"MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX
-Kamala Das
ABOUT THE
POEM-
The poem
"My Mother at Sixty-six" is a beautiful reflection of Kamala Das's
sensitivity as a writer. It highlights her deep understanding of the
complexities of human relationships and explores the pain and
agony of her
aged mother.The poem brings home the point that, aging is a natural process and
is going to envelope one and all. ln our young days we are so busy in the
fulfilment of our own desires that we forget that we have our elderly parents
to love and look after.The poet sees her mother dozing in the car by her side
and lookingalmost like a corpse. For once she wishes to be with her mother to
share her loneliness, but that is not to be. The poem also highlights the
compulsion of life where one has to forego one relation for another due to the
demands and social and personal obligations.
AN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM IN A SLUM
-Stephen Spender
ABOUT THE
POEM-
The poem
"An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum" beautifully brings out the
contrast in Stephen Spender as a romantic poet torn by the aftermaths of two
brutal World Wars. Living in an age of social interest and economic bankruptcy,
he highlights the harsh realities of life as experienced by the slum children.
With the gulf between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' increasing at an
unimaginable pace, the children in the slums are deprived of their basic right
to education. Their eyes dream of better future which is distant and beyond
their reach.
In "An
Elementary School Classroom in a Slum", Stephen Spender paints a gory
picture of slum children and their school, both victims of government apathy.
The poem is a bitter criticism of the utter neglect of these children's need
for education and all round growth. Spender decries the social injustice and
class inequalities prevailing in the society and calls for a holistic education
for the poorest of the poor slum children. This is possible only when the haves
realize their duty towards the have-nots, relieve the latter of their misery
and provide them opportunities to lead dignified lives as human beings.
Stephen
Spender makes a frantic appeal to the educated and affluent sections of society
to better the lot of slum children whose only hope is education. Condemned as
they are to a life-long poverty, ignominy, want and dirt, these children must
be provided opportunities to experience the beauty and joy of life and
learning. The poet regrets the grim fact that humanity at large and governments
in particular adopt an unfeeling, unsympathetic attitude to these children of a
lesser God.The poem is a bitter criticism of the state of education in state
schools.
KEEPING QUIET
-Pablo Neruda
ABOUT THE
POEM-
Pablo Neruda
was critical of any kind of political or social oppression. His poem
"Keeping Quiet" is a call for introspection for all human beings who
have divided themselves on the basis of race, language and nationalities. The
poem is presented in the form of an exercise for maintaining silence and
stillness. In these moments of silence one can break the shackles of
discrimination, hatred, violence and create an exotic moment of togetherness.
In such inactivity and silence we can feel the strength of humanity. The title
"Keeping Quiet" emphasises the necessity of quiet introspection and
creating a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings, It conveys
Neruda's philosophy of an exotic moment of silence and inactivity which can be
an antidote to war, violence, hatred, exploitation and turmoil. By keeping
quiet, man can try to understand himself and stop harming the world with death
and destruction. Thus, the title is very appropriate and amply justifies the necessity
and utility of remaining quiet in the world troubled by turmoils.
A THING OF BEAUTY
-John Keats
ABOUT THE
POEM-
A beautiful
object is treasured in our mind because it provides us eternal and everlasting
joy. This happiness never fades into nothingness but multiplies manifold
whenever it flashes on our mind screen."A Thing of Beauty" is an
excerpt from Keats' poem 'Endymion: A poetic Romance', one of his earliest
creations, which appeared in the volume of poems published in 1818. The poem is
based on the 2 Greek myth of the love of the Moon Goddess Cyrithia, for a
shepherd prince, Endymion. According to this, classical story Cynthia descended
from heaven to kiss her beloved Endymion
sleeping in everlasting youth on the top of Mount Latmos in Caria. The
enchanted youth resolved to seek her gut and so wandered away through the
forest and down under the sea.The poem 'Endymion, as Keats himself wrote to one
of his friends/is a test of his powers of imagination and invention.
AUNT JENNIFER’S TIGERS
-Adrienne Rich
ABOUT THE
POEM-
The poem
"Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" is clearly a feminist' poem. It is critical
of the male world for terrifying and oppressing Aunt Jennifer and causing her
to create an alternate world of freedom, which she inhabits only in her
imagination. It is her make-believe world of escape. The three stanzas expose
the desolating effects of patriarchy. The struggle for existence and the deep
conflicts of bondage have given rise to gender conflicts. Aunt Jennifer, in the
poem, is totally victimised and the absent Uncle, represented only by his
wedding band, is all dominant and a figure of oppression. The first stanza of
the poem highlights Aunt Jennifer's fears, the second her implied slavery and
the third her ordeals in life. Through the poem, the poet highlights the
struggles, injustices and oppressions of an apparently upper-middle class woman
who can express her desire for freedom only in her art. The poem is a mystified
tragedy for we do not know what terrors Aunt Jennifer had to live with.
Tortured and terrorized by the male dominated world, Aunt Jennifer recoils
within and seeks solace in her embroidery art which is a means of escape for
her as well as a compensation for the loss of individual freedom.
A ROADSIDE STAND
-Robert Frost
ABOUT THE
POEM:
In the poem
the poet projects a candid picture of a
roadside stand and the underprivileged rural people who ran it. Through his descriptive words he minutely conveys the
lives of poor people with grave sympathy
and humanity. The city folk are
insensitive towards the hardships of these
shopkeeper who drove through the countryside hardly paid any heed to the
roadside stand or the people who ran it. Rarely they give a glance at these
shops but to make some complain or to ask those things which are not available
in the shop. The poet criticizes the government and the social service agencies
which appeared to help the poor rural people but actually did them no good. The
poet feels sad at the miserable plight of the rural people. He longs for the
betterment of these people. At the same time he realizes that his longing is
childish for the party in power and other social service agencies are not going
to do anything in this regard. The poet, being a keen observer, describes in details
the lives of the rural poor with pitiless clarity and lucidity and frankness. "The
sadness that lurks near the open window there. That waits all day in almost open
prayer For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping Car.
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