[Hornbill] Unit - 8: Father to Son by Elizabeth Jennings
Glossary
1. Grief - sorrow, sadness
2. Prodigal - spending money freely
3. Sown - here, the father’s act of giving birth to his son
4. Longing - desiring something
Overview of the Poem
The poem "Father to Son" is written by Elizabeth Jennings. It
portrays the sorrow of a father who feels distant from his son. As the son
grows older and becomes absorbed in his own life, the father grows bitter over
the generational gap and the increasing separation between them. He expresses
that he no longer understands his son and that there is a lack of
communication. The father wishes their relationship to return to how it
was when his son was a child. Despite his efforts to repair the bond, it seems
hopeless, and they continue to drift apart.
Summary
The poem expresses the father’s anguish as he reflects on the strained relationship with his now-grown son. Despite having lived under the same roof for years, he admits he doesn’t truly understand his son. He feels disconnected from him, and even though he tries to recreate the bond they once shared when his son was a child, his efforts are in vain.
The father acknowledges that, although his son may resemble him, he doesn’t know what his son loves or what his likes and dislikes are. The communication gap between them is clear, and they now speak as if they are strangers. The son seems to be in a place that the father cannot reach due to the widening divide between them. Their relationship has become silent. The father is willing to forgive his son for any past wrongs and wants to welcome him back into the home, the place he once knew. He longs to have his son stop wandering and to love his son back again.
Eventually, the son expresses his feelings, revealing that he, too, is struggling to understand himself. He feels sorrow about the growing emotional distance and frustration at the grief it causes him. Anger arises from the pain, and though both father and son extend an empty hand toward each other, neither can grasp it. They both desire forgiveness but are unable to find a way to bridge the gap between them.
Poem Analysis"Father to Son" by Elizabeth Jennings is a poem that explores the complex relationship between a father and his son, marked by generational conflict, misunderstanding, and unspoken emotions.
Central Idea: The poem reflects a father's feelings of frustration, confusion, and sorrow over his strained relationship with his son. The father expresses a sense of distance and an inability to truly communicate or connect with his son, despite his efforts.
Themes: The poem “Father to Son” by Elizabeth Jennings explores the theme of the communication gap between generations:
Emotional distance: The father and son are physically similar, but they have an emotional distance.
Internal conflict: The father experiences internal conflict when his son grows up and has his own ideas and interests.
Changing relationship: The poem describes the changing relationship between the father and son.
Lack of understanding in relationships: The poem conveys the message that it is important to understand relationships and communicate openly with fathers to avoid lack of understanding and miscommunication.
Message: The poem conveys the painful reality of the disconnect that can exist between parents and children, despite shared history and love. It emphasizes the difficulty of understanding one another across generations.
Underlying Message: The poem suggests that parents often feel helpless when they cannot bridge the gap of misunderstanding with their children. It also hints at the inevitability of this distance as a part of the growing process and personal identity development of the son.
Tone of the Poem
The tone of the poem "Father to Son" is:
- Reflective – The father looks back on his relationship with his son, contemplating its breakdown.
- Sorrowful – There is a sense of sadness about the emotional distance between them.
- Regretful – The father regrets not being able to connect with his son.
- Frustrated – The father's attempts to understand his son have been futile, leading to frustration.
- Longing – The father hopes for reconciliation and a return to a better relationship.
Characterization:
Father – The father is portrayed as a concerned, troubled figure who feels powerless to bridge the gap with his son. He is reflective and somewhat regretful.
Son – The son is portrayed indirectly through the father’s feelings. He seems distant, indifferent, or resistant to the father’s attempts at connection, which causes the father’s pain.In summary, the poem is a poignant reflection on parental love, the difficulty of communication, and the emotional distance that can arise between generations.
Point of View:
(i)First-person perspective ("I" voice) from the father.
(ii)Direct address to the son, creating an intimate tone.
(iii)Reveals the father’s emotional conflict, frustration, and confusion.
Title Justification:
(i)Generational Conflict: Implies a breakdown in communication between father and son.
(ii)Legacy and Expectations: Highlights the father's failed attempt to pass wisdom or understanding.
(iii)Father’s Responsibility: Emphasizes the father's attempt to bridge the gap and resolve the emotional distance.
Poetic Devices
In Elizabeth Jennings' "Father to Son", several poetic devices are used to convey the emotional tension and themes of generational conflict, miscommunication, and longing.
1. Metaphor: A metaphor directly compares two unlike things, suggesting that they are alike in some way without using "like" or "as."
Examples
(i) "We speak like strangers, there’s no sign / Of understanding in the air." The comparison of the father and son to "strangers" emphasizes the emotional distance between them, even though they have lived together for years.
(ii) Example: "This child is built to my design." This suggests that the father feels as though he has shaped his son’s character, but he no longer understands or recognizes him.
