"An Old Woman" is a powerful and
widely anthologized poem by the Indian poet Arun Kolatkar, and is part of his
collection Jejuri.
Summary
The poem narrates a brief, uncomfortable
encounter between a traveler (implied to be the narrator/speaker) and an
impoverished, persistent old woman at the pilgrimage site of Jejuri in
Maharashtra, India.
*
The old woman grabs the traveler's sleeve and insists on acting as a guide,
promising to show him the "horseshoe shrine" for a small coin (fifty
paise).
*
The traveler is uninterested, having already seen the shrine, but the old woman
hobbles along anyway, refusing to let go.
*
Growing impatient, the traveler is about to brush her off or send her away.
* At
this moment, the woman looks at him and asks a profound question that cuts
through his annoyance: "What else can an old woman do / on hills as
wretched as these?"
*
This question stops the traveler. He looks into her eyes, which are described
with shocking imagery as "bullet holes," and then sees a vision where
the cracks around her eyes spread to encompass the entire landscape—the hills,
the temples, and even the sky.
*
The sky seems to "fall... with the sound of a cracked plate," yet the
woman herself remains "shatterproof."
* In
the final lines, the traveler is reduced to a realization of his own
insignificance in the face of her monumental, enduring hardship: he feels he
has been "reduced / to so much small change / in her hand."
Key Themes and Analysis
*
Poverty and Marginalization: The old woman is a symbol of the destitute,
marginalized, and neglected elderly in Indian society, particularly those
living near sacred or tourist sites. Her persistence is not out of malice, but
sheer necessity for survival.
* Dignity
vs. Destitution: She doesn't merely beg; she offers a service, trying to earn
the fifty paise, which underscores her desire to maintain some form of dignity
despite her abject poverty.
*
Empathy and Transformation: The traveler's initial reaction is one of annoyance
and detachment. The turning point is her poignant question, which forces him to
confront her humanity and his own privileged indifference. The shift from
irritation to profound insight is the core of the poem.
*
The Landscape as a Metaphor: Kolatkar uses vivid, stark imagery. The
"cracks" around the woman's eyes spreading to the surrounding hills
and sky suggest that her individual suffering is not isolated but is a
reflection of the decay, neglect, and poverty of the land and the society as a
whole.
*
Resilience and Endurance: The image of the old woman as
"shatterproof"—even when the metaphorical sky of her world is
cracking—highlights her immense, unyielding strength and connection to the
ancient, rugged land.
*
Commercialization of the Sacred: Like other poems in Jejuri, this poem
critiques how religious sites often become centers of poverty, exploitation,
and the commodification of faith, contrasting the spiritual ideal with the
harsh, grubby reality.
*
The Power of the Vulnerable: The final image is one of role reversal. The
traveler, who holds the money and the power, is "reduced" to
"small change" in her hand. She, the seemingly powerless one, has
delivered a devastating, profound truth that diminishes his sense of
self-importance.
The poem “An Old Woman” by Arun Kolatkar
uses mostly simple, direct language, but a few key words and phrases carry
significant figurative meaning.
Key Word Meanings in “An Old Woman”
*
Tags along: This means to follow closely and persistently, often when not
wanted or invited. In the poem, it describes the old woman’s determined refusal
to leave the traveler alone.
*
Hobbles: To walk in an awkward or unsteady way, typically because of old age or
injury. It emphasizes the woman’s physical frailty as she tries to keep pace
with the traveler.
*
Burr: A small, prickly seed or seed pod that clings stubbornly to clothing or
fur. This is a metaphor used to describe how the old woman sticks to the
traveler, making her presence irritating and hard to shake off.
*
Air of finality: A manner or tone that suggests a decision has been made and
there is no room for further discussion. The traveler adopts this attitude,
intending to decisively end the encounter.
*
Farce: An absurd, ridiculous, or empty show; a mockery. The traveler views the
old woman’s persistent offer to guide him as a tiresome performance he wants to
stop.
*
Wretched: This word has two main implications here:
*
Miserable, unhappy, or unfortunate (referring to the people).
