by Elizabeth Jennings
I do not understand this child
Though we have lived together now
In the same house for years. I know
Nothing of him, so try to build
Up a relationship from how
He was when small.
Explanation (English)
The father says that although he and his son have lived together for many years, he feels he does not truly know him. He remembers the child’s early days but cannot relate to the grown-up son now. He tries to rebuild their bond by recalling the past.
Explanation (Hindi)
पिता कहता है कि हालाँकि वह और उसका बेटा कई वर्षों से एक ही घर में रहते हैं, फिर भी वह उसे समझ नहीं पाता। उसे उसके बचपन के दिन याद हैं लेकिन अब बड़े हो चुके बेटे से उसका कोई मेल नहीं है। वह पुराने दिनों को याद करके रिश्ता फिर से जोड़ने की कोशिश करता है।
Questions
Q1. What is the father’s main problem in the first stanza?
Ans: He does not understand his son even though they live in the same house.
Q2. How long have father and son lived together?
Ans: For many years, in the same house.
Q3. What does the father try to recall to rebuild his relationship?
Ans: He tries to recall his son’s childhood.
Q4. What is the tone of the father in this stanza?
Ans: Confused and helpless.
Q5. Why does the father feel distant from his son?
Ans: Because the son has changed and grown apart from him.
Yet have I killed
The seed I spent or sown it where
The land is his and none of mine?
We speak like strangers, there’s no sign
Of understanding in the air.
This child is built to my design
Yet what he loves I cannot share.
Explanation (English)
The father wonders if he has failed in raising his son. He feels as if the son belongs to a different world, with no common interest between them. Even though the son resembles him physically, their thoughts and choices are very different.
Explanation (Hindi)
पिता सोचता है कि शायद उसने बेटे की परवरिश में कोई गलती की है। उसे लगता है कि बेटा किसी और दुनिया का है, जिसमें पिता का कोई हिस्सा नहीं। बेटा भले ही रूप-रंग में पिता जैसा हो, पर उसके विचार और पसंद पिता से बिलकुल अलग हैं।
Questions
Q1. What doubt does the father have about raising his son?
Ans: He wonders if he has failed as a father in nurturing his son.
Q2. What metaphor is used in this stanza?
Ans: The metaphor of sowing a seed in someone else’s land.
Q3. How do father and son communicate?
Ans: They talk like strangers, with no understanding.
Q4. How is the son similar to the father?
Ans: He is built to the father’s design (physically resembles him).
Q5. What is the major difference between them?
Ans: Their interests and choices are completely different.
Silence surrounds us. I would have
Him prodigal, returning to
His father’s house, the home he knew,
Rather than see him make and move
His world. I would forgive him too,
Shaping from sorrow a new love.
Explanation (English)
The father feels that silence has created a wall between them. He wishes his son would return like the "prodigal son" from the Bible, who came back home after realizing his mistake. The father is ready to forgive and rebuild their relationship with new love.
Explanation (Hindi)
पिता महसूस करता है कि उनके बीच की चुप्पी ने एक दीवार खड़ी कर दी है। वह चाहता है कि उसका बेटा बाइबल की कहानी के "भटके हुए पुत्र" की तरह घर लौट आए। पिता तैयार है उसे माफ करने और दुख से एक नए प्यार का रिश्ता बनाने के लिए।
Questions
Q1. What surrounds the father and son in this stanza?
Ans: Silence.
Q2. What does the father wish his son would do?
Ans: He wishes his son would return to him like the “prodigal son.”
Q3. What does the father want to give his son?
Ans: Forgiveness and a chance to rebuild love.
Q4. What does “prodigal son” signify here?
Ans: A lost son who realizes his mistake and returns to his father.
Q5. What does the father hope to shape from sorrow?
Ans: A new love and relationship.
Father and son, we both must live
On the same globe and the same land,
He speaks: I cannot understand
Myself, why anger grows from grief.
We each put out an empty hand,
Longing for something to forgive.
