NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poetry 2 - The Wind

The poem starts with the poet describing the violent face of the wind. Wind with its violent action, especially during a natural calamity, breaks off the shutters of windows and scatters the papers in the room. It also throws down books from the shelf, tears the pages of the books, and brings down showers.

Yes, I have witnessed women winnowing grain in villages. It is the process of separating grains from the chaff. It is majorly done for paddy crops. In the process, traditionally the dried grains are allowed to fall from a height. “Soop” is the winnowing basket that is used for the process and "ooswoni" is the term used in Hindi for winnowing. 

The poet has compared the traditional farming practices of winnowing with the destruction that the wind creates during a natural calamity. Winnowing is a constructive process and helps us collect grains for survival. On the other hand, the fierce wind, like the process of winnowing uproots all the crumbling homes, wood, bodies, lives, and hearts. It crushes and removes them entirely and only the best survives.

As human beings, we don't hold the strength to stand against nature. To make friends with them we need to build strong homes. We should also make ourselves physically and mentally strong by building strong, firm bodies and having steadfast hearts so that next time when such a calamity hits the area again, they are ready to combat and withstand it physically and emotionally.

In the last four lines poem reminds everyone to be strong-willed because it is highly unlikely that a storm will not hit them again. We should be mentally strong to face all the challenges that life throws at us. These challenges do make the weak heart crumble and extinguish like weak fires. Contrary to its effect on weak people, challenges make the strong people stronger, just like wind makes strong fires roar and flourish. Having a positive attitude towards hardships not only makes them easier to deal with but also teaches a lesson that we carry with us throughout our lives.

There is a tinge of anger in the poet's tone while speaking to the wind. Strong wind breaks away the fragile items human beings have put together. They cause plenty of damage and destruction to both life and property and human beings are bound to submit to the cruelty of nature. Storms, cyclones, gales, and intense winds cause havoc on the land. They uproot trees, bring down houses, electric posts, and claim an encumber of lives.

Yet, I do not agree with the poet that the wind only ‘crumbles lives.’ The wind is also responsible for bringing rains and contributing to the water cycle. It lowers the temperature of the land and helps as a carrier of pollen grains too. With advancements in technology, the wind is also utilized for the purposes of energy harnessing using wind power plants. 

 'Need Ka Nirman Fir' by Harivansh Rai Bacchan is a poem on wind, written originally in Hindi. 

The poet metaphorically wants us to make friends with the wind, i.e., the hardships in our lives. He says that we should be ready for the problems. He keeps comparing the wind to god. He says that we must pray to it daily. He also adds that everything weak gets destroyed in the face of the strong wind. Also, all the things that are strong flourish and grow stronger. The poet gives us the message we should make ourselves physically and mentally healthy to face these challenges. When we become their friends, we will be happy to become more robust and better because of the difficulties and hardships of life.