Books

Eleanor Farjeon

What worlds of wonder are our books!

As one opens them and looks,

New ideas and people rise In our fancies and our eyes.

The room we sit in melts away,

And we find ourselves at play

With some one who, before the end,

May become our chosen friend.

Or we sail along the page

To some other land or age.

Here’s our body in the chair,

But our mind is over there.

Each book is a magic box,

Which with a touch a child unlocks.

In between their outside covers

Books hold all things for their lovers.

বই
এলিনর ফারজিওন

কি বিস্ময়ের জগৎই না আমাদের বই!
যখন কেউ খুলে দেখে তাই,
নতুন ভাবনা আর মানুষ উঠে আসে
আমাদের কল্পনায় ও চোখে ভাসে।

ঘরটা যেন গলে যায় দূরে,
আর আমরা খেলি এক অজানা সুরে—
কেউ একজন, গল্পের শেষে,
হয়ে উঠতে পারে প্রিয় সঙ্গী বেশে।

পাতার সাথে আমরা ভেসে চলি
ভিন্ন কালের, ভিন্ন দেশের গলি।
চেয়ারে আমাদের শরীর বসে,
কিন্তু মন যেন চলে যায় দূর দেশে।

প্রত্যেক বই এক যাদুর বাক্স,
একটি ছোঁয়ায় খুলে দেয় শিশু–হাতের স্পর্শে লক্ষ লক্ষ রক্স।
বাইরের মলাটের মাঝে
বই প্রেমিকদের জন্য রাখে সবকিছু সাজিয়ে।

Summary (সারাংশ) in English:

The poet says that books are full of wonder and magic. When we open a book, it brings new ideas and people into our minds. The room we are in disappears, and we feel like we are playing or talking with someone from the story. Sometimes, the person in the story becomes our good friend. Books can take us to faraway lands or even to the past. Though our body stays in the chair, our mind goes on a journey. Books are like magic boxes that children can open and enjoy. Inside every book, there are many wonderful things for those who love reading.

বাংলায় সারাংশ:

কবি বলেন, বই এক বিস্ময়কর জিনিস। যখন আমরা বই খুলি, তখন নতুন নতুন ভাবনা আর মানুষ আমাদের কল্পনায় আসে। আমরা যে ঘরে বসে আছি, তা যেন হারিয়ে যায়, আর আমরা গল্পের মানুষের সঙ্গে খেলতে বা কথা বলতে থাকি। অনেক সময় সেই মানুষটা আমাদের প্রিয় বন্ধুও হয়ে যায়। বই আমাদের অনেক দূরের জায়গায় বা পুরানো সময়ে নিয়ে যায়। আমাদের দেহ চেয়ারে থাকলেও, মন অনেক দূরে চলে যায়। বই একেকটি জাদুর বাক্সের মতো, যেগুলো শিশুরা খুলে আনন্দ পায়। বইয়ের ভেতরে যারা পড়তে ভালোবাসে, তাদের জন্য আছে অনেক কিছু শেখার ও উপভোগ করার। 

Theme (মূলভাব) in English:

This poem shows the magic of books. Books take us to new places, times, and adventures. They help us meet new friends and learn new things. Even when we sit still, our minds can travel far. Books are full of joy and knowledge for those who love to read.

বাংলায় মূলভাব:

এই কবিতাটি বইয়ের জাদু দেখায়। বই আমাদের নতুন জায়গা, সময় এবং রোমাঞ্চে নিয়ে যায়। বই পড়ে আমরা নতুন বন্ধু পাই এবং অনেক কিছু শিখতে পারি। আমরা চেয়ারে বসে থাকলেও, আমাদের মন অনেক দূরে ভ্রমণ করতে পারে। যারা বই ভালোবাসে, তাদের জন্য বই আনন্দ আর জ্ঞানে ভরা।

Answer the following questions.

(a) What are the benefits of reading a book according to the poet in the poem ‘Books’?

(b) Why does the poet call each book a magic box?

(c) How do we find our chosen friend while reading a book?

(d) What do books bring in our fancies and eyes?

(e) What does the poet say about new ideas in the poem ‘Books’?

(f) Each book is a magic book, Which with a touch a child unlocks? What figures of speech used these stanzas? Explain those lines

(g) How does the poem ‘Books’ portray the power of imaginations?

(h) What does the poem “Books” describe books as?

(i) What happens when one opens a book according to the poem “Books”?

(j) What are books compared to in the poem “Books”?

(k) What does the poem “Books” suggest about reading as a mental journey?

(l) What does the poet say about the good things that reading a book can do to you?

(m) Who is the poet of the poem ‘Books’?

(n) What melts away when we read a book?

(o) What might the people in books become by the end?

(p) What do we do as we sail along the pages of book?

(q) Where is our mind and body while reading a book?

(r) What is the teaching of the poem ‘Books’?

(s) Who is the speaker of the poem talking about in the first stanza?

(t) What does the poet mean by “The room we sit in melts away”?

(u) What do the words “new ideas and people rise” suggest about reading books?

(v) Find a rhyming pair of words from the second stanza.

(w) What message is the poet trying to give to young readers?

(x) How do books help develop our imagination? Give your own example.

(y) What does the poet mean by “What worlds of wonder are our books”?

(z) How do books help the reader escape reality, according to the poem?

(aa) Identify and explain a metaphor used in the poem.

(ab) Identify and explain a simile used in the poem.

(ac) How does the poet describe the people and ideas found in books?

(ad) What does the poet mean by “Books hold all things for their lovers”?

(ae) How are books described as being magical for children?

