The Frog and the Nightingale

The Frog and the Nightingale 12 -Vikram Seth Vikram Seth an Indo Anglian poet is best known for his monumental work “A Suitable Boy (1993) a 1,500 ...
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The Frog and the Nightingale

12

-Vikram Seth

Vikram Seth an Indo Anglian poet is best known for his monumental work “A Suitable Boy (1993) a 1,500 page novel on domestic and political life in the mid- twentieth century India. His novel in verse. The Golden Gate (1986), won wide acclaim, its verse is sometimes playful and sometimes exquisite, and its narrative is involving and sometimes profoundly touching. The poem “The Frog and the Nightingale” is the ninth poem in Vikram Seth's, anthology of poems Beastly Tales.“ These animal tales in verse can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Familiar characters in a new and natural form, such as the greedy crocodile who was out-witted by the monkey or the steady tortoise who outran the hare, take their place beside a newly minted gallery of characters who are quirky, witty and fun. The writer himself says about the poem that it came directly to me from the land of gup” However the poem The Frog and the Nightingale brings out the irony of a situation where a talented person lives in constant awe and fear of the most crude, uneducated, unscrupulous, unsophisticated person who for vested interests imposes himself / herself to the great dismay of the talent and or loss to the ignorant audience. The poem is also a comment on the commercialism and consumerism of the modern times where everything is weighed against how much it can fetch in monetary terms, how people pander to fashion and trends without judging the things by their merit.

The Frog and the Nightingale Once upon a time a frog Croaked away in Bingle Bog. Every night from dusk to dawn He croaked awn and awn and awn. Other creatures loathed his voice, But, alas, they had no choice, And the crass cacophony Blared out from the sumac tree At whose foot the frog each night Minstrelled on till morning light. loathed / lJUDd / 89

Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks, Insults or complaints or bricks Stilled the frog's determination To display his heart's elation. But one night a nightingale In the moonlight cold and pale Perched upon the sumac tree Casting forth her melody. Dumbstruck sat the gaping frog, And the whole admiring bog Stared towards the sumac, rapt, And, when she had ended, clapped. Ducks had swum and herons waded To her as she serenaded, And a solitary loon Wept beneath the summer moon. Toads and teals and tiddlers, captured By her voice, cheered on, enraptured: 'Bravo' 'Too divine!' 'Encore So the nightingale once more, Quite unused to such applause, Sang till dawn without a pause. Next night when the nightingale Shook her head and twitched her tail, Closed an eye and fluffed a wing And had cleared her throat to sing She was startled by a croak. 'Sorry was that you who spoke?' She enquired when the frog Hopped towards her from the bog. 'Yes,' the frog replied. 'You see I'm the frog who owns this tree. In this bog I've long been known For my splendid baritone, And, of course, I wield my pen cacophony / kJ'kQfJni / perched / p3;tSt / sumac / sVmJk /

clapped / kl&p / heron / 'herJn / applause / J'plO;z / 90

twitched / twItSt / hopped / hQpt /

For Bog Trumpet now and then.' 'Did you ... did you like my song?' 'Not too bad - but far too long. The technique was fine, of course, But it lacked a certain force.' Oh!' the nightingale confessed, Greatly flattered and impressed That a critic of such note Had discussed her art and throat: 'I don't think the song's divine. But - oh, well - at least it's mine.' 'That's not much to boast about Said the heartless frog. 'Without Proper training such as I And few others - can supply, You'll remain a mere beginner. But with me you'll be a winner.” 'Dearest frog,' the nightingale Breathed: 'This is a fairy tale And you're Mozart in disguise Come to earth before my eyes. 'Well, I charge a modest fee.' 'Oh!' 'But it won't hurt, you'll see. Now the nightingale, inspired, Flushed with confidence, and fired With both art and adoration, Sang - and was a huge sensation. Animals for miles around Flocked towards the magic sound, And the frog with great precision Counted heads and charged admission.

