Echo and Narcissus Summary and Explanation
BSEB Class 9 English Chapter 5 Echo and Narcissus Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from English Panorama-I Book
Echo and Narcissus Summary – Are you looking for the summary, theme and Lesson explanation for Bihar School Education Board (BSEB) Class 9 English Chapter 5 – Echo and Narcissus from English Main Course Book. Get Lesson summary, theme, explanation along with difficult word meanings
BSEB Class 9 English Panorama-I Book Chapter 5 – Echo and Narcissus
By Moira Kerr and John Benett
The present myth from Greek mythology introduces two people, Echo and Narcissus. Their names have a meaning in the myth that is carried over to our present-day language. The given piece has been rendered in English by Moira Kerr and John Benett.
- Echo and Narcissus Summary
- Echo and Narcissus Summary in Hindi
- Echo and Narcissus Theme
- Echo and Narcissus Lesson Explanation
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Echo and Narcissus Summary
Narcissus was a young man who was considered to be the most handsome. Everyone fell in love with him at first sight, which gave him power over others. This power made him arrogant and selfish. He always put his own feelings first, and broke the hearts of the people who loved him. There was a celestial nymph named Echo. She used to talk too much. She was cursed by Hera because her chattering prevented Hera from catching her husband, Zeus cheating on her. Echo could now only speak the last few words that she heard.
One day, she was watching Narcissus while he was with his hunting companions. Like everyone else, she was captivated by his beauty but was too insecure to approach him. Narcissus got lost in the forest and asked if anyone was there. Echo could only repeat the last word she heard. Narcissus was confused by her speech and convinced her to come out. When Echo mustered her courage and came in front of him, Narcissus mocked her, saying that no one would love her because of her silly speech. Echo was heartbroken and went inside a dark cave. She never came out and withered away to form the echo sound that we now know. Narcissus treated everyone brutally. One of those people he scorned prayed to the gods that Narcissus would be treated the same by someone whom the young man himself loved. However, Narcissus only loved himself. So, one day, he went to a pool to quench his thirst after hunting. He saw his reflection and was captivated by his own image. He withered away next to the pool because he kept staring at his reflection, till he became as thin as the stem of a flower and his face became the flower. He then turned into the white and gold coloured flower we now know as Narcissus.
Summary of the Lesson Echo and Narcissus in Hindi
नार्सिसस एक युवा देवता था जिसे देवताओं में सबसे सुंदर माना जाता था। हर कोई उसे देखते ही मोहित हो जाता था, जिससे उसे दूसरों पर शक्ति प्राप्त हो गई। इस शक्ति ने उसे अहंकारी और स्वार्थी बना दिया। वह हमेशा अपनी भावनाओं को सर्वोपरि रखता था और अपने चाहने वालों का दिल तोड़ देता था। इको नाम की एक अप्सरा थी। वह बहुत ज्यादा बोलती थी। हेरा ने उसे श्राप दिया क्योंकि उसकी बकबक के कारण हेरा अपने पति को धोखा देते हुए नहीं पकड़ पाती थी। अब इको केवल वही कुछ शब्द बोल सकती थी जो उसने आखिरी बार सुने थे। एक दिन, इको नार्सिसस को उसके शिकार साथियों के साथ देख रही थी। बाकी सब की तरह, वह भी उसकी सुंदरता से मोहित हो गई थी, लेकिन उससे बात करने की हिम्मत नहीं कर पा रही थी। नार्सिसस जंगल में खो गया और उसने पूछा कि क्या कोई है। इको केवल आखिरी शब्द दोहरा सकी जो उसने सुना था। नार्सिसस उसकी बात सुनकर उलझन में पड़ गया और उसे बाहर आने के लिए मना लिया। जब इको ने हिम्मत जुटाकर उसके सामने आई, तो नार्सिसस ने उसका मज़ाक उड़ाते हुए कहा कि कोई उससे प्यार नहीं करेगा। इको का दिल टूट गया और वह एक अंधेरी गुफा में चली गई। वह कभी बाहर नहीं निकली और धीरे-धीरे मुरझाकर उस इको में बदल गई जिसे हम आज जानते हैं। नार्सिसस ने सबके साथ क्रूरता बरती। जिन लोगों को उसने अपमानित किया था, उनमें से एक ने देवताओं से प्रार्थना की कि नार्सिसस के साथ भी वैसा ही व्यवहार किया जाए जैसा उस युवा देवता ने अपने प्रिय के साथ किया था। लेकिन नार्सिसस केवल खुद से ही प्यार करता था। एक दिन, शिकार के बाद प्यास बुझाने के लिए वह एक तालाब पर गया। वहाँ उसने अपनी परछाई देखी और उस पर मोहित हो गया। वह तालाब के किनारे ही अपनी परछाई को लगातार देखता रहा, जिससे वह मुरझाने लगा। वह फूल की डंठल की तरह पतला हो गया और उसके बाल पंखुड़ियाँ बन गए। फिर वह वही फूल बन गया जिसे हम आज नरगिस के नाम से जानते हैं।
