Class 11 English Hornbill Father to Son (Elizabeth Jennings)

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English

Hornbill

Father to Son (Elizabeth Jennings)

 

CONTENTS

 

Ø Theme

Ø Summary

Ø Poetic Device

Ø Stanza based Q-Ans

Ø Question Answers

 

Theme

The poem unfolds a poignant conflict between a father and his son, characterized by a profound lack of communication. Despite sharing the same physical space, they exist as strangers within the confines of their home or the larger world. The father reflects on this emotional chasm, which serves as the focal point of the poem.

 

In his contemplation, the father employs agrarian imagery to convey a sense of alienation, akin to sowing seeds in unfamiliar soil that he cannot claim as his own. He candidly acknowledges his inability to comprehend his son's passions and longs for a return akin to the Prodigal Son from the biblical parable. Expressing a willingness to forgive, the father hopes to cultivate a renewed love from the soil of sorrow.

 

Contrastingly, the son experiences anger stemming from the sorrow that shrouds their relationship. He conveys the futility of their attempts to understand each other, acknowledging the challenges they face in bridging the emotional gap.

 

Summary

 

The poem delves into a father's anguish as he vents his frustrations about the strained relationship with his now-grown son. Despite years of sharing the same household, the father laments his inability to comprehend his son, revealing a profound lack of understanding. Attempts to rekindle the connection they once had during the son's childhood prove futile.

 

Even though the son bears a resemblance, the father confesses ignorance about his son's passions. A palpable communication gap persists, rendering their interactions akin to those of strangers. The son seems to occupy a distant emotional space, inaccessible due to the widening gap that has silenced their once-shared world. Despite this divide, the father expresses a readiness to forgive his wayward son, yearning to reintegrate him into the familiar home they once knew, not wanting him to wander the world. The father is eager to rekindle the love he once felt.

 

In response, the son articulates his emotional turmoil, grappling with self-understanding and harboring grief and anger over the growing emotional distance between them. Both extend metaphorical hands, yet the chasm remains unbridged. Despite the mutual desire for forgiveness, a resolution to their profound issue eludes them.

 

Poetic Device

 

The poet, Elizabeth Jennings, employs various poetic devices in the poem:

 

Metaphor:

The lines "Yet have I killed

The seed I spent or sown it where

The land is his and none of mine?" contain a metaphor. Here, 'seed,' 'sown,' and 'land' metaphorically represent the father's endeavors to foster a loving relationship with his son and the son's emotional space, respectively. Similarly, in the line "I would have Him prodigal, returning to

His father's house," a metaphor is used.

 

Alliteration:

The poetic device of alliteration is evident in the lines "The seed I spent or sown it where" and "Silence surrounds us." The repetition of the 's' sound in these lines creates an auditory effect.

 

Simile:

The expression "We speak like strangers" features the poetic device of a simile. In this comparison, the way they converse is likened to the manner in which strangers communicate.

 

Stanza based Q-Ans

 

Stanza 1

 

 I do not understand this child
Though we have lived together now
In the same house for years. I know
Nothing of him, so try to build
Up a relationship from how
He was when small.

Q1. Who has resided in the same house? For how long?

Ans. The father and son have shared the same dwelling for an extended period.

 

Q2. Why does the father assert that he possesses no knowledge about his son?

Ans. They coexist within the same household as strangers, enveloped in complete silence. Consequently, the father claims to be oblivious to any details about his son.

 

Q3. What type of relationship does he aspire to establish?

Ans. He aspires to forge a connection with his son reminiscent of the one they had when the son was younger.

 

Stanza 2

 

Yet have I killed
The seed I spent or sown it where
The land is his and none of mine?
We speak like strangers, there’s no sign
Of understanding in the air.

Q1. What is the significance of the term 'seed'?

Ans. In this context, the term 'seed' signifies the father's diligent efforts and nurturing endeavors to raise the child.

 

Q2. To what does the speaker refer when mentioning the 'land'?

Ans. The speaker is alluding to the father's endeavor to implant his thoughts and ideas in the child's mind.

 

Q3. What is the reason for them speaking like strangers?

Ans. The reason for their unfamiliar way of speaking lies in their differing perspectives and ways of thinking.

 

Stanza 3

 

This child is built to my design
Yet what he loves I cannot share.
Silence surrounds us.
I would have him prodigal, returning to
His father’s house, the home he knew,
Rather than see him make and move
His world. I would forgive him too,
Shaping from sorrow a new love.

Q1. What kind of child had he aspired to create?

Ans. He had envisioned designing a child who shared his preferences and inclinations.

 

Q2. Why does the speaker say 'this child' instead of 'my child'?

Ans. The speaker uses 'this child' instead of 'my child' to highlight the lack of commonality and connection between them.

 

Q3. Explain: 'Silence surrounds us.'

