Wind
by SUBRAMANIA BHARATI
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Introduction to Poem
Read the poem aloud: Enjoy poem recitation
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.
There, look what you did — you threw them all down.
You tore the pages of the books.
You brought rain again.
You’re very clever at poking fun at weaklings.
Frail crumbling houses, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters,
crumbling wood, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives,
crumbling hearts —
the wind god winnows and crushes them all.
He won’t do what you tell him.
So, come, let’s build strong homes,
Let’s joint the doors firmly.
Practise to firm the body.
Make the heart steadfast.
Do this, and the wind will be friends with us.
The wind blows out weak fires.
He makes strong fires roar and flourish.
His friendship is good.
We praise him every day.
Explanation
WIND
The one-word title presents the persona of the natural force called Wind. Message is that one must develop mental toughness and physical strength to survive the hardships of life. The poem, ‘Wind’ presents the poet’s wish to become friends with the natural element, wind. The wind is powerful and destructive, so one is unable to make friends with it.
The poem describes the destructive power of the natural force. It also calls for men to be strong like the wind. This poem urges men to be strong and truly abled. Besides, the poem is Bharati’s call for his men to become durable and capable of destroying what is weak. He urges his men to be like the wind in their nature.
Theme is that wind has the potential of being both a destroyer and a creator. The weak and fragile cannot
withstand its fury, while the strong can use it to their advantage. The same is true of the adversities of
life. Those who are weak easily breakdown and those who are strong, come out stronger. mind and body. The
poem describes the nature and strength of the wind. Secondly, the poem urges human beings to become strong
and become one with nature. The poet opines that being one with nature is good and every human being should
strive towards creating a fellowship with nature. At the same time, the poem remarks on the pathetic state
of human beings and their living condition. They are weak and their body and mind are weak. Even their
surroundings are weak. This poem is also a call for men to be strong and truly abled.
In the poem, the poet asks the wind to be soft, but the wind does not change its nature. It is strong and it destroys all that is weak in its path. Then, the poet asks it not to damage things but the wind damages all that is not strong. So, the poet declares that anyone weak will not be able to befriend the wind. The poet describes how the wind destroys papers, books, shutters, houses – all those that are weak. He wonders at the power of the wind. He admires its strength, and so, he wants to be one with the spirit of that natural force. Bharati realizes that the wind will not obey the frail commands of human beings, and so he changes his mind. Instead of asking it to be soft, he asks his men to be strong.
Bharati decides to strengthen the body and mind. Firstly, he asks his men to become strong. Secondly, he asks them to build strong houses and strong doors. He highlights how the wind puts out weak fires but supports strong and large fires. The poet concludes that only a strong entity can befriend the strong wind.
Stanza Wise Explanation
This poem consists of a total of 22 lines. These lines are not separated into stanzas. Here they are divided into meaningful segments for ease of comprehension.
Stanza 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.
Explanation
The first four lines of the poem highlight the poet’s question of how to make friends with the wind. Bharati says that the wind blows strongly, and it is violent in tearing apart things. He considers the task of being close to it as a challenging one. The poet requests the wind to blow gently. First, he asks it not to split the shutters. Second, he asks it not to fling the papers. Third, he wants it not to push the books down from the shelves.LITERARY DEVICES:
Anaphora: In lines 2, 3, and 4, giving them a start with “Don’t” consecutively,
the poet makes strong appeal
to
the wind not to do certain things. Special effects are created to emphasise something.
Rhyme Scheme: This poem is written in free verse. There is no rhyming scheme or
pattern in it.
Stanza 2:
There, look what you did — you threw them all down.
You tore the pages of the books.
You brought rain again.
You’re very clever at poking fun at weaklings.
Explanation
In these lines of the poem, the poet expresses his dismay over the wind’s action. It does not listen to his requests and throws the books down and tears the pages from them. The poet wonders at the power of the wind to bring rain again and again. At the same time, he observes that the force of nature is very intelligent in playing with the weaklings of the earth. The poet says that the wind does not listen to weak people, and it mocks at their inability.
LITERARY DEVICES:
Personification:Personification is a literary device in which the poet associates
human attributes with some abstract idea or an inanimate object or a natural phenomenon. Here in this
stanza, “you” refers to the wind, as if it were a person who tears papers.
Metaphor:
It describes an object or action in a way that it is not literally true but helps explain an idea or make a
comparison. Here, in line 4, the wind has been presented as a very clever and powerful being who terrifies
and laughs at the weak and helpless.
Rhyme Scheme: This poem is written in free verse. There is no rhyming scheme or
pattern in it.
Stanza 3:
Frail crumbling houses, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters,
crumbling wood, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives,
crumbling hearts —
the wind god winnows and crushes them all.
