CONDITIONING

(M
SHANmughalinga
m)
PREPARED BY: MS STEPHANIE CROSS

STANZA 1
Grand dad did you breathe
before air cons were invented?
was it hard staying
alive without modern inventions?
Grandma weren't you flustered
as you fluttered with paper fans?
Could you communicate before
faxes and long distance calls
became basic necessities?

PARAPHRASE OF STANZA 1
The grandchild asked the grandfather how they lived
without modern technology like air-conditioners. Then, he
asked the grandmother whether she was troubled when
she used paper fans. He also asked how they
communicated with people far away before the use of
faxes and other related equipment for long-distance
communication. These are now basic necessities.

STANZA 2
Grandchild we lived
before your age. Because
of our ignorance,
we did not know
pollution, stress, traffic jams
destruction of forests, streams and
hills
we feared God and nature
now nature fears you and
money is your new God.

PARAPHRASE OF STANZA 2
The grandparents answered that they lived in a different
age from his and life was simple. As they were not
advanced and did not have the modern equipment used
today, there was no pollution and traffic jams and the
accompanying stress. Forests, hill and streams were not
destroyed. They were god-fearing and appreciated nature.
Now, nature fears man as man allowed money to control
him.

SYNOPSIS
The poem is a dialogue through which the grandson and his grandparents talk
about the differences in their generations and ways of life. The poet offers two
different views from two different generations through the dialogue. The grandson
asked about living without modern inventions like air conditioners and fax
machines. One would have found it difficult to keep cool with a paper fan or not
have long distance communication. He feels that life must have been difficult. The
grandfather replies that they were ignorant of such inventions and life was
simpler. They did not have the modern inventions with the accompanying
problems of physical and emotional problems and destruction of nature. They were
God fearing and loved nature while the present generation is feared by nature and
money is their God. People living in the grandchilds time are more materialistic
and they have to pay the price for progress.

ELEMENTS OF THE POEM

Structure
The poem is written in free verse. It does not have a fixed rhyme
scheme and there are two stanzas.

Style and language

The poem is written in the form of a dialogue between the
grandparents and their grandchild. They talk about
the differences in their ways of life in simple language. It is easy
for the reader to understand.

Setting
Present day
The personas house
Point of view
The point of view is the first person and there are two
personas the grandfather and the grandchild.

 Mood and atmosphere

The personas sound serious as they refer to the
differences in their ways of life. Both personas feel that
their
individual way of life is better than the other. The
grandfather appears to be taken aback by the attitude of
the young people towards materialism.

 Tone
The tone is matter-of-fact as the personas ask directly and
give truthful expressions of the others way of life.
The grandchild is concerned that life must be difficult
without modern inventions. The grandfather is unhappy
with the present generation as they have become more
materialistic in life and their values have changed.

Theme
Price of progress
Development and quality of life
The younger generation and challenges in life
Needs of the younger generation
Challenges in the present world
Greed and materialistic ways

Moral values
We must be grateful with what we have.
Do not take things for granted but be prepared to face changes.
Progress brings about advantages and disadvantages.
Present-day values are different from yesteryears and the young
must be prepared to accept the challenges.
Greed can lead to destruction.
The younger generation and the older generation have different
values.
We should preserve the environment.
The younger generation should not be too materialistic.
We must pay a high price for development.

POETIC DEVICES
Alliteration
e.g. Grandma werent you flustered as you fluttered with

paper fans?
Imagery of the senses
Sight: e.g. traffic jams, destruction of forest, streams, and
hills, grandmother fluttering her fan
Sound: e.g. long distance call
Smell: e.g. pollution

 Pun
e.g. The title Heir Conditioning is a pun on the word air

conditioning.
Diction
e.g. ignorance, breathe, communicate
Symbol
e.g. Use of the word heir the younger generation are heirs
of the older generation but they have not
adopted the latters ways
Metaphor
e.g. Money is your new God