About the Author
Subramania Bharati was a famous Tamil poet born in 1882 and lived until 1921. He is known as one of India's greatest poets who loved his country a lot. He wrote many poems and stories to inspire people to fight for freedom from British rule. Bharati mixed simple words with deep feelings in his writing. He believed in strength, kindness, and helping others. This poem "Wind" shows how he saw nature as a teacher for life.
What’s the Story About?
This poem is like a friendly chat between the poet and the wind. The poet speaks to the wind as if it is a naughty friend who sometimes causes trouble. In the beginning, he asks the wind to come gently. He says, "Wind, come softly." He doesn't want the wind to break the window covers or throw papers and books all over the place. Imagine you are sleeping, and suddenly the wind wakes you up by making a big mess on your study table—that's what the poet feels!
Then, the poet notices how the wind plays tricks on weak things. It tears pages from books, brings heavy rain, and laughs at things that are not strong. The wind breaks old, shaky houses, doors that are loose, roof beams that are weak, wooden parts that rot easily, and even hurts people who are not fit or brave. The poet calls the wind the "wind god" who sorts out the good and strong from the weak, like a farmer blowing away light trash from good grains. The wind doesn't listen to anyone who is not ready for it.
But the poet doesn't get angry. Instead, he gives good advice. He says, "Let's not fight the wind. Let's get ready for it!" We should build homes with strong walls and tight doors. We must exercise to make our bodies tough, like practicing to run or lift weights. And most important, we should make our hearts brave and steady, so we don't get scared easily. If we do all this, the wind will not hurt us—it will become our friend.
The poet ends by saying that the wind puts out small, weak fires but helps big, strong fires burn even brighter. That's why we say thanks to the wind every day, because its friendship makes us better.
In short, the poem teaches us that problems in life are like the wind—they can knock us down if we are weak. But if we prepare ourselves, we can face them with a smile and grow stronger.
Who’s Who in the Story
- The Wind (or Wind God): The main character, but not a real person. The poet imagines the wind as a powerful, playful friend who can be rough or helpful. It breaks weak things but helps the strong ones.
- The Poet (the speaker): This is Subramania Bharati himself, talking directly to the wind. He feels annoyed at first but then becomes wise and gives advice to everyone, including himself.
- Weak Things/People: Not named, but they stand for old houses, loose doors, shaky roofs, and folks who are not fit or brave. They get hurt by the wind because they are not ready.
- Strong People/Things: Also not named, but they are like firm homes, brave hearts, and big fires. They laugh at the wind and become even better friends with it.
Themes and Moral
Themes (main ideas):
- Strength Against Troubles: Life has challenges like storms or problems that test us. Just like the wind breaks weak houses, hard times can hurt us if we are not prepared. But building strength helps us stand tall.
- Nature as a Teacher: The wind shows both sides—it can destroy or help. Nature teaches us to be ready and respect its power.
- Friendship with Challenges: Instead of running from problems, we should face them. The wind becomes a friend when we are strong, showing that good things come from tough times.
Moral (the lesson):
Be strong in body and heart to face life's winds. Don't be weak and complain—build yourself up, stay brave, and turn troubles into friends. As the poem says, prepare well, and even the wild wind will help you grow.
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
Here are some key words and phrases from the poem. I explain them in easy, everyday words so you can picture them clearly:
- Shutters: Wooden or metal covers for windows, like doors that protect your room from rain or dust.
- Scatter: To throw things around in different directions, like when kids spill toys all over the floor.
- Poking fun: Making jokes or teasing someone in a mean way, like laughing at a friend who trips.
- Frail: Very weak and easy to break, like a thin stick that snaps in your hand.
- Crumbling: Slowly falling apart or breaking into pieces, like old biscuits that turn to dust when you touch them.
- Rafters: Strong wooden sticks that hold up the roof of a house, like the bones inside your body that keep you straight.
- Winnows: To blow away the bad or light parts to keep only the good ones, like a farmer using wind to clean rice by removing the empty shells.
- Steadfast: Firm and not moving or shaking, like a good friend who stays with you no matter what.
- Flourish: To grow well and look healthy, like a plant that gets lots of water and sun.
Key Phrases:
- Come softly: Enter quietly and gently, without making noise or trouble—like whispering instead of shouting.
- Build strong homes: Make houses that won't fall in storms, by using good bricks and tight nails—just like making yourself strong by eating well and playing sports.
- Make the heart steadfast: Keep your mind brave and calm, so fears don't shake you—like holding a friend's hand during a scary movie.
- Blows out weak fires: Puts an end to small, shaky things, like a candle that flickers and dies in the breeze.
- Makes strong fires roar and flourish: Helps big, steady things get even better, like adding wood to a campfire so it dances high and warm.