God Made The Country
(William Cowper )
God made the Country and man made the town.
What wonder then that health and Virtue , gifts
That can alone make sweet the bitter draught
That life holds out to all , should most abound
And least be threatened in the field and groves ?
हिंदी रूपांतरण : ईश्वर ने देश का निर्माण किया और मनुष ने शहर . इसमें कोई आश्चर्य नहीं है कि ईश्वर ने हमें सब कुछ प्राकृतिक रूप में प्रदान किया था जिससे मनुष्य ने प्रदूषित कर दिया है . धरती और जंगल के ऊपर खतरा मंडरा रहा है . यह हमारे अस्तित्व पर एक प्रश्नसूचक चिन्ह है .
Possess ye, therefore,ye, who borne about
In chariots and sedans, know no fatigue
But that of idleness,and taste no scenes
But such as art contrives,possess ye still
Your element; there only can ye shine ;
हिंदी रूपांतरण : कवि कहता है कि आज का मनुष्य तरह-तरह के आविष्कारों का निर्माण आरामदायक जीवन व्यतीत करने लगा है लेकिन मनुष्य का शरीर जो कभी शक्तिसाली हुआ करता था आज कमजोर होता दिख रहा है . यह क्षमता आज भी ग्राम में वातावरण में रहने वाले लोगों में दृष्टिगोचर होता है .
Our groves were planted to console at noon
The pensive wanderer in their shades.At eve
The moonbeam , sliding softly in between
The sleeping leaves is all the light they wish,
Birds warbling all the music.
हिंदी रूपांतरण : कवि कहता है कि ईश्वर ने हमारे लिए जंगल , उद्यान आदि की सृष्टि की थी . दिन में वह सूरज से तथा रात में चंद्रमा की किरणों से प्रकाशित होता है . पेड़ पौधे थके माँदे लोगों को शीतलता प्रदान करते हैं पक्षी भी अपने मधुर गीतों को गाते रहती थी . लेकिन आज के दृश्य बदल चुके हैं .
We can spare
The splendour of your lamps;they but eclipse
Our softer satellite. Your songs confound
Our more harmonious notes:the thrush departs
Scared , and the offended nightingale is mute.
हिंदी रूपांतरण : हम लोगों आपके रोशनी की भव्य काया को छोड़ सकते हैं जो ग्रहण है वो कुछ और नहीं बल्कि हल्के उपग्रह है आप के गीत हमारे लयबंध गीत को उलझन की स्थिति में ले आते हैं . चिड़ियों डर के भाग जाती है और वह आहट भरी बुलबुल शांत रहती है .
Words Details :
| Word | Meaning |
| God | ईश्वर |
| Made | बनाया |
| Country | देश |
| Wonder | आश्चर्य |
| Then | तब |
| Virtue | गुण |
| Confound | उलझाना |
| More | अधिक |
| Harmomous | सामंजस्यपूर्ण |
| Notes | टिप्पणियाँ |
| Thrust | जोर |
| Departs | चढ़ने |
| Scared | डरा हुआ |
| Offended | अपमानित |
| Nightingale | बुलबुल |
| Mute | आवाज़ बंद करना |
| Gift | उपहार |
| Alone | अकेला |
| Make | बनाना |
| Bitter | कड़वा |
| Draught | मसौदा |
| Holds out | बाहर रखता है |
| Should | चाहिए |
| Most | अधिकांश |
| Abound | प्रचुर मात्रा में |
| Least | कम से कम |
| Be | होना |
| Threaten | धमकी देना |
| Grove | कुंज |
| Possess | काबू करना |
| Therefore | इसलिए |
| Borne about | के बारे में वहन किया |
| Chariot | रथ |
| Sedans | सेडान |
| Fatigue | थकान |
| Idleness | आलस्य |
| Taste | स्वाद |
| Scene | दृश्य |
| Such as | जैसे कि |
| Contrive | ईजाद करना |
| Element | तत्व |
| Shine | चमक |
| Minds | मन |
| Like | पसंद |
| Harm | चोट |
| Grove | कुंज |
| Were planted | लगाए गए थे |
| Console | सांत्वना देना |
| Pensive | चिंताग्रस्त |
| Wanderer | रमता जोगी |
| Shade | छाया |
| Moonbeam | चन्द्रिका |
| Slide | फिसलना |
| Softly | नरमी से |
| Between | बीच में |
| Warble | गीत |
| Spare | अतिरिक्त |
| Splendour | वैभव |
| Eclipse | ग्रहण |
| Softer | नरम |
| Satellite | उपग्रह |
Comprehension :-
God made the Country and man made the town.
