I. The following lines are taken from the poem, 'Any Woman'. Read the lines and
answer the questions that follow.
“I am the pillars of the house;
The keystone of the arch am I”.
Questions:
Who is referred to as the pillar of the house?
2. What is the meaning of the word 'keystone' here?
3. What is the figure of speech used here?
4. Elaborate on the idea of the above lines.
Ans:
1. Mother is referred to as the pillars of the house.
2. “Keystone” here means the most important part of a family – house.
3. The figure of speech used here is Metaphor. The poet metaphorically says that
mother of a family is the 'pillar' and 'keystone' of the house.
4. According the poet the mother in a family is the most important part of it –
keystone of an arch. If something happens to her, the family will be ruined. Hence
give such a consideration to her.
II
“Thou whom a woman laid in a manger
Take me not till the children grow!”
Questions:
1. Who is the 'woman' referred to here?
2. What is the meaning of the word 'manger'?
3. What character trait of a mother is shown here?
4. Elaborate on the idea of the above lines.
Ans:
1. Holy Mary, mother of Jesus Christ is the 'woman' referred to here.
2. 'Manger' means the box or trough for horses or cattle to feed from.
3. It shows selfless love and protective attitude of a mother.
4. The last two lines ring a biblical reference where one finds the element of sacrifice.
Jesus Christ was born to wash off the sins of humanity. Soon after his birth, Mother
Mary put him in a manger wrapped in old cloth. These lines are a prayer to Jesus
Christ to keep the mother alive till her children grow. At the same time these lines
speak of a mother's selflessness. She prepares to lay down or sacrifice her conscience
for the sake of her children.
III
1. What is the significance of the adjective 'precious' in the poem 'Any Woman'?
The adjective 'precious' is attached to children so as to express the dearness,
sweetness and the importance of children felt by the mother figure in the poem.
2. What is the significance of 'sacred ring' in the poem Any Woman'?
'Sacred ring' suggests the divine, godly circle or halo that is around the family
binding them (the young ones) within the protective powers of the mother.
3. What is the significance of 'wrap and woof'?
This is an imagery brought from weaving. The expression is used as a
metaphor underlying structure or strength on which something is built. Here it is
indicative of the grandness and immensity of the mother's strength to protect her little
ones.
4. In the first stanza, 3rd and 4th lines, what do the words 'ruin me' mean?
Does it mean ruin the home or mother?
'Take me away,and roof and wall
Would fall to ruin me utterly'
'Me' stands for mother or home?
'Me' in the third line is mother and me in the fourth line is the house/
(the family/home).I think it is a deliberate pun employed by the poet to stress the fact that mother is the house or the family. There is no home ,without the mother
Prepared by Smitha K &Thomas A A
GHSS Kattoor, Thrissur
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Edited by blog admin.
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