Explanation
In these lines of the poem, poet describes the frail nature of human existence. Human beings are weak, and their possessions are also weak. Firstly, what people have built for them is weak. Secondly, what people have in them is also weak. The poet remarks that the houses, doors, roofs, wood are all weak. Besides this, the poet expresses his disappointment over the weak nature of human beings. Their bodies are weak, and their lives are also weak. He says that the hearts of human beings are not strong. So, the wind which is a strong force plays with all that is weak and crushes them.
LITERARY DEVICES:
Anaphora: In lines 1, 2 and 3 we can read so many “Crumbling”, it shows the
extent of damage caused by a
stormy wind. Here “crumbling” is repeated several times to create a special effect or to emphasise
something, which is called Anaphora in ornamentation of a poem.
Rhyme Scheme: This poem is written in free verse. There is no rhyming scheme or
pattern in it.
Stanza 4:
He won’t do what you tell him.
So, come, let’s build strong homes,
Let’s joint the doors firmly.
Practise to firm the body.
Make the heart steadfast.
Do this, and the wind will be friends with us.
Explanation
The poem in these lines presents the poet’s strategy to befriend the wind. He says that it will not listen to people who are not strong. So, he asks his men to become strong. He urges them to, firstly, build strong houses and doors; secondly, build strong bodies and minds. The poet is confident that the wind will be ready to develop fellowship when people display both inner strength and outer strength.
Stanza 5:
The wind blows out weak fires.
He makes strong fires roar and flourish.
His friendship is good.
We praise him every day.
Explanation
The concluding lines of the poem explain the behaviour of the force of nature and insist on the importance
of being one with nature. The poet says that the wind does not tolerate weakness, and so it destroys what is
weak. He further opines that the wind likes strong entities and therefore, it supports and strengthens them.
Bharati remarks that friendship with it is good, and so his men should seek it. He urges them to praise the
wind and its power every day.
Exercises
Comprehension of Stanzas
Stanza 1:
Wind, come softy
Don't break the shatters of the windows
Don't scatter the papers
Don't throw down the books on the shelf.
There, look you did - you threw them all down.
You tore the pages of the books.
Yew brought rain again.
You're very clever at poking fun at weaklings.
Frail crumbling houses, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters,
crumbling wood, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives,
crumbling hearts-
the wind god winnows and crushes them all.
Word Meanings
| No. | Word | Meanings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Softly | slowly |
| 2 | Shutters | doors |
| 3 | Scatter | spread |
| 4 | shelf | mantelpiece |
| 5 | Tore | to cut a part |
| 6 | poking fun | laughing at |
| 7 | Weaklings | the weak |
| 8 | Frail | fragile |
Questions
Q:1 Why does the poet want the wind to come slowly?
A: The poet wants the wind to come slowly so as not to trouble to the weak.
Q: 2 What is the effect of the strong wind on the book?
A: The strong wind throws the books down and tears their pages.
Q:3 What does the wind do to the windows?
A: It breaks the shutters of the windows.
Q:4 What is the attitude of the wind towards the weaklings?
A: The wind pokes fun at the weaklings.
Q:5 What does the wind god do?
A: The wind god separates the food grain from the chaff.
STANZA 2
He won't do what you tell him.
So, come, let's build strong homes,
Let's joint the ears firmly.
Practise to firm the body.
Make the heart steadfast.
Do this, and the wind will be friends with us.
The wind blows out weak fires.
He makes strong fires roar and flourish.
His friendship is good.
We praise him every day.
Questions
Q:1 Why does the poet ask us to build strong houses?
A: The poet asks us to build strong houses as a defence against the wind.
Q:2 What should we do to our hearts and bodies?
A: We should make our bodies firm and our hearts steadfast.
Q:3 When will the wind be our friend?
A: The wind will be our friend when we are strong.
Q:4 What is the effect of the wind on the fire?
A: The wind blows out the weak fires but makes the strong fires very strong.
Q:5 Name the poem and the poet.
A: The name of the poem is 'Wind' and the name of the poet is Subramania Bharati.
Exercise 3 marks & 5 marks important Qs
Q:1 What are the things the wind does in first stanza?
A: The wind breaks the window's doors, spreads the papers, and throws books on the shelf. It also tears the
pages of books and brings rain.
Q:2 What does the poet say the wind god winnows? A: Winnowing means using wind to separate grain from the chaff. In the same way, when a strong wind blows, the weaklings are removed but the strong ones remain steadfast.
Q:3 What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you? A: In the last four lines, the poet inspires us to be determined and face all the hardships or obstacles coming in life courageously. He tells us that the wind can only extinguish the weak fires but intensifies the stronger ones. In the same way, people who do not fight against the challenges coming in their lives, they must face the failure. On the other hand, those who stay determined and make sincere efforts to meet their goals, come out to be successful.
Q:4 Who are disturbed by the wind?
A: The wind disturbs only those people who are not determined. The self-confident people overcome the
obstacles put before them by the wind. The wind does not have the knack to disturb the peace of mind of such
people. The wind blows out weak fires and makes strong fires roar and flourish.
