General, your tank is a powerful vehicle - Bertolt Brecht This poem by Bertolt Brecht discusses how, while tanks and other weapons may seem powerful in war, they are ultimately under the control of human thinking and history. The tank can smash down forests and crush many men, but it still requires a human driver. Over time, weapons will be discarded as history progresses, while human thinking remains in control and shapes the course of events.

1. General,
your tank is a powerful vehicle
- Bertolt Brecht
Class IX
By
Soumya. K
English

2. Bertolt Brecht
 Born on Feb. 10, 1898, in Augsburg, Bavaria.
 Introduced the theory and practice of “ Epic Theatre”
 Major Works – Life of Galileo, Mother Courage and Her
Children, The Good Person of Szechwan, etc.
 Died on August 14, 1956.

3. Through this poem, Brecht attempts to highlight
the power of man’s thinking ability, which
provides him an upper hand over any machine or
tool made by man himself. The poem briefs that
the war and the weapons are mere puppets in the
hands of history which will be thrown away into
dusty heap, in course of time and the thinking
man will once again own the throne and crown
and reins victoriously in the annals of history.
General, Your Tank is a Powerful
Device – in a nutshell…

4. Vocabulary
Tank – a heavy armoured fighting vehicle carrying
guns .

5. Vocabulary
Bomber
-- an aircraft
designed to
carry and drop
bombs.

6. Vocabulary
Smash down – to damage or break
something down

7. Scaffolding Questions…
Let’s think!!!
1.What is the defect with the tank, according
to the poet?
Though it smashes down forests and
crushes a hundred men, it needs a driver
to be driven.

8. 2. What is the theme of the poem?
The poem talks about the utmost
quality of man – his thinking ability, which
would confer him the power to dominate all
the weapons and machines, which
themselves are creations of man.
Scaffolding Questions…
Let’s think!!!

9. Discourse Construction
Construct an imaginary conversation
between the tank and the bomber
regarding the power of man.

10. Follow-up Activity
Read about the term irony. Collect
two examples of irony.