Thinking about the Poem
1. What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?
Answer: In the first stanza, the wind breaks the shutters of the windows, scatters the papers, throws down the books from the shelf, tears the pages of the books, and brings rain again.
2. Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in a paddy field? What is the word in your language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing?
Answer: Yes, I have seen women winnowing grain in villages. In Hindi, the word for winnowing is "pachhorana". People use a winnowing fan (chaaj or soop) for winnowing.
3. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?
Answer: The poet says that the wind god winnows all the weak things — crumbling houses, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters, crumbling wood, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives, and crumbling hearts. He crushes them all and removes them, just as winnowing separates grain from chaff.
4. What should we do to make friends with the wind?
Answer: To make friends with the wind, we should build strong homes with firmly jointed doors. We should also make our bodies firm and our hearts steadfast. By being strong and determined, we can befriend the wind instead of fearing it.
5. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?
Answer: The last four lines mean that the wind blows out weak fires but makes strong fires roar and flourish. Similarly, in life, challenges and difficulties destroy the weak but strengthen the strong. The wind's friendship is good, and we should praise it every day because it teaches us to be strong and resilient.
6. How does the poet speak to the wind — in anger or with humour? You must also have seen or heard of the wind "crumbling lives". What is your response to this? Is it like the poet's?
Answer: The poet speaks to the wind with a tone that is a mix of pleading, reproach, and respect. He is not purely angry — he also shows a sense of humour when he says, "You're very clever at poking fun at weaklings." However, he also acknowledges the wind's destructive power. My response is similar — I have seen how strong winds can cause destruction and affect lives, but I also understand that we must be strong to face such challenges. The poet's approach of making friends with the wind rather than fighting it is wise and practical.
II. The poem you have just read is originally in the Tamil. Do you know any such poems in your language?
Answer: Yes, there are many poems in Hindi and other Indian languages that speak about the power of nature and the importance of being strong. For example, in Hindi, there are poems by poets like Sumitranandan Pant and Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala' that describe the wind, rain, and other natural forces. These poems often convey messages about resilience, courage, and the relationship between humans and nature.
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