Poem (5) IN THE STREETS OF FRUIT STALLS: Book 3

 

Poem (5)  IN THE STREETS OF FRUIT STALLS

                                          “Jan Stallworthy”

 

Word	Meaning	Synonyms
1.      Wicks	The wick of a candle	Strings in a lamp, cord in candles
2.      Stall	a stand or  booth, for the sale of goods	A table in the shop, counter
3.      Piled	place (things) one on top of the other	Heaped, accumulated, gathered
4.      Cannon	a large, heavy piece of artillery,	Heavy gun ball
5.      Orbit	a regular, repeating path	Curve, circle, sphere
6.      Rind	the tough outer skin of certain fruit, especially citrus fruit	Skin, peel, zest, pod
7.      Pitted	having a hollow or indentation on the surface.	With tiny holes, spotted, blemished
8.      Radiant	shining or glowing brightly.	Bright, emitting, shinning, joyful

 

Reference:

This poem is taken from the poem, “IN THE STREETS OF FRUIT STALLS” written by “Jan Stallworthy”

 Context:

The poet has portrayed a true picture of a fruit market. The poet has symbolized this world as a fruit stall. Various fruits are piled up in a conical shape. They are reflecting glowing color.

Explanation:

The poem has two folded meanings. On surface meaning, the poem shows the dark street where children ate the fruits with joy and in care freeway. On contextual meaning, the poem gives a gloomy (sad) view of the world and its miseries because of war. But in the end, the poet shows a positive message by showing the joy of children.

 

Write Down the Answers to the Following Questions:

Q.1: What are the feelings of the poet standing in the dark?

ANS: The poet is sad and gloomy. He is standing in the dark street. He is pondering over the hard realities of life.

Q.2: Why has the poet used’ cannonballs to describe the fruits?

ANS: The poet is sad. He is aware of the paints of life. He takes no interest in the charms of life. Even the glowing fruits look like ‘cannonballs’ to him.

Q.3: Which parts of the children’s bodies were involved while eating the fruit?

ANS: The poet tells us that the mouths, fingers, cheeks, noses, and chins of the children were engaged in eating the fruit. I would say that their teeth, throats, and stomachs were also enjoying the experience.

Q4. What does the word “dark” street depicts?

ANS: The word “dark” street depicts that the world is full of dangers and threats. It is threatened with war, misery, and poverty. It simply shows that the poet is afraid of war and wants happiness in his life.  

Q5: What things in the poem refer to the joys of the world?

ANS: The glow of the lamp, the glowing faces of the children, gold and silvery pulp of fruit all refer to the joys of the world.