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  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The poem Of Mother, Among Other Things by A.K. Ramanujan is a lyric poem divided into three stanzas. Each stanza has different number of lines. In the first stanza, the poet memorises the youth of his mother, in the second stanza, her middle age and in the final stanza, her old age. There is no rhymRead more

    The poem Of Mother, Among Other Things by A.K. Ramanujan is a lyric poem divided into three stanzas. Each stanza has different number of lines. In the first stanza, the poet memorises the youth of his mother, in the second stanza, her middle age and in the final stanza, her old age.

    There is no rhyme scheme in the poem. It is written in open verse. There are some poetic devices used in the poem like metaphor, personification, enjambment, symbolism, alliteration  etc.

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  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Following literary devices have been used in the poem Of Mothers, Among Other Things: Metaphor: It is a literary device which represents direct comparison between two things, without the use of as or like. In the poem, we find ample of examples of metaphor. e.g. the poet uses the phrase "twisted blaRead more

    Following literary devices have been used in the poem Of Mothers, Among Other Things:

    1. Metaphor: It is a literary device which represents direct comparison between two things, without the use of as or like. In the poem, we find ample of examples of metaphor. e.g. the poet uses the phrase “twisted blackbone tree” for the old age of his mother and “silk & whitepetal” for her youth. Next he calls the rays of sun as needles. Crying cradles symbolise children. In the next stanza, the poet compares his mother with the eagle (because of her sacrificial nature.
    2. Enjambment: It is the  continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. In the poem, we find the continuation of lines in the stanzas.
    3. Alliteration: It is the repetition of  initial consonant sounds in two or more neighbouring words or syllables. e.g. “twisted blackbone tree”, “my mother”, “crying cradles”, “the tree tasseled”, “her hands”, “I see her four still sensible fingers slowly flex”.
    4. Symbolism: The poem Of Mother, Among Other Things” is symbolic in nature. In this poem, the poet compares different stages of his mother to different things in order to show her youth, middle age and old age.

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  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    In the poem, Of Mothers, Among Other Things, poet's mother is described as sacrificing. In the very first line of the poem, the poet describes her as twisted blackbone tree because she sacrificed her youth for her children. Seeing her children cry, she would use to run in the rain for them. The poetRead more

    In the poem, Of Mothers, Among Other Things, poet’s mother is described as sacrificing. In the very first line of the poem, the poet describes her as twisted blackbone tree because she sacrificed her youth for her children.

    Seeing her children cry, she would use to run in the rain for them. The poet describes her hands like eagle’s feet as they would go through thicks and things for serving the children. Once the poet’s mother stepped on a mouse trapped and one of her feet was crippled.

    So, we find that the mother of poet had sacrificing nature. She never did anything for her own pleasure. She gave up her comforts for the sake of her children. The poet seems to be regretting because he might have not understood her.

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  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The poet makes the use of images and symbolism to describe the past and the present of his mother. He throws light on her youth, middle and old age. In the first stanza, he sees his mother who is bent like twisted blackbone tree and memorises her youth when she was soft and beautiful. Note that theRead more

    The poet makes the use of images and symbolism to describe the past and the present of his mother. He throws light on her youth, middle and old age.

    In the first stanza, he sees his mother who is bent like twisted blackbone tree and memorises her youth when she was soft and beautiful. Note that the poet uses he image of “twisted blackbone tree” to describe her old age and “silk and whitepetal” to describe her youth. Both the images depict the opposite appearance of his mother.

    In the second stanza, he uses the images like “rags of tree” and “eagle” to describe her sacrificing nature. According to him, his mother sacrificed her youth & her middle age for the sake of her children. Like the eagle, she faced all the hardships to make her children happy.

    In the final stanza, the poet tells us that her hand has four fingers which depict that one of her fingers was cut while doing some household work. Hence we see that the whole poem is a comparison of poet’s mother’s past and present (and the reason behind her present condition).

