Poems Summary 12th English

All Poems Summary        

    Summary

Poem-1

My Mother At Sixty Six by Kamla Das

Observation of Mother: The poet observes her elderly mother dozing with an open mouth, her face ashen and lifeless, resembling a corpse.

Contrast with Life: The poet distracts herself by looking at the vibrant world outside - young trees and playing children, symbolizing life and vitality.

Airport Scene: At the airport, the poet notes her mother's pale, dim face, comparing it to a late winter's moon, which evokes a deep, familiar ache and childhood fear of loss.

Final Farewell: Despite her internal pain, the poet masks her sadness with a smile and a cheerful farewell, accepting the reality of her mother's aging.

 Poem-2

     

Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda 

Summary 

The poem Keeping Quiet written by Pablo Neruda is about peace, fraternity and prosperity. This poem during 1950s, a time when the world had suffered a dead war.

The poet advocates for a moment of silence and introspection, urging everyone to keep still until he counts to twelve, without speaking any language or engaging in any activity, including war.

He suggests that all forms of conflict and war should cease, as victory in such endeavors is meaningless because no one truly survives unscathed.

The central message conveyed is the importance of learning from the Earth and embracing a period of quiet reflection to understand ourselves and the world better.

Poet believes that, this way we will be able to build a better world.

Poem-3

A Thing Of Beauty by John Keats 

"A Thing of Beauty" is taken from the poem, Endymion: A Poetic Romance written by John Keats. The poet says that a beautiful thing is a source of endless joy. It has eternal beauty which never fades away. A beautiful thing is like a shady shelter which gives us a sleep full of sweet dreams, good health and relaxation.

Our attachments to the Earthly things are like a flowery wreath. They are traps which bind us to the materialistic things and keep us away from eternal happiness. The Earth is full of hatred, greed and negativity. According to the poet, the gloom and sadness caused by this negativity fades away with the positive vibes of the beautiful things that surround us.

The poet lists out some of the beautiful things that surround us. As the saying goes "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. He says that the numerous creations of God like the Sun which gives us energy, the moon's beauty, the trees which give us shade are the natural beauties around us. The various animals like the sheep that surround us make our world lively. The pretty flowers like daffodils make the world green and lively. The flowing streams of water cool and refresh us in the hot summer season. The forests which are full of the pretty musk rose flowers are a beautiful sight to the eye. All these are the things of beauty. Also, the stories of the brave soldiers who laid their lives to protect their people are beautiful and inspiring. These beautiful things are like a fountain of immortality bestowed upon us by God. They inspire us to live on and maintain our faith in goodness.

Poem-4

Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

Summary 

"Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" by Adrienne Rich is a powerful poem that highlights the inner conflict of women who are trapped in patriarchal marriages. Aunt Jennifer, the main character, is shown sewing a panel of tigers. These tigers are bold, fearless, and confident, moving freely in the jungle. They symbolize the courage and freedom Aunt Jennifer wishes for herself.

In contrast, Aunt Jennifer is physically weak-her hands shake while stitching. The poet mentions her "massive weight of Uncle's wedding band," which shows the burden and restrictions of her married life. She is living in fear and is emotionally suppressed.

Even after her death, the fear and pressure she lived under will still be remembered. However, the tigers she created will continue to represent her inner desire for power, strength, and freedom-a life she could only express through art, not live.

Central Idea/Theme

The central theme of the poem is the oppression of women in patriarchal societies. The poem contrasts Aunt Jennifer's reality of fear and suppression with the freedom and bravery of the tigers she embroiders. It shows how women may be silently suffering, but they still hold dreams of independence, often expressed through creativity and imagination.

Poem-5

Summary 

A Roadside Stand Theme

The poem, 'The Roadside Stand' is Robert Frost's scathing criticism of an unequal society where there is a huge division between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots, owing to the inequitous distribution of wealth. The poem depicts, with clarity, the plight of the poor and the complex dynamics of their existence. It also focuses on the unfortunate fact that the unequal progress and development between cities and villages have led to the feelings of distress and unhappiness in the rural people.

A Roadside Stand Introduction

In 'A Roadside Stand', the poet Robert Frost describes the miserable condition of the people living in the countryside. The city people who drive through the countryside hardly stop at the roadside stand nor do they care tor the people who run it. If at all they do stop, they do so to criticise the place and the people. Frost describes the lives of the poor people with pitiless clarity and with deepest sympathy and humanity.

A Roadside Stand by Robert Frost 

There is a roadside stand at the edge of the road. Those who established it certainly did so to earn money. They expected their prospective customers to stop there and buy things. But the rich and the refined people drive past without stopping there. The roadside stand offers ordinary things for sale like wild berries and golden gourds.

The people who run this stand hope for city-money so that they may also prosper. There is a news that their land will be bought by the government. The so called good doers and greedy people exploit them. Some people who pretend to be generous are even worse than flesh-eating wild animals. These greedy people want to mint money by befooling the innocent rural people.

The people who run this roadside stand hope that some car will stop there. They keep their windows open so that some customer may oblige them. But some come only to back or turn around the car or to ask the way where it is bound.