'Stammer' the poem: Summary, appreciation and analysis to help you understand it better

The poem Stammer is penned down by K Satchidanandan. It is a thoughtful take on embracing one's imperfections and flaws. Read the poem below. Also, check out the Stammer summary and Stammer poem analysis below.

Stammer

A stammer is no handicap.
It is a mode of speech.

A stammer is the silence that falls
between the word and its meaning,
just as lameness is the
silence that falls between
the word and the deed.

Did the stammer precede language
or succeed it?
Is it only a dialect or a
language itself? These questions
make linguists stammer.

Each time we stammer
we are offering a sacrifice
to the God of Meanings.

When a whole people stammer
stammer becomes their mother tongue:
as it is with us now.

God too must have stammered
when He created Man.
That is why all the words of man
carry different meanings.
That is why everything he utters
from his prayers to his commands
stammers,
like poetry.

Stammer Summary

The poem Stammer manages to amaze the readers with its efficient exposition. It is a humorous take on stammering which often affects the self-esteem of several individuals. The poet relates stammering to the subtle flaws and imperfections which threaten to haunt the humankind. The poem, Stammer is also a very clever depiction on how individuals usually perceive stammering.

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The poet clearly says that stammer cannot be labelled as a 'handicap'. Instead, poet K Satchidanandan labels it as a 'mode of speech'. The inspiration for the poem is derived from the Indian Communist leader EMS Namboodiripad. When the leader was quipped by a journalist on whether he stammers every time, he replied saying, 'No, I stammer only when I speak.' The poet also gives out a subtle comparison between stammering in speech and lameness in walking. 

Stammer Poem Analysis

The Stammer poem aims to enlighten the reader on how imperfections can affect all the facets of life, be it literature or language. The poet also stresses how the stammer becomes equivalent to one's mother tongue. It also specifies how these flaws which are specified her as stammer add more 'charm' to one's life. The poet has also played with the word 'meaning' wherein it drastically varies from being the meaning of a 'word' to being the meaning of a 'life'. 

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Time and again, the poet adds that stammer can be labelled as a mode of speech wherein silence also becomes something meaningful. The poet further stresses that there is a need for the reader to fill in the gaps themselves to derive their own meaning from stammering. The beauty of Stammer is how it basks in its own ambiguity. It is further shown how lameness and stammering both hinder the speech and action in their own way. The poet also relates stammering to the complexed world of imperfections. 

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Stammer Appreciation

Stammer poem stands out as it is a breath of fresh air because and aims at giving a new perspective to the reader. In today's world, wherein everyone is running behind perfection, Stammer makes the reader understand the importance of embracing one's flaws. The beauty of the Stammer poem is that the reader is free to derive their own assumptions and moral after reading the poem without it imposing anything.