*
Poor, desolate, or degraded (referring to the hills), suggesting they are
barren and unable to sustain life.
*
Bullet holes: This is a striking and harsh metaphor for the old woman’s eyes.
It suggests they are sunken, hollow, or vacant from years of suffering,
implying her spirit has been profoundly wounded by life’s hardships.
*
Plate-glass clatter: The sharp, distinct sound of a large sheet of thick,
smooth glass breaking. When the “sky falls” with this sound, it signifies a
sudden, massive shattering of the traveler’s comfortable worldview.
*
Shatterproof crone: This phrase combines two terms:
*
Crone: An old woman who is typically thin, withered, and often seen as
unpleasant, but here it speaks to her ancient, enduring nature.
*
Shatterproof: Immune to breaking or shattering; indestructible. The phrase
highlights the woman’s monumental resilience and ability to withstand the
collapse of the world (the cracking hills, temples, and sky) around her.
*
Reduced to so much small change: This is the concluding and most powerful
metaphor. It means the traveler’s own self-importance, wealth, and ego are
suddenly diminished, feeling as utterly insignificant as a few cheap coins when
confronted with the magnitude of the woman’s hardship and dignity.
Stanza wise Summary
The Initial Encounter (Lines 1-9)
The poem begins with the aggressive,
unwelcome approach of the old woman: "An old woman grabs / hold of your
sleeve / and tags along." This direct address ("your")
immediately involves the reader, making them the target of her persistence. Her
goal is simple and desperate: "She wants a fifty paise coin." To
justify this small sum, she offers a service: "She says she will take you
/ to the horseshoe shrine." The traveler's disinterest is immediate:
"You've seen it already." However, she ignores his refusal, as her
need is greater than his inconvenience. She "hobbles along anyway"
(showing her frail, difficult walk) and "tightens her grip on your
shirt," highlighting her desperation.
Annoyance and Intent to Dismiss (Lines
10-18)
The traveler's annoyance builds as the
woman "won’t let you go." The poem then uses a common, dismissive
generalization: "You know how old women are. / They stick to you like a
burr," comparing her to a prickly seed pod that clings stubbornly.
Deciding to end the confrontation, the traveler turns to face her "with an
air of finality" (a tone that means no more discussion). He wants to
"end the farce," viewing her persistent guiding offer as a tiresome,
ridiculous performance.
The Turning Point and Profound Question
(Lines 19-24)
Just as the traveler is about to speak, the
woman disarms him with a simple, profound question that stops him completely:
"‘What else can an old woman do / on hills as wretched as these?’"
This rhetorical question shatters his self-absorption by laying bare her total
lack of options. The word "wretched" applies both to the impoverished
land and her miserable condition.
The Vision of Reality (Lines 25-33)
Stunned, the traveler looks into her eyes,
which are described with shocking, vivid imagery: "Clear through the
bullet holes / she has for her eyes." This metaphor suggests her eyes are
hollowed out, dark, and wounded by life's hardships, giving her a stare that
pierces reality.
The lines that follow describe a cosmic
shift in perception:
*
"the cracks that begin around her eyes / spread beyond her skin." Her
physical signs of aging and suffering become universal.
*
"And the hills crack. / And the temples crack. / And the sky falls / with
a plate-glass clatter." The entire social, natural, and spiritual
landscape—the whole world the traveler thought he knew—shatters like cheap
glass.
The only thing that remains unbroken is the
old woman herself: "around the shatterproof crone / who stands
alone." The word "crone" emphasizes her age, but
"shatterproof" highlights her incredible, unyielding resilience.
The Traveler’s Reduction (Lines 34-36)
The poem concludes with the ultimate
reversal of power: "And you are reduced / to so much small change / in her
hand." In facing her monumental suffering and strength, the traveler's
entire identity, value, and ego are diminished to the triviality of the fifty
paise coin. She, the seemingly powerless beggar, has inflicted a profound,
humbling realization upon him.
You have asked for the line-by-line
explanation of Arun Kolatkar's poem, "An Old Woman." Since the poem
consists of short, stark tercets (three-line stanzas), the analysis below
treats them line-by-line to capture the precise movement and impact of the
verse.
