TyroCity: English - I Notes

Critical Thinking of the poem Piano

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Although I agree with the moral of this poem that music has potentiality to entertain the people of all ages, I found some parts of the poem unconvincing. Do all people get fully entertained by the music as poet in the poem does? Do all people have happy memorable childhood that they want to recall? Does any responsible person want to go back in the childhood memory? Isn’t it somewhat shameful for one grown up person to weep like a small child recalling his past and wanting to forget his present?

Interpretation of the poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

The poem deals with the contemplation of nature. There’s a debate on whether the poem is calm or dark and depressing. The answer varies as per the person view. So, here we take a look at both the aspects of interpretation.

Calm Interpretation
The speaker wants to take a pause in a quiet spot to watch the snow falling, maybe to calm his mind and enjoy nature. That might just be due to the decoy of being free of responsibilities and a solitude of being alone.

It may also suggest the adventure the speaker seeks and his attraction to danger of ‘darkness’ and ‘depth’ of the woods alone in the snowy evening. His responsibilities towards his work, family and his community might be stopping the speaker from experiencing new places and things and stopping him from going into dangerous adventures.

A simple interpretation would be that work always comes first before play which in the poem is reminded by the horse shaking his harness bell reminding the speaker that there are places to go and we can’t pause and watch the snow falling. There is lot of works to be done.

Dark Interpretation

The darker interpretation of the poem addresses longing for death for the tiredness of life. The speaker mentions that it’s the darkest evening of the year. He also goes on to include isolated spot, cold, frozen lake and the darkness none of which are an inviting place to stop and commune one’s thoughts at. Winter is a season when animals hibernate, plants die and the speaker might be associating the death with the use of this season.

The poet with ‘The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.’ to end the poem is often interpreted as attraction towards death. Furthermore, his emphasize on the line ‘miles to go before I sleep’ refers to long journey of his life and the ‘sleep’ there, the speaker refers represent death.

We can’t be certain where the speaker is travelling to but as it’s at the end of the day, we can simply assume that he is making his way back to home. ‘Home’ can be interpreted as the end of the road or a journey.

Whatever his thoughts may be, the speaker realizing his responsibility towards his family who depend upon him finds the strength to continue his journey towards home pressing his feelings. At the same time, he also his journey with life.

Critical Thinking of the poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Stopping in the Woods by the Snowy Evening is a beautiful poem composed by Robert Frost. The poem has a good moral with a strong message. However, there are things which I don’t agree with. The poet seems to forget his responsibilities towards his family, friends, and community as he gazes the beauty of woods. That makes me question if everyone finds the nature so beautiful that it makes them forget about their duties and responsibilities completely? The beauty of nature gives us a sense of joy and enjoyment for a moment but that doesn’t mean we have the right to forget what and who we are. Responsibilities come first before anything and I believe that the whole concept of linking duties and responsibilities of a person with natural beauties isn’t justified.

Background of the poem On the Eve of His Execution

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Written just before its author’s execution for treason, the strength of this poem has as much do with its language as its distressing context. In fact, the poet was probably 28 at the time. The poem is truthful but it is also a performance, dramatizing the actual situation into a dance of life with death.

The poem gains a distressing authenticity from the biographical context, and no doubt this helps account for its popularity. It seems to come from the heart, the “I” of the poem at one with that of the condemned man writing it. Yet it would be no less fine a technical achievement if it had been framed as a dramatic monologue. The weaving of opposing statements into paradox is masterly: the effect is neither playful nor literary but reveals the profound contradictions implicit in the human condition.

Assimilation of the poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

After reading the poem, I learnt that the duties can’t be fulfilled in the course of time as it doesn’t wait for anyone. All the duties and responsibilities need to be fulfilled and carried out when we can and on time. The poem also talks about the beauty of the nature in even the darkest of elements like the frozen lake, darkness and cold weather.

Summary of the poem Piano

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Written in 1918 by D.H. Lawrence, the poem “Piano” uses first person point of view with the poet as the narrator recalling about the past as a fully grown adult. Nostalgia is the center of the poem with the title ‘Piano’ serving as a metaphor for it.

The poem sets off at one evening where two persons a man and a woman are sitting in a room. The woman who is a singer and a pianist is singing and playing the piano softly for the poet (who is the other person in the room). Her song takes the poet back to his early childhood period where he sees himself as a small child sitting under the piano as his mother sings. His mother undisturbed smiles at him and continues playing the piano as he presses her feet.

The poem continues as the poet mentions that he knows that it is just a romantic past and wants to live in present facing the reality. However, he can’t control himself regardless of how hard he tries as her skillful piano tone and sweet song is hard to resist for him. It takes him back to his boyhood this time. He mentions that it is very cold outside as its winter and he is in his warm and comfortable room. All his family members are together as well this Sunday evening singing hymns while being guided by the piano.

