WHEN GREAT TREES FALL.: SUMMARY AND QUESTION ANSWERS

 Here's a line-by-line analysis of the poem:
"When great trees fall,"
- The poem begins with a powerful metaphor, comparing the passing of great souls to the falling of great trees.
"rocks on distant hills shudder,"
- The impact of the great tree's fall is felt far and wide, causing even distant rocks to tremble.
"lions hunker down in tall grasses,"
- Even the mighty lions are affected, seeking shelter and safety in the tall grasses.
"and even elephants lumber after safety."
- The elephants, too, are impacted, searching for a safe haven.
"When great trees fall in forests,"
- The poem repeats the metaphor, emphasizing the significance of the event.
"small things recoil into silence,"
- The smaller creatures in the forest are stunned into silence, overwhelmed by the impact of the great tree's fall.
"their senses eroded beyond fear."
- Their senses are numbed, leaving them unable to feel even fear.
"When great souls die,"
- The poem shifts from the metaphor of the trees to the actual event of great souls passing away.
"the air around us becomes light, rare, sterile."
- The atmosphere becomes thin, rarefied, and devoid of nourishment.
"We breathe, briefly."
- We struggle to breathe, gasping for air.
"Our eyes, briefly, see with a hurtful clarity."
- For a moment, our eyes see the world with a painful clarity, as if the veil has been lifted.
"Our memory, suddenly sharpened, examines,"
- Our memories become vivid and sharp, reliving moments from the past.
"gnaws on kind words unsaid,"
- We regret the kind words we never spoke.
"promised walks never taken."
- We remember the promises we never kept.
"Great souls die and our reality, bound to them, takes leave of us."
- When great souls pass away, our reality is altered, leaving us feeling lost and disconnected.
"Our souls, dependent upon their nurture, now shrink, wizened."
- Our souls, which relied on the great souls for guidance and support, now wither and shrink.
"Our minds, formed and informed by their radiance, fall away."
- Our minds, shaped by the great souls' wisdom and light, lose their way.
"We are not so much maddened as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of dark, cold caves."
- We are not driven mad, but rather, we are left feeling lost and ignorant, like we're wandering in a dark, cold cave.
"And when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly."
- But even in death, great souls leave behind a legacy of peace, which slowly and imperfectly begins to bloom.
"Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration."
- The empty spaces left by the great souls are filled with a calming energy.
"Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us."
- Our senses, revived, speak to us in a whisper, changed forever by the experience.
"They existed."
- The great souls may be gone, but their existence is still felt.
"They existed."
- This repetition emphasizes the significance of their existence.
"We can be."
- We, too, can exist, can be, can live.
"Be and be better."
- We can strive to be better, to live up to the example set by the great souls.
"For they existed."
- And we can do all this because the great souls existed, leaving behind a legacy that inspires us.
I hope this line-by-line analysis helps you understand the poem better!
Here's a glossary of words and phrases from the poem "When Great Trees Fall" by Maya Angelou:
- *Shudder*: to shake or tremble with fear or cold
- *Hunker down*: to crouch or lie down in a low or hidden position, often for safety or protection
- *Lumber*: to move slowly and clumsily, often due to size or weight
- *Eroded*: worn away or reduced, often due to external forces
- *Sterile*: unable to produce or support life
- *Hurtful clarity*: a painful or uncomfortable understanding or insight
- *Gnaws*: to bite or chew slowly and persistently, often due to anxiety or worry
- *Wizened*: shriveled or shrunk, often due to age or lack of nourishment
- *Radiance*: a bright or glowing quality, often associated with light or warmth
- *Fall away*: to decline or decrease, often due to loss or separation
- *Unutterable*: unable to be expressed or spoken
- *Ignorance*: lack of knowledge or understanding
- *Soothing*: calming or comforting
- *Electric vibration*: a humming or buzzing energy, often associated with electricity or technology
- *Irregularly*: not in a regular or predictable pattern
Here's a line-by-line translation of the poem "When Great Trees Fall" by Maya Angelou in Hindi:
"When great trees fall,"
जब बड़े पेड़ गिरते हैं,
"rocks on distant hills shudder,"
दूर के पहाड़ों पर पत्थर कांपते हैं,
"lions hunker down in tall grasses,"
शेर लंबे घास में सिमट जाते हैं,
"and even elephants lumber after safety."
और हाथी भी सुरक्षा की तलाश में धीरे-धीरे चलते हैं.
"When great trees fall in forests,"
जब जंगल में बड़े पेड़ गिरते हैं,
"small things recoil into silence,"
छोटी चीजें चुप्पी में सिमट जाती हैं,
"their senses eroded beyond fear."
उनकी इंद्रियाँ डर से परे चली जाती हैं.
"When great souls die,"
जब महान आत्माएं मरती हैं,
"the air around us becomes light, rare, sterile."
हमारे आसपास की हवा हल्की, दुर्लभ और निष्फल हो जाती है.
"We breathe, briefly."
हम सांस लेते हैं, थोड़े समय के लिए.
"Our eyes, briefly, see with a hurtful clarity."
हमारी आँखें थोड़े समय के लिए दर्दनाक स्पष्टता के साथ देखती हैं.
"Our memory, suddenly sharpened, examines,"
हमारी स्मृति अचानक तेज होकर परीक्षा करती है,
"gnaws on kind words unsaid,"
अनकहे प्यारे शब्दों पर चबाती है,
"promised walks never taken."
कभी नहीं किए गए वादे की सैर।
"Great souls die and our reality, bound to them, takes leave of us."
महान आत्माएं मरती हैं और हमारी वास्तविकता, जो उनसे जुड़ी हुई है, हमें छोड़ देती है.
"Our souls, dependent upon their nurture, now shrink, wizened."
हमारी आत्माएं, जो उनकी देखभाल पर निर्भर थीं, अब सिकुड़ जाती हैं, मुरझा जाती हैं.
"Our minds, formed and informed by their radiance, fall away."
हमारे मन, जो उनकी चमक से बने और सूचित हुए थे, दूर हो जाते हैं.
"We are not so much maddened as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of dark, cold caves."
हम इतने पागल नहीं हैं जितने कि हम अंधेरे, ठंडे गुफाओं की अव्यक्त अज्ञानता में कम हो जाते हैं.
"And when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly."
और जब महान आत्माएं मरती हैं, तो एक समय के बाद शांति धीरे-धीरे और हमेशा अनियमित रूप से खिलती है.
"Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration."
स्थान एक प्रकार के शांतिदायक इलेक्ट्रिक कंपन से भर जाते हैं.
"Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us."
हमारी इंद्रियाँ, बहाल होकर, कभी भी पहले जैसी नहीं हो सकतीं, हमें फुसफुसाती हैं.
"They existed."
वे अस्तित्व में थे।
"They existed."
वे अस्तित्व में थे।
"We can be."
हम हो सकते हैं.
"Be and be better."
हो और बेहतर बनो।
"For they existed."
क्योंकि वे अस्तित्व में थे।