Introduction
The
poem Eid Morning is written by Taufiq Rafat, the pioneer of Pakistani English
literature. He uses Pakistani Idiom in his writing which makes his poetry
renowned in the world. Eid Morning is included in Rafat's last collection of
poems, Half Moon, which was written between 1978 and 1983. Rafat wrote Eid Morning
when he was in Lahore on 9th October 1981.
Main
Idea of the Poem
Poetry is considered to be the most powerful tool to express ideas and to leave a powerful impact on the poet's thoughts in the reader's mind. Taufiq Rafat's Eid Morning is written in a very simple language but with a deep idea. Radar is well known for depicting Pakistani culture in his poems. The poem, Eid Morning also depicts Pakistani culture and presents the idea of the reason why the new generation is forgetting their forefathers' teachings, beliefs, and values.
Actual Text Of The Poem Eid Morning
Eid Morning
Since 6 a.m. the loudspeaker has been blaring
wisdom, and exhorting the faithful to prayer;
and I am duly exhorted, a life-long habit
like waking up early or brushing one's teeth.
As I get ready I think of all the bygone
Eids. Father, irascible, up since dawn
making us bathe and dress on the double,
than counting heads at the breakfast table.
Missing out never even entered one's head.
Another Eid. And father three years dead.
Now I am the head of the house with grown-
up sons. I shall go to the mosque alone
for faith has lost its sting and obedience buried
deep with the one who could command it.
Lacking father's purpose, I've let things slip
as these his heirs, mumble and go back to sleep.
Lahore
9 October 1981
Summary
The
poem, Eid Morning consists of two stanzas. Both stanzas present the poet's Eid
experiences of two different periods. Eid is an Islamic event, celebrated by
Muslims all around the world. The Muslims start Eid with morning prayer and
wear new clothes and make delicious dishes for this auspicious occasion.
The first stanza presents the poet's boyhood Eid day. It was a time when his father used to wake him up early in the morning to offer Eid prayer. The blaring sound coming from the loudspeaker to call listeners for wisdom and faith was taking the poet near to religion.
He remembers
when on Eid day he used to wake up early and brush his teeth with full
excitement keeping his mind the love and care of his father. He recalls his
memory when his father was head of the family and he wanted everyone at the
breakfast table on Eid day and the absence of any family member was not
acceptable for him.
In the second stanza, the poet presents the change of time. His father passed away three years ago and he is the head of his family. There is a generation gap between the poet and his grown-up sons. Now the new generation has its own values and norms. They do not agree on religious beliefs and do not like to go to offer Eid prayer with the poet.
The poet finds himself alone on the way to the mosque because his heirs prefer sleeping over blessing. They are disobedient and do not put an ear to the poet's instructions. The speaker thinks he failed to carry on his father's purpose and the descendants are not following his father's footsteps.
Line
By Line Analysis
Lines
1,2
Since 6 a.m. the loudspeaker has been blaring
wisdom, and exhorting the faithful to prayer
In the above lines, the poet is talking about Eid day and mentions the time that is early morning. The poet calls it the best time because the people who wake up early in the morning welcome their fortune and wisdom. He further states that the voice coming from the mosque (Muslim prayer hall) is a call of faith and theology and strengthens one's belief over his Creator.
Lines 3,4
and I am duly exhorted, a life-long habit
like waking up early or brushing one's teeth.
Early childhood is the most important time of learning that takes children in the right or wrong direction. The training given in childhood remains throughout one's life. It is necessary to instruct children to wake up early and brush their teeth twice a day. In the above lines, the poet is talking about the routine that was set by his father in his childhood. His father had taught him to wake up early and keep himself clean by brushing his teeth. And even the poet has passed a long time of his life, he is still following the same routine.
