The Bus by Arun Kolatkar (5th Sem English Literature)

 

 “The Bus” by Arun Kolatkar, the opening poem of his famous poetry collection Jejuri (1976).

 

 About the Poem

• Poet: Arun Kolatkar (1932–2004), a bilingual Indian poet who wrote in Marathi and English.
• Collection: Jejuri (won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, 1977).
• Setting: The poem is set in a bus journey to Jejuri, a pilgrimage site in Maharashtra.
• Type: Free verse, conversational, modernist.

 

 Summary of The Bus

• The poem describes the speaker’s journey in a bus traveling to Jejuri.
• The bus is crowded, uncomfortable, and moves slowly through rough roads.
• Darkness and fog create a mysterious atmosphere.
• The speaker feels like he is traveling not only to Jejuri but also into an inner journey of faith and skepticism.
• The imagery of shadows, figures, and movements conveys uncertainty and spiritual doubt.
• The poem ends with the anticipation of reaching Jejuri, but without clear excitement—suggesting a questioning of religious rituals.

 

Line-by-Line Explanation

1. The bus halts, jerks, and moves with difficulty → symbolizing life’s struggles and the difficult path of belief.
2. Passengers are anonymous shadows, cramped together → symbolizing the collective blind faith of pilgrims.
3. The windows show flickers of light and darkness → symbolizing confusion between faith and doubt.
4. The journey continues in suspense → reflecting the uncertainty of spiritual exploration.

 

Themes

• Faith vs. Skepticism – questioning blind belief in religion.
• Journey – both physical (bus ride) and metaphorical (search for meaning).
• Modern Alienation – distance between tradition and modern rationality.
• Common Man’s Struggles – uncomfortable journey mirrors struggles of life.

 

 Style and Devices

• Free verse – no rhyme, no fixed rhythm.
• Imagery – bus, darkness, flickering lights, shadows.
• Symbolism – bus = life/journey, Jejuri = faith/religion.
• Tone – skeptical, ironic, observational.

Difficult Words with Meanings

Stanza 1

• recedes → moves back slowly; fades away.
• jerks → sudden, rough movements.
• groans → low, complaining sound (here, the sound of the bus).
• lurches → sudden, unsteady movement forward.
• cracks → here it means breaks or harsh noises from the bus.

Stanza 2

• bump → a sudden rise or rough patch in the road.
• sways → moves slowly from side to side.
• windows glint → shine with a small flash of light.
• stain → mark or patch of color (light on glass).

Stanza 3

• shadow of the hills → dark outline of hills seen faintly in the dim light.
• bare brown shoulder → slope of the hill that looks like a shoulder, stripped of vegetation.
• spectral → ghost-like, mysterious, unreal.
• figure → here, a shape of a person seen unclearly.

Stanza 4

• stirs → moves slightly; awakens.
• wakes up → here, refers to passengers becoming active as Jejuri nears.
• huddle → sit close together, often for warmth or safety.
• blackness → total darkness.

Stanza 5

• shrunk → made smaller.
• squats → sits in a low, crouching position.
• stepside → the step at the entrance of the bus.
• clutch → hold tightly.

 

Notes

• The bus is described in rough, mechanical terms (jerks, groans, lurches).
• The landscape is described in ghostly imagery (spectral figure, shadow of hills).
• The passengers are almost faceless (huddle, clutch, shrunk).

 

The Bus

the tarpaulin flaps are buttoned down
on the windows of the state transport bus.
all the way up to jejuri.

a cold wind keeps whipping
and slapping a corner of tarpaulin at your elbow.

you look down to the roaring road.
you search for the signs of daybreak in what little light spills out of bus.

your own divided face in the pair of glasses
on an oldman`s nose
is all the countryside you get to see.

you seem to move continually forward.
toward a destination
just beyond the castemark beyond his eyebrows.

outside, the sun has risen quitely
it aims through an eyelet in the tarpaulin.
and shoots at the oldman`s glasses.

a sawed off sunbeam comes to rest gently against the driver`s right temple.
the bus seems to change direction.

at the end of bumpy ride with your own face on the either side
when you get off the bus.

you dont step inside the old man`s head.

Questions

Short Answer Type Questions (2–3 lines each)

Q1. What is the poem The Bus about?

 It describes a bus journey to Jejuri, a pilgrimage site, and symbolizes both a physical journey and an inner spiritual search.

 

Q2. How is the bus ride described?

 

  The bus moves with jerks, groans, and lurches, showing the rough, uncomfortable, and uncertain path of life and faith.

 

Q3. How does the poet describe the passengers?

 

  They are shown as huddled, faceless figures, almost like shadows, symbolizing blind followers of tradition.

 

Q4. What atmosphere is created through imagery in the poem?

 

  An atmosphere of darkness, mystery, and uncertainty, reflecting the tension between belief and doubt.

 

Q5. Why is the journey compared to life?

 

  Just like life, the bus journey is full of bumps, struggles, and uncertainties, yet it keeps moving towards an unknown destination.

 

Q6. What does Jejuri represent in the poem?

 

  It represents faith, religion, and the spiritual goal that pilgrims are seeking, though with uncertainty and skepticism.

 

Q7. What is the tone of the poem?

 

  The tone is ironic and questioning, highlighting the emptiness of blind faith rather than glorifying pilgrimage.

 

Q8. What role does darkness play in the poem?

 

  Darkness symbolizes confusion, doubt, and the lack of clear spiritual direction.

 

Q9. What poetic style does Kolatkar use?

 

  Free verse, simple language, vivid imagery, and symbolism.

 

 

Q1. What is the central theme of the poem The Bus?

