THE WIND (POEM)

--SUBRAMANIA BHARATI

SUMMARY :

1. The poet puts forward his views that wind is not just a natural phenomenon. He also highlights
its destructive power.
2. He begins by corresponding with the wind and asking it to blow softly because the stronger it
blows, the more destruction it creates.
3. Destructive wind breaks shutters and windows, scatters papers and books and distorts life
miserable and merely watches at the destruction it has created.
4. The poet links the destruction created by wind to the difficulties faced in life. Strong people face
difficulties in life bravely and emerge strong while weak people tend to breakdown easily.
5. The poet repeats the word ‘crumbling’ to stress upon the fact that as the wind continues to
blow strongly and fiercely, it crumbles everything in its path –doors, houses, lives and hearts.
6. The poet then addresses the wind as ‘wind god’ and says that the god blows strongly and tests
the people of their ability to withstand difficulties-those who face it stay still-those who are
weak, fall down and get crushed. It is similar to how the grain is separated from the chaff.
7. Finally the poet wants us to be friends with wind which is represented by the hardships we face
in life. He wants us to build stronger homes and make us hearts and bodies strong enough to
face challenges in life. Those who stay strong thrive and flourish.

THEME:

The poem 'wind' depicts the dual power of wind to be both a creator and a destroyer. The strong ones
are ready to face the adversities which are compared to the difficulties faced in life. The weak who are
fragile give up and break down and become weaker. The poet conveys an important message that
difficulties in life are inevitable. They can knock our doors and disturb our lives anytime. So, we should
learn to be ready to face them.

POETIC DEVICES:

1. Alliteration:
‘wind.. winnows’, ‘wind.. weak’ , ‘fires.. flourish’,etc.(Repetition of the consonant sound in
different words)
2. Repetition:
‘crumbling’, ‘you’,etc. (Repetition of the word)
3. Personification:
‘You’re very clever’ (Wind is personified)
4. Anaphora:
‘ Don’t ’(Repetition of the first word in two or more consecutive lines)
 5. Metaphor:
The entire poem has a dominant and indirect comparison made to human life and the result of
difficulties)

REFERENCE TO CONTEXT:

1. “Wind, come softly.

Don’t break the shutters of the windows
Don’t scatter the papers.
Don’t throw down the books on the shelf.”
a) How kind of devastation does the wind create?
b) What kind of request does the poet make?
c) Name two poetic devices used in the lines above.

2. “The wind blows out weak fires.

He makes strong fires roar and flourish.
His friendship is good.
We praise him every day.”

a) How does wind affect the weak and the strong fires?
b) What is the reference to friendship mentioned in the above lines?
c) Name the poetic device used in the second line from above.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. What does the wind god do?

2. Does the wind poke fun at weaklings? How?
3. What do people need to do to withstand the effect of the strong wind?
4. How is wind the cause for bringing rain?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. Why must we have strong bodies and hearts? What can happen if we don’t?
2. Wind is shown as a symbol of power and strength? How can we befriend wind and survive ?

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