Note :
1. The answers shared here are just for reference purpose. You all are encouraged to try writing your own answers.
2. Refer page 73 and 74 of std XI Textbook for questions.
Brainstorming
A1. There are a number of.....
Ans. The poet Victor Hugo observes that the sower is working on his field from dawn to dusk and even after that. When everybody is going back home as working hours have passed yet the sower still lingers and that makes the poet respect the sower all the more. He is in awe of the sower's diligence and dedication and selfless behaviour in order to provide food to not just his family but the world family.
A3. The poet is promted to call....
And. The poet calls the sower an August personality and the sower deserves every bit of this honour for all the hard work , perseverance and dedication he puts in/shows to grow food for all. The sower works really hard from dawn to dusk selflessly and without looking at what others are doing or when they are starting back for home. The sower also shows commendable perseverance for he is not just working in a cool suitable climate but is facing a lot of difficulties and challenges yet he is persevering for he knows only after the hardwork one bears the fruit of it. The sower is extremely dedicated to for no matter how many bad harvest he had seen in past , he is still hopeful that he will have better harvest this time around and is dedicated and focussed.
A4. Figures of speech
1.Alliteration
Examples from the poem
1.But the sower lingers still
2.Darkness deepens , fades the light,
3. Are august , and strange , his height
2. Word imagery : descriptive language for the reader to imagine the work of the poet in the best way possible. It is the art of creating mental images with help of descriptive words.
Example from the poem
He seems to touch the starry skies
With his selfless and hard working nature , the farmer has made an important place for himself in our world. He works really hard to feed others and is irreplaceable. He is the real producer of every nation and though we do not acknowledge all his hardwork but the fact remains intact that he is the most important person in our society.
More examples
- The autumn leaves are a blanket on the ground.
- His words felt like a dagger in my heart.
- My head is pounding like a drum.
- The kitten's fur is milky.
- The siren turned into a whisper as it ended.
Write an appreciation of the poem "The Sower"
Ans.
1. About the poem , poet and title : The poem "The Sower" is written by Victor Hugo in French and is translated in English by Torulata Dutt - A bengali poet. Victor Hugo was a poet ,novelist and dramatist of 19th century and Toru Lata Dutt is considered to be "The First Indian Poetess" to write verses in English and French.This poem is a poem about a farmer who is sowing seeds. He has seen many bad harvests in his life however he is very optimistic of having good harvest everytime he tosses grain. The title of the poem is very apt and well suited to the poem as throughout the poem the poet is talking about the sower and his hardwork and perseverance.
2. Theme : The theme of the poem "The Sower" revolves around hard work, perseverance, consistency , dedication and hope. In the poem, the poet explains how the sower is different from other people. As soon as the darkness falls, all other people start back for home except the sower who is in field moving to and fro withoutcaring about the time. He has seeds in his hands and hope of reaping the fruit of his hard work. He is determined to finish his work for the day no matter what.
3. Poetic devices , language , style : The poet has beautifully used a simple rhyme scheme "abab" throughtout the poem and has also made an effective use of figures of speech like alliteration in line " Muse I , as I see him stride." , Imagery in line " Black and high ,his silhouette dominates the furrows deep!" , etc to make the poem a rich experience for all readers ! The language of the poem is very simple and lucid and hence it becomes an easy poem to understand.
Special feature/s : The poem is originally written in french but is translated in English without changing the feel and essence of the poem. That itself is a great feat ! Also , it is a short poem yet very effectively makes us - the readers realize the importance of a sower in our lives.
Values/Message : The clear message that we get from this poem is selflessness of the sower who is working really hard so he bears the fruit of his hard work and be able to feed not just his family but the world. The poem also teaches us how our hard work and perseverance with honesty wins people's heart and automatically gets rewarded.
Your opinion about the poem : In my opinion , this poem is a must read for all for it's simplicity and effective way of making us aware about the hard work a sower puts and the respect he deserves.
