Gongs sound in Ram’s temple: you can hear the bells.
In the rich man’s palace the gramophone swells.
As the arati goes around
And the noise flows around,
Crowds of people come swarming there to stand.
One street holds three neighbours: the seth and Lord Ram
And widowed Makorbai with not a paisa to her name;
She grinds corn for people,
Fetches water for people,
To eke out a living, her bread.
The pride of the village is the mansion of the seth;
And Ram’s marble temple glitters till late.
Hidden in a corner,
A squalid smelly corner,
The palace of Makorbai stands.
The seth sleeps in comfort, and with Sita sleeps Ram;
In the early hours to morning all sleep in night’s calm.
With the cock’s first crowing
The waking cock’s cowing
Makorbai rises from sleep.
Waking, Makor stretches, and then lighting a flam,
Settles to grind corn and prays in Ram’s name.
Lord roars the mill,
The gluttonous mill,
Like the groan of a starving man.
Today’s Gokul Attam, the day for a fast;
Makor too is fasting, her breath may not last.
To please Sita’s Ram
Save a handful of grain,
She sets her empty belly on fire.
The seth’s house and Ram’s temple have ghee, fruit and
Sweets;
The’ve given corn for grinding for the next day’s feasts.
She’s grinding dal today.
The dal is damp today,
And Makor’s hungry belly is ablaze.
Her tired body jerking, her breathing comes in groans;
She’s the dal being ground between those millstones.
If the flour is not given
No money will be given
And Makor will be fasting once again.
The creaking heavy millstone begins to weigh a ton,
Peg slipping from her tired hand before the grinding’s
done.
As the grain goes around
Makor’s body goes around
And the sound of the grinding goes on.
The mill devours the grain, yet it gives out food for all.
Makor’s Annapurna’s angry and the grain will not fall.
See half the grain is left
And half the night is left,
But Makor cannot struggle any more.
The seth and Ram are waking; the whole world’s calling;
The burdens of the earth with the saviour’s birth are falling.
Sounds of the morning,
Birds twittering in the morning,
Drown out Makor’s hungry howl.
Ram is in his forest dwelling; the seth in his palace home.
Temple gongs and trumpet sounds of revelry are blown.
Makor faints to her death.
The millstone sings of death.
A lone black crow laments her gone.
ત્રણ પાડોશી સુન્દરમ્
રામને મંદિર ઝાલર બાજે, ઘંટના ઘોર સુણાય,
શેઠની મેડીએ થાળીવાજું નૌતમ ગાણાં ગાય,
મંદિરની આરતીટાણે રે,
વાજાના વાગવા ટાણે રે,
લોકોનાં જૂથ નિતે ઊભરાય.
એક ફળીનાં ત્રણ રહેવાસી, શેઠને બીજા રામ,
ત્રીજી માકોર બાઈ રાંડેલી, કોડી કને ના દામ,
લોકોનાં દળણાં દળતી રે,
પાણીડાં કો’કનાં ભરતી રે,
કાઢી ખાય રોટલો કરતી કામ.
શેઠની મોટી દૈત્ય હવેલી ગામનું નાક કહેવાય.
રામનું મંદિર આરસ બાંઘ્યું નિત ઝળાંઝળાં થાય,
ફળીના એક ખૂણામાં રહે,
ગંધાતા કો’ક ખૂણામાં રે,
માકોરનાં મહેલ ઉભેલા સુણાય.
છત્ર૫લંગે શેઠ સૂતા હોય, રામ સીતાજીને ઘેર,
પાછલા ૫હોરની મીઠી ઊંઘની લોક લેતું હોય લહેર,
૫હેલો જયાં કૂકડો બોલે રે,
જાગેલો કૂકડો બોલે રે,
તૂટે માકોરની નીંદર સેર.
માકોર ઊડી અંગ મરોડે, પેટાવે દી૫કજયોત,
ધાન લઈને દળવા બેસે, રામની માગી ઓથ,
ઘરેરાટ ઘંટી ગાજે રે,
ભૂખી ડાંસ ઘંટી ગાજે રે,
ગાજે જેમ દૂકાળિયાનું મોત.
*
ગોકુળઆઠમ આજ હતી ને લોક કરે ઉ૫વાસ,
માકોર ભૂખી રહી ન કારોડી, કાયામાં ના રહયો સાસ,
સીતાના રામ રિઝાવા રે,
મૂઠી’ર ધાન બચાવા રે,
પેટાવ્યો પેટમાં કાળહુતાશ.
