WIND – SUBRAMANIA BHARATI
Theme
In our lives, wind destructs our daily routine. It hampers and dampens the spirit of life around. According to the poet, rain and wind are deeds of nature that are perceived as the tempest forces which destroy the old and evil inside a man in order to create joy and liberty in his mind. Wind is that difficult natural phenomenon which is very difficult to be predicted accurately just as our problems which can arise from nowhere. It can hit us at any time of our life. For frail people, literally and metaphorically, wind creates barriers. Winds do not let a frail body or a frail mind survive but on the other hand if you are strong, you have the power and the will to survive and fight back, wind can never be a threat to your living being.
Message
Wind is a poignant example of the metaphor of God’s will for a variety of reasons. The first wind is invisible, but the effect it has on the other aspects of this world are clear and evident. The poem reflects upon both the constructive and destructive paths taken by the wind. Wind is extreme and violent, but not necessarily and legitimately with anger and emotions. Wind creates compassion, but apathy at the same time in human life. Winds emphasize the passionate, intense nature of the poet, while the decay and death inherent in the metaphor suggest the sacrifice and suffering of humans. We also see that wind is a metaphor for the God’s will because its effect in the world can be both beneficial and destructive.
Literary devices in the poem
Rhyme scheme - The entire poem is written in free verse. There is no rhyme scheme in the poem.
1. Anaphora - When a word is repeated at the start of two or more consecutive lines, it is the device of Anaphora.Lines 2, 3, 4 begin with ‘don’t’. Lines 6, 7, 8 begin with ‘you’.
2. Personification – wind has been personified. When the poet says ‘you are’, he is referring to wind as ‘you’ that means he is treating wind as a person.
3. Repetition - ‘crumbling’ is repeated many times to lay emphasis. The poet wants to say that the wind crushes everything that is weak. That is why he repeats the word crumbling.
4. Alliteration - the repetition of a consonant sound in close connection. ‘wind winnows’. ‘won’t want’
5. Symbolism - Symbolism means that the thing refers to some other thing. wind is a symbol. It refers to the challenges in life. He is using wind as a symbol for the adversities in our life.
I. Read the extracts below and answer the questions that follow:
1) The wind blows out weak fires
He makes strong fire roar and flourish.
His friendship is good.
We praise him every day.
a) How does the wind affect the weak fires?
b) What is the effect of the wind on strong fire?
c) Trace a word from the extract that means ‘prosper’
2) Wind, comes softy
Don’t break the shutters of the windows.
Don’t scatter the papers
Don’t throw down the books on the shelf.
a) Whom does the poet request in the above lines?
b) Write any one action of the wind.
c) Trace a word from the extract which means ‘thrown in different directions’.
3) He won’t do what you tell him. So,
come, let’s build strong homes.
Let’s joint the doors firmly.
Practise to firm the body.
Make the heart steadfast.
a) What does the poet advise?
b) ‘He won’t do what you tell him, what does it mean?
c) Find a word from the extract that means ‘loyal/faithful’.
II. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words.
1. What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?
A. When the wind blows violently, it destroys everything. It breaks the shutters of windows, scatters the papers, throws the books down from the shelves, tears their pages and brings along a lot of rain.
2. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?
A. It means that nature sifts the weak things from the strong ones. Everything that is weak is tossed by the powerful wind and gets destroyed. Just like the winnower separates the grains of wheat from the chaff, similarly, the wind god separates the weak from the strong.
3. What should we do to make friends with the wind?
A. We must make ourselves strong to face the violent wind. When we will be strong, the wind will not harm us, instead it will become a friend and help us to grow and flourish.
4. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?
A. The last four lines of the poem carry an important message that the strong people emerge stronger and victorious in the face of adversities. We must make ourselves strong like a burning fire which grows and flourishes in the violent wind, we also prosper in the face of challenges.
III. Answer the following questions in 120-150 words.
1. Do you think the poem ‘Wind’ is a didactic poem? What moral values does it preach?
Ans: The poem ‘Wind’, by Subramania Bharati, teaches a very deep moral lesson for human beings. The poet uses the wind as a symbol of problems in life while the sturdy structures symbolize unfaltering, strong human beings. The poet uses both the symbols and direct statement to bring home the values of strong physical health and mental powers, confidence and a firm will. Life is not a cakewalk; it is strewn with obstacles and challenges. However only the weak-willed and infirm people are unable to beat these obstacles and challenges, and meekly accept their failures and defeats.The forces of unfavourable, unhappy circumstances fail to conquer those who have the courage. Such people beat all odds against them and come out victorious and move on.Thus, the poem is didactic in nature and emphasizes the values of courage, confidence and strong will. (142 Words)
Please click on below link to downloadCBSE Class 9 English Wind Worksheet Set B
