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Anita the Pedagog Channel: Poetry

Analysis of "The Bus" by Arun Kolatkar
Poet's Biography
Born in 1931 in Kapur, Maharashtra, India.
Grew up in a traditional patriarchal Hindu extended family.
Educated at Rajaram High School (Marathi lessons) and JJ School of Art,
Bombay.
Worked as an art director and graphic designer in Bombay.
Wrote prolifically in Marathi and English, publishing in magazines and
anthologies from 1955.
Published first book of poems, Jhiri, in 1979 (Commonwealth Poetry Prize).
Jejuri later published in the NYRB Classics Series in 2005.
Third Marathi publication, BG Vahi, won a Sahitya Akademi Award in 2004.
Reclusive figure; lived without a telephone and was hesitant about publishing.
Two further volumes of English poetry published posthumously in 2004 (Kala
Ghoda Poems and Sara Santra).
The Bride and Other Poems (2008) published posthumously, containing
uncollected English poems and Marathi translations.
Collected poems in English published by Bloodaxe Books in 2010.

Poem: "The Bus"

The poem "The Bus" is a 25-line poem with nine stanzas of uneven lines. The final
stanza has only one line. Except for the ninth stanza, stanzas have three lines each.

Structure and Form

25 lines
9 stanzas (uneven lines)
Final stanza: 1 line
Most stanzas: 3 lines
No rhyme scheme
Three-verse poem
Speaker addresses a young passenger and an old man on the bus.
Setting: Journey to Jejuri.

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Setting and Vocabulary

Jejuri: A city and municipal council in Pune District, Maharashtra, India; known
for the Koba temple.
Tarpaulin: A heavy, waterproof piece of fabric used as protective cover or
shelter.
Kasemark: A symbol on the forehead denoting membership of a particular
Hindu caste or tribe.
Eyelet: A small round hole in leather or cloth for threading a lace, string, or
rope; a small hole or slit in a wall for looking through.

The Bus: A Symbol of Life's Journey

The poem uses the bus journey as a metaphor for life's journey. The bus, a state
transport bus, carries passengers to Jejuri, a town with a revered Hindu temple. This
suggests that the passengers might be pilgrims, tourists, or locals. The journey itself
is described in detail, highlighting the discomfort and the limited view from inside the
bus. The passengers' experiences can be interpreted as metaphors for the
complexities of human life.

Line-by-Line Analysis

Lines 1-3: The Setting

Tarpaulin flaps are boned down on the windows. This suggests an older time,
when buses didn't have glass windows. It might also suggest that the weather
was bad (rain or wind). The bus is dark and creates a feeling of despair.
The destination is Jejuri.

Lines 4-6: The Journey

Cold wind whips and slaps the tarpaulin. This emphasizes the discomfort of the
journey.

Lines 7-9: The Passenger's Perspective

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Second-person narrative ("you").

The roaring road emphasizes the noise and perhaps danger of the journey.
The passenger looks for daybreak, signifying hope.

Lines 10-12: Divided Identity

The passenger sees his own divided face in the old man's glasses.
This suggests a dual identity or perspective—how the passenger sees himself
and how the world sees him.

Lines 13-15: Religious Themes and Life's Journey

The journey continues toward an unknown destination, "just beyond the
kasemark."
The kasemark symbolizes religious affiliation (Hinduism).
This is extended metaphorically to life: having a clear goal but still feeling like
the end is unknown.

Study Guide: Lecture Notes

Symbolism and Imagery
Mark Beyond His Eyebrows: This possibly implies a difference in belief
between the old and modern generation; the relevance of religion is highlighted
as its destination in a believer's life is unknown.
Rising Sun: Symbolizes hope and brings tranquility. The passenger's anxiety for
daybreak is resolved.
Personification of the Sun: The sun is described as rising quietly and peering
through a hole in the awning, shining on the old man's glasses.
Sunbeam on Driver's Temple: The sun ray hitting the driver's temple
symbolizes a transition, mirroring life's changes in direction.
"Your own face on either side when you get off the bus": This contrasts the
passenger's initial narrow perspective with a broadened vision after the journey,
highlighting self-discovery.
"Don't probe or converse with the old man": This ironic command emphasizes
the generational differences and the idea of not dwelling on the past.

