As I Grew Older

As I Grew Older

1. Read the following poem: ‘The Chimney Sweeper’ by William Blake

A little black thing among the snow

Crying ‘weep’! ‘Weep’! In notes of woe!

‘Where are thy father and mother, say?

They are both gone up to the church to pray

Because I was happy upon the heath,

And smiled among the winter’s snow

They cloth’d me in the clothes of death,

And taught me to sing the notes of woe,

And because I am happy and dance and sing,

They think they have done me no injury,

And are gone to praise God and his priest and king,

Who make up a heaven of our misery?

[Woe – sorrow, heath – earth (here)]

2. Compare and contrast this poem with ‘As I Grew Older’. Write a note of comparison

in a paragraph of about 80 words.

3. The boy in ‘As I grew older’ wants to break the barriers of social discrimination.

Prepare two slogans to emphasize the need of equality.

4. The black boy in the poem 'As I grew older' decided to arrange a march to protest

against the atrocities of the whites draft two slogans for the black boy.

5. The black boy in Langston Hughes poem 'As I grew older' had his dreams about the

future. What are your dreams about your future?

6. Nelson Mandela fought against colour discrimination in South Africa. However it

continues even today. Prepare an article on the difficulties faced by Blacks.

7. Langston Hughes has asked himself to break the wall and to smash the darkness that

surrounds him. He was surrounded by walls of racial discrimination. Have you ever

felt

8. Being surrounded by any social evil how did you feel then? Record your experiences

in not more than 100 words

9. Write an alternate title for the poem ‘As I Grew Old’

10. Write a review of the poem ‘As I Grew Older’

11. In 'As I grew older' the boy discovers that he is only a shadow destined to live in

darkness in social sphere. Write a diary on his experience in about 80 words. (Hints:

his dream- attitude of the white people- racial discrimination)

12. As I grew older pointed some of the social issues like social discrimination, social

injustice etc. For giving support to solve this problems write two slogans which can

use against this social injustice.

13. Read the following poem and compare it with “As I Grew Older”.

The Little Black Boy

MY mother bore me in the southern wild,

And I am black, but O, my soul is white!

White as an angel is the English child,

But I am black, as if bereaved of light.

My mother taught me underneath a tree,

And, sitting down before the heat of day,

She took me on her lap and kissed me,

And, pointing to the East began to say:

'Look at the rising sun: there God does live,

And gives His light, and gives His heat away,

And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive

Comfort in morning, joy in the noonday.

'And we are put on earth a little space,

That we may learn to bear the beams of love;

And these black bodies and this sun burnt face

Are but a cloud, and like a shady grove.

'For when our souls have learn'd the heat to bear,

The cloud will vanish; we shall hear His voice,

Saying, "Come out from the grove, my love and care,

And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice."'

Thus did my mother say, and kissed me,

And thus I say to little English boy.

When I from black and he from white cloud free,

And round the tent of God like lambs we joy,

I'll shade him from the heat till he can bear

To lean in joy upon our Father's knee;

And then I'll stand and stroke his silver hair,

And be like him, and he will then love me.

14. Read the following poem

I am a black

When I born, I black

When I grow up, I black

When I go in the sun, I black

When I Scared, I black

When I Sick, I black

And When I die, I still black]

And you white fellow

When you born, you pink

When you grow up, you white

When you go in the sun, you red

When you cold, you blue

When you scared, you yellow

When you sick, you green

And when you die, you grey

And you calling me coloured?

Why???

Write a review of the poem by making a comparison between the boy of the poem 'As

I grew older'

15. Growing up as a black among the white dominated society is a painful process. Do

you agree? Examine this statement in the light of Langston Hughes's poem.

16. The poem “As I Grew Older” exposes the painful discrimination faced by the poet

and the resultant revolt which was inevitable. In our society also we come across such

kinds of discrimination in the name of caste, colour, creed, money, sex etc... Express

your views on it in a paragraph of 100 words in the light of the poem "As I Grew

Older"

17. Read the following poem

I TOO

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I’ll be at the table

When the company comes

Nobody’ll dare

Say to me,

“Eat in the kitchen,”

Then

Besides,

They’ll see how beautiful we are

And be ashamed-

I, too, am America.

Now, compare and contrast the poem with As I Grew Older by Langston Hughes.

Write your note of comparison in a paragraph of about 80 words.

18. You have read about the attacks on Indian students in Australia. Make an analysis of

the issue in the light of the poem "As I Grew Older" [hints: dreams - colour, race

discrimination-humiliation-hindrance-rights-freedom]

19. ‘As I Grew Older’ by Langston Hughes is a powerful attack on racial discrimination.

The poem describes the harsh problems faced by the Black people in America.

However, there are a few great personalities who won great popularity all over the

world despite their Black origin. Barrack Obama, the US president, is one among

them. He completed his first year as president in Jan. 2010. Would you like to

congratulate him on this occasion? Write a letter to Obama in about 60 words.