|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
My Aunt Shoba Makhija is a connoisseur of English literature and an enthusiast of Victorian era prose and poetry. Her English accent earned her accolades in her school days at St Joseph’s Anglo Indian Convent, Trichy. She has a passion for writing. Her note book of summaries of English Poetry written by her during her school days in 1980 is still a treasured collection of my Papa's archives. CONTENTS * A Dead Rose - Elizabeth B Browning * A Passer By - W B Yeats * A Prayer For My Daughter - W B Yeats * Breathes There The Man With Soul So Dead - Sir Walter Scott * From The Cloud - P B Shelley * He Fell Among Thieves - Sir Henry Newbolt * Lead Kindly Light - Cardinal Newman * Laugh And Be Merry - John Masefield * Lochinvar - Sir Walter Scott * Night Of The Scorpion - Nizim Ezekiel * On A Favorite Cat Drowned In A Tub Of Gold Fishes - Thomas Gray * On Censure - Jonathan Swift * On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer - John Keats * Ozimandius - P B Shelley * Past and Present - Thomas Hood * Snake - D H Lawerence * The Castle - Edwin Muir * The Character Of A Happy Life - Henry Wotton * The Discovery - Sir John Squire * The Donkey - G K Chestertone * The Paper Boat - Rabindranath Tagore * The Patriot - Robert Browning * The Slave’s Dreams - H W Longfellow * The Solitary Reaper - William Wordsworth * The Taj Mahal - Mary Dobson * Toys - Patmore * Yussouf - James Rusell Lowell
Elizabeth B Browning The dead rose has lost its color, beauty, softness and fragrance. It is pale, hard and dry. Seven years old, it is shame to call the dead rose by its earlier titles. Its former friends have abandoned it. The breeze that used to blow on it and carry its fragrance up the lane, would now desert it. It would pass away without as much a glance at the poor dead rose. The sun that used to strike its beautiful cup-shaped bosom and make it shine would no longer care for it. The dew which used to wet the dead rose and lose its whiteness in the lovely crimson of the rose would now become dark if it dropped on the dead rose. The fly that used to rest on its soft soothing petals for relaxation would not evade it without any love. The bee that used to suck the honey of the rose and swoon out of sheer joy would now overlook it blindly. Though avoided by all her previous lovers, the dead rose is recognized by only one heart that of the poetess. To her, the dead rose smells sweet despite all the changes that it has undergone. Though the rose is a symbol of love and admiration, the poetess feels that the dead rose would lie upon her heart which breaks below it. She sympathizes with the dead flower. W B Yeats
W B Yeats
Breathes There The Man With Soul So Dead Sir Walter Scott Every boy or girl is loyal to family, relatives, friends, ideals, religion, country or social caste or class. Some of these loyalties are better and rank higher than the others. Sir Walter Scott tells us, in high sounding words, his passionate conviction, that a man who does not love his country is worthless. The man, even though he breathes, his soul is dead. There is no soul in him at the moment when he does not think of his native land and when there is no such thought in his heart. Such a man must be marked well who thinks only of wandering in foreign strands. His minstrel raptures never swell. Even though he may have high titles or degrees or power, the wretch that is concentrated all in self-living, shall forfeit fair renown. He goes down to the wild dust, from where he sprang, but in quite a different way from that of the loyalties of native land. He will be taken to the grave with no one weeping for him. He is not honored at his death and no one sings or praises him at the moment he goes down to the mere dust. P B Shelley “The Cloud” is more an autobiography of a cloud than a poem. It is interspersed and makes fantastic reading. The poet has written the poem in such a manner that the internal rhymes and rhythm, both help us to suggest the energy of an elementary force. The cloud says that it brings fresh showers, for the thirsty flowers, from the seas and the streams. When the leaves die down and have their noonday dreams, the cloud brings shade for them. The cloud says that it shakes the dews from its wings; the dews which wake up the sweet birds. When the green plains rock to rest their Mother Earth, and the Sun dances about, the cloud wields the flail of the lasting hail and whitens the green plains. It then dissolves in rain again and laughs as it passes in thunder. It says that it sifts the snow on the mountains below, whose great pines are grown aghast. The whole night it sleeps in the arms of the using the white snow as its pillow. Lightning which acts as its pilot sits on the towers and in the cavern the thunder howls. The pilot guides it gently over the earth and sea as it loves the spirits which move in the depth deep purple sea water. The cloud says that the maiden with white fire laden, the Moon, glides over it glimmering when the midnight breezes strewn. It says that wherever the beat of her unseen feet which the angels alone could hear. The woof of its tents' thin roof might have broken, and the stars would peer and peer, through the gap between the two clouds. The cloud would then laugh to itself on seeing the stars swarming like golden bees. The cloud says that when it increases the rent of its wind built tent, the calm rivers, lakes and streams are paved with the stars. It seems as though the sky had fallen on it. Then once again the waters of the earth give birth to the cloud and it is nursed or looked after by the sky. It passes through the pores of the ocean and shores. The cloud says that it only changes its form, but never dies. It says that when the sky is clear and the winds and sunbeams build up the blue doom of air, it laughs silently at its own grave and un builds itself like a child from the womb and like a ghost from the tomb. This is the lifecycle of the cloud. Sir Henry Newbolt