What wonder then that health and Virtue , gifts
That can alone make sweet the bitter draught
That life holds out to all , should most abound
And least be threatened in the field and groves ?
Question :
1.Who made the town ?
2. Where do you find health and virtue ?
3. Where do you see the groves ?
4. Who made the country ?
Answer :
1.Man made the town
2. In village,we find health and virtue.
3. We see the groves in village.
4. God made the country.
Comprehension :-
Our groves were planted to console at noon
The pensive wanderer in their shades.At eve
The moonbeam , sliding softly in between
The sleeping leaves is all the light they wish,
Birds warbling all the music.
Question :
1. Why were groves planted ?
2. What for ‘Our ‘ stands in the first line ?
3. What is the source of light in village at evening ?
4. What is the condition of birds in the town ?
Answer :
1. Groves were planted to comfort us .
2. Here ‘Our’ stands for all of the people .
3. The moon is the source of light in village at evening .
4. They have become mute .
Objective Type Question :
1.” Who created the poem “God Made The Country’?
(A) William Cowper
(B) William Wordsworthin
(C) Alexander Pope
(D) Durga Prasad Panda
Ans :- A
2. William Cowper may be said to be giving in his poems a foretaste of the poetry of ………………?
(A) Wordsworth
(B) Puran Singh
(C) Laxmi Prasad
(D) Durga Prasad Panda
Ans :- A
3. According to the poet who made the town?
(A) God
(B) Government
(C) Man
(D) None of these
Ans :- C
4. Where do you find health and virtue?
(A) Space
(B) Town
(C) Village
(D) Country
Ans :- C
5. What has made the man idle ?
(A) Luxurious life
(B) Comfortable devices
(C) Packed foods
(D) None of these
Ans :- B
6. Why were groves planted ?
(A) To comfort us
(B) To provide us loaries
(C) To provide us fuel
(D) None of these
Ans :- A
7. What is thepoet’s desire ?
(A) To enjoy comfortable conditions
(B) To enjoy luxury
(C) To energy green environment
(D) The pleasure of natural objects
Ans :- D
8. According to the poet, health and virtue can be found in
(A) Towns
(B) Cities
(C) Villages
(D) Factories
Ans :- C
9. The towns people do not enjoy any real
(A) Fun
(B) Food
(C) Drink
(D) Scenery
Ans :- D
10. The villagers can do very well without the …………….. lights of the town.
(A) Grand
(B) Dim
(C) Soft
(D) Shining
Ans :- A
11. On hearing the songs of the towns, singing-birds like the ……… are afraid and go away.
(A) Parrot
(B) Thrush
(C) Cuckoo
(D) Sparrow
Ans :- B
12. The poet calls things like health and virtue
(A) Gifts
(B) Prizes
(C) Curses
(D) Defects
Ans :- A
13. Where do you find fields and groves?
(A) in villages
(B) in towns
(C) in forests
(D) in cities
Ans :- A
14. What is the source of light in villages in the evening?
(A) seen
(B) moon
(C) lamp
(D) none of these
Ans :- B
15. Where is life better?
(A) in towns
(B) in villages
(C) in markets
(D) in homes
Ans :- A
16. What can make our life sweet? ….!
(A) good facilities
(B) health and virtue
(C) scenes
(D) none of these
Ans :- B
17. Wiere is the life least threatened ?
(A) in towns
(B) in the fields and groves
(C) in villages
(D) none of these
Ans :- B
18. What are planted to console the pensive wanderer ?
(A) grooves
(B) shạdes
(C) walls
(D) factories
Ans :- A
19. The moonbeam slides between ….
(A) the houses
(B) the sleeping leaves
(C) shades
(D) none of these
Ans :- A
20. The thrush departs …..
(A) sacred
(B) gladly
(C) scared
(D) boldly
Ans :- C
21. The song bird referred to in this poem is
(A) Nightingale
(B) Thrush
(C) both (A) & (B)
