Time and Time again by A K Ramanujan

 Time and Time again by A K Ramanujan

Answer the following questions in 15-20 words each:

(a) Why is the city termed ‘old’?

Answer: The city is termed ‘old’ ironically. ‘Old’ here stands for prejudices, inequality, discrimination, hatred, and enmity etc. City here refers the whole society. 

(b) “Between the pieces of a back street quarrel”

What do you understand by “back street quarrel”?

Answer: ‘Back street quarrel’ refers to quarrel among people over petty issues. People quarrel over children’s  play, religious issues, adjustment problems with neighbours, traffic jams and minor accidents etc.

(c) Explain –“The perennial feuds and seasonal alliance”.

Answer: India is pestered with the frequent incidents of communal violences. It seems on the surface that people are living together with harmony but the poet observes that these alliances are temporary and the feuds are permanent.

(d) How do you interpret “Knocked out clock work”?

Answer: “Knocked out clock work” stands for chaotic situation prevailing in the society after a feud. It shows the damaged and loss of human life caused by the feuds.

(e) Why is zigzag sky?

Answer: ‘Zigzag sky’ appears after turbulence in the society. Authorities misguide people by misinterpreting the truth and thus people become bewildered.

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each:

(a) Why is the act of nature described as “precise”?

Answer: Nature is always precise in its act i.e. exact. All the acts of nature are infallible. Nature has its own course and it keeps balancing the human actions against it by showing its anger.

(b) Discuss the title of the poem?

Answer: The clock towers announce times every half hour beating their gongs round the clock. But they are slightly off the other’s time. The poet has implicitly compared these variations with the various misinterpretations of religion. This misinterpretation ultimately misguides the common people.

(c) How would you interpret the term ‘donor’s whim’?

Answer: ‘Donor’s whim’ refers to forged lone of action suggested by the religious authorities to the common people. These authorities are donors of instructions on religious affairs. They preach people on religious matters in accordance to their understanding of Holy Scriptures. Most of the times their interpretations are biased and even wayward.

(d) What does the line ‘perennial feuds and seasonal alliance’ allude to?

Answer:  The worst part of our country’s history is communal clashes and religious intolerance. Communal clashes take place frequently but mutual alliance to control it is temporary.

Answer the following questions in 150 words each:

(a) What is the central idea of the poem? How is it developed?

Answer: The main theme of the poem is the blind faith of Indians on religious authorities that ultimately ends in communal violence. The poet uses powerful example of clock towers of old city. People do not have any doubt on accuracy of the time of these clock towers. But due to manufacturing defect or the way the gongs are being beaten these clock towers show slight different time. In the same manner religious dogmas are explained by the religious authorities with slight variations to common people. It becomes a cause of contention and ultimately results in communal violence. But the poet meticulously observes the mentality of Indian society. Even after these clashes we have mutual alliances for a short time period. The poet calls it “the perennial feuds and seasonal alliance”.  This hatred amongst the communities causes a massive loss of life and property. But we do not learn a lesson.

(b) Is the poet’s attitude a representation of how the average Indian feels both towards human violence and nature’s fury? Explain.

Answer: The poet has presented meticulously how the average Indian feels both towards human violence and nature’s fury. We remain in the perennial state of communal tensions with seasonal alliance. We are often misguided on matters of religion by the religious authorities. We blindly follow their explanation of holy scriptures; even it may differ with each other on the same issue. It gives a way to contention among communities. So sometimes even a trivial issue ‘a backstreet quarrel’ may result in a communal clash. It causes a massive loss of human life and property. But we don’t learn a lesson. The poet calls this situation “the perennial feuds and seasonal alliance”. We don’t need to go in remote history to verify how the misinterpretation of certain religious issues has created a chaos in our society. The same thing is true about our understanding of nature’s fury. We keep harming environment without showing concerns for the future generation. Above all we are quite unable to understand the warnings given by nature in the form of floods, earthquake, landslides etc.