Daybreak - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

DAYBREAK

H. W.  Longfellow was an American poet of 19th century.  The poem 'Day Break' is the nature's poem taken from his collection 'Birds of Passage'. 

The central idea of the poem is urging for work.  It gives idea to live a life and be ready for challenges and opportunities. To live in presence and cherish it with full enthusiasm.

Technicality:                                                                

Here, the rhyming scheme is AABB. The figure of speech used here is Metaphor and Personification. Here the wind is personified by a 'breezy blow'.  Poem is presented in a form of dialogue in 9 couplets.  The poem is focused on why nature is bless.

At dawn, the wind started to blow with the message to awakening to all the natural agents and to human kind.  Before the dawn the nature was hazy, Full of mist, making air heavy and still.

With a day break,  wind from the sea started to blow and request the mist to give it a passage to blow. It clarifies that one have to make their own passage to achieve life goals. Next it hailed to the anchored ships to wake up, upraise the sails and start their voyage ( journey to the life goal)  as a night is gone. It hurriedly moved to the land crying out to human kind to wake up as it is a day.

Next it flew to forests and shouted to make an murmuring sound and open its leaves as a flag of nature.  It touched the wings of birds in wood sleeping with folded wings so that they could start its flight.  It went to farm and requested the domestic crow to crow a trumpet to know the the world that its dawn and day is near.  It's your time to achieve life.

Flying and flying it went to field of ripe corn and asked to bow down with the heavy heads to the approaching day and welcome it. It shouted to the 'belfry tower' - Awake and ring a bell to declare an hour of early morning.

The journey of the wind ended to the churchyard- a burial.  The wind went a sigh to the people lying with peace.  The coarse of the land came to the end providing message to all to wake up feeling its not an hour for them to wake up.

This is a beautiful poem with the personified sea wind as a source of joy and freshness.

Joy and woe are woven fine- William Blake

JOY AND WOE ARE WOVEN FINE

William Blake is an English poet and painter.  He has given an amazing poem joy and woe are woven fine.  The title itself gives life learning. Two important aspects of life are described in the poem. Everything in nature has two sides same way the life also has two sides and those are joy and woe - happiness and grief.

This poem teaches us to be stable in life whether it is a time of joy or grief. Joy and woe are necessary things of life they are the clothes of our souls. Joy and woe help to build our character and opens our mind to accept the surrounding.  It wraps our soul giving it experiences and results in its unique character and identity. One cannot value happiness without the darkness of sadness and cannot feel grief without happiness.  There's always a bright morning after the darkest night. There's also hidden happiness in the grief one needs to find it out.

Joe and woe are woven fine,

A clothing for the soul divine,

Under every grief and pine,

Runs a joy with silken twine.

It is right it should be so,

We were made for joy and woe,

And when this we rightly know,

Through the world, we safely go.

Here poet says that our soul's clothing is woven with threads of both joy and woe and that parts, where the threads of grief seem to predominate there, run underneath the silken twine of joy if we look carefully.

Man is made for joy and woe. Poet wants people to accept this truth of life. Once you know this you can move safely in the world. Live happy in every phase of life,  it is the only key to the best life.

Fame and friendship - H.A. Dobson

Fame and Friendship

'Fame and Friendship' is a beautiful poem written by Henry Austin Dobson. He is an English poet and essayist. The poem theorizes friendship to be far better than fame.  Fame is a thing people sought but fame dies with the death of a person is the short term while friendship lives in sweet memories.

“Fame is a food that dead men eat,—

I have no stomach for such meat.

In little light and narrow room,

They eat it in the silent tomb,

With no kind voice of comrade near

To bid the feaster be of cheer.”

    The first stanza of the poem talks about fame.  People want to be famous all over the world.  Fame rewards people. Fame is the food of a dead man. Many times people are rewarded after their death which gives no happiness to them. It comes to you after all the long hard work.  Fame gives people rewards and status. Famous people are mostly valued after their death.  Fame embraces only a few of our exceptional. For many people, their whole life passes in hard work for just fame. Fame is a shadow lengthening at best days and disappearing at worst. It is not trustworthy. Greed to be famous makes you alone there's no one around to cheer you and offer you a meal,  food of fame is eaten sitting alone in a silent,  narrow tomb.

