Time And Time Again
In “Time and Time Again”, A.K. Ramanujan gives us more than just a poem—he offers a quiet, powerful meditation on how time touches every corner of our lives. With the image of distant clock towers chiming in different cities, the poet reminds us that time isn’t just measured in minutes and hours—it’s felt in memories, losses, choices, and the small moments we often overlook.
This poem doesn’t shout. It whispers truths we all feel but rarely say out loud—how life changes us slowly, how time can carry both beauty and heartbreak, and how even the strongest structures (like clock towers) can fall, just like moments in life that seem so permanent until they’re gone.
As a student, this poem may feel abstract at first. But when you read it closely, it speaks directly to you—to your journey, your growth, your uncertainties. It tells you: "You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed by time."
At www.dasklibro.com, we’re here to help you truly connect with poems like this one. On this page, you’ll find:
💡 Clear explanations of each stanza and symbol
✍️ Thoughtful, exam-focused answers tailored for CBSE
❤️ A deeper emotional understanding of how time shapes us all
This isn’t just a poem—it’s a mirror. Let’s explore it with heart.
Textbook Questions: Responding to the Poem
1. What did you think the poem was about when you read the first few lines?
🔹 20 words:
At first, the poem seems to describe city clocktowers and their rhythms, focusing on sounds, time, and surroundings.
🔹 40 words:
The first few lines describe the different gongs of city clocktowers. It appears to be about how clocks keep slightly different time due to physical differences. But soon, the deeper meaning of human conflict and cultural differences becomes clear.
🔹 60 words:
Initially, the poem looks like an observation of city clocks and their time differences. The sounds, alloys, and makers’ hands are mentioned, making it feel technical. But as the poem progresses, it shifts into something deeper—talking about cultural differences, human disharmony, and even destruction. So, what starts as a study of clocks becomes a reflection on time, violence, and diversity.
🔹 80 words:
In the beginning, the poem appears to be about the slight time variations among old city clocktowers. It discusses how gongs differ in tone due to material, distance, or their makers’ hands. But this simple observation gradually unfolds into a metaphor for human life, diversity, and disharmony. The differences among clocks become a symbol of the differences among communities, and eventually the poem addresses destruction from riots, bombs, and nature. So, it starts technically but soon moves into deep human emotion and reflection.
2. From which line does the import of the title strike the reader?
🔹 20 words:
The title’s meaning becomes clear from “One day you look up…” when violence or disaster destroys even timeless structures.
🔹 40 words:
The title gains depth from the line “One day you look up….” It shows how time and destruction return again and again—through riots, bombs, or lightning. The poem reflects that such tragedies repeat themselves throughout history and continue to affect lives.
🔹 60 words:
The title “Time and Time Again” makes full sense from the moment the poet says, “One day you look up…” He refers to a destroyed clocktower after a riot or a natural disaster. This sudden change shows that destruction keeps returning—time after time. The poem uses this moment to reflect how history, conflict, and nature repeat themselves in endless cycles.
🔹 80 words:
The importance of the title becomes fully clear from the line “One day you look up….” At this point, the poem shifts from calm observation to a reflection on destruction caused by riots, bombs, or nature. This shows that violence and disaster are not one-time events—they happen again and again. The title reminds us that such events repeat endlessly across history and society, affecting generations. “Time and Time Again” is not just about clocks, but about the continuous return of conflict and chaos.
3. What makes for the differences between the timekeeping of the various clocks? What is the implicit comparison?
🔹 20 words:
Different clocks tick differently due to their design, distance, and material. The poet compares this to cultural and religious diversity.
🔹 40 words:
Clocks sound different due to alloy, maker’s skill, and location. The poet uses this as a metaphor for human society. Just like clocks differ slightly, people, religions, and communities also vary. It shows how these differences can cause disharmony or beauty.
🔹 60 words:
The poem says city clocks sound different because of their materials, makers, and distances. The poet uses this as a subtle metaphor. Just like clocks don’t strike together, different cultures, religions, and people also live out-of-sync. These variations can lead to misunderstandings or conflict. The poem uses clocks as a symbol to reflect how small differences shape society.
