+2 UNIT 4 LESSON 2 RICE (POEM)

• Expresses his protest against social injustice and corruption
• Criticizes the farmers and the authorities for their selfish nature to environment.
• Speaks about the pathetic condition of depending on other states for rice, fruits and vegetables.
• The first half of the poem gives us a nostalgic picture of the past.
• The poet returns to his little village after four years of research work in North India.
• The poet thinks of his father working in the paddy fields soiled with mud.
• He imagines his younger brother holding the saplings in his hand.
• The poet’s mouth waters thinking about the ‘athikira’ rice of his fields.
• He imagines his father, mother, oxen and his brother welcoming him.
• He gets impatient and wants the train to move faster.
• When he reached his village he is shocked. He sees the whole area planted with rubber trees.
• He notices his father installing a machine to make rubber sheets.
• Father tells him about the profit of rubber cultivation.
• He sees his brother arriving home from the ration shop. He trips on something and the wheat is scattered.
• Eating ‘adhikira’ rice remains only his dream.

remains as a dream.

• In the end we see a plane flies over the rubber plants. It was the Chief Minister going to the centre to ask for more grains to the state.
• The poem ends with an ironic note. The poet predicts that they will have to beg to the centre even for husks to make toys for children

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:-

1. ‘My little brother runs in to meet me-

I, eager to have a full meal of athikira rice.

He’s carrying the rations for the whole household-

Tips over something and scatters the wheat all over the yard.’

Bring out the satirical element in the above lines taken from the poem’Rice’.

1. A) In the poem “Rice” by renowned poet Chemmanam Chacko clearly depicts the selfish and greedy nature of the farmers. The poem is packed with sarcasm and scorn. He is shocked to comprehend the truth that the farmers have stopped agriculture to start commercial crops. After four years of research in North India, he returns home with a doctoral degree. He longs for having a meal of athikira He was completely fed up by eating chapaties of North India. But much against his expectation he finds that his native land is feeding on the wheat. He is even greeted by his brother carrying ration for the entire family. We get a clear picture of the modern society. Food crops are replaced by the cash crops.  Farmers find it very terrible to go to fields well –dressed. Besides their desire to lead a luxurious life is very clear in this poem. The image of the poet’s brother running in with the ration, tripping and falling down is very much satirical. This kind of satire really suits the theme. Today we get our food grains, vegetables and fruits from neighbouring states. We can see a society where people want to catch fish without wetting their fingers. People don’t want to have the good virtue of hard work. The contrast between the reality and the expectation is depicted here.

Read the following lines from the poem Rice and answer the questions.

My father says, with obvious pride: ‘Son, we’ve stopped working on all the rice.

It was quite inconvenient. The farmer gained nothing- only fools turn to rice-farming for gain.

This is better money-what good times! The government gives rice to those who don’t have paddyfields.’

2 What was the poet’s father doing when he arrived?

1. A) The poet’s father was watching people setting up a machine for making rubber sheets.
2. ‘Only fools turn to rice-farming for gain’. Why did the father say so?
3. A) The father says so because nobody promotes the farming of rice. Rice farming was considered as inconvenient. Besides the farmers gained nothing. Rubber brought better money for them. Above all the government gives rice to those who have no paddy fields.
4. Bring out the satirical element in the above lines.
5. A) Chemmanam Chacko is a master satirist. When there is shortage of rice, people rush towards cash crops like rubber. For this they get support from government. It is really satirical when father says with pride to his son that they have stopped working on rice. The excuse ‘Only fools turn to rice-farming for gain’ also makes the readers laugh at the terrible condition. The dependence of the state to the centre for getting more rice again is a sharp criticism. It is again satirical when we read the line the government gives rice to those who don’t have any paddyfields. It is a pity that the people are ruled more by their greed and consumerism.
6. Read the following lines from the poem and note how the poet has satirized the shift from paddy cultivation to rubber planting.

‘My father says with obvious pride:

Son, we’ve stopped working on all the rice.

It was quite inconvenient’

Cite other instances of satire in the poem.

1. A) ‘Only fools turn to rice farming for gain.

   This is better money-what good times!’

In these lines the poet is criticizing the farmers very humorously about their efforts to get profits. They are not thinking about the negative impact it would bring in future.

We have other lines in the poem

“Can we get some husk from the centre too,

To make toys with it? I don’t know’

The poet means that a time will come when we will have to beg for husks from the centre. It is really a warning and reminds us to be careful to save our paddy fields for the next generation.