Father to Son
Summary in English
The poet shares his feelings regarding the relationship with his son. The poet explains that he
and his son have spent many years in the same house. However, in spite of spending so many
years together, the father still doesn’t understand his son. Furthermore, the father doesn’t know
anything about his son. He doesn’t know what his son likes or what he dislikes. The father
made an effort to build up a relationship with his son since he was small. However, over the
years, change has come in his son. As a grown-up man, his son certainly has changed.
The father acknowledges his role in the communication gap between him and his son. He
explains that despite his efforts, things are not turning to his side. He says that his son was in
a place that he could not access. Moreover, the father tells us that their communication is like
the communication of strangers. It seems there is not much attachment between the two.
Furthermore, there has been no signs of understanding between the father and son. His child
had a resemblance in appearance with his father. However, in spite of this resemblance in
appearance, the father didn’t know what his son loved.
There is a silence between the father and the son. As a child, his son was of a prodigal nature.
His father had a desire for his son to return home, the one he knew. The father does not want
his son to move around in the world and make his own world. The father was willing to express
his forgiveness to his son. Furthermore, the father was willing to let go of the sorrows that he
had inside of him due to the existing distance between them. The father certainly had a desire
to love him again.
Now, the son speaks for the first time and expresses his feelings. Moreover, the son has a
feeling of sadness about the distance between them and tells that he is at a point in his life
where he does not understand himself. Hence, it becomes pretty clear that both the father and
son feel the same frustration due to this gap in the relationship. Also, both the father and son
are willing to forgive each other. However, they are failing to find a solution to their problem.
Both of them put out an empty hand for each other but in futility.
QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED
A. Think it Out
Question 1: Does the poem talk of an exclusively personal experience or is it fairly universal?
Answer: The poem is autobiographical in nature and describes the relationship between a
father and his son. Beginning on an exclusively personal experience, the poem rises to a fairly
universal phenomenon—the growing generation gap and lack of communication.
Question 2: How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem?
Answer: The father’s helplessness is brought out by the existing circumstances. Generally, a
father is the best friend and advisor of the son. However, there is no bond of affinity or
relationship between the two. It seems that the two are not on speaking terms even while living
under the same roof. The father feels helpless that he can’t share what his son loves.
Summary in English
The poet shares his feelings regarding the relationship with his son. The poet explains that he
and his son have spent many years in the same house. However, in spite of spending so many
years together, the father still doesn’t understand his son. Furthermore, the father doesn’t know
anything about his son. He doesn’t know what his son likes or what he dislikes. The father
made an effort to build up a relationship with his son since he was small. However, over the
years, change has come in his son. As a grown-up man, his son certainly has changed.
The father acknowledges his role in the communication gap between him and his son. He
explains that despite his efforts, things are not turning to his side. He says that his son was in
a place that he could not access. Moreover, the father tells us that their communication is like
the communication of strangers. It seems there is not much attachment between the two.
Furthermore, there has been no signs of understanding between the father and son. His child
had a resemblance in appearance with his father. However, in spite of this resemblance in
appearance, the father didn’t know what his son loved.
There is a silence between the father and the son. As a child, his son was of a prodigal nature.
His father had a desire for his son to return home, the one he knew. The father does not want
his son to move around in the world and make his own world. The father was willing to express
his forgiveness to his son. Furthermore, the father was willing to let go of the sorrows that he
had inside of him due to the existing distance between them. The father certainly had a desire
to love him again.
Now, the son speaks for the first time and expresses his feelings. Moreover, the son has a
feeling of sadness about the distance between them and tells that he is at a point in his life
where he does not understand himself. Hence, it becomes pretty clear that both the father and
son feel the same frustration due to this gap in the relationship. Also, both the father and son
are willing to forgive each other. However, they are failing to find a solution to their problem.
Both of them put out an empty hand for each other but in futility.
QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED
A. Think it Out
Question 1: Does the poem talk of an exclusively personal experience or is it fairly universal?
Answer: The poem is autobiographical in nature and describes the relationship between a
father and his son. Beginning on an exclusively personal experience, the poem rises to a fairly
universal phenomenon—the growing generation gap and lack of communication.
Question 2: How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem?
Answer: The father’s helplessness is brought out by the existing circumstances. Generally, a
father is the best friend and advisor of the son. However, there is no bond of affinity or
relationship between the two. It seems that the two are not on speaking terms even while living
under the same roof. The father feels helpless that he can’t share what his son loves.