Literary Devices

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Device Example Explanation

"Roaring road," Appeals to senses (hearing and

Imagery "Sunbeam...against the driver's sight); creates vivid mental
right temple" pictures.
Reference to a well-known place to
Allusion Juuri (town) deepen reader understanding of
the poem's setting and themes.
Compares the bus journey to the
Journey to Juuri compared to the
Metaphor challenges and self-discovery in
journey of life.
life.
"Cold wind...whipping and Gives human qualities to non-
Personification
slapping," "Sun has risen quietly" human things (wind, sun).
"Roaring road," "signs of
Repetition of consonant sounds for
Alliteration daybreak," "sword of sunbeam
emphasis and rhythm.
comes to rest gently"
Using objects or images to
Divided face in glasses, mark
Symbolism represent abstract ideas (divided
beyond eyebrows, daybreak
identity, religious faith, hope).
Onomatopoeia Whipping, slapping, roaring Words that imitate sounds.

Themes

Life as a Journey/Destination
The poem uses the bus journey to Juuri to represent the journey of life.
The destination (Juuri, a town known for religious temples) is symbolic of life's
goals, which may be uncertain or unclear due to unforeseen circumstances and
lack of hope.
The darkness and poor visibility represent challenges, despair, and troubles in
life. The daybreak symbolizes hope.

Identity and Self-Discovery

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The young passenger's "divided face" in the old man's glasses represents a
divided identity, showing how he perceives himself and how the world
perceives him.
The journey and the encounters during the bus ride lead to self-discovery and a
change in perspective, represented by "your face on either side" when getting
off the bus.
The final line emphasizes individual uniqueness; the young passenger should
not involve himself with the old man's beliefs, highlighting the separation
between generations and identities.

Life Challenges and Struggles

The personified cold wind and roaring road symbolize the challenges and
struggles in life.
The limited viewpoint from inside the bus represents the limited perspective
people have in life.
The journey's not a straight path, reflecting life's unexpected turns and
difficulties.

Theme: Transition and Change

The poem utilizes the bus journey as a metaphor for the journey of life. Line 21,
where the bus changes direction, symbolizes a shift in the passenger's life course.

Likely Examination Questions

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Analyze the significance of the tooling flaps, buttons, and windows of the bus.
How do these details contribute to the overall meaning?

How does the theme of journey manifest throughout the poem?

Explore the role of the old man's glasses and their symbolic meaning.

Discuss the impact of the cold wind and its interaction with the bus
passengers.

What is the significance of the sun rising quietly and shining through an eyelet
in the tipping?

How does the imagery of the bus changing direction contribute to the overall
theme of transition in the poem?

Analyze the metaphor of the individual's divided perception in the old man's
glasses and its implication on identity.

Discuss the contrast between the external journey (the bus ride) and the
internal reflections of the passengers.

How does the poem explore the themes of life struggle through the
passengers' experiences?

What role does identity play in shaping the passengers' experiences and
interpretations of their surroundings?

Discuss the significance of the final line, "You don't step inside the old man's
head," in relation to the themes of identity and self-reflection.

Metaphorical Analysis
The bus journey acts as a powerful metaphor for the unpredictable and
transformative nature of life's journey. The changes in direction and the
passengers' internal reflections mirror the complexities and uncertainties
we face as we progress through life.

Key Concepts

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Concept Description

Transition and The central theme, represented by the bus's changing direction
Change and the passengers' evolving perceptions.
The bus journey symbolizes the unpredictable and
Journey of Life
transformative nature of life's path.
Identity and Self- Explored through the imagery of the old man's glasses and the
Reflection passengers' internal thoughts and feelings.
The poem suggests the challenges and difficulties encountered
Life Struggle
along life's journey.

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