🔹 80 words:
According to the poet, clocks vary in sound due to several reasons—different alloys, craftsmanship, and distance between them. But these technical differences represent something deeper: the diversity in society. Clocks striking differently becomes a metaphor for how people of different religions and cultures live with distinct beliefs, customs, and timelines. The poem compares mechanical difference to human difference, suggesting that though the causes may seem small, the effects can lead to harmony or, at times, division and conflict.
4. Why is the act of nature described as ‘precise’?
🔹 20 words:
Nature is called ‘precise’ because its destruction is sudden, exact, and powerful—like lightning striking with accuracy and force.
🔹 40 words:
The poet calls nature’s act “precise” because natural disasters like lightning happen with direct, powerful impact. Unlike human violence, which is chaotic, nature’s fury is exact and well-timed. It shows that nature too can bring sudden, focused destruction.
🔹 60 words:
The act of nature, such as lightning destroying a clocktower, is described as “precise” because it is sharp, sudden, and unstoppable. It doesn’t come with warnings or confusion—it just strikes. Unlike human violence, which may have emotional or political causes, nature’s destruction is exact and emotionless. This contrast highlights the power and mystery of natural forces.
🔹 80 words:
The term “precise” for an act of nature suggests that natural disasters—like lightning—strike with sharpness, timing, and force. It happens suddenly and with great impact, leaving no space for doubt. In contrast to the messiness of human violence, natural acts feel clean and absolute. By using this word, the poet emphasizes how powerful and final nature’s movements can be, and how even ancient, solid things like clocktowers can be wiped out in a moment of natural fury.
5. Which of the following reflects the poet’s attitude towards communal disharmony?
(i) Critical condemnation (ii) Helpless acceptance (iii) Wistful lament)
🔹 Answer (in all word limits):
The correct answer is: (iii) Wistful lament.
A.K. Ramanujan does not shout in anger or preach in his poem. Instead, he gently shows the sadness that comes from seeing beauty and unity destroyed by communal disharmony. He presents a broken clocktower after a riot or bombing—not with judgment, but with sorrow. His words carry deep regret and emotional pain. He wishes for peace, yet accepts that such events keep happening. This mournful reflection on the human condition makes “wistful lament” the most accurate description of the poet’s emotional response.
6. Is the poet’s attitude a representation of how the average Indian feels both towards human violence and nature’s fury?
🔹 20 words:
Yes, most Indians feel sad, helpless, and used to such events. The poet reflects this emotional mix of fear and acceptance.
🔹 40 words:
The poet represents the emotions of many Indians who see violence and disasters repeating in their lives. They feel sorrowful but powerless. His quiet tone shows how people often mourn, fear, and yet continue living through both human and natural tragedies.
🔹 60 words:
Yes, the poet’s attitude mirrors how common people feel in India. Human violence and natural disasters keep happening, and people often feel they cannot stop them. There’s sadness, fear, and helplessness. The poet’s tone captures this mix of mourning and acceptance. People don’t always express anger, but they do carry the emotional weight of repeated tragedy deep within.
🔹 80 words:
The poet’s calm yet sorrowful attitude reflects the emotional state of many ordinary Indians. People have seen communal riots, political violence, and natural disasters again and again. They no longer respond with shock or anger, but with a heavy heart and quiet acceptance. The poet does the same—he mourns the destruction of shared beauty but understands that such events repeat. This gentle, emotional tone accurately portrays the mindset of a society familiar with pain yet still longing for peace.
EXTRA QUESTIONS
✅ 1. What is the central theme of the poem?
🔹 20 words:
The poem explores time, diversity, and destruction—how human and natural forces keep repeating throughout history, again and again.
🔹 40 words:
The central theme is the cycle of time and repeated destruction—whether by human violence or nature. The poem shows how cultural differences, social disharmony, and disasters return “time and time again,” breaking down even peaceful structures like city clocktowers.
