The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse;NCERT Solutions and Summary for Class 11

    The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse 

                                                         -William Saroyan

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Summary:

'The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse' by William Saroyan revolves around two poor Armenian boys and a horse they had stolen.One fine day,when the author was asleep,his cousin came toh his place at 4 in the morning and woke him up.He(the narrator) peeped through his window and saw a magnificent bwhite horse.The sight was unbelievable for the narrator.Their tribe wasn't rich enough to afford a horse.Their tribe was known for their integrity and honesty.Their tribe was called as Garoghlanian tribe.However,he knew that Mourad,his cousin, couldn't have stolen it.Mourad was calling him so that they could go for a ride.But,he eventually realised that the horse was stolen.However,he went for the ride as he had always longed for a similar one.

They were soon in the countryside.When they neared a large open area,Mourad decided to ride alone.He raced the across the field of dry grass to an irrigation ditch.Next,he also allowed the author to ride the horse.This time the horse behaved a little more wildlyand instead of taking the desired path,the horse ran down the road into a vineyard,leaping over vines.However,it also threw the narrator away and went away.They eventually found the horse but it was too late by then as the Sun had already risen.They didn't wanted anyone to see the horse.

They resorted to hiding the creature in a dilapidated barn.That afternoon, Uncle Khosrove and a farmer named John Byro came to the narrator's house.The farmer expressed his dilemma telling how he had lost his horse for the last one month and the troubles he is facing due to its sudden disappearance.One day,after their routine rides,while returning to the deserted barn to hide the horse,their paths crossed with John Byro.

The farmer studied the horse intently and eagerly.He even checked its physical features.However,after some time of deliberation,asserted that it couldn't be his horse as the narrator and his cousin belonged to a tribe known for its integrity and honesty.They couldn't have stolen the horse.The farmer walked away.This incident made the brothers realise their mistake and immediately returned the horse the next morning.

The story presents us in front of us an important message-"Our economic condition should never be a determinant of what we are."The farmer also exibhited a great quality i.e. the ability to spare a chance to realise one's mistake.

Difficult Words:

1)Armenia:A small nation between Asia and                           Europe near the Soviet Republic.

2) Irrigation Ditch:A narrow excavation to supply                                 dry land with water artificially.

3)Trot:Run at a moderate pace with short steps.

4)Crazy Streak:(Here)A crazy element of a                                      specific in someone's character.

5)Capricious:Fickle

6)Vagrant:A person who wanders from place to                    place in search of work.

7)Snorted:Make a sudden explosive sound                              through the nose, especially when                          excited or frightened.

8)Dawned on:To realise something.

9)Barn:A large farm building to store grains and              hay.

10)Alfalfa:A leguminous plant widely grown for                      fodder.

11)Assyrian:A person belonging to Assyria.

12)Surrey:A small carriage with 4 wheels and a roof with seats facing forward.

13)Stalk:Walk away stiffly and angrily.

14) Slamming:To shut forcibly and noisily.

15)Screen Door:An outer door used to protect                                  the main door from harsh                                        weather and sudden forces.

16)Vineyard:A plantation of grape vines.

17)Better-Tempered:Usually calm and cheerful.

18)Aram:(Arabic) Righteousness.

About Author:

William Saroyan(1908-1981) was an Armenian-American novelist,playwright and short story writer.His childhood had been difficult as he lived through it with acute poverty as well as other problems.He was awarded the Pulitzeram Prize for Drama in 1940 as well as various other

notable awards.

NCERT Questions:

A)Reading with Insight

1)The story 'The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse' by William Saroyan is told from the perspective of a nine-year old small boy.At that age,when the world was slowly opening for one, everything felt surreal and magnificent.He was related to a poor Armenian family and could never think of riding a horse though he always longed for one.His cherished dream was finally fulfilled when Mourad,his cousin,offered him a chance to ride a beautiful white horse.However,he found that the horse was a stolen one.The story revolves around the adventures they went through in order to return the horse to his rightful owner.The story also shows that both the boys were young but still very mature for their age to differentiate between the wrong and right.They were conscious of their family and tribe's hallmarks-honesty,trust and integrity.All these heightens the story's appeal for the reader.

