Let’s discuss

• Woman: the focal point of the family

The position of woman in the family is very important. She is the pillar of the house. Her
value is beyond measure. Of all the members of the family, a mother plays the most important
role in making the home a paradise on earth. The love of mothers is of the highest and the purest
type. She loves all her sons and daughters alike. Mothers make sure that their children are safe
and happy throughout their childhood. The fountain of her heart always remains full of love for
her children. No one can surpass a mother in making sacrifices. It is her great sense of duty
which keeps her busy all day in domestic work. She is always ready to share the sufferings and
sorrows of her children. If there is any one sick in the home, she proves to be best nurse. They
are the key to sustainable development and quality of life.

• The qualities a woman needs to face the challenges of life

Women are continually facing challenges, both at home and in their careers. There
are many situations where they are called upon to deal with problems and quickly find
solutions. Let’s look at the qualities a woman needs to face the challenges of life. They
should be educated and should have a job in the society. Income empowers her. Then
she should have leadership qualities. These include confidence, wisdom,
understanding, courage, determination, compassion, sympathy and
empathy. Confidence is one of the most important traits needed for success in life. She
should be moral in her actions; she should be able to know what action is right and
what is wrong and do the right thing. She should be loving and affectionate. Women
should also be intelligent in her head and in her words. Self-belief is probably the
single most important trait possessed by any successful woman. If you don't believe
you can succeed, then you won't get very far. Successful women are always passionate
about what they do because they tend to create a new world around the things they
enjoy.
Think and write

Analyse the theme of the poem keeping in view the plight of women in the Indian social
scenario.

The theme of the poem is the importance of the woman in the family. Without a woman,
a family is simply unimaginable. Nothing at home happens without her knowledge or without
her participation. She is the pillars, roof, walls and doors of the house. She is the one who gives
love to all. Women take care of the children, cook, wash and do all other household chores.
Indian culture attaches great importance to women. Women are the key to sustainable
development and quality of life in the family. The varieties of role the women assume in the
family are those of wife, leader, administrator, manager of family income and last but not the
least important the mother.

Identify the major figure of speech used in the poem and describe its significance.
 The major figure of speech used in the poem is metaphor. A metaphor is a comparison
where one thing is seen as another. The entire poem is a metaphor because the woman thinks she
is the pillars, walls, roof and doors of the house. She is the heat and light of the house. The poet
describes herself as the elements of the house. All these metaphors are pointers to the maternal
love. Another exquisite metaphor is ‘the wind and snow’ which stands for the crises affecting the
family.

What is the quantum of work done by a woman in a household? Can it be reduced? How?

The quantum of work done by a woman is tremendous. She cooks for everyone in the family.
She washes the plates, pots and pans. She washes the clothes and irons them and keeps them in
the cupboard. She has to clean the house and the yard. She has also to take care of the children’s
discipline as well as their education. Indeed, she has a lot to do. Her work can be reduced in two
ways. One way is taking mechanical help by using modern cooking and washing machines. But,
more importantly, her work can be reduced by an understanding husband and loving children.
They can lend a helping hand in the various jobs she is doing at home.

Activity I (Composing lines)

Try writing a few lines on any one of the following topics/themes.

• Mother’s love

My Mother, my friend so dear,

• Sweet home

Home my sweet home,

I love my sweet home.

It is where we share

Love and memories.

Activity II (Appreciation)

Keeping in view the ideas discussed above, prepare an appreciation of the poem “Any Woman”.