🔹 60 words:
The poem’s main theme is the repetition of time, violence, and loss in human life. Ramanujan explores how both man-made violence and nature’s fury repeatedly destroy symbols of order, like clocktowers. It also touches on diversity, cultural tension, and the helplessness of common people. The poem reflects on how these patterns continue across generations, marking life with sorrow and reflection.
🔹 80 words:
A.K. Ramanujan’s “Time and Time Again” captures the recurring nature of violence, destruction, and cultural division. Whether it’s riots, bombings, or natural disasters, these events come back repeatedly, disturbing the peace. The poet uses the image of old city clocktowers to show how even structured, organized life can be disrupted. At the same time, he explores how diversity and time differences exist in both nature and society. The poem’s theme is a blend of sorrow, memory, history, and deep emotional insight.
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✅ 2. What do the clocktowers symbolize?
🔹 20 words:
Clocktowers symbolize order, time, structure, and unity. Their destruction represents chaos, violence, and the breakdown of peaceful coexistence.
🔹 40 words:
In the poem, clocktowers stand for time, tradition, and social harmony. When destroyed, they symbolize how riots or disasters break society’s rhythm. These towers also reflect cultural history, and their damage shows the emotional and physical loss caused by repeated conflicts.
🔹 60 words:
Ramanujan uses clocktowers to symbolize peaceful order and unity in a diverse society. Each tower’s unique rhythm represents different cultures and beliefs. When destroyed by riots, bombs, or lightning, they reflect how violence breaks down shared systems. Their damage isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, representing how communities suffer loss, disconnection, and sorrow through repeated acts of destruction.
🔹 80 words:
Clocktowers in the poem represent more than just timekeeping—they are symbols of unity, cultural coexistence, and structure. Each one beating slightly differently reflects diversity in religion, tradition, and human experience. When a clocktower is destroyed, it represents not just physical loss but emotional and cultural collapse. The poet mourns this repeated destruction, showing how even timeless, public symbols of order can fall to human violence or natural disasters. They are powerful metaphors for the fragile harmony in a divided world.
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✅ 3. How does the poet show the impact of violence on daily life?
🔹 20 words:
He shows how violence destroys normal things like clocktowers, symbolizing the disruption of daily peace, order, and emotional stability.
🔹 40 words:
Ramanujan shows that violence affects not only people but also everyday structures. A destroyed clocktower reflects how something constant and dependable can suddenly disappear. It shows that riots and bombs shake both society and the emotions of common people deeply.
🔹 60 words:
The poet illustrates how deeply violence affects daily life. Clocktowers, which mark peaceful hours, are suddenly destroyed by riots or bombs. This symbolizes how violence interrupts the regular flow of life, both physically and emotionally. It shows that even small acts of terror or hate can shatter public order and hurt people who rely on these rhythms for a sense of safety.
🔹 80 words:
A.K. Ramanujan portrays the impact of violence on ordinary life by showing how something stable, like a clocktower, can be ruined in an instant. These towers aren’t just about time—they represent society’s heartbeat. Their destruction in a riot or bombing shows how violence breaks both physical structures and the emotional comfort people find in daily routines. The poem makes us see that even one act of hate or conflict can leave a long-lasting scar on people’s lives and their sense of security.
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✅ 4. What role does diversity play in the poem?
🔹 20 words:
Diversity is shown through differences in clock sounds, symbolizing various communities living together, sometimes peacefully, sometimes in conflict.
🔹 40 words:
The poem celebrates diversity through the different sounds of clocktowers. These represent cultural, religious, and social differences. While diversity can create harmony, the poet also shows how these differences sometimes lead to conflict, highlighting the fragile balance in society.
🔹 60 words:
Ramanujan presents diversity as both beautiful and challenging. The clocks represent different voices, communities, and rhythms. While their variety adds richness to society, small differences can also lead to misunderstandings and conflict. The poet reflects how India’s religious and cultural mix creates complexity—where harmony is possible, but so is division, especially when influenced by human emotion or political events.
