Class 10 Lower English Poem Complete Appreciations Maharashtra Board

Get a complete guide to writing poem appreciations for the Class 10 English 'My English Coursebook' of the Maharashtra State Board. Find easy-to-understand explanations, formats, and examples to score full marks in your board exams.

This blog provides you a clear and easy-to-understand guide to writing poem appreciations for all the poems in the textbook.




 Poem 1.1 A Teenager's Prayer 


  1. The title of the poem is “A Teenager’s Prayer” and the poet’s name is J. Morse.
  2. The rhyme scheme is: abcb and the Figures of speech are Apostrophe, alliteration, metaphor and inversion.
  3. Favourite line: Help me stand for what is right
  4. Central idea: The poem is the prayer of a teenager. This poem is about a teenager asking for help to make good choices in life. They request God to help them choose the right path. They know that there are many temptations. They ask for the strength to say "no" to bad things. The teenager wants to lead and Idea life in the constant company of God.
  5. Why I like this poem: I am also a teenager and the inner feelings of a teenager are nicely expressed in this poem.

The figures of speech in this poem.

1. Apostrophe

 "Please open up my eyes, dear Lord,"

Explanation: The teenager is speaking directly to the Lord (God), who is an abstract being and not physically there. 

2. Metaphor

"I am the only one to choose / The road that I will take."

Explanation: There is a direct comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as." The journey of life is directly compared to road.

3. Antithesis

"I can choose to take the road of life, / That leads to great success / Or travel down the darkened road, / That leads to great distress."

Explanation: The poet places two opposite outcomes, "success" and "distress," in the same lines. 
 
4. Inversion

 "Decisions I must make."

Explanation: The poet has changed the prose order for poetic effect. The correct prose order is "I must make decisions." 

5. Alliteration

"Bring out the best in me."

Explanation: The sound of the letter 'b' is repeated in the line to create a pleasing rhythm.


Poem 1.3 A Basketful of Moon






  1. Title: The title of the poem is “Basketful of Moonlight” and the poem is written by Sunil Sharma. It is translated from the Dogri language.
  2. Rhyme Scheme: The poem is written in free verse. There is no rhyme scheme and the figures of Speech used in the poem include Apostrophe, Alliteration, Repetition, and Metaphor.
  3. Favourite Line: I want to light the dark route so that my father returns early.
  4. Central Idea: This poem expresses a child's deep love and care for their father who travels a dark and dangerous road home from work every day. The child makes an innocent and imaginative request to the moon for "seeds of moonlight" to plant along the path. By lighting the way, the child hopes their father can return home earlier and more safely. Ultimately, the poem highlights a child's simple desire to spend more time with their father and hear his stories.
  5. Why I like this poem: I like this poem for its touching simplicity. The poem beautifully depicts a child's love for his father. It highlights the difficulties faced by people in rural areas.

Figures of speech in this poem:


Apostrophe: "O moon, give me moonlight" - The poet directly addresses the moon. Alliteration: "I want to sow seeds of moon on the sides of the path" - The 's' sound is repeated.

Repetition: "small, small moons of light" - The word 'small' is repeated for poetic effect. Metaphor: "I want to sow many, small, small moons of light" - The moonlight is implicitly compared to seeds that can be sown.)


Of course! Here are the appreciations for all the poems in the "My English Coursebook" for Standard Ten, following the pattern you've requested.



1. This is  an appreciation of the poem "A Teenager’s Prayer"


Title: A Teenager’s Prayer

Poet: J. Morse

Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme of the poem is abcb.

Figures of Speech:

Apostrophe: The speaker directly addresses God ("Please open up my eyes, dear Lord").

Metaphor: The word "road" is a metaphor for the journey or choices in life ("The road that I will take.").


Theme/Central Idea: A teenager prays to God for guidance. They ask for help to make the right choices in life. They want to stay away from temptation and live a good life.

Why I like the poem: I like this poem because it is simple and relatable. It expresses the thoughts and worries of a young person trying to find the right path, which is something everyone experiences.



2. This is  an appreciation of the poem "Basketful of Moonlight"


Title: Basketful of Moonlight

Poet: Sunil Sharma

Rhyme Scheme: This poem is written in free verse, so it has no rhyme scheme. This makes it sound like a child's innocent plea.

Figures of Speech:

Apostrophe: The poet speaks directly to the moon ("O moon, give me moonlight...").

Repetition/Anaphora: The lines "O moon, give me a basketful of moonlight" are repeated to emphasise the child's deep desire.


Theme/Central Idea: A small child from a village loves his father very much. He wants to help his father come home early and safely. He innocently asks the moon for seeds of moonlight to light up the dark path.

Why I like the poem: I love this poem for its pure innocence and love. The child’s imaginative idea of "sowing seeds of the moon" is very beautiful and touching.


3. This is an appreciation of the poem "You Start Dying Slowly..."


Title: You Start Dying Slowly...

Poet: Pablo Neruda

Rhyme Scheme: The poem is in free verse and does not have a rhyme scheme.

Figures of Speech:

Repetition: The phrase "You start dying slowly..." is repeated at the end of each stanza to emphasise the poet’s message.

