Character of a Happy Man Summary and Explanation
PSEB Class 10 English Poem 1 Character of a Happy Man Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings and Poetic Devices from English Main Course Book
Character of a Happy Man Summary – Are you looking for the summary, theme and Lesson explanation for Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class 10 English Poem 1 – Character of a Happy Man from English Main Course Book. Get Lesson summary, theme, explanation along with difficult word meanings
PSEB Class 10 English Poem 1 – Character of a Happy Man
by Sir Henry Wotton
“Character of a Happy Man” by Sir Henry Wotton explores what real happiness looks like. The poet argues that true contentment doesn’t come from wealth, power, or fame. Instead, it comes from living simply, staying honest, and being free from worldly desires. The poem paints a picture of someone who is genuinely happy because they’re not chasing things that don’t really matter.
- Character of a Happy Man Summary
- Character of a Happy Man Summary in Hindi
- Character of a Happy Man Theme
- Character of a Happy Man Explanation
- Character of a Happy Man Poetic Devices
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Character of a Happy Man Summary
This poem describes the qualities of a truly happy person. According to the poet, a happy man is the one who lives independently and does not serve another’s will. His strength comes from honest thoughts and simple truth.
The happy man controls his passions rather than being controlled by them. He is spiritually prepared for death and does not care about fame or reputation. He does not envy those who rise through chance or vice, and understands that praise can cause deep wounds by leading to pride.
He follows moral rules rather than political ambitions. He prays to God for grace instead of material gifts, and spends his time with religious books or good friends. He is free from the anxiety of ambition and fear of failure.
Though he may own no lands or wealth, he is master of himself. Having nothing materially, he possesses everything that truly matters, inner peace, contentment, and spiritual freedom. The poem’s message is that true happiness comes not from worldly success but from honesty, moderation, faith in God, and freedom from worldly attachments.
Summary of the Poem Character of a Happy Man in Hindi
यह कविता एक सच्चे सुखी व्यक्ति के गुणों का वर्णन करती है। कवि के अनुसार, सुखी व्यक्ति वह है जो स्वतंत्र रूप से जीता है और किसी दूसरे की इच्छा की सेवा नहीं करता। उसकी शक्ति ईमानदार विचारों और सरल सत्य से आती है।
सुखी व्यक्ति अपनी इच्छाओं को नियंत्रित करता है। वह आध्यात्मिक रूप से मृत्यु के लिए तैयार रहता है और प्रसिद्धि या प्रतिष्ठा की परवाह नहीं करता। वह उन लोगों से ईर्ष्या नहीं करता जो संयोग या बुराई से ऊंचे उठते हैं, और समझता है कि प्रशंसा गर्व की ओर ले जाकर गहरे घाव दे सकती है।
वह राजनीतिक महत्वाकांक्षा के बजाय नैतिक नियमों का पालन करता है। वह भौतिक उपहारों के बजाय ईश्वर की कृपा के लिए प्रार्थना करता है, और अपना समय धार्मिक पुस्तकों या अच्छे मित्रों के साथ बिताता है। वह महत्वाकांक्षा की चिंता और असफलता के डर से मुक्त है।
हालांकि उसके पास कोई भूमि या धन नहीं है, वह स्वयं का स्वामी है। भौतिक रूप से कुछ न होते हुए भी, उसके पास वह सब कुछ है जो वास्तव में मायने रखता है, आंतरिक शांति, संतोष, और आध्यात्मिक स्वतंत्रता। कविता का संदेश है कि सच्ची खुशी सांसारिक सफलता से नहीं बल्कि ईमानदारी, संयम, ईश्वर में विश्वास और सांसारिक आसक्ति से मुक्ति से आती है।
Theme of the Poem Character of a Happy Man
Contentment Over Ambition: The poem shows that people who want less are actually happier. Chasing fame and power just makes you miserable.
Honesty and Truth: Living truthfully and keeping your thoughts honest protects you better than anything else. Your integrity becomes your armor.
Freedom from Worldly Desires: Real freedom isn’t about owning stuff or controlling people. It’s about not being controlled by your own wants and fears.
Spiritual Life: Having faith in God and spending time with good books or good friends brings genuine peace.
Self-Mastery: The happiest person is someone who controls their passions instead of being controlled by them. They’re their own master.