🔹 80 words:
In “Time and Time Again,” diversity is a central idea, represented by the various clocktowers each beating differently. These clocks symbolize India’s rich blend of religions, languages, and traditions. Ramanujan respects this cultural mix, but he also points out how such diversity, if not respected, can turn into division. The differences among people, like the clocks, can either create a beautiful rhythm or lead to chaos. The poem is a reflection on how delicate the balance of diversity truly is.
✅ 5. What does the phrase “eyeless, silent” imply?
🔹 20 words:
It shows the destroyed clocktower. “Eyeless” means broken face, “silent” means it no longer tells time or brings order.
🔹 40 words:
The poet uses “eyeless, silent” to describe a damaged clocktower. Its face is gone, and it no longer chimes. These words show how violence erases history, order, and beauty. The silence is not peace—it’s loss and brokenness.
🔹 60 words:
“Eyeless, silent” is a powerful image that reflects complete destruction. The clocktower, once a symbol of time and structure, now has no face and no voice. It no longer keeps time, guides people, or unites a community. The poet uses these words to highlight the emotional and cultural emptiness left behind when violence destroys symbols of order and unity.
🔹 80 words:
The phrase “eyeless, silent” paints a haunting picture of a clocktower destroyed by violence. Its face, like an eye, is broken, and its bell no longer sounds. This image shows the deep emotional impact of destruction. Something that once connected people through time and sound is now useless and forgotten. Ramanujan uses these words to show how acts of violence erase memory, silence history, and leave society in a state of emptiness and confusion.
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✅ 6. What does the poet suggest by “a change of mind or a siren”?
🔹 20 words:
He suggests that sudden changes—like fear, tension, or emergencies—can break harmony and silence the peace between communities.
🔹 40 words:
The poet shows how easily harmony can break. A “change of mind” or a siren can mean sudden violence or unrest. Peace is delicate, and even small changes in thought or mood can disrupt it, especially in sensitive societies.
🔹 60 words:
The line “a change of mind or a siren” shows how fragile peace is. A slight shift in people’s attitudes, or a loud emergency sound, can destroy calm and create fear. The poet points out that communities living together are often on edge, and even minor disturbances can trigger major conflict or unrest. It reflects real-life situations in diverse, sensitive societies.
🔹 80 words:
Ramanujan uses the line “a change of mind or a siren” to show how peace in society can be broken in a moment. A person’s sudden anger or fear, or an emergency siren, can destroy trust and trigger chaos. It emphasizes how emotionally charged and delicate communal relationships are. The poet suggests that even without war, our minds and moods can cause disruption. This line captures the emotional reality of a society where peace always hangs by a thread.
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✅ 7. How does the poet use sound to structure the poem?
🔹 20 words:
He uses sounds like gongs, bells, and silence to show life’s rhythm, difference, harmony, and sudden destruction.
🔹 40 words:
Sounds in the poem—clock gongs, sirens, silence—reflect life’s cycles. At first, they show diversity and rhythm. Later, silence replaces sound, representing loss. The poet uses this shift from sound to silence to show the move from peace to destruction.
🔹 60 words:
Ramanujan uses sound to guide the poem’s movement. The gongs of clocktowers suggest order, rhythm, and cultural difference. Sirens and quarrels introduce tension. Finally, silence dominates—a destroyed clock no longer speaks. This soundscape reflects the human journey: from diverse lives coexisting, to conflict disrupting peace, and ending in quiet devastation. Sound becomes a powerful emotional and structural tool in the poem.
🔹 80 words:
Sound is a central tool in Ramanujan’s poem. It begins with the rhythmic gongs of clocktowers, representing peaceful co-existence and diversity. Each clock has a different tone, symbolizing the beauty in difference. But sounds shift—sirens appear, quarrels rise, and then silence follows after destruction. The absence of sound in “eyeless, silent” is deeply symbolic. The transition from sound to silence mirrors society’s move from peace to conflict. Through this pattern, the poet captures the emotional waves of life and loss.
