Page |1

Readings from the FRINGES

8
Poem

Fire
Nikita Gill

INTRO
Nikita Gill is a British-Indian poet. Her poems are noted for the reflections on love,
and feminist retelling of fairy tales and Greek myths.
"Fire" is a powerful feminist poem. Written in 15 run-on lines, this short poem
challenges the norms of patriarchy. It is in the form of advice to women. Nikita Gill urges
women to react when the patriarchy takes advantage of women’s softness and kindness. The
poem inspires every woman vulnerable to injustice, humiliation and exploitation in a
patriarchal society.

ESSAY

1. Analyse "Fire" by Nikita Gill as a poem of protest and rebellion.

Nikita Gill is a British-Indian poet. Her poem "Fire" is a feminist poem of protest and
rebellion. Written in the form of advice to women, the poem urges women to strongly react
when the patriarchy takes advantage of their softness and kindness.

The first stanza serves as a background situation to the revolutionary second stanza. It
advises women to remember what they must do when patriarchy underestimates them. It
clearly tells them how to respond when their softness is taken for their weakness. The poem
instructs women how to react when their kindness is taken unfair advantage of.
The poet uses a series of images to recreate the fire that sleeps inside every woman.
She urges women to awaken every dragon, every wolf, every monster that sleeps inside them.
This is how they should react when their softness and kindness are taken for their weakness.
This is how women should teach their oppressors a lesson.
Women are treated as “the fair sex” and “the weaker sex” in a patriarchal society.
They are vulnerable to all sorts of injustice, humiliation and exploitation in such a system.
Gill tells them that it is true that women generally wear the skin of a gentle human being. But
the patriarchs should be taught how hell looks like even when it appears gentle and soft
outwardly.

https://www.youtube.com/@MurukanBabu
 Page |2

In this way, Nikita Gill’s "Fire" becomes a poem of protest and rebellion; a poem on
power and empowerment. It challenges the norms of patriarchy, the prejudices of gender
roles and expectations.

PARAGRAPH
1. What advice does the poet give to the readers in the poem "Fire" by Nikita Gill?

In the poem ‘Fire’, Nikita Gill advises the readers to remember what they must do
when men underestimate them. Women should wake up when men consider the softness of
women to be their weakness, when they treat their kindness to take unfair advantage of.
Inside every woman sleeps a dragon, a wolf, a monster. Women must remind the patriarchs
what hell looks like when it wears the skin of a gentle human being. The poem is an
inspiration to every woman vulnerable to injustice, humiliation and exploitation in a
patriarchal society.

2. What is the message of the poem?

Nikita Gill’s “Fire" is an advice to the women readers. It is an inspiration to every

woman vulnerable to injustice, humiliation and exploitation in a patriarchal society. The poet
is urging women to react when the patriarchy takes advantage of the softness and kindness of
women. Women are treated as “the fair sex” and “the weaker sex” in a patriarchal society.
They are vulnerable to all sorts of injustice, humiliation and exploitation in such a system.
Gill tells them that it is true that women generally wear the skin of a gentle human being. But
the patriarchs should be taught how hell looks like even when it appears gentle and soft
outwardly.

3. Discuss "Fire" as a feminist poem.

Nikita Gill’s “Fire" is a feminist poem. It is also a poem of protest and rebellion.
Written in the form of advice to women, the poem urges them to strongly react when the
patriarchy takes advantage of their softness and kindness. Women are treated as “the fair sex”
and “the weaker sex” in a patriarchal society. They are vulnerable to all sorts of injustice,
humiliation and exploitation in such a system. Gill tells them that it is true that women
generally wear the skin of a gentle human being. But the patriarchs should be taught how hell
looks like even when it appears gentle and soft outwardly.

4. Comment on the style, structure and language of the poem "Fire".

The poem “Fire" by Nikita Gill is a short poem of 15 run-on lines. The poem is made
up of just two sentences. The first sentence is carried over in six lines, and the second
sentence in nine lines. The poem consists of two stanzas. The first stanza prepares the
background for the revolutionary second stanza. It is written in simple style and diction.

https://www.youtube.com/@MurukanBabu
 Page |3

Though simple outwardly, each word is carefully selected to convey the intended message.
The poem effectively challenges the prejudices of gender roles and expectations. It urges
women to react when the patriarchy takes advantage of their softness and kindness.

SHORT ANSWER
1. What does "your softness is your weakness" mean?
Women are usually soft and kind. But the patriarchs mistakenly take it as their
weakness and exploit them. This is the meaning of the expression.

2. What is the tone of the poem?

The tone of the poem is fury. The poet is furious at the patriarchs who exploit
women’s softness and kindness.

3. What does the poet mean by "You remind them what hell looks like when it wears
the skin of a gentle human"?
Gill tells the readers that it is true that women generally wear the skin of a gentle
human being. But the patriarchs should be taught how hell looks like even when it appears
gentle and soft outwardly.

4. What does "every dragon, every wolf, every monster" mean?

Dragons, wolves and monsters are powerful images that mean fire, fury and freedom.
They mean the fire inside every woman.

5. What is the main theme of the poem "Fire" by Nikita Gill?

The main theme of the poem is power and women empowerment. It challenges the
prejudices of gender roles and expectations in powerful, bold language.

Prepared by:
Prof. MURUKAN BABU C.R.
(formerly) Associate Professor of English
Panampilly Memorial Govt. College
Chalakudy

https://www.youtube.com/@MurukanBabu