flushed / flVSt / flocked / flQkt / precision / prI'sIZn /

confessed / kJn'fest / breathed / bri;Dd /

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Though next morning it was raining, He began her vocal training. 'But I can't sing in this weather.' 'Come, my dear - we'll sing together. Just put on your scarf and sash. Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!' So the frog and nightingale Journeyed up and down the scale For six hours, till she was shivering And her voice was hoarse and quivering. Though subdued and sleep-deprived, In the night her throat revived. And the sumac tree was bowed With a breathless, titled crowd: Owl of Sandwich, Duck of Kent, Mallard and Milady Trent, Martin Cardinal Mephisto, And the Coot of Monte Cristo. Ladies with tiaras glittering In the interval sat twittering -And the frog observed them glitter With a joy both sweet and bitter. Every day the frog who'd sold her Songs for silver tried to scold her 'You must practise even longer Till your voice, like mine, grows stronger. In the second song last night You got nervous in mid-flight. And, my dear, lay on-more trills: Audiences enjoy such frills. You must make your public happier. Give them something sharper, snappier. We must aim for better billings. You still owe me sixty shillings.

sash / s&S / quivering / 'kwIvJr / breathless / 'breTlJs /

sandwich / 's&nwItS / mallard / 'm&lA;d /

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milady / mI'leIdi / tiaras / ti'A;rJz /

Day by day the nightingale Grew more sorrowful and pale. Night on night her tired song Zipped and trilled and bounced along, Till the birds and beasts grew tired At a voice so uninspired And the ticket office gross Crashed, and she grew more morose For her ears were now addicted To applause quite unrestricted, And to sing into the night All alone gave no delight Now the frog puffed up with rage. Brainless bird - you're on the stage Use your wits, and follow fashion. Puff your lungs out with your passion. Trembling, terrified to fail, Blind with tears, the nightingale Heard him out in silence, tried, Puffed up, burst a vein, and died. Said the frog: 'I tried' to teach her, But she was a stupid creature Far too nervous, far too tense, Far too prone to influence. Well, poor bird - she should have known That your song must be your own. That's why I sing with panache: 'Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-as And the foghorn of the frog Blared unrivalled through the bog.

Glossary blared sumac minstrel

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grew / gru: / zipped / zIpt /

to make a loud unpleasant noise a tree of the cashew family grown in the temperate zone a musician or a singer in the MiddleAges morose / mJ'rJUs / panache / pJ'n&S / 93

elation rapt serenade loon enraptured encore applause

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twitched fluffed splendid baritone wield confessed flattered impressed to boast about Mozart in disguise adoration precision charged admission subdued sleep deprived titled crowd tiaras glitter twittering trills zipped uninspired morose addicted follow fashion with panache foghorn unrivalled

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feeling a great happiness and excitement so interested in something that you are not aware of anything else gentle music to his lover by a man standing under her window anAmerican bird that eats fish and has a cry like a laugh in a state of deep pleasure (here) once more! repeat the noise made by a group of people clapping their hands and sometimes shouting to show their approval pulled up with a sudden movement to do something badly/to fail at something excellent a man's singing voice with a certain type of range to have and use power/authority agreed felt happy at false praise deeply influenced to speak high of a classicalAustrian musician & composer of 18th century in a concealed form a feeling of great love or worship carefully and accurately allowed to come in at a fee (here) tired kept away from sleep (feeling lethargic) throngs of people with titles pieces of jewellery, studded with precious stones. shine a series of short high sounds that birds make repeated short high sounds (like a bird) moved quickly rude and unpleasant behaviour as at a ticket-window sad habitual of to go after current trend with a confident and elegant way to impress others (originally) an instrument that makes a loud noise to warn ships of a danger. (here) croaking or unmusical. having none to match him

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Exercises Word Power (a)

Separate the following names into the three columns. loon, teal, tiddler, nightingale, heron, tuna, swan, goose, swallow, trout, hern, minnow, grayling, coot Bird

(b)

Fish

Duck

Find at least one quality for each of them and write in a sentence of your own. What are the specific musical qualities related with these words. Explain by using them in sentences of your own: trills, panache, Mozart, serenade, baritone, blare, cacophony, carol, melody, minstrel, croak

Comprehension 1. (A)

Read the following lines and write their explanation: And the crass cacophony Blared out from the sumac tree At whose foot the frog each night Minstrelled on till morning light.

(B)

Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks, Insults or complaints or bricks stilled the frog's determination To display his heart's elation.

(C)

And the sumac tree was bowed With a breathless, titled crowd: Owl of Sandwich, Duck of Kent, Mallard and Milady Trent, Martin Cardinal Mephisto,

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And the Coot of Monte Cristo. Ladies with tiaras glittering In the interval sat twittering -And the frog observed them glitter With a joy both sweet and bitter.

Poetic Devices 1.

