Wind
Thinking about the Poem.
Question 1: What are the things the wind does in the first part of the poem?
Answer: In the opening lines of the poem, the violent and unruly wind
Breaks the wooden shutters of the windows.
Scatters loose sheets of paper across the room.
Throws down books from the bookshelf.
Tears the delicate pages of the books.
Brings heavy showers of rain along with it.
Question 2: Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in a paddy field? What is the word in your language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing? (Give the words in your language, if you know them.)
Answer:
Observation: Yes, winnowing is a traditional practice commonly seen in agricultural villages and domestic kitchens to separate grains from light husk and chaff.
Regional Terms:
In Assamese, winnowing is known as ‘উৰোৱা’ (Urowa) or ‘বতাহ দিয়া’ (Botah Diya).
In Hindi, it is called ‘ओसाना’ (Osana) or ‘फटकना’ (Fatakna).
Implement Used: People use a flat, scoop-shaped winnowing basket made of woven bamboo, known as ‘কুলা’ (Kula) in Assamese and ‘सूप’ (Soop) in Hindi, holding it high and gently shaking it so the wind blows the lighter husk away while heavy grains fall down cleanly.
Question 3: What does the poet say the wind god winnows?
Answer: The poet states that the wind god winnows and crushes all weak, fragile, and unstable things. He winnows:
Crumbling houses
Crumbling doors
Crumbling rafters
Crumbling wood
Crumbling bodies
Crumbling lives
Crumbling hearts
The wind spares only those that are strong, steady, and firmly anchored.
Question 4: What should we do to make friends with the wind?
Answer: To befriend the wind (symbolising hardships and adversity), the poet advises us to:
Build strong homes with firm foundations.
Joint and secure doors firmly to resist violent gusts.
Practise to firm the body and maintain robust physical health.
Make the heart steadfast and cultivate mental toughness and resilience.
Question 5: What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?
“The wind blows out weak fires.
He makes strong fires roar and flourish.
His friendship is excellent.
We praise him every day.”
Answer: The last four lines convey a universal truth about life:
The wind effortlessly extinguishes small, weak fires, but when it encounters a blazing, strong fire, it fuels it further, making it roar and grow powerful.
Symbolically, difficulties destroy those with fragile determination, but they elevate and empower those who possess inner strength, courage, and grit.
By developing resilience, adversity ceases to be our enemy and becomes a friend that fosters growth and greatness.
Question 6: How does the poet speak to the wind — in anger or with humour? You must also have seen or heard of the wind “crumbling lives”. What is your response to this? Is it like the poet’s?
Answer:
Poet’s Tone: The poet speaks to the wind with a mixture of gentle teasing, playful reproach, and deep philosophical respect. He treats the wind as a powerful natural entity that follows its own rules rather than obeying human requests.
Personal Response: Severe storms and cyclones often cause devastating loss of life and property. While natural fury is unavoidable, despair is not the solution. Like the poet’s perspective, our response should be proactive: constructing disaster-resilient infrastructure, building early-warning preparedness, and strengthening mental and community resilience to withstand any storm.