NAME-KUNIKA
ROLL NO.-22511012
COURSE-B.A HONS. ENGLISH
I.A .
Ques- Tito poems' interpretation on the basis of Tito's interview.
Ans-Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay is a young boy with severe autism who gained the world’s
attention because of his extraordinary ability to write poetry, despite being non-verbal. His
story is deeply inspiring, not just because of his talent, but because of the unwavering belief
and hard work of his mother, Soma Mukhopadhyay. She created a special teaching technique
called the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), which allowed Tito to express the thoughts that
were trapped inside his mind for so long.
From the outside, Tito appeared to be unreachable—someone who could not understand
language or emotions like other children. But Soma believed otherwise. Through constant
engagement, observation, and stimulation, she proved that Tito had been absorbing
information all along. His poems, filled with deep thoughts, emotions, and imagination, are
proof of his inner world.
Poem 1
The poem begins with Tito acknowledging that people are confused by his behavior. Doctors
and society judge him using clinical terms, without realising that he is fully aware and
thinking deeply. The line "Doctors use different terminologies to describe me / I just
wonder" reflects Tito’s philosophical thinking and his silent observation of the world.
He talks about having thoughts that are “bigger than [he] can express,” which directly ties
back to what Dr. Merenik stated in the interview that Tito’s inability to speak masks his
extraordinary intellectual capabilities.
He feels trapped, as shown in the line: “Every move that I make shows how trapped I
feel.” His physical actions are not meaningless—they're attempts to express feelings that
can’t be said out loud.
When the world overwhelms him with constant “happenings,” he retreats into his
imagination. This is both a coping strategy and a creative outlet. “I can go places that do not
exist... like beautiful dreams” shows how Tito uses imagination to build a safe space. But
even in his imaginary world, he’s aware of uncertainty and instability, highlighting the
emotional turbulence he experiences.
Poem 4
Poem 4 explores Tito’s emotional regulation. He starts by describing how, when he tries to
think positively (blue), his mind turns negative (black). This shows his inner emotional
conflict.
“Time and again it happens to me / And I get quite helpless” shows how often this happens
and how little control he feels over it. This emotional turmoil is something Soma, his mother,
helped him understand and manage, as seen in the interview.
Then, Tito explains that he starts to spin. Unlike how most people see spinning as a strange
behavior, Tito reveals it as a deliberate action-a way to calm his mind.
He uses a brilliant metaphor of centrifuging away the black thoughts, comparing his spinning
to a machine separating negativity from his mind. Once the “black” is gone, he spins in the
opposite direction to bring in “blue”-the peace he craves.
In the end, he compares himself to a fan, another spinning object that creates calm. But once
he stops spinning, his body “scatters,” and it’s difficult to re-gather control. This shows how
important this movement is for him and how fragile that inner calm really is.
Conclusion
In the interview, Dr. Merenik and Soma emphasise that Tito’s movements are not
meaningless. They help him regulate emotions and thoughts. This poem gives us direct
evidence: Tito spins to cope with stress and confusion. What outsiders see as strange
behavior is actually a very smart and intentional coping tool.
Tito’s poems are powerful not just because they’re poetic, but because they come from
someone who fought every day to be understood. His words show intelligence, imagination,
and emotional depth. Through his mother Soma Mukhopadhyay’s faith and innovative
teaching, Tito was able to unlock the world inside him and finally share it.
Poem 1 reveals how Tito feels misunderstood and trapped, while Poem 4 shows how he
manages emotional storms through spinning. Both poems, when seen in light of his interview,
prove a critical point that people with autism often understand more than we realize. They are
listening, thinking, imagining—even when they can’t speak. Tito’s voice teaches us to look
beyond behavior and believe in potential.
Tito’s poems, give us a window into the mind of someone who is too often misunderstood.
Through his writing, we learn that even without traditional communication, he has deep
thoughts, strong emotions, and a vivid imagination. His mother’s belief in his intelligence,
and her innovative methods, allowed Tito to finally share this hidden world. These poems
remind us to look beyond surface behaviors and to believe in the potential of every child, no
matter how silent they may seem.
