English - Poetry Chapter 8: Fire-Hymn Long Answer Questions

Long Answer Questions

Question 1.What are the different forms and roles of fire at the ghat?

Answer: The different forms and roles of fire at the ghat as mentioned in the poem, “Fire-Hymn”, are as hereunder

• erupted phosphorescence
• wandering ghost lights
• embers losing their cruel redness
• grey ash that swallows all

The forms and roles of fire as stated above has been very well depicted in the poem.

Question 2.How does the ghat appear to the common people?

Answer: The ghat appears to be engulfed with the redness of the strong fire, which has been broken-out swiftly. It is shinning with a faint light looking like a wandering ghost. The moonlight runs fast through the bones scattered there by the burning fire. Pieces of wood and coal that are not burning but are still red lying there, gradually losing their cruel redness.

Question 3.What is the fire’s debauchery?

Answer: The fire swallows everything and turns them into either grey ashes or half-burnt particles. The whole of the dead body transforms into black ashes and scattered bones. It does not leave anything intact in its original shape by its cruel acts. It can be said its immoral behavior or debauchery.

Question 4.What has offended the religious sentiment of the speaker when he was a child?

Answer: The speaker happens to be a “Parsi” by religion. One morning, he went with his father on morning-walk, in his childhood. They were passing through a burning ghat located on the bank of a river. He saw there, a dead body being cremated. He noticed the brutality and the immoral behavior of the fire. This custom is against his religious tradition. As such it has offended the religious sentiment of the speaker when he was a child.

Question 5.Why was the speaker ‘broken’ and how did he regard himself rebellious? ,

Answer. The speaker has lost his first-Bom child. He consigned the dead- body of his first-Bom to the flames for cremation. He is ‘Parsi’ by religion, but he violated the tradition of his religion by cremating his child. This great loss had broken him and he regarded himself rebellious for going against his religious tradition.

Question 6.Why did he swear twice to save the fire from two different sins?

Answer: He (the speaker) swore twice to save fire from two different sins. The first time, when he consigned his firstborn child to the flames. He is a ‘Parsi’ by religion, who do not cremate their dead bodies. But he did it because his religious place to perform rituals for the sad demise of his child was far away. The fire had forgotten that he is a ‘Parsi’ because it (fire) deals equally with everybody irrespective of their caste, creed, or religion. So he swore to save fire from the sin of forgetfulness. The next time he swore to save the fire from the sin of forgiving i.e. for its deviation. As such he swore twice to save the fire from two different sins.

Question 7.Though the poem reveals the religious leaning of a Parsi, it still has its human appeal. Justify it with your own comments.

Answer is a fact, that the poem primarily reveals the religious tendency (inclination) of a “Parsi”. But at the same time, it has a compassionate appeal to humanity. The poet is a “Parsi”, dislikes the cremation of a dead body. As a poet and a human being, he has thrown light on this burning problem. It appears to be the most unpleasant, pathetic, and gruesome practice to offer (cosign) the dead-body to the flames of the fire. In my opinion, it is really the most unkind and made active. I think it should be stopped and some alternative arrangements should be made for the disposal of the corpse (dead body).

Question 8.Give in short the summary of the poem, “Fire-Hymn”. Or, Write a short note on the poem, “Fire-Hymn”.

Answer: “Fire-Hymn” composed by Keki N. Daruwala is a serious and touching poem. It is the description of a burning ghat. The scene of the ghat is most dreadful. Ghosts with burning light are wandering there and the passerby becomes frightened to see them. One early morning the poet alone with his father passes through that ghat and finds pieces of woods and coal though not burning but are still red. Half burnt dead bodies are lying there. The poet is “Parsi” by religion.

Parsis instead of cremating their dead bodies, carry it to the “Tower of Silence” to put therein. He becomes horrified to see such cruel act. The narrator, the poet himself had consigned his first bom to the flames twenty years back because the Tower of Silence was a thousand miles away. It had shocked him much and he feels guilty of committing the same inhuman act, which other persons commit, and being a Parsi he has all along opposed this cruelty. The poem has a humanitarian appeal. Thejioet has successfully conveyed his motive to discard such a cruel practice.