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HarindranathChattopadhyaywasbornonApril2,1898anddiedonJune23,1990.HewasanIndianEnglishpoet,anactor,andamemberofthe1stLokSabhafromVijayawadaconstituency.HewastheyoungerbrotherofSarojiniNaidu.HeisfamousforpoemslikeNoonandShaperShaped.HewasawardedPadmaBhushanin1973.ThememorablesongRailDaddisungbyAshokKumarinthefilm
Aashirwadishiscreation.
Chattopadhyay'spoemsareonnatureandthenaturalwayoflife.Thepoem
is
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writtenasadialoguebetweenthepoetandthegoblet.Thepoem
hasfourstanzas.
Thepoetasksthesilentgobletwhyitwasredfrom
toptotoeandwhatitsfeelings
werewhenthepotterkeptitonhiswheelandtwirleditbeforegivingittotheworld
asagoblet.
Thegobletrepliessayingthatitfeltaconsciousimpulseinitsclaytobreak
awayfrom theGreatPotter'swarm
hand.Italsofeltsorrowfultobemouldedintoits
presentform.
Beforethatdangeroushour,thegobletwasaprisoneronthepotter'swheeland
mouldedinto thecrimsoncolouredgoblet.Beforethat,itusedtofeelthefragrant
friendshipofalittleflower.Therootoftheflowerwasburieddeepinitsbosom.The
bondbetweentheclayandtheflowerwasstrong.Furthermore,thegobletsaysthat
thepotterhastakenthelivingbreathofit.Hegaveitaform
whichwasitsdeath.
Previouslyitwasnaturalandshapeless.Buttheform
oftheclaywasthebestform
forit,asabright,fragrantflowerusedtobeitscompanion,flamingthroughits
breast.Hence,theballofclaypresentsitsgreatdesiretobeclosetoandbeapartof
nature.
Theessenceofthepoem
isthattheshape ofthegobletmadeitaprisoner.
Itdoesnothavefreedom
orafriendinitscurrentstate.Whenitwasintheform of
clay,ithadafriend-alittleflower.Itsfriendshipmadetheclayhappywhichisno
moreasthegobletisusedbyrichpeopletohaveadrinkoftheirchoice.The
companyofrichpeopledoesnotmakethegoblethappy.
Inrelationtothemesthepoem
canbelinkedtothethemesofnatureandeducation.
Thepoem
metaphoricallyreferstoman’sinconsideratenesstonature,changingit
carelesslywithoutretainingitsoriginalform
andbeauty.Althoughthepottercreates
abeautifulworkofart,thegoblethasbecomerigid,leavingalltracesofflexibility.As
aballofclay,itwaspliableandcouldbemouldedintoanything.Ithadacertain
vitalitytoitwhichisnomore.Inrelationtothethemeofeducation,thepotter
mouldingtheballofclayintosomethingshapelyandofuse,canbeaparalleltothe
wayasystem ofeducationoraneducatormouldsachildfrom
aformativestage.
Educationhasthepotentialtocreateaholisticindividualorsomeonewhois
detrimentaltosociety.Thepoethasusedpersonification(byaddressingthegoblet
asaperson),symbolism
(oftheclay,thepotter’swheel,theflower,thegoblet),
alliterationofthe‘f’sound,interjection(‘O’)andatoneofdespairandhelplessness
tobringoutthethemeseffectively.
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.
FatherandSon(song)
"FatherandSon"isapopularsongwrittenandperformedbyEnglishsinger-songwriterCatStevens(nowknownasYusufIslam
afterhisconversiontoIslam)onhis1970album
‘TeafortheTillerman’.CatStevensoriginallywrote"FatherandSon"aspartofaproposedmusicalprojectstarringNigelHawthorne,called‘Revolussia’,thatwassetduringtheRussianRevolution,andcouldalsohavebecomeafilm;thesongwasaboutaboywhowantedtojointherevolutionagainstthewishesofhisconservativefarmerfather.ThemusicalprojectfadedawaywhenStevenscontractedtuberculosisin1969.HewasclosetodeathatthetimeofhisadmittancetotheKingEdwardVIIHospitalinMidhurst,WestSussex.Afterayear-longperiodofconvalescenceinthehospitalandacollapsedlung,theprojectwasshelved,but"FatherandSon"remained,nowinabroadercontextthatreflectednotjustthesocietalconflictofStevens'time,butalsocapturedtheimpulsesofolderandyoungergenerationsingeneral.