Cardinal Newman “Lead Kindly Light” is perhaps the most universally appreciated hym in the English Language. Written by a pious Christian, it has appealed to many pious men of different faiths. The need for divine guidance is felt by everyone. This poem throws light on the need for implicit faith in God. It instills in us the hope, that God, our Heavenly Father, in His incessant mercy would forgive us our past sins. The poem makes us realize, that without Divine help, nothing great can ever be achieved. The poet prays for the Divine guidance of God to eliminate the darkness of the mind which hinders his journey homeward. The dark night has enclosed him within its folds and he is far away from home. He is in desperate need of light to show him the way. He appeals to God to guide his feet from the perils on the way. He does not want to see far into the future. He will be extremely content, if God guides him to the first step in the right direction. In the past, the poet was attracted by the material splendor of the world. Though there were things which frightened him, “Pride ruled his will” and he was confident of achieving success in all his efforts without God's help. As light dawns on him, he realizes that it is impossible to achieve anything without help from above. Even though he refused to acknowledge God's existence in the past, God did not stop showering His mercy and love on the poet. He is confident of God's guidance and appeals to Him to guide him over his long journey home. The poet compares the spiritual progress of man to a traveler. The poet is like a traveler who has to pass through “moor and fen, hills and torrents.” Similarly, the poet has to go through many ups and downs in life before reaching Heaven which is the ultimate destination. When the morning dawns, he will have the guidance of the bright angels of God whom he loved long and lost awhile. John Masefield The primary idea of creation is happiness. Masefield in this poem reminds us that sorrow or unhappiness is a passing thing; what is lasting and universal is joy. Life is not a bed of roses. In moments of trials and tribulation, men will do well to have recourse to nature which is an embodiment of God's beauty and grandeur. The poet advises us to laugh and be merry. He say : -----------remember, better the world with a song. Better the world with a blow in the teeth of the wrong.” Man should face the trials, life casts in his way with determination without relinquishing to dejection. The duration's of man's life on Earth is short. So he should make use of his short, brief stay on Earth by laughing away his troubles and sorrows. Man should remember, how in olden times, God created Heaven and Earth for giving joy to him. He shaped with the sweet pattern of music and filled them with intoxicating wine, namely his extreme joy and delight. As the very purpose of God is to provide men with joy, man must laugh and drink the joy of the sky from the deep blue cup. He must join in the chorus of the merry song of the stars in their orbits. Man must fight against difficulties and be happy in his work. He must draw happiness and inspiration from everything around him. The joy of life is the very basis of our brotherhood and mutual love. Man must live happily with his fellowmen like brothers residing in an inn. He must play the game of life cheerfully and pass through the journey of joy till he reaches his ultimate goal or destination. Sir Walter Scott Lochinvar is a popular ballad by Sir Walter Scott. Lochinvar, a brave Scottish knight was in love with fair Ellen of England. Everytime, he visited her, he had to cross the Eske river where there was no ford. Ellen's father did not like Lochinvar and he arranged his daughter's marriage with another person who was of no match to Lochinvar. Lochinvar galloped swiftly to the Netherby Hall. Ellen's father enquired whether he had come to fight or had come in peace. Lochinvar replied that he had come there only to lead but one measure with Ellen. He than drank a cup of wine and danced with Ellen. The bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet, while Ellen's father fumed and her mother fretted. All the bride's maidens whispered that it would have been better to have married Ellen to young Lochinvar. Lochinvar whispered something to Ellen and as they reached the door-way, they swung to the horse and darted away. There was racing and chasing on Cannobie Lee. But the lost bride of Netherby was never to be seen. Such was the bravery of young Lochinvar. Nizim Ezekiel
