Summary-- An elementary school classroom in a slum

I Stanza:--- These slum children are very far away from modern development ways (gusty waves). They are like rootless weeds. As weeds are unwanted for a farmer in the same way these children are unwanted for the society. We can see the scattered hair around their pale face. (pallor) There is a tall girl in the class. Her head is weighed down because of malnutrition. A boy in the class looks like a paper, his eyes have anger like of a rat. He has got the disease of twisted bones from his father. He is sitting at the back of the classroom which is dim. One more boy can be seen who is very sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream of playing like a squirrel.

Simile:-- Like rootless weeds  Metaphor:-- The paper seeming boy

II Stanza:--- The classroom walls’ colour has faded. There are some pictures of Shakespeare,Tyrolese valley, world map hanging on the wall of the classroom. There is no meaning of Shakespeare for him. World map is of no use to them as it is decided by those who are in power, This is ‘open-handed’. Anyone who has power and money can decide it. Their world is limited to the windows of their classroom only. Through these windows also they can not see their future as it is painted with a fog means it is not clear. Their world is limited to their street only from where they can see the sky only. They have not seen any river, cape in their life.

Contrast:-- The condition of wall just opposite of those pictures hanging on the wall

Metaphor:-- Windows have been called the world for children

III Stanza:---- The picture of Shakespeare is of no use for them. These pictures with ships and sun tempt them, they also want to run away from there. But there world is limited to ‘Cramped holes’ where their lives start at fog and end at fogless night. On the heap of garbage these children live. Their bones can easily be seen through their skin. They are wearing the spectacles of mended glass. All of their future is not clear. Their future is blocked by slums which work for them as big as dooms.

Metaphor:- cramped holes, slag heap, foggy slum                            

Simile:-- as big as doom                                     

IV Stanza:-- The poet requests all the Govt. officials to intervene into the matter. According to him these windows will shut like catacombs (underground graveyard) if they do not take action. He requests them to break those windows to allow children to hover around green fields. Let them run on sea sand. Let their tongue run naked into books- the white and green leaves. White and green leaves are the symbol of  books of various subject –may be science. People keep only those in their memory whose language has power.

Simile:-- like Catacombs    Metaphor:--white and green leaves, whose language is the sun

                  Prepared by:---- Deepak Juneja PGT English