Amalkanti By Nirendranath Chakravarty

Nirendranath Chakravarty (19 October 1924-25 December 2018) born in Faridpur, Bangladesh, then undivided Bengal, was a popular Bengali poet, author, and translator. In 1974, Chakravarty won the Sahitya Academy Award for The Naked King, an anthology of poems. Chakravarty has several poetry anthologies to his name, some of which are Nil Nirjan, Niroktoo Karabi, Andhokar Baranda, and Prothom Nayak. His works for children include Sadaa Bagh, Bibir Chora, and Amalkanti. He had also translated Herge's The Adventures of Tintin into Bengali.

Amalkanti was my friend,
We went to school together.
He'd be late to class every day, couldn't do his lessons
When told decline verbs
He'd gaze at the window with such surprise that
We'd feel very sorry for him.

Some of us wanted to be teachers, some doctors, some lawyers.
Amalkanti didn't want any of this.
He wanted to be the sunshine.
The elusive sunshine after the rain, filled with the cries of crows
Which dangles like a fragile smile
From berries and berry leaves.

Some of us grew up to be teachers, some doctors, some lawyers.
Amalkanti didn't grow up to be the sunshine.
He works at a ligthless press now.

Sometimes he comes to see me for a cup of tea
And a chat, and then says, 'Time to go'.
I walk him to the door.

The one among us who teaches
Could easily have been a doctor instead
It wouldn't have mattered much if the one
Who wanted to be a doctor had been a lawyer.
Everyone got their wish, except Amalkanti.
Amalkanti couldn't become the sunshine.
The very same Amalkanti who, musing on sunbeams,
Had wanted to grow up to become the sunshine.

−Nirendranath Chakravarty

1.
Fill in the blanks with the correct option.
1. Amalkanti was the poet's _______________________.
  1. cousin
  2. driver
  3. friend
  4. teacher
2. Everyday Amalkanti came to school _______________________.
  1. very early.
  2. absentmindedly.
  3. eagerly.
  4. late
3. All other students in the class wanted to become _______________________.
  1. engineers
  2. pilots
  3. football players
  4. teachers, doctors, or lawyers
4. After the rains, the ambience would be filled with _______________________.
  1. bird chirps
  2. cries of crows
  3. mooing of cows
  4. barking of dogs
5. The elusive sunshine dangled from _______________________.
  1. cherry trees
  2. berry trees
  3. mango trees
  4. berries and berry leaves
6. Amalkanti now works at a _______________________.
  1. well-lit press
  2. lightless press
  3. dark shop
  4. well-lit classroom
7. Amalkanti visited the poet for _______________________.
  1. tea and a chat
  2. chat and coffee
  3. gossip and coffee
  4. snacks and tea
8. Amalkanti often mused on _______________________.
  1. sunshine
  2. moonbeams
  3. sunbeams
  4. moonlight
2.
Did Amalkanti keep a serious attitude towards school? Give reason (s) for your answer.
3.
How is Amalkanti's ambition different from that of his classmates?
4.
How did Amalkanti's classmates feel about him? Why did they feel so?
5.
What kind of sunshine did Amalkanti want to become?
6.
Could Amalkanti fulfil his ambition?

10 more answer(s) available.

Harbour Coursebook 6

Farida Niazi, Indiannica Learning

Chapters

Amalkanti

Nirendranath Chakravarty

Available Answers