Chapter: 14. The Coromandel Fishers
A. Answer these questions.
What time of day is described at the beginning of the poem? What specific action do the fishermen take with their nets and catamarans? What natural element, besides the sea, cloud, and waves, is referred to as a guide for the fishermen? Name two things from the land that the fishermen acknowledge as ‘sweet’ before stating their preference for the sea. Where do the fishermen aim to row towards at the very end of the poem? B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
“The wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn like a child that has cried all night.”
a. What does this line suggest about the wind’s activity during the night?
b. What mood does this comparison create at the beginning of the day?
c. Why is the wind described as “asleep”? “No longer delay, let us hasten away in the track of the sea gull’s call,”
a. What does “hasten away” mean in this context?
b. Why do the fishermen follow the “sea gull’s call”?
c. What sense of urgency is conveyed in this line? C. Think and answer.
The poem presents a clear contrast between life on land and life at sea. Discuss what each represents to the fishermen and explain why they ultimately choose the sea as “sweeter.” The poet repeatedly uses the word “brothers” throughout the poem. What does this repeated address suggest about the relationship among the fishermen, and why is this bond particularly important for their dangerous livelihood? Consider the overall tone and rhythm of the poem. How do the poet’s choices in language and structure contribute to the feeling of adventure and the fishermen’s strong connection to the sea? 
Comprehension