the elementry classroom in a slum

2. Guided by :Mrs. Sushmita
singh (PGT , English)
Presented By: Manish kumar
(XII th ‘sci ‘)

4. About the author:-
STEPHEN SPENDER (1909-1995)
• He was an English poet and essayist who
took keen interest in politics declaring
himself a socialist &pacifist. BOOKS
Poems of Dedication, The Creative
Element World Within World. Social
injustice, class inequalities, empathy for
the downtrodden are the major themes of
his writings.

5. Far far from gusty waves these
children's faces. Like rootless weeds,
the hair torn around their pallor. The
tall girl with her weighed-down head.

7. On sour cream walls, donations. Shakespeare's
head,
Cloudless at dawn, civilized dome riding all
cities.

8. Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley. Open-
handed map
Awarding the world its world. And yet,
for these children, these windows, not
this map, their world,

9. Where all their future's painted with a fog, A
narrow street sealed in with a lead sky, Far far
from rivers, capes, and stars of words.

11. On their slag heap, these children
Wear skins peeped through by
bones and spectacles of steel
With mended glass, like bottle bits on stones.
All of their time and space are foggy slum. So
blot their maps with slums as big as doom.

12. For lives that slyly turn in their cramped holes
From fog to endless night?

13. Unless, governor, teacher,
inspector, visitor,
This map becomes their
window and these windows
That shut upon their lives like
catacombs,

15. • Walls of the classroom are dirty, yellow in colour like sour cream. Use of ‘sour cream walls’ is a similie.
Description of the posters put up on the walls of the classroom. They are probably donated to the school. One of
them has a picture Of Shakespeare. His head in the picture is bald, looks like the rising Sun. Education is said to be
similar to the rising Sun as it spreads light in all lives just as the Sun spreads sunlight in all the cities. He is
considered to be the symbol of culture, education and intelligence all over the world. The next poster is of the
Tyrolese valley, full of churches and flowers which symbolize a beautiful creation of nature. Another one is a map
of the World. ‘Map’ is a metaphor used to signify something which is generously sharing its knowledge. But to
theses children the world is not the one shown in these pictures, but it is the one they see out of the class room
window. They are trapped there. Their future is dim and hopeless. A narrow street’ is a metaphor for their future
which is limited. ‘Sealed with a lead sky’ again a metaphor, it indicates sealed with a grey coloured sky. The
children have a dark future as their options in life are limited and are covered with dismay.’ far, far’ repetition
means very far away. These children are very far away from the sea side and The ‘stars’ means that as the stars
shine in the dark sky, similarly, the light of knowledge could brighten these children’s future but they are far away
from it. ‘Far far’ repetition to lay stress on the distance i.e. very far away. ‘gusty waves’ sudden rush of strong wind
is full of energy and vigor. The faces of the children are very far from being energetic as they should be.

16. • ‘Like rootless weeds’ use of similie. Rootless is without a foundation of values, weeds being
unwanted. So, the children are unwanted and without any bindings, their hair is smeared all
over their pale faces. Description of the children in the classroom. A tall girl, probably could
be older for the class in which she is studying, her head is hung low due to the burden of
poverty. ‘paper seeming boy’ metaphor to describe the boy i.e. his skin is as thin and white
as paper. ‘Rat’s eyes’ is another metaphor to indicate the expression of his eyes as being
greedy. Another boy has deformed body which probably he has inherited from his father. He
cannot stand and is reciting the lesson from his seat; his father has passed on his disease to
his son an inheritance. The classroom is dark, poorly lit. Another boy is not noticeable as he
is at the back of the room. ‘unnoted’ is an antithesis between this sweet boy and the boy with
‘rat’s eyes’. This boy’s eyes are bright as if they are dreaming of escaping out into the open,
and playing with squirrels in tree houses rather than being in this small, dim room. There is
an antithesis between the openness of the tree room and the dim closed class room.

17. • These pictures on the wall have no meaning for the children. The children’s upbringing is such that
they are looking for bad qualities in everyone. So, to them, even Shakespeare is wicked and bad.
There is no benefit to put up his picture in the room. The pictures of maps, ships, sun indicate travel,
love and acceptance. Comprehending these pictures is beyond their abilities. Instead the desire for
love and acceptance will force them to do crimes like stealing. ‘Cramped holes’ is a metaphor to
indicate their small homes which are filled to capacity. They have adapted themselves to live in these
spaces. ‘From Fog’ alliteration is used. Fog is a metaphor used for day. ‘Endless night’ is a metaphor
to indicate a never ending torture. The children are so skinny that their clothes are like a skin and their
skeleton is visible through them. This is due to lack of nutrition. They have worn looking glasses made
of steel which are cheap, heavy and uncomfortable. This signifies that their outlook on life is also
hardened with their life’s ruthlessness. ‘like bottle bits on stones’ is a similie to describe the lenses in
their spectacles which have been repaired. Similarly their dreams have also been broken by the harsh
reality of their lives. All of their time and space are foggy slum’ is a metaphor to show that their life is
dark, dirty and without hope. Their chances of escaping have been further reduced by building bigger
slums. The schools and Government making these slums is the cause for these people to live in them.
The education system is such that it is forcing them to live in these slums and not come out of them.

18. • Asking the Government and public to make these maps on the walls, the children’s
vision. To make it their aspiration and an achievable reality for them. The classroom
windows which have restricted their opportunities have to be broken open. ‘Break o
break open’ repetition and alliteration shows urgency to help them escape and achieve
their dreams. They should be taken to green fields rather than the dim slums.’Azure’
is deep blue sky used as anti thesis to the foggy lead sky where they live. The sunny,
warm sand of the beaches and the bright blue sky will instill a hunger in their minds
for knowledge and they will then absorb all of it. ‘White and green leaves’ is a
metaphor. White implies the pages of a book and the green leave signify the clean
environment, prosperity. Economical empowerment will come to these children.
Powerful last line which means that the people who make history are the ones who
speak, think, feel and enjoy the Sun!

19.  Can you locate the lines which
use simile in the first stanza of
the poem?
Children’s faces like rootless weeds
The Paper seeming boy (Which
figure of speech has been used in
this line?)

20. • Can you locate the lines
which use Metaphor in
the poem?
Boy with rat’s eyes

21.  Child Labourers in a Fire Cracker Factory

22. Mcq Questions
1. These children belong to a place
called ?
(a) Tyrolese valley in Australia
(b) Suburbs of London
(c) Slums in Mumbai
(d) None of the above

23.  2. What do You understand by the
expression ‘rootless weeds’ ?
a) Living in poverty
b) Undernourished & withered
c) Homeless
d) Orphans

24.  3. What do you understand by the
expression ‘rootless heir’ ?
(a) He lives in a slum
(b) He is very poor
(c) He has inherited disease from his
father
(d) He is not able to go round the world

25.  4. What does the expression ‘sour
cream walls denote’ ?
(a) Poverty of these children
(b) Classroom not well maintained
(c) No proper ventilation
(d) Classroom wall painted long ago

26.  5. Explain ‘Future is painted with a fog’ ?
(a) Future is bright but not clear
(b) Dark & uncertain
(c) Full of hopeless & sufferings
(d) Both b & c

27. Answer key
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. D