A RIVER (FULL SUMMARY)

A RIVER

FULL SUMMARY

CLASS-10 ADDITIONAL ENGLISH

The poem is set in an Indian town called Madurai. A river flows through this beautiful place, which is famous for its temples and poets. The poets of Madurai used to write poems about the city and its temples. Every summer, the river dries up so much that the sand becomes visible.

The poet says that when the river dries up, people can see things like sand patterns and straw on the surface. The iron bars in the river become rusty, and the bridges need fixing. The wet stones look like a sleeping crocodile, while the dry stones look like a buffalo resting in the sun.

The poet imagines these stones as two different animals depending on whether they are wet or dry. The poet also mentions that there is a lot to say about the river, but poets only talk about floods.

One day, the poet saw a flood in the town. Everyone was talking about the rising water. The flood was so strong that it reached places where people used to bathe. The flood swept away three houses, a pregnant woman, and two cows named Gopi and Brinda.

The poet feels sad because new poets only repeat what old poets said. No one talks about the pregnant woman who drowned, even though she had twins in her womb.

The poet believes the river only has enough water for poetry once a year, during the flood. Poets only come when there is a flood, and they only write about the rising water. The poem teaches us that poets should tell the full truth, not just focus on one part of the story.