English Confluence By CL Gautam

5. Father to Son By Elizabeth Jennings I. Introduction to the Poem This poem has an autobiographical tone, an exclusive experience of the poet in relation to his own son. It is a little family drama. The father and lus son have been living together in the same house for years. Instead of coming closer, they are drifting apart. There is a gap of understanding and communication. They don't see eye to eye on any issue. Such a situation is a common feature in most of the families. The dominating father finds his son defiant. The new generation wants to live life on its own terms. The youngsters think independently. They cease to be on talking terms. The father feels helpless. He is ready to forgive the child provided the latter feels sorry. But he rarely tries to understand the young boy's likes and dislikes, demands and dreams. The conflict is never resolved because they refuse to compromise. II. Complete Summary The father and the son have been living together in the same house f...

4. Childhood by Markus Natten I. Introduction to the Poem Childhood is the golden period of life. A child is close to God or an angel. The reasons are obvious. He is simple and carefree. He has not been corrupted by the wicked ways of the world. He is innocent and lovable. It is a fashion to regret the loss of childhood. In this very simple poem, the poet longs for the revival of childhood. He is fed up with the evil symptoms of growing up. As the child grows in years, in body and mind, he loses his simplicity. He starts questioning old ideas and old values. He refuses to be led by the nose, to accept the existence of hell and heaven. Grown-ups become more and more hypocritical. They talk of the virtues of love and brotherhood, but they don't practice it. They think independently chiefly to disagree with others. The poet's search for his childhood remains futile. It is the privilege of a small child only. II. Complete Summary The poem deals with the problems of growing up, from...

Poem -3 The Voice of the Rain by Walt Whitman   I. Introduction to the Poem The Voice of the Rain is the statement of facts in an imaginary dialogue form. It traces the life-story of clouds. Clouds are the transformed shapes of water. They cannot be touched but are the saviours of Nature and all forms of life on the earth. The rain is the song of the Earth. The water moves in a definite order. It turns into light vapour, moves upward, wanders in the sky and finally returns to its birthplace lovingly. It is a boon for the dry earth and the drying vegetation. It removes all the layers of dust from every object. But above all, it waters the dry earth, enables the seeds to sprout, and makes everything clean as well as beautiful. The poet asks the question and the rain tells him all about its birth and end. II. Complete Summary The poet casually asks the gentle rain who she is. Surprisingly, the rain answers the question in detail and in human voice. The poet translates the statement of...

. The Laburnum Top -Ted Hughes I. Introduction to the Poem This short poem just depicts a scene in the wilderness. Labernum tree stands there, silent and still. It has a nest built on it. The little mother bird goidfinch arrives to meet and feed her young ones. Sitting at one end of a branch, it gives a signal sound. The young ones recognise their mother's voice and start chirping together like some engine. The bird, alert and swift. makes her way to the nest. When the purpose of her visit to meet and feed the little ones is accomplished, she flies away. This is how the cycle of life and multiplication goes on in nature. It is all instinctive. The mother bird makes her nest amongst the thick leaves of a tree. It brings up her chicks until they are strong enough to fly and find their food on their own. II. Complete Summary The laburnum tree top is silent and motionless. On a September afternoon, the golden sunlight is spread on it. The few leaves left on the tree are turning yellow ...

. A Photograph Shirley Toulson       I. Introduction to the Poem The poem captures three different moods and situations in three stanzas. The first one tells about a snapshot or an instant cardboard-photo of three girls. They are cousins. The eldest one, 12 years old, became the mother of the poetess after marriage. They are enjoying a sea holiday, putting on funny dresses. Their uncle clicks the camera and captures the smiling faces of all the three. Some 20-30 years later, the mother looks at the photo and laughs. She tells the poetess how her cousins Betty and Dolly had all dressed for the holiday. The outing on the beach in a quaint dress was the mother's past. But her laughter has become a thing of the past for the poetess. The mother passed away some twelve years ago. The void created by her death has made life dull and eventless. II. Complete Summary The poetess looks at the photograph of her late mother, with her two cousins on a sea beach. The mother wa...

POEM-1 Flamingo  MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX   BY KAMALA DAS I. INTRODUCTION TO THE POEM Ageing is a natural process. The same is true about children's affection and concern for the elders. The theme of Kamala Das' poem is the filial affection or human relationship. The sensitive poetess chooses the moment of parting to reveal how painful the parting from her aged mother can be. She is leaving for some distant destination. She drives along with her mother to the airport The elderly lady is not quite healthy though she is only sixty-six. She looks sickly and pale. The daughter has a nagging fear that mother would not live long enough to receive her on her next visit. She sees the young trees and little children running merrily. This makes her all the more concerned about the failing health of her Amma. Nevertheless, she bids her goodbye at the airport with a smile and a hope to see her soon again. Message Relationship between people becomes stronger at every aspect of life and they ...

Poem-7 The Trees by Adrienne Rich             A Brief Paraphrase of the Poem "" This is an (un) natural poem that narrates the fight of a population of trees to flee the confines of a greenhouse. The poem demonstrates the inappropriateness of language itself as a greenhouse or container of nature. The speaker is a spectator to the trees' migration, but keeps a distance from participating in the making of something out of the sight. Although the speaker addresses the audience, her own "head is full of whispers"-she's herself an audience. The speaker reaches across the barricade between poem and audience. Adrienne Rich articulates her alertness of the many levels of inner and outer and the blurring of the boundaries between them. The trees, "long-cramped... under the roof" are trying to get out while the speaker remains in the space the trees want to escape. An open door makes the "night" and the "whole moon" and the "sky...