Father to Son Summary Class 11 English

Father to Son is a poem composed by British poet Elizabeth Jennings. The poem is about the conflicting relationship between a father and his son.

Father knows that his son is his own blood. However, there appears to be a significant amount of miscommunication between them. The communication needs to be fixed. The son also feels as if he is a stranger to his father. The father wants to build a positive connection between them. He is determined to get rid of all negativity and negative attitude toward his son. He wants to have his son live near to him rather than take the initiative to build his own life. Despite his steadfast resolve, his father cannot control the sporadic anger that he experiences in certain circumstances that result from the sorrow he's faced throughout his life.

Stanza-wise Interpretation

Stanza 1

In this verse, the author attempts to convey that he does not know the thoughts and emotions of his son. He wants to establish an affectionate and intimate bond with his own blood, his son. The father says they've shared a home for years. However, he isn't able to grasp the person that his child is. His thoughts, feelings, and behavior are unknown to him. He is unable to comprehend anything about his son. He attempted to create a positive connection with him since the child was young and innocent.

Stanza 2

The poet employs the word 'I' in his poem to convey the depth of his grief. He states that this individual is his son and blood; however, he is yet to recognize the person. The person who is narrating the story says that the child is constructed exactly like him and similar to him in every physical trait, but he still fails to recognize him. He also says that he makes efforts to create an alliance. However, all his efforts are in vain.

Stanza 3

The father says that there's an air of somber silence between him and his son. He wants things to return to the way they were. He is determined to make his son his own. He says that when his son is to become a prodigal child, he will welcome him into the family with open arms. The father is concerned that his son has created his own universe and totally dissociates himself from his father. He only wants his son to move to build a lasting connection based on mutual love.

Stanza 4

Finally, the father composes his poem and states that he and his son must share a home. Son is the first to say that despite their communication, they don't understand one another's beliefs and values, as well as their joy and sadness. The son reveals that his resentment and anger against his father have turned into sorrow. The son also longs for a solid and intimate bond with his father. The pain he feels is profoundly disconcerting. He also says that both of them try to forgive one another and get on with their lives; however, they fail in doing so.

Short Summary

The poem Father to Son written by Elizabeth Jennings, sheds light on the strained relationship between a father and his son. The poem "Father to Son" can be described as a letter written by a dad to his son, containing all the worries and concerns about their strained relationship. The father desires a tight and close relationship with his son. He wants to contribute to his joy. The protagonist is eager to forget all the regrets from the past and wishes to greet the boy with wide arms. He would like to take part in his new and exciting world and is seeking an equal portion of all the happiness.

In the final stanza, we see the son's perspective of his father's problems. In his defense, he declares that his anger results from sadness and remorse. He's at a place in his life where he's seeking to make an identity for himself, as his father did in his youth. Both want to be heard, speak to one another, and see one another happy. They want to communicate like a father and son do. As readers, we believe that communicating with each other would be beneficial; however, we need to be made aware of the different opinions and prejudices that have developed over the years.

Conclusion

In English, typically, the summary of a poem is written in one's own words. It is only what is in the poem in its original form. The poem composed by Elizabeth Jennings sheds light on the broken bond between a father and his son. The poem reveals a father's desire to be close to his son. The father is worried about his child and doesn't wish for his son to create his own world away from him. Father and son both would like to strengthen their relationships and be able to forgive one another, but they can't due to the generation gap and the mistrust between the two.