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✅ 8. What emotions does the poem evoke in the reader?
🔹 20 words:
The poem evokes sadness, reflection, helplessness, and nostalgia. It makes readers think about peace, destruction, and human harmony.
🔹 40 words:
Readers feel sorrow and reflection as they witness peace turning into silence and destruction. The poem also brings awareness of cultural tension, human helplessness, and the repeated nature of violence. It creates a quiet emotional impact through simple, thoughtful language.
🔹 60 words:
“Time and Time Again” stirs deep emotions—quiet sadness, regret, and helplessness. Readers see how cultural beauty and harmony can be broken by riots or disasters. There’s no dramatic anger here, just a reflective voice. The poem gently reminds us of how fragile our world is and how history often repeats itself, bringing the same pain again and again.
🔹 80 words:
Ramanujan’s poem touches the reader with a mix of sorrow, reflection, and empathy. It evokes sadness for what is lost—peace, beauty, and trust among communities. It also brings awareness of how time, violence, and human mistakes repeat across generations. The quiet tone encourages deep thought rather than blame. It reflects how ordinary people often watch history unfold helplessly, mourning silently when their shared spaces are destroyed. The poem leaves the reader emotionally thoughtful and more aware of the value of harmony.
✅ 9. Why is the poet’s tone calm despite violence?
🔹 20 words:
The poet uses a calm tone to reflect quiet sorrow, showing how repeated violence becomes a painful but accepted part of life.
🔹 40 words:
Instead of anger, the poet shows sadness and reflection. His calm tone expresses emotional exhaustion, as if violence is no longer shocking. It reflects how people often feel helpless and silently mourn repeated destruction in a world where such events are common.
🔹 60 words:
The poet’s calm tone reveals quiet sorrow rather than outrage. He doesn’t react loudly to the destruction—he reflects on it. This suggests emotional weariness, like someone who has seen too much violence. It shows how repeated communal unrest and disasters make people silently suffer, accept pain, and continue living. The tone makes the message more powerful by expressing deep, restrained emotion.
🔹 80 words:
Ramanujan chooses a calm, reflective tone rather than anger or dramatic protest. This is intentional—it mirrors how common people experience violence: not with loud rebellion, but with quiet grief. When tragedies repeat over time, emotions change. The poet shows how people feel emotionally numb or exhausted, silently mourning what’s lost. The calmness increases the poem’s emotional depth. It allows readers to sense the pain behind the silence, revealing a more realistic and moving response to violence and cultural disharmony.
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✅ 10. What do “mutual distances” among clocks symbolize?
🔹 20 words:
They represent cultural and emotional differences between communities. These distances may cause both beautiful variety and dangerous misunderstandings.
🔹 40 words:
The “mutual distances” between clocks symbolize the differences between people, beliefs, and traditions. Just like clocks beat differently due to distance, human communities have varied thoughts and behaviors. These gaps can either lead to peaceful diversity or harmful division.
🔹 60 words:
“Mutual distances” suggest more than physical space between clocks—they hint at emotional, cultural, and social distances among people and communities. These differences can cause slight mismatches in thought, timing, or understanding. While sometimes harmless or even enriching, they may also create division and conflict. Ramanujan uses this as a metaphor to show how small separations in society can lead to disharmony if not respected or bridged.
🔹 80 words:
Ramanujan’s phrase “mutual distances” refers to the gaps between clocks but also symbolizes the emotional and cultural separations between different communities. Just as each clock has a different sound because of its location, communities have their own unique identities and worldviews. These distances are natural, but if ignored or misunderstood, they can cause conflict. The poet suggests that such differences must be acknowledged and handled with care. Otherwise, the emotional and cultural distance can widen into division, unrest, or even violence.
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✅ 11. How do the poet’s linguistic skills enrich this poem?
🔹 20 words:
His use of simple but deep language, metaphors, and sounds helps express emotions, diversity, and repeated destruction effectively.
