1. Read the following text and answer the questions A and B.
Beauty is easy to appreciate but difficult to define. As we look around, we discover beauty in pleasurable objects and sights in nature, in the laughter of children, in the kindness of strangers. But asked to define, we run into difficulties. Does beauty have an independent objective identity? Is it universal, or is it dependent on our sense perceptions? Does it lie in the eye of the beholder? We ask ourselves. A further difficulty arises when beauty manifests itself not only by its presence, but by its absence as well, as when we are repulsed by ugliness and desire beauty. But then ugliness has as much a place in our lives as beauty, or may be more as when there is widespread hunger and injustice in a society. Philosophers have told us that beauty is an important part of life, but isn’t ugliness apart of life too? And if art has beauty as an important ingredient, can it confine itself only to a projection of beauty? Can art ignore what is not beautiful?
Poets and artists have provided an answer by incorporating both into their work. In doing so, they have often tied beauty to truth and justice, so that what is not beautiful assumes a tolerable proportion as something that represents some truth about life. John Keats, the romantic poet, wrote in his celebrated ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ ‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty,’ by which he means that truth, even if it’s not pleasant, becomes beautiful at a higher level. Similarly, what is beautiful forever remains true. Another meaning, in the context of the Grecian Urn an art object-is that truth is a condition of art.
Bengali Traslation:
সৌন্দর্য সহজে উপলব্ধি করা যায় কিন্তু সংজ্ঞায়িত করা কঠিন। আমাদের চারপাশে তাকিয়ে আমরা প্রকৃতির আনন্দদায়ক বস্তু ও দৃশ্যে, শিশুদের হাসিতে, অপরিচিতদের দয়ায় সৌন্দর্য খুঁজে পাই। কিন্তু সংজ্ঞায়িত করতে গেলে আমরা সমস্যায় পড়ি। সৌন্দর্য কি স্বাধীন এবং বস্তুনিষ্ঠ সত্তা? এটি কি সার্বজনীন, না আমাদের সংবেদনশীলতার উপর নির্ভরশীল? এটি কি দর্শকের চোখে অবস্থান করে? আমরা নিজেদের জিজ্ঞাসা করি। আরেকটি সমস্যা দেখা দেয় যখন সৌন্দর্য কেবল তার উপস্থিতি দ্বারা নয়, অনুপস্থিতির মাধ্যমেও নিজেকে প্রকাশ করে, যেমন আমরা কুৎসিততায় বিমুখ হই এবং সৌন্দর্য কামনা করি। কিন্তু তখন কুৎসিততা আমাদের জীবনের অংশ হয়ে দাঁড়ায় সৌন্দর্যের মতই, বা আরো বেশি, যেমন যখন সমাজে ব্যাপক ক্ষুধা ও অবিচার বিরাজমান। দার্শনিকেরা আমাদের বলেছেন যে সৌন্দর্য জীবনের একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ অংশ, কিন্তু কুৎসিততাও কি জীবনের অংশ নয়? এবং যদি শিল্পের একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ উপাদান হয় সৌন্দর্য, তবে এটি কি কেবল সৌন্দর্যের প্রতিফলনেই নিজেকে সীমাবদ্ধ রাখতে পারে? শিল্প কি অসুন্দরকে উপেক্ষা করতে পারে?
কবিরা এবং শিল্পীরা উভয়কেই তাদের কাজের মধ্যে অন্তর্ভুক্ত করে একটি উত্তর দিয়েছেন। এভাবে, তারা প্রায়ই সৌন্দর্যকে সত্য এবং ন্যায়ের সাথে যুক্ত করেছেন, যাতে যা অসুন্দর তা জীবনের কোনো না কোনো সত্যকে উপস্থাপনকারী কিছু হিসেবে গ্রহণযোগ্য হয়ে ওঠে। রোমান্টিক কবি জন কীটস তার বিখ্যাত ‘ওড অন এ গ্রিসিয়ান আর্ন‘-এ লিখেছেন ‘সৌন্দর্যই সত্য, সত্যই সৌন্দর্য,’ যার দ্বারা তিনি বোঝাতে চেয়েছেন যে সত্য, যদিও এটি আনন্দদায়ক না হতে পারে, একটি উচ্চতর স্তরে সুন্দর হয়ে ওঠে। অনুরূপভাবে, যা সুন্দর তা চিরকাল সত্য থাকে। অন্য অর্থে, গ্রিসীয় আর্ন – একটি শিল্পবস্তু – এর প্রেক্ষিতে, সত্য হলো শিল্পের একটি শর্ত।
A. Choose the correct answer from the alterative. 1×5 = 5
(a) What could be the closest meaning for appreciate in the passage?
(i) contract (ii) diminish (iii) humiliate (iv) praise
(b) What does the expression ‘Beauty is easy to appreciate but difficult to define’ mean?
