CLASS 10 BLISS
Lesson 8: The Snail by William Cowper
The author and the text:
William Cowper (1731-1800) was one of the most popular poets of his times. Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing about the English countryside and the everyday lives of people. His famous works include Olney Hymns and The Task.
The poem takes us into the private world of a snail, where it is seen to lead a self-sufficient life. We are allowed to observe, in minute detail, the small yet self-contained world in which a snail lives.
Read the following poem:
To grass, or leaf, or fruit, or wall
The snail sticks close, nor fears to fall
As if he grew there, house and all,
Together.
Within that house secure he hides
When danger imminent betides
Of storm, or other harm besides
Of weather.
Give but his horns the slightest touch,
His self-collecting pow’r is such,
He shrinks into his house with much
Displeasure.
Where’er he dwells, he dwells alone,
Except himself has chatels none,
Well satisfied to be his own
Whole treasure.
Word Nest
- imminent: likely to happen soon
- chatels: personal belongings
Comprehension Exercises
1. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
- (a) With the slightest touch, the snail shrinks into its house with…
(i) displeasure - (b) In its house, the snail lives with…
(iv) no one
2. State whether the following statements are True or False. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer:
- (a) The snail fears to fall from the wall. False
Supporting statement: `The snail sticks close, nor fears to fall` - (b) The snail comes out of his house during a storm. False
Supporting statement: `Within that house secure he hides When danger imminent betides Of storm…`
3. Answer the following questions:
- (a) What does the snail usually stick itself to?
The snail usually sticks itself to grass, leaf, fruit, or a wall. - (b) What makes the snail well-satisfied?
The snail is well-satisfied to be his own whole treasure; he is content with his own self and has no other possessions.
Grammar in Use
4. Change the following sentences into questions, as directed:
- (a) Siraj always rises early. (Interrogative sentence using ‘does’)
Does Siraj always rise early? - (b) Joyce is the best singer in the class. (Information question using ‘who’)
Who is the best singer in the class? - (c) He saw the rainbow. (Interrogative sentence using ‘did’)
Did he see the rainbow? - (d) I go to school by bus. (Information question using ‘how’)
How do you go to school?
Writing Activity
5. Write a letter (within 100 words) to the editor of an English daily about the disturbances caused by the thoughtless use of loudspeakers.
Sample Answer:
(This is a creative writing prompt. A sample answer is not provided in the original text.)
Teachers’ Guidelines
Lesson-wise Learning Objectives:
- Lesson 1 (Father’s Help): Reinforcing the ability to use articles, prepositions and tenses appropriately; developing the skill to write letters to newspaper editors.
- Lesson 2 (Fable): Reinforcing the ability to transform sentences from active voice to passive voice and vice versa; ability to use appropriate phrasal verbs; skill to write a paragraph and informal letters.
- Lesson 3 (The Passing Away of Bapu): Developing the ability to join and split sentences; reinforcing the skill to write a process using a flowchart and to write a biography.
- Lesson 4 (My Own True Family): Reinforcing the ability to transform sentences and to change the form of narration from direct speech to indirect speech; developing the skill to write notices.
- Lesson 5 (Our Runaway Kite): Developing the ability to frame questions; reinforcing the skill to write a story and to write dialogues.
- Lesson 6 (Sea Fever): Reinforcing the ability to transform sentences; skill to write a newspaper report and to summarise a given passage.
- Lesson 7 (The Cat): Reinforcing the ability to join and split sentences; skill to write notices.
- Lesson 8 (The Snail): Reinforcing the ability to frame questions; skill to write editorial letters.
Expected Competencies:
| Skills/Functional Areas | Expected Competencies |
|---|---|
| Listening | Ability to listen to and comprehend a speech, running commentary of a sports event, public announcement |
| Speaking | Ability to converse in formal and informal situations |
| Reading | Intensive reading, extensive reading, skimming, scanning |
| Writing | Newspaper report, summary, notice, biography, story, paragraph, process writing, dialogue, letter (formal and informal) |
| Grammar | Article, preposition, tense, phrasal verb, joining sentences, splitting sentences, voice change, narration change, transformation of sentences (degree change, parts of speech, sentence types) |
| Vocabulary | Synonyms from textbook and beyond |
Distribution of Marks and Question Pattern
| Testing Areas | MCQ (1 mark each) | SAQ (1 mark each) | LAQ (2 marks each) | DAQ (10 marks each) | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (A) Reading Comprehension (Seen) | Prose: 5 ques (5 marks) Poetry: 4 ques (4 marks) |
Prose: 3 ques (3 marks) | Prose: 2 ques (4 marks) Poetry: 2 ques (4 marks) |
nil | 20 |
| (B) Reading Comprehension (Unseen) | 6 ques (6 marks) | 6 ques (6 marks) | 4 ques (8 marks) | nil | 20 |
| (C) Grammar & Vocabulary | 3 ques (3 marks) | 9 ques (9 marks) | 4 ques (8 marks) | nil | 20 |
| (D) Writing | nil | nil | nil | 3 ques (30 marks) | 30 |
| Marks per Question Type | 18 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 90 |