Lines 5,6,7
As I get ready I think of all the bygone
Eids. Father, irascible, up since dawn
making us bathe and dress on the double,
In these lines, the poet is thinking about the Eids he has spent with his father. His father was an organized man and had set some rules for a special event, Eid. He was strict when any of his family members would not act upon his set rules. In Islam, Muslims are instructed to have baths and offer morning prayer on eid day but with time priorities are changed. People now do not value religious norms and focus more on worldly desires. The change of values over time is shown in the above lines.
Lines 8,9
than counting heads at the breakfast table.
Missing out never even entered one's head.
As stated above, the poet's father was a man of rules and principles. "Counting heads at the breakfast table" shows that his father wanted every member of his family to wake up early and join at the breakfast table not only in Eid but every day. Early rising brings good energy and a faster accumulation of adenosine that makes a person more productive and creative. The poet's habit of waking up early, due to his father, is with him even his father has passed away.
Lines 10,11
Another Eid. And father three years dead.
Now I am the head of the house with grown-up sons.
The above lines state that the poet's father has passed away and he is also a mature person. Now I am the head of the house with grown-up sons, showing that he is in the same position where once his father was. Now the poet feels the same responsibility as his father once had. His father is no more with him and now he is the guardian of his family. He has sons who are grown up and can take decisions. It seems that the poet's sons are not dependant on the poet and are free to choose their ways.
Lines 12,13,14
I shall go to the mosque alone
for faith has lost its sting and obedience buried
deep with the one who could command it.
The above lines are very thought-provoking in which the poet describes how with time values have been changed. the speaker says, "I shall go to the mosque alone" which means his sons do not agree to accompany him or to follow religious values and he has to go to the mosque all e even on Eid day. In lines, the poet is moaning that the modern generation has lost its roots "faith has lost its sting and obedience buried deep". The new age lives for themselves and does not listen to their elders. They think of themselves as the most genius and do not put an ear on their parent's instructions. As time has changed and countries have come closer to each other, the new generation is forgetting its faith and beliefs. They are more conscious about the people but are not concerned about their Creator.
Lines 15,16
Lacking father's purpose, I've let things slip
as these his heirs, mumble, and go back to sleep.
In the above lines, the speaker is saying that he has lost the purpose of his father. His father had a strong religious belief and followed all religious traditions. The poet feels helpless that he is not able to control and train the new generation and teach them their ancestral conceptions and ideas.
Now he is saying that his father is coming and murmuring his ears and telling him what he has to do, "These his heirs, mumble". In other words, the poet is trying to say that old people were much careful with their rules and their traditions and they were much more oriented but in the modern age, people are not such devoted. He thinks that the new generation is not following their rooted path because the trainers are not on the right track. So, all blame does not go to the new generation only but the guardians are also responsible for this lacking.
THEMES
1. Old Is Gold
Throughout the poem, the poet tries to convince his readers that old people and their values are better than the modern world. The old people were more organized and were near to nature. The old had set rules they used to follow strictly and needed their generations to follow their step just to keep alive what their ancestors had taught.
2. Religious Values
According to the poet, religion makes one more wise and faithful." blaring wisdom and exhorting the faithful declares that a person honoring his religious values always goes in the right direction. He has a clear vision and knows his purpose in life very well. Almost all of the religions in the world, teach their followers to wake up early as well science has also proven the benefits of the morning as it brings positive energy in one's life.
3. Loss of Identity
It seems that the poet is lamenting the things, the new generations have left behind. He mourns that the people of the coming years are going away from their roots and losing their actual identity. They are blindly following new trends and feel it fashionable to keep a fake mask on their faces.
4. Present Vs Past
A comparison between the present and the past is clearly evident in the poem. The people of the past were more concerned about their family as they even used to count heads at the breakfast table but the people now holding the guardian position are letting things slip. The elders now pretend to be religious but do not have strong beliefs as their ancestors had. The people now do not have a convincing attitude toward their children and allow their children to do what they want to do.
The poem is interpreted by Tabassum Shahzad, one of the writers at the School of Literature.