Explanation (English)
Finally, both father and son realize they live on the same earth but cannot understand each other. The son too admits he cannot explain why anger and grief arise between them. Both stretch out their empty hands, longing for forgiveness and reconciliation.
Explanation (Hindi)
अंत में पिता और पुत्र दोनों समझते हैं कि वे एक ही धरती पर रहते हैं लेकिन एक-दूसरे को नहीं समझ पाते। बेटा भी मानता है कि वह नहीं समझा सकता कि उनके बीच गुस्सा और दुख क्यों पैदा होता है। दोनों खाली हाथ आगे बढ़ाते हैं, माफी और मेल-मिलाप की चाह लिए।
Questions
Q1. What realization do both father and son come to?
Ans: That they must live on the same earth but fail to understand each other.
Q2. What does the son admit about himself?
Ans: He admits that he too cannot understand why anger and grief arise.
Q3. What symbolic gesture do both make?
Ans: They both stretch out empty hands.
Q4. What do the empty hands represent?
Ans: A desire for forgiveness and reconciliation.
Q5. What is the concluding emotion of the poem?
Ans: Longing for love, forgiveness, and understanding.
1. Who is the poet of "Father to Son"?
a) Elizabeth Jennings ✔
b) Adrienne Rich
c) Kamala Das
d) Pablo Neruda
2. What is the central theme of the poem?
a) Love for nature
b) Gap between father and son ✔
c) Power of imagination
d) Importance of education
3. What does the father fail to understand about his son?
a) His hobbies
b) His childhood
c) His personality and thoughts ✔
d) His physical appearance
4. The father feels that he and his son live like:
a) Friends
b) Strangers ✔
c) Brothers
d) Enemies
5. What does the father compare the son to?
a) A stranger ✔
b) A hero
c) A friend
d) A child
6. Which biblical reference is used in the poem?
a) Cain and Abel
b) The Prodigal Son ✔
c) Adam and Eve
d) Noah’s Ark
7. What surrounds the father and son in the poem?
a) Happiness
b) Silence ✔
c) Anger
d) Music
8. What emotion does the father want to replace sorrow with?
a) Anger
b) Love ✔
c) Hatred
d) Silence
9. What do both father and son extend at the end of the poem?
a) Words of anger
b) Empty hands ✔
c) Letters
d) Smiles
10. What is the tone of the poem?
a) Joyful
b) Emotional and regretful ✔
c) Comic
d) Critical
Q1. What is the main conflict in the poem "Father to Son"?
Ans: The main conflict is the emotional gap between father and son. Though they live in the same house, the father feels like a stranger to his son and struggles to rebuild their lost bond.
Q2. How does the father feel about his son’s changed personality?
Ans: The father feels helpless and confused. He cannot recognize his son’s interests or thoughts, which makes him feel distant. Though the son is physically like him, their choices and emotions are very different.
Q3. Explain the metaphor of “seed” used in the poem.
Ans: The father wonders if the seed (his upbringing and efforts) was wasted or sown in another’s land, meaning his son grew into a completely different personality, detached from the father’s expectations.
Q4. What is the “prodigal son” reference in the poem?
Ans: It refers to a Biblical story where a lost son returns to his father after realizing his mistakes. The poet-father wishes the same—that his son will return and rebuild their broken relationship.
Q5. How does silence affect the father-son relationship?
Ans: Silence deepens the gap between them. Instead of communication, both avoid sharing their feelings, which creates more distance. The father wishes to break this silence and bring love back into the relationship.
Q6. What does the father mean by “this child is built to my design”?
Ans: The father means his son physically resembles him since he is his creation. However, his choices, desires, and interests are not shared, which makes the father feel alienated.
Q7. Why does the father want to forgive his son?
Ans: The father wants forgiveness to replace sorrow with love. He is ready to accept his son despite differences, hoping they can begin a new relationship without anger or distance.
Q8. What emotions dominate the poem?
