Poem “Geography Lesson” by Zulfikar Ghose

 What is the poem “Geography Lesson” all about?

The poem “Geography Lesson” by Zulfikar Ghose is all about the way earth looks from different altitudes. Here the poet has used the image of a jet airplane to portray this representation of earth in a very clear way.

What geographic lessons did the poet in the jet learn when the jet just take off?

The poem puts forward some general assumptions about the geographic lessons through the taking off of a jet. The moment the jet just took off from the ground it has been understood that the city which the human has developed, has not been well-planned and it grew as per necessity.

What was once most necessary for the emergence of a city in the past?

In the poem, it has been shown that the easy availability of water for drinking to irrigation was the prime reason why civilization flocked around the rivers in the past. Actually, water had been worked as the lifeline as well as the most necessary thing for the emergence of a city in the past.

What was difficult to understand about the earth when the jet had been six miles high?

The moment the jet was six miles high it was difficult to understand by the poet Zulfikar Ghose about the earth was that the human tendency to build borders, to erect walls, to create fences.

What was the poet’s endeavor to bring out about human beings, the earth and learning?

In the poem “Geographic Lessons” the poet’s endeavor to bring out about human beings, the earth and learning were that the human tendency to build borders, to erect walls, to create fences had reflected that the people on earth are selfish and narrow for they hate each other. He found the earth to be one but not the people living on this earth are divided for shallow reasons.

What was the logic of geography given by the poet in the poem?

Reaching the height of ten thousand feet the poet could apprehend the fact that cities had grown water resources. Water fulfilled the necessities like agriculture, transport, business, and others. He found that valleys were populated which had met the necessities of the people. Thus the poet gave logic behind the entire geography of this earth.

How was the human narrow-mindedness encountered by the poet in the poem?

The moment the jet went above six miles, the poet could understand that our earth is having more water than land. Then he reflected that people on earth are selfish and narrow for they hate each other. He found the earth to be one but not the people living on this earth, because they are divided for shallow reasons from each other.

What are the several things reflected through the poem “Geographic Lessons”?

In the poem “Geographic Lessons” the poet Zulfikar Ghose reflected several things like a picture of a city, logic of geography and also a jab of human narrow-mindedness. Through the poem, the poet presented a vivid description of an unplanned city. The city had grown as per its necessity and did not at all grow as per proper planning. It did not have any particular style. It even looked six inches from a certain height revealing its true structure. In fact, when the poet went above ten thousand feet, he could comprehend the fact that the cities grew water resources. Water fulfilled the necessities like agriculture, transport, business, and others. The poet himself found that valleys were populated which met the necessities of the people. And when the jet went above six miles, the poet could understand that our earth is having more water than land. Then he reflected that people on earth are selfish and narrow for they hate each other. He found the earth to be one but not the people living on this earth are divided for shallow reasons.

Briefly, state the lessons of geography delivered through the poem “Geography Lessons”?

The poem “Geography Lessons” by Zulfikar Ghose is divided into three parts – three heights a jet airplane traveled to study about the earth. On reaching each stage, soaring higher and higher, the experts in the plane learned new facts about the earth’s past but only one question remained unanswered. Now we can take into consideration the three stages from where the plane made observations and find the answer to the question that the travelers asked.

At the very first stage meaning at the moment the jet just took off, the passengers in the jet learned about one thing for certain – that is the development the humans have made out of inevitability. In fact, the cities of the past were never planned as they are these days. Cities have emerged at certain places where people lived together around a river for food and safety, which is the main cause of the cities’ haphazard look.

In the second stage, when the jet was above ten thousand feet could notice that the earth’s cities were found located on the banks of the river and a little above the river level, on valleys. Also, the easy availability of water is observable. The availability of water helped from drinking to irrigation. This was the prime reason why civilizations flocked around rivers.

But at the last stage when the jet was above six miles could found some lessons of geography along with inherent human selfishness. When the jet was six miles above, it was difficult to learn why people hate each other, why they build walls across cities and why they kill other people. Here only the poet is trying to bring out the fact that human beings have achieved a lot of knowledge about the earth and beyond. We have learned much about the earth, its shape, the emergence of cities and nations, but we have failed to learn how to love other and live peacefully on this wonderful planet.