Chapter 2: Unseen Poem: Comprehension and Appreciation

📚 Chapter Overview

Section	Topics Covered	PSTET Weightage
2.1	Introduction to Poetry Analysis	2-3 Questions
2.2	Elements of a Poem	3-4 Questions
2.3	Answering Questions on Poems	4-5 Questions
2.4	Practice Exercise with MCQs	4-5 Poems

🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

✅ Understand the nature of poetic language—imagery, symbolism, figurative language
✅ Identify key elements of poems: rhyme, rhythm, mood, theme
✅ Master strategies for interpreting poet's message and poetic devices
✅ Answer comprehension, inference, and device-based questions confidently
✅ Practice with authentic PSTET-style poems and questions

2.1 🎨 Introduction to Poetry Analysis

🔍 What is Poetry?

Poetry (ਕਵਿਤਾ) is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language—such as sound, imagery, and figurative meaning—to evoke emotions and ideas. Unlike prose, poetry is condensed, musical, and layered with meaning .

🎯 Why Poems in PSTET?

The PSTET includes unseen poems to assess:

Skill Assessed	What Examiners Look For
🧠 Comprehension	Do you understand the literal meaning?
🔎 Interpretation	Can you grasp deeper meanings?
🎭 Poetic Devices	Can you identify metaphor, simile, personification?
💭 Theme Identification	Can you recognize the central message?
🎵 Sound Elements	Are you aware of rhyme and rhythm?

[!IMPORTANT]
In PSTET Paper I and II, Section II (Language I - Punjabi) includes unseen poetry passages with questions on comprehension, inference, and poetic devices .

🌈 The Nature of Poetic Language

📝 1. Imagery (ਬਿੰਬ)

Imagery refers to words or phrases that create mental pictures by appealing to the five senses.

Sense Type	Description	Punjabi Example	English Translation
👁️ Visual	Sight	"ਸੁਨਹਿਰੀ ਕਣਕ ਦੇ ਖੇਤ"	Golden wheat fields
👂 Auditory	Hearing	"ਕੋਇਲ ਦੀ ਕੂਕ"	Call of the cuckoo
👃 Olfactory	Smell	"ਧਰਤੀ ਦੀ ਸੌਂਧੀ ਮਹਿਕ"	Earth's fragrant smell after rain
👅 Gustatory	Taste	"ਮਿੱਠਾ ਅੰਬ"	Sweet mango
✋ Tactile	Touch	"ਨਰਮ ਰੇਤ"	Soft sand

🔮 2. Symbolism (ਪ੍ਰਤੀਕਵਾਦ)

Symbolism occurs when an object, person, or situation represents something beyond its literal meaning.

Symbol	Literal Meaning	Symbolic Meaning
🕊️ ਕਬੂਤਰ	Pigeon	Peace
💡 ਦੀਵਾ	Lamp	Knowledge, hope
🌊 ਦਰਿਆ	River	Life's journey, time
🌸 ਫੁੱਲ	Flower	Beauty, fragility
🌧️ ਮੀਂਹ	Rain	Blessings, renewal

✨ 3. Figurative Language (ਅਲੰਕਾਰ)

Figurative language uses words in non-literal ways to create special effects.

Device	Definition	Punjabi Example	English Translation
🔄 Simile	Comparison using "like/as"	"ਉਹ ਸ਼ੇਰ ਵਾਂਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਹੈ"	He is brave like a lion
🪞 Metaphor	Direct comparison	"ਉਹ ਸੂਰਜ ਹੈ"	He is the sun
👤 Personification	Human qualities to objects	"ਹਵਾ ਨੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਦਸਤਕ ਦਿੱਤੀ"	The wind knocked
🗣️ Apostrophe	Addressing absent person/object	"ਹੇ ਮਿੱਤਰ! ਤੂੰ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਹੈਂ?"	O friend! Where are you?
📈 Hyperbole	Exaggeration	"ਉਸਨੂੰ ਦੇਖ ਕੇ ਚੰਨ ਸ਼ਰਮਾ ਗਿਆ"	The moon felt shy seeing her

2.2 📐 Elements of a Poem

🎵 Rhyme (ਤੁਕਾਂਤ)

Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds at the end of lines.

Types of Rhyme:

Type	Description	Example
🎯 End Rhyme	Rhyme at line ends	"ਚੜ੍ਹਦਾ ਸੂਰਜ ਢਲ ਗਿਆ / ਪੰਛੀ ਸਾਰੇ ਰੁਖ਼ 'ਤੇ ਆ ਗਏ"
🔄 Internal Rhyme	Rhyme within a line	"ਰਾਤ ਹਨੇਰੀ, ਚੰਨ ਦੀ ਚਾਂਦਨੀ"
🎪 Slant Rhyme	Close but not exact	"ਪਿਆਰ" and "ਯਾਰ"

Rhyme Schemes:

AABB: Couplets (ਜੋੜਾ-ਤੁਕਾਂਤ)
ABAB: Alternate rhyme (ਬਦਲਵੀਂ ਤੁਕਾਂਤ)
ABBA: Enclosed rhyme (ਘਿਰੀ ਤੁਕਾਂਤ)

🥁 Rhythm (ਤਾਲ)

Rhythm is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that creates musical flow.

