What did you think the poem was about when you read the first few lines?
This poem indicates the situations and conditions of the world which changes accordingly with the time. In this poem, A.K. RAMANUJAN compares the world with the well managed cities. With the passage of time, every single hour of clock represents the changes in the city. And on one day all the changes will end up and time will start again with new world different from the changed one.
From which line does the import of the title strike the reader?
From the last stanza of the poem “through the knocked out clockwork, after riot, a peace-march time bomb, or a precise act of nature in a light of lightning” the reader will be able to strike the title of the poem i.e. “Time and Time again” as this lines shows that after so much of time with quarrels, conflicts, and communal disharmony there will be peace in nature again. Thus this shows that good time will always come after a bad time.
What makes for the differences between the timekeeping of the various clocks? What is the implicit comparison?
According to the poem, for differences between the timekeeping of various clocks the gongs are beaten out at different frequencies each after half-hour in sequence and slightly differ in time.
The implicit comparison means to compare indirectly i.e. each frequency of gongs represents the condition of different country. And range of frequencies is compared with every different situation in different country that’s why poet has taken the word deeper or lighter.
Why is the act of nature described as ‘precise’?
Act of nature in the poem is described as precise or accurate because after every certain interval of time nature tries to neutralise the every condition with precision. As in the poem first, we had seen about honouring of someone’s desire and then long lasting quarrels between the Hindu, Muslims, and Christians all these things are solved up with time by the nature as in the end nature shows the meaning of the title of poem “Time and Time Again”.
Which of the following reflects the poet’s attitude towards communal disharmony
(i) Critical condemnation
(ii) Helpless acceptance
(iii) Wistful lament
The first one Critical condemnation reflects the nature of poet towards communal disharmony as in the poem, Poet has criticised the quarrels and seasonal alliance between different religions through his lines. He also said that all this disputes will end up silently and cut off by change of minds and thoughts and no will get anything from these.
Is the poet’s attitude a representation of how the average Indian feels both towards human violence and nature’s fury?
Yes, the poet is representing the feeling of average Indians towards the violence and anger. Because nowadays in the societies the people quarrel on irrelevant matters. Today’s society has become burden on the people and this is due to other peoples and rules of society which are made according to the religion. Poet in poem shows long lasting and backstreet quarrels between peoples of different religions. Peoples are fed up from this and want a cut off from this type silly things because on one day all will end up without any special information and nature ends all these with precision which shows anger of the nature against these time wasting things.