New english 2025 for class eleven and twelve Unit Two: Art and Craft Lesson 1: What is Beauty?

Unit Two: Art and Craft
Lesson 1
What is Beauty?

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 when asked to define it, we run into difficulties. Does beauty have an independent, objective identity? Is it universal, or is it shaped by individual perceptions? Does it truly lie in the eye of the beholder? -we ask ourselves.
Throughout history, poets and artists have described beauty in different ways. Poets make use of words to paint images of beauty, while artists create representations of beauty using their creative faculties.
Here are two poems that explore the theme of beauty. While Lord Byron (1788-1824) finds perfect beauty in a woman he idealizes. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) asserts that beauty is inseparable from truth. Read the poems and complete the activities that follow.
সৌন্দর্য সহজেই উপলব্ধি করা যায়, তবে এটি সংজ্ঞায়িত করা কঠিন। চারপাশে তাকালে আমরা সৌন্দর্যের সন্ধান পাই আনন্দদায়ক জিনিসপত্র এবং প্রকৃতির দৃশ্যগুলোতে, শিশুদের হাসিতে, অপরিচিতদের সদয় আচরণে। কিন্তু যখন এটি সংজ্ঞায়িত করতে বলা হয়, তখন আমরা সমস্যায় পড়ি। আমরা নিজেদের জিজ্ঞাসা করি, সৌন্দর্যের কি একটি স্বাধীন, বস্তুগত পরিচয় রয়েছে? এটি কি সর্বজনীন, নাকি ব্যক্তিগত ধারণার দ্বারা গঠিত? এটি কি সত্যিই দর্শকের দৃষ্টিতেই বিদ্যমান?

ইতিহাসজুড়ে কবি এবং শিল্পীরা সৌন্দর্যকে বিভিন্নভাবে বর্ণনা করেছেন। কবিরা শব্দ ব্যবহার করে সৌন্দর্যের চিত্র আঁকেন, আর শিল্পীরা তাদের সৃজনশীল দক্ষতা ব্যবহার করে সৌন্দর্যের প্রতিনিধিত্ব করেন।

এখানে দুটি কবিতা দেওয়া হয়েছে যা সৌন্দর্যের বিষয়বস্তু অনুসন্ধান করে। লর্ড বায়রন (১৭৮৮-১৮২৪) এক নারীতে নিখুঁত সৌন্দর্যের সন্ধান পান যাকে তিনি আদর্শ হিসেবে কল্পনা করেন। অন্যদিকে, এমিলি ডিকিনসন (১৮৩০-১৮৮৬) মনে করেন সৌন্দর্য সত্য থেকে অবিচ্ছেদ্য। কবিতা দুটি পড়ুন এবং পরবর্তী কার্যক্রমগুলো সম্পন্ন করুন।

'She Walks in Beauty' by' Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent.
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below.
A heart whose love is innocent!

সে সৌন্দর্যের মাঝে চলে
(লর্ড বায়রন)

সে সৌন্দর্যের মাঝে চলে, যেন রাত,
নির্মল আকাশ আর তারাভরা অন্ধকারের মতো;
সবচেয়ে সুন্দর আলো আর অন্ধকার
তার মুখমণ্ডল আর চোখে মিলে যায়;
এমন এক কোমল আলোয়,
যা জাঁকজমকপূর্ণ দিনের জন্য স্বর্গও অস্বীকার করে।

একটুখানি ছায়া বেশি, কিংবা আলো কম হলে,
তার সেই অজ্ঞেয় সৌন্দর্য কমে যেত;
যা ঢেউ খেলে তার কালো কেশে,
কিংবা আলতো আলোয় তার মুখে উজ্জ্বল হয়;
যেখানে মধুর চিন্তা প্রকাশ করে শান্তিময়তার সাথে,
কতটা পবিত্র, কতটা মূল্যবান তাদের স্থান।

তার গাল আর কপালে,
এত নরম, এত শান্ত, তবুও কতটা অর্থপূর্ণ।
তার হাসি, তার দীপ্তি,
জীবনের দিনগুলোর মঙ্গলের কথা বলে;
একটি শান্তিপূর্ণ মন, যা সকলের সাথে মিলেমিশে থাকে,
একটি হৃদয়, যার ভালোবাসা নিষ্পাপ।

The theme of the poem
The theme of She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron is the poet's admiration of a woman's inner and outer beauty. He compares her grace to the calmness of a starry night and highlights the perfect harmony between her physical appearance and her pure, innocent soul. Her serene expressions reflect her goodness, peace, and moral purity, making her beauty both captivating and virtuous.

'I Died For Beauty' by Emily Dickinson

I died for beauty, but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.

He questioned softly why I failed?
"For beauty." I replied.
"And I for truth the two are one;
We brethren are," he said.

And so, as kinsmen met a-night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips.
And covered up our names.

