The Grass is Really Like Me Poem Summary Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English Class 9th

Introduction 

In the poem ‘The Grass Is Really Like Me’, the poet Kishwar Naheed talks on the difficulties that women in the world today, encounter. The poet compares her life to the existence of a blade of grass. This poetry embraces feminist theory. In her poem, the poet likens herself to grass. Because she believes that the state of women and the condition of the grass are similar, she is equating herself with the grass. She refers to the entire women’s community when she says “me.”

About The Poet

Kishwar Naheed is a Pakistani author and feminist who writes in Urdu. She has published numerous books of poetry. For her literary contributions to Urdu literature, she has also been recognized with accolades including the Sitara-e-Imtiaz.

Theme Of The Poem

The poem has a feminist edge thanks to the poet, who identifies as a feminist. She has drawn attention to issues that oppress women and attempt to rule them. The lawnmower removes all the grass in the case of the grass, while the dominant culture hinders the poetess’s efforts to rise to recognition.

Stanza 1

The grass is also like me
 it has to unfurl underfoot to fulfil itself
 but what does its wetness manifest: 
a scorching sense of shame or the heat of emotion?   

The poet claims that the grass, like her and all other women, is similar to her in the first stanza of the poem. Against the ground , they must unfold in order to flourish. But what does the grass’ moisture want? Does it want the intense heat of an emotion or a burning sensation of guilt?

Stanza 2

The grass is also like me 
As soon as it can raise its head 
the lawnmower 
obsessed with flattening it into velvet, 
mows it down again.     

In the opening line of the poem’s second stanza, the author asserts that the grass is similar to her and all other women. She says, that the lawnmower chops it down again as soon as the grass is completely grown and ready to lift its head.  She is attempting to highlight through this, the dominant society that stifles all of her efforts to rise. The expression “raise its head” means that even in their position of oppression, women are striving to bloom and they voice their opinion for equality and fight for it, like the grass beneath our feet.                                                           

Stanza 3

   How you strive and endeavour
to level woman down too! 
But neither the earth’s nor woman’s
 desire to manifest life dies. 
Take my advice: the idea of making a footpath was a good one.     

Kishwar Naheed draws attention to how hard society attempts to demean women. She does, however, make it clear that neither the earth’s nor woman’s desire to bring life into the world dies. She adds a piece of advice saying that,  creating a pathway was a smart move.

Stanza 4

Those who cannot bear the scorching defeat of their courage
 are grafted on to the earth. 
That’s how they make way for the mighty
 but they are merely straw not grass 
The grass is really like me.             

The poet is attempting to convey to us that failure paves the path for those who are bigger or stronger. Chopped grass that has lost its battle lies on the ground. The remaining straw clears the way for the more machines.  Similar to how the weaker women make room for the dominant civilization.