Father To Son by Elizabeth Jennings, Class 11 English, Hornbill, CBSE (Stanza-wise Detailed Explanation, summary, Theme, Question - Answer, Poetic Devices & NCERT Solution)
Father To Son
By Elizabeth Jennings
Introduction of the Poem “Father To Son” By Elizabeth Jennings, Class 11 English Hornbill CBSE
In the poem “Father to Son” Elizabeth Jennings brings to light the emotional distance that develops between parents and children. The poem shows a father’s grief and frustration when he realises that there is no understanding between him and his son. Despite living under the same roof, they behave like strangers. The father has an intense desire to bridge this gap and renew the bond. Finally, the poem highlights the universal desire for closeness and understanding in family relationships, even when differences create emotional barriers.
About the Poet Elizabeth Jennings
Elizabeth Jennings was an English poet. She was born in 1926. She grew up in a religious environment. She published her first collection of poems in 1953. But she got fame and recognition after the publication of "A Way of Looking". She was associated with the “Movement” poets, a group known for valuing simplicity and clear language, but Jennings’ focus was more on personal and spiritual themes than on the social or political issues of the time. Her work has a lasting impact, inviting readers to look inward and find comfort in the shared human experience she captures so beautifully.
.png)
The Theme of the Poem “Father To Son” By Elizabeth Jennings, Class 11 English, Hornbill, CBSE
The poem “Father to Son” by Elizabeth Jennings deals with the common theme of the generation gap. At the same time, it reflects a father’s pain and irritation when he is unable to reconcile with his son. The father wishes to understand his son’s choices and preferences, but he feels helpless in bridging the gap.
The poem emphasises the need for closeness, love, and communication in family relationships, as well as the struggle to accept each other’s individuality.
The Summary of the Poem “Father To Son” By Elizabeth Jennings, Class 11 English, Hornbill, CBSE
The poem "Father to Son" by Elizabeth Jennings portrays a father’s struggle with the growing emotional distance between him and his son. Although they live together, both of them behave like strangers. He remembers when his son was a child and they had a cordial relationship. He wishes to have a similar kind of connection with his son again, but now they have little in common.
The father wonders if he is responsible for this gap. He questions himself if he has failed to guide or understand his son along the way. He even dreams that his son will return to him, like the prodigal son, rebuild their bond, and find mutual understanding.
By the end of the poem both long for a connection and want to forgive each other for the misunderstandings that have created this distance. The poem captures the pain, confusion, and deep hope for renewed closeness that many families experience as children grow and develop their own identities.
The Poetic Devices used in the Poem “Father To Son” By Elizabeth Jennings, Class 11 English, Hornbill, CBSE
Metaphor
"Seed I spent or sown" — The father uses the metaphor of seed to represent his role in nurturing his son.
“Empty hand” symbolises the longing for connection and reconciliation.
“Silence surrounds” highlights the distance and lack of communication.
Allusion
“Prodigal” refers to the biblical story, symbolizing the father’s wish for his son to return.
Irony
Although the father and son have lived together for years, the father feels he knows nothing about his son.
Alliteration
Silence surrounds
Imagery
The mention of “father’s house” creates a nostalgic image of family and belonging.
Paradox
“Anger grows from grief” highlights the complex emotional mix of love and frustration.
Repetition
“Same” in “same globe” and “same land”
.png)
Detailed Stanza-wise Explanation, And Very Short Question -Answer Of “Father To Son”, Class 11 English, Hornbill, CBSE
Text
"I do not understand this child,
Though we have lived together now
In the same house for years. I know
Nothing of him, so try to build
Up a relationship from how
He was when small. Yet have I killed
The seed I spent or sown it where
The land is his and none of mine?"
Explanation of the above stanza and Question-Answer
The poem begins with the father's confession about his lack of understanding with his son. He expresses his sorrow saying that he has spent years with his son.
But still, there is no compatibility with him. He has no idea about his son. He has an intense desire to reconnect with his son but becomes frustrated.
He thinks that he has lost touch with the child he once knew. The father wonders if he has unknowingly stifled his son's growth or if they are simply too different to relate on common ground.
Q. Why does the father feel disconnected from his son?
Ans. They have grown apart emotionally despite living together.
Q. What does "seed" symbolise in the expression "the seed I spent,"?
Ans. The father’s role in creating and raising his son
Q. What is the dilemma faced by the father in this stanza?
Ans. He wonders if he contributed to their distance or if it is just natural.
Q. What is the father’s feeling in this stanza?
Ans. The father has a sense of helplessness and feels disconnected from his son.
Q. What does the expression, “the land is his and none of mine” mean?
Ans. The father feels that his son is now a grown-up person, with interests and values different from what he has.
Text
"We speak like strangers, there’s no sign
Of understanding in the air.
This child is built to my design
Yet what he loves I cannot share.