In the third stanza, the poet doesn’t want to listen to the music anymore and considers the woman’s song to be shout. This is so because the music has done its task which is to take the poet back to his happy past where he wants to be lost with those happy memories and forget about the present completely. He doesn’t find her music sweet anymore and says is a waste for her to play the piano with deep feeling.

Happy with his childhood memories, he doesn’t want to be a man anymore. He beings to cry like a child for the past as he throws his manhood.

Interpretation of the poem Where the Mind Is Without Fear

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

This patriotic poem tells us about the importance of freedom in human life. The poem also doesn’t fail to show us the value of reason, knowledge, freedom, universality and honesty. The poet wants to create a perfect place where everyone can live in harmony and there are no artificial borders to divide. He wants the nation and the citizens within to awake.

Summary of the poem Great Scott! Gadzooks!

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

In the poem, ‘Great Scott! Gadzooks!’ the poet highlights the pros and cons of watching a television (TV) for a child. As per the poet, TV makes the mind of a child dull if they watch it for long hours. Children often don’t do any physical activities like playing, running or other forms of exercise if they find interesting series, ads or cartoons to watch. They rather stick like a glue infront of the TV sets making them unable to think creatively and brainstorm to learn something new. TV might act as an addiction to a child making them want to do nothing else.
In contrary to that, if a child is busy watching TV, parents can freely work on other things in the home as the child won’t be engaged with other activities which need their attention like when the child is climbing on the window, quarreling or other similar kinds of bad activities.

Weighing both pros and cons, it’s not worth letting the child watch TV for long hours as per the poet. The mind of a child is very delicate and watching TV may rust the brain. TV makes them blind as they can’t imagine the fantasy world which can only be inspired by reading books.

It can be confidently said that the children born during the time when the TV didn’t exist were happy as well. Without TV, a child during those days would invest their time reading or listening to books like a fantasy story, drama, poems or other genres which in-turn boost their imagination and creativity. They would also play indoor and outdoor games. The poet asks the parents to do their part now and rather throw away TV to free up space to keep a bookshelf filled with interesting books for their children.

However, a child addicted to TV mightn’t be able to bear not being able to watch TV so the parents must be aware of that. The poet believes that regardless of how difficult it might be but in a few weeks’ time, the child will adjust to new settings and be more involved in reading books. Addiction to books will make them forget about the television and parents now can also involve their child into beautiful arts, reading, singing, dancing, playing as other activities.

Critical Thinking on the poem Great Scott! Gadzooks!

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Every parent’s troubles with their children are beautifully presented in the poem as a child doesn’t often read anything extra besides their textbook. However, the poem fails to identify or ignored the advantages that the children get from watching television as the visuals there help enhance their creativity and imaginative power. Watching TV won’t kill the imagination if shows which are informative and educating are watched. They’ll rather enhance those skills which the poem fails to identify.

Summary of the poem On the Eve of His Execution

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

The poet in his late-20s is young but unhappy. There is no sign of happiness instead its filled with pain and sufferings. He relates his corn field (life) with tares (an injurious weed resembling to corn when young). He hopes for a better future but all those are in vain as days pass by without him being able to move freely. And, he still finds himself trapped in the jail. He thinks life has ended even though he’s still alive for he is waiting his execution order to be carried out.

The poet continues as he says that the story he says is heard but not passed on forward – nobody has spoken on his behalf. He is to lose everything including his life due to the execution order despite he being in his youth and having a lot to live for. He has seen the world but the world didn’t see him as he’s left ignored and not cared for. His story is familiar to everyone but no one dare speak for him or stand next to him. He emphases on his feeling that the life is now over.

The poet found his death in the womb itself when he looked for it. And, when looking for life, he finds it was just a shade. As he walks in the ground, he believes it is his tomb underneath the soil. He thinks there is lot more he could do, a lot of wishes he could work towards but he doesn’t have any time for those. He says that his life is destroyed and now he’s just waiting for his execution.

English I Notes

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Piano

Great Scott! Gadzooks!

On the Eve of His Execution

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Where the Mind Is Without Fear

Summary of the poem Where the Mind Is Without Fear

English I Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

‘Where the Mind Is Without Fear’ is a beautiful poem written by Rabindranath Tagore in the form of prayer. The poem was written during the time when India was struggling against British rulers for their freedom. He expresses his love for his nation, praying for its well-being with the almighty (God) in the poem. He also prayed asking for India to be a free country where people could hold their head high with respect and dignity instead of living under fear.

He also prays for the freedom of the nation and to awaken the society to only have noble thoughts and actions once the nation is free. All in all, Tagore reveals his own concept of freedom throughout the poem.