KBL ACADEMY OF ENGLISH DARMAN ROAD
The poet suggests that they should
SHAKARGARH
0308-32-32-4-88
THE FEED
AHMED NADEEM QASMI
20 November 1916 died 10 July 2006
He was born in the village of Anga(Danga)
in Khushab District, British India
He was an Urdu and English language
Pakistani poet, journalist, literary critic,
dramatist and short story author
His poetry was distinguished by its
humanism
His Urdu afsana (novel) work is considered
by some critics second only to Prem Chand
He is famous due in its depiction of rural
culture
TEXT POEM & MEANING & QUESTIONS
STANZA 1
Holding a grain of millet in her beak
The mother sparrow has come to feed.
The young ones are so tiny and small
From head to toe they are beaks
When they cry. One grain to be fed to the ten
young ones
TINY: small, little, minute,
HOLDING: catching, grabbing,
BEAK: nib, mouth
1. WHAT IS THE SPARROW HOLDING IN
ITS BEAK? OR WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE GRAIN OF MILLET?
The mother sparrow is holding a grain of
millet in her beak. She has come to feed her
ten children with only one grain. It shows the
scarcity of food in the world particularly for
the poor.
2. HOW MANY YOUNG BABY BIRDS ARE
THERE IN THE NEST? OR WHAT IS THE
CONDITION OF THE BABY BIRDS?
There are ten young birds in the nest. They
are hungry and crying for food. They are
beaks from head to toe. They represent the
poverty stricken hungry masses of the world.
STANZA II
To whom the mother sparrow should feed?
Conjoining beak with beak
With whom should she solace?
Fissuring the atom,
You have learnt to weep and wail in a loud
tone,.
CONJOING: matting, joining, connecting,
SOLACE: appease, satisfy, comfort,
FISSURING: splitting, breaking, fragmenting,
WAIL: moan, weep, scream, cry,
3. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM/DILEMMA OF THE
MOTHER SPARROW?
The mother sparrow is confused and worried.
She is dejected at the plight and hunger of
her ten children. She represents all the poor
mothers and also motherly affection. She
doesnt know how to break one grain of
millet into ten parts and satiate the hunger
of her offspring.
4. WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF SPLITTING ATOM?
The splitting of atom has brought death and
woe in the world. It has increased poverty.
STANZA 1II
Splitting the grain,
You have learnt to set life on foot
Could you split the grain?
One grain to be fed to the ten young ones.
SPLITTING: fragmenting, breaking
ON FOOT: erect, sustain,
5. WHAT IS THE SUGGESTION OF THE POET?/
WHO IS ADDRESSED IN THE POEM?
The poet criticizes the developed nations and
nuclear states. They have wasted worldly
resources on weapon and ignored human
plight.
spend money to eradicate poverty and
diseases.
6. WHAT IS THE THEME/CENTRAL IDEA/MESSAGE
OF THE POEM?
This is a metaphorical poem. It is the
reflection of the plight of the poor people of
the world through the metaphor of a mother
sparrow. She is worried at the hunger of her
children. It is also criticism at the nuclear
states for their ignoring their humanly
duties. They have wasted on weapons rather
poverty alleviation.
MAIN IDEA
1. The poet is keen observer of human plight
2. He advocates the cause of humanity
3. He was a socialist and believed in human
equality and well being
4. It is a symbolic and metaphorical poem
5. It has two levels of meaning, surface and deep
meaning
6. Literally, it is the depiction of sparrow feeding
its ten children
7. Symbolically, the poet gives the problem of a
poor mother and the poor masses of the world
through the plight of a mother sparrow
8. He urges humanity to help the afflicted people
with diseases and poverty
9. THOSE WHO ESTABLISH REGULAR PRAYER, AND
GIVE REGULAR CHARITY(31:4)
10. There are two parts of the poem
11. The first part deals with the depiction of poverty
stricken people while the second part is about
the criticism of the developed nations of the
world for their negligence of solving the
problems of humanity
12. LIFE IS BRISTLING WITH THORNS, AND I KNOW
NO OTHER REMEDY THAN TO CULTIVATE ONE'S
GARDEN.VOLTAIRE
13. The mother sparrow has one grain of millet
14. She has ten young ones to satiate their hunger
15. It shows their large family size particularly in the
poor people
16. She is confused and worried at its inability to
break the grain
17. It is a metaphor of the poverty stricken people of
the world
18. The poor lack resources and means of livelihood
19. The mother sparrow represents all the poor
mothers
20. Her plight invites others to help the poor
families like that of the sparrow.
21. THERE IS NO EXERCISE BETTER FOR THE HEART
THAN REACHING DOWN AND LIFTING PEOPLE
UP. JOHN HOLMES
22. The poet criticizes the role of the advanced
countries
23. They have spent massive resources on nuclear
technology and the destructive weapons
24. But they dont care for human values
25. The poet alludes the nuclear attack of America
on Japanese cities in the world war II
26. The research of nuclear technology has brought
affliction and poverty in the world
27. There is intentional negligence of the rich
countries towards the worldly problems
28. THERE IS NO HIGHER RELIGION THAN HUMAN
SERVICE
29. They have manufactured weapons of mass
destruction just for their esteem and superiority
30. They dont contribute to human service
31. They spend lavishly on war rather on the poor
32. The rich countries dont carry out research to
reduce poverty and pangs of the world
33. NO ONE IS USELESS IN THIS WORLD WHO
LIGHTENS THE BURDENS OF
ANOTHER. CHARLES DICKENS
34. They have not devised the ways to enhance the 39. The poet advises to stop the growth of nuclear
food and needs of human life weapons and to focus on poverty-hit poor
35. The poet suggests that they should spend on masses because , SCIENCE NEVER SOLVES A
humanity PROBLEM WITHOUT CREATING TEN
36. THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS NOT TO BE HAPPY. IT MORE.GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
IS TO BE USEFUL, TO BE HONORABLE AND TO BE 40. He condemns the dark picture of science as said
COMPASSIONATE RALPH WALDO EMERSON by Einstein, IT HAS BECOME APPALLINGLY
37. The poet gives a socialist perspective and OBVIOUS THAT OUR TECHNOLOGY HAS
explores the real problem of the world EXCEEDED OUR HUMANITY
38. There is an unequal distribution of wealth rather
the excessive increase in population