The Clock Tower: Bhupi Sherchan BBS 2nd Year: Visions: A Thematic

 

Poem: The Clock Tower by Bhupi Sherchan

About the Poet 

Bhupi Sherchan, one of the highly celebrated and loved poets in Nepal, was born on 25 December 1937 as 5th son in Thak Khola Mustang District. Bhupi was an intelligent and smart child. At the age of 8 years, he could recite Hindu scriptures Mahabharat and Ramayan, by heart.

His first published work is a play titled Paribartan  published in 1951 when he was just 16 years of age and was inspired by the freedom movement in Nepal against the Rana regime. His second published work is his first anthology of Nepali poems Naya Jhyaure  published by Janayug Prakashan, Banaras, in 1953. His capacity to maintain simplicity in language while conveying the most profound thoughts has remained distinctive and unsurpassed. He was awarded the first Sajha Puraskar in 1969 for Ghumne Mech Mathi Andho Manche.

The Main Theme of the Poem

Click for Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F50Or9XD8Ik

The speaker in this poem describes the conduction of an old pensioner. The poem has compared the old pensioned senior vet with clock tower, Ghantaghar. He is old, rejected and has distributed all his things to his relatives. All his military equipment is gone. The old pensioner has jealously too; so, he has kept two souvenirs of his army life. They are old- modeled, large, round pocket watch and the ancient hat. The clock tower is like a pensioned senior vet who is passing long and sand days of the old age. It has a clock on its neck and a cap like the old vet on its head. It is standing forever on the bank of Ghantaghar and it is brooding.

The loneliness of the old man is powerfully presented through the image of the clock tower symbolically. Like the clock tower which is old, neglected and waiting its end day, the old man has also the same fate- old, rejected and dejected. The poem has revealed the bitter reality of the old age. Ranipokhari was built by the king Pratap Malla in 1727 BS in the memory of his son. It was a token of consolation to his wife. Thus, by looking at the lake, the old man remembers his past and is lessening his suffering. 

Summary of the Poem

The Clock Tower captures the image of pensioned veteran who passes his days without worry and anxiety. The poet is very much successful in providing the realistic image. The poet looks sympathetic towards the clock tower and the senior vet (a person who has served in the armed forces). Both are the victim of time. They are degrading due to ageing. It is paradoxical that though the clock tower tells the time, it is victim of the very time. 

The veteran is not happy with his present life. Rather he is passing his long, sad days of his old age, having cast bait (माछा मार्न वा शिकार गर्न बल्छीको टुप्पोमा राखिएको चारा) into Ranipokhari standing forever on its bank. He has spent his entire youth in the service of his cantonment (camp). Now it is time for him to rest. But he does not seem to be happy with his present life. He has grown old. He is passing his long, sad days of old age. The clock tower, on the other hand, is a witness of the vet's passing life. Time has cast bait into the vet's life. The old man has no old souvenirs (स्मृतिका चिन्हहरु) as all the old military attires (Clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion) have been gone, some are torn, some eaten by rats and others are distributed among kith and kin (relatives) one by one. 

The time is unbeatable. It is the time that eats everything. Time is very powerful. No one can defeat time. No one can escape from the clutch (grip) of time. The old vet is silently waiting for his death. It is time that has robbed his youths and all his energy. No one can feel the passage of time, it slowly comes and takes away our life. Both the clock tower and senior vet are the victim of time. They both are degrading due to ageing. It is paradoxical that though clock tower tells the time, it is the victim of the very time.

Possible Questions and Answers

a.      What happened to the old pensioner military attire?

All of the old military attires had been used or finished. Some of them were cut by rats and others were used by his relatives.

b.     What are the two cherished souvenirs?

The two cherished souvenirs are: old model pocket watch and an ancient hat.

c.      Is the simile of the third stanza apt?

Yes, it is. The poet uses a smile (344) to compare pensioned military (who is passing his days sadly) with Ghantaghar (which is having cast bait into Ranipkahari and standing patiently it). It is appropriate simile because it seems to be a realistic comparison between Ghantaghar and the old man.

d.     Is the poet sympathetic towards the clock tower? If so, what words in the text express the poet's sympathy?

Yes, the poem is sympathetic towards the clock tower. Like the old veteran, the clock tower is also brooding (f) near the Ranipokhari. It has been brooding near of it for a long time ago. It seems as if it has casted bait into Ranipokhari.

e.      Description of the clock tower and characterization of the 'senior vet' seem to merge into the fabric of the poem. How successful is the poet in providing a realistic image?

The poet is successful in providing a realistic image of an old man. He compares senior vet with clock tower. Old military pensioner is passing his boring and sad life. He may brood and recall his happy youth. Like him, the clock tower is brooding near Ranipokhari casting its bait into it. To show old man's plight, the poet uses the image of clock tower (Ghantaghar). Now in his present stage, his old military clothes are no more. Some of them were cut by rats and others were used by his relatives. Now, he has only an old watch and a hat.

In the later part of the poem, the poet compares the clock tower with old pensioner. Like an old pensioner, the clock tower is passing his sad days near Ranipokhari. Clock tower seems to be so serious and concentrate to catch fish but his all efforts are futile till now. It is alone all time and doing meaningless task. Like it, old pensioner is compelled to pass his sad and boring time.

f.       How does the single word of the last line affect the mood of "the poem?

The clock tower boringly routinizes the same things by only giving time. It means that the old pensioner veteran is only waiting for death and till then he has to pass long days in a monotonous way.

g.     Comment on the use of simile (comparison between two things) and personification (giving human characteristics to something non-human) in the poem.

As simile, he compares old pensioner with clock tower because like him, the clock is doing the same things of giving times. Similarly, as personification, he personifies giving human quality of jealousy to watch and hat.

***

Click for Next Lesson:  https://limbuchandrabahadur.blogspot.com/2025/05/beauty-susan-sontag-bbs-2nd-year.html