Where the Mind Is Without Fear

                                                                                 Rabindranath Tagore, India (1861 – 1941)
Summary in English

"Where the Mind is Without Fear" is one of the influential and persuasive poems by the Nobel Prize winner poet, Rabindranath Tagore. The poem focuses on true patriotism of the world so that human beings live, work and help with light in the absence of darkness, discrimination, fear and violence. It also represents that peaceful and happy life remains as if there is peaceful mind.

The poet makes a satire looking at full of violence, fear, discrimination, hatred throughout the modern world. Therefore, by poem he wishes all people and world to be without any kind of darkness, fear, war and discrimination. So, he wishes and wants to go to or to be in such world where there is love, wisdom, light, peace and freedom. Anyway, he wishes to change the face of present world.

The poet reflects that the present world is full of darkness, evils, fear and injustice. So, this world is like hell. Fear has ruled over people's mind. The knowledge possessed by human beings is not free from such fear and violence. Inequality, conflict, war, selfishness, jealousy, violence and corruption have dominated in the human society as well as all over the world. In such world, self-respect, dignity, love, help, peace, equality and justice have been made shadow. The poet further says that human beings have broken the world into different parts and they take other people as their enemies. Therefore, there is no existence of harmious relation among the people of the world as well as peaceful world itself. The concept of humanity, spiritualism and brotherhood feeling has been disappeared in this world.

On the other hand, the poet wishes to see and be the world with lightness, peace and freedom. In such world, people start loving each other, help and united each other. They take all people equal and behave with justice. There is no fear, war and discrimination rather knowledge is free and constructive. He wants to see the world of freedom, peace, humanity, justice, unity and co-operation. For that, the poet prays to God to reform his society, country and the world as the heaven of freedom.

What is Intelligence, Anyway?

                                                                                           Isaac Asimov, USA (1920 – 1992)

Summary in English

Asimov argues that intelligence is not absolute but is a function of the society we live in and of the fact that a small subsection of that society has managed to impose itself on the rest as an arbiter of such matters. Asimov explains that there is more than one kind of intelligence. He realizes that if an intelligence test required to him to use his hand to repair something, he would get a low score. First, being intelligence can have many ways. Academic education is one way of it. Second, the universe and knowledge in the world are limitless while a human being's intelligence is limited.

According to the writer, intelligence can never be determined by only one dimensional IQ test. Human minds are the unique mixture of intelligence and stupidity. In fact, our intelligence and skills are the products of the small subsection of the society where we live in.

When Asimov was in the Army, he received the kind of aptitude test and scored 160, against a normal of 100. In the one hand, he is pleased to have such intelligence. At the same time, he is not more intelligence because he can't fix a car by himself. So, he must go take help of an autorepair man. Therefore, he assumes that he is inferior to farmer, carpenter or autorepair man in terms of intelligence they have in the particular field. He says that even the great scholars as academicians can be proved to be foolish in the fields where their academic training does not work. The writer criticizes western tradition of measuring intelligence which is based on prejudices and discrimination, too.

TV Can be a Good Parent

                                                                                               Ariel Gore, USA (1970 - )
Summary in English

This essay defends on the modern TV culture. TV is a good parent and good friend. It socializes children at home when the single mothers go to work. In other words, TV is a boon for the poor and single mothers who can't afford staying at home and caring the children. In a TV environment, a child can use cognitive skills in a fun setting. The writer argues creative thinking of children can be developed by asking them questions about the shows they are watching on television.
The writer compares her past childhood life with her daughter who is child at present and shows the great role of TV. In the past, TV was not necessary. Child care was communal. The poor mothers helped to care each other's children. For example; when the writer was a small child, there was no TV at home. Her mother could afford to stay at home and look after her daughter. So, TV was not necessary. Life was cheap and easy. In the contrast, life has become very complex and expensive at present. So, she as mother could not afford staying at home and socializing her daughter. In fact, mothers have been facing great problems. When she comes home, she sees her daughter spoiling her uniform. TV takes care of her daughter better programme takes care of her daughter. The government does not provide welfare programmes and child care assistance for the poor and single mothers.
AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) presents the guidelines and claims that TV hampers the growth of healthy brain and development of appropriate social, emotional and cognitive skills. The writer believes on this assumption. But she rejects the assumption that they do not think that TV can mot more is interactive. Thus, she argues that TV in integral part for the children when the poor single mothers go to work leaving the house. So, TV functions as the second mother for those children.

To Know a Fly

                                                                       Vincent Gaston Dethier, USA (1915 – 1993)
Summary in English

to know fly

The essay "To Know a Fly" is about the beauty of scientific discoveries and investigations. According to essayist, a property conducted experiment is a beautiful thing. It is a victory of conquest or inquiry. An experiment is a scientific way of asking nature a question. Experiment depends on the act of faith and proper observation. However, some scientists commit scientific crimes. They involve into foolish and wrong investigation so that they would bring the hasty conclusion. This is due to the lack of proper experimental control and confusion of correlation with cause and effect in the name of scientific experiment.
Scientific experiment is not a game for a disorderly mind. It is based on the cause and effect where one can get meaning by reason. Writer talks about commonly committed scientific sin that is the lack of proper experimental control. He gives some example of such scientific sin/crime.
A man makes an experiment on a Flea to justify whether it listens through its ears. When flea jumps up, the man begins to amputate different organs of flea. At last, he amputates the hind legs of the flea so that it couldn't jump. The foolish man does not think of the amputation of all legs rather he becomes happy and assumes that it only listens through the legs.
The next scientific crime is confusing with cause and effect. For example; an apartment house saves the gentle immediately after an earthquake. He says that the building got collapsed because he pulled down the window shade.
There are many types of sugarcane: beet sugar, milk sugar grape sugar, each is chemically different and fly tastes sweet differently. The fly goes there because of the sweetness of sugar but does not go to other artificial sweetness. In this sense, flies accept materials that taste sweet to us. Similarly, when the flies see the food, they fly around it. Then, they stretch their feet and land on the food. It is said that when they know the food, they fly around it and lower down their feet. When the food is tasty, they land on it. They know the tastiness from their feet. This proves that a fly is more sensitive than man. A starving fly is ten million times more sensitive than man. Even a fly reacts differently in case of different things and tastes.
Therefore, the writer talks about an experiment about flies. He says that the experiments about flies began few decades ago. In short, this essay shows that scientists should arrive at conclusion through scientific processes, experiments and observation.