Theme of the Lesson Echo and Narcissus
The chapter is centred around the consequences of loving and respecting only oneself. Extreme amounts of arrogance, cruelty, and self-love make a person narcissistic in nature. A narcissistic personality only leads to the person’s own downfall due to obsessive love with their own appearance and personality. The chapter sheds light on the juxtaposition of an anxious and self-conscious personality and a narcissistic personality. Therefore, it is important to have a moderate amount of confidence and self-love.
Echo and Narcissus Lesson Explanation
Passage: Not many men, or even gods,were as handsome as young Narcissus. So fair was he that almost everyone who saw him fell in love with him that moment.
Explanation: Narcissus was a young god who was considered the most handsome of the gods. He was so handsome and fair that almost everyone who saw him instantly fell in love with him.
Passage: One day, as Narcissus roamed the forests with his hunting companions, he was spied by the watchful nymph Echo. She had once been a great chatterer, ready to talk to any passer-by on any subject at any time, and on several occasions she had detained goddess Hera with hours of casual talks, just as Hera was on the point of stumbling upon Zeus with one of his illicit loves. Eventually Hera grew so annoyed that she put a curse on Echo, and from that time on the unfortunate nymph could say nothing but the last few words that she heard.
Word-meanings:
roam: to walk or travel around an area without any definite aim or direction
nymph: spirit of nature in the form of a young woman
passer-by: a person who passes somebody or something
detain: to delay somebody or prevent him from going somewhere.
stumbling upon: discovering something/ somebody unexpectedly
illicit: forbidden by law, rules, or custom
annoyed: slightly angry
curse: a word or phrase or sentence calling for the punishment, injury or destruction of something or somebody
Explanation: Echo was a spirit in the form of a young woman. Echo used to talk incessantly and this prevented Hera from catching Zeus who was with his illicit affairs. Hera became angry and cursed Echo. Echo now could not speak and could only repeat the last few words that she heard. One day, Echo was following Narcissus because she wanted to admire his beauty. Narcissus was wandering in the forest with his friends.
Passage: Trembling, Echo followed Narcissus through the trees. She longed to go closer to him to gaze upon the beauty of his face, but she feared that he would laugh at her silly speech. Before long, Narcissus wandered away from his companions, and when he realised he was lost, he called in panic. “Is there anybody here?”
Word-meanings:
trembling: shaking from fear, excitement
long: to want something very much
gaze: to look steadily at somebody or something for a long time
Explanation: Echo wanted to go closer to Narcissus but was afraid that he would laugh at how she could only speak the last few words she heard. She saw her own speech as silly. Then, Narcissus got separated from his friends. He slightly panicked that he got lost, so he asked if anyone was there.
Passage: “Here!” called Echo.
Explanation: Echo repeated the last word she heard Narcissus say.
Passage: Mystified by this reply, Narcissus shouted. “Come!”
“Come!” shouted Echo.
Word-meanings:
mystify: to make somebody confused
Explanation: Narcissus was confused by the reply. He asked the person to come forward. However, Echo only repeated the last word she heard.