Ans. The statement suggests that the father and son experience a profound lack of communication, resulting in complete silence when they are in each other's presence.

 

Q4. What does the father wish his son to undertake?

Ans. He desires his son to revisit his paternal home.

 

Q5. What is the father willing to embrace?

Ans. He is prepared to accept his child in all aspects of his prosperity.

 

Q6. What does the father discourage his son from doing?

Ans. The father dissuades his son from constructing and settling into a new world of his own.

 

Q7. What action would the father take to shape a new love from sorrow?

Ans. He would absolve his son of any suffering he might have caused, seeking to forge a renewed affection born from the experiences of sorrow.

 

 

 

Stanza 4

 

 Father and son, we both must live
On the same globe and the same land.
He speaks: I cannot understand
Myself, why anger grows from grief.
We each put out an empty hand,

 

Q1. How does the poet feel when his relationship with his son becomes strained?

Ans. The poet is anxious about maintaining familial ties with his son, hoping for the son's return to their former home.

 

Q2. What could be the cause of their distancing from each other?

Ans. The increasing gap between the father and his son results from a lack of understanding. Despite both needing each other, issues of ego lead to their separation.

 

Q3. What do both the father and son long for?

Ans. They both yearn for a reason to forgive each other.

 

Q4. What do the words 'an empty hand' signify?

Ans. The expression "an empty hand" conveys that neither the father nor the son has gained anything from their current state of separation. Both find themselves empty-handed.

 

Q5. What can't the father comprehend?

 Ans. The father is bewildered by why his sorrow transforms into anger.

 

Q6. Does the poem have a consistent rhyme scheme?

Ans. Yes, the rhyme scheme in each stanza follows abbaba.

 

 

Question Answers

 

 

Question 1:

Does the poem exclusively discuss a personal experience, or does it have a universal theme?

 

Answer:

The poem addresses the common theme of a father's frustration and resentment towards his defiant son, which is a prevalent issue in households worldwide. It does not narrate an individual father's specific experience but rather touches upon the universal challenge of generational conflict, depicting a lack of understanding between the older and younger generations.

 

Question 2:

How does the poem convey the father's sense of helplessness?

 

Answer:

The poem vividly portrays the father's sense of helplessness in dealing with his son. Despite living under the same roof and the father's efforts to raise the child according to his plans, the son has developed an independent mindset. The father cannot dismiss his son nor sever ties completely. The poem reflects the father's desire for reconciliation, his inability to comprehend his son's perspective, and his longing for a compromised resolution that remains elusive.

 

Question 3:

Identify the phrases and lines indicating the distance between father and son.

 

Answer:

The lines and phrases expressing the distance between father and son include:

 

"I do not understand this child."

"I know nothing of him."

"We speak like strangers."

"What he loves I cannot share."

"Silence surrounds us."

 

Question 4:

Does the poem maintain a consistent rhyme scheme?

 

Answer:

Yes, the poem adheres to a consistent rhyme scheme, following the pattern a bba b a throughout.

 

Question 5:

What is the father's primary complaint?

 

Answer:

The father's main grievance is that his son disregards his counsel and lives life on his own terms. Their relationship has strained to the point where they feel like strangers sharing the same dwelling. The father expresses a sense of powerlessness in the face of this estrangement.

 

Question 6:

Does the father desire to reconcile with his son? What is his longing?

 

Answer:

The father exhibits a more tense demeanor than his son. He seeks to understand where he went wrong in raising his son, wishing for him to embrace family traditions rather than rebel and pursue an independent path. Despite feeling helpless, the father is willing to forgive and forget, yearning for peace within the family.

 

Question 7:

Can you propose a solution to the clash between father and son?

 

Answer:

The solution to the conflict lies in fostering better understanding and embracing a spirit of compromise. Youth often rebel and challenge established norms, while parents may seek to impose their will and authority, leading to conflict. Both parties should strive for mutual understanding and a willingness to compromise in order to bridge the generation gap.

 

Question 8:

Is there a change in the father's tone in the last stanza?

 

Answer:

Yes, in the last stanza, the father's tone shifts towards reconciliation and compromise. He acknowledges the closeness and delicacy of their relationship, expressing regret for his anger. The father extends a hand of friendship and is prepared to forgive, signaling a desire for resolution.

 

Question 9:

What kind of father-son relationship is depicted in the poem 'Father to Son'?

 

Answer:

The poem portrays a symbolic father-son relationship where the two have shared a home for many years. Despite physical resemblance, there is a lack of understanding, and their connection has become formal, resembling that of strangers. The son, with his independent aspirations, is not confined to home, leading to a protective father willing to forgive material losses for the son's return. The poem reflects a complicated relationship marked by the father's helplessness and the son's distance and lack of response to reconciliation efforts.