To His Coy Mistress

                                                                             Andrew Marvell, England (1621 – 1678)
Summary in English

  "To His Coy Mistress" is divided into three stanza or poetic paragraphs. It is spoken by a nameless man, who does not reveal any physical or biographical details about himself to a nameless woman, who is also biographiless.
During the first stanza, the speaker tells the mistress that if they had more time and space, her coyness wouldn't be a crime. He extends this discussion by describing how much he would compliment her and admire her. He would focus on "each part" of her body until he got the heart (and 'heart' here is both a metaphor for sex and a metaphor for love).
In the second stanza he says, "We don't have the time, we are about to die!" He tells her that life is short, but death is forever. In a shocking moment, he warns her that when she's in the coffin, warms will try to take her "virginity" if she doesn't have sex with him before they die. If she refuses to have sex with him, there will be repercussion for him, too. All his sexual desire will born up to "ashes" for all the time.
In the third stanza he says, "I have told you what will happen when you die, so let's have sex while we're still young". Then, he wants to play a game. He suggests furthermore that they release all their pain and frustrations having the sex act and be free. In the final couplet, he calms down a little. He says that having sex can't make the "sun" stop moving. Whenever we have sex, we pursue time instead of time pursues us.
This poem is a metaphysical one since it combines the physical and spiritual love. The speaker (lover) tries his best to involve his beloved into sexual game. He even says that beauty, charm, virginity, power, youth can't be fresh forever because when we enter into the grave or die, all these things will be meaningless. Therefore, one has to have the experience of all these desires on time.

Third Thoughts

                                                                                     E. V. Lucas, England (1868 – 1938)
Summary in English

This story 'Third Thoughts' is by E. V. Lucas about how the human mind is changing so as the thoughts keep on changing in the present business world. People have become more materialist, selfish, mechanical, and money-minded. These all are caused by the practice and result of business world. Furthermore, this story tries to represent that there is bargaining, buying and selling, profit and loss and nothing else without considering sympathy, love, liberalism and kinds, etc. in business. In fact, feelings and emotions or sentiments have nothing to do with business. No doubt, the dealer (seller) tries to get much more benefit from the customer and the customer (buyer) tries to make bargaining to get the thing at low price. At a certain point, both parties agree. The thing is sold thereafter; there is no any relation between the customer and the dealer.
This story is told to the writer by his friend. One day writer's friend goes to London and on the way he sees a beautiful shop with colorful painting. He loves that painting very much and thinks its price very expensive. Then, he wants to know the actual price so that he directly goes to the shop and asks to dealer. The shopkeeper says that the price of that pointing is only ten shillings. Then, he becomes happy and buys the painting and returns back.
He sells the painting for fifty pound. It is the largest profit he has never made earlier. Then, he also thinks to share half of the profit with the dealer. But that night he again thinks and in the early morning he himself thinks not to share since it is his luck and skill to get such profit. But at night he again thinks that he is ready to give ten pound, but at last he decides to five, then, one pound to his dealer.
Deciding to give only one pound to his dealer, he writes a letter and makes checque according. Then, he goes to club to play card thinking that he has enough money. He loses all money except one pound that he has decided to send to his dealer. At last, he feels hungry and takes breakfast paying even that one pound. Therefore, neither he sends the profit to his dealer nor he saves but all is lost. At last, he gets relief saying that there is no love, kindness, feelings and sentiments nut only loss and profit in business.

The Wretched Stone

                                                                                           Chris Van Allsburg, USA (1949 - )
Summary in English

'The Wretched Stone' is a metaphorical story that critiques on modern TV Culture. It presents the disadvantages of modern TV Culture. The writer says that modern TV set is like the Wretched stone. TV is a curse. In short, this story is a criticism on TV that has caused a great disturbance in working activities.
The voyage starts on May 8 that the captain Randall Ethan Hope is sailing the Rita Anne. The weather is pleasant with clear sky, fair winds and fresh breeze. The crew members are singers, story tellers, musicians, dancers and readers. So, they are fine and interesting people. There is no boredom. The voyage goes on smoothly for few days.
On 5th of June, the captain and his crew members see a strange Island which is not recorded on the map. They hope to get some fresh fruit there. They go there but they could not find any fruit or life in the Island. There are only flavors but not fruits, plants but no life. Water is there but bitter to drink.
On the Island they find an extra ordinary rock: two feet across, grey in color, flat and smooth like glass. It has glowing light and is pleasing to look at. It requires six men to lift it. They take it abroad. The crew members are fascinated to it. They gaze it in silence missing music, storytelling and reading. They seem perfectly happy. They rarely speak. They believe that the captain can sail the boat alone. So, they show some abnormal behavior thereafter.
On 15th June, they encounter a great sea storm. The captain is unable to sail the ship alone. He sees a horrible scene inside. They are not men anymore, but apes, hairy beasts sitting and grinning at the terrible rock. They do not understand the words captain says. They are sitting around the wretched stone. Because of the positive effect of the treatment, the apes come back to human life.
They are sad without the stone. However, the writer is hopeful for a rescue. Gradually, all men return to Hormel condition. Then, they start reading as well. They are saved. A ship appears to resume them and decide to leave the Rita Anne, their ship. Before they leave the ship, they also decided to set fire on the wretched stone. Finally, Rita Anne is burnt along with the wretched stone. They also agree not to tell anybody about the strange events.

The Telegram on the Table

                                                                                        Parashu Pradhan, Nepal (1943 - )

Summary in English

"The Telegram on the Table" is a most popular story written by Parashu Pradhan. The major character of the story is Krishna. This story makes a satire to those Nepalese youths who dream of the foreign land but forget and ignore their own motherland. In addition, this story centers on complex.

Krishna was born in the remote village of Nepal. After completing his school education, he comes to Kathmandu to fulfill his colorful desire leaving his parents and the society. From the very childhood, he has a golden dream to go to America. In Kathmandu, he learns English and works as a tourist guide. After being a tourist guide, he is influenced by the western music and culture.

Krishna passes several years to take tourists to different places describing them about the culture, customs, history, religion and archaeology of Nepal. He then forgets all about his birth place, beautiful village, parents and his wife. As a hardworking man, he forgets himself with the golden dreams of foreign land, America.

Krishna runs after money in the material individual city life in Kathmandu. Neither he visits his birth place and parents nor writes or informs anything about him. One night when he is ready to go to bed, he sees a telegram on the table.

Krishna reads the message "your wife died yesterday." After reading, he throws the telegram on the table and takes rest since it is late night. He forgets it for a week. It means as he gets the information of his death wife, he does not regret nor plans to go to his house.

However, after few weeks, he remembers about his death wife. He could not sleep at night. As he thinks his present profession, he gets no relief rather his death wife always comes as a memory in his mind. He compares his present life (being alone in the city) with past life (being together with his parents, wife and society). He starts hating himself because of being cruel, individual and selfish forgetting and missing his parents, wife and birth place. He even regrets on his dream of America as the main cause to forget and ignore his family and society. At the end, being alone with full of tears in his eyes he cries a lot realizing the realistic life in the city as the full of suffering, pain, alienation and regret.

