Poem: Soft Storm | Exercise With Summary | Grade 12 | English
0Summary:-
The poem "Soft Storm" by Abhi Subedi delves into the speaker's emotional responses to societal issues and human struggles. Through the use of contrasting imagery, like combining 'soft' with 'storm' and 'gale,' the poet emphasizes the intense and sensitive nature of the speaker's reactions. The contemporary era is portrayed critically as a 'mad time,' marked by chaos and irrationality.
The city is described as 'seamless,' suggesting unity, yet the struggles of poor children within this urban environment are highlighted. The speaker expresses a desire to remain emotionally soft, resisting desensitization to the hardships around.
A poignant moment occurs when the speaker is moved by a blood-stained shirt, symbolizing human suffering. The shirt is portrayed as speaking to the earth with bruised human lips, emphasizing the impactful but often overlooked narratives in human history.
Throughout the poem, the speaker's attitude is reflective and empathetic. While not explicitly rebellious, the speaker resists emotional desensitization and laments the societal challenges present in the contemporary era. The overall tone is one of deep sensitivity and a desire for connection and understanding amidst the complexities of the world.
Answer the following question:-
1. When does the speaker grow soft? Enlist the occasions when he grows soft.
The speaker grows soft during moments of empathy and reflection on the human condition. Instances include observing the struggles of poor children, contemplating the city's seamless nature, and reflecting on historical injustices. These moments of sensitivity evoke a softening of the speaker's emotional stance.
2. What do you understand by 'this seamless city'?
'This seamless city' refers to a city without clear divisions or boundaries. It suggests a place where the urban environment flows together seamlessly, symbolizing unity or interconnectedness. The term implies that despite the city's vastness and complexity, there is a sense of cohesion and continuity.
3. Describe the poor children portrayed in the poem.
The poem portrays poor children as vulnerable and suffering. They are described as "ghetto children," suggesting a life marked by poverty and hardship. Their "bodies soft and wet" implies a lack of protection and comfort. The poet highlights their struggle for survival in the harsh urban environment, emphasizing their innocence and the challenges they face.
4. What do you understand by 'the unwedded gardens of history'?
'The unwedded gardens of history' suggests neglected or unacknowledged aspects of the past. It implies that certain historical events or narratives remain unexplored or uncelebrated, akin to neglected gardens that are not tended or appreciated. The phrase may indicate the overlooked stories and experiences that are part of our collective history.
5. Why was the forlorn child wailing?
The forlorn child was likely wailing due to distress or suffering. The poem does not provide specific details about the cause of the child's anguish, but it symbolizes the broader theme of the struggles and hardships faced by marginalized individuals, especially children, in the urban environment.
6. What do you understand by 'soft storm'?
'Soft storm' is a metaphorical expression that combines contradictory elements. It suggests a powerful and impactful emotional experience or upheaval, akin to a storm, yet characterized by a soft or gentle quality. This term encapsulates the intense and sensitive emotional responses the speaker undergoes in the face of societal issues.
7. Why does the speaker call our time 'mad time'?
The speaker refers to our time as a 'mad time' to convey a sense of societal chaos, confusion, and irrationality. This characterization implies that the contemporary era is marked by madness or craziness, possibly due to the complexities and challenges faced by individuals and communities.
8. What does the speaker want to do in "hard times"?
The speaker wants to "be soft" in hard times. This implies an intention to maintain empathy, compassion, and emotional sensitivity even in challenging or difficult circumstances. The desire to remain soft suggests a refusal to become hardened or indifferent in the face of adversity, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a compassionate outlook.
Reference to the context:-
1. The poet uses the word 'soft' with the words like 'storm' and 'gale', which generally refer to disorder and violence. What effect does the poet achieve through the use of such anomalous expressions?
By combining contradictory terms like 'soft' with 'storm' and 'gale', the poet creates a powerful and evocative contrast. This juxtaposition serves to highlight the intensity of the emotional experience. It suggests that, despite the potential for disorder and violence in the world, the speaker's emotional response is characterized by a profound and soft sensitivity. This unconventional pairing emphasizes the complex and nuanced nature of the speaker's reactions to societal issues.
2. What is the speaker's attitude towards the time he describes in the poem?
The speaker's attitude towards the time described in the poem is critical and reflective. The use of phrases like 'mad time' and expressions of empathy for the struggles of marginalized individuals indicates a certain disillusionment with the current state of society. The speaker is not indifferent but rather deeply affected by the injustices and hardships present in the contemporary era.
3. What is the speaker like? Is he a rebel? Why? Why not?
The speaker appears to possess a sensitive and empathetic nature, reacting strongly to the social issues and injustices depicted in the poem. While the speaker may not conform to societal norms and expresses a desire to "be soft" in hard times, the term 'rebel' might not fully capture the essence of the speaker. The speaker seems more contemplative and emotionally responsive than actively rebellious. The rebellion, if any, is against the emotional desensitization that societal challenges might induce, rather than a direct confrontation with established structures.
4. Explain the stanza below in your own words:
"I became soft
when I saw
a blood-stained shirt
speaking in the earth's ears
with bruised human lips
in the far corner
under the moon
of history and dreams
playing hide and seek
in open museums
of human times."
In this stanza, the speaker describes a profound emotional response triggered by a poignant scene. The speaker becomes emotionally vulnerable ('soft') upon witnessing a blood-stained shirt, a symbol of violence or tragedy. The shirt seems to 'speak' to the earth with bruised human lips, suggesting a silent but powerful testimony to human suffering. The imagery of the far corner under the moon of history and dreams evokes a sense of isolation and neglect, emphasizing the overlooked narratives of human struggles. The phrase 'playing hide and seek in open museums of human times' conveys the idea that these untold stories are hidden in plain sight, waiting to be discovered or acknowledged in the vast expanse of human history. The stanza encapsulates the emotional impact of witnessing the silent but powerful testimony of human suffering and the desire to uncover hidden narratives.