Metaphor: Being stuck in old habits is compared to being a prisoner in the line, "If you become a slave of your habits".


Theme/Central Idea: A good life is full of new experiences. If we stop learning, travelling, and feeling deeply, we start to lose our joy for life.

Why I like the poem: I find this poem very powerful and inspiring. It encourages me to try new things and live life to the fullest instead of getting stuck in a boring routine.


This is  an appreciation of the poem "The Twins":


Title: The Twins


Poet: Henry Sambrooke Leigh


Rhyme Scheme: The poem generally follows an ABCB rhyme scheme, with some variations. 


Figures of Speech:


Hyperbole: The entire poem is an exaggeration of the difficulties faced by identical twins. Lines like "It reached a fearful pitch" and "This fatal likeness even dogged my footsteps" are hyperbole used for comedic effect.


Enjambment: Lines flow into the next without punctuation, for example, "Our close resemblance turned the tide / Of my domestic life."


Alliteration: The sound 'f' is repeated "form and feature, face and limb."


Central Theme: The central theme is the humorous and often confusing arising from identical likeness. evoke both laughter and a touch of pathos for the narrator's plight. The final line, "And buried brother John," is a perfect comedic punchline. 


Why I like the poem:

I thoroughly enjoy "The Twins" for its clever wit, engaging narrative, and brilliant use of humor. 




4. "If—"

Title: If—

Poet: Rudyard Kipling

Rhyme Scheme: The poem has a regular rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD.

Figures of Speech:

Personification: Triumph and Disaster are treated like people ("And treat those two imposters just the same").

Antithesis: The poem is filled with opposite ideas, such as "If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, / Or walk with Kings, nor lose the common touch".


Theme/Central Idea: The poem gives advice on how to be a good and well-balanced human being. It teaches the importance of self-control, honesty, humility, and patience in all situations.

Why I like the poem: I admire this poem for its deep wisdom. It provides a timeless guide on how to live a virtuous and successful life, making it very motivational.

5. "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"

Title: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Poet: Robert Frost

Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme is AABA BBCB CCDC DDDD.

Figures of Speech:

Personification: The horse is given human-like thoughts ("My little horse must think it queer").

Repetition: The last two lines, "And miles to go before I sleep," are repeated to emphasize the poet’s sense of duty and responsibility.


Theme/Central Idea: The poem describes the conflict between enjoying the beauty of nature and fulfilling one's duties. The speaker is tempted to stay in the lovely woods but knows he has promises to keep.

Why I like the poem: I love the calm, peaceful, and thoughtful mood of this poem. The last four lines are very famous and have a deep meaning about life's journey and responsibilities.

6. "The Twins"

Title: The Twins

Poet: Henry Sambrooke Leigh

Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows a regular ABABCDCD rhyme scheme.

Figures of Speech:

Hyperbole: The poem uses exaggeration for humorous effect, as in "It reached a fearful pitch".

Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds for a musical effect, like in "form and feature, face and limb".


Theme/Central Idea: The poem is a humorous account of the problems faced by one of the identical twins. Because they look so alike, they are constantly mistaken for one another, leading to many funny situations.

Why I like the poem: This poem is very light and funny. The rhyming style and the absurd situations the twins get into make it very enjoyable to read.

7. "The World is Mine"

Title: The World is Mine

Poet: Joy Lovelet Crawford

Rhyme Scheme: The poem is made of rhyming couplets, so the rhyme scheme is mostly AABBCC.

Figures of Speech:

Apostrophe: The speaker directly addresses God throughout the poem ("O God, forgive me when I whine").

Repetition: The phrase "O God forgive me when I whine" is repeated to show the speaker's main feeling of gratitude and realisation.


Theme/Central Idea: We should be thankful for the gifts we have in life. We should stop complaining about our small problems when we see others who face much bigger challenges with a smile.

Why I like the poem: I like this poem because it teaches a very important lesson about being grateful. It's a simple yet powerful reminder to appreciate our lives and be happy with what we have.

8. "O Captain! My Captain!"

Title: O Captain! My Captain!

Poet: Walt Whitman

Rhyme Scheme: The poem does not have a single, fixed rhyme scheme, but it does use rhyming couplets within its structure (AABCDEFE).

Figures of Speech:

Extended Metaphor: The whole poem is a metaphor. The 'Captain' is President Abraham Lincoln, the 'ship' is America, and the 'fearful trip' is the Civil War.

Apostrophe: The poet is speaking directly to his dead captain ("O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done").


Theme/Central Idea: The poem expresses both the joy of victory and the deep sadness of losing a great leader. While the nation celebrates winning the war, the speaker mourns the death of the captain who led them to victory.

Why I like the poem: This poem is very emotional and moving. It powerfully captures the mixed feelings of 

happiness and grief at the same time and is a great tribute to a beloved leader.

We hope this guide to poem appreciations for the Class 10 English 'My English Coursebook' has been helpful. Remember to follow the format and include all the necessary points to score well in your exams. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. We wish you all the best for your upcoming board exams!

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