(i) approval of beauty is trouble-free whereas its definition is troublesome
(ii) we can appreciate beauty easily but explain it in a difficult way
(iii) appreciation of beauty is necessary but there is no need to define it
(iv) we enjoy beauty but we don’t define it
(c) What could be the closest meaning for difficult in the passage?
(i) easy (ii) simple (iii) arduous (iv) soft
(d) A further difficulty arises when beauty manifests itself both by its presence, and by its… According to the passage, which one of the following is the best to fill the gap?
(i) company (ii) nonappearance(iii) existence (iv) expression
(e) What could be the closest meaning for beauty in the passage?
(i) grotesqueness (ii) attractiveness (iii) hideousness (iv) ugliness
(f) Which of the following has the closest meaning of the word “pleasurable”?
(i) dissatisfaction (ii) pain (iii) offend (iv) delightful
(g) What is the closest meaning of the word “incorporate”?
(i) embody (ii) corporation (iii) incorporeal (iv) intangible
(h) ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ is written by ——.
(i) Lord Byron (ii) John Keats (iii) Wordsworth (iv) PB Shelley
(i) What does the word ‘tolerable’ mean?
(i) not so good (ii) bad (iii) moderately good (iv) tolerant
(j) Lord Byron is a —— poet.
(i) Revolutionary (ii) Romantic (iii) Classical (iv) Modern
(k) The word ‘appreciate’ means——.
(i) praise (ii) choose (iii) select (iv) like
(l) The best synonym of ‘beholder’ is ——.
(i) runner (ii) sender (iii) watcher (iv) stopper
(m) The word ‘ingredient’ refers to ——.
(i) consciousness (ii) identity (iii) element (iv) destination
(n) What could be the closest meaning for ‘manifests?
(i) focuses (ii) represents (iii) qualifies (iv) designs
(o) The word ‘pleasurable’ could be replaced by ——.
(i) strange (ii) enjoyable (iii) credible (iv)unavoidable
p. According to the passage, where can beauty be discovered?
(i) In nature and pleasurable objects (ii) In laughter and kindness
(iii) In both (i) and (ii) (iv) Only in works of art
q. Why is beauty difficult to define?
(i) Because it lacks universal standards (ii) Because it has an objective identity
(iii) Because it is dependent on physical attributes (iv) Because it is purely subjective
r. What question does the author raise about the nature of beauty?
(i) Whether it is a part of art (ii) Whether it has an independent objective identity
(iii) Whether it is irrelevant to life (iv) Whether it is only present in pleasant things
s. What role does ugliness play in life, according to the passage?
(i) It is entirely avoidable
(ii) It is a part of life, sometimes more significant than beauty
(iii) It has no connection to truth
(iv) It is less important than beauty
t. How does beauty manifest itself, as mentioned in the passage?
(i) Only through presence
(ii) Through absence as well as presence
(iii) Only through physical forms
(iv) Through universal appreciation
u. What have philosophers said about beauty?
(i) It is insignificant in life
(ii) It is a crucial part of life
(iii) It is entirely subjective
(iv) It has no connection to truth
v. According to the author, can art ignore ugliness?
(i) Yes, because it focuses only on beauty
(ii) No, because ugliness represents truths about life
(iii) Yes, because beauty is subjective
(iv) No, because ugliness is meaningless
w. How do poets and artists address the concept of beauty?
(i) By ignoring unpleasant truths
(ii) By incorporating both beauty and ugliness in their work
(iii) By idealizing beauty
(iv) By promoting subjective perspectives
x. What does John Keats mean by ‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty’?
(i) That truth and beauty are unrelated
(ii) That truth becomes beautiful at a higher level
(iii) That beauty does not depend on truth
(iv) That art has no connection to truth
y. What does the Grecian Urn symbolize in the passage?
(i) An object of ugliness
(ii) A representation of the connection between truth and art
(iii) A purely aesthetic object
(iv) A rejection of beauty
z. According to the passage, how does absence of beauty affect us?
(i) It has no impact
(ii) It manifests as a desire for beauty
(iii) It makes us indifferent to aesthetics
(iv) It reinforces the importance of beauty
z1. How is ugliness represented in art, as per the passage?
(i) As a reflection of life’s truths
(ii) As an unnecessary element
(iii) As something to be ignored
(iv) As purely aesthetic
z2. What does beauty tied to justice signify in art?
(i) Art should focus only on beautiful aspects of life
(ii) What is not beautiful can reflect some truth about life
(iii) Art is subjective and does not include justice
(iv) Ugliness has no place in art
z3. What universal question does the passage address about beauty?
