Unit -5 Poem - The secret of the machines
LESSON PLAN for this poem is given at the end of the answers.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
The Secret of the Machines:
A. Answer the following questions briefly.
Who does ‘we’ refer to in first stanza?
Answer: b. Machines
Who are the speakers and listeners of this poem?
Answer:
The speakers in the poem are the machines themselves, speaking directly to human beings, who are the listeners/reader.
What metals are obtained from ores and mines?
Answer:
Metals such as iron, copper, gold, silver, and aluminium are commonly obtained from ores and mines.
Mention a few machines which are hammered to design.
Answer:
Machines like cars, airplanes, ships, engines, and machine tools are often hammered and shaped during manufacturing to achieve their design.
Mention the names of a few machines that run on water, coal or oil.
Answer:
Water: Hydroelectric turbines, waterwheels, steam engines (with water used for steam)
Coal: Steam locomotives, steamships, traditional power plant turbines
Oil: Cars (internal combustion engines), trucks, airplanes, generators
Mention a few machines used for pulling, pushing, lifting, driving, printing, ploughing, reading, writing etc.
Answer:
Pulling: Winch, crane
Pushing: Bulldozer, hydraulic press
Lifting: Elevator, forklift
Driving: Car, train
Printing: Printer, printing press
Ploughing: Tractor, mechanical plough
Reading: Scanner, e-book reader
Writing: Typewriter, computer keyboard
Are machines humble to accept the evolution of human brain? Why?
Answer:
Yes, machines are humble because, in the poem, they state, "we are nothing more than children of your brain," acknowledging that they are mere creations of humans, despite their power.
What feelings are evoked in us by the machines in this poem?
Answer:
The machines evoke feelings of awe at their capabilities, but also caution, as they lack emotions like love and forgiveness and can be dangerous if mishandled. There is also a sense of pride in human ingenuity and creativity.
And a thousandth of an inch to give us play:
Which of the following do the machines want to prove from this line?
a. Once Machines are fed with fuel, they take a very long time to start.
b. Once Machines are fed with fuel, they start quickly.
Answer: b. Once Machines are fed with fuel, they start quickly.
And now, if you will set us to our task, We will serve you four and twenty hours a day!
a. Who does the pronoun ‘you’ refer to here?
Answer: Human beings (the operators or users of machines)
b. Whose task is referred to as ‘our task’ here?
Answer: The machines’ assigned job or function
c. Open conditional clause is used in the given line. Why is the future tense ‘will set’ and ‘will serve’ used both in the ‘if clause’ and in the ‘main clause?’
Answer:
An open conditional (sometimes called a real conditional) can use future tense in both parts to emphasize the possible, but not certain, action and result in the future. Here, it stresses that if people set the machines to work, then machines will serve continuously.
d. Do the machines serve us twenty four hours a day?
Answer:
Yes, machines can serve continuously, provided they are given the necessary resources (fuel, maintenance).
e. Rewrite the given lines with the ending ‘365 days a year.’
Answer:
"And now, if you will set us to our task,
We will serve you three hundred and sixty-five days a year!"
POETIC DEVICES
Rhythm and Rhyme: Rhyme Scheme
From the stanza:
But remember, please, the Law by which we live , (a)
We are not built to comprehend a lie , (b)
We can neither love nor pity nor forgive , (a)
If you make a slip in handling us you die ! (b)
Rhyme Scheme: abab
Imagery
Example:
"We can see, hear, count, read and write!"
(The line creates vivid pictures of the machines’ capabilities.)
Personification
Example:
"We can pull and haul and push and lift and drive"
(The machines speak as if they have human attributes.)
Assonance
Example:
"all we ask"
(Repetition of the ‘a’ sound.)
Connotation
Example:
"Though our smoke may hide the Heavens from your eyes,"
(The line suggests more than just literal smoke—it may imply the negative effects of industrialization.)
Alliteration
Example:
"We can print and plough and weave and heat and light,"
(The repeated ‘p’ and ‘l’ sounds show alliteration.)
