Poem 01 - The Peacock
The Peacock poem analysis, complete text, summary, theme, poetic devices, MCQs, and critical analysis for students and teachers seeking CBSE/ICSE exam preparation and literary appreciation of imagery, symbolism, and sound devices in modern Indian poetry. [Added for discoverability per content-structure guidance.
POEM COMPLETE TEXT
THEME OF THE PEACOCK
SUMMARY OF THE POEM THE PEACOCK
At the outset of the poem, the poet portrays the peacock's grandeur and loveliness. Throughout the verses, the poet anthropomorphizes the peacock as a male entity, referring to him as 'he.' The bird's piercing cry is difficult to locate, as it appears to emanate from an indiscernible source. The sound actually comes from the peacock, which can effortlessly fly to the top of a pipal or peepal tree, where it is often hidden. Against the verdant background of the pipal tree, the peacock's distinct turquoise hue (a combination of blue and green) glimmers. When it senses a human watching it, it moves its slim neck and darts away, leaving behind only a fleeting glimpse of its tail.
The poet now describes a small ritual for seeing a peacock that she has been advised to follow. One should sit on the veranda and immerse themselves in a book, preferably a cherished favorite. Once the reader is fully absorbed in the book's world, a blue shadow will descend upon them, and the wind will shift, subtly drawing attention to the surroundings. The atmosphere grows tranquil ("The steady hum of bees /In the bushes nearby will stop").
The peacock's cry, similar to that of a cat, will be audible ("The cat will awaken and stretch"), drawing attention. If spotted in time, the observer may catch a glimpse of the peacock. The peacock gracefully turns away, its tail feathers closed like shut eyelids, revealing violet borders and golden amber fillers. "It is the tail that has to blink" (the motion of the tail swaying is likened to blinking), but "the eyes are always open," and the patterns never fade. The observer will feel a sense of inner radiance and stillness that is deep and profound.
The scene's depiction highlights the difficulty of seeing a peacock (underscoring the bird's significance), as peacocks are revered, sacred birds that are not frequently encountered in the world. In Indian culture, peacocks are considered celestial and symbolize beauty and power.
UNDERSTANDING THE POEM (Q&A)
- Comment on the lines that make you visualise the colourful image of the peacock.The lines which help us visualise the colourful image of the peacock are as follows:“a flash of turquoise”, “A blue shadow will fall over you", “To shut those dark glowing eyes”, “Violet fringed with golden amber”.These lines give us a clear picture of the magnificent bird in all its glory.
- What are the cues that signal the presence of the peacock in the vicinity?A loud sharp call, flash of turquoise, a disappearing tail end, a blue shadow, the wind changing its direction and the awakening of the cat and its stretch are an indication that a peacock is in the vicinity.
- How does the connection drawn between the tail and the eyes add to the descriptive detail of the poem?The pattern on the tail of a peacock looks like eyes, but these eyes cannot be blinked. Rather the tail when contracted appears to give an illusion of blinking a lot of eyes together. This adds to the descriptive details of the poem.
- How does the poem capture the elusive nature of the peacock?The poem captures the elusive nature of the peacock by describing its activities that signal its presence indirectly. For example in the opening line of the poem we hear “His loud sharp call”, or we get a “glimpse of the very end of his tail” in the last line of the first stanza.If someone tries his best to get a glimpse of the elusive bird, he “might see the peacock turning away as he gathers his tail”.Such a description presents a very elusive nature of the peacock.
- The peacock is a colourful bird. How does the poem capture the various colours that its plumage displays?The poem captures the various colours of the peacock’s plumage by use of expressions like “turquoise”, “blue shadow”, “dark glowing eyes” and “Violet fringed with golden amber”. These expressions as we can see present the colours associated with peacocks very beautifully.
Poetic Devices Used in the Poem
Curated per common literary-device standards: imagery, metaphor, personification, sound, and structure.
- Imagery: Vivid visual cues like “flash of turquoise,” “blue shadow,” and “violet fringed with golden amber” paint sensory-rich scenes.
- Metaphor: The tail’s “eyes” that never close extend the bird’s mystique, equating pattern with watchful presence.
- Personification: Nature “signals” with wind shifts and hush, while the tail “blinks,” animating the scene beyond literal action.
- Alliteration/Assonance: Soft consonance in phrases like “blue shadow” and vowel echoes in “violet… golden amber” heighten musicality.
- Symbolism: The peacock embodies rare beauty and revelation, accessible through mindful attention.
- Enjambment and lineation: Run-on lines mimic quick movement and the fleeting glimpse of the bird.
