Notes Chapter 2.3 “The Twins” Class 10 English Maharashtra Board

Notes For All Chapters – English Class 10

About the Poem

• Theme: The humorous complications of identical twins’ lives due to their identical appearance.
• Tone: Light-hearted, satirical, and exaggerated.
• Form: The poem uses rhyme and rhythm to create humor and emphasize the absurdity of the situations described.

Key Points and Summary

1. Identical Appearance:
   • The speaker and his twin brother John look so alike that even their family members cannot differentiate between them.
   • Their identical features cause confusion among relatives and friends, creating humorous situations.
2. Naming Mix-Up:
   • During infancy, the nurse mistakenly swapped their names while bathing them.
   • The speaker was named John, and John was named the speaker, leading to lifelong identity confusion.
3. School Troubles:
   • At school, the speaker often suffered punishment meant for his brother because teachers couldn’t tell them apart.
   • John, being less intelligent, caused trouble that resulted in the speaker being wrongly punished.
4. Romantic Chaos:
   • The confusion extended to personal relationships when the speaker’s intended bride ended up marrying his twin brother.
   • This mix-up caused emotional distress and disrupted the speaker’s domestic life.
5. Posthumous Confusion:
   • Even after death, the confusion persisted.
   • When the speaker passed away, the neighbors mistakenly buried his twin brother John instead of him.

Humorous and Absurd Elements

1. Identity Crisis:

• The speaker humorously questions how he could prove his own identity since no one, including himself, could distinguish between him and his twin.

2. Unbelievable Situations:

• The mistaken identity in every stage of life, from childhood to death, adds an element of absurdity and exaggeration.
• The burial mistake is particularly highlighted for its irony and humor.

3. Language Devices:

• Hyperbole: Exaggerated scenarios such as lifelong identity confusion.
• Pun: Wordplay is used to create double meanings and humor (e.g., “turned the tide of my domestic life”).
• Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds for rhythmic humor.

Character Traits

• Speaker:
  • Victim of lifelong identity confusion.
  • Reflects on his life with a sense of humor despite absurd situations.
• John (Twin Brother):
  • The cause of many of the speaker’s troubles due to his foolish actions.

Poetic Devices

1. Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows a regular rhyme scheme that adds to its humor and readability.

2. Figures of Speech:

• Hyperbole: Exaggeration of identity confusion and its consequences.
• Alliteration: Adds rhythm and a playful tone.
• Pun: Creates humor through wordplay.

3. Imagery: Visual descriptions help the reader imagine the scenarios and enjoy the humor.

Important Quotes

1. “For one of us was born a twin, yet not a soul knew which.”
   • Highlights the core confusion and humor.
2. “My brother John got christened me, and I got christened him.”
   • Demonstrates the initial mix-up that set the stage for lifelong chaos.

Alternate Title Suggestion

• “The Misadventures of Identical Twins”

These notes are structured for clarity and tailored for Class 10 students, focusing on the key aspects of the poem for better understanding and analysis.