Junior Intermediate

Poetry – Annotations

Two Sides of Life - Lesson – 1

By Booker T Washington

1 In thought, in talk, in action, I think you will find that

you can separate life into these two divisions – the dark
side and the bright side, the discouraging side and the
encouraging side.
Introduction: These lines form a part of Washington’s speech
entitled ‘Two Sides of Life’ to the students and teachers of the
Tuskegee Institute. The thrust of the speech essentially circles
around Character Building of his race, which in fact is also the
name of his popular book.
Context & Meaning: The writer Washington while evaluating
life, categorizes it into two, the pessimistic and optimistic
approach which is very much present in an individual’s thoughts,
talks and actions. These two features decide the disposition of a
person. The writer emphasizes the need for an individual to
always look at the brighter side to understand the real essence of
life.
General Relevance: There is always the bright and the dark side
of life. A person who is optimistic by nature lives life king size as
he looks at it from his point of view. He fears none for he takes
life as it comes.
2 Education is not what a person able to hold in his head,
so much as it is what a person is able to find.
Introduction: These lines form a part of Washington’s speech
entitled ‘Two Sides of Life’ to the students and teachers of the
Tuskegee Institute. The thrust of the speech essentially circles
around Character Building of his race, which in fact is also the
name of his popular book.
Context & Meaning: Speaking about how frank and straight
forward teachers must be while answering queries to get the
students admiration, the writer Booker Washington says that the
educated cannot be expected to hold all the world’s knowledge in
their heads. An educated person invariably needs to seek and find
out information for himself for which he needs to train himself in
this discipline.
General Relevance: Knowledge is so vast that it is not possible
to retain so much. Since it is scattered right around us, we need to
be receptive to what is happening around rather than trying to
retain a chunk of it in our head which is rather impossible.
3 They are the people who never go forward. They never
suggest a line of activity. They live simply on the negative
side of life.
Introduction: These lines form a part of Washington’s speech
entitled ‘Two Sides of Life’ to the students and teachers of the
Tuskegee Institute. The thrust of the speech essentially circles
around Character Building of his race, which in fact is also the
name of his popular book.
Context & Meaning: The writer, Washington sheds light on the
plight of those people who are repetitively pessimistic about
whatever they do as a result they find it difficult to move ahead
in life. They feel caught up in the whirlpool of negativity and
resign themselves to fate. They are weak in mind, heart and
purpose. They can hardly give suggestions to others since
positivity has never been their forte.
General Relevance: Negative thoughts and feelings will pose
obstacles while journeying through the temperaments of life.
Positivity is the need of the hour claims the writer.
4 Do not be satisfied until you have put yourself into the
atmosphere where you can seize and hold on the very
highest and the most beautiful things that can be got out
of life.
Introduction: These lines form a part of Washington’s speech
entitled ‘Two Sides of Life’ to the students and teachers of the
Tuskegee Institute. The thrust of the speech essentially circles
around Character Building of his race, which in fact is also the
name of his popular book.
Context & Meaning: The writer, Washington has a piece of
advice particularly to the student fraternity. If they want the
world to look upon them, they invariably need to be optimists.
And for this there should not be a saturation point in acquiring
knowledge. They should not be contented with easily achievable
things. One has to dwell deep and reach out to nature for the
highest and the most beautiful things that life has in store and
this is visible only to the positive minded.
General Relevance: It is quite natural that if the mind thinks
positive then it is an indication of peace and happiness all the
way.

Poetry – Short Answers

1 How do the two types of persons react to an overcast
Morning?
Ans: Booker Taliaferro Washington, was an educator, orator,
reformer, advisor and first president and principal developer of
Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute and the most
influential spokesman for Black Americans. The lesson ‘Two
Sides of Life’ is a thought- provoking discourse on the essential
aspects of character building.
In the discourse, Washington highlights how denizens respond to
a cloudy morning. To an individual who endures life as it comes,
a downright optimist, the morning appears rosy as he revels in
nature’s bounties – the rain drops, the freshness of the newly
bathed flowers, shrubs and trees. He speaks volumes of nature’s
beauty. On the other hand, to an individual who perpetually
looks at the dark side of life, the morning appears low-spirited
and damp and the streets disfigured with mud and water. In
other words, everything appears displeasing to him.

2 How do es Washington advice the teacher trainees to

develop frankness and honesty?
Ans: Booker Taliaferro Washington, was an educator, orator,
reformer, advisor and first president and principal developer of
Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute and the most
influential spokesman for Black Americans. The lesson ‘Two
Sides of Life’ is a thought- provoking discourse on the essential
aspects of character building.
The writer Washington is of the opinion that no teacher is perfect
however qualified and experienced he or she might be. In the
course of teaching if a teacher commits a mistake, he or she is
bound in conscience to acknowledge the same without any grudge
or ill will or it would be prudent on their part to say ‘I don’t
know. This attitude would enhance the reverence for the teacher
by the taught and naturally becomes a classic example of a good
and exceptional educator.
3 Why does the speaker feel it unfortunate about the
students who fail in assessing properly the personality of
their teachers?
Ans: Booker Taliaferro Washington, was an educator, orator,
reformer, advisor and first president and principal developer of
Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute and the most
influential spokesman for Black Americans. The lesson ‘Two
Sides of Life’ is a thought- provoking discourse on the essential
aspects of character building.

While terming this boldness unfortunate, Washington deplores

(condemns) the habit of students who are constantly in pursuit
(search) of finding fault with teachers or criticizing them while
considering their mistakes weak points. The writer urges students
to focus on the strong and beautiful things which they observe in
the life and work of teachers and learn to appreciate and imbibe
them in their own life. By doing so the students will not only
find themselves moving in the right direction but influencing each
and every person whom they find on their way to perfection.
4 The whole speech is on the human traits. Comment with
reference to Booker T Washington’s ‘Two Sides of Life’.
Ans: Booker Taliaferro Washington, was an educator, orator,
reformer, advisor and first president and principal developer of
Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute and the most
influential spokesman for Black Americans. The lesson ‘Two
Sides of Life’ is a thought- provoking discourse on the essential
aspects of character building.
Washington’s speech undoubtedly revolves around human traits
that directly influence the way of life.
In the first place he talks about two class of people, the one’s
who look at the brighter side of life and the others who
perpetually stare at the darker side. The former tends to live life
king size while the latter end up miserable and dejected.
He then dwells upon the traits of teachers, saying that there must
be honest in whatever they do or say and must not feel
embarrassed to acknowledge their flaws.
He further advises students to grasp the goodness in a teacher
rather than harping on their mistakes since teachers too are
humans.