Bihar Board Class 12th English - Poetry Chapter 8: Fire-Hymn Handwritten Notes
Fire-Hymn is a poem composed by Keki N. Daruwalla. The poem describes the different Ghats where dead bodies are burnt. The poet got an idea to compose this poem when he had to burn his elder son in one of the Ghats. The poet says that even though he is “Parsi” he chose to burn his son instead of disposing the dead body because “Tower Of Silence” was thousand miles away from there.
The poem is highly important from an examination point of view as it is a part of the Bihar Board English Class 12 syllabus.
Fire-Hymn is a heart-touching poem written by Keki N. Daruwalla. In this poem, the poet describes the scene of a burning ghat, where the dead body of a man is consigned to the flame of fire. The poet says that when he was a child, he and his father used to visit the burning ghat of the Hindus. He says that the sight of the burning dead body becomes shocking and dreadful at night. It frightens passers-by. Sometimes the limbs of a dead body are left half-burnt. And the redness of fire appears very cruel. The poet is a Parsi, who worships fire as a God. But he had to consign his newborn into the fire because there was no Tower of Silence there. This made him a sinner. He feels guilty for violating the Parsi Code. He regrets that he could not save the fire from committing sin. So, he vows to free the fire from the sin of forgetting.
Important Questions:
Ques.1 What is the poem fire Hymn about?
Ans: Keki N. Daruwala's "Fire-Hymn" is a deeply emotional poem that reflects the poet's shock, horror, and grief surrounding the act of cremating dead bodies. The poem describes the ghat (cremation ground) where a body has been consumed by fire, leaving glowing embers hours later, symbolizing the lingering presence of death. The poet expresses discomfort with the Parsi tradition of exposing bodies to vultures in the *Tower of Silence*, highlighting his unease with death rituals. Most profoundly, the poet regrets consigning his first child to the flames, reflecting on the painful, irreversible nature of death and the emotional toll it takes.
Ques.2 What did the fire hymn say to?
Ans: "Fire-Hymn" by Keki N. Daruwala is the one where the speaker, a Parsi, cremates his first child because the nearest Tower of Silence is too far away. The speaker feels guilty for violating his religious tradition and committing a sin by cremating the body instead of exposing it to vultures, as prescribed by Parsi customs. However, the fire itself—symbolized in the poem as a "fire hymn"—forgives the speaker. It vows to free itself from the sin of forgetting, offering a form of absolution and release from the guilt the speaker feels for his actions. In summary, the poem focuses on the tension between religious rituals, personal grief, and the quest for forgiveness, with the fire acting as a metaphorical force of redemption.
Ques.3 Why does he say that the redness of the fire is cruel?
Ans. The speaker in "Fire-Hymn by Keki N. Daruwala describes the "redness of the fire" as cruel because the fire consumes everything in its path, turning it into ash or embers. This symbolizes the destructive and irreversible nature of death, highlighting the loss of the body and the complete transformation of life into something unrecognizable. The fire’s cruelty reflects both the physical devastation of cremation and the emotional pain the speaker feels in losing his child.
Ques.4 What is the book fire song about?
Ans: Fire Song by Adam Gnade follows a teenage boy, Shane, dealing with the loss of his older brother. Set in an Indigenous community, the novel explores Shane's grief, identity, and the difficult choices he must make for his future. It reflects on the community's reliance on the past for comfort while facing a future filled with uncertainty, poverty, and shame. The story emphasizes love, loss, and the struggle between tradition and personal growth.
Ques.5 What does the poet talk about in the fire hymn answer?
Ans: In Fire-Hymn by Keki N. Daruwala, the poet reflects on the regret of cremating his first child twenty-five years ago because the Tower of Silence was too far away. He considers the act of burning the body inhumane and feels guilty for violating his religious traditions. The poem conveys his emotional conflict and sorrow over this decision, with the fire symbolizing both destruction and a potential path to forgiveness.
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