On A Favorite Cat Drowned In A Tub Of Gold Fishes Thomas Gray
Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift was one of the greatest of English prose satirists. The theme of most of his poems is manners and morals and the tone is always satirical. On Censure suggests the most effectual way to endure envy, the green eyed monster and thwart malicious talks of scandal mongers. The poet finds it quite difficult to discover a way to discourage malicious talks which blossom due to envy, an evil which will very soon breed hate and scorn. “Bare innocence” doesn't save us from becoming the fertile subject of the talks of scandal mongers. Our attitude offends their eyes and they join together and devise all sorts of ways to drag us to the ground for they also want the rise to power. The world though not doing any harm will “incline to aid” a plausible lie by being a willing stander by. The poet himself solves his problem at last. He finds out that we should not lay weight on “what such detracting people say.” We must let “mankind discharge their tongues till they burst their lungs.” He tells us that their utmost malice cannot make any change in us, in our “honor, wealth or wit.” Thus we now come to know that the “most effectual way to discourage their malice is to let them talk.” On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer John Keats In this poem, the poet John Keats speaks about the joy and excitement he experienced when he first read the translation of a great book by the Greek poet Homer. It was translated into English by the famous Elizabethan poet George Homer. The poet was very eager to read Homer's poem. He had gone through the poetry of many great and famous poets of the West. But he felt disappointed not to have read Homer's poetry. He felt so bad as a child would have felt when his parents refused to get something he wished. Fortunately, he had a chance of breathing the pure serene of Homer's demesne. George Chapman, the famous English poet translated Homer's poem into English very boldly. When he went through it, it sent down a chill that cut through his spine. He felt like astronomers searching for a new planet or like Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico who stood staring at the Pacific on a peak in Darien while all his men were looking at each other with a wild surmise. In this way, the poet expresses his feelings when he first went through the translation of Homer's poetry. He was so happy after going through the poetry as a child would be after receiving everything he wished from someone. Percy B Shelley The poem, Ozimandius illustrates the vanity of human greatness and the failure of a great Egyptian king, the life size statue of whom was made to immortalize him. But now the statue lies broken and disfigured and all around it is a barren desert. The poem relates to the experience of a traveler from Egypt. This traveler saw two huge and trunk-less legs of the statue in the desert. Near them lay half buried the broken face of the statue. But the expression of haughtiness and a sense of authority which the sculptor had skillfully depicted can still be seen. The following words were inscribed, “My name is Ozimandius, king of kings. Look on my works, ye mighty and despair.” These words conveyed to the traveler the mightiness of the great king. Human glory and pomp are transient. The statue of the once mighty emperor lay broken in the barren desert. This poem is best of the few sonnets that Shelley wrote. It is the most powerful, imaginative and suggestive poem. Thomas Hood Past And Present” is an autographical poem in which Thomas Hood speaks of his personal troubles. His life was a continual struggle because of his poverty and ill-health. In this poem, he compares his present misery to his past happiness. The poem is a condensed expression of the poet's sufferings in life. The poet recalls his happy past. He remembers lovingly the house where he was born. He recollects how the sun rose and set at the correct time. The poet had happily welcomed the rising sun in the past, but now, he often wishes that he had expired the previous night. The poet admired nature. The roses, lily cups, violets and lilacs found way into his heart. He is reminded of the laburnum tree planted by his brother, which still survives though the latter lives no more. The poet recalls his joyous days when he was in high spirits. But now the poet's condition is much the opposite as he is attacked by misery and ill health. He says that the waters of the summer pool could do nothing to soothe his feverish state now. The poet used to think that the tall fir tree touched the sky and thus he was close to Heaven. But now, he realizes, that it was just childish ignorance which gave expression to the thought that the trees touched the horizon. His mind awakens to the fact that he is far off from Heaven. The suffering which he undergoes makes him develop a bitter feeling towards living. The poem brings out the poet's lack of faith in life. The poem begins gloomily and also ends thus. Even though we face many troubles in life, we should not lose faith in life. We should take these sufferings as tests from the Lord Almighty. D H Lawerence
