A Truly Beautiful Mind
(About Albert Einstein)
Page 50 – Thinking about the Text
Q1. Here are some headings for paragraphs in the text. Add subheadings that you think are appropriate.
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Einstein’s equation → Einstein publishes the special theory of relativity
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Einstein meets his future wife → Friendship with Mileva Maric
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A letter that launched the arms race → Einstein warns Roosevelt about nuclear power
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A desk drawer full of ideas → Einstein’s youthful curiosity and inventions
Q2. Who had these opinions about Einstein?
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He was boring. → His playmates.
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He was stupid and would never succeed in life. → A headmaster.
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He was a freak. → His mother.
Q3. Explain what the reasons for the following are.
(i) Einstein leaving the school in Munich for good:
→ He hated the regimentation and lack of freedom; he felt suffocated.
(ii) Einstein wanting to study in Switzerland rather than in Munich:
→ Switzerland was more liberal and open-minded in education.
(iii) Einstein seeing in Mileva an ally:
→ She was intelligent, shared his love for physics, and stood against conventional, restrictive ideas.
(iv) What do these tell you about Einstein?
→ He valued freedom, intellectual companionship, and independent thinking.
Q4. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why?
→ He called it “the Bureau of Theoretical Physics” because he secretly worked on scientific ideas while employed as a patent clerk.
Q5. Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?
→ To warn him that Germany might build an atom bomb using nuclear fission. This led to America’s Manhattan Project.
Q6. How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
→ He was deeply shaken, regretted his role, and later worked for peace and nuclear disarmament.
Q7. Why does the world remember Einstein as a “world citizen”?
→ Beyond science, he stood for peace, democracy, and universal values. He opposed war, racism, and nationalism, promoting unity and humanity.
Q8. Here are some facts from Einstein’s life. Arrange them in chronological order.
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Einstein is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
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Einstein writes a letter to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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Einstein attends a high school in Munich.
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Einstein’s family moves to Milan.
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Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm.
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Einstein joins a university in Zurich, where he meets Mileva.
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Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity.
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He provides a new interpretation of gravity.
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Tired of the school’s regimentation, Einstein withdraws.
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Einstein dies.
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He emigrates to the U.S., when the Nazis come to power.
Correct Order:
Einstein is born → Attends school in Munich → Family moves to Milan → Joins university in Zurich → Withdraws from school → Publishes special theory of relativity → Provides new interpretation of gravity → Awarded Nobel Prize → Writes to Roosevelt → Emigrates to the U.S. → Dies.
Extra Questions – A Truly Beautiful Mind
Short Answer
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Why was Einstein considered a “freak” by his mother?
Because he spoke very little as a child, and his unusual habits made him seem odd. -
What were Einstein’s hobbies apart from science?
He loved music, especially playing the violin, which gave him peace. -
Why is Einstein called “a truly beautiful mind”?
Because his genius in science was matched by his moral vision and concern for humanity.
Long Answer
Q. What values of Einstein’s personality does the chapter highlight?
The chapter portrays Einstein as not only a genius scientist but also a deeply humane person. From childhood, he disliked regimentation and valued freedom of thought. His originality was seen in the drawer full of scientific ideas at the patent office. Though he revolutionised physics with his theory of relativity, Einstein did not confine himself to science. His letter to Roosevelt, warning against Nazi Germany’s nuclear ambitions, showed his social responsibility. Later, horrified by the devastation of Hiroshima, he became a staunch advocate of peace and nuclear disarmament. His humility, simplicity, love for music, and commitment to humanity reveal that he was more than an intellectual giant — he was “a truly beautiful mind.”
Summary of A Truly Beautiful Mind
The chapter A Truly Beautiful Mind is a biographical sketch of Albert Einstein, highlighting not only his scientific achievements but also his human qualities.
Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany, in 1879. As a child, he spoke very little, making people think he was strange. At school in Munich, he felt stifled by strict discipline and left for Switzerland, which offered more liberal education. He excelled in mathematics and physics and later joined the university in Zurich, where he met Mileva Maric, his fellow student and intellectual companion.
After graduation, Einstein worked in the patent office in Bern. Despite this modest job, he continued scientific research. He jokingly called his desk drawer the “Bureau of Theoretical Physics.” In 1905, he published the Special Theory of Relativity, which introduced the world to the famous equation E = mc². This transformed physics.
Einstein’s fame spread, and in 1921 he received the Nobel Prize in Physics. However, he remained humble and continued his passion for music and teaching.
The rise of the Nazis in Germany forced Einstein to emigrate to the United States in 1933. There, he taught at Princeton University. In 1939, fearing that Germany might build an atomic bomb, Einstein wrote to President Roosevelt, urging caution. This indirectly contributed to the Manhattan Project. When America bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Einstein was deeply shocked and regretted his involvement. He spent the rest of his life advocating peace, nuclear disarmament, and democracy.
Einstein died in 1955, mourned worldwide. He is remembered not just as a genius scientist but as a humanitarian and “world citizen.” The chapter justifies the title A Truly Beautiful Mind, portraying Einstein as a man whose intellect and compassion made him unique.
Biography of Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was one of the greatest scientists in history, revolutionising physics with his theories of relativity. He was also a humanitarian, peace activist, and philosopher.
Born on 14 March 1879 in Ulm, Germany, Einstein grew up in Munich, where he disliked rigid schooling. Fascinated by mathematics and science, he pursued higher studies in Switzerland. He graduated from the Zurich Polytechnic in 1900 and married Mileva Maric.
In 1905, while working at the Swiss Patent Office, he published four groundbreaking papers, including the Special Theory of Relativity, with the equation E = mc². This year is known as his annus mirabilis (miracle year). Later, he developed the General Theory of Relativity (1915), changing the understanding of gravity and the universe.
