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Shvoong Home>Books>Poetry>Summary of “Father to Son” by Elizabeth Jennings Review

Summary of “Father to Son” by Elizabeth Jennings

Book Review   by:akso6o175     Original Author: Andy Kester Sawian
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The father complains that he does not understand his own child. Though they have lived together for so many years now i.e. since the time of his son’s birth, the father knows nothing of him. The father tries to build up a relationship with his son from the early years, in a manner when his son began to recognize people around, to crawl and to walk in a desperate attempt. The father wonders whether he has destroyed the seed of his off-spring or sown it where the land belongs to his heir and none is his.
            Both father and son continue to speak like strangers now and there seem no signs of understanding in the air between the two. In traditional belief, the son is created and born to the likings and designs of his father, yet in this case, the father cannot share what his son loves. Most of the time silence surrounds them. The father’s greatest wish is for his son to be ‘The Prodigal’ son who will very soon return to his father’s house; the home which he always knew. This is definitely the better alternative rather than to see his son move out into the world blindly on his own, by himself and fall into trouble. The father is ready to forgive him at any cost as long as he is able to reshape him up from the long bounded sorrow to a new love.
            Both father and son all over the world must learn to live on the same globe and on the same land. The father finally admits that there are times that he cannot understand himself or why his anger grows from grief? However they have learnt to put out each other’s empty hand and with each other’s heart that is longing for something to forgive.
Published: July 12, 2010   
Please Rate this Review : 1 2 3 4 5
  1. Answer   Question  :    seed over here refers to what? ( 1 Answer ) View All
  1. Answer  :    the seed in fact refers to the personality of the child or the essence of what he is. the father fears that their strained relationship may have destroyedhis child forever Wednesday, May 22, 2013
  1. Answer   Question  :    compare and contarst between father to son and childhood View All
  1. Answer   Question  :    what do they earn for? ( 1 Answer ) View All
  1. Answer  :    they earn for money Monday, March 04, 2013
  1. Answer   Question  :    how is fathers helplessness brought out in the poem ( 1 Answer ) View All
  1. Answer  :    This poem is a lament of the father because the chasm between his son and him has grown over the years. he laments that the son is a stranger to him. He wants to start afresh, recall moments when he was a child. This child whom he has fashioned in his likeness, no longer has the same preferences. The father would want him to return like the prodigal son. the father feels he would forgive and forget. Out of their grief, anew love would blossom Friday, March 01, 2013
  1. Answer   Question  :    Does the poem talk about exclusively personal experience or is it universal ? ( 1 Answer ) View All
  1. Answer  :    The poem is autobiographical in nature and also fairly universal, it can affect anyone . Tuesday, February 26, 2013
  1. Answer   Question  :    what are the possible questions from this poem? View All
  1. Answer   Question  :    "so try to build up a relationship from how he was when small" what does this mean ???? ( 1 Answer ) View All
  1. Answer  :    the father wants to begin afresh from when he was a child. he wants to start knowing his child once again and feels it would be best to start at childhood Wednesday, May 22, 2013
  1. Answer   Question  :    was there no responsibility of the son to understand his father? Does all the blame goes to parents,who have given their career to shape their child's future? ( 2 Answers ) View All
  1. Answer  :    actually generation gap is the reason for this type of situations, we can not blame parents or children. Saturday, March 16, 2013
  1. Answer  :    no.. Friday, February 22, 2013
  1. Answer   Question  :    how many year to finish their gap between father to son ( 1 Answer ) View All
  1. Answer  :    10 minutes. Wednesday, March 13, 2013
  1. Answer   Question  :    what is the meaning of the prodigal ( 5 Answers ) View All
  1. Answer  :    'The Prodigal Son' is a Biblical reference. It's the story is of a father with two sons. The younger demanded his inheritance despite the fact that traditionally, the eldest born is heir. The father accedes and the spoilt younger son leaves home. He spends his fortune foolishly, eventually returns to his father's house with barely a stitch of cloth on his body. The father forgives him, and welcomes him by celebrating. Saturday, March 16, 2013
  1. Answer  :    a person who leaves home and leads a wasteful life but is later sorry for their actions and their returns. Monday, March 04, 2013
  1. Answer  :    There is a biblical allusion present in the poem. The writer described the speaker’s desperation for his relationship with his son to get better by using the word prodigal. In the bible, the parable of the prodigal son speaks of how the son of a very wealthy man squanders away his share in his father’s riches and then returns home begging for his father to accept him. Wednesday, February 27, 2013
  1. Answer  :    the definition of prodigal is ; Spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant. Tuesday, February 26, 2013
  1. Answer  :    I don't exactly know but here the poet is trying to refer to the son of God who first opposed him and was banished from heaven but later he accepted his mistake and apologized, so God allowed him back to his home. Thursday, February 14, 2013
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  1. 11. pragya

    english

    An adequate explanation of the story.....it's worth reliable.....thanks...

    0 Rating Saturday, March 16, 2013
  2. 10. PAYEL SARKAR

    review coments

    This review was really very helpful to understand as well as revise the poem for the examination perfectly,thinking from the writers point of view.Thanks to Elizabeth for writing such a nice poem...

    1 Rating Wednesday, March 06, 2013
  3. 9. shivani

    very good

    the review is really quite helpful in understanding the thought and feelings of the poem

    2 Rating Wednesday, January 02, 2013
  4. 8. jeslin

    review

    the summary is really good, it helps a lot to revise during exams

    2 Rating Wednesday, December 05, 2012
  5. 7. sana

    english

    a very nice poem written by elizabeth jennings...we very enjoyed it

    2 Rating Friday, October 19, 2012
  6. 6. reeti

    thanx

    thanxx for the help

    3 Rating Sunday, April 29, 2012
  7. 5. shefali

    .

    the review of the poem is quiet helpful.....

    4 Rating Monday, January 23, 2012
  8. 4.

    summary

    nice one

    6 Rating Wednesday, November 16, 2011
  9. 3. Ch92

    Amazing

    Amazing Poem... Hats of to the Poet... And if its your autobiography, i know how u feel... Because i am one of those victims of un-understandable relationship between father and son.I am the son here.

    6 Rating Wednesday, November 09, 2011
  10. 2. happy

    best

    nice...i like t!!1

    6 Rating Tuesday, August 16, 2011
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