NOTES PREPARED BY
W.M BHAT
TEACHER SCHOOL
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
JAMMU AND KASHMIR
Lesson No. 17
THE CHILD’S PRAYER
About the Author/Poet:
(Sir Muhmmad Iqbal RA)
Sir Muhammad Iqbal RA (November 9, 1877 – April 21. 1938), widely known as Allama Iqbal, was a poet, philosopher, Politician as well as a barrister and a scholar in British India who is widely regarded as having inspired the Pakistan Movement. Dr. Iqbal is admired as a prominent poet by Indians, Pakistanis, Iranians and other international scholars of literature. His poetry and philosophy, written in Urdu and Persian has been widely read and admired.
SUMMARY
This poem is written by Sir Muhammad Iqbal and is in the form of a child’s passionate prayer to Allah. The child prays that his whole life be spent in the service of mankind. He wishes to serve as a candle that benefits others while it is waxing. He wants to enlighten the whole world with knowledge. He also wants to adorn his motherland as blossoms adorn a garden. He wants to love knowledge with the same passion and zest that we find in a moth for a candle. He wants to become a missionary with loving the poor and those in pain as his mission. The child prays to God to guard him from all traps of Satan. He prays for a strong will and faith so that he could always walk the virtuous ways.
CENTRAL IDEA OF POEM
This poem is in the form of a child’s prayer to Almighty Allah. The child prays that he may become a candle light for others. He wishes that through him the darkness of the world may vanish. He wants to make his motherland as beautiful as a garden. He wants to serve the poor, the week and those who are in pain. He wants to keep himself away from all evils. He prays that he may always follow the path of goodness in his life.
UNDERSTANDING THE POEM
Q.1) Who is the speaker in the poem and to whom is it addressed?
Ans) The speaker in the poem is a small child.
The poem is addressed to Allah.
Q.2) What does the child wish to be? List his wishes in the order they are described in the poem?
Ans) The child’s wishes are:
1) He wishes to become a candle light.
2) He wishes that through him, the darkness of the world may vanish.
3) He wants to beautify his motherland.
4) He wants to help the poor and those in pain.
5) He wants to walk the virtuous ways in his life.
6) He wants to stay away from Satan.
Q.3) Why does the child want to be:
a) Candle (b) Moth (c) Blossom
Ans) The child wants to be like a candle so that he could end the darkness of the world. He wants to love the candle of knowledge with a moth’s passion and zest.
He wants to be like a blossom so that he could beautify his motherland.
Learning about the literary device:
Q.4) What is the child’s mission?
Ans) The child’s mission in life is to love and serve the poor and those in pain.
Q.5) Identify metaphors and similes in the following lines.
Ans) (1) Metaphors
. My tender hopes arise to the lips I pray:
. Kindly candle light may my life be!
.As the moth goes round the shining light in zest
. So let me love the candle of knowledge best!
. Save me my God, from all snares of evil:
As the moth goes round the shining light
Ans) (1) Metaphors
1) Tender hopes arise to the lips.
2) Kindly candle light may my life be.
3) The candle of knowledge
4) Snares of evil
(2) Simile
1) The candle of knowledge
Learning about the literary device: Literary device
Metaphor:- It is a figure of speech or literary device in which a name or a descriptive word or phrase is transferred to an object or action different from, but analogous to that to which it is literary applicable. e.g. your fingers are bamboo sticks.
Simile:- A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another of a different kind, as an illustration or ornament. e.g. your fingers are like bamboo sticks.
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