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  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The poet compares his mother will different things. First, he compares her with a twisted blackbone tree because she is old and bent like the tree. Next, he compares her with rags of the tree because the body of his mother is quite weak as she has suffered a lot of hardships. Next, he compares her hRead more

    The poet compares his mother will different things.

    1. First, he compares her with a twisted blackbone tree because she is old and bent like the tree.
    2. Next, he compares her with rags of the tree because the body of his mother is quite weak as she has suffered a lot of hardships.
    3. Next, he compares her hand with the wet eagle’s two black-pink crinkled feet as like the eagle, she used to put her life in danger for the sake of her children.
    4. Next, he compares her foot with the claw of eagle
    5. Again, he compares her old and weak hands with the weak wings of the eagle.

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  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Yes, the poem is a tribute to the self-sacrificing nature of poet's mother in particular and all the mothers in general. Using ample of images, the poet describes the three phases of his mother's life - youth, middle age and old age. In every phase, poet's mother sacrificed herself. First, she sacriRead more

    Yes, the poem is a tribute to the self-sacrificing nature of poet’s mother in particular and all the mothers in general. Using ample of images, the poet describes the three phases of his mother’s life – youth, middle age and old age.

    In every phase, poet’s mother sacrificed herself. First, she sacrificed her youth, then her foot and finally her finger. Her motherhood was so bold that even worst kind of troubles and hardships could not stop her. She become physically weak but her spirit always remained high.

    The last two lines depict this well. In spite of her old age, she struggles to do all the household work. Hence the poem is a tribute to the sacrificing nature of his mother.

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  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    In the poem Of Mothers, Among Other Things", we find poet's mother to be struggling and dedicated towards her children. She sacrifices her youth, her foot and hand's finger for her children. She is never discouraged by the troubles and hardships which come into her way. In spite of being weak, she sRead more

    In the poem Of Mothers, Among Other Things”, we find poet’s mother to be struggling and dedicated towards her children. She sacrifices her youth, her foot and hand’s finger for her children. She is never discouraged by the troubles and hardships which come into her way. In spite of being weak, she seems to be determined and bold even when she has grown old.

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  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    AK Ramanujan uses a number of images to depict the sacrificial nature of his mother. Let us discuss them: Twisted Blackbone Tree: The poet compares his mother with an old blackbone tree with twisted stem because his mother is also old, bent and in unable to stand properly. She become so because of tRead more

    AK Ramanujan uses a number of images to depict the sacrificial nature of his mother. Let us discuss them:

    1. Twisted Blackbone Tree: The poet compares his mother with an old blackbone tree with twisted stem because his mother is also old, bent and in unable to stand properly. She become so because of the hardships which she faced throughout her life.
    2. Run back from rain to crying cradles: This image depicts the loving nature of poet’s mother. Rain here symbolises hardships. So, poet’s mother would face the hardships boldly for her children.
    3. Rags of the tree: This image symbolises the poet’s mother who is weak and full of misery because problems and troubles were surrounding her all the time and took away her joy and enthusiasm.
    4. Hands are a wet eagle’s two black-pink crinkled feet: Here the poet is comparing the hands of his mother with the black-pink claws of eagle (which are so because the eagle put its life in danger to feed its chicks). Like the eagle, poet’s mother put her life in all kinds of dangers for her young ones.
    5. One talon crippled in a garden mouse trap: Here the poet is calling his mother’s foot as talon (claw) as he considers his mother as struggling as eagle. According to the poet, she crippled one of her feet by stepping over a mouse trap.
    6. Loose feather of a one time wing: Here again, the poet is comparing his mother with the old eagle which spent its life feeding its young ones. According to him, his mother has also grown old and is weak now.
    7. Four fingers flexing slowly: Here the poet is again telling that his mother’s spirit has always remained bold though she is quite weak now. She would use to pick up a grain of rice (which is difficult for her, yet she does so) with her four fingers. It look like she lost one of her fingers.

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