A Letter to God Explanation, Line by Line, Meaning of Difficult Words English CBSE Class 10 NCERT First Flight Chapter 1
A LETTER TO GOD
(Explanation, Meaning of difficult words)
Author – G L Fuentes
| Word | Meaning |
| Crest of hill | Top of hill |
| Ripe | Fully grown, Ready for harvesting |
| Dotted with flowers | Flowers in between |
| Harvest | Crop |
The house was situated on the top of the hill. The hill was not very high. It was the only house in that area. From the house, one could see the river and the field of ripe corn. The field had flowers of corn also. It was an indication that crop was good this time.
| Word | Meaning |
| Needed | Required |
| Downpour | Rain |
| Shower | Less quantity of rain |
| Intimately | Completely |
The earth needed rain or at least a small amount of rain for a good crop. Lencho is owner of the fields. He knew everything about his field. Since morning Lencho had been looking at the sky in the north-east direction.
| Word | Meaning |
| Supper | Dinner |
| God Willing | By the grace of God |
| Older boys | Elder boys |
| Smaller boys | Younger boys |
Lencho tells to a woman (his wife) that now they will surely get some rains. The woman replied that by the grace of God, it would surely happen. The woman was preparing dinner. The elder boys were working in the field. Younger boys were playing near the house. The woman called them for a dinner and all of them came to the house.
| Word | Meaning |
| Predict | Forecast, Tell about future |
| Huge | Very big |
| Approaching | Coming |
While they were having food, the big drops of rain started falling. This was exactly as predicated by Lencho. One could see large numbers of very big clouds coming from north-east direction. The air was fresh and its smell was very nice.
| Word | Meaning |
| Pleasure | Joy, Happiness |
| Exclaimed | Spoke with happiness |
| Cent | Small money like paisa of India |
Lencho went outside to feel joy of rain falling on his body. He returned and spoke with lot of happiness. These are not the drops of water. They are the new coins. The big drops are ten cent coins and small drops are five cent coins
| Word | Meaning |
| Expression | Appearance |
| Regarded | Looked |
| Draped | Covered |
| Hailstone | Ice falling with rain |
| Resemble | Look similar |
| Exposing | Experiencing, Going outside |
He was very much satisfied to look at his field of ripe corn and flowers. These were covered by rain falling on the field. Suddenly speed of the wind increased. And along with rains, hailstones started falling. These were of white colour and were shining like new silver coins. The boys went outside into the rain to collect hailstones. The hailstones looked like pearls.
| Word | Meaning |
| Exclaimed | Spoke with sadness |
| Passes | Stops, Goes away |
Lencho spoke with sadness that the rains with hailstone is bad for the crop. He wished that it stopped very soon. But it did not stop quickly. It rained hailstones for one hour. It rained everywhere. The field had become white as if salt had been spread on the field.
Every leaf from trees had fallen on ground. All the corn was completely destroyed. All the flowers had fallen on the ground. Lencho was now full of sadness.
| Word | Meaning |
| Plague | A large group |
| Locusts | Insect that eats crop |
When the storm had stopped, Lencho went out of the house. He stood in the field and looked around. He told his sons that even a group of insects (locusts) would not have damaged our crop so much. Because of hailstorm everything has been destroyed. This year there will not be any corn for us.
That night was full of sadness for them. Lencho said all our work has become a wastage. Nobody can help us now. We will be hungry this year.
| Word | Meaning |
| Solitary | Alone, Only one, Lonely |
Everybody living in that only house of the valley had one hope. They thought that God would surely help them.
His wife told Lencho not to be so worried although the crop was completely destroyed. She told him to remember that no one dies because of hunger. Lencho replied that people say that nobody dies because of hunger.
| Word | Meaning |
| Conscience | Mind, Moral sense |
| Instructed | Told, Taught |
Throughout that night Lencho thought about the help of God. It was his only hope. He had been told that God can see everything. God can also see what is in the mind and heart of everyone.
| Word | Meaning |
| Ox of a man | Very strong man |
| Daybreak | Morning |
| Place in the mail | Send by post |
Lencho was a very strong man. He used to work very hard in fields. He knew how to write. Next Sunday morning, he started writing a letter. He thought that he would himself carry that letter to the town and send it by post.
| Word | Meaning |
| Peso | Type of currency like Rupee |
| Sow | Put seeds in ground to grow, |
| Hailstorm | Storm with hailstones |
It was letter to God. In his letter he requested God to help him and his family, otherwise we will remain hungry this year. I need one hundred pesos to put new seeds in my field. And to live until the new crop comes. Because the hailstorm …..
| Word | Meaning |
| Troubled | Worried |
| Mailbox | Letter box |
He put that letter into an envelope and sealed it. He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope. He was still worried but went to the town. He pasted a stamp on the envelope and dropped it into the letterbox.
| Word | Meaning |
| Laughing heartily | Laughing a lot |
One of the employees at the post office was a postman. He used to also do other works of post office. He went to his boss – the postmaster. He was laughing a lot. He showed the letter to his boss. In his career as a postman, he did not know the address written on that envelope.
| Word | Meaning |
| Amiable | Friendly |
| Broke out laughing | Started laughing |
| Tap | To strike lightly |
| Commented | Said |
| Correspondence | Sending letter, Communication |
The post master was fat and a friendly person. He also started laughing. But immediately he became serious. He started tapping the letter on his desk. He wondered at the faith of the person who had written that letter. He wished he also had such faith. He was surprised that the man was sending a letter to God.
