Arrival of the Monsoon Summary by Taufiq Rafat

The Arrival of the Monsoon is a descriptive poem by Pakistani poet and author Taufiq Rafat. This whole poem is metaphorically using different metaphors and imagery to convey the poet’s ideas. Let’s discuss the Summary of Arrival of the Monsoon. Read the Critical analysis of Arrival of Monsoon.

Summary of Arrival of the Monsoon by Taufiq Rafat

This poem starts with the strong metaphor of “Liberating wind “This metaphor stands for the freedom movement of 1947 in the subcontinent. According to the poet before 1947 everything was in a scattered position and nothing was in its appropriate place. There was chaos and confusion everywhere regarding the identity of the people. But this was the time for every messy condition to be settled down.

The poet is emphasizing that things that were unknown before 1947 are now going to have their compact identity and this identity is related to the coniferous lands a place where flowers of different kinds blooms. A coniferous land refers to Pakistan means a new homeland where everyone would have equal rights and freedom.

Read Here Time to Love by Taufiq Rafat

These lines not only focus on before migration scenario but also on the loss of identity whose regain is assigned with the new homeland and that is the creation of Pakistan. Another interpretation is that the direction of this liberating wind is northwards to the coniferous lands. This means that Independence and the creation of Pakistan are the source of happiness and also serve as a cause that will place things in order.

Summary of Arrival of the Monsoon

Then, the poet is using painful and destructive imagery of the 1947 war. This liberating wind can also be seen as a thrust of war when everything was destroyed with bloodshed killings riots and violence.

Roof corners turn into battlements this line is significant which shows that even in homes people were not safe.

Homes are always considered as shelter or security places where one can feel him/her safe but in war days those security places were also a kind of battlement.

Then, the poet is shifting his attention from the violence of war to the consequences of that war. Poet uses “Gliding days are over”. This is referring to the violent days which are gone now and everyone would be safe from onwards.

People who were forced to leave their places are now tossing back to their native places. They must struggle to achieve the direction of their lost homes and their families. They must forget their past painful memories and hope for a bright future awaiting them.

After discussing the violence of war and the consequences of war poet is now trying to discuss the love that the new homeland offers to people. A new homeland is like a candle that brings light to the lives of people.

Darkness descends and harsh realities are now dissolved. There is love, peace, and harmony everywhere and shadows of bloodshed and violence are now going away.

Summary of Arrival of the Monsoon

The poet is talking about the first rain of the monsoon which is a blessing from Allah Almighty. It is very important because it sweeps away every sign of violence.

This rain heals the internal and external wounds of the people. Like children who are cheered up and splashing in the rain, everything is happy and delighted Actually this is showing the extreme happiness of immigrants who are now going to have their native place.

In the second last paragraph, the poet is talking about the liveliness of everything which was dejected because of war and its ill effects. This independence and rain washed away all the elements of darkness and gave life to everything again.

Poet uses how madly the electric wire is swinging means that everything is cheered up and even the physical surrounding are also much happy. Everything is alive again referring to the martyrs of the freedom movement who are not dead but are alive forever. They are alive in a new form and that is regained of lost homeland.

In the last of this poem Taufiq Rafat is referring to the importance of rain on the surface as well as on a symbolic level. On surface level rainwater is very much important to the plants and vegetation. The roots of trees and plants get nourishment from rainwater.

On symbolic grounds, rainwater is interpreted in a way that serves to clean every single dust of hate, violence, and brutality and shed away all the sorrows and everything seemed new and fresh now. The poem ends in contrast with the previous summer which was producing weeds back in other lands before migration is now falling snow in this beautiful newly gained homeland.