- Contrast: Noise versus hush, movement versus stillness, accentuates the shift from distraction to awareness.
Critical Analysis of the Poem The Peacock
Analytical focus on attention, epiphany, and craft choices guiding perception.
The poem frames seeing as an active discipline: stillness, absorption, and sensory attunement precede the rare encounter, aligning with a contemplative poetics in which nature answers the reader’s quiet. The craft—delicate color imagery, sound softening into hush, and the tail’s “eyes” metaphor—renders epiphany as both visual and inner illumination. The peacock’s retreat resists possession, insisting that beauty is transient and must be received, not seized, a stance that critiques hurried attention and privileges mindful presence.
Extract Based MCQs from The Peacock
Each extract has 3 questions; answer key follows each question.
Extract 1
“Then, a flash of turquoise in the pipal tree. The slender neck arched away from you as he descends.”
- “Flash of turquoise” primarily appeals to which sense?
A) Hearing
B) Sight
C) Smell
D) Touch.
Answer Key: B. - “Arched away” suggests the peacock’s movement is:
A) Welcoming
B) Cautious
C) Aggressive
D) Static.
Answer Key: B. - The mention of “pipal tree” contributes mainly to:
A) Temporal setting
B) Cultural-natural setting
C) Speaker’s age
D) Rhyme scheme.
Answer Key: B.
Extract 2
“The moment you begin to live inside the book a blue shadow will fall over you. The wind will change direction.”
- “Live inside the book” is best read as:
A) Irony
B) Hyperbole
C) Metaphor
D) Pun.
Answer Key: C. - The “blue shadow” most likely signals:
A) Sunset
B) Rainstorm
C) The peacock’s presence
D) Nightfall.
Answer Key: C. - The change in wind functions as a:
A) Plot twist
B) Symbolic cue
C) Logical fallacy
D) Metre shift.
Answer Key: B.
Extract 3
“to shut those dark glowing eyes, violet fringed with golden amber. It is the tail that has to blink for eyes that are always open.”
- The “eyes” here refer to:
A) The bird’s eyelids
B) Tail-feather patterns
C) Raindrops
D) Stars.
Answer Key: B. - “Tail… has to blink” exemplifies:
A) Metonymy
B) Litotes
C) Personification
D) Synecdoche.
Answer Key: C. - The color detail chiefly builds:
A) Plot
B) Irony
C) Visual imagery
D) Internal rhyme.
Answer Key: C.
MCQs from the Poem The Peacock
15 objective items mixing factual recall and inference; answer key at end.
- The initial cue of the peacock’s presence is a:
A) Shadow
B) Call
C) Feather
D) Footprint.
Answer Key: B. - The tree specifically mentioned is the:
A) Banyan
B) Neem
C) Pipal
D) Mango.
Answer Key: C. - The predominant color first noticed is:
A) Saffron
B) Turquoise
C) Indigo
D) Crimson.
Answer Key: B. - The suggested posture for sighting is to:
A) Sleep
B) Meditate
C) Read intently
D) Sing.
Answer Key: C. - “Blue shadow” indicates:
A) Evening light
B) The bird’s nearness
C) Moonrise
D) Cloud cover.
Answer Key: B. - The ambient “hum” that stops is made by:
A) Birds
B) Bees
C) Crickets
D) Wind.
Answer Key: B. - The domestic animal referenced is a:
A) Dog
B) Cow
C) Cat
D) Goat.
Answer Key: C. - The tail patterns are compared to:
A) Jewels
B) Raindrops
C) Eyes
D) Leaves.
Answer Key: C. - “Tail… blink” conveys mainly:
A) Humor
B) Motion as sight
C) Danger
D) Sleep.
Answer Key: B. - The peacock’s overall behavior is best described as:
A) Domesticated
B) Aggressive
C) Elusive
D) Nocturnal.
Answer Key: C. - The poem’s setting tone shifts toward:
A) Chaos
B) Hush
C) Anger
D) Satire.
Answer Key: B. - The main theme stresses:
A) Competition
B) Possession
C) Mindful attention
D) Travel.
Answer Key: C. - The speaker’s “ritual” implies that beauty is:
A) Earned by patience
B) Guaranteed
C) Random
D) Manufactured.
Answer Key: A. - The color pairing “violet… golden amber” enhances:
A) Plot
B) Contrast and richness
C) Irony
D) Allusion.
Answer Key: B. - The poem’s structure supports glimpses through:
A) End-stopped couplets only
B) Fixed refrain
C) Enjambment and swift images
D) Dialogue.
Answer Key: C.
