Essays & Paragraphs on Poverty
Poverty is a shame for the civilized world. To poor people, their lives are a burden. They can’t enjoy life. At present, the rate of education is increasing in the country, and the educated are running after jobs. But instead of running after jobs, educated youth should work in crop production. Then national production will increase and poverty will decrease. Here are a few essays and paragraphs that shed light on the scholars’ perspectives on poverty, the causes and effects of poverty, and ways to alleviate poverty.
By: Haque, Words: 800, For higher students, 08-01-’22
Points of synopsis:
- Causes of monetary want.
- Evil effects.
- How to overcome.
- Danger of the chances of revolution.
- State’s role to alleviate poverty through socialistic adjustments.
- The Indian scene.
It is monetary want that mainly causes poverty. a poor man’s expenses generally exceed his income and he is likely to run into debt. But living beyond means is actually extravagance. continued poverty leads a man either to frustration or rebellion against the social setup.
Is poverty of men an unmixed curse? Down The ages poets, philosophers and social reformers have lifted their voice against poverty. Kalidas, the great poet of ancient India, regards poverty as a fault that nullifies (destroys) all talents. Much of the energy of a poor man is spent up in the struggle against abject poverty. A well-to-do student has thus an additional advantage over the poor one. It has been said that poverty affects (darkens) the most generous spirit; it is also the ally and breeding ground of crimes. Want corrupts habit.
But quite the opposite view has been held by another set of thinkers. Poet Nazrul Islam hails poverty with the words: “O poverty, you have made me noble.” Dr. Johnson, the leading literary light of 18th century London, says in his poem “London” – “Slow rises worth by poverty depressed”. He means that if a man has really worth, he will shine sooner or later in life, though hard-pressed by penury (poverty). For carrier today is open to talent. In spite of Adverse circumstances, a truly talented person shall come on top by perseverance and attain the height of excellence and distinction. A child born with a silver spoon in his mouth will no doubt feel no material want and yet he may be found wanting in talents when he grows up. Poverty and adversity may thus be the springboard of future success. For struggle avails and brings out the best in man-hit latent faculty.
Socialists, however, view poverty from a different angle and interpret poverty from a historical perspective. Originally wealth was owned socially; every member had a real right of enjoyment as any other or collectively. In course of time, by force and tricks, by exploiting one section that the other section enriches itself and acquires ownership. The rich, by controlling the means of production, deprive, the workers of their legitimate dues. So Prudhon, the French philosopher, boldly asserts in his Philosophy of Poverty that all property is theft. It is the unholy alliance between the Government and the ruling class that gradually more and more men are forced to wallow in poverty, while the rich become richer. So poverty develops not because of the cursed lot of a man but because of gross social injustice and inequitable distribution of property. It is his grinding poverty, that is ultimately responsible for the different revolutions of history that shook the world terribly. Nobody is destined to suffer or lead a life of cursed existence. So in 1848 Marx and Engels in their Communist Manifesto sounded the clarion call to the proletariat: “Workers of the world unite.” Rightly interpreted, poverty is the creation of an interested section of man, it is not a God-ordained curse.
In India, about forty percent of the population lives and languish below the poverty line. Authors like Sarat Chandra (Mahesh), Bibhuti Bhusan (Pather Panchali) and Munshi Premchand (Kafin-the Coffin) have painted poverty in lurid colors. Satyajit Ray has been accused of selling these Scenes of abject poverty to the outside world for winning prizes! But Victor Hugo, the eminent 18th-century French novelist, has made Jean Volgin, an extremely poor youth, the hero of his novel ‘Les Miserables’. He smashed the window of a shop and lifted bread to feed his mother and sister. But his plea of poverty was turned down by the law court and he was punished. Recently an Indian woman was found guilty of shoplifting. She confessed and in her deposition said that she had to bring up her two children alone, on a meager income. What she said in her defense is worth quoting “I thought of my children who kept saying that they were fed up with Panta.” This has brought out a historic judgment since—who steals out of necessity is not guilty of theft… Such theft is in accordance with the natural law, standing above man-made law”. Bankim Chandra also has in his famous skit (chatty essay), ‘Biral’ (the Cat) has put in the mouth of the cat the following “words”. The judge who punishes a hungry thief should remain on fast for three days prior to pronouncing his judgment.” Gandhiji thinks that the problem of poverty can be solved by putting moral pressure on the rich to earn less profit. But Amartya Sen thinks that deprivation can be removed by providing the basic needs of life—education, health, and food.
