Childhood - Hornbill - Class XI - English Core - NCERT/CBSE

Childhood  -  Hornbill -
Class XI - English Core - NCERT/CBSE

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Childhood - Explanation in Hindi

Stanza 1
When did my childhood go?
Was it the day I ceased to be
eleven.
Was it the time I realised that Hell
and Heaven,
Could not be found in Geography,
And therefore could not be,
Was that the day!

Explanation :

Poet tries to find out  when did his childhood go. He asked a question from himself and tried to answer himself. Whether it was the day he became twelve or it was the day when he realized  that heaven and hell couldn't be located in any map or atlas. So they don't exist on this world. So this stanza tells about the rationalism. Child now tries to know what  right and wrong is .

Explanation in Hindi:

Poet ये पता लगाने की कोशिश करता है कि उसका बचपन कब समाप्त हो गया। इसके लिए वह दो स्तर पर सोचता है। पहला,  क्या जब वो 12 साल का हो गया, तब उसका बचपन समाप्त हो गया। यहाँ उसका आशय उम्र से है। दूसरा, जब उसे ये समझ में आया कि स्वर्ग और नर्क नाम की कोई जगह इस धरती या संसार में नहीं पाई जाती है, इसलिये ये दोनों ही काल्पनिक चीज़ें है। यहाँ पोएट का आशय बौद्धिक विकास से है।  इस प्रकार poet उम्र और मानसिक विकास के आधार पर यह जानने की कोशिश करता है कि उसका बचपन कब समाप्त हुआ।

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Stanza 2
When did my childhood go?
Was it the time realised that
adults were not
All they seemed to be,
They talked of love and preached
of love,
But did not act so lovingly,
Was that the day!

Explanation:

In his refrain question,  poet tries to find out when his childhood ended . Was it the time he realized that adults are not the same as they pretend to be. They talk of love, advise to  treat lovingly with other people. But they themselves don't behave lovingly. Their actions are totally different from their words. This stanza talks about hypocrisy prevailed in adults.

Explanation in Hindi:

क्या ये वो समय था जब उसे ये समझ मे आया कि बड़ी आयु के लोग जैसे दिखते हैं वैसे ही नहीं। वे प्रेमपूर्वक रहने की सलाह देते है प्रेम से व्यवहार करने की सलाह देते हैं लेकिन अपने आप प्रेमपूर्वक नहीं रहते हैं। उनका व्यवहार उनके शव्दों से बिल्कुल अलग है। बच्चे उनके छल कपट को जब समझने लग जाता है क्या ये वो दिन था जब उसका बचपन समाप्त हो गया।
Stanza 3
When did my childhood go?
Was it when I found my mind was
really mine,
To use whichever way I choose,
Producing thoughts that were not
those of other people
But my own and mine alone
Was that the day!
Explanation :
When did my childhood go?
Was it the day when I found out that I have my own mind. I could use my mind the way I choose. My mind could produce thoughts which were not of other people, but they were only the product of my own mind . Was it the day my childhood ended? This stanza deals with the development of individuality.

Explanation in Hindi:

मेरा बचपन कब खत्म हुआ। क्या ये वो समय था जब मुझे पता चला कि मेरा माइंड मेरा अपना है जिसे मैं किसी भी रास्ते या कम में लगा सकता हूँ। मेरे मन में उत्पन्न होने वाले विचार किसी और के नहीं बल्कि मेरे अपने थे। क्या ये वो दिन था जब मेरा बचपन समाप्त हो गया।
Stanza 4

Where did my childhood go?
It went to some forgotten place,
That is hidden in an infant's face,
That's all I know.

Explanation:

Poet  seems unable to locate the particular point of time when his childhood ended. Now he raised the question where did his childhood go. These are most poetic lines in which he tries to locate his childhood hidden behind infant's face. His childhood has lost in some unknown place .  He can find it in any infant's face . That is all he knows about his own childhood.

Explanation in Hindi:

Poet किसी विशेष टाइम का पता लगाने में असमर्थ हो जाता है। वह अब ये जानने की कोशिश करता है कि उसका बचपन कहाँ खो गया। वह जब भी किसी शिशु के चेहरे को देखता है तो उसे अपना बचपन याद आता है। वह इतना ही जानता  है कि उसका बचपन किसी शिशु के चेहरे में ढूंढा जा सकता है।

Word Meaning:

Ceased - (समाप्त हुआ ) ended
Could not be - ( नहीं हो सकता)could not exist
Preached -  (उपदेश) advised
Seemed to be -( दिखावा)  pretend to be