The Stub Book

                                                                      Pedro Antonio de Alarcon, Spain (1833 – 1891)
Summary in English

This is a short Spanish story by Alarcon. The major event of the story beings in Rota, the smallest town in the bay of Cadiz. Rota is the smallest of those pretty towns that forms the great semisecret of the bay of Cadiz. The major character of the story is Uncle Buscabeatas who solves the mystery of lost pumpkins by using his creative and critical mind. Therefore, this story tries to represent the dedicated hardworking farmers of the town, Rota.
The land is fertile where hardworking farmers can grow crops three or four times per year. As uncle Buscabeatas a hardworking farmer, he seeks fertilizer for the groups. For that, he attends daily and takes care of the plants. He loves them too much and gives different names, too. In other words, he loves his vegetables and fruits like his own children.
Uncle Buscabeatas had grown forty good pumpkins. He worked very hard to love and take care of them. He was very conscious of size, number and names of all pumpkins. He decided to see those pumpkins in the market so that he could get the money as the successful achievements of his work or profession. He made a golden dream for that. However, his plan and dream got failed when all his pumpkins were lost next morning.
After losing all pumpkins, he became so sad and guessed that the thief his pumpkins to the market and sold them for money. Thinking such, he directly went to the market. He reported a policemen and he went to vegetable market along with him (Policemen). Several people gathering along with Inspector about this case. As inspector asked who stole his pumpkins, Uncle Buscabeatas recognized that his pumpkins were stolen by Uncle Fulano. He already came to know that Uncle Fulano did not have good crops in his farm. Then, people started laughed at him when he told different names of his lost pumpkins.
There was a great debate between Uncle Buscabeatas and Uncle Fulano about the lost pumpkins. Uncle Fulano challenged him to show the proof. Uncle Buscabeatas started matching the steams with the pumpkins to show proof among the people. At the end, all people supported Uncle Buscabeatas. He got victory over Uncle Fulano. In short, Uncle Buscabeatas got praised in his truth proof and Uncle Fulano got punished/arrested in his crime.

The Making of a Scientist

                                                                                             V. S. Ramachandra, India (1951 - )
Summary in English 

This essay talks the qualities or characteristic for being a successful scientist. Curiosity is one of the most important qualities to suit oneself for career in science. He/she needs good family background as well as high motivation. In addition, Science flourishes well in an atmosphere of complete freedom and financial independence.
The writer was highly influenced by his science teachers and his science mined uncle. His parents equally encouraged him by collecting and providing necessary materials and equipments. The writer was fascinated by science from the age of eleven. Nature was his friend and society. He loved history, particularly the study of ancient Indian history, archaeology, art, anthropology and ethnology. Botany was also his passion. He conducted experiments on plants and bugs. He also believed that many subjects he studied have many things in common. He was very much interested in neurology. There are two reasons why the writer was attracted to neurology. First, it was new-based research to carry out. Second, he chose neurology is obviously the curiosity to know about himself.
Ramachandran says that where there is atmosphere of complete freedom and financial independence, science and scientists flourish. He regards science as a great fun. Technology drives science as surely as ideas do. So, he believes that ideas and technology are equally important for science. How we use the tools of science are of great importance. His claims are of great importance. He claims that a scientific discovery receives more significance if it is made without delay. He says that science was a greatly existing subject during the Victorian era. Finally, he criticizes the modern methodology and science for just becoming a boring enterprise. Rather he praises the science of ancient Greece as well as science of Victorian age.

The Lunatic

      
                                                                        Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Nepal (1909 – 1959)
Summary in English

"The Lunatic" by Devkota is an autobiographical poem. The poet appears at the center of modern society wearing the mask of a Lunatic speaker and attack the modern corrupted world. This is the translated version of the Nepali poem "Pagal" by the poet himself. Each stanza brings out a different aspect of the speaker's character: confidence, abnormality, imagination, sensitivity, anger and awful majesty. The poet exposes the evils, corruptions, ugliness, injustices, prejudices and discrimination that are prevalent in the modern Nepalese society.
In the first stanza of the poem, the speaker is mad. It means he is a Lunatic person and attacks so-called sane world and its evils. Sane people are overconfident, oversensitive and extremely proud hollowly intellectual achievements. They always feel but do not think. In fact, emotional aspect of human soul is focused by the poet. In the second stanza, the speaker has pointed out the facts that prove a man insane. The world of the so-called insane people is the world of average understanding.
The speaker as a lunatic claims that he sees the sound and hears the sights. He tastes the fragrance and smells the taste. Similarly, he sees the flowers and beauty in the stones. He also touches the things thinner than air and believes the things of existence of which the sane world denies. He also communicates with the birds and animals. However, in the lunatic's world, everything is seen positively, but in the world of sane people, everything is viewed negatively. The lunatic speaker argues that he has even the sixth sense. He dances in the nature with the songs of cuckoo. Therefore, he says that he is mad at this condition.
The speaker compares and contrasts the world of sane with the world of insane. In the world of ordinary beings, the interpretation made with the sixth senses is not only illegible and incomplete but also nonsense, the corrupted person enjoys the time with wine and prostitutes, has no sense of humanity and judges everything from monetary point of view. If the person who dares to speak of their irrationality is to be mad, the speaker accepts that he is mad. The lunatic speaker says that he is emotional and works with heart. He melts and flows. He is like poetry. On the other hand, sane people are like prose (essay). They work with mind. The heaven of the sane is his hell. Their religion is his sin, and king is a beggar for him, their gold and diamond are valueless for him. Sane people think that they have five senses, they like progression, nature is unremarkable, they believe things is unremarkable, they believe things have limited meaning. In contrast, insane people are in miserable condition and say that they have six senses. They claim that their heart works over mind and the things have limitless meaning. For them, heaven is hell and progression as regression but nature is remarkable and enlightened one.