‘But Friendship is a nobler thing,—

Of Friendship it is good to sing.

For truly, when a man shall end,

He lives in memory of his friend,

Who doth his better part recall

And of his fault make funeral.”

    The Second stanza of the poem talks about friendship.  Friendship is honored with the adjective of being noble.  Friendship is immortal,  even if the friend dies the memories will always make him alive. Famous people can be famous for bad and good deeds while in friendship ' fault make funeral'.  Friendship sheds tears with you and comforts you in your bad time. Friends won't be beside you in your happiness but will always be there in your dark times. It accompanies you in your loneliness and won't allow you to be in a dark narrow tomb. Friendship is life protection and care.

So would you like to choose fame over friendship or friendship over fame?

Fear no more - William Shakespeare

FEAR NO MORE

William Shakespeare was an English poet,  playwright,  novelist, and actor.  His poem 'Fear no more' is taken from his own play 'Cymbeline'.  The theme of the poem is death.  It is a death poem having a universal appeal.  The poem is written for the consolation of death.  Two facts about life, death, and nothing is permanent are delivered in the poem. The poem shows death as a positive journey ending earthly worries and concerns. It is a moral-giving poem.

The poem is written in simple language.  It has a complex metaphor to depict the struggle one undergoes during his/ her lifetime.  ' Fear no more and 'come to dust' is repeated in all three stanzas of the poem showing 'repetition'.

Fear no more the heat o' the sun; 

Nor the furious winter's rages, 

Thou thy worldly task hast done, 

Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages; 

Golden lads and girls all must, 

As chimney sweepers come to dust. 

Consoling to beloved ones of the dead. the poet explains he (dead) is safe from all earthly issues.  He no longer has to suffer the discomforts of hot and cold.  He is now free from the heat of the summer sun and the furious winter rages. He is free from the worldly task of working all day taking wages off work and returning home.  He did the same completing, all his motives of birth paying for his sins, and being paid for his virtues he is back in his new home; heaven. Death is the ultimate end of life, Whether you are rich or poor,  young or old, whatever class you belong everyone 'comes to dust'. Death knows no age, culture,  gender, or class.

Fear no more the frown of the great, 

Thou art past the tyrant's stroke: 

Care no more to clothe and eat; 

To thee the reed is as the oak: 

The sceptre, learning, physic, must 

All follow this, and come to dust.

The dead person is now free from the anger of his superiors and released from the cruel ruler's strokes.  Now he is free to have his own rules for himself.  He got liberty from the tension of the clothes to cover himself and to fill his empty belly. He's free from greed to fulfill his necessities. Death is impartial. Death comes to reed and also to oak.  Here 'reed' stands for the weak person and 'oak' stands for the strong.  Death is unbiased whether one is a specter (ghost), learner (scholar), or physic (doctor) no one can escape the bitter end of life whoever you are at the end you are the dust.

Fear no more the lightning-flash, 

Nor the all-dread thunder-stone; 

Fear not slander, censure rash; 

Thou hast finished joy and moan; 

All lovers young, all lovers must 

Consign to thee, and come to dust. 

The last stanza has exclamatory lines for us on the evil that troubles humanity  Dead is free from social life,  free from society and its rules. No more to deal with the ups and downs of human emotions. He's free from all his dreadful fears and shocks.  He is unburdened by the slander and criticism of society.  Death is the time for peace. Leaving troubles, worries, and concerns everyone comes to dust. 

Death, the path to heaven is peace. Leaving behind concerns and earthly worries. The poem brings the ultimate truth of human life to us.

Honesty is the best policy

Honesty is the best policy-
Honesty is the best quality is A famous proverb of Benjamin Franklin. Honesty is the basic moral value which should have been inculcated in every human being. Being honest is being truthful and sincere towards your work.  It shows the absence of immoral characteristics such as lying and  cheating.  It helps us to maintain our relationship strong,  if you lie once you need to give 100's of excuses to turn that lie into truth. While,  honesty gives you confidence and firmness.
In a class,  you can score best marks through cheating in your exams and would top the class but it is temporary happiness because you know the dishonesty lead you to success. Dishonesty is the sign of cowardliness. Whatever gained through lasts for short time. Honest person leads to confident and respectable life. The fruits of honesty are enjoyed for long term and be cherished for life time.
Honesty is a basic human virtue,  it gives the way to live and enjoy life. Its not that honesty is only necessary to build your career and earn,  it's also equally needed in your daily life. It's important to be honest in your relationships,  it makes you trustworthy in your family.  It helps to develop healthy relationship. 
Honesty would put you in difficulties but its ultimate result will always be positive.  It gives satisfaction and peace to the mind.  No other policies would help you to be the best,honesty is the best policy to make you best.