Text of Poem
An
old woman grabs
hold of your sleeve
and tags along.
She wants a fifty paise coin.
She says she will take you
to the horseshoe shrine.
You’ve seen it already.
She hobbles along anyway
and tightens her grip on your shirt
She won’t let you go.
You know how old women are.
They stick to you like a burr.
You turn around and face her
with an air of finality.
You want to end the farce.
When you hear her say,
‘What else can an old woman do
on hills as wretched as these?’
You look right at the sky.
Clear through the bullet holes
she has for her eyes.
And as you look on,
the cracks that begin around her eyes
spread beyond her skin.
And the hills crack.
And the temples crack.
And the sky falls
With a plate-glass clatter
Around the shatterproof crone
who stands alone
And you are reduced
to so much small change
in her hand.
The Initial Encounter (Lines 1-9)
| Line(s) | Text | Explanation
| An old woman grabs | The poem begins with
an abrupt, aggressive physical action that immediately places the reader (addressed
as 'you') in an uncomfortable situation. |
|
| hold of your sleeve | This direct address
makes the encounter personal and intrusive. |
|
| and tags along. | She follows
persistently, indicating a desperate need that overcomes social boundaries.
| |
| She wants a fifty paise coin. | Her
motivation is economic, and the sum is minimal, highlighting her extreme
poverty. | |
| She says she will take you | She offers a
service (guiding) rather than just begging, attempting to preserve a shred of
dignity. | |
| to the horseshoe shrine. | The specific,
minor destination in the pilgrimage town of Jejuri. | |
| You’ve seen it already. | The traveler's
internal dismissal—he is uninterested, revealing the banality of the tourist
experience. | |
| She hobbles along anyway. | Despite the
traveler's indifference and her own physical frailty (hobbles), she persists.
| |
| and tightens her grip on your shirt. |
Her insistence escalates to a physical refusal to let go. | |
The Traveler's Impatience (Lines 10-18)
| Line(s) | Text | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| She won’t let you go. | Simple statement
of her relentless resolve. | |
| You know how old women are. | A weary,
dismissive generalization common to tourists annoyed by beggars. | |
| They stick to you like a burr. | A vivid
simile comparing her to a prickly seed pod that clings stubbornly to clothing.
| |
| You turn around and face her | The
traveler decides to stop the interaction and end it. | |
| with an air of finality. | He adopts a
tone suggesting the conversation is over, asserting his authority. | |
| You want to end the farce. | He considers
the persistent begging and guiding offer a tiresome, ridiculous performance
(farce). | |
The Moral Turning Point (Lines 19-27)
| Line(s) | Text | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| When you hear her say, | The dramatic
moment when the traveler's planned dismissal is interrupted. | |
| ‘What else can an old woman do | Her
rhetorical question cuts through the traveler's annoyance and forces him to
acknowledge her humanity. | |
| on hills as wretched as these?’ | This is
the core of her defense: the hills are poor and desolate (wretched), offering
her no other means of survival. | |
| You look right at the sky. | Stunned by
her moral gravity, the traveler's gaze shifts. | |
| Clear through the bullet holes | A
shocking, harsh metaphor for her sunken, vacant eyes. The image suggests her
vision has been destroyed or hollowed out by life's pain. | |
| she has for her eyes. | She is
transformed from a beggar into a symbol of enduring suffering. | |
| And as you look on, | The moment of
profound, fixed realization begins. | |
| the cracks that begin around her eyes |
The lines and wrinkles of her aged face are seen as fundamental cracks in
reality. | |
| spread beyond her skin. | Her personal
suffering expands to encompass the whole environment. | |
The Cosmic Collapse and Resolution (Lines
28-36)
| Line(s) | Text | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| And the hills crack. | The natural
landscape is seen as fractured, mirroring the woman's condition. | |
| And the temples crack. | The sacred and
man-made structures of society are also shown to be frail and failing. | |
| And the sky falls. | The entire world the
traveler knows—the comfortable, superficial reality—is metaphorically
collapsing. | |
| with a plate-glass clatter | The
dramatic, jarring sound of breaking glass signals a sudden, catastrophic end to
the illusion. | |
| around the shatterproof crone | She is a
crone (withered old woman), but shatterproof (indestructible). She is the only
thing that withstands the universal collapse. |
|
| who stands alone. | She is a solitary,
monumental figure of resilience. | |
| And you are reduced. | The result of this
moral epiphany: the traveler's ego and sense of self-importance are diminished.