2)I think the boys returned the horse as they were conscience-stricken.They were not afraid of anything.One day their paths crossed with John Byro,the original owner of the horse.He examined the horse and found that it was his creature.But he took a very clever and diplomatic way to claim the horse.He told the boys that his horse also looked like the horse they were having.He also proclaimed that the boys belonged to a tribe known for its integrity and honesty.In this process,he made the boys realise their mistake.The boys too didn't want to tarnish the name of their tribe.Hence,they eventually returned the horse.

3)When I was 8 years old,my father had bought  me a shirt in which an illustration of skull was there.The skull was smeared with radium which had the property to glow in the dark.One night,when I was sleeping with the shirt left to dry on a table near me,I woke up due to some noise.Seeing the skull frightened me and I let out a frightening scream.My parents came running and I had to sleep with them that night.

4)The Garoghlanian Tribes are an Armenian tribe.Eleven centuries ago,they were the richest tribe in the world.However,now they have to live in acute poverty.They had very less money and sometimes it is a problem for them to sustain their families.These tribes were famous for their honesty.It had been the hallmark of those tribes.They upheld ethical stances such as honesty,integrity,trust as well as what was right and wrong.They had to leave their homeland and felt alienated in foreign lands.Their origin can be traced back to Arab regions.They also had semi-Arabic names such as Mourad,Khosrove,Dikran Halabian etc.

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🛑The Photograph;NCERT Solutions and Summary for Class 11

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A Photograph;NCERT Solutions and Summary for Class 11

                               A Photograph

                                                   -Shirley Toulson

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Summary:

Stanza-#1:

In the first stanza,the poet describes a photograph from an old photo album made up of cardboard.In the picture,there are three girls who are walking on the beach holding each other's hands.The girl in the middle is the poet's mother.She is around twelve years old and is the tallest and oldest.The poet's mother's uncle had taken the photograph.All the 3 girls were smiling at the camera.The poet's attention is also drawn towards her mother's face.It was described as 'a sweet face'.The snap was taken long before the poet was born.The poet calls the girls' feet as transient because they have grown older between all these years but the sea has not changed much.

Stanza-#2:

In these above lines,here the poet's mother's middle age is explained.After twenty or thirty years later,she would laugh at the photo,filled with nostalgia,and also at her cousins Betty and Dolly.She recalled how their parents used to dress them for the beach.The sea holiday was the favourite moment from the past for the poet's mother.However,the poet's favourite moment was when her mother was laughing seeing those photographs.However,they had tried their level best to adjust to what they lost.The poet had lost her mother and the poet's mother had lost her childhood in the house of past.

Stanza-#3:

In the third stanza,the poet says how her mother died twelve years ago,the same age her mother was in the photograph.Whenever,the poet thinks of her mother's death,she goes blank.Death has silenced her mother which has also rendered her speechless.The entire poem is centered around the speaker's recollection from her own life.

Difficult Words:

1)Paddling:To walk slowly.

2)Transient:Short term or Temporary.

3)Snapshot:Photograph.

4)Wry:Sadonic or Mocking.

5)Silences:A complete absence of any type of sounds.

Rhyme Scheme:

Free Verse.

Poetic Devices:

1) Alliteration:Stood still;My mother's;Terribly                                 transient.

2)Oxymoron:Laboured ease.

3)Epithet:Terribly Transient.

About Author:

Shirley Toulson(1924-2018) was an English writer,poet, journalist and local politician.She also worked with the government during the World War-2.She has also written a ton of books on social history of the countryside.

NCERT Questions:

A)Think it Out

1)The word 'cardboard' denotes the photograph in an album made up of cardboard or the picture pasted on a hard thick cardboard.

•The word has been used to refer to a practice in the past when photographs were pasted on cardboard and framed with glass front to preserve them.

2)The camera captured a shot which was not only beautiful but also magnificent and nostalgic for her mother.The camera captured the three girls-the poet's mother and her two cousins Betty and Dolly.The troika were there in their swimming outfits with the poet's mother in the middle holding the hands of both her cousins.

3)The sea has not changed at all over these years.Its waves are as fresh and tireless as they were years ago.The changelessness of sea reminds us of the changes in human face with advancing age.

