THE SLEEPING PORTER
— Luxmi Prasad Devkota
Summary In English :The poem entitled ” The sleeping porter” has been written by an Indian poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota. The poem revolves round the life of a porter who works on mountains and carries the load on his back upto the snow clad peaks. The picturisation of the porter in this poem is vivid, lively and enchanting. There are four stanzas in the poem where the poet has come out with his thoughts.
The porter has twenty five kilo of load on his back to be carried to a six mile climb of the mountain. His spine is double bent due to load on his back, his loves are naked which can be seen standing on the frail frame of his body.
It looks just like the bony framework structure of a man. The porter is to carry load in winter to the peak and thus he is a posing a challenge to the nature.
The porter is wearing a black cap which is dirty and has stained mark of sweats on it. His body emits a sulphur like sour smell. His mind is very dull but he appears to be a brave man.
When climbing he goes out of breath due to heavy sweating and then his hungry. Son in the hut on the steep rock of the mountain is shivering with cold and the mother is out in search of creeper of grapes and plant that bears stings perhaps to make fire for cooking and warning.
The poet says that the porter is the proved conquer of nature who is beneath the snow clan peaks above him and the open sky covered under the lid of hight with stars all around. Being tried the porter goes in deep slumber. It seems that he is reigning king having supremacy way over the rich Kingdom of sleep, which he enjoys like a master.

                 कविता  का सारांश
‘ द स्पीपिंग पोर्टर’ शीर्षक  कविता एक भारतीय कवि लक्ष्मी प्रसाद देवकोटा द्वारा लिखी गई है। यह कविता एक कुली के जीवन के इर्द-गिर्द घूमती है जो पहाड़ों पर समान धोने का कार्य करता है । अपनी पीठ पर भार उठाये वह बर्फ से ढँकी ऊँची पहाड़ों के शिखर तक जाता है। कवि द्वारा उस कुली का अत्यंत सजीव और दिल को छू लेने वाला वर्णन किया गया है। पूरी कविता को चार्ट छंदों में बाँधा गया है जिसके माध्यम से कवि अपनी भावनाओं को अभिव्यक्त करता है।
कुली की पीठ पर 25 किलो वजन का गट्ठर बँधा है जिसे उसे पहाड़ के ऊँची चोटी तक ढ़ोकर ले जाता है। चोटी तक कि उसकी यात्रा प्राय: छः मील की होती है । कुली पीठ पर भार उठाये  झुककर धनुष के आकार का बन जाता है । शरीर पर उभड़ी उसकी हड्डियाँ साफ दिखाई देती है जो उसके दुर्बल काया पर खड़ी है। ऐसा लगता है जैसे कुली मात्र हड्डियों का एक पुतला है — उसमें हाड़ तो है पर मांस कम ही है मौसम की परवाह किए बिना उसे या बोझा धोना पड़ता है। जाड़े की कँपा देने वाली ठंढड में भी उसे पहाड़ की चोटी तक पहुँचाना होता है और ऐसा लगता है कि वह प्रकृति को चुनौती दे रहा है ।
कुली के माथे पर एक काले रंग की टोपी है जो गंदी है और जिस पर पसीने के दाग पड़ गए हैं । उसके शरीर को पिस्सुओं ने अपना घर बना लिया और जूँ तथा मक्खियों की यह शरण -स्थली बनी हुई है  । उसके बदन में गंधक मिश्रित तेज गंध निकलती रहती है। पर मंदबुद्धि का वह मानव साहसी है । उसके अंदर में शक्ति है ।
चढ़ाई के क्रम में उसकी सांस फूलने लगती है और कभी-कभी अत्यधिक पसीना निकलने के कारण वह हाँफते  लगता है। उसके मुंह से एक शर्म घोष की ध्वनि निकलती है ।कुली यहाँ श्रम घोष  कर रहा है और वहां उस पहाड़ की ऊँची चोटी के किनारे खड़ी उसकी झोपड़ी में उसका बेटा ठंड से काँप रहा होता है । वह भूखा है और उसकी मां जंगल में अंगूर की लता की खोज में निकली है ताकि वह बेटे की भूख मिटा सके।  कुछ कंटीली झाड़ियाँ भी वह एकत्रित करेगी ताकि वह उससे ईंधन का काम ले सके ।
अपने अंतिम छंद में कभी कहता है कि — कुली ने प्रकृति को जीत लिया है । मानव और प्रकृति के संघर्ष में वह एक विजेता के रूप में खुले आकाश के नीचे अनगिनत तारों के बीच रात की चादर और सो रहा है । थकान उसे गहरी नींद में सुला देती है—  ऐसा लगता है कि वह निंद्रा के एक बड़े साम्राज्य पर राज कर रहा है और एक शासक की तरह उसका उपयोग करता आनंद में लेब है।

        GLOSSARY AND NOTES
Spine (noun): रीढ़। Naked (Adj.): नंगा , वस्त्र विहीन। Frail (Adj.): कमजोर। Frame (noun): ढ़ाँचा । Sweat (noun): पसीना।  Up hill (Adj.):  चढ़ाई, कठिन। Stain (noun) दाग। Fleas (noun): पिस्सू। Lice (noun): जूँ। Twittering [Adj/noun]: पक्षियों का कलरव या जयकोष।  Painting (noun): हाँफना। Nettle (noun): एक कँटीला पौधा। Uines (noun): अंगूर की लता। Conqueror (noun): विजेता। Clab (verb): कपड़ा पहनना  studded (Adj.): जड़ित, जड़ा हुआ।  Lid (noun): ढक्कम ।  Chiff (noun): खड़ी चट्टान।