  The poem highlights a pilgrimage journey to Jejuri, symbolizing both a physical journey and a spiritual quest. It reflects the tension between faith and skepticism, portraying the discomfort, mystery, and uncertainty that accompany the search for meaning.

 

Q2. Why does Kolatkar choose a bus journey as the setting?

  The bus journey represents the struggles, jerks, and uncertainties of life itself. Just as the bus moves with difficulty on rough roads, human beings too move through life with doubt and confusion while seeking faith or purpose.

 

Q3. How does the poet use imagery in the poem?

  Kolatkar uses vivid imagery of darkness, flickering lights, ghost-like figures, jerks, and groans of the bus. These images create an atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty, suggesting the blurred line between belief and doubt.

 

Q4. What does the bus symbolize in the poem?

  The bus is a symbol of life’s journey. Its jerky and uncomfortable movements reflect the hardships of existence, while its destination, Jejuri, symbolizes the quest for faith or spiritual fulfillment.

 

Q5. Why is The Bus an appropriate opening poem of the Jejuri collection?

  It sets the mood of the whole collection by presenting the beginning of the pilgrimage to Jejuri. It introduces the themes of religious ritual, blind faith, and questioning attitude that are explored in later poems.

 

Q6. Comment on the tone of the poem.

  The tone is ironic and skeptical. Instead of glorifying the pilgrimage, Kolatkar presents it with discomfort, ghostly images, and a sense of doubt, questioning blind religious faith.

 

Q7. How are the passengers portrayed in the poem?

  The passengers appear like anonymous shadows or ghostly figures. They huddle together, squat, and clutch for safety, symbolizing the collective but blind following of religious traditions.

 

Q8. Explain the significance of darkness in the poem.

  Darkness represents uncertainty, confusion, and lack of clarity in the journey of faith. It suggests that pilgrims often move blindly without questioning the meaning of their actions.

 

Q9. What kind of language and style does Kolatkar use in The Bus?

  The poem is written in free verse with simple, everyday language. Kolatkar uses irony, symbolism, and imagery to present an ordinary bus ride as a metaphor for spiritual search.

 

Q10. What message does the poem convey?

  The poem suggests that religious journeys may not necessarily lead to enlightenment. Instead, they may reveal the emptiness, uncertainty, and blind following of tradition. The real journey is an inward one, searching for truth and meaning.

 

 

 

Q1. Discuss the central theme of The Bus.

  The Bus is about a pilgrimage journey to Jejuri, but at a deeper level, it is about man’s search for faith and meaning. The bus ride, described as jerky and uncomfortable, symbolizes life’s struggles. The faceless passengers represent blind followers of tradition, while darkness and flickering light suggest doubt and confusion. Kolatkar presents the journey ironically, questioning whether religious rituals truly bring enlightenment.

 

Q2. How does Kolatkar use imagery in the poem?

  Imagery in The Bus is both realistic and symbolic. The groaning and lurching of the bus create a vivid picture of discomfort. Passengers appear like ghostly figures, huddled in darkness, suggesting loss of individuality. The hills appear spectral, almost unreal, while flashes of light through the windows symbolize moments of faith amid doubt. This imagery turns a simple bus ride into a metaphor for the uncertain spiritual journey of human beings.

 

Q3. Explain the symbolism of the bus in the poem.

  The bus is not just a vehicle but a symbol of life’s journey. Its jerks, bumps, and groans represent the difficulties of existence. The faceless passengers reflect how people often follow faith mechanically, without individuality. Its destination, Jejuri, represents the goal of faith or salvation. Thus, the bus symbolizes human life—full of struggles, uncertainty, and a search for meaning.

 

Q4. Why is The Bus an appropriate opening poem of the Jejuri collection?

  The Bus begins the physical pilgrimage to Jejuri and sets the tone for the whole collection. It introduces the reader to the themes of faith, doubt, ritual, and skepticism. Instead of glorifying the pilgrimage, Kolatkar presents it with irony, focusing on discomfort, darkness, and faceless passengers. This prepares the reader to look at Jejuri with questioning eyes, making it the perfect opening to the collection.

 

Q5. How are the passengers portrayed in the poem? What do they represent?

  The passengers are shown as huddled, shrunken, faceless figures. They squat, clutch, and move in darkness like shadows. Their portrayal is ghost-like and anonymous, stripping them of individuality. Symbolically, they represent the collective crowd of pilgrims who follow rituals blindly. Kolatkar uses them to highlight the emptiness of faith that is practiced without questioning or true understanding.

 

Q6. Comment on the use of light and darkness in the poem.

  Darkness dominates the poem, creating a mysterious, uncertain atmosphere. The passengers and landscape appear like ghostly figures, suggesting confusion and lack of clarity in faith. Flashes of light glinting through the windows symbolize brief moments of understanding or belief. The interplay of light and darkness reflects the human struggle between doubt and faith, clarity and confusion.

 

Q7. Discuss the tone and style of The Bus.

  The tone is ironic, skeptical, and detached. Kolatkar does not glorify the pilgrimage but highlights its discomfort and emptiness. His style is modernist, using free verse, simple language, and sharp imagery. The lack of rhyme or rhythm mirrors the jerky, uncertain movements of the bus. The everyday description of passengers and landscapes contrasts with the deeper symbolic meaning, making the poem both realistic and philosophical.

 

Q8. What message does Kolatkar convey through The Bus?

  The poem suggests that pilgrimage may not always lead to spiritual fulfillment. Instead, it exposes the emptiness of blind rituals and the uncertainty of faith. By portraying passengers as faceless figures and the journey as uncomfortable, Kolatkar highlights how people often follow tradition without questioning. The real journey, he implies, is not outward to a shrine, but inward—towards self-understanding and true faith.

 

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