To a Student by Kamala Wijeratne

    To a Student is an excellent poem by the Sri Lankan poet, Kamala Wijeratne. It is a plea for peace and harmony. The island nation is terribly torn to pieces because of the racial war between the two groups-Tamils and Singhalese.

    Torn pieces of human flesh suspending from bushes and trees, fragments of splintered bones and the roads spewing human blood are some of the pathetic and fearful sights the poet-teacher sees everywhere like his students. That is why, the students do not listen to the class lessons. Moreover, because of racial prejudice, perhaps, they do not have eye contact with the teacher. The poet is aware of the fact that the ears of the students are 'stopped' against her voice.

    Gun-shots and blasts of grenades have cracked their eardrums. Her students fear for their brothers, friends, and lovers as she 'trembles' for men of kindred blood. She feels that there must be a fresh methodology to end the racial war in order' to stop other Hiroshimas'.The poem is in the form of an address to a student.