"FatherandSon"receivedsubstantialairplayonprogressiverockandalbum-orientedrockradioformats,andplayedakeyroleinestablishingStevensasanewvoiceworthyofattention.In1970itwasonlyputontheB-sideofStevens'single"MoonShadow"(IslandRecords).Interviewedsoonafterthereleaseof"FatherandSon",Stevenswasaskedifthesongwasautobiographical.Respondingtotheinterviewerfrom
Disc,hesaid,"I'veneverreallyunderstoodmyfather,buthealwaysletmedo
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whateverIwanted—heletmego.'FatherAndSon'isforthosepeoplewhocan'tbreakloose."SpeakingtoRollingStone,Stevenshassaidheisawarethat"FatherAndSon"andseveralothersongsmeanagreatdealtoalargenumberoffans."SomepeoplethinkthatIwastakingtheson'sside,"itscomposerexplained."ButhowcouldIhavesungthefather'ssideifIcouldn'thaveunderstoodit,too?IwaslisteningtothatsongrecentlyandIheardonelineandrealizedthatthatwasmyfather'sfather'sfather'sfather'sfather'sfather'sfather'sfatherspeaking."
Thefatherisspeakingtothesonorathim.Butthesonisnotspeakingtohisfather.Heistalkingtoathirdparty,ormostlikely,tohimself.Thesongframesanexchangebetweenafathernotunderstandingason'sdesiretobreakawayandshapeanewlife,andthesonwhocannotreallyexplainhimselfbutknowsthatitistimeforhim
toseekhisowndestiny.Stevenssingsinadeeperregisterforthefather'slines,whileusingahigheroneforthoseoftheson.Thesongisbasedonasonwhoisfrustratedandwantstogooutintototheworldtomakehisdreamscometrue.Thefirstverseisthefather'sadvicetohissonbeforeheheadsoffintotheworld.Hisfather,giveshim
typicalparentaladvicetokeephisdreamssimple,andbecareful.Theadvicetofindagirlandsettledown"alongwith,"Iam
oldbutI'm
happy"areanattempttoconvincehissonintoaconservativepath.Heknowsthesonlacksexperienceandmaydosomethingimpulsivewiththelines,"there'ssomuchyoudon'tknow"andtheawesomepoeticline,"Takeyourtime,thinkalot,thinkofeverythingyougot,foryouwillstillbeheretomorrowbutyourdreamsmaynot".Thewordsemphasizethelovethefatherhasforhissonandhisdesiretoseehissonhappyandnotbrokenbytheworld.Thesonanswersbackwiththetypicalresponseofafrustratedyouth,thatbeing,thathisfather'sloveforhim
islimitinghispotentialandholdinghim
back.Thisfrustrationisdepictedin"from
themomentIcouldtalk,Iwasorderedtolisten".Theline,"IftheywererightI'dagreebutit'sthem
youknownotme"suggeststhatitmaybearesponsetootherpeoplelikethesonwhothefatherknewandwhohadfailedinlife.Thestoryofthesepeople,maybefriendsofthefatherinhisyoungerdays,mayhavebeentoldtothesoninordertodissuadehim
from
followinghisdreamsandlosingeverything.None-the-lessattheendofthesongthesonstatesthathemustsatisfyhisdesiretoventureoutwiththeline,"Ihavetogo".Itseemsthatthesonheedshisfather'swarningsandwillkeepthem
inmindbutalsomustfindoutforhimselfwhatheiscapableof.Thematically,thepoem
isbasedontheyouth/youngergenerationwhoarereadytotakeontheworldwiththeiridealsvstheoldergenerationthathavelivedenoughtounderstandthewaysoftheworldandthatlivingasimplerlife,awayfrom
thetruewoesoftheworld,wouldbeabetterpathtotakethantacklingtheworldheadon.Thelyricaltechniqueofthesingerpresentingbothfather’sandtheson’sfeelingsindifferenttones,theuseofrepetition,rhetoricalquestions,metaphorsmakethesongveryappealingandvividlybringoutthethemeofthegenerationgap.
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Grade 11 (English Literature)
2nd
Term Lesson 1
The Earthen Goblet (Harindranath Chattopadhyaya)
The title of the poem The title of the poem symbolizes how the
man
exploids nature for his existence. The title can also
be intepretend in another way according to the content of the
poem. The Earthen Goblet
stands for a person from rural areas. Much attached to the rural
life.
Poetic Techniques
Activity
What are the symbols drawn from the nature used in the poem ?
What words and symbols highlight the harsh and rude nature of the
potter ? How does the ball of clay present the great desire to be
close to and to be a part of
nature.
Created by – Mrs Darshini Alles.
• Poet has personified the goblet. He gives it life. "So that it
speaks". Personification
• The fragrent friend ship of a little flower in blossom
burried
• flower flaming.
• head to heel
Alliteration
• The fragrent friend ship of a little flower. (The friend ship
has been taken as the fragrance of a little flower.)
Metaphor