The Library Card

                                                                                    Richard Wright, USA (1908 – 1960)
Summary in English

This is an autobiographical story which focuses on the importance of education that helps us understand ourselves, others, the mysteries of the world and the essence of life. In addition, it shows the racial discrimination between the white and the black people in America.
The writer as a Negro boy reads a newspaper editorial in the lobby of a bank. He finds the article about H.L. Mencken, popular white writer. Mencken was badly denounced (hated) by the white race. The writer has never read such a sharp criticism to the white writer by the white races. It is because the boy has had bitter experience of the social and color discrimination. White people have never sympathy for the black rather they are taken as out-caste or animals. Therefore, Richard Wright is curious to know the reason of hatred and is highly inspired to real his books. Therefore, he wants to go to library to obtain the books by Mencken.
However, blacks are deprived of their rights, freedom, education, equality, justice and other opportunities. They are not allowed to use the library. Being black, the writer does not have a library card of his own. But he starts serving many white men on collecting books from the library thinking that he can get chance to use library card.
One day, his boss Mr. Falk, an Irish Catholic, gives him his two library cards. He warns the boy (writer) to use the card properly so that he would not get in trouble. However, the white librarian refuses to lend the books without the permission letter of the owner of the cards. Anyway, the boy uses his creative mind and forges a note i.e. the white man's name in the card, and collects books from the library.
The writer firstly reads "Prefaces" and "Prejudice" by Mencken. In the initial phase, because of his limited knowledge and poor English, he could not understand the books. However, he soon realizes that words could be more powerful than any weapons. He returns those books and borrows the other ones. His reading helps him to understand more about life and people. He becomes quite intelligent. He realizes the sufferings of slaves, suppression and oppression of cruel law by the white against the black. The hatred of the white men arises bitter feeling in his conscious mind and heart. Finally, he becomes the successful writer and scholar to fight against racial discrimination and prejudices of the whites over blacks in America.

The Great Answer

                                                                                        Fulton Ourseler, USA (1893 – 1852)
Summary in English 

"The Great Answer" is a persuasive short story by Fulton Ourseler. This story represents that life is full of challenges, troubles and problems that we can solves if we have the courage, self-confidence and socialized positive thinking. In our every step of life, these things play the vital role make our work and life meaningful.
The story takes place at a small town near the Spanish border. Many people (refugees, men, and women) are lodged in the Boarding house of the village who are feeling fear from the German police and by the Nazi armies. They are at the danger of being arrested by the Gestapo police of Nazi and being put into the concentration camp. If they were found by the Nazi police, they would be bitterly killed. They try to enter into Spain; however, the security guards don't allow them to enter. So, they remain no hope of survival rather feel deathing in life.
However, one night a stranger comes to Boarding School and says that he is volunteer from the underworld. He further says that he is sent by God for their rescue. He clearly tells them that he wants to guide them to Spain despite challenges in the darkness of the night. But he is confident that God would help in such difficult situation.
The refugees feel relief after listening the stranger's speech. They think have no alternative way than to take help from him. However, those people belong to different ages, for example; mother with her 4 years old child, three old people and others young ones. Anyway, all of them follow guide. They climb up the difficult mountain in the moonlight.
During their journey, the oldest man loses his courage and tells that it is better to die than to face such difficulties. But the leader (guide) encourages him that they would help in their problem each other. Then, old people get encouraged and short walking carrying the little daughter on their shoulders turn by turn. Finally, they become success to cross the border line and enter into safe country.
When they cross the border line and arrive at peaceful place, all people (refugees, old men, mother, and young men) feel new life. They are encouraged to face a new world of freedom. In fact, this is the great answer for the thoughtful journey of human life.

The Cabuliwallah

                                                                                          Rabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941)
Summary in English

"The Cabuliwallah" by Rabindranath Tagore is a psychological story that deals with the nature of the children, parents and vendor. It also talks about domestic matter in which the parents should understand the nature (psychology) of the children. In addition, it tries to shows the class and caste discrimination, too. This story also reflects that we do have friendly relationship with stronger in the assumptions that helping to mankind is helping to ourselves.
Tagore has 5 years old daughter named Mini who is very talkative. She often comes to ask questions while he is busy in his work of writing. She also asks nonsensical questions to her father, Tagore. One day she sees a Cabuliwallah walking slowly along the street. Really, there is a Cabuliwallah, (fruit seller from Cabul) in dirty clothes carrying a bag on his back and box of grapes in his hand. As Cabuliwallah looks up, she runs to her mother.
The real name of Cabuliwallah is Abdur Rahman. He comes to the house of the writer in Calcutta. The writer buys some dry fruits for Mini. The Cabuliwallah gives Mini some nuts and raisins. Then, every time he comes to the writer's house and gives her something as a gift. Gradually, they become close friends. They talk and laugh for a long time. The writer is happy but his wife doubts. In her view, vendors are bad people because they may also steal the children. So, she does not like Mini's friendship with the Cabuliwallah.
One morning Tagore sees the Cabuliwallah walking blood stained. Two policemen are following him. The reason is that Cabuliwallah has punished a man to death when that man refuses to pay the money of the fruits. Mini arrives in the scene and asks whatever he is going to his father-in-law's house. He laughs and replies that he is going there. Then, he spends many years in the prison.
Mini grows up and forgets Cabuliwallah. After few years, Cabuliwallah is released from the jail. He comes to meet Mini. He observes there is the marriage ceremony in the house of writer. He could not believe that it is little Mini in the beautiful weeding aspiration. Unfortunately, he looks Mini in beautiful bride's dress. He finds everyone busy in the house. He gives a token of gift to the writer but the writer tries to pay. Rahman refuses to take money saying that he has also daughter like Mini names Parbati. When Rahman shows the letter to the writer, the writer is touched by his grief and tears. Rahman is surprised to see Mini. He imagines he could not bring back their past friendship. However, he asks her whether she is going to her father-in-law house and she feels ashamed because she now knows the meaning of the father-in-law. At the end of the story, Tagore gives him 100 rupees and tells him to go back to his house and join a company with his daughter.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

                                                                                       Robert Frost, USA (1874 – 1963) 
Summary in English 

In the poem, the speaker (poet) is going somewhere on horseback. The time is evening. As he arrives at the peaceful place where woods are covered by the snow, then he is delighted and attracted through the beauty of the nature. He looks at the woods wearing the nice dress i.e. snow. Then, he expresses his feeling that those villagers do not know the value of the beauty of nature. He imagines those woods that belong to a farmer of the village.
The second stanza is dedicated to horse activity. The horse is surprised because he is placed in the lonely jungle where there are no sheds. In addition, the horse feels that his master must have mistaken the way. Even horse might be asking his master sorry that he made a mistake. Then, the horse rings harness bell. It makes the speaker wake up and realize that time is already gone and he has already promised that he has to reach somewhere on time. As the speaker forgets all in the beauty of nature, at last he becomes conscious of his duty, too.
The speaker describes the beauty of the woods as "Lovely, dark, and deep" but reminds himself that he must not stay there for long time since he is busy and has a lot of duties and responsibilities. Man should not forget the duty of life just in the name of beauty. Anyway, happy and progressive life is a life combining both duty and beauty. According to speaker, life is a long journey, so, we have a lot of things to do before we die. If so, life remains meaningful and death is forgotten.

