Farewell – By Federico Garcia Lorca

Read Time:3 Minute, 11 Second

Summary

‘Farewell’ is romantic lyric written by Federico Garcia Lorca. Here the word ‘farewell’ refers to death. The poem Farewell presents the condition of the speaker who is approaching death or who must be an old person. Farewell is an expression which we use when we leave someone or when we are left by someone.

The poet is asking someone (perhaps his family members) to leave the balcony open if he dies because from his balcony he wants to see the little boy eating oranges and hear the reaper harvesting the wheat. The poet begins the poem with the request to leave the balcony open and also ends the poem to leave the balcony open. The speaker wants to live longer and enjoy this world. He is enjoying the verities of scenes in this world. He knows that he is dying very soon. So he is expressing his desires what he wants after his death. Even after his death, he wants to make his life meaningful and enjoyable by looking the little boy eating oranges and hearing the reaper harvesting the wheat. In the poem, the word ‘balcony’ has been repeated four times. The speaker asks someone to leave the balcony open so that he could enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the surrounding even after his death. The balcony is the most powerful image in the poem from where the speaker can have a clear view of the world. Perhaps the speaker does not like to leave the earth and is not ready to accept farewell. But he is compelled to say farewell. So he is making the plan about what to do after death.

Questions

1) Why does the speaker want the balcony left open?

Ans: The speaker of the poem asks someone (perhaps one of his family members) to leave the balcony open if he dies to see the little boy eating oranges and hear the reaper harvesting the wheat from his balcony.

2) What will the speaker see and hear?

Ans: The Speaker will see the little boy eating oranges and hear the reaper harvesting the wheat.

3) What function does the repetition of the word “balcony” have?

Ans. In this short poem; the word ‘balcony’ has been repeated four times. The repetition of the word “balcony” means the balcony is the most powerful image in the poem because from there the speaker can have a clear view of the world. It also means that the speaker’s dream of enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the surrounding even after his death will be only possible when the balcony is left open.

4) What thoughts do you have concerned a farewell? Or Give your own interpretation of the poem.

Ans: Normally the word “farewell” means an act of making someone’s departure or saying goodbye. But in the poem it means “death”. The speaker is enjoying his life looking different sights and hearing the different sounds on the Earth. He is afraid of death because he still wants to enjoy his life. So, he requests someone (perhaps one of his family members) to leave the balcony open if he dies to see the little boy eating oranges and hear the reaper harvesting the wheat from his balcony.

5. Discuss “The Farewell” as a life-affirming poem.

Ans: The “Farewell” is a life-affirming poem because the speaker does not like to leave the Earth and say goodbye to his family members and friends. But he is compelled to say farewell because he can not stop the death. But he has a plan to enjoy his life even after his death. For that he requests someone to leave the balcony open if he dies to see the little boy eating oranges and hear the reaper harvesting the wheat from his balcony.