Question

How is the callousness of the bird-killers brought out in the poem?

Answer 1

Ans. The poem “To a pair of Sarus Cranes”, brings out the callousness of the bird killers. They appear heartless in their attitude towards the pair of Sarus of Cranes which appear in this poem. They are not worried about the sentiments of male and female Sarus Cranes. The hunters shot dead the male bird in a cowardly manner when the bird least expected itself to be attacked. It was not given a chance to defend itself or fight back. The bird was full of life and had stretched its neck to welcome the break of dawn. It was eager to fly out and get on with its daily activities when its life got cut short in a cruel manner. They did not show respect to the male bird, after its death. The dead body was picked up hands and jaws and pushed into the coarse washing bag, just like a dirty linen, suggests their cruelty towards birds. The female bird which was immersed in her grief over the death of her male partner, started expressing it like someone, who had gone out of his senses. But these bird killers didn’t show any concern over this, but stuck to their job of carrying away the dead body of the male Sarus Crane right in front of its female partner. All these instances show, the callousness of the bird killers for whom their self interest appears more significant than any sentiments of living beings. 

Answer 2

The callousness of the bird-killers is brought out in the poem through their heartless action and careless attitude.

EXPLANATION:

In the heart rending poem ‘To a pair of Sarus Cranes’, the poet expresses the merciless and heartless attitude of the bird killers.  

Two cranes- a male and female-were flying happily in the sky in the company of each other. Suddenly the bird-killers shot at them and killed the male crane. As the poor bird fell dead on the ground they cruelly grabbed it by its beak and claws and dumped it into their waste bag.

Their attitude was not only callous but also heartless. They felt no sorrow or sympathy for the dead bird or its mate, which was still alive and watching with immense grief and pain the death of its dear one.

The epic Ramayana too opens with this incident. The great sage Valmiki was grief-stricken when he watched the heartlessness of the hunters who shot down one of the cranes.