Shep's Hobby

       
                                                                                    James Herriot, UK, (1916 – 1995)
Summary in English

'Shep's Hobby' by James Herriot is an animal story tries to defend the rights and freedom of animals. This story tries to advocate that animal rights should not be interfered. Since the writer is animal lover, he suggests us not to suppress the feeling, joys, hobbies, likes, dislikes, emotions, etc. of the animals. All creatures have hobby and fun. If such hobby and fun are deprived of, the creature's life becomes useless.
Herriot often went to Mr. Bailes's farm. Mr. Bailes had kept a big dog named 'Shep.'  Shep is a bigger than collie, black and white in color with massive limbs, brown head with upright ears. He was very strange and playful creature. He used to frighten passersby violently but without any harm to them. The stranger would be frightened and would jump several inches in the air. Then, Shep would be happy and wait for another victim.
One day, James Herriot was invited by Mr. Bailes to see his sick cow named 'Rose'. The cow was suffering from an unknown illness. Herriot was walking between the walls when Shep barked so loudly into his right ear that he was frightened. He jumped several inches in the air. Anyway, the doctor checked the cow for a long time since Rose did not improve her condition. Every time, he was frightened by the dog. The writer could not understand whether the dog wanted to bite him or he only played for fun. He thought Shep was a dangerous dog so he decided to punish him. For that, he caught the chain and dragged the dog nearby his feet. Shep wagged his tail and asked for pardon looking at the eyes of the writer.
After a month, the writer was again invited by Mr. Bailes. This time dog 'Shep' did not bark since he understood that writer did not like such behavior. In fact, Shep used to enjoy by frightening people with his loud barking having no evil plan of biting them. Therefore, the writer felt guilty for breaking the hobby of Shep.
After few weeks, the writer saw a potter who was walking through Mr. Bailes's farm. It was Shep who jumped and barked loudly at him. Having frightened, the potter ran away leaving his all pots and Shep felt happy. The writer also felt happy realizing that Shep's hobby was still alive.

Scientific Inquiry: Invention and Text

   
                                                                                        Scientific Inquiry: Invention and Text
Summary in English

This is a scientific essay. The process of scientific discovery often involves formulating hypotheses, testing predictions, and an interdisciplinary search in the real world. A scientific inquiry carries on several assumptions and testing to get the invention of scientific discovery. Thus, the writer tries to say that one should formulate a good hypothesis, test the possible conditions and reach the conclusion through a rigorous scientific inquiry.
Hempel talks about the research of Ignaz Semmelweis who discovers the main cause of the death of a large number of women who believed babies in the First Division. Semmelweis, a physician of Hungarian birth, did this work during the years from 1844 to 1848 at the Vienna General Hospital. As a member of the medical staff first Maternity Division in the hospital., he was distressed to find that a large proportion of the women who were delivered of their babies in that division contracted a serious and often fatal illness known as perpetual fever or childhood fever. They died from it while they delivered their babies.
Semmelweis began by considering various explanations that were current at the time. He chose some for the experiments. One of the views assumed that the cause was epidemic influences. However, he argued that such influence could not affect the First Division only. In both the First and Second Division, women delivered babies suffered from childbed fever and died of it. But the surprising thing was that the number of women who died of such fatal illness was greater in the first Division. But the crowd was more in the Second Division because the patients wanted to avoid the notorious First Division.
Semmelweis formulated his hypothesis by rejecting some meaningless or confused explanation. He adopted some logical predictions as follows:
He knew that epidemic influence was one of the causes but did not know why it was fatal in the First Division.
Overcrowd might be another cause but the crowd was more in the Second Division.
Another cause might be that the trainees were doing rough experiments and causing injuries. However, the death rate in the First Division was the same even after decreasing such number of medical students.
Finally, the research of Semmelweis reached to the significant conclusion that the women in the First Division died due to blood poisoning. The doctors and medical students used to come to the First Division from the autopsy room without washing their hands properly, and they used to examine the women who delivered babies. Therefore, when the doctors and trainees washed their hands properly and examined the women, the mortality rate in the First Division got decreased. Similarly, the midwives examining patients in the Second Division required no autopsy training. Thus, the death rate among the women they examined was low in the Second Division. Similarly, infected mothers transmitted the infection to their babies as well.

Science and the 'Spirits'

                                                                                          John Tyndall, England (1820 – 1893)
Summary in English 

 The essay represents the relationship between science and the spirits where the scientific methods of inquiry dealing with natural truth can be also applied to the "spiritual phenomena." The writer says that many people have the beliefs on the existence of spirits still in the modern world. The essay rightly claims that the séances to spread illusions about the existence of ghosts or spirits have been going on.
John Tyndall receives an invitation to attend a dinner party where a séance is being held. Tyndall tries to apply his scientific training to investigate the feasibility of communication with spirits. He finds out different natures of people in the party. Some people claim that they can have communication with the spirits. Out of them, one silly man claims that he has supernatural power so that he can read the minds of people. Tyndall recently asks him what is in his mind but he can't reply.
In the party, every people who claim about supernatural power that gets failed pass by simply empirical tests. Although Tyndall proves that the alleged messages originate from some of the participants but all most all participants believe on their interaction with the spirits. So, the majority of human beings on this planet believe in spirits-both their own spiritual aspect and the existence of non-physical spirits.
Similarly, in the evening time, the table and candles of the table begin to shake. Many people believe that it is because of the power of spirits. Immediately, Tyndall observes what happened but finds some people sitting under the table shaking it. Likewise, one woman claims that she has the supernatural power having the effect of magnet. But when Tyndall observes her, she becomes talkless and indifferent. From all these observation, the writer comes to the conclusion that people believe on spirits without any truth and scientific observation.

Piano

                                                                          D. H. Lawrence, England (1885 – 1930)
Summary in English  

"Piano" is a lyric poem reflecting the thoughts and feelings of a single speaker as he listens at dusk to a woman singing a song that brings back childhood memories of sitting at his mother's feel while she played the piano. It is a short poem of 12 lines divided into three quatrains, rhymed AABB. The poem contains vivid images, and specific and concrete details provide a clear embodiment of his memory.
The poem shows the conflict between the speaker's (poet) desire to go back to the childhood and his desire to be a perfect man. Similarly, it highlights the significance of music where all most all creature n this universe including human beings are influenced by it.
The poet expresses his feeling and emotions that a beautiful girl is playing piano in the evening in soft and melodious form to attract the handsome poet. He says that she wants to make him the best lover. As the poet listen such music, he remembers his past childhood days where he takes the present girl as his mother. He forgets the present where he is and thinks that he is sleeping on the lap of lady of his mother under the piano. As he is young, he tries to control himself. But, the memory of the past frequently comes to him. So, he assumes as if he was a child and does the activities like small child forgetting his present age, roles and responsibilities. He starts weeping as he used to do when he was child.