| Word | Meaning |
| Shake faith | Disturb the belief |
| Came up with an idea | Thought of an idea |
| Evident | Became clear |
| Goodwill | Friendly or kind feeling |
In order to keep the faith of the person in God, the postmaster thought of an idea. His wanted to write a reply to the letter. But when he read the letter it became clear to him he would need something in addition to paper, ink and kindness.
| Word | Meaning |
| Resolution | Decision |
| Stuck to | Maintained, Adhered |
| Charity | Donation, Help |
| Obliged | Agreed |
But he maintained his decision. He asked money from his colleagues. He also gave a portion of his salary. Many of his friends agreed to donate money to help the farmer.
| Word | Meaning |
| Gather | Collect |
| Containing | Having |
It was not possible for the postmaster to collect hundred pesos. He could collect slightly more than half of 100 pesos. He put that money in an envelope. He wrote the address of Lencho on the envelope. He also put a letter in the envelope. This letter had one single word ‘God’ written on it. This word was written as a signature.
| Word | Meaning |
| Bit | Slightly. Small |
| Contentment | Satisfaction |
| Deed | Work |
Next Sunday, Lencho came slightly early to the post office. He asked if there was any letter for him. The postman himself gave the letter to Lencho. The postmaster was looking at Lencho from his office. The postmaster had the satisfaction of a person who had done some good work.
| Word | Meaning |
| Slightest | Minimum |
| Denied | Refused |
Lencho was not at all surprised to see money in the envelope. Because he had a confidence in God. But he became angry after counting money. He thought that God cannot make any mistake. And God cannot refuse what Lencho had requested.
| Word | Meaning |
| Wrinkling | Bend, Fold |
Immediately Lanchow went to window of the post office and asked for a paper and a pen. There was a table in the post office where anybody could write. He went to that table and started writing. He was making lot of effort in writing his thoughts on that paper. His eyebrows had folds because of the effort.
| Word | Meaning |
| Licked | Touched with tongue |
| Affixed | Pasted, Fixed |
| Blow | Sudden stroke by something |
When Lencho had completed writing letter, he went to the window to buy a stamp. He licked the stamp. He put the stamp on the envelope and applied blows of his fist to paste it. He put the envelope into the letterbox. Immediately the postmaster took the letter out and opened it.
| Word | Meaning |
| Rest | Remaining, Balance |
| Crooks | Dishonest persons |
Following were written on the letter. God, from the money I had asked, I have received only 70 pesos. Please send me the remaining money because I need it very much. But please do not send through the post because people of post office are dishonest. The letter was signed by Lencho.
****
Dust of Snow
(Explanation)
Author – Robert Frost
| Word | Meaning |
| Dust of snow | Fine particles of snow |
| Hemlock tree | A poisonous tree |
The poet was walking under a Hemlock tree during winter season. He was very sad. All trees were covered with snow. A crow comes and sits on the three. Because of this movement, fine particles of snow from the tree fell on the poet.
| Word | Meaning |
| Rued | Felt sad |
As soon as snow fell on the poet, his mood changed. His feelings of sadness got away. Now his remaining day will be free from sadness
Detailed Explanation
Hemlock tree is a poisonous tree. Crow is a bird that in not liked by people. In this poem these represent things people do not want. Actually people hate these and want to avoid these. But these unwanted things removes sadness from the heart of poet.
Thus poet wants to gives a message that we may not be able to control the factors causing sadness in our life. But we can find something good in every situation that will make us happy.
The poet was unhappy in the beginning. A small incident made him feel better. Similarly, every small incident of life has the power to make us happy. We should not wait or look for big things to happen in our life. We should start enjoying the little good things of life. A combination of such small happiness can keep us always happy.
It also implies that we should regularly extend small helps to other people of society. Such small things may make a big difference to somebody. This way everybody in the society gets benefit. Hence status and culture of society improves to make the world a better place.
****
Fire and Ice
(Explanation)
Author – Robert Frost
| Word | Meaning |
| Desire | Wish |
| Favour | Support |
The poet says that someday this world would get destroyed. It will be either because of excessive heat or because of excessive cold. I have understood that a strong desire can cause lot disturbance in the life of a person. Such situation can be called as fire within the person. Therefore I feel the world will end because of fire.
| Word | Meaning |
| Perish | Die |
| Suffice | To be enough |
But if the world has to get destroyed twice, first it will be because of hate that is prevailing in the society. And the cold behaviour of people towards each other is also sufficient to destroy the world.
Detailed Explanation
By fire, the poet means that the unending desire of human beings. This desire has caused so much of fire within everybody that its impact on the world could be destructive. By ice poet means the cold behaviour of people towards others. People have stopped caring about feelings and emotion of others. Poet says that both aspects have the equal power to destroy the world.
The poet compares hate with fire. He says that people hate each other so much that the hatred has acquired the capacity to destroy the world. Similarly insensitivity of people towards each other can also destroy the world.
The desire for power has caused so many wars in the history of world. The desire for excessive money has made people greedy. Nowadays people attack, steal or cheat for the sake of money. Hence the power of desire can destroy the world.
With emergence of materialistic attitude, the human relations and human touch have disappeared from society. People have become selfish and cruel. Absence of affection and respect can also destroy the world.
Poet says that initially the fire of desire would destroy the world and then whatever remain, coldness of relation would destroy. Poet wants to say that desire of materialistic things leads to coldness among relations hence world will be destroyed twice.
****
0 Comments