To Mother By S.UshaThe presented poetry “To Mother” has been composed by S.usha. The poet has drawn the picture of an alert mother who takes care of the activities of her daughter who wants to lead a free life different from her.
The poem begins with a demand of the daughter from her mother forbidding following her all traditional instructions. In the modern era the society is pervaded with corruption in such age, the poem has great relevance. It can be summarized in following ways: - Pleading of daughter: - The poet is pleading with her mother to allow her to grow up on her own terms breaking traditions. Actually in tradition, usually parents lay down code of conducts and their siblings have to follow. But the daughter clines to follow them. The poet requests the mother not to spread out her sari to dry in such a way that its shades snatch the life of green plant without sunlight. She means to say that her mother should not impose traditional code of conducts; otherwise she will not grow up bold. Warning of mother: - The poet says that her mother keeps on warning. She warns in following ways: - Firstly she prohibits to behave like a child. Secondly she prohibits to show off before strangers in the street. Thirdly the mother warns her to flirt with any individual passing through. Finally she prohibits her to act like a tom boy. Traditional obligation: - The poet appeals her mother and says that she will not follow traditional obligations without questions. She too, appeals, not to be force her to live in the same way as the girls of her ages have been living. The girl denies dancing to the snake charmer’s tune played by her mother and following the customs and norms laid down by the society. She is willing to use the opportunities for the trial of her powers. Dislikes and denies: - The poet denies to live like a traditional housewife, who decorates her home and remains cut off from light and air. She does not want to be submissive to mother’s dictates. Actually she does not intend to live like a fish in a bowl. She is keen to enjoy freedom and flow like a river in floods breaking out dams. Finally she is willing to decide her course an lead her own destiny. Conclusion: - S.usha, the poetess has been playing the character of the girl in the poem herself. She has tried to make us clear about that fact that the young generation rebels out to challenge age tradition and authority. The girl says her mother must not expect her to be like her, a traditional house wife submissive to all trivial customs, traditions and norms of the society. She wants to live life freely without any boundaries. |
READ MORE - DELHI UNIVERSITY ENGLISH (B.A. PROGRAMME)
EXPLANATIONS Explanations
*Blanching: -blanching means killing green plants life. The daughter appeals to her mother not to spread her sari in such a way that young struggling plants get no sunlight and die out. Actually she wants freedom to grow healthily. *You're seventeen already: - The poet means to say that the girl is seventeen years old. *But the daughter doesn't relish her mother’s reminding her repeatedly that she is a grown up child of seventeen years and she must not behave anymore like a child. *Makes eyes at passers-by: - It means to flirt with every passing person. *Riding the winds: - Riding the winds means flying in the sky. It too means living in world of imagination. *Spreading my hood: - It means growing up. *Sink my fangs into someone: - it means to impress or enchant somebody with my beauty and brain or to search and hook a match for myself. *Lose my venom: - Lose my venom means to normalize and become a sensitive and accommodating woman. |