શેઠને ઘેરે, રામને મંદિર સાકરઘીનાં ફરાળ,
પાણામાં કાલ કરવા ભજિયાં દળવા આપી દાળ,
દળાતી દાળ તે આજે રે,
હવાયેલ દાળ તે આજે રે,
ઉઠાડે માકોરપેટ વરાળ.
અંગ થાકયું એનું આંચકા લેતું, હૈડે હાંફના માય,
બે ૫ડ વચ્ચે દાળ દળે તેમ કાયા એની દળાય,
દળી જો દાળ ના આપે રે,
શેઠે દમડી ના આપે રે,
બીજો ઉ૫વાસ માકોરને થાય.
ઘરર ઘરર આંજણહીણી ઘંટી ભારે થાય,
વારે વારે થાકેલ હાથથી ખીલડો છૂટઠી જાય,
ચણાની દાળ દળ’તી રે,
માકોરની દેહ દળ’તી રે,
ઘંટીનાં ઘોર તહીં ઘેરાય.
અન્ન ખાતી તો ય અન્નનો દાણો દેતી ઘંટી આજ,
માકોરની અન્નપૂરણા રૂઠી ફરવા પાડે ના જ,
હજી દાળ અરધી બાકી રે,
રહી ના રાત તો બાકી રે,
મથી મથી માકોર આવે વાજ.
શેઠ જાગે તે રામજી જાગે, જાગે સૌ સંસાર.
ભોમના ભાર ઉતારવા આજે જનમ્યા’તા કિરતાર,
૫રોઢના જાગતા સાદેરે,
પંખીના મીઠડા નાદે રે,
ડૂબે માકોરનો ભૂખપોકાર.
શેઠ હસે બેઠા આઠમે માળે, રામ રમે રણવાસ,
રામે મંદિર ઝાલર બાજે, શેઠને મહેલ હુલાસ,
માકોરની મૂરછાટાણે રે,
ઘંટીનાં મોતના ગાણે રે,
કાળો એક કાગ કળેળે નિસાસ,
Translated by Suguna Ramanathan and Rita Kothari
Explanation of “ત્રણ પાડોશી” by Sundaram
1. Introduction
Sundaram, one of the major modernist Gujarati poets, often explored social realities, inequality, and human struggles in his works. In “ત્રણ પાડોશી” (Three Neighbours), he sets up a striking contrast between three characters who live in the same locality but inhabit vastly different worlds. Through sharp images and irony, he critiques the class divide, capitalist arrogance, and the indifference of the wealthy towards the struggles of common people.The title itself is ironic “neighbours” should imply closeness and community, but here it highlights distance and disconnection despite physical proximity.
2. Stanza-wise Explanation
Stanza 1 (Ram – the Struggler)
The poem begins with Ram, an ordinary man, representing the common worker or lower-middle class individual.
He is seen struggling in the battlefield of life, fighting for survival, food, dignity, and recognition.
The battlefield metaphor (રણ) suggests that daily existence for him is a war — not with weapons, but with poverty, exploitation, and hopelessness.
His “play” (રમે) indicates irony: for him, war is not a choice but a compulsion, yet to the wealthy it may appear as if he is just “playing.”
Meaning: Ram symbolizes the grounded, suffering masses whose lives are reduced to constant struggle.
Stanza 2 (The Seth – the Detached Rich Man)
The Seth (merchant/industrialist) sits comfortably on the eighth floor of his high-rise building.
His laughter shows detachment, arrogance, and insensitivity.
While his neighbour Ram bleeds in the battlefield of survival, the Seth is busy enjoying his wealth, unaffected by the realities below.
The “eighth floor” is symbolic not just physical height, but social and economic distance.
Meaning: The Seth represents the capitalist elite who live in luxury while being indifferent to the plight of ordinary people.
Stanza 3 (The Third Neighbour – You/Us/Reader)
Though not always explicitly named, the third neighbour is implied.
It could be the poet himself, the reader, or society at large — someone who stands between these two extremes, watching, observing, but not intervening.
This position is ethically uncomfortable: do we side with Ram in solidarity, or remain detached like the Seth?
Meaning: The third neighbour symbolizes the middle class or intellectual observer, who is aware of inequality but often passive.
3. Themes in the Poem
Class Divide:The stark contrast between Ram (the struggler) and the Seth (the wealthy). Neighbours in geography but strangers in humanity.
Indifference of the Rich:The Seth’s laughter represents capitalist cruelty — enjoying comfort while others suffer.
Everyday Struggle as Battlefield: The metaphor of war (રણ) reflects how ordinary life is a war for survival for the poor.