Marriage Is a Private Affair

                                                                                      Chinua Achebe, Nigeria (1930 - )
Summary in English

'Marriage Is a Private Affair' is a story by Chinua Achebe. This story portrays the realistic conflict between old and new generations in Nigerian society in particular and in all the societies in general. In fact, this story shows the victory of new generation with modern values over the traditional customs.
Nnaemeka is a village boy from Ibo tribe of Nigeria. His father named Okeke is very traditional and rigid. Nnaemeka goes to town for his higher education after completing his school education. He falls in love with Nene, a modern girl from another culture at University. Both of them live in Lagos, a town of Nigeria. Nene asks Nnaemeka to write a letter to his father about their love and engagement. But Nnaemeka does not because he is afraid of his own father. However, Nene does not believe that parents will be unhappy when their son is engaged to marry.
Nnaemeka goes home on his holidays to convince his father. But his father wants to marriage his son with Ugoye Nweke, a Christian girl from Ibo tribe. Nnaemeka refuses to follow the suggestion of his father and clearly tells him that he loves a girl in town. She is Nene Atang and she is the only girl he could marry. She does not belong to the Ibo tribe and she is a teacher. His father believes that a Christian woman should not teach so he along with other villagers think that Nnaemeka has gone mad and a devil has entered into his mind.
Then, Nnaemeka goes to town and gets married with Nene. He stops going to visit his father on holidays. However, he sends the wedding picture to his father. His father tears the picture and sends back.
There is no connection between Nnaemeka and his father, Uekeke for about 8 years. Nene makes good relation with people living in Lagos.
Nnaemeka and Nene have two sons. Nene writes a letter to her father-in-law, Okeke asking to let his grandchildren visit their grandfather. She also requests him to take Nnaemeka and his two children for a few days while she would stay in town alone.
When Okeke gets this message, he is not able to resist his heart. He imagines his two grandchildren playing with him. Suddenly, love emerges from his heart for them. He knows that he could not stop loving his innocent grand children. Thus, he decides to go to town to take them.

Life Without Chiefs

                                                                                    Marvin Harris, USA (1927 – 2001)
Summary in English

"Life Without Chiefs" is an anthropological essay that represents how the egalitarian society of the past turned into the present society based on the stages, empires and hierarchical one. In the present world, human beings cannot exist without some people ruling and others beings ruled. However, the greater part of human existence went without chiefs. Human beings lived a far greater part without kings, queens, presidents and ministers. In the prehistoric society, people were selfless, equal, discrimination and inequalities due to the cultural revolution.
In the egalitarian society, there were no governments, political parties, courts, chiefs, police, army, institutions, leaders, weapons and so on. People used to live in small group sharing whatever they had. The society was run by the headmen who were never selfish. There were no wars, violence, crimes, and hierarchies. However, there was no room for gratitude or thanks in the egalitarian societies. Anyone who wanted to be superior was left alone in such societies. During the reign of egalitarian headman, no individual could control access to natural resources. Rivers, plants, animals and the land were all communal property.
After the rapid growth of the population, human cultures got changed. The Headmen turned into Bigmen. Douglas Oliver reports that the Bigmen were also known as 'Mumis'. The Bigmen slowly turned into Chief. People became powerful with the industrialization: the modern world has become very much selfish, hierarchical, commercial and materialistic. From peaceful origin, human beings are heading towards nuclear war, violence and destruction. In the modern world, there are chiefs, government, police, army, leaders, courts and institution which control, guide and rule the common people. There is full of war discrimination, injustice and inequalities here and there. Therefore, we, modern people have to learn moral lesson from the very past egalitarian society.

Life is Sweet at Kumansenu

                                                                          Abioseh Nicol, Sierra Leone (1924 – 1944)
Summary in English

 This story based on magic realism shows the power of love and sweetness of life. It captures the gratitude of the children toward their parents. Mother's love to her son/daughter is immense and the reverse is also true. Similarly, this story is gothic one, with the horrible, but loving one, ghost story, reappearance of the man after his death.
This story is set in the African village, Kumansenu. It is a beautiful village surrounded by the sea on the side and the tropical forest. The central character of the story is Bola. Bola is a widow, who lives with her granddaughter named Asi. She gives the birth of six sons, but unfortunately all of them die. When the last son dies, the village magician named Musa advises Bola to break the bones of dead child and mangle it so that he could not come to torment her. However, her heart does not allow her to do so because of her love. Therefore, she makes a black mark on the buttock of her sixth son.
The 6th son has taken rebirth as 7th son. His name is Meji. He is now 30 years old having a black mark on his left buttock. He has a daughter named Asi with whom Bola lives since Meji works in the city 19 miles away. One day, Meji appears on Friday inside the house though the front door is closed. Bola is happy to see him. But she is surprised to see him because he is in white shirt and gray trouser as well as different skin color than he was earlier. Both of them talk long time, and Bola wants to organize a feast for the villagers. But Meji denies that this time he would enjoy only with mother and daughter. On Saturday Bola goes to market and Meji takes his daughter to visit towards mountainside. He also gives her lots of things to eat and play. On the way back, Asi falls asleep. In the evening, they all go to visit the grave of Meji's father, then, they return back to their house.
On Saturday night, it rains heavily. Bola hears knocking at midnight. She goes to Meji's room but he was outside. She requests him to come in, but he does not. Meji says that he could not leave without saying her good bye. After that he says, "Life is Sweet Mother dear, goodbye, and thank you", with those words he gets disappeared.
Bola thinks to all Mr. Addai on Sunday but he himself comes and tells her that Meji died on Friday. But Bola and Asi insist that Meji has come there on Friday, so he could not have died on Friday. Villagers think that Bola is out of mind because of the shock. Finally, the magician Musa reminds Bola that she didn't follow his advice as soon as the sixth son died. Hence, he came to mock her. But Bola does not believe on it rather she feels proud of coming her son and proud of herself to be with him at that moment.

King John and the Abbot of Canterbury

                                                                                        Anonymous, England (before 1695)
Summary in English

`'King John and the Abbot of Canterbury' is a poem. This poem is a ballad composed by an anonymous poet. In this poem, the King John of England has been shown very cruel and jealous. He becomes jealous of the name, fame, place, servants of the Abbot of Canterbury. After hearing time and again Abbot has a greater place and better housekeeping, he becomes too cruel and makes a plan to kill Abbot and seize his all property. On the other hand, King John rules over England but makes great wrong and maintains little right.
 Abbot of Canterbury used to keep fifty gold coins in his velvet coat all time. The King was angry in humiliation. Although the Abbot replies humbly that he has no any grudge, the King plays cruel trick to put him to the death. So, the King calls Abbot in the palace and asks him three non sense questions:
What is the price of the king?
How long would the king take to go around the world?
What is he thinking at the time?
After asking such questions, King threatens the Abbot that if he is unable to provide the right answer, his head would be cut off. The Abbot could not answer, but he asks one fortnight to find the answers. He visits Oxford and Cambridge but no any man helps him. No one knows the answer. The Abbot returns home being very sad and helpless.
Finally, his shepherd, an illiterate person helps him. The shepherd in disguise (dress) of his master, the Abbot and goes to the place of King John and replies the answer:

• The price of the King was 29 pence.
• If he rises and rides in the sun, he will go around the world in 24 hours.
• The King is thinking that the person who is giving answer is Abbot of Canterbury but is not truth.