(af) What role do books play in connecting the past, present, and future?

(ag) What is the significance of the phrase “before the end, May become our chosen friend”?

(ah) How does the poet make books appealing to the readers?

(ai) “Here’s our body in the chair! But our mind is over there.” What does the poet want to mean by these two lines?

Answer

(a) The poet mentions that reading a book provides a gateway to other worlds, offering new experiences, knowledge and adventures. Books are a source of wisdom, joy, and mental stimulation, opening up the imagination to endless possibilities.

(b) The poet refers to each book as a magic box because a book has the power to transport the reader to a world of fantasy, imagination and knowledge, much like a magic box that holds mysterious and wondrous things.

(c) While reading a book, we find our chosen friend through the characters and the emotions they evoke. The connection is made when the reader resonates with the themes and people in the book, offering companionship and a shared experience.

(d) Books bring imagination and vision to our minds. They allow us to see beyond the ordinary, to experience fantasies, adventures, and dreams that are vivid in our imagination, bringing new perspectives and insights.

(e) In the poem, the poet suggests that books serve as gateways to new ideas. They offer new perspectives, ways of thinking that spark imagination and open up the mind to infinite possibilities.

(f) The figure of speech used here is a metaphor. Here the book is compared to a “magic box” to symbolize its ability to unlock new knowledge and ideas, much like how a box can be opened to reveal something hidden. A child can effortlessly unlock this hidden depth exploring within. A touch of curiosity, they unveil the magic and adventures inside.

(g) The poem portrays the power of imagination by illustrating how books allow readers to explore new worlds and experiences. It emphasizes that books are not just collections of words but doors to adventures and vast imaginations through which help readers envision limitless possibilities beyond the ordinary.

(h) The poem describes books as magical boxes. When opened, they unlock new worlds, ideas, and possibilities for the reader, offering a chance to explore and imagine.

(i) When one opens a book, new ideas, characters, and worlds rise in the reader’s imagination. This transports the reader to different times and places, allowing their mind to wander freely.

(j) Books are compared to magical boxes. These boxes hold endless adventures, stories, and knowledge, waiting to be discovered by anyone who opens them.

(k) The poem “Books” suggests that reading is a mental journey that transports the reader to different worlds. It opens new realms of imagination and learning, allowing readers to experience different times, places, and perspectives without leaving their seats.

(l) The poet suggests that reading a book can open up new worlds and ideas. It helps the reader explore different perspectives, engage with the imagination, and travel mentally to different times, places, and adventures.

(m) The poet of the poem “Books” is Emily Dickinson.

(n) When we read, we become so absorbed in the story that we forget about our surroundings. The phrase “melt away” suggests that we lose awareness of everything around us, as we are mentally transported into the world of the book. This shows the power of literature to captivate our minds and take us to different places without physically moving.

(o) The people in books may become our chosen friend by the end, symbolizing how characters in stories can leave a lasting impact on the reader.

(p) As we sail along the pages of a book, we journey to different lands or ages to explore different times and places.

(q) While reading a book, our body is in the chair, but our mind is elsewhere, traveling in the world of the book.

(r) The teaching of the poem “Books” is that books have the power to open new worlds for us, stimulate imagination and take us on magical journeys.

(s) The speaker is talking about books and their ability to open new worlds when one opens them.

(t) The phrase “The room we sit in melts away” means that our physical environment is forgotten as we are fully absorbed in the world of the book.

(u) The words “new ideas and people rise” suggest that reading books introduces us to new concepts, characters and perspectives which in turn help to expand our imagination.

(v) A rhyming pair of words from the second stanza is “away” and “play.”

(w) The poet is trying to convey the message that books are magical, offering opportunities for exploration, learning, and the development of imagination.

(x) Books help develop our imagination by transporting us to different places, times, and experiences that are beyond our immediate reality. For example, reading fantasy novels like “Harry Potter” allows us to imagine magical worlds and creatures, fueling creativity and imagination.

(y) The poet means that books are magical and full of surprises, offering new experiences, ideas, and adventures that can transport readers to fascinating and imaginative places.

(z) Books allow the reader’s imagination to take over, making the physical surroundings “melt away” as they immerse themselves in the story, effectively escaping reality.

(aa) The line “Each book is a magic box” is a metaphor. It compares a book to a magic box, emphasizing how it unlocks a world of imagination and discovery with just a touch.

(ab) The poem does not explicitly use a simile (a comparison using “like” or “as”). However, the metaphor of the “magic box” creates a simile-like imagery, indirectly comparing the book’s ability to transport readers to a magical transformation.

(ac) The poet describes them as rising in the reader’s imagination and mind, becoming vivid and real, as sometimes even forming a deep connection as if they were chosen friends. 

(ad) The poet suggests that books contain a wealth of knowledge, emotions, adventures, and experiences as a cider to the interests and imaginations of those who love them. 

(ac) Books are described as “magic boxes” that children can unlock with a touch, symbolizing how easily book, can captivate and stimulate a child’s imagination. 

(af) Books allow readers to “sail along the page” to different lands and ages, bridging the past, present, and future, through stories, knowledge, and imagination. 

(ag) This phrase emphasizes how books introduce readers to characters or ideas that can deeply resonate with them, forming a lasting connection akin to friendship. 

(ah) The poet portrays books as magical, full of wonder, and capable of transporting readers to other world, times, and adventures, making them irresistible to imagination. 

(ai) The poet reflects on how our body can be physically present while our mind may be mentally distracted elsewhere. It signifies the disconnect between the body and the mind.