TyroCity: English - I Notes

Interpretation of the poem On the Eve of His Execution

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

The poem is an elegy and uses paradox and antithesis to present the tragedy of poet’s situation clearly. Antithesis means setting opposites against each other: prime of youth / frost of cares (from the first line). While paradox is self-contradictory statements, yet true which can be found in every line of every stanza in this poem.

The poet’s metaphorical skill is coupled with a clever use of tense to suggest the blurring of past and present. The repetition of “now” in the last line of each stanza has the effect of suggesting a passage of time so swift that past and present are telescoped: “And now I live, and now my life is done.”

The poem is expressing the feeling of a young person awaiting his death and what goes on the person’s mind. Along the message that no one wants to die young. The executing order soon to be implemented makes him recall his short life and makes him evaluate what life has given to him. Like the execution, the poet considers that everything in life is unexpected and unnatural.

Interpretation of the poem Piano

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

Every person be it young or old wanting to listen to music reminds the poet of his happy memories of past freeing him from ongoing troubles. The poet may be suggesting that the music functions as a medium to free us from cruel conscious thought.

Likewise, this poem tells us some moments of our childhood becomes so memorable and important like in the poem when he (the poet) heard a woman singing a song while playing the piano made him recall his happy memories of past days. It may also be interpreted to mean that mother’s love is superior to any other forms of love as they give us lots of love and care making our life beautiful.

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.

Interpretation of the poem Great Scott! Gadzooks!

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

The message in the poem is that the books which can have an important role to play in child’s growth is often forgotten over television in the modern society. The poem asks the parents to change the way they educate their children by replacing television with books.

The feeling of anger, worry and strong tone of uneasiness towards the existence of TV in the modern society as part of child’s growth can be found in the poem with a negative attitude towards television. This is expressed with the use of negative connotation in an ironic way.

Soft, gratifying and cheerful tone is used to present books as the best offering for a child’s growth and development. This shows the positive and favorable attitude towards books by the poet.

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.

Assimilation of the poem On the Eve of His Execution

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

The poem had several messages to give. I got to take a closer look as what goes on one’s mind when life is cut short and knew that everyone has love for oneself regardless of how bad one does. I also knew that anyone committing crime would be caught and punished sooner or later. This reminds me of the law where the person is pleading for forgiveness realizing the crime one did but no one hears the person at that time. For that reason, we need to choose our path wisely when we can and move on the right path towards success and not choose the wrong path to end behind bars or be sentenced for execution like the poet. The poem inspired me to follow the path of truth so that there would be no regrets before natural death.

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.

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 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.

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.

Assimilation of the poem Piano

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

I never gave much importance to the music before reading this poem but the poem made me realize that it can function as a medium for entertainment, relief and spellbound people of all ages. Music has the power to make us feel refreshed both physically and mentally as we enjoy the tone forgetting about this busy life for a moment.