In this resource, you’ll find an analysis of ‘The Echoes in Poona’ by Sujata Bhatt.
It’s targeted specifically toward those studying the Cambridge A-Level (CAIE / CIE) syllabus, but it’s suitable for anyone studying the poet at any level. Bhatt’s poems are beautiful and complex, ofte...
One day the pure, clean rhesus monkeys
gagged on the sun,
on their half-eaten ripe fruits
and now their screams for Hanuman
echo through the jungle
as they spit out the moon, the stars…
If you look closely
you can see where
the nets have left marks
across their thin fingers.
They shake their heads
trying to dislodge
the grinding noise of jeep tires
on dirt roads.
Their tails still expect
to brush against leaves, grass…
and their neck muscles
are not used to this sudden
lack of wind.
(Full poem unable to be reproduced due to the copyright)
VOCABULARY
Poona - a city in India, where Bhatt grew up as a child
Rhesus monkey - orange and brown monkeys, a type of macaque monkey
Gagged - the reflex in the throat that makes you feel like choking or being sick
, Hanuman - a Hindu god who takes the form of a monkey (see the context for more
info)
Dislodge - to knock something out of position
Bougainvillea - a trailing bush with brightly coloured pink flowers
Shy away from - to avoid something
Flinch - to move quickly away from something in shock or pain
In vitro - scientific studies that involve experimenting on biological material outside
of its natural context - typically in ‘test tubes’
STORY/SUMMARY
Stanza 1: One day, the pure, clean rhesus monkeys choked on the sun, as they choked
on their half-eaten ripe fruits, and now their screams for the monkey god Hanuman
echo throughout the jungle, as they spit out the moon and stars… If you look closely,
you can see where the nets that they were trapped in have left marks across their
fingers.
Stanza 2: They shake their heads, trying to get rid of the grinding noise of jeep tires on
dirt roads from their minds. Their tails still expect to be brushing against leaves,
grass… and their neck muscles are not used to this lack of wind.
Stanza 3: From our garden, when I stand near the bougainvillaea plants, I can hear
their caged cries echoing, echoing - as they have been freshly torn from the heart of
the jungle. They move away from the wires, at first, they are so panicked that they
move away from each other in shock. They are wild with rage, which echoes and
echoes off the bars of their cages along with their cries -
Stanza 4: After a few days, they become quiet, a young mother monkey turns and
strokes her sister, she finds a bug and removes it. Soon, the sister starts doing the
same back to her, and they take their time grooming one another, working to reclaim
their family bonds.
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