🔹 40 words:
Ramanujan’s skills as a translator and scholar shine in his poem. He uses rich metaphors and precise words to describe cultural harmony and conflict. His language is both poetic and philosophical, making complex feelings easily relatable and deeply moving.
🔹 60 words:
A.K. Ramanujan’s linguistic mastery makes the poem powerful and subtle. His poetic phrasing, careful metaphors, and simple vocabulary make the poem feel universal and personal. He blends sound, structure, and symbolism effortlessly. Through minimal words, he expresses vast ideas—about time, culture, violence, and human nature. His language invites reflection and offers emotional clarity to the reader.
🔹 80 words:
Ramanujan’s background as a linguist and translator shapes his poetic voice. He uses simple yet profound language to convey deep messages. The poem is filled with sounds, silence, metaphors, and cultural references, all crafted with precision. He avoids dramatic words and instead uses a calm, clear tone that makes the sorrow even more moving. His ability to express historical, cultural, and emotional complexity in such a short poem is a clear mark of his linguistic excellence and poetic brilliance.
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✅ 12. What does “a donor’s whim” reveal about public symbols?
🔹 20 words:
It shows that even important public symbols like clocktowers may be shaped by personal choices, not always public purpose.
🔹 40 words:
The phrase suggests that public monuments can be built or placed based on random personal decisions, not community needs. This adds irony, showing how deeply symbolic things may have roots in chance or personal ego rather than collective values.
🔹 60 words:
“A donor’s whim” highlights how public symbols, like clocktowers, are sometimes established not from community consensus but personal desire or status. It shows the irony of how meaningful structures may have shallow beginnings. This also suggests that society often assigns deep value to things built casually, adding a layer of complexity to how we understand shared symbols and history.
🔹 80 words:
Ramanujan’s use of “a donor’s whim” subtly critiques the nature of public monuments. It shows how something that becomes a community landmark may have started simply as a random decision by a wealthy donor. This adds an ironic tone—suggesting that even symbols of unity or timekeeping may have selfish or accidental origins. Yet, these same structures later hold emotional meaning for communities. It shows how society builds collective memory and importance on foundations that may not always be rooted in shared purpose.
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✅ 13. How does the poet blend personal and public themes?
🔹 20 words:
He connects public symbols like clocktowers with personal emotions, blending private sorrow with social events like riots or disasters.
🔹 40 words:
The poem moves between public symbols and personal feelings. Ramanujan uses clocktowers to reflect on both community life and emotional loss. He blends historical events, social diversity, and individual pain to show how personal lives are deeply shaped by public violence.
🔹 60 words:
Ramanujan skillfully blends personal reflection with public experience. He observes clocktowers—shared city landmarks—but uses them to express his own sorrow about violence and change. His feelings reflect not only individual emotion but collective memory and pain. Through this mix, the poet shows how deeply public tragedies affect personal lives, and how every social event leaves emotional marks on individuals.
🔹 80 words:
The poem connects the external world of cities, clocks, and riots with the poet’s internal feelings of sorrow and reflection. Ramanujan doesn’t separate his emotions from social reality—he blends them. The broken clocktower becomes a symbol of both public destruction and private grief. He shows that social events—communal violence, disasters, or history—don’t just affect cities, they shape how individuals feel and remember. This blending gives the poem emotional richness, making it relatable for readers across time and cultures.
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✅ 14. What does the “zigzag sky” symbolize?
🔹 20 words:
It symbolizes brokenness, disorder, and chaos—what’s seen through the ruins of a destroyed clocktower after violence or disaster.
🔹 40 words:
The “zigzag sky” shows a torn view of the heavens through broken clocktowers. It reflects instability and chaos in society. It symbolizes how violence disrupts order, leaving behind confusion, loss, and a shattered view of what was once whole.
