What are the three images used in the poem punishment in kindargarten
Answers
Explanation:
In the poem Punishment in Kindergarten, Kamala Das memorizes a childhood experience that was quite painful for her. She was scolded by her teacher for being alone and her schoolmates also laughed at her that made her weep.
The poem has been divided into three parts. In the first part, the poet discusses how her teacher scolded her. In the second part, she memorizes her schoolmates laughing her making her weep and in the final part she says that being an adult there is no need for her to memorize this experience.
Stanza 1 The poet begins with the line “Today the world is a little more my own “that makes it clear that she is going to talk about a past event which was not pleasant for her. Next, she begins by narrating the day in her childhood (in Kindergarten) when she went to a picnic along with other students.
The poet uses ample of symbols like a blue-frocked woman for her teacher, throwing words at me like pots and pans, to make us feel the intensity of teacher’s words, the honey-colored for the day which was ruined by the harsh words of her teacher.
While other students were merrymaking and playing together, Kamala Das was sitting alone that was not liked by her blue-frocked teacher and she scolded her by calling her a peculiar child. In the first part the poet narrates the day which was quite pleasant and it was ultimately ruined by her teacher.
Stanza 2 In the second part, the poet says when the teacher scolded her, other students who were sipping sugarcane started laughing at her. The children, according to Kamala are funny creatures. They laugh at others pains and they did the same when she was scolded without realizing how much she was hurt.
Being hurt, she hid her face in the sun-warmed hedge and smelt the flowers and the pain. The poet associates flowers with pain. I think she has tried to compare her childhood with the flower which is quite delicate. Hence she probably wants to convey that this event shook her innocent childhood.
Stanza 3 In the final stanza, the poet says that now that she is grown up, the memory of that event has faded away because there is nothing in her childhood to cherish and desire for.
She has now found adult peace and there is “no need to remember”. Here, one can clearly see her helplessness in forgetting that event. The memory has not faded away but quite clear in her mind (as she remembers very well everything of that day).