Mark the rhyme scheme and meter of the poem. /_

/

_/

_/

Once upon a time a frog /_

/

_/

_/

Croaked away in Bingle Bog. /_

/

_/

/

_/

a

_/

Every night from dusk tio dawn /_

a

b

_/

He croaked awn and awan and awn.

b

This verse composition has adapted the features of modern poetry in following the pattern of mixed metre and free verse. However, to add the flavour of a ballad (a romantic verse- form), a conscious attention has been paid to keep it close to the common speech through the predominance of iambic meter ( _/) and regular rhyme immediately following lines rhyming together). Mostly the lines are hexasyllabic with variations of one syllable. II. Allusions There are allusions and references in the composition, which are essential features of modern poetry, Allusions are supposed to be the common link of knowledge between the author and the reader and can sometimes be parodical. For example, 'Mozart' can be singled out as signpost in the field of music. But, 'Owl of Sandwich' 'Duck of Kent,' Coot of Monte Cristo', and the like are obvious parodical references to exaggerated identities of the species. Chorus -Chorus is of Greek origin where it is used by a group of singers, appearing on the stage generally to provide moral, religious or social commentary. Among the English dramatists, John Milton (Samson Agonistes), Shelley (Prometheus Unbound), Hardy (Dynasts) made use of classical chorus effectively. Most effective use of classical chorus in the present age has been made by T.S. Eliot in his poetic drama Murder in the Cathedral. During the Elizabethan age (16th century), chorus was introduced very effectively by Christopher Marlowe in his play Dr. Faustus In Marlowe, however, the chorus does not work collectively. 96

In English literature chorus is generally sung by a single character, who. 1. Spoke Prologue and Epilogue in a play, particularly a tragedy, 2. Some times introduced each act in a play, 3. Expressed the dramatists' views regarding his intention. 4. Informs the spectators about the subject events that have taken place between the two scenes and setting of the play or scene

SpeakingActivity 1.

Read the following poem about a spider and see how beautifully the poet describes the craftiness of the spider. The Spider and the fly Will you walk into my parlour? Said the spider to the fly. The prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy, The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, And I've a many curious things to shew when you are there. Oh no, no, said the little fly to ask me is in vain, For who goes up you winding stair, can ne'er come down again. I'm sure you must be weary, dear with soaring up so high Will you rest upon my little bed? Said the spider to the fly. There are pretty curtains drawn around" the sheets are fine and thin, And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in! Oh no, no! said the little Fly, for I've often heard it said. They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed! Mary Howitt.

2.

Discuss with your group and bring out all the qualities of spider and what does the fly feel about it.

WritingActivity 1. 2.

What fantasy aspects are there in the poem ' The frog and the Nightingale? Do animals really talk to one another? How do you know? Find an example and write a paragraph about it. Read the following poem on frogs and answer the questions that follow: Frogs in chorus The chorus frogs in the big lagoon Would sing their songs to the silvery moon. Tenor singers were out of place, For every frog was a double bass. But never a human chorus yet Could beat the accurate time they set. 97

The solo singer began the joke. He sang "As long as I live I'll croak, Croak, I' ll croak," And the chorus followed him " Croak, Croak, croak!" The poet frog, in his plaintive tone, Sang of a sorrow was all his own; "How shall I win to my heart's desire? How shall I feel my spirit's fire /" And the solo frog in his deepest croak, "To fire your spirit," he sang “eat Coke, Coke, eat coke, " And the chorus followed him:"Coke, Coke, Coke!" The green frog sat in a swampy spot And he sang the song of he knew not what "The world is rotten, of cursed plight, That I am the frog that must set it right. How shall I scatter the shades that lurk?" And the old man bullfrog sang, " Get work, Work, get work," And the chorus followed him:" Work, work, work!"

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

The soaring spirits that fain would fly on wings of hope to the starry sky Must face the snarls of the jealous dogs. For the world is ruled by its chorus frogs. ------Andrew Barton Paterson What is that human beings cannot beat?And why? What do you understand by chorus and why is it repeated in this poem? What is the purpose of a chorus? Is the poet making fun of the frogs? Compare this with the poem by Vikram Seth. Write about the frog who sat in a swampy spot. Why does the poet say that 'the world is ruled by its chorus frogs'? Give two examples from the poem to prove you point. Can we call the poem a parody? Give examples for your argument.

Things to do Watch closely any pet or bird you fancy and write a few lines about it in the form of a poem / chorus. Think of a rhyme scheme and follow it through out your poem. Share you poem with the class and comment on the poems (critically appreciate) written by your class mates.

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