4)The laugh from the poet's mother indicated how she felt immense joy and pleasure as she recalls significant moments from her past.She was a child then and was quite free and young from the tensions and worries of life.

5)The sea holiday and the laughter of the poet's mother are moments from the past which she associated with amusement and happiness.

•However,a sense of loss is also associated with them as these memories often compel us to transverse to the past and help us take a stroll down the memory lane.She had no worries then This sense of loss is quite painful to bear for her.

6)The world 'this circumstance' refers to the death of the poet's mother.This unfortunate demise of her mother fills the poet with an overwhelming sense of loss.

7)The first stanza is associated with the girlhood of the poet's mother;the period before the birth of the poet.The second stanza revolves around the poet's mother's middle age;the poet's childhood.The third stanza refers to the period after the death of the poet's mother.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system of transmitted,in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying,recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.

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The Portrait of a Lady;NCERT Solutions and Summary for Class 11

                       The Portrait of a Lady 

                                                      -Khushwant Singh

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Summary:

"The Portrait of a Lady" by Khushwant Singh is a brief overview of his relationship with his paternal grandmother with whom he had spent a lot of time in his childhood.

The author describes the physical features of his grandmother stating how he had been always told that her grandmother was pretty and young.But seeing her old-self ,this thought had always been revoltingfor him.His granny had always been short, stout as well as slightly bent.She had wrinkles on her face everywhere.Her silvery-white hair spread all over her pale face.But even after all this,the author finds her beautiful and charming.

'My grandmother and I were good friends.'The narrator was left in care of his grandmother when his parents want away to the city and he was constantly together.Their bonding became stronger with every passing day.She used to help the narrator in his daily chores as well as making him ready for school.She also accompanied the narrator to his school as the temple was just near the school.

When their parents had comfortably settled in the city,they sent for both of them.This was a turning-point in their friendship.Now, the narrator went to an English-medium school and their attachment began to fade gradually.The new curriculum meant his granny would no longer help him with his lessons and this made her unhappy.She didn't believe in the things that was taught in those schools and be vehemently opposed them.

As the author grew older and went to a university for further studies,the common link between him and his grandmother was completely snapped.From then,most of the old woman's time was spent in uttering prayers,counting beads and spinning her wheel.

She kept to herself from then on.After that,the narrator left for abroad to pursue higher education for 5 years.While leaving,the old lady kissed the narrator's forehead.The narrator was busy thinking that this might be the last sign of physical contact between them.

The old lady, fortunately lived for another 5 long years,and the narrator returned.The old lady seemed as if she never aged.She seemed as if nothing had changed.She was still devoted to her prayers and continued to recite them.In the evening,she called all the women of the neighbourhood and sang for hours reciting the homecoming of warriors.She was doing all this to show her happiness for the narrator had came home after a long time finishing his studies.It was after a long time that his grandmother was not praying during her past time.

The next morning she was taken ill.It was only a mild fever but the old lady insisted that it was her end.She was adamant and asserted that she wouldn't waste any more talking to her family.She wanted to spend her last time in some meaningful work.She left her mortal body while counting her rosary beads.She was cremated with all the rituals.She had died a peaceful death and was cremated with all the religious rituals followed.She had also been feeding birds in their courtyard.Birds in large flocks came to see her.From that day onwards,no birds came there.

Difficult Words:

1) Mantelpiece:A structure of wood,marble or stone above or around a fireplace.

2)Hobbled:Walk in an awkward manner because of pain.

3)Rosary:A string of prayer beads.

4)Puckered:Tightly gather or contract into wrinkles or small folds.

5)Stoop:To bend or lean down.

6)Lewd:Shabby and Vulgar.

7)Harlots:A prostitute.

8)Beggars:A person who begs to sustain his life.

9)Seclusion:The state of being private and away from other people.

10)Resignation:The acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable.

11)Veritable:Used for emphasis.

12)Bedlam:A scene of uproar and confusion.

13)Frivolous:Not having any serious purpose or value.

14)Rebukes:An expression of sharp disapproval or criticism.

15)Thump:A light smack.

16)Sagging: Sinking or bulging downwards under weight and pressure.