                      EXERCISE
A. Work is small group and discuss the questions given below :
  Q.1. Suppose you have to he fourth floor of the building with a heavy load on your back will you feel any trouble in doing so ? Discuss about the  trouble that you will face.
Ans. Yes one feel trouble in many ways but the common trouble may be like this :
1. The trouble of holding the bag and material firmly on the back till one climbs upto the fourth floor.
2. The stimiha to undertake and finish the job.
3. Problem of facing over swe on the way and gasping for more oxygen.
4. Problem of loading and unloading of the goods at the start and at the final spot.
B.1. Answer the following questions very briefly :
Q.1. How much load has the porter on his back ?
Ans. The load on the back of the porter is twenty five kilo.
Q.2. What distance does the porter cover in the snows of winter ?
Ans. The covers six miles of climb in the snows of winter.
Q.3. Who is challenging th mountain ?
Ans. The porter with a six mile elmite up in the shows of writer , with naked lines and  a twenty five kilo load on his back is challenging the wountain.
Q.4. What type of cap is the wearing ?
Ans. He is wearing a black cap which is dirty and sweet stained.
Q.5. What type of smell does the porter emit ?
Ans. He emits a sulphur like sour smell.
B.2.1. Answer the following questions :
Q.1. Where is a hut ?
Ans. The hut is on the cliff of the snow clad mountain.
Q.2. What is the mother searching ?
Ans. The mother is searching for nettles and vines.
Q.3. Who is the hero of the mountain ?
Ans. The porter is the hero of the mountain here.
Q.4. What is meant by lid of night ?
Ans. The sky is the star studded lid of night ?
Q.5. Who is reigning over the rich Kingdom of sleep ?
Ans. The porter is deep slumber is reigning over the rich Kingdom of sleep.
C.1. Long Answer Questions :
Q.1. The poet has focused on tried to focus on the distree and suffering of the porter. The poet says that the porter looks just like a skeleton on a frail frame. His body is an abode of fleas and lice.
Ans. He is hungry and his mother has gone out in search of some food in the jungle. These are the challenges of life which the portor is facing.
Q.2. The mother is searching for one  letter and vines. Who is she? Why is the searching such things ?
Ans.  She is the mother of the child, who is the son of the porter. Now father is away to work as a coolie leaving his family behind. There is nothing in the house to cook nighter any grain not fire wood to prepare food. So the lady is out in search of some vine to feed her child and some nettles to use that as fire wood. That will fight the shivering cold when burnt and can be useful as fire wood at the same time.
Q.3. Determination, hard work and continuity win the race. Do you agree ? Write your opinions with reference to the poem ” The sleeping porter .”
Ans. Determination and hard work are the essence of the essence of life . Determination provides inner energy to work and continuity are the symbols of progress. This is true to man a social set up and the country at the same time.
C.2. Group Discussion :
Q.1. Subject : The porter are symbols of hard work.
Points for Discussion :
(a) The portiors are labourers. Like wealth i.e. money labour and enterprize are the three essential part of growth of economy.
(b) It is the hard work of the labour force that brings progress in the society.
(c) porters are examples as hard working set up in the society. They work and can work without getting fired.
Q.2. All human beings are Porters on this earth.
Ans. Points for discussion :
(a) All human beings after coming in this world are supposed to carry some load on their back. The load may be for their own survival, for supporting family and for the upliftment of society. They have to work.
(b) They have to work in a factory, in the armed forces or in the field
(c) Do work is important and in that sense the human beings are Porters of society.
C.3. Composition :
Write a letter to your mother explaining how labour never goes in vain.
Ans.
                    Patna
            July, 2010
Dear mother,
Hope this finds you in good health and everybody in the house are fine and healthy. Mother! As you know my final examination is at hand and I am trying my best to prepare myself for the final examination. I can achieve good result only through hard labour for which I am trying, For further career advancement. I have an ambition to try for medical discipline in which the competition is quite tuff.
Through your blessings and my hard labour I think I shall be able to get success. You have been telling we that hard labour never goes a waste. I have all faith in your words and on my part I am trying my best in that direction. I hope , I will succeed through my efforts.
Pay my regards to Papa and love to Gudiya.
Accept my Pranam,     Yours loving
Smt. Pratima Jaiswal        Guddu
4.1.2. Dwarka Extension, New Delhi

D. Word Study : Dictionary use ;
1. Write the  meanings of the words given below ?
(a) Rule = Law, regulation, direction
(b) Under = Below
(c) A luggage carrier = porter
(d) Curse = Invocation evil
(e) Consisting of two = Pair
(F) Spot = Place , stain
2. Write the antonyms
Word            Autonyms
Load              Unload
Hill                Earth
Honest       Dishonest
Correct         Wrong
Dull              Bright
3. Word Formation :
Read the following lines carefully :
” A twenty – five kilo load on this back spine double bent.”
Bend , bent, bands, bendable , bender, bending.
Now as many words derived from the following verbs :
Hope = hoping , hoped, hopeful, hopeless.
Write = Wrote, writing, written.
Do = did, done, doing, deed.
Help = helped, helping, helpful.
Jump = jumped , jumping , long , jump, high jump.

E. Activity :
D. A project work on the of coolies on a Railway station.
Ans. To be done under the guidance of teacher. The subject of project work is a quite interview with the coolies at the railway station.
F. Translate :
Translate the poem in Hindi or any other ‘ language that you know.
Ans. The Hindi translation of the poem has been given in the beginning of this lesson.