Ans. Q.3.B. of the HSC Board English Question Paper which comes for 04 marks.
Note :
1. There are total 8 poems given in the course book of std. XII ( Maharashtra State Board ) and students need to prepare for appreciation of all 8 poems.
2. This is just the SAMPLE. Students are encouraged to understand the poem well and then try writing their own appreciation.
3. Appreciation needs to be written POINT WISE and not in paragraph form.
Appreciation of the poem "Father Returning Home" by Dilip Chitre
Ans.
1. About the poem,poet and title :The "Father returning home" is written by Dilip Chitre- a celebrated bilingual poet and versatile personality. He received the prestigious "Sahitya academy award" both for poetry as well as his well known translation work, "Says Tuka". Father returning home is taken from, 'Travelling in a Cage'. It draws the portrait of a suburban commuter. It depicts his dull, monotonous, exhausting and equally pitiable daily routine and also his forced alienation at home. His children refuse to share their joys and sorrows with the hardworking father who as a result is forced into solitude.
2.Theme:The theme of the poem is the forced alienation of the father. The father who is also a commuter, is not acknowledged by anyone in the train. He rushes across the platform and crosses the railway line to come home, feeling that atleast he might be accepted there and he will not be as insignificant as 'a word dropped from a long sentence'. But alas he is welcomed at home with stale food and a weak tea, he is reading a book because there is no one to ask him about his day or misery.Even his children refuse to share their jokes and secret as they are sullen forcing him to go into solitude. Thus the theme of alienation is prominent in the poem.
3.The language/style/poetic devices used : The language used by the poet is lucid and easy to understand. But once in depth ,various meanings can be uncovered. While sticking to the theme of the poem, the poet has made use of different figures of speech like simile( Now I can see him getting off the train like l a word dropped from a long sentence), Alliteration, transferred Epithet and Onomatopoeia which enhances the beauty of the poem, unlocking various avenues for interpretation.
4.Special features: The special features of the poem are the depiction of imagery and that it is written in free verse. By narrating the ambience around the father as well as describing him. One can actually picture the father and the different incidents occurring around. And Free verse helps the writer let his thoughts flow without any limitations on rhyme and meter. This makes the poem special.
5.Messages/Values/morals in the poem: While describing the father's hard work and sacrifices for his family, the poet gives us the message to open our eyes and see the hard work of our parents. It also tells about the cruelty of the world where parents once become old are treated like they are worthless by the children and they are forced into estrangement. Through this poem which is based on the struggles of the poet's father, the poet tries to depict the reality of life with a view to pass on the message of loving and caring for our elders.
6.Your opinion about the poem: ' Father returning home' is a poem which depicts the truth. It may seem like a simple poem but once you go in the depth of the poem there are many avenues to discover. The various Symbols used in the poem underline a hidden truth in each line. For eg: The father hurries home across the railway line denotes how eager the father was to meet his family that he is not even bothered of his own safety. The use of free verse, poetic devices and imagery all add to the beauty of the poem.. Further more the messages imparted through this poem also makes it relatable for the readers. I like this poem a lot.
Poetic Creativity (Comes in exam for 02 marks)
Compose a short poem in about 4 to 6 lines on your father
Ans. To My Father
Dearest Daddy,
In your warm smiles,
I find my way.
My guiding star you are ,
And your wise words a map to my brighter days.
Your love is like a cozy embrace ,
Protecting me from all dangers of life.
