Poem 2- ‘Wind’ - G9

Subramania Bharati (1882–1921) was a prominent Indian poet, freedom fighter, and social reformer. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, he ardently advocated for social equality, women’s rights, and India’s independence from British rule. His powerful and inspiring poetry, often expressing nationalist fervour, earned him the title “Mahakavi Bharati.”

 Vocabulary:

• Shutters: Protective covers for windows.
• Scatter: Spread or disperse in different directions.
• Rafters: Beams supporting the roof of a building.
• Crumbling: Breaking or falling apart into small pieces.
• Winnows: Separates the good from the bad, often referring to grains.
• Steadfast: Firmly fixed or unwavering.
• Implores: Begs or earnestly requests.
• Poking fun at: Making jokes or mocking in a light-hearted manner.
• Frail: Weak or delicate.
• Endures: Persists or lasts over time.
• Adversity: Difficulties or challenges.
• Extinguish: Put out or quench, mainly referring to fires.

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• The poem metaphorically explores the impact of life’s challenges and adversities, represented by the wind. The poet addresses the wind, imploring it to be gentle and not wreak havoc. The wind symbolizes the unpredictable and uncontrollable forces that can disrupt our lives, akin to hardships and struggles.

• The poet describes the wind’s destructive nature, breaking shutters, scattering papers, and tearing pages of books. This destruction is a metaphor for the disruptions and setbacks that people face in their lives. The crumbling houses, doors, and rafters represent the fragility of human existence in the face of adversity.

• However, the poet suggests a solution. Instead of merely asking the wind to be gentle, he proposes that people build strong homes, secure doors, and strengthen their bodies and hearts. This is a metaphor for building resilience, both physically and emotionally, to withstand the challenges that life presents.

• The poem concludes that the wind will become a friend rather than a foe if individuals practice strength and resilience. The wind, likened to challenges, has the power to extinguish weak fires (symbolizing frailty) but can make strong fires roar and flourish (representing strength and determination). The poem’s message is one of resilience, self-improvement, and the ability to transform challenges into opportunities for growth.

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Literary Analysis ‘Wind’ by Subramania Bharati:

1. Introduction of the Wind:

• The poet personifies the wind, addressing it to come softly.

• The wind is characterized as mischievous, capable of breaking shutters, scattering papers, and throwing down books.

2. Destruction caused by the Wind:

• The poet describes the havoc the wind wreaks, tearing pages of books and bringing rain.

• The destructive force of the wind is emphasized, affecting not just physical structures but also literature and knowledge.

3. Mockery towards Weaklings:

• The wind is portrayed as mocking and poking fun at weak things, symbolizing the challenges and trials faced by fragile elements in life.

• The imagery of frail houses, doors, rafters, and bodies suggests vulnerability to external forces.

4. Call for Building Strong Homes:

• The poet urges building substantial homes, firmly joint doors, and strengthening the body.
• The metaphor of physical strength extends to the heart, symbolizing emotional resilience.

5. Defiance against the Wind:

• The poem encourages defiance against the wind’s destructive nature, emphasizing the need to make the heart steadfast.

• The poet challenges the wind’s unpredictability, suggesting that one can withstand its challenges by building strength.

6. Positive Attributes of the Wind:

• Acknowledges the wind’s positive aspects, such as blowing out weak fires and making intense fires flourish.

• Contrasts the destructive force with the constructive, suggesting that the wind’s friendship can be beneficial.

7. Practical Advice:

• Practical advice is given to build strong homes, secure doors, and cultivate inner strength, reinforcing the idea of resilience against life’s challenges.

8. Praising the Wind:

• The poem concludes by praising the wind daily, acknowledging its role in testing and strengthening.

• This can be interpreted as accepting challenges and a willingness to learn from adversity.

Tone: 

The tone of the poem is contemplative, instructive, and defiant.

