SENIOR INTERMEDIATE

English Poetry
Annotations
Hiroshima Child
(Poem-3)
By Nazim Hikmet

1 I knock and yet remain unseen.

Introduction: This line forms a part of Nazim Hikmet’s most talked
about poem, ‘Hiroshima Child’. Hikmet is known as Turkey’s foremost
poet of the twentieth century. The poem deals with the tragic effects of
war, loss of life, innocence and destruction. Nazim’s message through
this poem is that people need to work for peace.
Context & Meaning: The poet uses an innocent seven-year-old spirit of
a child as his mouthpiece to convey his anguish at the devastation
caused by war and his craving for peace. The soul of the girl knocks on
every door, imploring one and all to shun war and embrace peace. The
girl pleads not to snuff out children so they can do things they could
have done had they not been killed. The innocent children who hardly
knew anything about the war were brutally eliminated for literally no
fault of theirs.
General Relevance: The poet stresses the urgent need for peace and
harmony. The war had created destruction, caused untold miseries and
taken a significant toll of deaths. Hence the condition of the hour was
calm.
2 I am seven now, as I was then
When children die, they do not grow.
Introduction: These lines form a part of Nazim Hikmet’s most talked
about the poem, ‘Hiroshima Child’. Hikmet is known as Turkey’s
foremost poet of the twentieth century. The poem deals with the tragic
effects of war, loss of life, innocence and destruction. Nazim’s message
through this poem is that people need to work for peace.
Context & Meaning: The little lass was brutally killed in the war. She
was hardly seven when death snatched her away. The girl expresses her
pain at how the war forced her into oblivion when she wanted to grow,
play and enjoy life like other children. But fate had something else in
store for her. Therefore, she expresses grief that she will no longer
grow and pleads to stop killing children in the name of war and
embrace peace.
General Relevance: Though the tone is sad and expresses the true
feelings of the little angel, it is heavily backed up by a ray of hope that
war can replace peace.

3 I ask for nothing for myself

For I am dead, for I am dead

Introduction: These lines form a part of Nazim Hikmet’s most talked

about the poem, ‘Hiroshima Child’. Hikmet is known as Turkey’s
foremost poet of the twentieth century. The poem deals with the tragic
effects of war, loss of life, innocence and destruction. Nazim’s message
through this poem is that people need to work for peace.
Context & Meaning: The spirit of the seven-year-old girl who lost her
life in World War II appears at every door and says that she has not
come for any material gains as she cannot enjoy them since she is dead.
She requests everyone not to resort to war but maintain peace and
harmony. She further adds that innocent children must not be made
victims of war, for they have every right to live and enjoy the fruits of
childhood.
General Relevance: The bard highlights the need to maintain calm and
not resort to war as innocent children, in most cases, become victims of
such catastrophe.

4 All that I need is that for peace

You fight today; you fight today.

Introduction: These lines form a part of Nazim Hikmet’s most talked

about the poem, ‘Hiroshima Child’. Hikmet is known as Turkey’s
foremost poet of the twentieth century. The poem deals with the tragic
effects of war, loss of life, innocence and destruction. Nazim’s message
through this poem is that people need to work for peace.
Context & Meaning: The poet Hikmet using the seven-year-old girl as
his mouthpiece, fervently appeal to the warmongers to put an end to
war and maintain calm cause wars can only spell doom and destruction
not only to property but also to the innocent. Fighting a war can only
settle scores and not promote sociability, and the need of the hour is
amicability and peace. Blameless children are snuffed out before they
open their eyes to reason.
General Relevance: The bard Nazim ventilates his views on the dire
need for eliminating war and restoring peace on a war footing. He
sends a clear message to the warring nations that things can be settled
across the table rather than killing each other, including innocent
children.
 Short Answers
1 What is the theme of the poem ‘Hiroshima Child’?
Ans: Nazim Hikmet was a poet, playwright and novelist. As one of the
most significant international poets of the twentieth century, his poetry
has been translated into more than fifty languages. Some of his well-
known works are ‘Hymn To Life,’ ‘Optimistic Man and ‘A Sad State of
Freedom.’
The theme of the poem in the first place is to shun war and maintain
peace, for war only spells damage. Secondly, innocent children must
not be made victims of war and allowed to enjoy the fruits of
childhood. The message of this poem is that people need to work for
peace.
The bard very vividly expresses the true feelings of a small girl, but
there is also hope for peace.

2 Why does the poet appeal for peace through a dead child?
Ans: Nazim Hikmet was a poet, playwright and novelist. As one of the
most significant international poets of the twentieth century, his poetry
has been translated into more than fifty languages. Some of his well-
known works are ‘Hymn To Life,’ ‘Optimistic Man and ‘A Sad State of
Freedom.’
The fact that a dead child’s plea would not go in vain and would open
the eyes of the warmongers was the sole reason the bard used the
child as an instrument of change. The child was killed due to
unnecessary violence. The poet appeals for peace because innocent
children have become victims of the war. He chastises those who
allowed the bombings to occur, those who stood by and watched
innocent children die and those who allowed similar bombings to
happen to other children. The poet wants the war to go and peace and
brotherhood to prevail.
3 Describe the feeling of the child when she knew that she was dead
at the age of seven
Ans: Nazim Hikmet was a poet, playwright and novelist. As one of the
most significant international poets of the twentieth century, his poetry
has been translated into more than fifty languages. Some of his well-
known works are ‘Hymn To Life,’ ‘Optimistic Man and ‘A Sad State of
Freedom.’
Like any other child her age, the girl expected to enjoy the fruits of
childhood, but it sadly eluded (escaped) her. Her dreadful (terrible)
death extinguished every ray of hope. The lass explains her trauma,
how the fire raged, damaging her hair and eyes and finally reducing her
bones to mere ashes. She also says that she couldn’t eat any candy and
will never be able to eat them. The poet ventilates his anger at the
unnecessary killing of children when they hardly have any role to play in
the holocaust. (damage)

4 “I ask for nothing for myself” Why do you think the child asked
nothing for herself?
Ans: Nazim Hikmet was a poet, playwright and novelist. As one of the
most significant international poets of the twentieth century, his poetry
has been translated into more than fifty languages. Some of his well-
known works are ‘Hymn To Life,’ ‘Optimistic Man and ‘A Sad State of
Freedom.’
The seven-year-old child asked nothing for herself because she was a
mere spirit in search of her childhood which could have been perhaps
enjoyed had she not been mercilessly killed in the war. While
emotionally appealing to the warring nations to do away with war and
restore peace, she says that as a child, she had become a victim without
tasting the fruits of childhood. Hence she craves peace and harmony.
She also feels for the children who were made war victims for no
reason.