'I Died For Beauty' by Emily Dickinson
বাংলা অনুবাদ

আমি সৌন্দর্যের জন্য মৃত্যুবরণ করেছিলাম, তবে আমি তো কবরের মধ্যে খুব একটা স্থিত হয়নি,
যখন একজন যিনি সত্যের জন্য মৃত্যুবরণ করেছিলেন,
তাঁকে এক পাশের কক্ষে রাখা হয়েছিল।
তিনি মৃদু কণ্ঠে প্রশ্ন করলেন কেন আমি ব্যর্থ হলাম?
“সৌন্দর্যের জন্য।” আমি উত্তরে বললাম।
“আর আমি সত্যের জন্য, এ দুটো একই;
আমরা ভাইবোন,” তিনি বললেন।
এভাবেই, ভাইবোনেরা রাত্রে মিলিত হল,
আমরা কক্ষে কক্ষে কথা বললাম,
যতক্ষণ না মসের আচ্ছাদন আমাদের ঠোঁটে পৌঁছাল,
এবং আমাদের নাম ঢেকে দিল।

The theme of the poem
The poem "I Died For Beauty" by Emily Dickinson explores themes of truth, beauty, and the afterlife. The speaker, who dies for beauty, meets another soul who died for truth. They realize that beauty and truth are closely related, symbolizing the idea that both are essential and intertwined. The poem reflects on the inevitability of death, the shared values between individuals, and the quiet passing of time, as their names are forgotten and covered by moss.

C. Discuss the following questions in pairs.

a. The poem "She Walks in Beauty" by Byron centres around a woman. What do you learn about her through the speaker's descriptions?

b. The speaker in Byron's poem praises the fine features of the woman he admires her face, eyes, hair, cheek, brow, smile, and skin. Find the lines in the poem that mention these features and describe what the speaker says about them.

c. In the last stanza, the speaker in Byron's poem suggests that his muse's outer beauty is a testament to her inner goodness and innocence. Do you agree with this view? Explain your reasoning.

d. "The glorification of physical beauty in "She Walks in Beauty" reflects the unrealistic beauty standards that society often places on women." Do you agree? Justify your opinion.

e. The poem "I Died for Beauty" by Dickinson presents a conversation between two individuals. Who are the speakers, and where are they?

f. In "I Died for Beauty", Dickinson creates a scene that is both frightening and comforting. Explain how she achieves this effect through the imagery in the poem.

g. In Dickinson's poem, the man who died for truth suggests that truth and beauty are the same. Do you agree with this idea? Explain your reasoning.

h. While Byron's poem primarily focuses on physical beauty, Dickinson offers a more philosophical perspective on what beauty is. Compare the depiction of beauty in the two poems and discuss which view of beauty you agree with.

Answer of the above questions C

Here are brief answers to the questions based on the poems "She Walks in Beauty" by Lord Byron and "I Died for Beauty" by Emily Dickinson:

a. In Byron’s poem, the woman is portrayed as possessing a harmonious and graceful beauty. The speaker compares her to the night, with a perfect balance of light and dark qualities. She radiates an inner calm and purity, embodying both physical and inner beauty.

b. The speaker praises the woman’s features in these lines:

• “She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies.”
• “Meet in her aspect and her eyes.”
• “Waves in every raven tress.”
• “Softly lightens o’er her face.”
• “On that cheek, and o’er that brow, so soft, so calm, yet eloquent.” These lines describe her eyes, hair, face, and brow as elements of beauty that express her serenity, grace, and inner goodness.

c. Yes, the speaker suggests that her outer beauty reflects her inner goodness. The calm, serene, and innocent qualities in her physical appearance (like her smile and skin) symbolize her pure heart and peaceful mind.

d. I agree that the poem reflects the unrealistic beauty standards society often places on women. The speaker idealizes the woman's physical appearance, focusing on perfect features like her hair and skin. This idealization may create pressure for women to meet societal standards of beauty.

e. In Dickinson’s poem, the speakers are two deceased individuals. One died for beauty, and the other for truth. They are both in their graves, lying in adjoining rooms in a tomb.

f. Dickinson’s use of imagery like “moss had reached our lips” creates a sense of eerie quietness and the inevitability of death. The imagery of death and decay evokes a feeling of both discomfort and peace, as the two characters find comfort in their shared beliefs, even as they are forgotten by the world.

g. Truth and beauty may seem similar, but they are not always the same. While both are valuable, they can be different in meaning. Truth refers to honesty and reality, while beauty often refers to aesthetics and ideals. While they might complement each other, they are distinct concepts.

h. Byron’s poem focuses on physical beauty, portraying it as an almost perfect, divine characteristic. Dickinson’s poem, on the other hand, takes a more philosophical approach, linking beauty with truth and focusing on its deeper significance. I lean toward Dickinson’s view, as it suggests beauty is more than just appearance and has a deeper, more meaningful connection with truth.

D. Complete the story below in 200 words. Once finished, read your story to your friends.

Once there was a young artist in a remote village in Bangladesh. His name was Rabbi. He was asked by his mentor to draw the most beautiful object in the world. But Rabbi was confused about what that most beautiful thing could be. Every morning, he would rise early, go out, and roam the streets, shops, playgrounds, schools, and the nearby orchards and river, searching for something truly beautiful. Then one day...

Answer  of the above question  D

One day, as Rabbi wandered near the riverbank, he saw a mother with her child. The mother was holding her little one’s hand, guiding them through the small plants and flowers growing along the shore. The child, with innocent eyes, gazed at the blooming flowers, laughing with joy. The sight touched Rabbi’s heart deeply. It wasn’t the flowers or the river that seemed so beautiful, but the love, care, and tenderness between them.

Rabbi realized that beauty was not always in grand things like majestic mountains or golden sunsets. Instead, it could be found in simple, everyday moments of kindness, love, and peace. He rushed back to his studio and began to paint the scene he had witnessed—the mother and child, surrounded by the warmth of their bond.

When his mentor saw the painting, he smiled. "Rabbi," he said, "You’ve captured the most beautiful thing in the world—the beauty of human connection, love, and innocence. You’ve learned that true beauty lies not in things, but in the feelings and relationships we share." Rabbi knew then that he had finally found the answer he had been searching for, and his heart felt at peace.

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