Senior Inter: WHAT KIND OF PLACE?

                                         What Kind of Place?

                                       -Uma Parameshwaran

Question and Answers.

1. What kind of place? What is that place? Describe it with its sights, smells and sounds.

A: In the poem 'What Kind of Place?' the Poet describes the bewilderment of a woman who visits her son in a different country. The woman finds it difficult to adjust to the alien culture. In this place the door is always kept locked and the windows closed. There is no rangoli on porch to welcome visitors. The musty smell makes her feel uncomfortable. The stale smell of the previous day's cooking lingers in the air. She longs for fresh air and sunshine.

     The eerie silence in the new country frightens her. The only sounds she hears here are the sound made by the electric furnace and the washing machine. She is taken aback at the manner in which men and women mingle freely. At the same time, however, she is shrewd enough to appreciate the lovely house and the car her son owns. He has done well for himself in the new land.

2. Does the speaker want to stay at this place for long? Support your answer.

A: In the poem 'What Kind of Place?' the poet describes the bewilderment of a woman who visits her son in a different country. The woman finds it difficult to adjust to the alien culture. She longs to go back to her own country. In this place the door is always kept locked and the windows are closed. There is no rangoli  on the porch to welcome visitors. The musty smell makes her feel uncomfortable . The stale smell of the previous day's cooking lingers in the air. She longs for fresh air and sunshine.

     The eerie silence in the new country frightens her. The only sounds she hears here are the sounds made by the electric furnace and the washing machine. She is taken aback at the manner in which men and women mingle freely. She pleads with her son to take her back home.

Annotations

1. And the front door is always locked?

    And no rangoli design on porch

A: Reference: These lines are taken from the powm 'What Kind of Place?' written by Uma Parameshwaran.

    Context:    The powm depicts the bewilderment of a woman who visits her son in a different country. The woman finds it difficult to adjust to the alien culture.

   Explanation: The woman asks her son why the door is always kept locked and the windows closed. She longs for fresh air and sunshine. She is surprised that there is no rangoli on the porch to welcome visitors.

  General Relevance: It is difficult to adjust to the living conditions and customs in a different country. Old people, especially, may feel distressed.

2. Son, son, it gives me great joy

      to see you well settled,

   children and all,

A: Reference: These lines are taken from the poem 'What Kind of         Place?' written by Uma Parameshwaran.

     Context: The poem depicts the bewilderment of a woman who           visits her son in a different country. The woman finds it difficult         to adjust to the alien culture.

     Explanation: The woman feels unhappy in the new place. But           she also realizes that her son is leading a comfortable life here           and has become wealthy. She addresses her son. She tells him             that she is happy that he has risen in life. He has a nice house and       a car. His family is well settled. She is glad for his sake.

     General Relevance: It is difficult to adjust to the living                     conditions and customs in a different country. Old people,                   especially, may feel distressed.