Naryal Purnima Poem Questions and Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
What festival is the poem centered around?
Naryal Purnima.
What natural event does Naryal Purnima traditionally mark?
The end of the monsoon season.
What unusual weather pattern is described in the poem?
The rains ended early, leaving the land in drought.
What crop is mentioned as being at risk due to the lack of rain?
Rice.
What does the poet compare the retreat of the rains to?
A curtain shrinking upward.
Where does the poet sit while observing the festival?
On Marine Drive, facing the sea.
What does the poet turn his back on at Marine Drive?
The crowd of festival-goers.
What are the wealthy participants carrying for the festival?
Coconuts for the gods.
What do the poor children (urchins) do during the festival?
They dive into the sea to retrieve the coconuts.
How does the poet describe the children’s physical state?
Meagre flesh, symbolizing hunger and poverty.
What does the poet question about himself?
Whether his sympathy for the poor is genuine or superficial.
What colonial legacy does the poet reflect on?
Portraits of 19th-century leaders and patriotic songs.
What does the poet criticize about rituals?
Their superficiality and lack of practical value.
How does the poet describe the waves at Marine Drive?
Like chips of cut glass.
What emotion does the poet expect on the urchins’ faces?
Cynicism or accusation.
What expression does the poet actually see on the urchins’ faces?
Innocuous smiles.
What is the poet’s role in the scene, as he describes it?
A casual commentator.
What does the poet call the marginalized festival-goers?
Driftwood from the South.
What phrase does the poet use to describe hunger?
A common factor and birthmark.
How do the wealthy react to the urchins diving for coconuts?
They are flustered and annoyed.
What do the women wear during the festival?
Sharp, brittle clothes.
What does the poet criticize about the wealthy women’s style?
Their garish, tinsel-choked fashion.
What does the phrase “snatch libations from under god’s nose” mean?
The urchins take coconuts meant for religious offerings.
What does the poet fear about the rains?
That they may fail completely.
What does the poet suggest about prayers in the poem?
That they might go unanswered.
What does the poet use coconuts to symbolize?
The tension between sacred rituals and survival needs.
What tone does the poet use toward the wealthy participants?
Critical and ironic.
What does the poem highlight about the relationship between nature and humanity?
Humanity’s dependence on nature and its unpredictability.
What does the poet reflect on regarding his own identity?
His detachment from both the wealthy and the poor.
What is the central message of the poem?
The futility of rituals in addressing real-world problems like poverty and hunger.
Short Answer Questions
What does the poet describe about the unusual weather pattern in the poem?
The poet observes that the monsoon season ended unusually early, leaving the land in drought after a brief period of heavy rains. This disruption in natural rhythms is significant as it threatens crops like rice, which sprout with the first rains but now face death due to insufficient water. It symbolizes nature’s growing unpredictability and humanity’s dependence on it.
How does the poet view the rituals performed by the wealthy participants?
The poet critiques the wealthy participants for their superficial engagement with rituals, such as offering coconuts to the sea. Their actions seem more focused on appearances than genuine spirituality. He contrasts their behavior with the poor children’s raw and practical approach to survival, exposing the emptiness of rituals amidst real-world struggles.
What is the poet’s internal conflict regarding his role as an observer?
The poet feels detached from both the wealthy participants and the marginalized urchins. He questions whether his sympathy for the poor is genuine or just intellectual. This conflict reflects his struggle to reconcile his privilege as an observer with the harsh realities of the poverty-stricken lives around him.
What does the poet mean by “snatch libations from under god’s nose”?
The phrase refers to the poor children diving into the sea to retrieve coconuts meant as religious offerings. Instead of honoring the gods, these coconuts become resources for survival. This act symbolizes the drifters’ prioritization of their immediate needs over ritualistic traditions, highlighting the tension between sacred and practical concerns.
What does the poet suggest about the urchins’ expressions and behavior?
The poet notes that the urchins lack cynicism or resentment despite their hardships. Instead, they focus entirely on retrieving coconuts, smiling innocently. Their resilience and detachment from societal judgments contrast sharply with the wealthy’s discomfort, emphasizing the urchins’ grounded approach to life.
How does the poet reflect on India’s colonial past in the poem?
The poet recalls remnants of colonial history, such as academic portraits and patriotic songs, which now feel distant and artificial. He critiques how these symbols of identity have lost their meaning, much like the rituals he observes. This reflection underscores the challenge of forging a distinct cultural identity post-colonialism.
How does the poet use nature to reflect human struggles in the poem?
Nature, particularly the monsoon rains, symbolizes life and sustenance. The disrupted monsoon cycle reflects the fragility of human survival, as seen in the drought’s impact on crops and rituals. This connection between nature’s unpredictability and human struggles reinforces humanity’s dependence on ecological stability.
What does the poet criticize about society’s focus on rituals?
The poet critiques society for focusing on hollow rituals that fail to address pressing issues like hunger and poverty. He contrasts the wealthy’s ritualistic offerings with the poor children’s survival instincts, suggesting that rituals often prioritize appearances over practical or spiritual significance.
How does the poet juxtapose the wealthy participants with the poor children?
The wealthy participants perform rituals with coconuts, symbolizing devotion, while the poor children dive into the sea to retrieve these offerings for survival. The wealthy appear polished but superficial, whereas the children are raw, focused, and genuinely connected to the festival through their struggles, highlighting the divide between privilege and necessity.
What is the central message of the poem?
The poem conveys that rituals and traditions often fail to address real-world issues like poverty, inequality, and environmental challenges. Through the contrast between the wealthy and the marginalized, the poet emphasizes humanity’s shared vulnerabilities, urging a deeper reflection on empathy, survival, and societal priorities.
