NCERT Class 12 English Flamingo is an English reader book for students. It encapsulates some of the notable works of literature that improve learners writing and reading skills. It makes learners familiar with the writing flair of the notable writers from the country and across the world.
In the syllabus of Class 12, English Flamingo improvises students’ vocabulary and their grip over the English language. It also inspires students to pursue the discipline and to be familiar with the depth of the discipline and make a career in that direction. The book helps students to understand abstract ideas and exercise the power of thinking to develop their own perception.
NCERT Class 12 English Flamingo also gives students an emotional ride by exposing them to various real-life situations and human values like empathy, compassion, love, care, and to correlate with their own perspectives as well as to discover the nerves of human to human relationship.
The NCERT class 12 English Flamingo includes eight short stories, twelve poetries, and seven essays eloquently elaborated with logical sequencing of the subject matter and proper placement of the concepts.
Writing Skills like Note-making, Summarising, Sub-titling, Essay-writing, Letter-writing, and Creative Writing is also an integral part of NCERT Class 12 English Flamingo.
Note that Flamingo is the English Reader for CBSE as well NCERT Class 12 and Vistas is the Supplementary Reader.
The different chapters of prose and poetry – included in Flamingo are listed below:
Prose:
1. The Lost Spring
The author Alphonse Daudet narrates some events about the year 1870 when France was invaded by Prussian forces led by Bismarck. The writer also describes how the Lorraine and Alsace districts also went under contemporary Prussian rule. French teachers were ordered to leave. So, M. Hamel was not able to stay in his old school. One student of M. Hamel was afraid of him, but he learned that this will be his last lesson and he realized the importance of this subject. This story explains to us how people may feel when they don’t learn their own language.
2. Lost spring
The ‘Lost Spring’ is written by Anees Jung. Anees talks about the national shame of children, who are being forced to live a life of extreme poverty and ruthless exploitation. The main two characters of the chapter, Saheb-e-Alam and Mukesh can’t live their childhood, can’t have the enjoyment of growing up, and having fun as other kids have as they have to carry the burden of poverty, hunger, and illiteracy. In their miserable stories of unfair and ruthless exploitation, the author also sees some hope of fortitude and resilience.
3. Deep Water
This is a childhood story of the writer, focussed on some incidents. When the writer was three or four years old, he had gone to California with his father. One day when he was on the beach, the quick waves knocked the child down and swept over him. The child became terrified but the father who knew that there was no harm, laughed and ignored. But this experience seeded a permanent fear of water in the child’s mind.
4. The Rattrap
The Rattrap is a story about a man who is a peddler. He carries a pessimistic attitude towards everything in the world. The peddler was not always like this and was a fine, positive man before. But due to some misfortune, he now is engaged in selling rattraps, begging, borrowing, and even stealing to survive. The peddler views the world as a big rat trap, believes that like the cheese we put for mice, the world offers us materialistic things just to lure us and when we fall for these things, everything we had is gone. But in this pessimistic story, entry of a young generous woman, her generosity and kindness change the peddler’s pessimistic take on life. This story shows us the importance of essential human goodness that we all must possess.
5. Indigo
This story describes Gandhi’s struggle and the movement he started for the poor peasants of Champaran, Bihar. The story exhibits Gandhi Ji’s leadership and its effect on helpless peasants against the unfair exploitation of farmers and forced use of their land by Englishmen.
6. Poets and Pancakes
Poets and Pancakes have been taken from the book ‘My Years with Boss’ penned by Asokamitran. It is about the time when he worked in the popular Gemini Studios. It was quite a famous film studio back then. In this story, readers learn a lot of things relating to the film industry in India.
7. The Interview
In this chapter, the author discusses various techniques of ‘interview’ as a new way of interrogating facts. He discusses the reference to the field of Journalism and also incorporates an excerpt from an interview with a notorious writer- Umberto Eco.
8. Going Places
Sophie wishes to have her own boutique that will be one of the best in the city. She dreams to buy it as soon as she gets a lot of money. She also says that she might become an actress if she starts a boutique on the side. But Sophie has no experience and no capital to make her dreams come true so it can be called a dream and not a plan.
Poetry
1. My Mother at Sixty Six
The poem my mother at sixty-six is one of the best poetry in Class 12 English Flamingo literature book. It exhibits exemplary human bonding, especially of a mother and daughter. It describes the pain and fear of the poet of losing her mother due to ruthless death.
2. An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
The writer of this poem, Stephen Spender describes the communal inequalities which are as common and seen as a ‘normal’ situation in our society. Stephen describes the pathetic situation of the students of an elementary school. Poet wishes that the life of these students improves by any means.
3. Keeping Quiet
Keeping Quiet is beautifully penned by Pablo Neruda. Pablo asks humanity to count numbers from 1 to 12. 12 here, is the number of hours shown in a clock and it is also the number of various zodiac signs. Pablo requests everyone not to use any single words because as per him languages create barricades between people.
4. A Thing of Beauty
The poem “A Thing of Beauty” redefines beauty and says that a beautiful thing is a source of endless joy. It makes the reader think about the things that have eternal beauty which never fades away. This poetry is like a peaceful shelter that gives the reader a sleep full of beautiful dreams, good health, and a deep sense of relaxation.
5. A Roadside Stand
A Roadside Stand deals with the lives of unprivileged, poor and deprived people. The poet compares the struggling and difficult lives of the deprived people with the ruthless and insensitive life of the city dwellers. The privileged and rich don’t even care to think about the roadside people.
6. Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers
In the poem Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, a woman expresses her deep feeling through her art. Aunt Jennifer is a helpless prey of the male dominant society. She is afraid of her husband but her art explicitly depicts her desire to move fearlessly, freely, and proudly like tigers.