obituary
Obituary’ by A.K.
Ramanujan
Father, when he passed on,
left dust
on a table of papers,
left debts and daughters,
named by the toss
of a coin after him,
a house that leaned
slowly through our growing
years on a bent coconut
tree in the yard.
Being the burning type,
he burned properly
at the cremation
as before, easily
and at both ends,
left his eye coins
in the ashes that didn't
look one bit different,
several spinal discs, rough,
some burned to coal, for sons
to pick gingerly
and throw as the priest
said, facing east
where three rivers met
near the railway station;
no longstanding headstone
with his full name and two dates
to holdin their parentheses
everything he didn't quite
manage to do himself,
like his caesarian birth
in a brahmin ghetto
and his death by heart-
failure in the fruit market.
But someone told me
he got two lines
in an inside column
of a Madras newspaper
exactly four weeks later
to streethawkers
who sell it in turn
to the small groceries
where I buy salt,
coriander,
and jaggery
in newspaper cones
that I usually read
for fun, and lately
in the hope of finding
these obituary lines.
And he left us
a changed mother
and more than
one annual ritual.
A.k.Ramanujan
Summary
The poem beings with the death of the poet’s
father. After his death the poet
realises that his father left may behind. Some are useless thinks like old
papers. But few memories and rituals are there, to be a great memory to be with
him forever. The second half of the poem
describes the cremation of the father and how the rituals were done according
to their faith. The poet at last talks
about an obituary in a local paper which was left by the poet’s father. His search for it and others things of his
demised father. The poem concludes with the importance of the rituals which are
inherited from the father and become the best part of life.
Detailed Analysis
Stanza 1
“Father, when he passed on,
left dust
on a table of papers,
left debts and daughters,
a bedwetting grandson
named by the toss
The poet begins the poem with the death of his
father. The poet could observe the
remains of his father. His father left
him nothing for the family. The problems appear to him like the dust on the
table of papers, debts and unmarried daughters and bedwetting grandson. As the
eldest son the speaker has to take the responsibilities of the family. A different
incident has been shared here, the grandson was named after a toss of a
coin. The speaker sees the even the
normal things to be unusual. For he needs to focus on the duties to his family.
He must take care of the small child and arrange the marriage for his unmarried
sisters. It may be he takes things to
his heart and shares in the first stanza.
The expressions bring the situation of a typical Indian family.
Stanza 2
“a house that leaned
slowly through our growing
years on a bent coconut
tree in the yard.
Being the burning type,
he burned properly
at the cremation”
The second stanza the
speaker continues to describe about the things the father left behind. He says about the house that was leaning on a
coconut tree in the yard, it is the view of the poet. The family has inherited
an old house from the father. The house
is in a bad condition. That too needs to
be fixed. The poet indirectly says that
his father is a short tempered by the lines” the burning type” he never been a kind father to the family
members, symbolically points out that his hot tempered father received complete
perfect burning as they say religious
cremation. The poet expresses his dissatisfaction over his father’s rude
behaviour and sees the cremation as punishment that he deserves.
Stanza
3
“as before, easily
and at both ends,
left his eye coins
in the ashes that didn't
look one bit different,
several spinal discs, rough,
some burned to coal, for sons”
The poet continues from the previous
and says that he is burnt both sides. But the coin which is kept on his eye
didn’t burnt. The poet relates their religious rituals with the coin. It is a
religious tradition to keep a coin on a dead person’s eyes before the burial or
cremation. He points out that the coin is left behind among the ashes. The coin didn’t change color whereas several
spinal discs burnt to coal.
Stanza 4
and throw as the priest
said, facing east
where three rivers met
near the railway station;
no longstanding headstone
The speaker continues to describe the
tradition which follows after the cremation.
The children especially the sons of the demised father would perform
certain rituals. The remains of the dead
father would be collected and would be thrown into a tributary near by the
railway station by the sons. The poet is
not in a mind to do or follow the rituals as the father did not live as a good
example for the family members. The speaker speaks the reality of life with
clarity. He says they don’t prefer a memorial stone or pillar for their father
as they think that his name and two dates of birth and death would do nothing
useful to the father. The poet feels nothing could be done in memory of his
late father as he doesn’t deserve. Thus he expresses his anguish over his
irresponsible father.
Stanza 5
“to holdin their parentheses
everything he didn't quite
manage to do himself,
like his caesarian birth
in a brahmin ghetto
and his death by heart-
failure in the fruit market.”
Again in this stanza the poet expresses his
dissatisfaction. Two dates of his
father’s birth and death has nothing to do with him as he didn’t do anything on
his own. He was born after the Caesarian in a Brahmin area. He is Brahmin by birth. He died due to heart failure in the fruit
market. The poet’s view is that even his
father an educated, could not save himself.