| |
| to so much small change. | A powerful
final metaphor: he is now worth no more than the insignificant coin she was
asking for. | |
| in her hand. | The ultimate reversal of
power. The privileged traveler is made small and trivial in the hands of the
destitute old woman. | |
1.
Very Short Answer Questions
Q1. Who is the poet of “An Old Woman”?
A.
Arun Kolatkar.
Q2. Where is the old woman encountered in
the poem?
A.
At the hill shrine (a temple on
a hill).
Q3. What does the old woman ask from the
speaker?
A.
She asks for a fifty paise coin
in return for showing him the way or telling him about the shrine.
Q4. How is the old woman described
physically?
A.
She is described as having “a
skin-and-bone structure” with wrinkles and a toothless face.
Q5. What change does the speaker undergo at
the end of the poem?
A.
He experiences a moment of
realization and sees the larger truth of human condition—poverty, suffering,
and mortality.
2.
Short Answer Questions
Q6. What is the central theme of the poem
“An Old Woman”?
A.
The poem deals with poverty,
helplessness, and the dignity of the downtrodden. It shows how an encounter
with a poor old beggar woman leads the speaker to a moment of self-realization
about human suffering and mortality.
Q7. How does the poet use imagery to
describe the old woman?
A.
The old woman is compared to “a
stick” and described as “skin-and-bone,” which highlights her extreme poverty
and age. Her wrinkled face and toothless mouth reflect her suffering and decay.
Q8. Why does the speaker feel “tied to the
woman’s suffering”?
A.
The speaker realizes that
poverty, old age, and death are not just her condition but a universal truth of
humanity. He sees his own reflection in her suffering.
Q9. What does the line “the hills crack,
and the sky falls” symbolize?
A.
It symbolizes a sudden
shattering realization or epiphany. The speaker sees the harsh reality of life,
and his earlier indifference breaks down.
Q10. What contrast is shown in the poem between
the shrine and the old woman?
A.
The shrine symbolizes faith,
tradition, and religion, while the old woman represents poverty, neglect, and
suffering—exposing the contradiction in society that values temples but ignores
starving people.
3.
Long Answer / Essay Questions
Q11. Explain how the poem “An Old Woman”
reflects social reality.
A.
Arun Kolatkar highlights the
plight of the poor in Indian society. The old woman begging outside a shrine
reflects the neglect of the marginalized. Despite living in a land of faith and
devotion, she is left to struggle for survival. Her presence forces the speaker
to confront the truth of poverty and the indifference of society. Thus, the
poem is both a realistic portrayal and a social criticism.
Q12. How does the speaker’s attitude
towards the old woman change during the poem?
A.
At first, the speaker is
irritated and dismissive of her persistence. He feels she is a nuisance.
However, when he looks into her eyes, he undergoes a transformation. He sees
not just her personal misery but a universal condition of human suffering. The
poem ends with a deep sense of empathy and awareness.
Q13. What is the significance of the title
“An Old Woman”?
A.
The title is deceptively
simple, yet it highlights the universality of the experience. The old woman is
not given a name—she represents all poor, neglected, and marginalized people in
society. Through her, the poet conveys the harsh truth of poverty and human
mortality.
Q14. Show how “An Old Woman” is a poem of
epiphany (sudden realization).
A.
The poem begins with the
speaker’s irritation, but as he looks deeper into the old woman’s eyes, he
realizes a greater truth. The cracking hills and falling sky are metaphors for
his moment of epiphany, where he understands the inevitability of suffering,
aging, and death. The old woman becomes a mirror to his own vulnerability.