(i) Whether it is only an emotional reaction
(ii) Whether it can be defined objectively
(iii) Whether it is a natural or artificial construct
(iv) Whether it is part of art at all
z4. Why is truth considered a condition of art in the passage?
(i) Because art must project only beautiful truths
(ii) Because truth, even unpleasant, is a higher form of beauty
(iii) Because art is entirely dependent on truth
(iv) Because beauty has no connection to truth
z5. How does the passage suggest art should approach unpleasant truths?
(i) By ignoring them completely
(ii) By representing them as part of life’s reality
(iii) By contrasting them with beauty
(iv) By focusing only on the aesthetic aspect
z6. What does the passage imply about the relationship between beauty and ugliness?
(i) They are mutually exclusive
(ii) They both contribute to the understanding of life
(iii) Beauty is superior to ugliness
(iv) Ugliness has no connection to beauty
z7. How does widespread hunger and injustice relate to ugliness, as per the passage?
(i) They are examples of abstract beauty
(ii) They make ugliness more relevant than beauty in life
(iii) They diminish the importance of aesthetics
(iv) They are unrelated to beauty and art
z8. What question does the passage raise about universal beauty?
(i) Can beauty be universally defined?
(ii) Can beauty only exist in pleasant things?
(iii) Is beauty an essential condition of life?
(iv) Is beauty more significant than ugliness?
z9. What message do poets and artists convey through their work about beauty?
(i) Beauty is subjective and isolated from truth
(ii) Beauty is eternal and tied to life’s truths
(iii) Beauty is unrelated to justice
(iv) Beauty is purely a matter of perception
B. Answer the following questions. 2×5 = 10
(a) Do you think it difficult to define beauty? Give reason in favour of your answer.
(b) Where do you find beauty?
(c) What have philosophers told about beauty? Do you support it? What is your view about beauty?
(d) How have the poets and artists tied beauty to truth and justice?
(e) Who wrote the poem ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’? What do you know about the poet?
(f) How can we discover beauty in our surroundings?
(g) How much place does ugliness have in our life?
(h) What is the name of the poet of “Ode on a Grecian Urn”?
(i) Do you get any definition of beauty from the poem ‘She Walks in Beauty’?
(j) When do we run into difficulties?
(k) Is ugliness a part of life? If so, how?
(l) What has John Keats written in “Ode on a Grecian Urn”?
(m) When does “ugliness” occupy a place in our life?
(n) How do poets and artists provide answer about the questions on how to define beauty?
Answers
1. A. (a) (iv) praise (b) (i) approval of beauty is trouble-free whereas its definition is troublesome (c) (iii) arduous (d) (ii) nonappearance (e) (ii) attractiveness
B. (a) Yes, I think it is really difficult to define beauty. I think it so because we do not clarify whether it has an independent objective identity or it is universal, or even it is dependent on our sense perceptions. In spite of this difficulty it moves us with pleasure.
(b) There is beauty around us. We find it in pleasurable objects and sights in nature, in the laughter of children. in the kindness of strangers. Even in literature, there is beauty of its own kind.
(c) Philosophers have told us that beauty is an important part of life. Yes, I support them with a slight difference. I think that beauty is important but it is life that cannot ignore ugliness. and if art has beauty as an important ingredient, it cannot be confined only to a projection of beauty. Art cannot ignore what is not beautiful.
(d) The poets and artists have tied beauty to truth and justice by incorporating both beauty and ugliness into their work. They have done it so that what is not beautiful assumes a tolerable proportion as something that represents some truth about life.
(e) John Keats wrote the poem ‘Ode on Grecian Urn’. He was a romantic poet. in his poem. ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ he wrote `Beauty is truth, truth beauty,’ by which be means that truth, even if it’s not pleasant, becomes beautiful at a higher level.
2. (i) Read the above text and make a flow chart showing the various aspects of beauty.
i. Easy to appreciate but difficult to define
ii. Discovered in nature, laughter, and kindness
iii. Challenges in defining objective identity
iv. Dependent on perception and the beholder’s eye
v. Manifested by both presence and absence
vi. Ugliness coexists with beauty in life
vii. Ugliness often highlights truths about life
viii. Tied to truth and justice by poets and artists
ix. John Keats: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty”
x. Art reflects both beauty and unpleasant truths
Extra Questions:
(ii) Read the above text and make a flow chart showing the effect of beauty on poetry. 10
1. Incorporating beauty to truth
i. Incorporating beauty to truth
ii. Linking beauty with justice
iii. Reflecting life’s truths, even unpleasant ones
iv. Tolerating ugliness by representing it truthfully
v. Beauty as a higher form of truth
vi. John Keats: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty”
vii. Art integrates both beauty and ugliness
viii. Truth becomes beautiful at a higher level
ix. Beauty in poetry is eternal and universal
x. Art as a condition for expressing truth