Character of a Happy Man Poem Explanation with Word Meanings
Stanza 1
How happy is he born or taught
That serveth not another’s will;
Whose armour is his honest thought,
And simple truth his utmost skill!
Word Meanings:
Serveth: serves, works for
Armour: protection, defensive covering
Utmost: greatest, highest
Explanation: The poet starts by saying that a person who does not serve another’s wishes (or acts according to others’ will) is happy. He could have developed this quality by experience or he could have been born with it. They’re not at anyone’s beck and call. Their protection in life comes from being honest, and their greatest ability is just being truthful. They don’t need fancy skills or tricks. Simple honesty is enough.
Stanza 2
Whose passions not his masters are,
Whose soul is still prepared for death;
Untied unto the world with care
Of public fame or private breath;
Word Meanings:
Passions: strong emotions, desires
Still: always, constantly
Untied: not bound, not attached
Breath: talk, gossip, what people say
Explanation: This happy person isn’t ruled by the emotions and desires, they control their passions instead. They’re always mentally ready to face death because they’ve lived well. They’re not attached to the world through worries about their public reputation or what people say about them in private. Fame and gossip don’t bind them.
Stanza 3
Who envies none whom chance doth raise
Nor vice; who never understood.
How deepest wounds are given with praise;
Nor rules of state, but rules of good:
Word Meanings:
Envies: feels jealous of
Doth: does (old English)
Vice: immoral behavior, wickedness
State: government, political power, estate
Explanation: This person doesn’t feel jealous when someone else gets lucky and rises in the world. They also don’t envy those who succeed through immoral means. They’ve never figured out how praise can actually hurt people deeply, maybe because they’re too genuine to use flattery as a weapon. They don’t care about political power games or rules of the state. They only follow rules of goodness and morality.
Stanza 4
Who God doth late and early pray
More of His grace than gifts to lend;
Who entertains the harmless day
With a religious book or friend;
Word Meanings:
Late and early: night and morning
Grace: divine blessing, spiritual favor
Lend: give, grant
Entertains: spends, occupies
Harmless: innocent, peaceful
Explanation: This person prays to God both late at night and early in the morning. But here’s the thing, they ask for grace (spiritual blessings, virtue, moral strength) more than material gifts. They spend their innocent, peaceful days reading religious books or having meaningful conversations with friends. These bring simple pleasures and spiritual growth.
Stanza 5
This man is free from servile bonds
Of hope to rise, or fear to fall;
Lord of himself, though not of lands;
And having nothing, yet hath all.
Word Meanings:
Servile: slavish, submissive
Bonds: chains, ties that restrict
Lord: master, ruler
Hath: has (old English)
Explanation: This is the conclusion. Such a person is free from the slavery of ambition, they’re not hoping to climb higher socially or fearing they’ll lose status. They’re the master of themselves even though they don’t own any property or land. And here’s the beautiful paradox: even though they possess nothing material, they actually have everything that truly matters, peace, contentment, virtue, freedom.
Character of a Happy Man Poetic Devices
1. Metaphor
“Whose armour is his honest thought” – Honest thought is compared to armour (protective covering) without using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
“Lord of himself” – The happy man is described as a lord or ruler of his own self
“servile bonds” – The chains of hope and fear are compared to bonds of slavery.
2. Paradox
“And having nothing, yet hath all” – This is a contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth: despite owning no material possessions, the happy man possesses everything of true value (peace, contentment, freedom).
3. Personification
“passions not his masters are” – Passions are given human qualities of being masters or rulers.
“chance doth raise” – Chance is personified as having the ability to raise people.
4. Antithesis
“hope to rise, or fear to fall” – Contrasting ideas of rising and falling placed together.
“late and early” – Opposite times of day placed together.
“grace than gifts” – Spiritual versus material contrasted.
“Lord of himself, though not of lands” – Self-mastery contrasted with lack of material possession..
5. Inversion (Hyperbaton)
“How happy is he born or taught” – Normal word order would be “He who is born or taught is happy.”
“Whose passions not his masters are” – Normal order: “Whose passions are not his masters.”
“whom chance doth raise” – Normal order: “whom chance raises.”
Conclusion
This poem titled Character of a Happy Man is from PSEB Maincourse Book for students of class 10. Students can go through the summary and explanation provided to get a quick recap of the poem.