HarindranathChattopadhyaywasbornonApril2,1898anddiedonJune23,1990.HewasanIndianEnglishpoet,anactor,andamemberofthe1stLokSabhafromVijayawadaconstituency.HewastheyoungerbrotherofSarojiniNaidu.HeisfamousforpoemslikeNoonandShaperShaped.HewasawardedPadmaBhushanin1973.ThememorablesongRailDaddisungbyAshokKumarinthefilm Aashirwadishiscreation.

Chattopadhyay'spoemsareonnatureandthenaturalwayoflife.Thepoem is

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.

.

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

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.

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