5.English (Poetry) - Poem 5

The Empty Heart

Class 10 English (Poetry) - Poem 5

Poet: Periasamy Thooran

💰 About the Poem & Poet

Periasamy Thooran was a distinguished Tamil writer. "The Empty Heart" (translated by S. Swaminathan) is a poem about the insatiable nature of human greed. It tells the story of a rich man who was never satisfied and wanted more gold, which eventually led to his destruction.

📖 Summary (हिन्दी सारांश)

यह कविता एक अमीर लेकिन लालची आदमी की कहानी है।

कहानी:

• आदमी अमीर था लेकिन संतुष्ट नहीं था। उसने 'कल्पक' (Kalpaka - Wish-yielding tree) वृक्ष से प्रार्थना की कि उसे सोने का एक घड़ा (Pot of gold) मिल जाए।
• वृक्ष ने उसे 7 घड़े भरकर दिए और एक 8वाँ घड़ा आधा भरकर दिया।
• आदमी 7 भरे हुए घड़ों को भूल गया और उस 8वें आधे घड़े को भरने के पीछे पागल हो गया।
• उसने अपनी सारी कमाई, स्वास्थ्य और नैतिक मूल्यों को उस घड़े में डाल दिया, लेकिन वह कभी नहीं भरा। अंत में, इसी कोशिश में वह मर गया।

निष्कर्ष: "Empty Heart" उस 8वें घड़े का प्रतीक है जो कभी नहीं भरता। लालच (Greed) का कोई अंत नहीं है, और यह इंसान को बर्बाद कर देता है।

📚 Word Meanings (शब्दार्थ)

Word	Meaning (Hindi)	Meaning (English)
Pitcher	घड़ा/मटका	Earthen pot
Wish-yielding tree	कल्पवृक्ष (इच्छा पूरी करने वाला पेड़)	Kalpaka Vriksha
Satiate	संतुष्ट करना/तृप्त करना	To satisfy fully
Void	खालीपन/शून्य	Empty space
Brim	किनारा/मुंह (घड़े का)	Top edge of a container

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

B.1. Short Answer Questions

Q1. Was the rich man happy?

Ans: No, the rich man was not happy. Despite being rich, he was greedy and wanted more.

Q2. What did he pray to Kalpaka for?

Ans: He prayed to the Kalpaka tree for a pot of gold.

Q3. How many pots were given to him?

Ans: Seven full silver pitchers (pots) containing gold coins and one half-filled pitcher were given to him.

Q4. Why was the tree called unkind?

Ans: The man called the tree unkind because he thought the tree played a trick on him by giving the eighth pot only half-full, which destroyed his peace of mind.

C.1. Long Answer Questions

Q1. Explain the title "The Empty Heart".

Ans: The title "The Empty Heart" is very appropriate. It refers to the heart of a greedy person which is like the eighth half-filled pot. No matter how much wealth is poured into it, it remains empty and unsatisfied. The man in the poem had seven full pots of gold, but his heart was still empty because of his desire to fill the eighth one.

Q2. What happened to the man in the end?

Ans: In an attempt to fill the half-filled pot, the man worked day and night. He starved himself, ruined his health, and lost his peace of mind. He put all his wealth into the pot, but it never filled. Finally, his obsession became so great that he died without enjoying what he already had.

Q3. What is the moral of the poem?

Ans: The moral of the poem is that greed is a curse. It has no end. A person should be content with what they have. Chasing after endless desires only brings misery and destroys life. As the poet says, "Nothing is wrong with a half-filled purse; 'tis the void in the heart that is the curse."

-- Class 10 English (Bihar Board) Notes --