their words They try to stop evil They repeat the name of God many times Their fear leads them Villagers and Belief The villagers trust Karma and fate They say many lines that start with May They say May the sins of your previous birth be burned away tonight This shows deep faith in rebirth They link pain with past lives They also say her pain will decrease the misfortunes of her next life They hope her hurt will cure evil Their belief shapes their acts They pray They chant They feel they help Father and Reason The poet shows the father as a man of logic He is called a sceptic rationalist He does not trust old beliefs He tries many real things He uses powder mixture herb and hybrid He works with skill He tries to stop the poison with true steps He also burns the toe with paraffin The poet says I watched the flame feeding on my mother His fear is strong But his way is based on reason Father and Action The father acts fast He tries each method He wants to save his wife He does not chant He does not pray He trusts his hands He trusts his tools He keeps hope His acts show love and fear He does not join the villagers His path is different His mind fights the poison His steps show the modern world He stands against belief He shows clear thought Sharp Contrast The poem builds a clear contrast The villagers trust old beliefs The father trusts science The villagers pray for fate The father fights the poison The villagers see evil The father sees a wound The villagers sit and chant The father works and thinks Their words and acts stand apart But both groups care for the mother Both want her safe The poet shows two worlds The poem links fear belief and reason The poem gives a strong picture of two ways of thought The villagers show fear and deep belief Their words come from old ideas The father shows logic and a clear mind His acts come from reason Both face danger Both feel worried But their paths differ The poem shows how superstition and reason meet in one night The poem shows the clash and the care nbsp