Einstein’s fame grew worldwide. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics (1921) for his work on the photoelectric effect. However, with the rise of Hitler, Einstein emigrated to the USA in 1933 and joined Princeton University.
In 1939, he co-signed a letter warning Roosevelt of Germany’s nuclear ambitions. Though he regretted this later, it showed his social concern. Post-war, he became an advocate of peace, Zionism, and democracy, opposing war and violence.
Einstein passed away on 18 April 1955 in Princeton. He is remembered as not only a genius scientist but also a moral guide — a “truly beautiful mind.”
Poem 4 – The Lake Isle of Innisfree
By W. B. Yeats
Page 55 – Thinking about the Poem
Q1. What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about:
(i) the three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (stanza I);
(ii) what he hears and sees there (stanza II);
(iii) what he hears in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree (stanza III).
Answer:
(i) He wants to build a small cabin of clay and wattles, grow beans, and keep bee-hives.
(ii) He hears the humming of bees, the cricket’s song, and sees the peaceful glimmer of midnight, the purple glow of noon, and linnets flying in the evening.
(iii) Even when far away, he hears the lake water lapping softly, echoing in his heart.
Q2. By now you may have concluded that Innisfree is a simple, natural place, full of beauty and peace. How does the poet contrast it with where he now stands?
Answer:
The poet contrasts the peaceful, natural beauty of Innisfree with the grey pavements of the city where he currently stands. Innisfree represents tranquillity and harmony with nature, while the city represents noise, artificiality, and restlessness.
Q3. Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poem suggest that the poet finds peace only by going away from the city, or that he can also find it in his memories?
Answer:
Innisfree is both a physical place and a state of mind. While it is a real island in Ireland, in the poem it symbolises an inner longing for peace and simplicity. The poet finds comfort even in his memories of Innisfree, proving that peace is not limited to a place but also exists in one’s imagination and heart.
Extra Questions – The Lake Isle of Innisfree
Short Answer (2–3 lines)
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What does the poet wish to escape from?
From the noisy, artificial life of the city. -
Why does the poet want to keep bees?
Because bees symbolise harmony with nature and their humming creates a soothing, musical atmosphere. -
What do the natural sounds in the poem symbolise?
They symbolise peace, meditation, and a life in tune with nature.
Long Answer
Q. Explain how Yeats contrasts the city with Innisfree.
The poem highlights Yeats’s desire to leave behind the city’s mechanical, lifeless atmosphere. He describes city life as dull and full of “grey pavements,” a symbol of monotony and alienation. In contrast, Innisfree is vibrant with natural beauty and life. There, he imagines living in a small clay-and-wattle hut, growing beans, keeping bees, and enjoying the peaceful sounds of nature. The rhythms of midnight, noon, and evening linnets provide harmony absent in urban life. The gentle lapping of the lake water, which he carries in his heart even while in the city, signifies that true peace lies in reconnecting with nature. Thus, the poem contrasts the artificial with the natural, the restless with the peaceful, and materialism with simplicity.
Summary of The Lake Isle of Innisfree
In this poem, W. B. Yeats expresses his deep yearning for peace and harmony with nature. He imagines leaving behind the noisy, restless life of the city to live alone on the tranquil island of Innisfree in Ireland.
The poet describes what he would do if he went there. He would build a small cabin made of clay and wattles. He would cultivate nine rows of beans and keep a hive for honeybees. He longs for a life of simplicity and self-sufficiency, where he could live in tune with nature.
Yeats then paints a vivid picture of the atmosphere at Innisfree. He would experience peace “dropping slow,” falling gently like the mist of morning. He would hear the buzzing of bees, the cricket’s song, and the music of linnets in the evening. He would witness the beauty of midnight shining with starlight and noon glowing with purple. Every part of the day would be filled with calm and beauty.
In the final stanza, Yeats explains that this longing is constant. Even when he stands on the crowded pavements of a city, he hears the soft sound of lake water in his “heart’s core.” This shows that Innisfree is not just a physical place, but also a state of mind, a spiritual retreat where the poet feels peace and fulfilment.
Thus, the poem presents a contrast between the artificial city life and the natural, peaceful life at Innisfree. It captures Yeats’s dream of escaping the modern world’s anxieties and returning to a life of simplicity, meditation, and harmony with nature.
Biography of W. B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats (1865–1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, and one of the most important figures of 20th-century literature.
He was born on 13 June 1865 in Sandymount, Dublin, Ireland. His father was a painter, and Yeats grew up surrounded by art and Irish folklore. He studied at the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin but soon turned to poetry.
Yeats’s early poetry was romantic and mystical, influenced by Celtic mythology. Works like The Wanderings of Oisin(1889) reflect this phase. He co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and later the Abbey Theatre, which became a centre of Irish drama.
His style evolved into modernism, combining symbolism with clear, lyrical language. Collections such as The Tower(1928) and The Winding Stair (1933) showcase his mature voice. His poems explore themes of love, politics, spirituality, and the passage of time. Famous works include The Lake Isle of Innisfree, Easter 1916, Sailing to Byzantium, and The Second Coming.
Yeats was also active in politics, supporting Irish independence and serving as a Senator of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1928. His lifelong love for Maud Gonne, an Irish nationalist, inspired much of his poetry, though it was unfulfilled.
In 1923, Yeats received the Nobel Prize in Literature for his inspired poetry, which gave voice to Ireland’s spirit. He continued writing until his death on 28 January 1939 in France. He was later buried in Drumcliff, Ireland.
Yeats is remembered as a master poet who combined personal, national, and universal themes with profound artistry. His works remain a cornerstone of modern English literature.