Listening the answers of his questions, the king becomes surprise and satisfied. The king says that he would make the shepherd as Abbot of Canterbury. However, the shepherd rejects his proposal saying that he is illiterate but he requests the King to pardon his master, Abbot of Canterbury. Finally, the king accepts it and shepherd is rewarded and Abbot of Canterbury is pardoned by the king. Therefore, this poem suggests that an illiterate poor shepherd can be more resourceful and perhaps more intelligent than a rich and learned Bishop or man in certain field.

Keeping Errors at Bay

                                                                              Bertrand Russell, England (1872 – 1970)
Summary in English

In the essay "Keeping Errors at Bay", Russell talks about how to avoid the errors and provides some techniques for that. He talks about the very common examples to avoid the various foolish opinions to which man kinds are prone. According to him, we can be free from most of the errors and blind beliefs through the experiment, common and critical sense.
Both men and women are firmly convinced of the superior excellence of their own sex. We all, whatever part of the world, come from, persuaded that our own nation is superior to all others. But we must be aware that other parts of the cosmos may contain beings or places superior to us. This causes the fear which is the main source of superstition and cruelty. It is by wisdom fear gets resolved.
According to Russell, most of the modern human beings are guided by biasness, pride, selfishness and discrimination. They are proud of their race, nationality, gender, power and knowledge. He gives some examples to support his arguments. Aristotle used to believe that women have fewer teeth than men. Similarly, many ancient and medieval authors knew all about unicorns and salamanders but no of them thought it necessary to avoid dogmatic statements about them.
To Russell, fear is the common source of error. It may operate directly or indirectly which has many forms, for example, fear of death, fear of dark, fear of unknown. In fact, fear is the source of evil. If we use the scientific knowledge and methods, we can avoid such errors. There is nothing more common than evaluation in the everyday world but for sound evaluation to take place, one must establish relevant standards, gather appropriate evidence, and judge the evidence in keeping with the experiment, observation and factual information.

How Sane Are We?

                                                                                   Anuradha Chaudhary, Bangladesh (1947 - )
Summary in English

This essay reflects the modern environmental issues that writer talks about the insane behavior of the modern human beings who are blindly causing the ecological damage as well as the environmental destruction of the modern world. Human beings are selfish, commercial and self-destructive in the modern world. This essay implies that human beings cannot make rational decisions. Ecology and politics are closely linked although many people do not see any link between them. Similarly, we are not respecting our ancesters by conserving nature. Thus, it is necessary for us to change the present social, economic and political system of the world.
The essayist analyzes the misconception that our collective decision making process is rational. She shows the realistic picture of the environmental crisis in the modern world. She criticizes modern human beings for not being awareness about the fatal consequences of the environmental destruction so that they are directly or indirectly involved in creating pollutions and ecological damage. People from the developed countries have been using chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other harmful gases and chemicals. CFCs were invented in 1930. They consist of chlorine, fluorine and carbon. They are man-made chemicals. They cause 20% of the greenhouse effect. Similarly, Ozone is a naturally occurring substance made up of oxygen atoms. The ozone layer is badly affected. If the rays reach the earth, they will affect co-system, decrease agricultural productivity, weaken human immune system, cause skin cancer and eye contracts. This is because only in 1985, it was believed that there is a between CFCs and ozone layer. Therefore, people from the world could stop the use of CFCs immediately and use cheaper and harmless chemicals to replace it. However, this principle could not be long-lasting so that people started using CFCs for creating destruction to themselves.
The writer says that modern human beings have been destroying their own existence. The decision makers as the political leaders are only worried about the next election, but not about the future of human beings. They are only concerned with immediate advantages. So, our collective decision is self-destructive. Therefore, we all human beings should save the nature, atmosphere, wild life, forests, water, resources, ozone layer and the whole ecology. If we fail to bring about fundamental change in our ways of thinking and doing politics, we just might sink and drown. To conclude, the writer suggests us that we, modern human beings should change our thoughts, behaviors and political and commercial activities.

Gaia

                                                                                             Shreedher Lohani, Nepal (19944 -)
Summary in English 

Gaia is a mythological, ecological and satirical poem. It is a symbolic or personification for earth. According to Greek mythology, Gaia is the Goddess for earth that is a natural system that controls itself and endures everything. The earth has always been nurturing her children with motherly love despite their reckless activities. Although her own children have made her weak and ugly, but she still loves her children. She endures all wars and all hunger. In addition, the earth has patience and endurance. She has great heart.
The strong warm wind blows through the withered palm trees. The devouring rain hits the earth. Then, the sea becomes violent and mad. The mountain peak has irregular shape. The powerful time plucks at the world on its thin gray wings. Moreover, the atmosphere of the earth is polluted with the full smell of the filthy fungus. There is sudden violence, disturbance, disaster and hunger everywhere in the earth. However, the earth (Gaia) tolerates all these pains and sufferings.

Ethics

                                                                                                        Linda Pastan, USA (1932 - )
Summary in English

The poem "Ethics" is Linda Pastan, influential American poetess. This poem represents the dilemma between art and life. It tells the story about the youth to old age. According to her, life, art, painting and nature are almost one. In addition, art is like the life itself.
The speaker at the very beginning of the poem shares her past experience about ethical question asked by her class teacher that brought complexity and dilemma to her. The question was "if there was a fire in a museum, which would you save, a Rembrandt painting or an old woman who hadn't many years left anyhow?' This question makes speaker long time to think in different occasions and places. She along with her classmates used to choose the Rembrandt painting for one year and the old woman in another year, and the school teacher reported the speaker that she wanted to be far away from her responsibility.
In fact, the speaker could not understand what ethics means when she was child. However, the poetess stands in the real museum in front of the real Rembrandt and her as the old woman herself after many years. Then, she comes to know that art is related to life and vice-versa. Being an artist, the speaker emphasizes both art and life. Now she comes with the surprising answer that woman, painting and the season are almost one and all beyond saving children. It means life and art is the One, where one remains incomplete in the absence of another. Rather both art and life are almost equal.