Rhythm Type	Feeling Created	Used In
⚡ Fast rhythm	Excitement, urgency	War poems, action
🐢 Slow rhythm	Calm, sadness	Nature poems, elegies
🔁 Regular rhythm	Stability, order	Traditional poems
🔀 Irregular rhythm	Confusion, emphasis	Modern poetry

🎭 Mood (ਮੂਡ)

Mood is the emotional atmosphere created by the poem.

Mood	Clue Words	Effect on Reader
😊 Joyful	Laughter, sunshine, flowers	Feeling happy
😔 Melancholic	Tears, loneliness, rain	Feeling sad
😨 Fearful	Dark, storm, shadow	Feeling scared
🧘 Peaceful	Quiet, river, moonlight	Feeling calm
🤔 Thoughtful	Life, death, meaning	Reflecting

💭 Theme (ਵਿਸ਼ਾ)

Theme is the central idea or message of the poem.

Common Themes in Punjabi Poetry:

Theme	Description	Example Poet
🌄 ਪ੍ਰਕਿਰਤੀ (Nature)	Beauty of landscapes, seasons	Amrita Pritam
❤️ ਪਿਆਰ (Love)	Romantic, parental, divine	Shiv Kumar Batalvi
🇮🇳 ਦੇਸ਼-ਭਗਤੀ (Patriotism)	Love for motherland	Avtar Singh Azad
🙏 ਅਧਿਆਤਮਿਕ (Spiritual)	God, soul, devotion	Bhai Vir Singh
👥 ਸਮਾਜਿਕ (Social)	Inequality, justice	Pash, Paash

📊 Elements Comparison Table

Element	What It Is	How to Identify	Questions It Answers
🎵 Rhyme	Sound repetition	Look at last words of lines	What is the rhyme scheme?
🥁 Rhythm	Beat/flow	Read aloud, feel the pulse	How does the poem flow?
🎭 Mood	Emotional atmosphere	Identify feeling words	What emotion dominates?
💭 Theme	Central message	Ask: "What's the poem about?"	What is the poet's message?

2.3 💡 Answering Questions on Poems

📋 Types of Poetry Questions

PSTET poetry questions generally fall into four categories :

🔹 Type 1: Comprehension/Literal Questions

These questions ask for directly stated information.

Examples:

"What season is described in the poem?"
"Who is the poet addressing in the first stanza?"
"What does the poet see in the morning?"

Strategy:

Read the poem carefully
Locate the specific lines
Find the answer exactly as stated
Match with options

🔹 Type 2: Poetic Device Questions

These questions ask you to identify literary devices.

Examples:

"Which poetic device is used in the line 'ਹਵਾ ਨੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਦਸਤਕ ਦਿੱਤੀ'?" → Answer: Personification
"Identify the figure of speech: 'ਉਹ ਸ਼ੇਰ ਵਾਂਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਹੈ'" → Answer: Simile

Strategy:

Device	Clue Words/Signs
Simile	ਵਾਂਗ, ਵਰਗਾ, like, as
Metaphor	Direct comparison, no "like"
Personification	Non-human doing human actions
Hyperbole	Extreme exaggeration
Alliteration	Repeated beginning sounds

🔹 Type 3: Inference/Interpretation Questions

These questions require reading between the lines.

Examples:

"What does the poet mean by 'ਸੁੱਕੇ ਪੱਤੇ' (dry leaves)?"
"Why does the poet compare life to a river?"

Strategy:

Look at the context of the symbol/word
Consider the poem's theme
Think about cultural meanings
Ask: "What deeper meaning could this represent?"

🔹 Type 4: Vocabulary Questions

These questions test word meanings in poetic context.

Examples:

"What is the meaning of 'ਵਿਰਹ' in the poem?" → Answer: Separation/longing
"Find the word that means 'darkness'" → Answer: ਹਨੇਰਾ

Strategy:

Find the word in the poem
Read lines before and after
Guess meaning from context
Check if word has special poetic meaning

🎯 Step-by-Step Approach to Poetry Questions

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Why It's Wrong	How to Avoid
❌ Literal reading only	Poetry has deeper meanings	Look for symbolism
❌ Ignoring title	Title often reveals theme	Always read title carefully
❌ Rushing through	Miss poetic devices	Read slowly, notice language
❌ Outside knowledge	Answer must come FROM poem	Stick to given text
❌ Missing tone clues	Tone indicates meaning	Identify emotion words

2.4 ✍️ Practice Exercise

📝 Instructions

Read the following poems carefully and answer the questions that follow. Each poem is followed by 5-6 multiple-choice questions modeled on the PSTET pattern.