Question

Paraphrase the poem and notice the change in effect. Comment on the deft touch with which the poet transforms ordinary events into evocative poetry.

Answer 1

On a warm April evening, the speaker and his wife carry their chairs onto the lawn and sit quietly. His wife notices a broken window-pane and points out that he should repair it something, she suggests, any husband would know how to do. Rather than argue, he turns his attention away from her. Their seven-year-old son then announces that he wants his dinner immediately. The parents silently agree that children must be disciplined. When the mother tells him to wait five minutes, the boy insists that he is hungry now and cleverly argues that he will no longer be hungry in five minutes. The father recognises his own stubborn logic in his son and decides that the boy deserves his dinner. The mother laughs, bringing the family together, and they all go indoors.

Paraphrased as a simple account, the poem’s charm and liveliness are diminished. Ezekiel gives an ordinary family moment a vivid, affectionate quality through details such as the chairs being planted on the lawn, the wife’s voice seeming to “crawl” across it, and the boy’s raised chin and determined expression. The child’s witty argument and the father’s amused sympathy create gentle humour, while the mother’s laughter ends the minor disagreement warmly. In this deft way, the poet turns everyday domestic events into an evocative portrait of family life.