In the Class 9 English poem 'Wind' by Subramania Bharati, the wind is portrayed as a powerful, destructive force that crushes everything weak. But the poet doesn't ask us to fear or fight the wind — instead, he advises us to befriend it. The path to friendship is through becoming strong.
The poem's original language was Tamil, written during the Indian Independence struggle. The 'wind' metaphors reflect the political message: India must become internally strong (educated, united, determined) to resist the 'winds' of colonial oppression.
The poem directly advises three things to befriend the wind:
1. Build Strong Houses 'Make strong doors, fix them firmly' A house with weak, flimsy doors cannot withstand the wind. But if we build firm, strong structures with proper doors, windows, and walls, the wind cannot harm us — it becomes just a breeze that flows through our home.
'Practise to firm the body' A physically weak, frail body is easily destroyed by the hardships of life (which the wind symbolizes). The poet urges us to exercise, eat well, and build physical resilience — so that challenges strengthen rather than break us.
'Make the heart steadfast' This is the poem's deepest message. A weak-willed person crumbles under pressure — failure, criticism, hardship. But a person with mental strength, determination, and emotional stability transforms adversity into fuel for growth.
Just as a fire is extinguished by wind when it is small and weak, but roars stronger when it is a massive blazing fire — a strong person is energized by challenges that would destroy a weak person.
If we are physically strong, mentally firm, and live in strong surroundings — the wind becomes our friend and ally, not our enemy. The poet ends with the image: 'He is our friend who the strong befriend.'
The wind **crumbles** weak houses, breaks shutters, scatters papers, throws down weak trees, and crushes weak bodies and hearts. The wind (symbolizing life's hardships) spares nothing that is frail or unprepared.
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