Summary of the Poem “The Professor” | English Literature ICSE

The man who is the speaker in this poem is a retired professor. He is known as Professor Seth. He addresses his student by telling him “Remember me? I am Professor Seth”. The Professor has made a language error while talking to his student but he has used this awkward type of language throughout the poem . He continues by reminding his student that once he used to teach him geography.

While talking to him about schooldays he straight goes into the story of his own life. He is retired now but he is healthy and his wife died some years ago. His children are doing well and they are well settled in their life. So the Professor boasts about his children’s status. One is a Sales manager and the other is a Bank manager. They both have cars. He also criticised his other children like his third son who are not doing well. He criticises him by telling this clause that “family must have a black sheep”. He then boasts about his two daughters’ married lives . Their names are Sarala and Tarala. The daughters have rhyming type of name like the typical Indian family used to name. Then he spoke of his son in laws by appreciating them as nice boys. He thinks that the girls should be married and must be restricted to the four walls of the room. He do not believe that girls need education and work outside like men. We can say that he is an archaic thinker. He then ask his student about how many issues he have? The reply is three by the student. He talks about the changing world on the basis of family planning. He says he is not against it. We must change with times. He talks about India’s progress with the modern world. Old values are going and new values are coming. Everything is changing with leaps and bounds. Talking about the modern times and others, the Professor again goes into the matter of his own life. He again says he goes out rarely but his health is good . Only he has usual aches and pains. He has no serious disease like diabetes,blood pressure, heart attack and thinks this is because of his good habits in his youth. He again asks his student “how is his(student) health? “.The student get opportunity to answer but the Professor immediately replies to keep his voice above all. He replies”nice,he is happy for him.” Professor Seth has this talkative manner This time he boasts about himself that he is sixty nine this year and hopes to score a century.. The Professor then speaks about the student that he was thin like a stick but now he is a man of weight and consequence. He then invites his student to his residence. The Professor has a boasting habit. Throughout the poem he talks about himself and his family. He gives his student little chance to speak. The student has patience to listen to his retired and old master. Boasting seems embarrassing still Professor Seth does not bother about it .He boasted and boasted.