Poem 5 - Father to Son

This article will help you to learn about the summary, characters and theme of the NCERT Class 11 English Hornbill – Father to Son. It will help you to understand the gist of the poem and the important phrases used. To find answers to questions related to this poem, you can download Father to Son NCERT Class 11 Solutions PDF.

If you are looking for this poem’s explanation, read Father to Son Class 11 Summary

The poem, ‘Father to Son’ by Elizabeth Jennings describes the troubled relationship between a father and his son. The poem deals with the sensitive relationship of a father and his son, who have lived together for years; yet the father feels he does not know anything about his son. The poem talks about the generation gap, which is the prime reason for such differences between parents and children. He reasons out that due to the generation gap, he is unable to understand his son.

The father yearns for the kind of bond he had with his son when he was a kid. He realises that they no longer talk to each other the way they used to and silence surrounds them all the time. They lack communication in their relationship, which further leads to misunderstandings and differences of opinions. Though they have lived in the same house for years, they behave as strangers and have lost the connect. They no longer share the bond and affection.

The father sees his son as ‘a prodigal son’ who would soon return to his father’s house, which was his own once. The father in this poem does not understand why he gets angry with his son, when in grief. His grief and pain, of not being to understand his son, turns out as anger. The father seems worried about the kind of relationship they share. He fails to recognise his choices, and this creates a tiff between the two.

The father and son, anyhow, are inseparable as they are a family and share a relationship which might have lost its spark but the heart never accepts this. The father and son understand they love each other, care for each other despite all the issues between them. They try to find ways to mend their relationship. The father and son even try to resolve their issues and set aside their differences, but these efforts seem futile. The poem talks about the strained relationships in the family and the kind of impact it has on both the parties involved. No one is benefited in this fight; both are hurt equally. The poet tries to convey that all families should learn to live together not just in one place but by understanding each other and accepting everyone as they are.

No one in this world can claim to be perfect; we all have our flaws. People of the family must learn to accept the flaws and overlook these petty issues to live together. The members of the family need to stay strong and positive. They must not plot against each other.

This poem is a charming yet practical poem with a real-world issue and not any fantasy. It brings into light the troubled relationships of the parents with their kids. The generation gap cannot be denied, it is true, but understanding is what plays an important role to keep the family together. The relationship of a father and a son is of exceptional yet a very delicate nature. It needs to be dealt with at most care and compassion. They can be the best of buddies or strangers living together. It just depends on communication and understanding.

To know more on NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Hornbill Father to Son, refer to NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill PDF.

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