Passage: Narcissus was convinced that someone was playing trick on him.
“Why are you avoiding me?” he called. The only answer he heard was his own question repeated from the woods.
Explanation: Narcissus felt like someone was tricking him for fun. He asked her why she was avoiding him. However, Echo could only repeat the last few words of his question.
Passage: “Come here, and let us meet!” pleaded Narcissus.
“Let us meet!” Echo answered, delighted.
Passage Explanation: Narcissus requested that Echo come forward and meet him. Echo was delighted that the last few words of his question answered him properly.
Passage: She overcame her shyness, and crept from her hiding place to approach Narcissus. But he, satisfied now that he had solved the mystery of the voice,roughly pushed her away and ran.
Word-meanings:
crept: moved slowly and carefully
roughly: harshly or violently
Explanation: Echo overcame her shyness and moved slowly and carefully out of her hiding place. However, Narcissus only cared about solving the mystery behind the voice. He recognised Echo’s voice and violently pushed her away.
Passage: “I would die before I would have you near me!” he shouted mockingly over his shoulder.
Helpless, Echo had to call after him, “I would have you near me!
Explanation: Narcissus told Echo that he would rather die than let her near me. His tone was mocking because he wanted to hurt Echo’s feelings and make fun of her. Echo felt helpless because she could only repeat the last few words she heard.
Passage: The nymph was so embarrassed and ashamed that she hid herself in a dark cave, and never came into the air and sunlight again. Her youth and beauty withered away, and her body became so shrunken and tiny that eventually she vanished altogether. All that was left was the pathetic voice that still roams the world, anxious to talk, yet able only to repeat what others say.
Word-meanings:
embarrassed: to feel awkward or ashamed
wither: to become less or weaker, especially before disappearing completely
shrunken: become smaller and less attractive
vanished: disappeared
altogether: in ever way, completely
pathetic: pitiful, sad
anxious: desirous
Explanation: The nymph was ashamed of herself because of Narcissus’s mocking words. She hid in a dark cave, causing her to become older, less beautiful, and weaker due to the lack of sunlight. Gradually, she disappeared completely, and the only thing about her that remained was her pitiful voice and cursed speech. She could only repeat what the others said.
Passage: Poor Echo was not the only one to be treated brutally by Narcissus. He had played with many hearts, and at last one of those he had scorned prayed to the gods that Narcissus would some day find himself scorned by one he loved.The prayer was heard, and granted.
Word-meanings:
brutally: in a violent and cruel manner
played: amused oneself
scorned: showed contempt
granted: agreed to be given
Explanation: Echo was the only one who was treated cruelly by Narcissus. He used everyone’s feelings for his own amusement. One of those people he showed contempt to prayed to the gods that Narcissus would be suffer the same thing from someone he loved. The prayer was heard and the gods agreed to fulfill the wish.
Passage: Tired and thirsty from his hunting, Narcissus threw himself down beside a still, clear pool to drink. As he leaned over the shining surface, he saw the reflection of the most beautiful face he had ever seen. His heart trembled at the sight, and he could not tear himself away from it-his own image.
Word-meanings:
image: reflection
Explanation: One day, when he had finished hunting, Narcissus was tired and thirsty. Narcissus sat beside a still, clear pool from which he wished to drink water. However, he saw his own reflection and found it to be so handsome that he could not look away from his own image.
Passage: For a long time Narcissus remained there beside the pool, never raising his eyes from the surface, and from time to time murmuring words of love. At last his body withered away and became the stem of a flower, and his head the lovely gold and white blossom which still looks into quiet pools, and is called Narcissus.
Word-meanings:
murmuring: a low quiet voice
Explanation: Narcissus sat there beside the pool and did not look away from his reflection. He talked to his reflection in a low quiet voice with love. His body became so weak that it became as thin as the stem of a flower, and his gold and white head became the petals. Thus, this is how the flower, Narcissus came to be.
Conclusion
This post covers the lesson ‘Echo and Narcissus’ from BSEB Class 9 English Panorama book. Students can access the explanation, word meanings and summary to get a quick revision.