Edwin Muir “The Castle” is a touching tale told in simple words with a telling effect. Though the narrative is characterized by economy of words, it does not fail to produce the desired effect of evoking a feeling of pity in the reader. The soldiers in the castle lay at ease throughout that summer and regularly watched the mowers at work. The enemy camp lay within half a mile of the castle, yet it posed no threat to the inmates. There was adequate stock of provender, arms and ammunition and the castle was protected by numerous towering battlements. Besides, their friendly armies were ever ready to rush to their help. Entry into he castle was unthinkable. The strong gates of the castle and the thick walls made the castle look really secure. It was defended by a brave captain and his dedicated soldiers who could not be won over by the foe. There is truth in the saying that “Calm prevails before a storm.” For, the wicked warden guarding the private wicket gate of the castle was bribed by the enemies who, in return for gold, gained entry into the castle. They swarmed into the castle and overpowered it and :”The cause was lost without a groan.” Edwin Muir narrates the fall of the castle in this single line with dramatic suddenness. In the concluding part of the poem, the poet speaks about the power of money. The warden fell victim to a handful of gold. Money works a corrupting influence on man. The soldiers could not fight the enemy with any weapon. They were powerless and had to eventually surrender shamefully. Henry Wotton In this beautiful poem, the poet tells us how a man could lead a happy life. A man who is taught not to serve others' will is sure to be happy. He could be more happy if his weapon is only honest thought and his skill is simple truth. A man could be happy if passions do not master him and f his soul is prepared for death at any time and if he is carefree. A man is freed from servile bands if he envies more and never understands how deep wounds are given by praise. He is also free if he is governed only be rules of good. He is also free if he is freed from rumors and if his conscience is his strong retreat. He feels happy if he is not fed by flatterers. A man who prays early and late to get more of God's grace and who entertains the day with a well chosen book or a friend is said to be free from servile bands of hope to rise or fear to fall. Even though he has nothing he is said to have all if he has the above mentioned characteristics. Sir John Squire “The Discovery” by Sir John Squire is the political rendering of a historic event of far reaching magnitude: the discovery of America. Columbus helped Europe to colonize and rule over America; but he thereby brought slavery to the Red Indians; the aboriginal tribes of America. A Red Indian lived on the American shores and led a monotonous life. This naked savage often strode along the sunlit beach with contentment gathering seashells. One day when he was engaged in his favorite pursuit, he heard a strange commingled noise. He looked up and was dumbfounded by the scene that greeted his eyes. He saw Columbus and his men arriving in a huge ship, and the sails spread out, it anchored as if by magic. The fact that no oars were used mad the primitive gasp in wonder and shake in fear. He dropped his shells and made a hasty retreat behind a rock. The poor Indian apparently had no significance of the happenings. For the Europeans, it was a day of victory, but for the natives, it was a day of doom for it spelt out their enslavement by the Europeans. But the native who saw history enacted before his very eyes was not even aware of what it had in store for him. Thus the poet presents the other side of the story. His sympathy obviously lies with the natives, who thereafter were fettered by the bonds of slavery. G K Chestertone GK Chestertone looks at men and matters from a point of view which may not occur even to men of the most subtle and fantastic fancy. In “The Donkey”, he evokes the reader's sympathy by describing the way the poor beast of burden, the donkey, has become the butt of man's wrong sense of justice. The donkey feels that it was born in the hour of ill omen. “When fishes flew and forest walked, and figs grew upon thorn, Some moment when the moon was blood.” The donkey feels that his being born during an inauspicious hour accounts for it grotesque appearance. Huge ugly head, a horrible cry and huge ears which resemble wrongly shaped wings. In short, the donkey has come to be regarded as the comic incarnation of the devil on four legs. Man inflicts suffering and indignity on the poor creature. The donkey is treated as an outlaw because of man's injustice. It is starved, mocked, whipped, but yet, it conceals its secret. In this poem, the donkey reveals the proudest moment in its life. When Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey's back, people greeted him joyously. It walked royally and proudly on palm-strewn paths. Here God's love for the meanest of all creatures is revealed. One feels sorry for the donkey. Man is foolish in thinking of the donkey as a creature without any sense of glory. It cannot voice its opinion and continues to be the victim or target of man's crooked justice.