Curbing the One–Eyed Monster

                                                                                            Fiona C. Jenkins, New Zealand (1947 - )
Summary in English

This essay makes a criticism on modern TV culture where TV has been taken as a one-eyed monster. It must be curbed aside. It has become a thing of hatred. So, we must keep our brain safe by ignoring to watch TV although we miss some advantages. We spend lots of our precious time on watching TV, and so do our children. It has become a curse. It makes us completely passive. We are losing our creativity. Democratic attitudes and values have been endangered by TV as the monstrous gift of science. Truth is lost. In this sense, many people are manipulated and controlled by others.
Jenkins says that TV has brought a great harm. For example, in America, daring childhood, people watch 13000 killings 100000 violent episodes and 650000 advertisements. In average, an American child watches TV seven hours per day which is only the matter of wasting time. Similarly, we are left very little time for fun after watching TV. Instead, we could read books, talk to people, watch the sunset, travel, etc. watching TV is to make passive life. TV makes us ignore institutional life. As a result, the social and political world remains deficient. TV threatens a free society. The world of TV is unreal and irrelevant, too.
People who are politically and economically powerful, they mostly control media (TV) and mold public opinion to serve their own class interests. In such a situation, democracy suffers and people cannot exercise freedom. Jenkins gives the example of America. In America, TV stations are controlled by capitalists and rich, selfish, business and media people. They never think about the benefit of the ordinary people. Rather they manipulate and deceive common people. Though they get many comments, they do not care it.
Jenkins suggests us that the best idea to protect ourselves from had influence of television is boycotting them. She further advises people to unplug TV and curb it aside. Therefore, it is better to throw the TV set away and make educational in our home.

The Good Example

                                                                                          Vicente Riva Palacio, Mexico (1832-1896)
Summary in English

"The Good Example" is a story about the educational system of Mexico in the 19th century based on traditional methodologies like memorization as well as parrot learning. The writer truly makes a bitter comment with such educational system where even a parrot can open a school.
There was a village in the Southern part of the Mexico Republic. In that village, there was a school run by Don Lucas Forcida. He was a hardworking teacher; therefore, villagers and pupils liked and respected him very much. He had adopted the traditional methodology of teaching and learning. Students chanted the alphabets, syllables, religious question and answers, poems and historical dates in s monotonous way. Their learning consisted in repeating the teacher's words and sentences with boringness.
Don Lucas had a best friend named 'Perico.' Perico was a parrot that used to seat above the school door. It used to imitate whatever the teachers and students chanted. The interesting thing is that after school, Perico and the head teacher used to enjoy having cake and chocolate in the school ground. They understood each other perfectly. So, both were tighter. Several years passed. Don Lucas had much confidence on his parrot, therefore; no longer he trimmed his wings or tied his legs.
One day a strange incident took place. One of the school children informed Don Lucas about the parrot's escape. Don Lucas and the children saw the bird fly away into the deep forest with the forest dwelling parrots. Don Lucas, teachers and all students got shocked from this incident. Don Lucas though himself that the parrot was ungrateful to abandon the best friends like him. After a long time; they had forgotten the terrible incident.
After several months, Don Lucas had to make a trip to neighboring village was twenty or thirty miles away from his house. When he was in the middle forest, it was already two o'clock in the afternoon. Don Lucas's ears caught a familiar sound like children chanting syllables, alphabets and words. Suddenly, he thought it was a fancy but later he asked himself if there was a school in the forest. He got surprised. Finally, he saw a group of parrots chanting alphabets, syllables and words by flying over his head. There was a Perico as well.
At the end, Perico turned his head towards his master, Don Lucas and told cheerfully that he had opened a school in the forest.

"Surely you're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

                                                                                                Richard P. Feynman, USA (1918-1988)
Summary in English

This essay is based on the writer's past experience about his college education regarding knowledge and methods. The writer claims that knowledge must be based on scientific methods and it must be gained through the interdisciplinary approach. So, this essay tries to show that traditional method of learning is baseless and misleading. Furthermore, a talented and genuine man can adjust anywhere in the world. Interest is the most important motivation I education though what and how one learns can be measured.
Richard P. Feynman was a physics student who completed his undergraduate from MIT, America. He loved his institution too much so that he wanted to do graduation from there. However, Prof. Slater did not accept his enrollment because Feynman had to find out what and how the rest of world was going and doing. So, according to the suggestion of Prof. Slater, he decided to go to Princeton College for his graduation.
He went to Princeton College with his father by car. He also got room there. He stayed in the hostel with his friends. The college looked like the imitation of Oxford or Cambridge University. One day the Dean of Princeton College, Prof. Eisenhart organized a Tea Party to welcome the new students. Feynman was not very familiar about the culture and manners of such social gathering. He got confused how to behave and where to sit. Mr. Feynman was asked if he liked cream of lemon tea. But he replied that he would like both. Listen his reply, all people started laughing. At the same time, Mr. Eisenhart commented, "Surely, You are Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
Gradually, Feynman learned the manners of social gatherings at Princeton College. Then, he started going to tea party, dinner party as well. At the very beginning, he used to sit the physics group students but later he started sitting with the groups of biologists, zoologists and philosophers. Mr. Feynman became the talented and genuine student out of the college students. He understood the importance of interdisciplinary approach in learning. So, he realized why Princeton College was right for him.
Mr. Feynman got many opportunities to gain knowledge in different disciplines during his graduation from Princeton College. He got golden opportunity to observe cyclotron about how it works. He was also invited to conduct a seminar on Biology by Prof. Watson at Harvard University. So, he gave a lecture to the Biology students of Harvard University.
Although Mr. Feynman was a physics student, he learned a lot of things and gained experiences in Biology. He loves physics more but equally he prefers to gain knowledge from different disciplines.

Phaedo

                                                                                                                    Plato, Greece (427-347 BC)
Summary in English

Phaedo is moral story that represents the true philosophy of Socrates. It teaches us to fight for justice, humanity, freedom, peace and democracy against any kind of slavery, injustice, inequality, suppression, discrimination, inhumanity and autocracy. This story expresses the meaning of death convincing that an honorable death is more worthful than inglorious life. In addition, it reflects death is for a new life.
In this story, there is a dialogue between Phaedo and Echecrates. It is about the true philosophy in relation to the last moments in the life of Socrates. Phaedo is a devoted disciple of Socrates. He is present when Socrates dies. Phaedo describes everything to Echecrates, (another disciple) about the death of Socrates.
Socrates, the great philosopher is accused of misleading the youth of Athens and causing them to hold free opinions. Then, his trial period begins. He is asked to apologize but he never does on the ground of falsehood. He is put in prison until he is killed. Before his death, Socrates meets his family and disciples and tells them not to be afraid of death rather walk in the path of justice, truth and democracy.
On the day of execution, all his friends and relatives come to see his early in the morning. He remains busy in conversation and at last, he requests them to go to their house and enters into next room and drinks the poison calmly. Looking at such, his friends begin to weep but Socrates scolds and tells them it is useless to stick to life if it is meaningless. Socrates believes that the soul is immortal because it can be perceived by those who exist by the truth, goodness and beauty which are eternal. There is also a spiritual life after death.