Irony of Neighbourhood: Living side by side but worlds apart → the irony of modern society.
Responsibility of the Observer: The implied “third neighbour” questions the reader: What is your role? Do you ignore like the Seth, or empathize with Ram?
4. Symbols & Images
Ram (the struggler): Symbol of the working class, the downtrodden.
Seth (the capitalist): Symbol of wealth, power, arrogance, and indifference.
Eighth Floor: Symbol of distance, alienation, privilege.
Battlefield (રણ): Symbol of life’s hardships for the poor.
Laughter: Represents mockery, ignorance, and emotional detachment.
5. Interpretation
Sundaram is critiquing a society where inequality thrives: some fight wars of survival while others enjoy luxuries, both existing side by side yet never truly connected.
The poem forces us to confront our moral position: are we like Ram, the struggling poor? Like the Seth, the indifferent elite? Or like the silent third neighbour who does nothing?
The tone is ironic, satirical, and socially critical, exposing how modern urban life builds walls of indifference despite physical closeness.
6. Conclusion
“ત્રણ પાડોશી” is not just a poem about three neighbours; it is a parable of social inequality. Sundaram uses sharp contrasts and simple yet loaded images to expose class alienation. The battlefield of Ram and the laughter of the Seth are metaphors that remain deeply relevant today highlighting how wealth and privilege blind the powerful to human suffering, while the poor continue their endless struggle. Ultimately, the poem is a call to recognize this disparity and question our own role as the “third neighbour.”
War has always been one of the most powerful subjects in literature. Poetry, in particular, has served as a means of recording, reflecting upon, and criticizing war. The poem Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen is one of the most famous anti-war poems ever written. Unlike patriotic verses that glorify fighting for one’s country, Owen’s poem offers a shocking, realistic, and gruesome portrayal of life in the trenches during the First World War. Written in 1917 and published posthumously in 1920, it captures the pain, exhaustion, and meaningless death experienced by soldiers. The title comes from a Latin phrase “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori,” meaning “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.” While this phrase was once used to inspire soldiers, Owen uses it ironically, calling it “The old Lie.” His poem not only reflects the horrors of war but also changes the way war poetry is understood.
War Poetry and its Time Period :
Before World War I, war poetry in English literature was often associated with patriotic and heroic ideals. Poets like Alfred Lord Tennyson in The Charge of the Light Brigade glorified bravery and sacrifice. War was seen as noble, and poetry celebrated national honor. However, with the outbreak of World War I (1914–1918), poetry changed dramatically. The modern form of “war poetry” emerged, focusing on disillusionment, trauma, and the futility of conflict. This new poetry rejected the old glorification and instead highlighted mud, gas attacks, and death in the trenches. The movement was largely carried forward by soldier-poets who experienced the war firsthand. Their writings marked a turning point in literary history by presenting truth rather than propaganda.
Historical Background: Causes of World War I :
World War I began in 1914 and lasted until 1918. Its major causes included militarism, alliances, imperial competition, and nationalism. The immediate cause was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in June 1914. This event triggered a chain reaction where alliances between nations pulled almost all of Europe into war. The Allied Powers included Britain, France, and later the United States, while the Central Powers included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. The war introduced new destructive technologies like machine guns, chemical weapons, and tanks. The trench warfare on the Western Front created horrific conditions where soldiers lived in mud, faced constant shelling, and witnessed massive casualties. The First World War was called “the war to end all wars,” but it instead left behind death, destruction, and disillusionment.
Famous War Poets :
World War I produced a generation of soldier-poets whose works continue to shape our understanding of war. Alongside Wilfred Owen, figures like Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke, and Isaac Rosenberg are significant. Brooke wrote idealistic sonnets that glorified sacrifice, such as The Soldier, but poets like Sassoon and Owen rejected this romanticism. Sassoon’s biting satire and Owen’s tragic realism depicted war’s harsh truth. Owen, in particular, stands out because his poems combine graphic realism with lyrical beauty, using powerful imagery and compassion to evoke the physical and psychological suffering of soldiers. His poetry is not just a document of history but also a moral statement against war.
Poem :
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
In-depth Analysis of Dulce et Decorum Est :
Owen’s poem begins with a shocking description of soldiers marching back from the battlefield. Instead of being heroic figures, they are “bent double, like old beggars under sacks,” “knock-kneed,” and coughing “like hags.” This opening destroys the image of glorious young men in uniform and presents them instead as broken, diseased, and prematurely aged. The tone is bleak and heavy, showing the physical toll of war.