Rabindranath Tagore Tagore's poem, “The Paper Boat” is characterized by the lucidity of thought and expression. One long cloudy day, a perturbed Tagore recollected his childhood experience with the Paper Boat. He was musing over the fruitless efforts of his life and the games of life from which he had emerged as a loser. He thought that fate was cruel to him, because in spite of his efforts, he was not deservedly rewarded. The poet recalls a rainy day in July. He had been playing with a paper boat, happily watching it sailing smoothly on the stream. Suddenly there was a heavy downpour of rain preceded by gloomy clouds and violent winds. The muddy water rushed into the stream making it swell and consequently sink. The poet thought that the storm had deliberately come there to mar his happiness. This unhappy incident had an adverse effect on Tagore for the rest of his life. Childhood's bitter experiences leave indelible and branded marks on man's mind and man most naturally blames his fate on all his mishaps. The world has no clear cut definition. The pattern changes like a kaleidoscope, according to individual vision. Life is a challenge, we should confront it confidently. Man blames fate for his misery in life. Failures in life and adversity make him mutinous and bitter. It is ridiculous to blame our destiny under any circumstances. The moral of this poem reminds one of Balfour's saying. “Destiny is the scapegoat which we make responsible for all our crimes and follies, a necessity which we set down for the invincible when we have no wish to strive against it.” Robert Browning “The Patriot” is a vivid description of the fact that political popularity is always short-lived. The poem is written in sharp contrast between past honor and present dishonor. At the height of his power, the patriot was given a grand welcome. When he gloriously marched through the country, his path was lined with “roses, roses all the way.” People thronged the streets and stood on roof tops to catch a glimpse of him. The air broke with the sound of ringing bells and the ancient walls of the city shook with the surging crowds and their cries of cheer. The patriot tried to do to the best of his ability whatever was possible to alleviate the sufferings of his subjects. But this selfless sacrifice brought him no reward or glory, but only humiliation. Exactly a year after his crowning achievement, he was sentenced to death. A year had elapsed. The patriot had fallen from his position. He was marching to the Shamble's gate with his hands tied together. The same people who had strewn flowers before him were now stoning him. There was nobody on the roof tops now. Just a few sick and handicapped persons sat at the windows and cast him condemning looks. The people had decided that the best part of the show was not the victim being led to the gallows, but at the scaffold itself. The patriot appeared and left the scene of life in a triumph. The same patriot who was the hero of the masses and had done everything for their welfare was now being put to death. Yet he did not regret it for he was fully aware that God would award him deservingly as he is a better judge of men and matters. Thus the rejection of the people makes the patriot worthy of God's gift. H W Longfellow The Poet Henry Wordsworth Longfellow lived in the United States before the civil war which ended the slavery of the negroes. So he knew at first hand the unhappy lot of the negroes. In this poem he describes the plight of a negro slave. He was a galley slave and was always fettered in chains. He was not able to admire nature for he had to work all the time and if he wasted a moment, he was whipped by the driver from behind. This was the plight of the slave. One day, he was given the work of gathering rice with a sickle. Due to exhaustion, he became unconscious. At this time, he had a good dream. He saw his native land in his dream. The lordly Niger was flowing and beneath the palm trees in the plain, he strode as a king and heard the tinkling caravans descend the mountain road. He saw his dark-eyed queen who clasped his neck and kissed his cheeks. He then furiously rode along the Niger bank and his bridel reins were golden chains. At each leap, he could feel his scabbard of steel smitting his stallion's flank. Afterwards, he did not feel the scorching heat or the driver's whip, for death had illuminated the land of sleep and his lifeless body was lying there alone. William Wordsworth English poet William Wordsworth wrote poems which showed the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. His style is simple, yet appealing. His comparisons with nature are catchy. The poem, “The Solitary Reaper” is an account of a Scottish reaper who was spotted by Wordsworth alone at her work in the field. Wordsworth had been to Scotland on a tour. One fine spring morning, he went out for a walk