Silence surrounds us. I would have
Him prodigal, returning to
His father’s house, the home he knew,
Rather than see him make and move
His world. I would forgive him too,
Shaping from sorrow a new love."
.png)
Explanation of the above stanza and Question-Answer
According to the father he and his son have started behaving like strangers, and thus are unable to connect or find common ground. The son is physically his creation. But emotionally, they are poles apart.
The father dreams of his son returning to him like the prodigal, coming back to his childhood home. He is willing to forgive his son and patch up the differences and hopes to rebuild their relationship.
Q. What does the expression, “speak like strangers” show about their relationship?
Ans. They communicate but have no real understanding.
Q. Why does the father want his son to return like the “prodigal”?
Ans. It is because he wants to patch up the differences and live cordially with his son.
Q. Why does the father compare his son to the “prodigal” son?
Ans. He hopes his son will come back and reconnect with him like the prodigal son who returns to his father.
Q. What is the “sorrow” that the father refers to in this stanza?
Ans. The sorrow comes from the feeling of alienation from his son. Therefore, he longs for reconciliation.
Text
"Father and son, we both must live
On the same globe and the same land,
He speaks: I cannot understand
Myself, why anger grows from grief.
We each put out an empty hand,
Longing for something to forgive."
.png)
Explanation of the above stanza and Question-Answer
The poem ends with a sense of frustration and longing of both father and son. Both father and son try to patch up the differences but remain unsuccessful. Thus they are trapped in the same world.
The father is enraged at his failure to reconcile with his son. Both reach out, hoping to find reconciliation and forgiveness for the misunderstandings that distance them. In the end both of them are disappointed and empty hand. Thus, the stanza shows inner feelings of both father and son.
Q. Why does the father’s anger come from grief?
Ans. The father is enraged at his failure to patch up the differences and reconcile with his son.
Q. What do the “empty hands” represent in this stanza?
Ans. The expression, “empty hands” represents both father and son’s unfulfilled desire for connection.
Q. What is the significance of the line “something to forgive”?
Ans. It shows their desperation to mend things.
Q. What do both father and son want by the end of the poem?
Ans. They both want forgiveness and a chance to reconnect despite their differences.
NCERT Solution of the Poem “Father To Son” by Elizabeth Jennings, Class 11 English, Hornbill CBSE
Q. Does the poem talk of an exclusively personal experience or is it fairly universal?
Ans. Undoubtedly, the experience is personal, but the phenomenon is universal. The generation gap is quite common all over the world. It often results in a lack of understanding and emotional distance. It is usually found that the youngsters and the youth revolt, and the elders have to compromise.
Q. How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem?
Ans. The poem clearly shows the helplessness of the father. He thinks that his son has become a stranger as he has created his own world. The father makes his best efforts to reconcile and compromise, but all goes in vain. In the end, his grief turns into anger.
Q. Identify the phrases and lines that indicate distance between father and son.
Ans.
I do not understand this child
I know nothing of him
We speak like strangers
No sign of understanding in the air
Yet what he loves I can not share
Silence surrounds us
Long Question-Answer - “Father To Son” by Elizabeth Jennings, Class 11 English, Hornbill CBSE
Q. How does the poet express the father’s mixed emotions in the poem “Father to Son”? Use examples from the poem to support your answer.
Ans. In the poem, “Father to Son”, Elizabeth Jennings describes a father who is filled with both love and frustration towards his son. On the one hand, he intensely desires to reconnect with his son. On the other hand, he realises the widened gap between him and his son, and the thought makes him painful. The father’s confusion is clear in lines like “I do not know him,” where he realizes that he’s almost a stranger to his own child. He wants to understand and be part of his son’s world, but he can’t bridge the gap: “we speak like strangers.” This line highlights his struggle to communicate on a deeper level. There’s a sense of regret, as he wishes they could relate better and find common ground. Despite his frustration, he wants to mend the rift, saying “let us be kind to one another.” Jennings captures this mix of longing and helplessness, showing the father’s genuine wish to be close to his son, even if he feels stuck on the outside
Q. What does the line “we speak like strangers” reveal about the father-son relationship in the poem?
Ans. The line “we speak like strangers” shows emotional separation and distance between the father and his son. It also highlights the generation gap. Even though they live under the same roof, there is a lack of closeness and understanding between them. We usually expect cordial and warm relationship between a parent and child. But here it is missing. This line also shows that, despite his love, the father doesn’t feel connected to his son. They behave as if they don’t know each other at all. Jennings also uses this idea of speaking “like strangers” to capture the father’s sadness and confusion—how can someone so close feel so distant? It is relatable, as many families experience this sense of growing apart. The line also reflects the father’s realization that, somewhere along the way, they lost the bond they once had. The poet brings out the father’s desire to reconnect and understand his son, even as he grapples with being shut out. This line sums up the poem’s theme of the absence of understanding and a longing for a closer connection.
Comments
Post a Comment