Poem 06 - Mother Tongue - English Elective Class XI Notes - Woven Words

Poem - 06 Mother Tongue

• ANALYSIS OF THE POEM 'MOTHER TONGUE'
• SUMMARY OF THE POEM 'MOTHER TONGUE'
  
• UNDERSTANDING THE POEM (Q&A)
• Comprehension Questions for "Mother Tongue" by Padma Sachdev

ANALYSIS OF THE POEM 'MOTHER TONGUE'

The poem "Mother Tongue" by Padma Sachdev expresses the poet's deep connection with her native language, Dogri. In the poem, the speaker asks a reed for a quill (a writing instrument), symbolizing the need to write in her mother tongue. The reed responds by questioning why the poet needs another quill, hinting at the rarity and preciousness of the act of writing in Dogri.

Through this conversation, the poet personifies the reed, giving it human qualities to emphasize how the natural world is also connected to her language. The reed eventually agrees to give the quill, acknowledging that it, too, serves the poet's mother tongue.

The poem conveys a sense of urgency and pride in preserving the Dogri language. The poet’s mother tongue is portrayed as a “Shahni,” a wealthy and powerful figure, symbolizing the language’s importance and the numerous people who serve it, including the poet herself. This highlights the emotional attachment and respect the poet has for her language.

At a deeper level, the poem touches upon the loss of the original Dogri script, Sharade, which has been replaced by Persian and Devanagari scripts. This symbolizes the changes and challenges that languages face over time, and the poet's effort to continue writing in Dogri reflects her commitment to keeping the language alive.

In simple terms, the poem is about love, respect, and the need to preserve one’s language, even in the face of change.

SUMMARY OF THE POEM 'MOTHER TONGUE'

The poem "Mother Tongue" by Padma Sachdev is about the poet's deep love and respect for her native language, Dogri. She asks a reed for a quill to write in Dogri, and the reed questions why she needs another one so soon. The poet explains that she writes for her mother tongue, which she compares to a kind and powerful lady. The reed then gives her a quill, saying it too serves Dogri. The poem highlights the poet's strong emotional connection to her language and the importance of preserving it.

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM (Q&A)

1. The quill is the central element in the poem—what does it symbolise?
   
   The quill symbolises the Sharade script. A script is central to propagate and preserve any language. In this case the poet is eager to make a point for her mother tongue Dogri which was originally written in Sharade script but for reasons unknown happened to be written in Devanagari script. So she personifies the reed and requests it to give a quill and the reed instantly agrees to do so saying that it is also the servant of the Shahni like the poet herself and ready to serve her.
   
   
2. You notice a sense of urgency in the poet’s request—what is the reason for this?
   
   The reason for the sense of urgency shown in the poem is because of fast depleting base of Dogri language in its native speakers and the influence of other languages/scripts on it. The poet is concerned that if the Dogri speaking population is not ready to serve the Shahni(Dogri) then it will be too late to save the language.
   
   
3. How has the poet brought out her emotional attachment to her mother tongue?
   
   The poet has brought out her emotional attachment to her mother tongue in the form of this beautiful poem wherein she treats her mother tongue as Shahni(Queen) and the poet herself as a maid to the service of the queen. The emotional height is reached when the reed instantly agrees to cut its hand and give it away for the service of Shahni in the form of a quill.
   
   
4. Personification is a figure of speech that attributes human qualities to inanimate things and abstract ideas. How has it been used in this poem?
   
   The poet has beautifully used the tool of personification for her mother tongue Dogri and its script Sharade. Dogri has been personified as Shahni(The Queen) and Sharade script has been personified as the queen’s maid in the form of a quill. The dramatization of the reed cutting its hand to offer for the service of the queen animates the entire poem and rouses the reader to stand up for the greater cause of saving/serving one’s mother tongue.