Poem 9: The Feed: Book 3

 

Poem 9:  The Feed

Word	Meaning	Synonym
1.      Conjoin	join; combine	Join together, combine, unite
2.      Millet	a grain-like food	Cereal, grain, seed
3.      Solace	give comfort to in grief	Comfort, console, cheer
4.      Fissuring	split or crack	Cracking, tearing, spitting
5.      Wail	high-pitched cry of pain,	Moan, groan, weep

Reference:

These lines have been taken from “The Feed ” written by “ Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi”

Context:

The feed is a simple, beautiful poem showing the beautiful relationship between parents and children. It reflects parent’s love, concern, and feeling for their children.

Explanation:

In these lines, the poet says that the mother sparrow is upset because she has only one grain of millet and there are ten babies in the nest to eat it. She wants to console every one of them. She breaks the grain and provides a little part of the grain to every one of them. The poem means to say that parents want to see their children happy, prosperous, independent, and growing.

Short Questions

Q.1: What is the number and size of the sparrow’s young ones?

 She has ten very small young ones. They were crying for the feed.

Q.2: What does the poet describe in the poem?

The poet has described in the poem the love of a mother for her young ones.

Q.3: What does the sparrow hold in her beak? OR What is the condition of the young ones?

The sparrow holds a grain of millet in her beak. The young ones without feathers. They are very weak and look like beaks.

Q.4: What is the dilemma (problem) of the mother sparrow? OR Why is the mother sparrow worried?

 The great problem of the mother sparrow is how to feed her ten young ones all at once. She has one grain of millet in her beak.

Q.5: How does “fissuring the atom” cause suffering?

 Here this phrase means breaking up the atom to prepare atom or nuclear bombs. Scientists prepare the atomic bomb to kill millions and destroy all property.

Q.6: How many young ones are to be fed?

 Ten young ones are to be fed. It is a sad scene to watch.

Q.7: What has the poet described in the poem?

The poem is symbolic. Through the hunger of sparrows, the poet highlights the hunger of the world. He teaches that instead of producing weapons, we should produce food for humans.

Q.8: What kind of feelings does the poem create in the reader’s mind?

We feel that human resources should be used for the benefit of humanity. They should not be used for producing deadly weapons. Hunger should be alleviated.

Q.9: “One grain is to be fed to ten young ones; what does the phrase mean?

 It means that world food production is less than the population of the world. Therefore, it cannot suffice them.