St . Thomas College Of Teacher Education Pala The sower VICTOR HUGO Submitted By, Jithu K No : 12 English St . Thomas College Of Teacher Education Pala

THE SOWER BY VICTOR HUGO

VICTOR HUGO

VICTOR MARIE HUGO FRENCH POET, NOVELIST, AND DRAMATIST OF THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT. CONSIDER ONE OF THE GREATEST AND BEST KNOWN FRENCH WRITTERS. BORN : 26th FEBRUARY, 1802,BESANCON, FRANCE. DIED: MAY 22, 1885, PARIS, FRANCE

TORU DUTT {1856-1877} The translator of the poem One of the leading Indian English writers of the nineteenth century. A poet of quality, Toru was also an accomplished translator, essayist and novelist. ‘The Sower’ is a translation of Victor Hugo’s Saison des Semailles; Le Soir.’ The original text appears in Toru Dutt’s A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields

“PLOUGHING THE FIELDS, SOWING THE SEEDS,REAPING HARVEST – THE SONS OF THE EARTH NEVER GET TIRED” ENJOY THE POEM AND EXPLORE THIS CONCEPT

THE SOWER

THE SOWER {poem} Sitting in a porch way cool, Fades the ruddy sunlight fast, Twilight hastens on to rule- - Working hours are well nigh past. Shadows shoot across the lands; But one sower lingers still, Old, in rags, he patient stands,- - Looking on, I feel a thrill. Black and high his silhouette Dominates the furrows deep! Now to sow the task is set, Seen shall come a time to reap.

Marches he along the plain, To and fro, and scatters wide From his hands the precious grain, Moody, to see him stride. Darkness deeper, gone the light. Now his gestures to mine eyes Are august; and strange- his height Seems to touch the starry skies.

ABOUT THE POEM The poem is about a sower who marches along the plain scattering the precious grain. The twilight has fallen and the working hours are over, but the sower still lingers carrying his job with extreme devotion. The poet who sits comfortably in a cool porchway looks down upon the sower as an old man in rags.

But, as time passes he is fascinated to see the silhouette of the sower dominating the furrows. The poets thinking undergoes a complete change. He develops a sense of respect for the man who quietly sows the seeds and waits patiently for the time to reap. His image grows tall to touch the starry skies and his gestures seem to be impressive.

Millet’s painting “The Sower”

Millet’s painting portrays the peasant as a stocky, well-built young man wearing simple, practical peasant clothing. Millet balances the earthy lower portion of ‘The Sower’ with a sunset over the horizon in the top of the painting, giving the work the simplicity of a peasant day.

Theme of the poem The Sower appreciated by the viewer. The Sower is sowing food: life. The Sower is poor and surely has seen bad harvests, but he is ever hopeful for a bounteous harvest with each toss of grain. The man is old, but the energy in “throws, flings, grand gestures of his hand” suggests an ageless being. His work and hope lifts up to observer who is watching “the last lone hour work.” it may well be that the old man will not live long enough to himself see the result of his sowing, but it is portable that he is not sowing merely for himself.

Rhyming words lands – stands still – thrill deep – reap plain – grain wide – stride light – height eyes - skies

Rhyme scheme “Sitting in a porch way cool, Fades the ruddy sunlight fast, Twilight hastens on to rule- - Working hours are well nigh past.” rhyme scheme: a b a b

Alliterating lines Alliteration : repetition of the same sound darkness deepens shadows shoot fades the ruddy sunlight fast sower lingers still dominates the furrow deep

Words meaning Ruddy sunlight

The soft glowing light from the sky twilight The soft glowing light from the sky

FURROW : A long narrow trench made in the ground by a plough

Starry sky

Ploughing

LINGER : TO STAY SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE USUAL OR EXPECTED TIME. HASTEN : HURRYING , MOVE WITH SPEED LINGER : TO STAY SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE USUAL OR EXPECTED TIME.

SILHOUETTE A DARK OUTLINE OF SOMETHING

IRRIGATION

reference http://img.poemhunter.com/i/poem_image/22/45241922_poem_48.jpg https://encryptedtbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTXkNID4hzaPDTdHLbHk9sAH6D21jTanOR_LJgP0x-wugWqwXo-Sw Kerala Reader – English Standard VIII, SCERT, Government of Kerala, Department of Education 2015, Thiruvananthapuram.  

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