IA Richards - Practical Criticism

  Thinking Activity 

  I A Richards - Practical Criticism - figurative Language

Hello! Here I am going to write another blog. The blog is a response to the thinking activity assigned by Dr. Dilip Bard sir , Dept of English. In this Particular blog, I will try to problematize, misunderstand and analyse the poem. 

2. How to Tame a New Pair of Chappals by Gopal Honnalgere

don't leave them together

don't allow them to talk to each other

they may form a trade union

don't at anytime leave them near

a wall clock, law books, a calendar, the national flag,

gandhi's portrait, or a newspaper

they may hear about

independence, satyagraha,

hodidays, working hours, minimum wages, corruption

don't take them to your temple

they may at once know you are weak

your god is false and they may bite you

don't let them near your dining table

they may ask for food

or cast their evil eyes on your dinner

first use them only for short walks

then gradually increase the distance

they should never know the amount of work they have to do

pull their tight straps loose

let them feel happiness

they are growing bigger

smear some old oil on the rough straps

let them feel they are anointed

now they are good subdued labourers

ready to work overtime

for your fat feet

Problematic things in the poem: 

1. Here in this poem , the word “ chappals” is used for labourers. Here we can see the use of language and personification. 

2. The second problematic thing is that the poet said that don’t allow to talk to each other because he want to say that if they talk to each other then labourer understood that they will know the laws that have been laid for them in the constitution related to their rights, working hours, minimum wages, holidays, etc. 

    Labourer is a human being so he or she has to know about his/her rights. 

3. The Poet thinks that if labourers know all the things like calendar , national flag, constitution etc. then those workers will not be under the control of the owners. 

4. “don't take them to your temple

they may at once know you are weak

         they may ask for food

         or cast their evil eyes on your dinner” 

  In this lines poet think that caste system of india

    The poet thinks that the labourers should not be allowed to enter the temples, if they come to the temples they will know everything and consider the people of the Owner class as weak.

5. “first use them only for short walks

then gradually increase the distance”

                 The workers treat them like dumb things. Poet said that to keep the workers under owners control.

“First use them only for walks” - labourers not only for work, they have a right to know all the things. 

Analysis of the poem:

 The poem "How to Tame A Pair of New Chappals" is a poem that he wrote as a mock on the caste system of India. The poet, in a mocking tone, asks the readers and the masters to keep their workers apart.

Don’t leave them together 

Don’t allow them talk to each other

They may form a trade union

Don’t at anytime leave them near

•   Because,  Do not keep the chappals with each other, otherwise there will be a possibility of losing them as same as labourers not controlled under their owner.

a wall clock, law books, a calendar, the national flag,

gandhi's portrait, or a newspaper

they may hear about

independence, satyagraha,

hodidays, working hours, minimum wages, corruption

• In these lines , the poet said that all things keep away like a wall clock, law books, a calendar, the national flag, Gandhi's portrait, or a newspaper because labourers know about their rights.

         don't take them to your temple

         they may at once know you are weak

         your god is false and they may bite you

         don't let them near your dining table

       they may ask for food

       or cast their evil eyes on your dinner

•  If labourers know the constitution or other things then they said God is wrong. Here we can see the caste discrimination and caste system of india.

      first use them only for short walks

      then gradually increase the distance

      they should never know the amount of work they have to do

      pull their tight straps loose

• First give less work to the labourers and then increase but do not let them know about the increase in wages.

     pull their tight straps loose

     let them feel happiness

     they are growing bigger

     smear some old oil on the rough straps

     let them feel they are anointed

     now they are good subdued labourers

     ready to work overtime

     for your fat feet

• Keep the labourers under control until the mind works like a slave without realising it . 

Thank You… .

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