This stanza brings out the importance of the communities in India. The
differences between the upper class and lower class are being brushed with
dignity. The poet looks at his father’s death as an ordinary one as he didn’t
show anything to be proud of. He brings
out the father’s incapability and irresponsibility towards his family.
Stanza 6
“But someone told me
he got two lines
in an inside column
of a Madras newspaper
sold by the kilo
exactly four weeks later
to streethawkers”
The sixth stanza gives a twist to the
readers. It relates us to the title of
the poem “Obituary” the poet is informed about two lines about his father in an
inside column of a Madras newspaper. He also hears that it was sold in bundles
after four weeks later to the streethawkers (a person who tries to sell things by calling at people's homes or
standing in the street). The poet’s
reaction to this quite different. He is
anxious to find out the two lines in the new paper. Perhaps he wants to know
“how, what and why”
Stanza
7
“who sell it in turn
to the small groceries
where I buy salt,
coriander,
and jaggery
in newspaper cones
that I usually read”
The description continues, the
streethawkers in turn sell the papers to the small groceries. They use the papers to pack the things for
the customers. The poet buys salt, coriander
and jiggery in cones made of newspapers and he usually reads the bits and
pieces of the newspapers. The poet shows
a normal ordinary life of every one in that place.
Stanza
8
“for fun, and lately
in the hope of finding
these obituary lines.
And he left us
a changed mother
and more than
one annual ritual.”
The 8th stanza gives a
conclusion with a criticism. The poet
buys more things lately in order to find the two lines obituary for his father
as he didn’t leave anything except this two lines for him. He shows his
embarrassment by saying that his father has changed his mother into a widow and
she has to remain in sorrow for ever, then every year they are supposed to
celebrate the death anniversary of the father with many religious rituals. The
poet dislike to follow the rituals for his father as he left nothing except
burden on the speaker.
Poetical
devices
Imagery
He gives a visual images in “he burned properly at the cremation”,
“failure in the fruit market” “changed mother” the speaker says the
father’s death has taken the mother into another stage as widow and he frowns
indirectly at the people who would look at her with difference. “Paper cones” an ordinary scene which
happens in grocery stores. “Some burned to coal” father’s body has
been cremated. The sons supposed to collect the bones which are burnt as coal
to throw into the river as per the ritual.”
Father, when he passed on, left dust
on a table of papers, left debts and daughters” he whole first stanza gives a picture of the agony of the
speaker who feels his father has left him nothing except burden on him.
Enjambment
Run on lines used by the poet to
create the emotional transition. He
expresses his disappointments. “he
burned properly at the cremation” in second stanza and ““as before, easily” in the third is a
good example.
“Exactly four weeks later to streethawkers” of six stanza continues in the seventh as “who sell it in turn”
Irony
To pick gingerly” as the
Hindu priest told them to collect the bones carefully. The dead bones with dust over it were
collected carefully to throw into Holy River as per the ritual. “Changed the mother” father’s death made the mother a widow and she has remain
silent thereafter.
The society doesn’t accept them as a part of
their cultural rituals. She is going to be in dark forever. “Annual
ritual” this explains the customs for the dead ones every year. This is celebrated in the memory of the
father who is not alive.
“Someone told me he got two lines in an inside column of a
Madras newspaper” the son didn’t have any
idea about the two lines of his father in the newspaper as he knew about his
father.
Themes
Death of the father is
expressed by the son. The speaker’s view is different about the loss of his
father. The relationship of the father
and the son is not healthy. Now the
death has separated him from his father too far.
Responsibilities of the
father is well brought out here. The father didn’t complete do his duties. Debts,
unmarried daughters are like dust on the table to the poet now. They are many for the speaker. Now he has to take the family burden. The more he thinks the more he becomes
aggressive towards his father.
Customs and rituals are described with the upper class (Brahmin tag). “Cremation of the body”,” throwing the bones into the holy tributary”. Such common Hindu customs are done to bring peace to the dead soul. The speaker is not pleased to follow any of the customs as he could not accept his father as a good responsible person. He is not a good example for his family. He earned the hatred of the speaker. The poet loses his peace as he has to take the responsibility of the family.
The
Tone is a complete contrast. The poet supposed to expresses his sadness to
the death of his father. But he
expresses his dissatisfaction and depression as he has to undertake the entire
responsibilities of the family.
No particular rhyme
scheme is followed but Ramanujan makes use of half rhymes. “Papers”
and “daughters”, “on” and “are few examples for his skillful rhyming
pattern. “E” sound is repeated in “gingerly”,
“priest” and “east”.
Thus the poem “Obituary” by A.K.Ramanujan explores the
aftermath of his father’s death. The
relationship between the father and his family is not healthy. His sudden death affected the family and the
eldest son the poet and the speaker takes the responsibility with
dissatisfaction.
He reflects on his
death honestly and expresses his various emotions. He is torn between his duties to the family
and his unhappiness over the death of hot tempered and irresponsible father.
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