The stunted, unlucky heir
Of twisted bones, reciting a father's gnarled disease,
His lesson from his desk. At back of the dim class One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream,
Of squirrel's game, in the tree room, other than this.
(i) Who is the unlucky heir and what has he inherited?
(ii) What is the stunted boy reciting?
(iii) Who is sitting at the back of the dim class?
For once on the face of the earth
Let's not speak in any language
Let's stop for one second,
arid not move our arms so much.
(i) Why does the poet want us to keep quiet?
(ii) What does he want us to do for one second?
(iii) What does he mean by ‘not move our arms’?
Why are the young trees described as sprinting?
The young trees are personified in the poem. They seem to be running in the opposite direction when seen through the window of the moving car. The movement is juxtaposed with the expression on the mother’s face i.e. ashen like a corpse. The movement of the children and the trees is in stark contrast with the stillness associated with the mother.