🔹 60 words:
The phrase “zigzag sky” symbolizes a fractured view of the world. Seen through a damaged clocktower, it suggests brokenness and disorder after destruction. It reflects how peaceful structures—and peaceful societies—can be shattered by sudden violence. The sky, once wide and calm, now appears twisted. This reflects how people’s view of life and hope becomes distorted after conflict and loss.
🔹 80 words:
The “zigzag sky” is a visual and emotional symbol. It represents the chaotic aftermath of destruction, seen through the empty space of a destroyed clocktower. The sky, once peaceful and full, now appears broken, just like the community. This zigzag pattern symbolizes not only physical ruin but the emotional confusion left behind by violence. It’s a reminder that when public structures fall, so does our clear vision of peace, unity, and future. The broken sky becomes a mirror of broken lives.
✅ 15. How does the poet depict historical repetition?
🔹 20 words:
He shows that events like violence, riots, or disasters return again and again, much like the ticking of time itself.
🔹 40 words:
The poet suggests that history repeats itself through recurring riots, bombings, and natural disasters. Just like clocks strike every hour, human society also goes through repeated cycles of destruction and sorrow. This makes the poem feel timeless and universal.
🔹 60 words:
Ramanujan shows that human history is filled with recurring moments of pain. The poem’s clocks symbolize time’s cycle, and the destruction of clocktowers reflects how violence and tragedy keep returning. The poet doesn’t describe one event—he describes a pattern. Through soft but powerful imagery, he warns us that unless we change, history will repeat itself again and again.
🔹 80 words:
The poem explores how historical events—especially violence and conflict—repeat themselves like the ticking of clocks. Ramanujan doesn’t focus on one incident but describes a pattern of riots, bombings, and disasters. These events don’t just happen once; they return time and time again, affecting new generations. Through the image of clocktowers and their destruction, he presents a powerful commentary on human failure to learn from the past. His message is clear: history repeats unless we truly change.
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✅ 16. How does the poem reflect India’s reality?
🔹 20 words:
The poem reflects India’s mix of religions, beauty of diversity, and the pain caused by repeated communal violence and natural disasters.
🔹 40 words:
The poem mirrors India’s reality—where Hindu, Muslim, and Christian communities live side by side. While their differences can create beauty, they also lead to conflict. The poem reflects the ongoing struggle between peaceful living and repeated violence across Indian cities.
🔹 60 words:
Ramanujan’s poem captures the heart of India’s cultural and social reality. He shows how different religions live together, creating a mix of traditions and beliefs. But this diversity sometimes leads to unrest and violence. The repeated destruction of clocktowers mirrors India’s long history of communal tension, riots, and sorrow. His poem becomes a soft but powerful reflection of the country’s emotional and political struggles.
🔹 80 words:
The poem offers a deep, honest reflection of India’s social fabric. Ramanujan paints a picture of India’s old cities, where temples, mosques, and churches coexist. Yet, this rich diversity is fragile. The poem reflects how tensions between communities often lead to riots, bombings, and cultural loss. It also shows the helplessness of people watching their public spaces being destroyed. Through symbols like clocktowers and sounds, the poem captures the rhythm of Indian life—its diversity, its struggles, and its repeated grief.
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✅ 17. How is the poem relevant today?
🔹 20 words:
The poem remains relevant because society still faces communal violence, emotional exhaustion, and the repeated nature of destruction and loss.
🔹 40 words:
Even today, we experience religious conflict, social tension, and natural disasters. The poet’s message—that such events repeat again and again—feels timeless. His warning about losing beauty and harmony due to violence speaks strongly in today’s divided, troubled world.
🔹 60 words:
The poem’s message is highly relevant in today’s world. Cities still face communal clashes, bombings, and natural calamities. Like in the poem, structures fall and communities suffer. People feel helpless and tired. The poem’s soft voice and deep emotion connect with modern readers who live through similar tragedies. Its reflection on human division, emotional numbness, and history repeating itself still speaks powerfully today.