(D) None of these
Ans :- C
22. In this poem the narrator is
(A) A townsman
(B) God
(C) Country
(D) a villager
Ans :- D
23. William Cowper was born in.
(A) 1721
(B) 1711
(C) 1730
(D) 1731
Ans :- D
24. William Cowper died in
(A) 1805
(B) 1798
(C) 1800
(D) 1810
Ans :- C
25. Like whom the poet did not hesitate in giving clear-cut opinion about the issues of his time?.
(A) William Cowper
(B) Keats
(C) Wordsworth
(D) Thooran
Ans :- C
26. A two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle used in olden times
(A) Cart
(B) Chart
(C) Chariot
(D) None
Ans :- C
27. Why is the thrush scared and the nightingale offended?
(A) to hear the voice of the poet
(B) to hear the songs of village
(C) to hear the songs of town
(D) None of these
Ans :- C
28. Health and goodness can make our life
(A) harder
(B) Comic
(C) sweet
(D) confound
Ans :- C
Short Answer Type Question :
1.Where do you find health and virtue ?
Ans. We find health and virtue in villages.
2. Where do you find fields and groves ?
Ans. We find fields and groves in countryside.
3. What is the source of light in villages in the evening ?
Ans. The Moon is the source of light in villages in the evening.
4. Do you belong to a village? Which natural scenes and objects there attract you most ?
Ans. Yes, I belong to a village. The river and tall trees of my village attract me most.
5. Do you belong to a town? What things cause annoyance to you there ?
Ans. Yes, I belong to a town. Crowd and pollution make us annoyed.
6. In which way, do modern devices harm us ?
Ans. No doubt, modern devices give us physical comfort, but they have side effects. They create many problems that are harmful to us.
7. What is the better, Town life or Country life ?
Ans. It is my view that country life is the home of pleasure. There we do not get any anxiety. We do not face any limitations. Nearness to nature can give us health, wealth and all pleasures.
8. What are making our life bitter ?
Ans. Modern developments, on which we have begun to depend, at the place of nature, are making our life bitter. We have lost our peace and have become restless.
9. What can make our life sweet ?
Ans. Good health and virtue can make our life sweet. If these two things we have, can enjoy the pleasures of life in a village.
10. Is village life better than city life ?
Ans. Village life is better than city life because groves make our environment pollution free. Animals and birds life in their natural habitat. At day break we are able to hear birds song. But on the other hand these things are not found in city.
11. Why is life bitter ? Or, Why is life bitter ? Answer on the basis of the poem “God made the country, in brief way.
Ans. Life is a valuable gift of Almighty. God has provided us all gifts of our needs. With the evolution of towns and cities, problems have been increasing. We have no place to live comfortably. Even air, which is God’s gift, has been polluted. Water has lost its lusture and taste. Birds and plants, and trees are decreasing. It means we are losing our existence. In this way our life is bitter.
12. Why does the poet believe that God made the country ?
Ans. The poet believes that God made the country with natural beauty. Men used to live in real environment where life is peaceful. Birds would chirp and trees welcome to all creatures for giving their shelter, God wished to make our life purposeful but we have upset the balance.
13. Why does the poet believe that man made the town ?
Ans. The poet believes that God made this world comfortable but man has changed the world. It is the centre of unnatural conditions. Modern devices have been made by man. These devices are breaking the harmony of nature. He is making the whole world polluted. He is not able to think what will happen if it is not stopped.
14. What can make our life sweet ?
Ans. God has given us a number of gifts. If we use the God’s gifts in the same way as he has provided us, our life must be sweet. We should live in the lap of nature where sweet songs of the nightingale and other birds would give us comfort. Trees must be planted at a large scale with sacred vow. We will have to change ourselves as before. Then our life must be sweet.
15. What function do groves perform in a village ?
Ans. Groves make our environment pollution-free. We can breathe pure oxygen. They give us a good sight of our eyes that makes us happy and worthwhile. In groves, we can be able to see different types of animals in their natural habitats. At day-break we are able to hear birds’ song. Rain is also cause by wood.
16. What are the birds scared of ? Explain.
Ans. Here town means the centre of modernisation where there is no tree. No habitat of bird is found there. Birds sing only where they live in natural environment. They have foresight to see disaster. They are threatening us to be aware of the calamity lest all things will be destroyed. So they are scared too.
17. Give the central idea of the poem God Made The Country.
Ans. “God made the country’ gives an idea of natural habitat for all living organisms. Being created in a natural way, villages possess a perfection that towns can never have. Addressing to the inhabitants, the poet focuses on the virtues of the rural life and exhorts them to escape from artificial luxury and comfort to the simple, but enduring pleasures of a village.