02
Poverty Essay, 500 Words
Poverty in Bangladesh
By: Haque; For class 9-12, 28-02-’22
Introduction: Poverty is a state when a person lacks a certain amount of money or valuable goods necessary to lead a decent life. According to the United Nations, “poverty is a denial of choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity. It means a lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society. It means not having enough food to feed a family, not having enough clothes to dress a family, not having a school to study, not being able to go to the clinic for treatment, not having land to grow food, not having a job to make a living, not being able to meet the conditions of the bank for taking a loan. Poverty means insecurity, powerlessness, and alienation from society. It means constant frustration and consequently stepping on the wrong path, often living in marginal or dirty environments where there is no access to clean water or sanitation. The World Bank defines poverty as: “Poverty is the deprivation of the right to good health.” It has many facets. Such as earning very little, and inability to acquire the basic goods and services needed to live comfortably and with dignity. Poverty is largely responsible for illiteracy. Poverty also plays a role in the spread of disease due to a lack of clean water and sanitation.
Absolute Poverty and Relative Poverty: Generally poverty is measured as either absolute or relative. Absolute poverty or destitution is a state when a person is unable to afford basic human needs such as clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing, and shelter. In the present world, about 1.7 billion people are estimated to live in absolute poverty. Relative poverty refers to the lacking of the usual or socially acceptable level of resources or income as compared with other people living in a certain society or country. According to the World Bank, a man living on less than US $1.25 is in absolute poverty and one is in relative poverty when he lives on less than US $2.00.
Poverty in Bangladesh: Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world. It occupies 124th place (out of 169 countries) in the global ranking of GDP per capita by the World Bank’s World Development Indicators in the year 2011. Despite international assistance and relentless effort by the Government, Bangladesh has been unable to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger. There are tragic disparities in the quality of life in urban and rural areas of the country. Residents of urban areas, especially the capital Dhaka and major cities like Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, and Rajshahi enjoy a better life with access to electricity, gas, and clean water. Still, even in the major cities, a significant proportion of Bangladeshis live without any utilities or communication facilities. These Bangladeshis have limited access to good healthcare facilities or clean drinking water.
Conclusion: No progress is possible if we cannot ensure basic human rights such as food, clothing, shelter, education, medicine, etc., and make our country free of poverty. Hence we should make an all-out effort for eradicating poverty from this country.
03
Poverty Alleviation Paragraph, 100 Words
By: Haque, For class 6-7, 08-01-’22
Poverty means a lack of money or resources. Poor people can’t meet the basic needs of their lives. They don’t get good food, they live in huts, they can’t get good treatment when they are sick. About half of the people in our country still live below the poverty line. Their lives are very miserable. However, various efforts are being made to reduce poverty. Agriculture is being carried out in a scientific manner so that more crops can be grown. High birth rates have been reduced. New employment opportunities are being created. These initiatives should be further enhanced. The government can provide financial assistance to the villagers for poultry farming, vegetable cultivation, and handicrafts. In this way, it is possible to further alleviate poverty.
04
Poverty Alleviation Paragraph,150 Words
By: Haque, For class 7-10, 08-01-’22
Write a paragraph on poverty alleviation. Write the condition that can be applicable to get the country rid of poverty.
Poverty is the stage that makes a person incapable to enjoy the charms of life. Poverty can be alleviated by working hard. We know that God helps those who help themselves and where there is a will there is a way. If one tries to elevate his condition he will surely succeed. In our country many educated people and many students after the completion of their education dream of clean collar jobs. But most of them have paternal acres of land in their native village. They can go back to their villages and engage themselves in poultry, dairy, horticulture, pisciculture, and other agricultural activities. At first, they can start on a small scale. When they will be able to run those projects on a large scale, instead of seeking jobs they can provide job opportunities to others. Poverty stops the growth of the economy. So, poverty alleviation should be a must to identify our own ego and status as a strong nation.
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A teacher, writer and blogger, started allparagraph noting students search online for paragraphs on various topics, short and simple essays, edifying stories and other materials of study. In composing these lessons we have tried to use as simple language as possible, keeping young students in mind. If you find any text inappropriate, please let us know so we can make it more useful through necessary corrections and modifications. Thank you!