“Any Woman” is a poem written by the Irish poet Katherine Tynan. The poem presents
the power of a woman to hold a family together. The poem opens by introducing the central
metaphor of the house. In the poem the poet compares women to houses. The mother says that
she is the pillars of the house. She is the keystone of the arch without which the roof and wall
would fall and the house would be ruined.
Through a series of metaphors she tries to emphasise the role of woman in shaping a
family and thus a society. It talks about all aspects of the house and how women are the
foundation, protection, and decoration of households.
The first person narrative voice presented through the persona in the poem is that of a
confident woman. The poem is not just about the poet, but it is about 'any woman'. The simple
beauty of the sentiments expressed in the poem as a praise of motherhood is really touching. The
simplicity of language adds to the beauty of the poem.
The poet compares herself to the pillars and the keystone of the arch of a house. Once the
key stone is taken away, the entire structure collapses. It can ruin not only the house but the pillar
itself. The poet then compares her to the fire at the hearth and the light of the sun in the absence
of which, earth would be colder than a stone. It is the mother who gives warmth and life to a
house. In her absence the house is cold and lifeless. The children look forward to their mother for
warmth and comfort. She is their light of love. It is this light that shows the children the right
way. The mother is the bond of love that holds the family together. No child can go astray if they
are bound by this knot of love. The poem ends with a touching prayer to Jesus whom a woman
laid in a manger not to take her away till her children grew.

Activity III (Comparison)

Answer the following questions. They will add to your comprehension of the poem.
1. What is the theme of the poem?

The poem, 'The Toys' is highly religious. The poem relates the story of a father and son. The
father treats his son harshly but later realizes his mistake and asks God to forgive him for his
foolish behaviour.

2. Do you justify the father's action? Why?

I justify the father’s action. The father is a loving father and that is why he goes to check if his
son is sleeping. A loving father has to punish his son for disobedience, especially when it is
repeated. The father punished the child for his own good.

3. What is the symbolic significance of the toys?

4. Comment on these lines citing the importance of the mother in a family:

'Take me not till the children grow!' {“Any woman”}

Both the lines signify the importance of a mother in the house. Mother is the spirit of
home. A child without a mother does not develop properly and that is why the mother in ‘Any
Woman’ prays to God to spare her life till her children grow up. In the second example, we see
how the son is beaten and scolded by the angry father. The boy’s mother would not have done it
because she was patient. Both poems stress the importance of a mother in the family, especially
for the welfare of the children.

5. Now, compare the poem with "Any Woman" and prepare a review focusing on the themes and
their significance.
The poem ‘Any Woman’ by Katharine Tynan speaks of the importance of the woman in
the family. She is the pillars of the house. She is the keystone of the arch. She is the roof and
walls. She is the fire upon the hearth. Without her, the home would be colder than a stone. The
children come to her for love and affection. She is the light of their love. The children could
hardly thrive without her support. She is the one who holds the family together. She is all over
the house, from the floor to the roof. Nothing happens without her knowledge. She decorates the
house and makes the children’s bed cosy and warm. She also protects the children from all
dangers. She is the door that guards against all kinds of dangers. At the end of the poem, the
woman prays to Jesus to spare her life till her children are properly grown up.
In the poem “The Toys”, the poet got angry about his son disobeying him repeatedly and
beat him. He sent the boy to bed without the usual kiss. The boy’s mother who was much more
patient was dead. After some time, the father felt sorry and went to check on the boy. Unlike
what he expected, the boy was in deep sleep. His swollen eyes were still wet with tears. Then
he was overcome by emotion as he saw the articles on the child’s table. There were some simple
objects like a box of counters, a coloured stone, a piece of glass and a few shells from the beach,
a bottle with bluebells, and two copper coins, all of which were neatly arranged. The boy had
used these simple toys to comfort his sad heart. The father tried to kiss away the tears on his
child’s eyes, but instead dropped his own tears on the child’s face. In a moment of realization,
he started praying. The grownups may be deriving pleasure out of other toys like money and
material possessions. Seeing the simple toys with which they tried to make their joys, God will
only be sorry for their childishness.

Any woman deals with the relationship between the mother and her children, whereas here we
see a father son relationship. There is only one line in the poem mentioning the mother. That
line emphasizes the role of a patient mother in the growth of a child. That goes well with the
theme of ‘Any Woman.’ Here the poet is trying to elaborate the mercy of God using a simple
incident. Both the poems use simple language and musical rhymes. ‘Any woman’ uses an
extended metaphor to stress the role of a woman in a family. ‘The Toys’ uses the child as a
metaphor of the humankind.