in the fields. Oddly enough, a solitary reaper caught his attention. She cut and bound the corn and sang a melancholic song. The whole valley resounded with the sweet notes. Wordsworth says that her voice was sweeter than that of the nightingale, whose voice is like a balm to weary Arabian travelers and even sweeter than that of the cuckoo whose voice “breaks the silence of the seas.” The poet could not understand the theme of the maiden’s song. He makes painful attempts to guess the dialect of the song. He wonders if the song conveyed happy or sad tidings. Whatever the theme was, the poet feels that it was exceedingly sweet in the sadness of its melody. The poet listened spellbound and the song had a lasting effect on him which led him to write a poem on the lovely highland girl. The most celebrated lines in the poem are :- “The music in my heart I bore Long after it was heard no more.” These concluding lines show the magical effect the reaper’s song had on the poet. The girl’s voice lingered even long after it was over and heard no more. Mary Dobson Mary Dobson, a British lover of beauty has written a short and simple, but beautiful poem on “The Taj Mahal.” It is an eloquent and convincing illustration of the fact that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever.” Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan loved his queen Mumtaz Mahal very deeply. Her death greatly distressed him. The Emperor was almost dead with inconsolable grief. He decided to erect a beautiful monument in her living memory. He summoned the best craftsmen in the land to build this marble marvel. The workers succeeded in erecting a flawless monument. But the sight of the mausoleum did not soothe the king's grief. He died pining for Mumtaz and was buried beside her. The unique Taj stands on the banks of the Jamuna in Agra. The Taj personifies true love. True love is so intense that it burns like a blazing fire and cannot be put out by all the waters of the Earth. That is the divine message of the Taj. The grief of the emperor on the death of Mumtaz is brought out effectively in this poem. It is through love, a passion for Truth that all undertakings a re-accomplished. Shah Jahan proved it by building a beautiful memorial, one of the wonders of the world, which has become the personification of true love as it was built out of a sincere debt of feeling. Patmore The poem, “The Toys” is written on a domestic subject, but it is tinged with religious feelings which is an outstanding characteristic of Patmore's poetry. Patmore presents a touching poem in which he expresses his strong affection for his motherless little boy. The poet raises the relationship between father and son to the divine level of our Heavenly Father for us human beings, His children. One evening, Patmore's son irritated him by disobeying him. Patmore beat the child and sent him to bed without kissing him good night. Later, he felt compassionate towards the child and ventured to the boy's room expecting to find him awake. Contrary to his expectations, the boy was found in deep slumber. His eyelids were dark and wet from his late sobbing. The boy had sought consolence and company in his toys which he had arranged by the bedside before falling asleep. The poet was moved at the sight of these toys. He moaned and kissed away the tears of the sleeping boy. The surge of his deep feelings found expression in the poet's own tears which he left on the boy's face. He returned to his room brooding over his rude behavior. He wept and prayed asking God for forgiveness. God, our Heavenly Father, forgives everyone. We vex Him in life, yet His unfailing mercy welcomes us back to the right path, when we realize and repent for our foolishness. The poet hopes that God will forgive him for being relentless to his motherless child, just as he had forgiven his boy for disobeying him. James Rusell Lowell Yussouf is a sort of a moral story written in the form of a beautiful poem. The poet has hidden the theme of his poem in itself. In the heart of Ibrahim, the murderer and outlaw, Yussouf's kindness awakened the feelings which had long been dormant and moved him to make his confession. On a pleasant and quiet night, a desperate stranger goes to the tent of Yussouf. He begs Yussouf to protect him from the enemies who were after him. Yussouf readily grants what he wants. He tells him to behave as he would do in his house. He tells him to partake any of his stores. He entertains the guest that night and before the sun would rise, he wakes him up and tells him to flee with his swiftest horse and some gold. “As one lamp lights another nor glows less So Nobleness enkindleth nobleness.” The guest's heart moves and makes him confess that he had slain Yussouf's son. But to his surprise, Yussouf gives him thrice the gold and tells him to go away before the enemy catches him.
|
|||
|
|