2.5. Father Returning Home - Class 12 - English Yuvakbharati

Author: Dilip Chitre | Genre: Poetry

1. Comprehensive Glossary

2. Introduction & Summary

Ice Breakers:

1. Discuss the difficulties and exhaustion faced by regular commuters using public transport in crowded cities.

   
   

2. Reflect on the duties children have towards their parents and grandparents to ensure they do not feel lonely.

   
   

Summary: "Father Returning Home" by Dilip Chitre is an autobiographical poem that depicts the loneliness and alienation of an elderly man in a modern, fast-paced city. The poem follows the father's evening commute on a crowded suburban train where he stands amidst "unseeing" passengers. His physical state—soggy clothes, mud-stained raincoat, and bag stuffed with books—reflects a life of weary routine.

The second part of the poem shifts to the home environment, where the sense of "estrangement" continues. He drinks weak tea and eats "stale chapati" while his "sullen children" refuse to share jokes or secrets with him. He finds solace only in the bathroom, contemplating man's isolation, or by listening to the static on the radio. Finally, he dreams of his ancestors and nomads entering the subcontinent, suggesting a deep-rooted longing for connection in a world where he has become a stranger in his own home.

4. HSC Board Activity Sheet Pattern (Poetry Section)

Part A: Appreciation of Poem (Q3-B Pattern)

• About the Poem / Poet / Title: The poem is written by Dilip Chitre, a celebrated bilingual poet and translator. The title, "Father Returning Home," focuses on a mundane daily activity to explore deeper themes of elderly isolation and the gap between generations in an urban setting.

  
  

• The Theme: The central themes are alienation, isolation, and self-disintegration within the modern family structure. It highlights the "estrangement" of the elderly who are physically present but emotionally distant from their surroundings.

  
  

• Poetic Style: The poem is written in free verse, which suits the drab, repetitive, and unrhymed life of the father. Chitre uses vivid, gritty imagery like "soggy clothes" and "stale chapati" to evoke a sense of physical and emotional decay.

  
  

• Figures of Speech:

  1. Simile: "I see him drink weak tea, eating a stale chapati" – The tea is compared to the father's weakened state.

     
     

  2. Transferred Epithet: "Suburban eyes" – The adjective 'suburban' describes the location, but is transferred to the eyes to show the collective indifference of the commuters.

     
     

  3. Synecdoche: "Eating a stale chapati" – The 'stale chapati' represents the entire non-nourishing and repetitive diet/life of the father.

     
     

• Message / Values / Morals: The poem serves as a wake-up call to the younger generation to care for and communicate with their elders. It values family connection and empathy as remedies for the loneliness that often accompanies old age.

  
  

• Your Opinion: In my critical evaluation, Chitre masterfully uses the "static" of the radio and the "silence" of the children to create a powerful atmosphere of neglect. It makes the reader feel the heavy burden of a life that has become purely mechanical.

  
  

Part B: Poetic Creativity (2 Marks)

• Topic 1: My Father -> A mountain of strength with a heart of gold, With stories of old that are yet to be told. Through every storm and the morning light, He guides my path and keeps it bright.

  
  

• Topic 2: The Evening Commute ->

  The rattling wheels on the iron track,

  With a heavy bag upon his back.

  He travels through the city's glare,

  With weary eyes and silver hair.

  
  

• Topic 3: A Lonely Meal ->

  A quiet chair and a simple plate,

  Waiting for the hour that's late.

  The tea is cold, the room is still,

  Against the evening's biting chill.

  
  

• Topic 4: Ancestors' Dreams ->

  He dreams of lands where nomads roam,

  Long before he called this home.

  A spirit crossing mountain passes,

  Through the tall and waving grasses.

  
  

• Topic 5: Silence at Home ->

  The walls are high, the words are few,

  In a house that's old but feels so new.

  A father's heart, a silent plea,

  For a bridge across the growing sea.

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