PRAYER BEFORE BIRTH

SUMMARY
The poem “Prayer before Birth” is written by Louis Macneice. The poem is a prayer by a child who is not yet born. He wishes to be saved from those who destroy the finer feeling of man and make him a machine. He is afraid of the blood shed in the world and prays that he may be saved from blood baths. He wants nature as his companion and not human beings without humanity in them. He wishes to be treated like a human being with feeling and intelligence and not like a trial object that can be thrown in any direction. If his humanity is to be destroyed after his birth he would prefer death to life. This is a very moving cry from a child not yet born. He is praying that please give me enough force to fight off those who would try to rob me off my tender nature. He wishes that others don’t use him for their own purposes. He says that if these prayers are not possible, then he would like to be killed before being born.
The poem is an open attack on modern civilization which has destroyed noble feelings in man. He is also a protest against the use of machinery which has destroyed all moral and spiritual values. The persons criticized are chiefly the capitals who have reduced man to a machine.


Short Questions and Answers

Q.1: What did the baby fear as to which be wanted consolation?

Ans: The not yet born child asked for consolation because he fears that he will be deprived of his freedom, that he will be force fed drugs. He fears that he will be manipulated with wise but wrong lies. He fears that people will torture him and make him bleed.
Q.2: What does the child want to be provided to him?

Ans: The child is saying that provide him with water to soothe him and the sight of grass growing around him, to amuse him. He wants different gifts of nature to keep him company. Like trees to talk to and the sky and birds to sing for him.

Q.3: What is the not yet born child trying to say in the lines, “Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me otherwise kill me”?

Ans: What the child is saying is that he wishes that he gets a chance to live according to his own wisdom and desires. He wishes that others should not use him for their purposes. He says that if it is not possible for these prayers to be granted to him, then he would like to be killed even before he is born.



Q: Fill in the blanks.

1. Provide me with ______________ to dandle me.
2. A white light in the back of my mind to __________________ me.
3. Would make me a _______________________ in a machine.
4. Let them not make me a __________________.
5. Otherwise _____________________________ me.
6. With strong ______________________ dope me.
7. This is a __________________ cry from a child not yet born.
Answers
(1). Water (2). Guide (3). Cog (4). Stone (5). Kill
(6). Drugs (7). Moving

Q: Choose the correct answer from the given options.

1. The Poem “Prayer before Birth” is written by
a) Padriac Column b) Louis Macneice
c) Stephen Spender d) Charles Kindsley

2. The line “Let not the blood sucking bat or the rat or the stoat or the club footed ghoul come near me” appear in which poem?
a) Prayer before Birth b) Ducks
c) The Empress d) Time, Gentlemen, Time

3. In the poem “Prayer before Birth” the poet
a) Loves modern civilization b) Hates modern civilization
c) Romantise old days d) Loves to be used

4. Which of the following line appears in the poem “Prayer before Birth”.
a) I’m weary of mist and dark b) Would not life be charming
c) I’m not yet born d) For we are dying all the time

5. Which of the following words do not follow the line “I am not yet born”.
a) Console me b) Provide me
c) Hear me d) Love me

Answers
1. (b) 2. (a) 3. (b) 4. (c) 5. (d)

Q. Find the Antonym of underlined words.

1. With strong drugs dope me.

a) Stupefy b) Fix
c) Feeling silly d) Complete senses

2. With wise lies Lure me.

a) Tempt b) Entice
c) Convince d) Kept away

3. All those who would dissipate my entirely.

a) Waste b) Save
c) Let go d) Use carelessly

Answers
1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (b)