17)Dilapidated:In a state of ruin or regret.

18)Overstraining: Subjected to excessive strain.

19)Pallor:An unhealthy pale appearance.

20)Shroud:A piece of cloth to envelope a dead person for burial.

About Author:

Khushwant Singh is a prominent Indian English writer and journalist.His columns are widely read and carried by several Indian newspapers.He is well-known in Indian literary circles as one of the finest historians and novelists,a forthright political commentator as well as a notable critic of social life.

NCERT Questions:

A) Understanding the Text

1)The 3 phases of the author's relationship with his grandmother before leaving for abroad are:

Childhood;When he lived at the village along with his granny.

Boyhood;When they moved to the city and he was no longer helped by his granny in his studies.

Early Youth;When he went to the University and was given a room of his own.Here,their common link of friendship was snapped.

2)The narrator's grandmother was very disturbed when he went to the school in the city.The main reasons were--- She hated Western philosophies and learning as she was a conservatist,she was worried that there will be no teaching about God and the holy scriptures.She was completely dismayed when she heard that her grandchild was learning music in the school as she thought it to be associated with the lower classes in our society.

3)The old woman's life completely changed when the narrator grew up.She spent her days doing various casual activities.She lived in her room alone and recited prayers all day.She sat at her spinning wheel.In the afternoon,she also used to feed sparrows.

4)The old lady behaved in a strange way before her death.She didn't waste any time talking to her family members.Rather,she recited her prayers and counted the beads of her rosary.She ignored everyone's protests and lay peacefully in her bed.

5)The narrator's grandmother used to feed sparrows in the courtyard of her city's house.After her unfortunate demise,the birds were really disturbed and upset.A large no. of sparrows circled around her dead body.Even when the narrator's mother gave her some bread crumbs,they took no notice of it and flew away.

B) Talking about the text

1)The old woman had always been a religious person and was devoted towards God.Her day started and ended with prayers and other activities related to religion.In the morning,she recited her prayers and went to the temple.She would never forget to count her rosary beads and spent most of her time doing all these.She was an ardent devotee of God.Even when she was on her deathbed,she insisted on reciting her prayers rather than talking to her family.

2)The narrator's relationship with his grandmother was a dynamic one as it changed over time.When they both lived in their village,they were good friends.She would prepare him for school and accompany him to school.But when they moved to the city,their relationship was somewhat faded and the old lady mostly kept to herself.As the author grew up and went to a university,the common link of friendship was snapped.However,their feelings for each other never changed.The old woman always loved him.

3)Yes,I agree that the author's grandmother was a person strong in character.She was a strong woman with strong beliefs.She was not formally educated but she was serious about Khushwant's studies.She would never forget to check what was taught in the school everyday.

However,one day when the narrator came home and proclaimed he was given music lessons,the old woman was very disturbed.According to her,she thought it was not meant for gentle folk.She rarely talked to him after that and mostly kept to herself.She was also a religious person.She was an ardent devotee of God and was even thinking about prayer and God on her deathbed.These small glimpses of her character shows how she was a person strong in character.

4)Yes,I have known my grandfather who loved his family deeply and had decided to bring change in the society by the means of politics.He was deeply involved in bringing about development in our village.He remained the Sarpanch of our village for around 50 long years.He had deep compassion for those lower rungs of our society who were deprived of their rights and privileges.Yes,I have always repented for his death and this a great personal loss for me.

C) Thinking about language

1)I think the author and his grandmother used Punjabi language as the means to communicate among themselves.

2)I mostly use a colloquial form of a language to converse in my family.It is 'Odia' in my case.

3)In my native language,I would say 'a dilapidated drum' as 'Gotiye Puruna Dhola'

4)'Ramji ki Nikli Sawari' is a song by Mohammad Rafi which revolves around the idea of 'Homecoming'.

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NCERT Solutions for "The Photograph" for Class 11

Format of notes.

                                   FORMAT

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Format:

Summary:

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Difficult Words:

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About Author:

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NCERT Solutions:

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You can always customize the format according to you but this format is one of the most comprehensive one you will come across.So,we advise you to follow this format in your copy.

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Books for Class 11th CBSE in English.

