Explore the detailed summary of The Farmer’s Wife by P. Lalita Kumari. Understand the poem’s powerful message on gender, grief, and resilience from a rural woman’s perspective.
The Farmer’s Wife Class 11 Summary By Lalita Kumari
Summary of The Farmer’s Wife By P. Lalita Kumari
Introduction
“The Farmer’s Wife” is an emotional and poignant poem written by P. Lalita Kumari (also known as Volga in her pen name). This poem is in the form of a poignant autobiography of a farmer’s wife, who challenges the society, system and patriarchal thinking after her husband’s suicide. It is not just a poem, but a testimony to the agrarian crisis prevailing in rural India and the condition of women in it.
Summary of the Poem – Voice of the Farmer’s Wife
In the poem, a woman – who is the wife of a farmer – puts her agony, anger and pain into words after her husband’s suicide. Her husband commits suicide due to debt, and society presents it as a ‘martyrdom’. But in the eyes of the wife, it is cowardice – to run away, leaving her and the children alive, and embrace death.
Grief and Resentment
It is clear from the beginning of the poem that the wife is mourning the death of her husband, but she is more hurt by the fact that he left her alone. She asks –
“Did you think that you were the only one suffering?”
She reminds that from ploughing the field to household expenses, children’s education, lack of food – they had borne it all together. Then why did he go alone?
The burden of debt and the question of responsibility
The main message of the poem is that by committing suicide, a person runs away from his duty, while those who are left behind have to bear many times more troubles. The wife says that now all the debt, all the pain, all the questions – all have fallen on her. She will have to answer everywhere – in society, in the government system, in the panchayat.
She says –
“The debt is still there, but now I am alone to repay it.”
This is the truth of a common farmer’s wife – who does not want only sympathy, but also equal rights and respect. ⚖️ Attack on patriarchy
The poem is not just a personal pain, but it also questions the social structure. The poetess asks why the suffering of men is glorified so much, while the struggle of women is ignored by considering it a ‘duty’?
She says that women also work in the fields like men, stay hungry, raise children – but no one has ever called their sacrifice ‘sacrifice’.
New consciousness – Declaration of self-reliance
At the end of the poem, the farmer’s wife has a revolutionary idea. She says that now she will not only cry, she will fight – for her children, for her field, for her existence.
“Now I will also pick up the plow, I will plow the field even without you”,
“I am no longer just a widow – I am also a farmer.”
This poem reaches a point where the victim is no longer a victim – she has become an empowered woman. This poem is about women It is a voice of empowerment that touches the heart.
Main Themes and Message
Theme Description
Agrarian crisis Farmer suicides are the most serious social problem in India, and the poem brings out its ground reality.
Women Empowerment The farmer’s wife is no longer an object of sympathy, but a symbol of change.
Criticism of patriarchy The poem questions why only men’s pain is given importance.
Call for self-reliance The poem inspires to become self-reliant and face the challenge.
✍️ Language and style of the poem
The poem is written in the first person, which makes it seem more personal and impactful.
The language is full of emotions, but there is no unnecessary outrage anywhere – it is a balance of sensitivity and power.
Use of symbolic language like “Hal uthaungi”, “Khet jotoongi” – these are not just actions but expressions of a new thought.
Conclusion
“The Farmer’s Wife” is an extraordinary poem by an ordinary rural woman. It is a symbol of the millions of women who are not just women. It is the voice of women who do not give up even after losing their husbands. This poem not only makes the readers aware of the problems of the farmers but also tells that change will come when women will not only cry but will move forward.
This poem is an awareness, a consciousness and a proclamation of the dignity of a woman.
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