2. Imagery: Imagery involves using vivid and descriptive language to create sensory experiences for the reader. Examples: (i)"Silence surrounds us." The use of "silence" creates a feeling of isolation and emotional emptiness between the father and son, highlighting the lack of communication.
(ii)"I would have / Him prodigal, returning to / His father’s house, the home he knew."
This imagery of "prodigal" and "father’s house" brings to mind the biblical story of the Prodigal Son, emphasizing the father’s hope for reconciliation and return to the familiar, loving relationship they once had.
3. Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity. Example: "I would forgive him too, / Shaping from sorrow a new love."
The repetition of the "s" sound in "shaping" and "sorrow" adds a soft, reflective tone to the father’s desire for reconciliation.
4. Rhetorical Question: A rhetorical question is one asked for effect or to provoke thought rather than to elicit an answer.
Example: "Yet have I killed / The seed I spent or sown it where / The land is his and none of mine?"
The father is questioning his role in the relationship and wondering if his efforts to shape his son’s life have failed or been misplaced. This rhetorical question underscores his doubt and confusion.
5. Juxtaposition: Juxtaposition is placing two elements side by side to highlight contrasts or differences.
Example: "We each put out an empty hand, / Longing for something to forgive." The juxtaposition of "empty hand" and "longing" illustrates the emotional void between father and son, both wanting connection but unable to bridge the gap.
6. Enjambment: Enjambment occurs when a sentence or thought runs over from one line to the next without a pause or break. Example: "I know / Nothing of him, so try to build / Up a relationship from how / He was when small." The enjambment here reflects the ongoing struggle and frustration of the father trying to understand his son. It suggests a sense of continuity and unfinished thoughts, mimicking the father’s emotional turmoil.
7. Irony: Irony involves a contrast between expectation and reality, where something happens that contradicts what is expected. Example: "This child is built to my design / Yet what he loves I cannot share." The irony here lies in the father's acknowledgement that he has influenced his son’s development, yet he cannot connect with his son's values or interests. It highlights the unexpected disconnect between them.
8. Personification: Personification is giving human characteristics to non-human things or abstract ideas. Example: "We each put out an empty hand, / Longing for something to forgive."
The "empty hand" is personified as it conveys a feeling of need, vulnerability, and an unspoken desire for reconciliation.
9. Symbolism: Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
Example: "I would have / Him prodigal, returning to / His father’s house."
The "prodigal son" is a symbol of return and reconciliation. This refers to the biblical story of a son who returns home after a period of estrangement, symbolizing hope for reconciliation.
10. Caesura: A caesura is a pause in a line of poetry, often created by punctuation or a natural break in rhythm. Example: "I do not understand this child"
The pause after “understand” suggests the father's bewilderment and emotional weight as he reflects on his strained relationship with his son. To sum up, The poem uses metaphors to convey the father's efforts to build a loving relationship with his son. For example, the words "seed", "sown", and "land" are metaphors for the father's efforts, the son's heart, and the land.
NCERT Questions
Q1: Does the poem talk of ail exclusively personal experience or is it fairly universal?
Ans: The poem is autobiographical in nature and describes the relationship between a
father and his son. Beginning on an exclusively personal experience, the poem rises to a fairly universal phenomenon—the growing generation gap and lack of communication.
Q2: How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem?
Ans: The father’s helplessness is brought about by the existing circumstances. Usually a father is the best friend and advisor of the son. However, there is no bond of affinity or relationship between the two. It seems that the two are not on speaking terms even while living under the same roof. The father feels helpless that he can’t share what his son loves.
Q3: Identify the phrases and lines that indicate the distance between father and son.
Ans: The phrases/lines indicating the distance between father and son are:
“I don’t understand this child.”
“I know nothing of him.”
“We speak like strangers, there’s no sign
Of understanding in the air.”
“..What he loves I cannot share.”
“Silence surrounds us.”
“…see him make and move His world.”
Q4: Does the poem have a consistent rhyme scheme?
Ans: No, the poem does not have a consistent rhyme scheme. The first two stanzas have the rhyme scheme ab ba ba whereas the third and fourth have a slight alteration. The third stanza has abc aba whereas the fourth one has abbcb scheme.
HOTS
Q5: What do you think the father's longing for his son to be "prodigal" suggests about the nature of forgiveness and reconciliation? How might this reflect broader themes of human relationships?
Ans: The father's longing for his son to be "prodigal" suggests that he is willing to forgive and reconcile, no matter the emotional distance between them. The term "prodigal" refers to the idea of return after estrangement, implying that forgiveness can heal past wounds. This reflects the broader theme that, in human relationships, the desire for reconciliation often remains strong, even after deep emotional pain or miscommunication.
VBQ
Ans: The poem highlights the emotional distance between the father and son, showing that lack of understanding and communication can lead to frustration, regret, and sorrow. It emphasizes that true connection in relationships requires open communication and mutual understanding, which the father struggles to achieve with his son.
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