Ice breakers On The Sower
Make a list of words related to agriculture.
Farm, crop, sowing, plough, cultivate, yield, seeds, grains, spade, scythe, sprout, pod, spray,
ii) Discuss the activities carried out by a farmer.
Ploughing furrowing sowing cultivating
iii) In our country engineering, teaching and medical field are much sought after. Other professions, occupations though they make a significant contribution to the society, do not get their due.
iv) ‘Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian Economy’ Fill in the boxes supporting this statement. Complete the web diagram.
Brainstorming on The Sower
(A1) There are a number of challenges a farmer in India faces. Discuss with your friend, how it is possible to improve the condition of farmers.
(A2) The poet has observed the sower closely. Express in your words the reverence the poet has for the sower.
Ans: The poet has great respect for the sower. The sower is described as hardworking and a man of patience. He is dominant.
(A3) The poet is prompted to call the sower an ‘august personality’ which means one who reached the highest position in his work place.
Explain this using the following points.
Hard work Perseverance Dedication
The sower is working hard. Though the working hours came to an end, he lingers in his work place. He sows the seeds and waits for the crop all the season. He works day and night to grow his crops.
(A4)I) Pick out the examples of alliteration from the poem and write them down.
Ans: 1. Sunlight, I see, dying fast – The consonantal sound ‘s’ is repeated pleasingly.
2. Darkness deepens. -The consonantal sound ‘d’ is repeated pleasingly.
II) ‘Seems to touch the starry skies’. The poet has used word imagery. Describe
the idea and pick out other similar examples from the poem.
Ans: The poet has created a mental picture of a farmer touching the sky filled with stars .
Similar examples of word imagery are as follows: 1.Twilight hastens on to rule
2. Marches he along the plain.
(A5) (i) Write an appreciation of the poem considering the following points:
• About the poem/poet/title.
• Theme
• Poetic devices, language, style
• Special features/ novelties/focusing elements
• Values, message
• Your opinion about the poem
The poem The Sower is translation of Victor Hugo’s French poem by Torulata Datta. Torulata Datta is a bengali poetess. She is considered as the first Indian poetess to write verses in English and French. She died at the age of 21 writing many beautiful poems and a novel.
The poem ‘The Sower’ is about an old farmer. He is working in his farm tirelessly. The speaker in the poem observes the farmer. The title of the poem refers to the farmer. He is sowing seeds in the farm.
The central theme of the poem is hard work and devotion towards work. Despite the working hours are over, the farmer is working. The darkness doesn’t matter for him. He has seen many bad harvest in his life. But he is hopeful of getting more yield this time. He scatters the seeds and hopes to get growing.
The poetess has used many effective poetic devices such as inversion(Marches he…
), alliteration (Darkness deepens), personification (Shadows run) and hyperbole (his height seems to touch the starry skies.) Nature imagery used by the poet creates the mental picture before the readers’ eyes. Alternative rhyme scheme (first line rhyming with third and the second with the fourth line.) has been used in each stanza of four lines.
Farming is as important as any other profession. Devotion, patience and hard work are necessary in human life. With these qualities one can touch the sky.
Activity sheet on The Sower
A1. Complete the web chart about poet’s observation.
A2. “Soon shall come a time to reap”. Name and explain the figure of speech and find one another of similar type.
Ans: Inversion : The line is not in a correct prose order. Correct order – A time shall come soon to reap.
Other examples of inversion :1. Marches he along the plain 2. Now to sow the task is set.
A3 Pick out the line that shows evening time.
Ans: The following lines indicate evening time
1. Sunlight, I see, dying fast
2. Twilight hastens on to rule
3. Shadows run across the lands
A4. Compose a poem on farmer in 4 line in continuation to the following
Waiting for the rain
To grow the grain.
Eager to take world’s care.
Does he get his fare?
Sometimes rain makes him.
Sometimes it takes him.
