong.

Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Which of the following is synonymous to 'sake'?

1. disdain
2. disregard
3. well-being
4. neglect

Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly...
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.
Which of the following is an example of 'alliteration'?

1. who work
2. work while
3. Both A and B
4. None of these

'Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly...'
Which of the following is a synonym of 'dare'?

1. avoid
2. defy
3. elude
4. shun

'Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly...'
What, according to the poet, is special about the
men who make a nation strong?

How can each one of us contribute in representing our nation and becoming our motherland’s true strength?
(Word limit: 30-40 words)

Home Fun

LAQ: Word limit: 80-100 words

Through the poem 'A Nation's Strength', by dismissing wealth, violence and pride, factors which divide people's opinions greatly, and providing the image of a recipe for greatness which requires only the relentless human spirit, the poet is not only uniting the consciousness of a nation, but also paving the way for tangible development. Comment.

(Physical/ Virtual Notebook)

SUCCESS CRITERIA- Now, I CAN:
* identify and share the synonyms and antonyms of some of the words used in the poem.
* identify and relate to the idea and the theme of the poem 'A Nation's Strength' by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
* identify and share the poetic devices used in the poem.
* share my responses to the questions based on the same.

1. Strongly agree
2. Agree
3. Not sure
4. I need some help.