SEM II- UNIT- II Poetry

SEMESTER II

UNIT – II (POETRY)

1. THE SOLITARY REAPER – William Wordsworth

Introduction

            William Wordsworth is one of the most important English poets and a founder of the Romantic Movement of English literature. He was often called a nature poet because of his emphasis on the connection between humans and the natural world. He became widely successful and was named Poet Laureate of England in 1843. The poem 'The Solitary Reaper' was written on November 5, 1805. It is based on the real experience of the author.

The Song of the Highland Girl

The poet, while travelling in the Highland valleys, comes across a lonely Highlander reaper girl. She is harvesting the crops and singing by herself. He tries to draw the attention of the passers-by to the girl by calling them to ‘behold her’. The poet urges them to stop there and listen to her song, or to pass by gently without disturbing her in her singing. The poet again urges the other travellers to listen to her music, as it is overflowing the deep valley.

Comparisons of the Song

Now the poet compares the reaper girl’s song with that of the sweet singing nightingale bird. The melodious song of the nightingale welcomes a tired group of travellers in some shady shelter in the Arabian desert. Now the comparison shifts to the cuckoo, another well-known singing bird. It too breaks the silence of the seas in the far islands. But, according to the poet, the song of the solitary reaper is more thrilling than that of the nightingale and cuckoo.

The Theme of the Song

The poet doesn’t understand the meaning of the song or its subject matter, as the girl is probably singing in her native language From its tone, he guesses it to be a sad song about some old unhappy things and past battles. He also guesses that the song might be about some more usual happenings like some natural sorrow, loss or pain, a death or a domestic day-to-day incident which has occurred or may happen again.

Conclusion

The poet listened to the girl’s song, stopped on his way and stood still, very much charmed by the girl’s beautiful song. When the poet was climbing up the hill, the song could no longer be heard from there, but he bore the music, the melody of the solitary reaper’s song in his heart. Such was the impression of the song upon his mind.

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2. THE GIFT - Alice Walker

Introduction

Alice Walker is an Afro - American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. She is known for her novel The Color Purple, which won many awards. The poem ‘Gift’ is written by Alice Walker.The poem is personal and conversational in tone. This poem talks about a racially discriminated Afro-American woman. The lover, being a white American proposed his love to a black woman but he calls her greedy.

The Soul as a Gift

The poem starts with a lover giving away his heart/soul to his lady love. Though the lady was not interested in him she takes his soul lightly and keeps it aside as she belongs to the South side of the country. She keeps his heart as a mandate and thinks to give it back as it was given. When that lady completely falls in love with him, he returns to her and with an outrage voice asks her to give back his heart/soul.

The Possessiveness of the White Lover

Now, out of some misunderstanding, the white lover gets angry with the lady and wants his soul back. It is actually he who proposed her first. But now he says that she is so greedy enough to love such a high class American. He calls her possessive. The ladylove replies quietly that he has always kept his soul with him. It is heavy with the racial memory from past generations. The girl says him, that he never gave his heart/soul but, just kept it with her so as to safeguard it. He never believed her and loved her and was very possessive about his heart and held it so tightly that it shrinked to the size of his hand.

Conclusion

This poem starts with love shown by a man towards his lover whom he considered as his life and Soul. Later, the poem ends with the possessive nature of a man with his heart and also portraits merciless and mean nature of the man towards his beloved.

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3. O WHAT IS THAT SOUND? – W. H. Auden

Introduction

W. H. Auden was an English poet of 20^th century. His poetry was noted for the engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion.  ‘O what is That Sound’ is a ballad. A ballad is a song with a story. The poem tells the events of an unspecified war and its effects on a couple and betrayal. It also exposes a deeper message, of the weak nature of humankind. It is told through the two voices - the lady and his lover.

The Arrival of the Soldiers

The speaker of the poem, a lady, hears a sound down in the valley from her home in the morning. She asks his spouse what that sound was. The spouse replies that it was the marching of soldiers. The speaker next asks what the light that keeps flashing was. It is the glint of their weapons dear, says the spouse. Similarly the lady continues to question the actions of the soldiers and the lover gives appropriate answers. The soldiers all the while keep marching towards the lady’s house. The lady thinks that they would stop somewhere before, - the doctor’s house, the parson’s church and the cunning farmer’s land. But they run straight towards his house.

The Betrayal of the Lover

Seeing the arrival of the soldiers, the man stands up to leave. The lady questions about the vows that lover had made to love her forever. She is left with a tragic and sarcastic note: “ No, I promised to love you dear,/ But I must be leaving.” These vows are most likely referring to the vows made during wedding ceremonies. And then the soldiers break the door, and come into the house with burning eyes.

Conclusion

W.H. Auden doesn’t say what happens to the lady after the arrival of the soldiers. We may assume that the lady might be attacked violently or brutally raped by them. Hence Auden gives a picture of the brutality of war and how the individuals are affected by it.

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4. ODE TO THE WEST WIND – P. B. Shelley

Introduction

P. B Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets.  He was a radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views. Shelley did not see fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achievements in poetry grew steadily following his death.  His “Ode to the West Wind” is a poem that addresses the west wind as a powerful force and asks it to scatter the poet's words throughout the world. 

The West Wind’s Effect on Land

Addressing the west wind as a human, Shelley describes its activities: It drives dead leaves away as if they were ghosts. The leaves are yellow and black, pale and red. The west wind carries seeds in its chariot and deposits them in the earth. In a paradox, the poet calls the west wind as a destroyer and a preserver.

The West Wind’s Effect on Sky

The poet says the west wind drives clouds along after it shakes the clouds free of the sky and the oceans. These clouds erupt with rain and lightning. Against the sky, the lightning appears as a bright shaft of hair from the head of a Mænad. From that dome will come black rain, fire, and hail.

The West Wind’s Effect on Sea

While sleeping at the Mediterranean Sea, the west win saw old palaces and towers that had collapsed into the sea during an earthquake and became overgrown with moss and flowers. To create a path for the west wind, the powers of the mighty Atlantic Ocean divide themselves and flow through chasms. Deep beneath the ocean surface, flowers and foliage, upon hearing the west wind, quake in fear and despoil themselves.

The Poet’s Cry

The poet wants to become a dead leaf  or a cloud  or an ocean wave taken by the  uncontrollable west wind. His thoughts would spread all over the world. But as a human he has certain limitations. He cries that he has fallen on the thorns of life and he is bleeding with heavy hours of time.

Conclusion

At last Shelley asks the wind to scatter his words around the world, as if they were ashes from a burning fire. The poet wants the wind to help him spread his views on politics, philosophy, literature, and so on. He says that “ If winter comes can spring be far behind?”

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