Linked PYQ
5. Read the given poem critically and answer all the questions that follow : 10×5=50
Myself
I have to live with myself and so
I want to be fit for myself to know.
I want to be able as days go by,
always to look myself straight in the eye;
I don't want to stand with the setting sun
and hate myself for the things I have done.
I don't want to keep on a closet shelf
a lot of secrets about myself
and fool myself as I come and go
into thinking no one else will ever know
the kind of person I really am,
I don't want to dress up myself in sham.
I want to go out with my head erect
I want to deserve all men's respect;
but here in the struggle for fame and wealth
I want to be able to like myself.
I don't want to look at myself and know that
I am bluster and bluff and empty show.
I never can hide myself from me;
I see what others may never see;
I know what others may never know,
I never can fool myself and so,
whatever happens I want to be
self respecting and conscience free.
(a) What is the main message or moral lesson of the poem? How does the speaker emphasize this throughout the poem?
(b) How does the speaker define self-respect, and why is it so important to him?
(c) How does the poet use repetition to emphasize key ideas of the poem?
(d) Which lines stand out the most to you, and why? How do they contribute to the overall theme of the poem?
(e) How would you relate the message of this poem to modern society, especially in a world influenced by social media or public image?