Part B — Poetry

Poem 5: Father Returning Home

Class 12 General English | PSEB | A Rainbow of English
Poet: Dilip Chitre

1. Central Idea of the Poem

In “Father Returning Home,” Dilip Chitre presents the loneliness, isolation and helplessness of an old man living in a modern city. The father travels home by a crowded local train after a tiring day at work. He appears physically exhausted, his clothes are wet and dirty, and his eyes are dimmed by age.

At home, he drinks weak tea, eats stale chapati and reads a book. His children have become distant and refuse to share their jokes and secrets with him. He feels alienated from his own family and from the fast-moving, modern world around him.

The father spends time listening to the radio, dreaming about his ancestors and grandchildren, and imagining the life of nomads. These thoughts suggest his longing for connection, belonging and a meaningful life.

The poem highlights the emotional suffering of elderly people who are neglected by their families and feel like strangers in their own homes. It criticises the alienation and lack of communication that can develop in modern urban life.

2. Comprehension and Enjoyment

Q1. Give the central idea of the poem.

Answer:

The poem describes the loneliness and alienation of an old father living in a modern city. After travelling home by a crowded local train, he returns tired and worn out. At home, he eats a simple meal and spends time alone. His children refuse to share their jokes and secrets with him, leaving him emotionally isolated. He listens to the radio and dreams about his ancestors, grandchildren and nomadic life. Through the father’s experience, the poet highlights the neglect of elderly people, the generation gap and the lack of emotional connection in modern urban society.

Q2. Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.

“His eyes dimmed by age
fade homeward through the humid monsoon night.
Now I can see him getting off the train
Like a word dropped from a long sentence.
He hurries across the length of the grey platform,
Crosses the railway line, enters the lane”

(a) Name the poet.

Answer: The poet is Dilip Chitre.

(b) Which line in the poem describes the father’s irrelevance to the train?

Answer: The line is:

“Like a word dropped from a long sentence.”

The comparison suggests that the father appears insignificant and disconnected from the busy world around him, much like a word that has been left out of a sentence.

(c) Write two reasons for the father’s eyes being dimmed.

Answer:

His eyes have become weak because of old age.
He is physically tired after a long day’s work and travelling home through the humid monsoon night.

(d) Where does the father go after getting off the train?

Answer: After getting off the train, the father hurries across the grey platform, crosses the railway line and enters a lane that leads towards his home.

Q3. Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.

“His sullen children have often refused to share
Jokes and secrets with him. He will now go to sleep
Listening to the static on the radio, dreaming
Of his ancestors and grandchildren, thinking
Of nomads entering a subcontinent through a narrow pass.”

(a) Explain the behaviour of the old man’s children towards him.

Answer:

The old man’s children behave coldly and remain emotionally distant from him. They often refuse to share their jokes and secrets with him. Their unwillingness to communicate makes him feel unwanted and isolated within his own family. The generation gap has created a barrier between the father and his children, leaving him lonely even at home.

(b) What does he do after being written off by his children?

Answer:

After being ignored by his children, the father withdraws into his own world. He goes to sleep while listening to the static on the radio. He dreams about his ancestors and grandchildren and thinks about nomads entering the subcontinent through a narrow pass. These thoughts offer him an escape from his loneliness and the emotional neglect he experiences at home.

(c) How can you say that his dream mirrors that the old man is either thinking about his past or his future?

Answer:

The father’s thoughts about his ancestors connect him with the past, while his thoughts about his grandchildren connect him with the future. His imagination moves between generations, showing his desire to understand his roots and maintain a connection with his family. His thoughts about nomads entering the subcontinent also suggest an interest in the history and movement of people. Thus, his dreams reflect his memories of the past and his hopes or thoughts about the future.

(d) Draw a pen portrait of the poet’s father.

Answer:

The father in Dilip Chitre’s poem is an elderly, lonely and emotionally neglected man who struggles to find a sense of belonging in modern urban life.

Old and physically weak: His eyes are dimmed by age, and he appears tired after his daily journey home from work.
Hardworking: He travels by local train and returns home after a tiring day. His wet clothes, muddy footwear and worn appearance suggest the difficulties of his daily routine.
Poor and simple in his habits: At home, he drinks weak tea, eats stale chapati and reads a book. His simple lifestyle reflects his modest circumstances.
Lonely and isolated: Despite living with his family, he lacks meaningful companionship. His children often refuse to share their jokes and secrets with him.
Emotionally neglected: The behaviour of his children makes him feel disconnected from those closest to him. He is physically present in the family but emotionally excluded.
Thoughtful and imaginative: He listens to the radio and dreams about his ancestors, grandchildren and nomads. His thoughts reveal an interest in history, family and human life.
Attached to his family: His thoughts about his grandchildren suggest that family relationships remain important to him, even though he receives little emotional warmth from his children.
A symbol of modern alienation: The father represents elderly people who feel forgotten in a busy urban society. His experience highlights the harmful effects of poor communication and the generation gap.

Conclusion: The father is a hardworking but lonely man who feels alienated from both his family and the modern world. Through his character, the poet asks readers to treat elderly people with love, respect and understanding.

3. Important Points for Revision

The poem is written by Dilip Chitre.
It describes an elderly father returning home after work by local train.
His appearance reflects tiredness, old age and the difficulties of daily life.
“Like a word dropped from a long sentence” suggests his insignificance and alienation.
His children often refuse to share their jokes and secrets with him.
At home, he drinks weak tea, eats stale chapati and reads a book.
He listens to radio static and dreams about his ancestors and grandchildren.
The poem explores loneliness, the generation gap, family neglect and modern urban alienation.

Exam preparation tip: For the pen portrait, organise your answer around the father’s physical condition, daily routine, loneliness, relationship with his children and dreams. Use details from the poem to support each point.