🔹 80 words:
A.K. Ramanujan’s poem is strikingly relevant in the modern world. Across the globe—and especially in India—people still face riots, bombings, religious conflict, and natural disasters. His quiet sorrow about the destruction of beauty and culture mirrors what many people feel today. The idea that these events happen “time and time again” is painfully accurate. The poem gently reminds us that unless we value peace, respect diversity, and learn from history, we will continue to repeat our mistakes forever.
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✅ 18. What literary devices are used in the poem?
🔹 20 words:
The poem uses metaphor, imagery, personification, symbolism, and sound-based language to express time, violence, sorrow, and diversity.
🔹 40 words:
Ramanujan uses metaphor (clocks for society), imagery (eyeless, zigzag sky), symbolism (clocktower = structure), personification (clocks speaking), and alliteration. These devices help the poem express deep meaning in short lines. They create emotional depth and highlight repeating violence and diversity.
🔹 60 words:
The poem uses several poetic devices to deepen its meaning. Metaphor is used in comparing clocks to people or cultures. Imagery like “eyeless, silent” and “zigzag sky” gives visual emotion. Sound imagery (gongs, sirens) reflects rhythm and tension. Personification of clocks and symbolism in clocktowers highlight cultural values. These devices work together to express sorrow, repetition, beauty, and destruction.
🔹 80 words:
Ramanujan masterfully uses poetic devices to build the emotional and symbolic layers of the poem. The clocks are metaphors for communities, and the differences in sound reflect cultural variety. Imagery such as “zigzag sky” or “eyeless, silent” evokes loss and brokenness. Sound-based language (gongs, sirens) provides a rhythmic and emotional structure. Symbolism runs throughout—the clocktower represents unity, and its destruction shows broken peace. Personification brings the clocks to life. These devices create a poetic world filled with both harmony and haunting sorrow.
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✅ 19. How does the title connect with the poem’s message?
🔹 20 words:
The title “Time and Time Again” shows how violence, sorrow, and destruction repeat themselves endlessly in human history.
🔹 40 words:
The title reflects the poem’s main idea: that violence and destruction occur repeatedly, like time itself. Events like riots or disasters keep coming back. The phrase “time and time again” becomes a powerful reminder of human failure to learn from history.
🔹 60 words:
“Time and Time Again” isn’t just about clocks—it’s about cycles of human experience. The poet shows how destruction returns in different forms—riots, bombs, lightning. These tragedies keep happening, across generations. The title ties everything together, reminding us that time brings both beauty and repeated loss. It warns us that if we don’t change, history will repeat endlessly.
🔹 80 words:
The title “Time and Time Again” holds the entire message of the poem. It reflects the constant return of sorrow, violence, and destruction throughout human life. Just like clocktowers strike again and again, history strikes again—through communal disharmony, war, or natural disaster. Ramanujan uses this phrase to express the idea that humanity is stuck in cycles of suffering. Unless we reflect, change, and grow wiser, we will continue to repeat our mistakes. The title is a poetic summary of human experience.
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✅ 20. What is the poet’s final message?
🔹 20 words:
He urges us to value peace, reflect on history, and understand that repeated violence leads only to more sorrow and loss.
🔹 40 words:
The poet wants us to realize that both human violence and nature’s fury destroy lives. His message is to value shared spaces, respect diversity, and avoid repeating past mistakes. He asks us to reflect before our world falls silent again.
🔹 60 words:
Ramanujan’s final message is quiet but powerful. He asks us to reflect on the patterns of destruction we keep repeating—whether through riots, bombs, or natural disasters. He mourns the loss of unity and warns that beauty and peace can vanish. The poet encourages us to respect diversity, protect public harmony, and break the cycle of sorrow by choosing understanding over hatred.
🔹 80 words:
The poet’s final message is a call for emotional and social awareness. He reminds us that violence, whether caused by man or nature, keeps returning—destroying not just physical structures but human trust and emotional connection. Through the broken clocktower and silent city, he urges us to respect cultural differences, learn from history, and protect the shared spaces that unite us. Ramanujan wants us to pause, think, and make better choices—so that peace and beauty don’t disappear “time and time again.”
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