Chapter 5: Echo and Narcissus
Original notes — ready Bihar Board — BSEB • Class 9 • English • Book: Panorama Bhag-1 (Purani pustak — 2025 se pehle wali)
Echo and Narcissus — EG's own notes, in simple English
Book: Panorama Bhag-1 (Purani pustak — 2025 se pehle wali) (BSEB, Class 9) | Chapter 5 (Prose 5) | Type: Prose
This page carries Educational Galaxy's own original notes — a theme-level summary in simple English, not a copy of the textbook. No official textbook PDF is given here.
Diagram (labels are printed on the image): A young man gazing at his own reflection in a forest pool. Labels are printed on the picture itself. This is a general picture, not a scene from the book.
A quiet forest valley with a stream — a general picture for the old myth, not a book scene.
What the chapter is about
This lesson retells an old Greek myth. Echo is a young woman who can only repeat the last words she hears. Narcissus is a handsome young man who loves no one but himself. When Echo loves him and he rejects her cruelly, she fades away until only her voice remains — the echo we still hear in hills and valleys.
Later, Narcissus sees his own reflection in a clear pool and falls in love with it, not knowing it is himself. He cannot leave the image, and he wastes away beside the water. The lesson warns against pride and self-love: a person who loves only himself cannot love others, and such love brings loneliness, not happiness.
What you should learn
Pride and self-love alone bring loneliness; love and kindness must reach others.
Key Terms
- Myth — An old traditional story that explains something or teaches a lesson.
- Echo — The repetition of a sound after it hits a surface like a hill.
- Reflection — The image of a person or thing seen in water or a mirror.
- Pride — Too high an opinion of oneself.
- Vanity — Too much care for one's own looks or importance.
Remember
- Echo can only repeat others' last words.
- Narcissus loves only himself.
- His love for his own reflection destroys him.
- Self-love without love for others ends in loneliness.
Exam Tip / Common Mistake
Common mistake: mixing up Echo and Narcissus. Remember: Echo = voice only; Narcissus = reflection only.
Chart / Table: The Two Characters
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Echo | Can only repeat last words heard |
| Echo's fate | Fades away, leaving only her voice |
| Narcissus | Loves no one but himself |
| Narcissus' fate | Falls in love with his own reflection and wastes away |
Practice set (try on your own)
- Who is Echo?
Hint: Think about a voice that repeats. - Who is Narcissus?
Hint: Think about self-love. - Why does Echo fade away?
Hint: Think about rejected love. - What does Narcissus fall in love with?
Hint: Think about the pool. - What lesson does the myth teach about pride?
Hint: Think about loneliness.
Questions with Answers
- Why can Echo only repeat words?
In the myth, Echo is cursed so that she cannot speak first; she can only repeat the last words spoken to her. - Why does Echo fade away?
Echo fades away in grief after Narcissus cruelly rejects her love, until only her voice remains. - What happens to Narcissus at the pool?
Narcissus sees his own reflection in the pool, falls in love with it without knowing it is himself, and wastes away beside the water. - What is the moral of the story?
The moral is that pride and love of oneself alone lead to loneliness; true love must reach out to others. - Where do we still hear Echo today?
We hear Echo when our voice repeats back from hills, valleys, and empty halls — the echo of sound.
How to use this page: First read the summary, say the key terms in your own words, then try the practice set without looking. Finally check yourself with the questions and answers. Get your answers checked by your teacher or parents.