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Note Making sample 2: . Read the passage and answer the questions given below: .
1.There is a clear dichotomy between Jayshankar Prasad’s daily life and the one that found
expression in his literature. In his literary formulations, Prasad advocated an escape- from
personality ideals and categorically stated: “An artist‟s art, and not his person, is the touchstone
to assess his work . . . it is only after losing his personality that he emerges in his art as an
artist”.
2. In Prasad’s works – his poems, short stories, novels, dramas etc. – what emerges is life as
shaped in the writer’s inner self by his emotions, fancies, dreams, reveries . . . His writings are a
record not of outer reality, but of the artist’s inner world. As such, of a proper appreciation and
understanding of his works more emphasis needs to be placed on the working of his mind,
than the events of his dayto-day life.
3. Prasad was born in a renowned family of Varanasi. His grand-father Shiv RatanSahu, a dealer
in high quality perfumed tobacco (snuff). Besides being an astute businessman, he was
endowed with a marked cultural taste. His home was the meeting place of the local poets,
singers, artists, scholars and men of religion. Prasad’s father Devi Prasad Sahu carried forward
this high tradition of family. Prasad, therefore, had a chance to study the various phases of
human nature in the light of the business traditions, artistic taste and religious background of
his family.
4. When the business had somewhat recovered, Prasad planned the publication of a literary
journal. Prasad started the “Indu”. The inaugural number appeared in July 1909. By this time
Prasad’s notions of literature had crystallized into a credo. In the first issue of Indu, he
proclaimed, “Literature has no fixed aim; it is not a slave to rules; it is a free and all-embracing
genius, gives birth to genuine literature which is subservient to none. Whatever in the world is
true and beautiful is its subject matter. By dealing with the True and Beautiful it establishes the
one and affects the full flowering of the others. Its force can be measured by the degree of
pleasure it gives to the reader‟s mind as also by the criticism which is free of all prejudice”. The
words sound like the manifesto of romanticism in literature.
5.Even while recognizing the social relevance of literature, Prasad insisted, “The poet is a
creator . . . he is not conditioned by his milieu; rather it is he who moulds it and gives it a new
shape; he conjures up a new world of beauty where the reader for the time being, becomes
oblivious of the outer world and passes his time in an eternal spring garden where golden
lotuses blossom and the air is thick and pollen”. Thus, the chief aim of literature according to
Prasad is to give joy to the reader and to create a state of bliss in him. Later under the impact of
Shiv Advaitism, this faith of Prasad got further strengthened.
(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using
headings and subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary-
minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to it.
(5)
(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words. (3)
Solution 2:
Jayashankar Prasad- His life

1. His exprsn. in lit.
a. an escape
b. lose your personality
c. record of writer’s inner world
d. more emphsz. on mind than body
2. Personal life
a. renowned fam. of Varanasi
b. home- meeting place of the local poets, singers
c. grand-father- an astute businessman
d. had a chance to study phases of human nature
3. Started the “Indu”
a. in July 1909
b. proclaimed
(i) lit. has no fixed aim
(ii) is free and all embracing genius
(iii) gives birth to genuine lit.
4. Social relevance of lit.
a. poet is a creator
b. moulds it
c. conjures up a new world of beauty
d. becomes oblivious of the outer world
5. Chief aim of lit.
a. give joy to the reader
b. create a state of bliss
Key to Abbreviations
Abbreviations Words
lit. literature
emphsz. emphasize
exprsn. expression
fam. family
Summary
Jayashankar Prasad- His life
Jayshankar Prasad found expression in literature and created an escape only after losing his
personality. His writings are a record of the writer’s inner world with more emphasis on mind
than body. He was from a renowned family of Varanasi where home-meetings of poets and
singers would take place. His grandfather was an astute businessman and therefore Prasad had
a chance to study phases of human nature. In July 1909, he started ‘Indu’, in which he
proclaimed that literature has no fixed aim, is free and all embracing genius and gives birth to
genuine literature. He recognised the social relevance of literature as the poet is the creator
who mould it, conjures up a new world and becomes oblivious to the outer world. The chief aim
of literature is to give joy to the reader and create a state of bliss.

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Note Making sample 2: . Read the passage and answer the questions given below: .

Jayashankar Prasad- His life

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