Activity B. Write your favourite stanza from the poem and find the rhyming scheme.
Favourite stanza (example):
We can pull and haul and push and lift and drive,
We can print and plough and weave and heat and light,
We can run and race and swim and fly and dive,
We can see and hear and count and read and write!
Rhyme scheme: abab (as "drive" rhymes with "dive", "light" rhymes with "write")
C. Read the poem and find the lines for the following poetic devices or write your own example.
| Figure of Speech | Lines/Examples |
|---|---|
| Alliteration | "print and plough," "pull and haul" |
| Assonance | "all we ask" ("a" sound) |
| Personification | "We will serve you four and twenty hours a day!" |
| Simile | (Not present in the given text; you may write your own such as “As powerful as a giant crane.”) |
Lesson Plan: The Secret of the Machines
Unit: 5
Poem: The Secret of the Machines
Author: Rudyard Kipling
1. Learning Objectives:
The teacher expects students to learn:
- The origin and manufacturing process of machines.
- The vast capabilities and functions of machines in serving humanity.
- The inherent limitations of machines, particularly their inability to comprehend abstract human concepts like lies, love, pity, or forgiveness.
- The crucial message that despite their power, machines are ultimately creations of the human brain and dependent on human handling.
- Key vocabulary and poetic devices used in the poem.
2. Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Identify the process by which machines are created and the resources they consume.
- List and describe various tasks performed by machines in daily life, demonstrating their utility.
- Explain the "Law by which we live" as stated by the machines, understanding their fundamental nature and limitations.
- Articulate the central theme of the poem: that humans are the ultimate creators and masters of machines.
- Recognize and analyze poetic devices such as rhyme scheme, imagery, personification, assonance, connotation, and alliteration within the poem.
- Reflect on the impact of technology and automation on human life, considering both benefits and potential dangers.
3. Introduction:
Engage students with a few questions related to the lesson:
- "What are some machines you interact with every day?"
- "How do machines make our lives easier?"
- "Have you ever thought about how a machine is made?"
- "Can machines think or feel like humans?"
4. Reading and Understanding:
Students will read the poem "The Secret of the Machines" aloud.
During or after reading, students will learn the meanings of new words from the poem's glossary:
- furnace (n) – an enclosed structure in which material is heated to very high temperatures.
- wrought (adj.) – beaten out of shape by hammering.
- gauged (v) – estimated.
- thousandth (adv.) – a fraction of thousand.
- haul (v) – pull or drag with effort or force.
- comprehend (v) – grasp, understand.
- vanish (v) – disappear suddenly and completely.
5. Mind Map:
of the brain".
- Central Idea: Machines and their relationship with humanity.
- Branches:
- Birth of Machines: Ore-bed, mine, melted, cast, hammered, cut, filed, tooled, gauged.
- Sustenance/Fuel: Water, coal, oil, precision (a thousandth of an inch).
- Capabilities (What they CAN do): Pull, haul, push, lift, drive, print, plough, weave, heat, light, run, race, swim, fly, dive, see, hear, count, read, write. They serve "four and twenty hours a day".
- Limitations (What they CANNOT do): Not built to comprehend a lie, cannot love, pity, or forgive. Danger if mishandled ("If you make a slip in handling us you die!").
- Relationship to Humans: "children of your brain". Smoke may hide heavens, but it will vanish, stars will shine again, signifying human control over their creations.
6. Consolidation and Presentation:
The teacher will provide a summary of the poem:
"The poem 'The Secret of the Machines' by Rudyard Kipling details the journey of machines from their raw materials to their diverse applications. The machines themselves narrate their creation from ore and mine, emphasizing the precise manufacturing processes they undergo. They state their basic needs – water, coal, and oil – and proudly declare their ability to serve humans ceaselessly, "four and twenty hours a day". The poem then expands on their extensive capabilities, ranging from physical tasks like pulling and driving to intellectual functions like reading and writing. However, the machines also reveal their fundamental limitation: they cannot understand abstract human concepts like lies, love, pity, or forgiveness, and warn of dire consequences if mishandled. The poem concludes by reminding humanity that, despite their power, machines are merely the creations, the 'children of your brain,' underscoring human supremacy over technology."