The second part of the poem depicts a sudden gas attack. Owen writes with urgency and chaos as soldiers scramble to put on their gas masks. One soldier, however, fails to do so in time. What follows is a graphic description of his death: the man is drowning in poison gas, with “white eyes writhing” and “froth-corrupted lungs.” The imagery is grotesque, forcing readers to visualize the slow, suffocating death. Owen wants us to feel the horror, not look away.
The final section of the poem directly addresses the reader, particularly those who glorify war from a distance. Owen asks whether anyone, after witnessing such suffering, could still believe in the old saying, “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.” He calls it “The old Lie,” suggesting that the idea of noble death in war is false and dangerous. His bitter irony unmasks the truth: war does not make heroes, it makes corpses.
Structure of the Poem
Dulce et Decorum Est consists of four unequal stanzas. The poem does not follow a strict form, which mirrors the chaotic reality of war. The rhyme scheme is largely alternating (ABAB), but with variations that keep the rhythm unsettled. The uneven structure adds to the sense of disorder. The meter is mainly iambic pentameter but is frequently broken with shorter lines, especially during the gas attack, to create urgency and shock. The structure itself becomes part of the meaning, reinforcing the physical exhaustion and chaotic experiences of the soldiers.
Figures of Speech in the Poem
Simile – “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks” → shows exhaustion and dehumanization.
Metaphor – Gas victim’s death compared to drowning → highlights suffocation and horror.
Alliteration – “Knock-kneed,” “Watch the white eyes writhing” → adds rhythm and emphasis on suffering.
Onomatopoeia – “Gargling from froth-corrupted lungs” → mimics the dying sound.
Irony – Title phrase “Dulce et decorum est” is called “The old Lie” → exposes false glorification of war.
Personification – “Knock-kneed, coughing like hags” → compares soldiers to weak old women.
Enjambment – Broken lines during gas attack → mirrors chaos and urgency of battle.
Themes :
Horrors of War
Wilfred Owen presents the harsh and brutal realities of war in vivid detail. The soldiers are described as “bent double, like old beggars under sacks,” showing how their bodies are broken and exhausted. The poem does not glorify war but instead shows the physical pain, mud, blood, and exhaustion that soldiers suffered. Through such disturbing images, Owen makes the reader feel the horror of being on the battlefield.
Reality vs. Propaganda
During World War I, governments and poets often praised war as noble and heroic. Young men were encouraged to join the army with the promise of honor. Owen directly challenges this propaganda. He contrasts the harsh truth of gas attacks, death, and suffering with the patriotic lie that war is glorious. His poem exposes how the reality of the trenches was far from the idealized picture spread back home.
Death and Suffering
The poem gives a shocking description of a soldier dying in a gas attack. Owen describes the victim’s body as “guttering, choking, drowning.” This image captures the slow and painful death caused by chemical weapons. The suffering does not end there; it stays in the memories of the soldiers who witnessed it. Owen highlights that death in war is not heroic but miserable and full of agony.
Loss of Youth and Innocence
Most soldiers in World War I were very young, often teenagers. Owen shows how war robbed them of their youth. Instead of being strong and full of life, they looked like “old beggars” and “hags.” Their innocence was destroyed by the harsh conditions of war. The soldiers who should have been enjoying life were instead trapped in misery, disease, and exhaustion.
Psychological Trauma
Beyond the physical suffering, Owen also shows the mental impact of war. He writes of the haunting memories of the gas attack, saying he sees the dying soldier in his dreams, “plunging at me, guttering, choking, drowning.” This shows how trauma followed soldiers long after the battle. The nightmares, guilt, and horror stayed with them, a reminder that the war damaged minds as much as bodies.
Patriotism and “The Old Lie”
The title and closing lines of the poem attack the phrase “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” (It is sweet and proper to die for one’s country). Owen calls this “The Old Lie.” Through his personal experience, he proves that war is not glorious but filled with suffering and death. By rejecting this idea, Owen criticizes blind patriotism and warns readers against believing false promises about honor in war.
Conclusion :
Dulce et Decorum Est remains one of the most powerful anti-war poems in English literature. Wilfred Owen, himself a soldier who died just days before the war ended, used his poetry to expose the harsh realities of combat. His vivid imagery, broken structure, and bitter irony strip away illusions of glory and reveal the human cost of war.
By calling the patriotic slogan “The old Lie,” Owen challenges readers to question not only the justification of war but also the cultural narratives that glorify sacrifice. In doing so, he gives voice to the countless soldiers whose lives were wasted in the trenches. His poem continues to speak to modern readers as a reminder of the destructive futility of war and the need for truth in times of conflict.
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