THE POEM :
It started as a pilgrimage
Exalting minds and making all
The burdens light, The second stage
Explored but did not test the call.
The sun beat down to match our rage.
We stood it very well, I thought,
Observed and put down copious notes
On things, the peasants sold and bought
The way of serpents and of goats.
Three cities where a sage had taught
But when the differences arose
On how to cross a desert patch,
We lost a friend whose stylish prose
Was quite the best of all our batch.
A shadow falls on us and grows.
Another phase was reached when we
Were twice attacked, and lost our way.
A section claimed its liberty
To leave the group. I tried to pray.
Our leader said he smelt the sea
We noticed nothing as we went,
A straggling crowd of little hope,
Ignoring what the thunder meant,
Deprived of common needs like soap.
Some were broken, some merely bent.
When, finally, we reached the place,
We hardly know why we were there.
The trip had darkened every face,
Our deeds were neither great nor rare.
Home is where we have to gather grace.
EXAM NOTES :
BACKGROUND of the poet :
1) Nissim Ezekiel was born on 16 December 1924 and died in 9 January 2004. He was an Indian Jewish poet, actor, playwright, Editor & Art critic. He is known as one of the foundational figure in postcolonial India's literary poetry in English.
2) He studied in University of Mumbai for his bachelor's in literature and then studied philosophy in the University of London. Night of scorpion; latter day Psalms are one of his notable works.His poems are used in ncert and ICSE English textbooks.
3) He was awarded with Sahitya Akademi award in 1983 for his poetry and collection " latter day Psalms" & also awarde with Padma Shri award in 1988.
- Every stanza depicts different themes into the poem and channelises the whole emotions into an epigram in the last line of last stanza.
- The first five lines begins with the theme of excitement and passion for pilgrimage , the next five lines themed the determination to pursue the pilgrimage and continues with observing things around them, the next five lines depicts the mismatch of opinions between their companions.
- The next 10 lines depicts hopelessness among the remaining companions trying to attain the spiritual self, the last 5 lines concludes theming grace and peace
SUMMARY:
- In the first stage of the poem the poet shows the zeal to go on a pilgrimage to attain spiritual peace.
- In the second stage he portrays how nature tries tries to test them for pursuing the pilgrimage.
- The next poet explains how they started they got deceived from their path in observing and writing copious notes of whatever going around them such as how peasants sold and bought goods , the three Cities where a sage have taught and many other things.
- In the lines 10-15 the poet portrays how difference arise between them over the miniscule matters of crossing the hurdles in the path to their salvation.
- In the lines 15-20 the poet depicts how theses differences that arose between all of the companions led to ye disintegration of the ties between them and almost all of them left due to the sorority of the hurdles that came in the path to their salvation.
- In the verses 20-25 poet acclamatise that after reaching their final destination they Gained nothing but lost everything hence all their efforts were vained.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE POEM:
As soon as they started this journey they entered into the pilgrimage second stage of their journey started " the sun beat down to match our rage " metaphorically describes how the nature itself is trying to test them , it represents how nature creatse hurdles for them but with zeal , energy & passion in them they surpassed every hurdle.
But as soon as they progressed in their journey they got deceived when deep down their journey they started observing & taking copious notes of things happening around the peasants sold and bought goods, how cities where sage had taught look like.
In the verses 10-15 poet describes how differences arose among the most intellectuals among the group I've the miniscule & trivial matters & those hurdles presented among them instead of crossing the hurdles & move on to their path to salvation they kept fighting over those Trivial matters.
" We lost a friend whose stylish prose was quite the best of all our batch" this metaphorically represents how the most intellectual person among them chose to opt out of the pilgrimage, instead of solving the disputes between all the companions he took a smartest descion to leave the pilgrimage and follow his own path.
Another phase was reached when they "lost their way" this metaphorically describes how the journey that was started for such a humble & noble cause has now lost all of its integrity and of course the purpose of the pursuing the pilgrimage as a path to their salvation for which this pilgrimage started.
The lines 15 - 20 phrases how when they lost their way a group of people protested and as a result they left the group as a part of their freedom the poet tried to stop them but they still left due to hopelessness and misery compiled with uncertainty and disparity among them.
The poet next says how when he was straggling with a no hope but whe he asked someone for help & mentorship but what happened is it led to ignoring what the "thunder meant" which metaphorically means that ignoring the bad omens which nature tries to portray when they were deprived of their common needs & some of the companies were broken ,tried due to the hurdles that came into their path to success.
When finally they reached up to their destination they were lost & they didn't even knew why they were there the trip darkened every phase that they tackled with the miseries that nature createdfor them to abandon the pilgrimage and for very obvious reasons their deeds were not even rare so as to attain salvation.
In the end the poet concludes this with an epigram "home is where we have to gather grace" which typically means that we should focus on good deeds instead of pursuing a pilgrimage , & to meet our spiritual self instead of going on a pilgrimage we can be peaceful at our home only.
This poem also explain about the cycle of life in which the first stage was where this journey was started with our birth with a purpose of living life peacefully , gracefully & enjoy every moment of our life.
But as we grew up and we enter into our adult life we got entangled with the norms of society alongwith the difficulties of our survival we got mingle up in this whole world which revolves around materialistic desires & lost our way to grace ,peace & joys of life.
But when enter into our 60s we realise how stupid we were when we indulged into these worldly pleasures to attain peace , rather at our home we could gather all the grace and stability which we desire for by just focusing on our good deeds this creates a sense of regret in the poet by thinking how simple life could be but we men created it complicated because of our stupidity.
FOLLOW OUR NEXT BLOGS:
Topper's guide for MAHESH DHATTANI'S :TARA
Exam guide for TOUCH by MEENA KANDASAMI
Topper's guide for "MY GRANDMOTHERS HOUSE" BY KAMLA DAS
EXTERNAL LINKS:
FOR MORE INFO ON NISSIM EZEKIEL
Nissim Ezekiel, a pioneer of Indian-English poetry, was bound by layers of his identity
IF YOU LIKED THIS BLOG THAN PLS DO SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND COMMENT DOWN THE TOPICS WHICH YOU NEED NOTES FOR.
FOR MORE INFO ON NISSIM EZEKIEL
Nissim Ezekiel, a pioneer of Indian-English poetry, was bound by layers of his identity
IF YOU LIKED THIS BLOG THAN PLS DO SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND COMMENT DOWN THE TOPICS WHICH YOU NEED NOTES FOR.
Comments
Post a Comment