7. Reinforcement:
- About the Poet: Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist, born in Bombay, India. He was educated in England and returned to India in 1882. He gained significant success with works like The Jungle Book (1894) and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907. His work often explores themes of colonialism, the British Empire, and technology.
- Context: The poem reflects on modern technology and automation, which was rapidly advancing during Kipling's time. It delves into how machines are produced and the kind of "treatment" they require, and then details their service to humanity. The underlying message is a powerful statement about human intellect being the source of machine intelligence.
- Poetic Devices: Review and provide additional examples for:
- Rhythm and Rhyme: Explain the AABB rhyme scheme of the initial stanzas (e.g., mine/design, pit/fit, ask/task, play/day) and the ABAB pattern later (e.g., live/forgive, lie/die).
- Imagery: Discuss how lines like "smoke may hide the Heavens from your eyes" create a vivid picture.
- Personification: Machines are given human voices and attributes, such as speaking, serving, comprehending (or not comprehending), loving, pitying, and forgiving.
- Alliteration: Point out examples like "print and plough" and "weave and heat".
8. Evaluation:
- a) Lower Order Thinking Question: "From where were the machines 'taken' and 'melted'?"
- Expected Answer: The machines were taken from the ore-bed and the mine, and melted in the furnace and the pit.
- b) Middle Order Thinking Question: "List five tasks that machines can perform, according to the poem, and explain how they demonstrate their utility to humans."
- Expected Answer: Machines can pull, haul, push, lift, and drive, which are all tasks that require physical strength and repetitive action, showing how they can take over strenuous labor for humans. They can also print, plough, weave, heat, and light, indicating their role in industry, agriculture, and providing comforts. Additionally, they can run, race, swim, fly, and dive, showcasing their ability to move in various environments, and see, hear, count, read, and write, demonstrating their capacity for data processing and communication.
- c) Higher Order Thinking Question: "The poem states, 'We are nothing more than children of your brain!'. Discuss what this line implies about the relationship between humanity and technology, and why this message might be particularly important in today's world."
- Expected Answer (incorporating understanding and critical thought): This line profoundly emphasizes that machines, despite their immense power and capabilities, are not autonomous or superior beings; they are entirely products of human intellect and creativity. It implies that humans retain ultimate control and responsibility over the technology they create. In today's world, with rapid advancements in AI and automation, this message is crucial because it serves as a reminder that we must not cede our agency or critical thinking to machines. It highlights the importance of ethical development, responsible use, and maintaining human oversight to ensure that technology continues to serve humanity's best interests rather than dictating them.
9. Remedial Teaching:
For slow learners:
- Simplified Language: Rephrase complex stanzas or lines in simpler terms.
- Visual Aids: Use images or diagrams of machines and their processes.
- Repetitive Reading: Engage in choral reading or repeated individual reading of lines.
- Focused Vocabulary Drills: Concentrate on a few key terms at a time with practical examples.
- Sentence Completion: Provide fill-in-the-blank exercises for key ideas from the poem.
- Audio Support: Provide audio recordings of the poem and its explanation.
10. Writing:
Ask students to write a short paragraph (50-80 words) from the perspective of a machine, describing a "typical day" of serving humans, incorporating at least three capabilities mentioned in the poem and one limitation.
11. Follow Up (Homework/Assignment/Activity):
- Creative Activity: Design a poster depicting the "life cycle" of a machine as described in the poem, from its raw state to its various functions, including a small section on its limitations or the "Law by which we live".
- Research Task: Research one of the machines mentioned implicitly (e.g., "print," "plough," "fly") and find out its historical development and how it has transformed human life.
- Discussion Prompt: Prepare to discuss in class whether the poem's warning about handling machines ('If you make a slip in handling us you die!') is still relevant in modern society, providing examples.
No comments:
Post a Comment