In order to excel in English in any class you need to have some books on the basis of which you can study for the whole year.Let's see some of the books which are a must.

I)NCERT Official Books:

For class 11th,these are

•Hornbill:This is the primary reader on the basis of which English is taught in the educational institutions for 11th grade.The book contains both prose and poetry along with some  chapters devoted to writing skills.

•Snapshots:This is the supplementary reader where most of the stories are just for giving the students insight into life.The book is however less important from the perspective of examinations.The book contains chapters which are mostly all prose except the last one which is a poem.

Buy Hornbill and Snapshots from Amazon

II) Reference Books:

For class 11th,these are

•All in One:This is a book by Arihant Publications.This book comes integrated with grammar chapters too.You can get it if you want simple explanations of the chapters.It also comes with some salient features such as test preparation modules,extra questions as well as some previous year questions.The publishers are always the first in the market to bring out the latest edition following the latest guidelines by CBSE.

Buy All in One latest edition from Amazon

•Evergreen:This is a book by Evergreen books.The book comes bundled with another book which contains pull-out worksheets for grammar.The book is intended for those who can understand complex terms and want in-depth analysis of everything.The book also contains ncert solutions but in an unsystematic way.The publishers also sometimes heavily delay the publication of the latest edition which may turn into a problem for some students.

•XamIdea:This is a book by VK Global publications.The book too comes with an integrated grammar module.The book,however,isn't consistent in its approach.Sometimes the lessons are beautifully explained whereas sometimes they have ended up explaining an entire chapter wrong.They are brisk in bringing out the latest edition every year according to the latest CBSE guidelines.

*Between all the books,All in One is the best according to us.However,you may opt for the other books as well according to your needs.And buy a reference book only if you feel the genuine need of it.You will be eventually getting better quality texts from this website.Why waste your money?

III) Question Banks:

For class 11th,these are

•Oswaal Question Bank:This book is published by Oswaal books.They simply don't have any competition in the market as of now.You can get one to get access to rigorous practice questions as well as exhaustive mind maps and test papers.

IV)Sample Papers:

For class 11th,these are

•Oswaal Sample Papers:This book is published by Oswaal books every year.They again are the best in this niche.They have very less competition in the market again.They come bundled with the official CBSE Sample Paper as well as other sample papers both solved and unsolved.

•XamIdea 20+:This book is published by VK Global publishers too.The book is good though most of the sample papers bring questions with them which have never come in the examinations.However,it has more than 20 sample papers.

*Always make sure you get the latest edition of the sample papers as CBSE pattern keeps changing every year.

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Why you should have some knowledge of English!

You have recently taken admission in science stream in a school or coaching center after your 10 th Boards.You are flooded with books of HC Verma,OP Tandon,Truman's and RD Sharma.You might wonder why you need to do English literature when you have to complete these behemoth books.Let's answer it!

Most of the students in India take admission in Science stream after their 10th grade in the desire to get into prestigious institutions such as IITs or AIIMSs.While core science subjects are a must for getting admission into these colleges,one should must have the basic knowledge about English.

You may not realise it now but the professions where these institutions might land you need  a perfect blend of your communication and sales skills along with your technical skills.

English being a global language gives you a shot at it.And the harsh truth is that only 1% of you guys are going to crack these exams.So,you must have a "Plan-B" to secure your career.

Edurankers: Introduction.

Hey there!We have created this website where you can get the entire solutions, summary as well as some other important elements such as difficult words, information about the author of chapters in  English books of various boards such as CBSE,CHSE,ICSE, ranging from class 9 to 12.

This website has been setup with the vision to provide systematic solutions of the English literature as well as some  English Grammar chapters.

This website is entirely free of cost to access.However,you may see some Ads here and there.

We are small entity.It may take some time before you see each and every chapter's solutions.However,you can always request in the comments section with the name of the chapter as well as your grade.We will try our level best to provide you with the solutions as well as the summary within 2 working days.

There may be some typing mistakes in the solutions sometimes.You are welcome to criticize it and bring it to our view.We will certainly correct it.

There may be some doubts in a specific chapter.You can post your doubts in the comments section and they will definitely be attended within 1 working day.

You can also communicate with us by dropping a mail at the given e-mail address:

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