1. Contemplative Tone:

• The poet reflects on the nature of the wind and its impact on various aspects of life, such as physical structures, literature, and human resilience.

• There is a thoughtful examination of the destructive and constructive aspects of the wind.

2. Instructive Tone:

• The poet gives practical advice and instructions to counter the destructive force of the wind.

• There’s a sense of guidance, urging the reader to build strong homes, secure doors, and cultivate inner strength.

3. Defiant Tone:

• There is a defiance against the destructive nature of the wind. The poet challenges the wind, asserting it won’t do what is told, and encourages resistance against its havoc.

• The call to build strong homes and make the heart steadfast implies a refusal to succumb to external pressures.

4. Appreciative Tone:

• Despite the challenges the wind poses, there is an appreciation for its positive attributes, such as extinguishing and nurturing strong fires.

• The poet acknowledges the wind’s role in testing and strengthening, suggesting a nuanced view that includes adversity and growth.

Type: 

Given its allegorical and symbolic nature, the poem can be classified as an allegorical or symbolic poem. The poem uses the wind to represent life’s challenges and adversities, making it an allegory for the complexities and dualities of human experiences. The allegorical elements in the poem contribute to its more profound layers of meaning and interpretation.

Structure:

It is a free-verse poem with a continuous structure, lacking distinct stanzas. The lines seamlessly flow from one to the next without clear breaks. The poet uses this form to convey a constant reflection on the nature of the wind and its impact, offering a cohesive and uninterrupted exploration of the theme throughout the poem.

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Thinking about the Poem

1. What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?

Answer: In the first stanza, the wind breaks the shutters of the windows, scatters the papers, throws down the books from the shelf, tears the pages of the books and brings rain.

2. Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in a paddy field? What is the word in your language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing? (Give the words in your language, if you know them.)

Answer: Yes, I have seen many women winnowing grains in villages. It is generally known as phatkna, pichorna or anaj parchana in Hindi. People use chaaj (winnowing fan) for winnowing.

OR

Yes, I have seen my grandmother winnowing grain at home. “Fatakna” is the word in my language Hindi for ‘winnowing’. A winnowing basket is used for winnowing.

3. What does the poet say the wind god winnows? 

Answer: The poet says that the wind god winnows the weak crumbling houses, doors, rafters, wood, bodies, lives and hearts, and crushes them all.

4. What should we do to make friends with the wind?

Answer: To make friends with wind we need to build strong homes with firm doors. We should also practice to make our bodies and hearts stronger.

5. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?

Answer: In the last four lines, the poet inspires us to be determined and face all the hardships or obstacles coming in life courageously. He tells us that the wind can only extinguish the weak fires but intensifies the stronger ones. In the same way, people who do not fight against the challenges coming in their lives, they have to face the failure. On the other hand, those who stay determined and  make sincere efforts to meet their goals, come out to be successful.

6. How does the poet speak to the wind — in anger or with humour? You must also have seen or heard of the wind “crumbling lives”. What is your response to this? Is it like the poet’s?

Answer: The poet speaks to the wind with anger.

Yes, I have heard of the strong winds causing plenty of damage and destruction to both life and property. Storms, cyclones and strong winds wreak havoc on lands. They uproot trees, destroy houses and claim thousands of lives.

Though winds come strongly devastating properties mercilessly, yet, we cannot ignore the other facet of the wind. It brings rain, it cools the land and makes the climate pleasant. Nowadays, wind energy is harnessed for several useful purposes including turning windmills, wind turbines and generating electricity.

II. The poem you have just read is originally in the Tamil. Do you know any such poems in your language?

Answer: Yes, I have read another poem on wind titled 'Toofan'. It was originally written in Hindi by Naresh Aggarwal. We girls are like that - Kannada Poem by Pratibha Nandakumar; Translated by C.P. Ravikumar. O Parakeet, Tell Me! - Kannada Poem - D R Bendre & Translated by - C P Ravikumar.