Ans: Emotions of helplessness, regret, grief, and longing dominate the poem. The father regrets losing his connection with his son and longs for reconciliation and love.
Q9. Why does the son admit he cannot understand himself?
Ans: The son admits he cannot understand why anger and grief keep rising between him and his father. He, too, feels confused and distant, unable to explain his own feelings.
Q10. What is the final message of the poem?
Ans: The poem conveys that love and forgiveness are essential in family relationships. Misunderstandings create distance, but both father and son must try to reconnect and forgive each other.
Q1. Discuss the theme of the poem "Father to Son".
Ans: The central theme of "Father to Son" is the generation gap and the lack of communication between father and son. Although they share the same house, they live like strangers because they do not understand each other’s thoughts, choices, and feelings. The father tries to rebuild the relationship by recalling his son’s childhood, but silence creates distance. The Biblical allusion of the prodigal son highlights the father’s wish for his son to return and seek forgiveness. At the end, both father and son realize they are equally helpless, stretching out empty hands for reconciliation. Thus, the poem emphasizes the universal issue of strained parent-child relationships and conveys that love and forgiveness are the only solutions to bridge the emotional gap.
Q2. How does Elizabeth Jennings portray the father’s feelings in the poem?
Ans: Elizabeth Jennings skillfully portrays the father’s feelings of helplessness, regret, and longing throughout the poem. The father admits that although he has lived with his son for years, he does not understand him. He recalls his son’s childhood, but now feels like a stranger in his own home. He compares his upbringing to sowing seeds in the wrong land, suggesting failure in his role as a father. Silence between them worsens the distance. However, despite the sorrow, the father is willing to forgive and rebuild love, much like the biblical prodigal son story. His feelings are emotional, tender, and filled with regret, yet hopeful for reconciliation. Jennings captures the father’s struggle between grief and longing, making the poem deeply relatable.
Q3. Explain the symbolism used in "Father to Son".
Ans: The poem uses rich symbolism to depict the strained father-son relationship. The “seed” symbolizes the father’s upbringing and efforts, which seem wasted as the son grows differently. The “prodigal son” symbolizes the father’s wish for his son’s return and forgiveness, based on the biblical story. Silence symbolizes the emotional wall that separates them, reflecting unspoken feelings and unresolved conflicts. Finally, the “empty hands” stretched out at the end symbolize longing, reconciliation, and forgiveness. Both father and son, despite differences, crave love and understanding. These symbols make the emotions universal and relatable, highlighting the generational gap. Elizabeth Jennings uses these symbols to express deep emotions and emphasize that forgiveness and love are necessary to mend broken family bonds.
Q4. What role does communication play in the poem?
Ans: Communication plays a central role in "Father to Son". The poem highlights how the lack of communication between father and son creates emotional distance, turning them into strangers under the same roof. Silence surrounds them, symbolizing unresolved feelings and widening the gap. The father wishes to break this silence, forgive his son, and begin a new relationship. Similarly, the son admits he cannot understand himself, reflecting inner confusion. Both extend empty hands, showing a desire for reconciliation. The poet emphasizes that without communication, relationships weaken and love fades. Misunderstandings grow into sorrow and anger. Through this poem, Jennings reminds us that open conversation, acceptance, and forgiveness are vital for strengthening family ties and overcoming the generational gap.
Q5. How is the father-son relationship portrayed as universal in the poem?
Ans: The father-son relationship in the poem is portrayed as universal because it reflects a common experience across generations. Fathers often feel disconnected from their growing children, who develop different interests and personalities. In the poem, the father admits he does not understand his son despite living together. He recalls his childhood but fails to connect with the grown-up boy. The emotional wall of silence makes their relationship painful. The biblical reference to the prodigal son conveys the father’s longing for his son’s return and forgiveness. The extended image of empty hands at the end shows that both long for love but cannot express it. This struggle between tradition and change, sorrow and forgiveness, makes the father-son bond universally relatable and timeless.