Awareness Poem Summary and Line by Line Explanation in English Class 7th

Introduction

This poem talks about pollution and how badly it is affecting the world around us. The environment is constantly being harmed and this poses a risk to all living creatures, including human beings. So, we must try our best to protect the environment by raising awareness about pollution. The poem mostly follows a simple rhyme scheme where every two lines rhyme.

Stanza 1

Broken bottles and charred pieces of glass
Wadded up newspapers tossed on the grass
Pouring of concrete and tearing out trees
This is the environment that surrounds me? 

The poet says that she seesย broken bottlesย and burntย pieces of glassย all around her. Newspapers have been crumpled up andย tossed on the grass. Concrete is being poured everywhere and humans areย tearing out trees. The poet asks if this is the environment that surrounds her. She is shocked by the terrible state of the environment around her that has been caused by humans constantly harming and polluting it.

Stanza 2

Poisons and insecticides sprayed on our food
Oceans filling with thick oil crude
All sea life destined to a slow awful doom
These are the things we are to consume? 

She says thatย poison and insecticidesย areย sprayed on our food. Oceans are being filled with thick crude oil, and this leads to the death of sea creatures. So,ย all sea lifeย is going to have a slow and awful end because of oil spills and other kinds of pollution. Food and water are therefore heavily affected by such pollution. The poet asks ifย these are the thingsthat we are supposed to consume or eat.

Stanza 3

Mills pumping out iron expelling yellow fumes
Airlines emitting caustic gases from fuels
Weapons of destruction tested at desolate sites
And this is the air thatโ€™s to sustain life?

The poet goes on to talk about mills that produce iron giving out toxicย yellow fumes. Airlines areย emitting caustic gasesfrom the fuels used to run airplanes.ย Weapons of destructionย are being tested at empty sites, causing great damage. All of this causes air pollution and degrades the quality of the air we breathe. This makes the poet ask if this polluted air is supposed to be the same air that we need for life to go on.

Stanza 4

There has to be something that someone can do
Like raise the awareness to those around you
That if we donโ€™t heed the problem at hand
Itโ€™s your life thatโ€™s at stake - the destruction of man.

The poet says thatย there has to be something that someone can do, like raising awareness about pollution among the people around us. If we donโ€™t pay attention to this very serious problem, it is our lives that are put at risk, and this will ultimately lead to theย destruction of manย and mankind.

Conclusion

This poem is an eye opener about the horrible things that are happening to the environment because of pollution. We must raise awareness about this problem and try our best to solve it.