An Old Woman is famous poem written by Indian poet, Arun Kolatkar. The poem was originally published in 1960. The main theme of poem, “An Old Woman” is Dignity and Humanity.
An Old Woman Poem Summary By Arun Kolatkar
Summary of An Old Woman By Arun Kolatkar
“An old Woman Grabs Hold of your Sleeve and tags along”.
In poem, poet has explained the theme of Society, Belief and Tradition through an Old woman. The story of poem begins with poet who is travelling to Jejuri by bus, as poet steps out from bus, an old woman grabs sleeves of poet and takes him away from the crowd.
“She wants a Fifty paisa coin. She says she will take you to the horseshoe shrine”.
After taking away from the crowd, old woman ask for fifty paisa coin from poet and in return she will guide him in Horseshoe Shrine journey.
“You have seen it already. She hobbles along anyway and tightens her grip on your shirt”.
The poet has already visited Horseshoe shrine but still old woman grabs poet’s sleeves tightly to take her in Horseshoe Shrine.
“She won’t let you go. You know how these old women are. They stick to you like a burr”.
The old woman doesn’t let poet go away due to which poet gets frustrated and compare her with burr.
“You turn around and face her with an air of finality. You want to end the farce.
The poet wants to turn to old woman and want to face this awkward situation. He gives fifty paisa to old woman and free himself from her.
“When you hear her say, what else an old woman can do on hills as wretched as these ? “
The old woman replied what else an old woman can do on these hilly areas. The poet gets very upset after hearing old woman reply.
“You look at the sky Clean through the bullet holes she has for her eyes,
“And as you look on the cracks that begins around her eyes spread beyond her skin”
“And the hills crack. And the temples Crack. And the sky falls with a plate glass clatter around the shatter proof crone who stands alone”.
“And you are reduces to so much small change in her hand”.
When poet look into old woman’s helpless eyes, he saw whole sky clear. Here poet is trying to say, when he look into old woman’s eyes, he faces real truth in the form of sky. The poet realize that he needs to understand the helplessness of old woman instead of leaving her in such situation.
We need to understand our responsibility towards old people. When poet look at old woman’s eyes, he saw wrinkles around it which poet is able to see on Jejuri temples and hills.
Here poet is trying to say, Jejuri’s temple and hills are in bad situation like an old woman. When poet realize that old woman is fighting alone for living in such bad situation, he felt very small.
Through the poem, “An Old woman”, poet want us to know that it is ours responsibility to take care of old people whether you know them or not. We should always help them and look after them.