Q:5 What does the wind do with the books?
A: The wind tears the pages off and throws them down from the bookshelf. The potent, powerful wind scatters
the books and sheets of paper on the floor. It disturbs everything.
Q:6 Why does the author ask the wind to come swiftly?
A: The author asks the wind to come swiftly so that the earthly peace and order can be retained. The wind
damages the shutters of the windows, scatters the papers, and tears the pages of books. It disturbs
everything and everyone. So, the poet pleads for the welfare of the society.
Q7: How does the wind become the cause of rain?
A: The wind sometimes becomes violent and appears to be a storm. It brings clouds with it from distant
lands. There is no need to say that clouds bring rain. It is a universal truth and scientific fact that
clouds bring rain from the blue sky.
Q:8 Why should the earthly people build strong houses?
A: They should build strong houses so that they may not be damaged by the wind. They should be strong enough
to endure violent winds and become a challenge to the potent wind.
Q:9 What does the wind god do what we tell him?
A: The wind god is all powerful. He is not influenced by any external factors. He doesn’t do what we tell
him to do. Neither our requests nor our commands will influence him. He is mighty and sweeps away all
weaklings with him. He loves strength and befriends with strong and steadfast hearts.
Q:10 What does the wind symbolise?
A: The wind symbolises the raw and brutal power of nature. The wind god is a symbol of might and strength.
He hates weaklings. He rather pokes fun at them. Be they are frail houses, crumbling doors or crumbling
hearts and bodies, he spares none. He befriends only the strong.
Q:11 What does the poet ask us to do?
A: The poet wants us to realise the true nature and power of the wind. He advises us to build strong homes.
The doors must be closed firmly. Weak hearts will never succeed. Let us make our heart strong and steadfast.
The wind god leaves strength and steadfastness.
Q:12 Why and how does the wind blow out weak fires? Who roar and flourish?
A: The god of wind is against any and every shaky and weak thing. Our heart should be fired with
determination and strength. Weak fires and weaklings are flown out. Only the strong roar and flourish. His
friendship is good rewarding. Let us praise the wind, the symbol of power and strength.
Q:13 Why does the poet suggest the people that they have to be strong? Write your
answer in the context of the poem, ‘Wind’.
A: According to the poet, the wind is very powerful. It has power to break the shutters of the windows,
scatter the papers and throw the books down the shelf. When it blows violently, it brings the clouds. It
mocks at the weak and destroys their homes. The weak persons are helpless before the wind. But the poet is
quite hopeful. He thinks that when the people build strong houses, they can challenge the wind. The poet
suggests the people that they should be strong at heart because the weak persons cannot face the challenges
of life. Only the people with strong hearts have the courage to face the challenges of life.
Q:14 How can you say that the poet of the poem ‘Wind’ is a great lover of
mankind?
A: The poet wants to make people strong at hearts. His desire is that they should be bold enough to face the
challenges of life. When we have strong houses, we can protect ourselves from the angry wind. In the same
manner when we are strong at heart, we can face the challenges of life. Only the weak persons are defeated
by the problems of life. Similarly, the poet wants that people should face the challenges of life and make
their life happy. His thought shows that he is really a great humanist. His heart is filled with compassion
for mankind.
Q:15 The wind is a symbol of power and strength. How can we befriend it and survive
in our struggle for existence?
A: The wind symbolises the uncontrollable and raw power of nature. The wind god symbolises strength and
steadfastness. Weaklings who are weak in the mind and body are swept away by the mighty power of the wind.
Only those who are blessed with steadfast minds and hearts survive in the bitter struggle of life. The poet
gives a broader message. Whatever we do or think must stand on the foundations of strength and power. Only
strong minds and bodies can face the anger of the wind and challenges of life. We can befriend the god of
wind by building strong homes and doors. We can also win his favour by firming the body and making the heart
steadfast.
Multiple Choice Questions
Q:1 How does the poet want the wind to come?
A. Fastly
B. Softly
C. dimly
D. in a tempestuous way
Ans: B. softly
Q:2 What does the ‘crumbling hearts’ refer to?
A. young persons
B. weak persons
C. rich and strong person
D. despondent person
Ans: B weak persons
Q:3 What does the poet want the wind to do?
A. don’t break shutters of windows
B. don’t scatter the papers
C. don’t throw down the books
D. all of the above
Ans: D all of the above
Q:4 ‘You brought rain again’. Who does ‘you’ refer to?
A. the wind
B. the poet
C. the cloud
D. the children
Ans: A the wind
Q:5 Who does the wind make fun of?
A. the rich
B. the strong
C. the weak
D. none of these
Ans: C the weak
Q:6 What sort of houses does the poet ask to build?
A. luxury houses
B. huts
C. strong houses
D. weak houses
Ans: D strong houses
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