Poem Appreciation - Small Town and River

The poem "The River" by Mamang Dai, from Arunachal Pradesh, celebrates the beauty of nature, especially the river. Dai is known for her nature conservation efforts.

The poem's theme begins with the idea of death, suggesting life is temporary but rituals are permanent. The town is constantly changing with development.

Dai uses personification (giving human qualities) to the river, as in "the river has a soul," and metaphor. "Is the wreath sad?" is a transferred epithet, and "want to walk with the gods" shows alliteration. The poem is in free verse with easy-to-understand language.

The tone urges us to introspect on our injustice towards nature. It discusses our role in its destruction.

The poem's message is a crucial reminder to save our God-given nature. Our greed and so-called progress are harming the environment, especially rivers.

Poem Appreciation - She Walks In Beauty

The poem "She Walks in Beauty" by Lord Byron is a beautiful ode written to praise an unknown woman of undeniable beauty. Byron, celebrated as a master of the English language, skillfully describes her captivating features.

The central theme of the poem is beauty, encompassing both her striking outer appearance, from her eyes to her hair, and her profound inner qualities, such as her calm mind and innocent heart. Her beauty is exquisitely compared to serene skies and soft light, emphasizing a sense of harmony and balance.

The poem is rich in poetic devices, including alliteration (like "cloudless climes"), simile ("like the night"), and antithesis ("dark and bright"). Its simple and lyrical language makes it a joy to read, highlighting how her beauty radiates from within as much as it shines without.

This ode maintains a clear and appreciative tone, dedicating itself entirely to glorifying the allure of this unnamed woman. The poem's crucial message is that inner beauty holds greater significance than external appearance. It suggests that while outward beauty is fleeting, true inner beauty possesses a divine and lasting quality

Poem Appreciation - Money

The poem "Money" is written by William H. Davies. In this poem, the poet talks about two different times in his life: when he had money and when he had no money. He personally felt the difference in the lives of a rich person and a poor person.

The main idea, or theme, of the poem is about how money affects people's behavior. The poet shows that when a person has money, they often have many fake friends who are only interested in their wealth.

The poet uses poetic devices like simile (comparing two different things using "like" or "as") and antithesis (putting two opposite ideas together). The poem has five stanzas, and each stanza has four lines. There is also a clear rhyme scheme. The repetition of the word "money" in the poem highlights how much importance people give to money, even when it can actually take away our happiness.

The main message of the poem is that money does not bring happiness. The poem suggests that poor people can be happy, while rich people are often worried. The poet has seen that not having money does not mean you cannot be happy.

This poem is very helpful because it reminds us about the true value of money. Money is a necessity in life, meaning we need it. However, the poem teaches us that money is not the only thing to chase in life. True happiness comes from other things.

Poem Appreciation - Father Returning Home

The poem "Father Returning Home" is written by Dilip Chitre. It tells the story of an old man who is very lonely as he comes home after a long day at work. The poet describes his quiet and solitary journey home on the crowded Mumbai local train.

The poem uses the father's journey as a metaphor for his isolated life. Even though he is surrounded by many people, he feels alone. The man carries a bag full of books, suggesting he might be a well-read and educated person.

The poem is written in simple language, making it easy to understand. It uses vivid imagery (pictures created with words) and simile (comparing two different things using "like" or "as").

The second part of the poem describes the man once he's inside his home. The meal he eats shows it's of poor quality and is served without care. His family doesn't keep him company after his long day. He feels like a stranger among his own family, in his own house. His children don't even talk to him. He goes to sleep, thinking about his past and what the future holds.

The main message of the poem is about how elderly people are sometimes used by their own children but then neglected when they need care and support. The poem teaches us how we should not behave towards people who are in the later stages of their life.

Poem Appreciation - Have You Earned Your Tomorrow

 The poem "Have You Earned Your Tomorrow" is written by Edgar Guest. The very title of the poem makes us think if we have done anything useful or good today.

The poet asks us many questions throughout the poem. Each question makes us think if we were kind, unselfish, patient, and thoughtful today. In today's world, many people often live only for their own benefit. This poem makes us think beyond ourselves.

The language of the poem is simple and easy to understand. It uses poetic devices like alliteration (repeating the same sound at the beginning of words) and rhyme. The poem has four stanzas, and each stanza has four lines.

The main and clear message of the poem is that a person's life is truly meaningful only if it is useful for all of humanity. The poem teaches us that we need to feel that our existence is justified. If we haven't done good, we cannot feel we have the right to ask for another day of life.

In my opinion, this is an uplifting poem. We can take its important message and start using it in our daily lives right away, every single day.

Poem Appreciation - The Inchcape Rock

 The poem "The Inchcape Rock" is written by Robert Southey. The name of the poem itself tells us that the rock is part of an interesting story.

The main idea, or theme, of the poem is about two characters: an Abbot (a kind religious leader) and a pirate (a sea robber). The Abbot was a good person who cared for other people, especially sailors. To help save them, he placed a bell on the Inchcape Rock. This bell would ring day and night, warning ships about the dangerous rock, especially during storms.

However, a bad pirate, known as the Rover, in a moment of madness, cut the bell. He did this just to trouble the kind Abbot.

The poem is a ballad, which means it tells a story. The story is told in stanzas (groups of lines) of four lines, and they have an AABB rhyme scheme (the first two lines rhyme, and the last two lines rhyme). The language used in the story is generally easy to understand, even though the poet has used some old English words.

The poem also uses several poetic devices like repetition (words or phrases repeated), metaphor (comparing two unlike things), and alliteration (repeating the same sound at the beginning of words).

"The Inchcape Rock" is a didactic poem, which means it teaches a moral lesson. It has a very clear message: "When we try to trouble others, trouble first comes to the doer." This means if you try to harm someone else, that harm will come back to you first.

Poem Appreciation - Indian Weavers

The poem "Indian Weavers" is written by Sarojini Naidu. This poem talks about the amazing work of India's famous handloom craftsmen, also known as weavers.

The poem has three stanzas, and each stanza represents a different stage of life. The main idea, or theme, of the poem is the cycle of life itself. The weavers use specific colors in their weaving that are linked to different stages: birth, marriage, and death. They weave clothes for a newborn baby, a queen-bride, and a dead man.

The whole poem is a metaphor for the cycle of life:

• New life is like the dawn (morning).

• Marriage is like the dusk (evening).

• Death is like the night.

The poem also uses some poetic devices like simile (comparing two different things using "like" or "as") and alliteration (repeating the same sound at the beginning of words).

This poem is a tribute to the talented weavers of India and their world-famous fabrics. The poet beautifully salutes the weavers. It shows that the weavers are not only skillful but also very hard-working.