Winners don't do different things, they do things differently.

Winner's dont do different things, they do things differently-
Today the world is running behind money,  everyone wants to win the world everyone wants to be successful but very less people be great.  There were many freedom fighters but some great fighters who gave revolution through their works are well known.
People who are winners who are successful they never lose ,  they are ever ready to accept their failures and work over it to win the world. There are 50 students in the class everyone is taught same and together but only 1 tops the class because his/ her way of learning is different.  They are never satisfied with what they have their thrust for knowledge and they top.
Winners compete with themselves they improve their work and succeed.  Loosing hope is the sign of loosers and improvement brings out winners. Winners have the distinctive quality that most people lack in themselves that is excellence.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Every cloud has a silver lining-
It means that one should never be hopeless because difficult times always lead to better days.
This proverb is usually used to encourage the person to overcome his difficulties and enable to see positive way ahead.
Sometimes a shining sun is covered by the cloud which causes darkness all around, but the tinted shade around the cloud shows the presence of light behind it. It is used to convey a notion that no matter however  the situation is there is always a positive aspect behind it. Sorrows and grief are temporary,  happiness is always followed by bad times. Happiness is valuable after grief. This proverb teaches to not to lose hope and stay inspired in every situation. It reminds us to be optimistic and hopeful.  Like the silver tint on the edges of cloud, happiness lurks behind the darkest hour. 

Yussouf —James Russell Lowell

Yussouf

The poem Yussouf is written by American poet James Russell Lowell. He was born on 22 February, 1819 and died on 12 August, 1891. His literary movement was Romanticism. Yussouf is short story written in the form of poem. 

It is an interesting poem spreading life values like kindness and forgiveness. The main theme of the poem is –

“As one lamp lights another, no grows less,

So nobleness enkindleth nobleness:"

The poem is about an Arab man Yussouf and is hospitality to an outcast Ibrahim in-spite he slew his son. Poem exhibits Yussouf’s good nature, service, kindness and forgiveness. The ending of the poem shows the struggle between revenge and forgiveness.

A stranger came one night to Yussouf's tent

Saying, "Behold one outcast and in dread,

Against whose life the bow of power is bent,

Who flies, and hath not where to lay his head;

I come to thee for shelter and for food,

To Yussouf, called through all our tribes "The Good.' "

Once a stranger who was abolished from his society came to the Yussouf’s tent. Yussouf was sheikh. Stranger came to Yussouf and seeked for shelter and food. Stranger was followed by his enemies and if they caught him he will be killed. Stranger was in fear and had no place to lay his head; he had no power to run more. He prayed Yussouf for help appreciating him to be famous with title 'The Good' all over his tribe.

'This tent is mine,' said Yussouf, ' but no more

Than it is God's; come in, and be at peace;

Freely shalt thou partake of all my store

As I of his who buildeth over these

Our tents his glorious roof of night and day,

And at whose door none ever yet heard Nay."

Yussouf warmly welcomes to the stranger and claims the tent to be God's. He expresses that God is everyone's father we all are his children, whatever owned by Yussouf is all owned by the Stranger. He permits stranger to eat and drink from his entire storage. This stanza shows the kind nature of Yussouf. He never refused anyone for the help and stranger was too welcomed in it. No one heard "nay" in the Yussouf's tent.

So Yussouf entertained his guest that night,

And, waking him ere day, said; 'Here is gold'

My swiftest horse is saddled for thy flight,

Depart before the prying day grow bold.'

As one lamp lights another, no grows less,

So nobleness ekindleth nobleness

Yussouf helped stranger from starvation. Third stanza showed the nature of humanity. Humanity is virtue every human being should develop. Yussouf woke stranger in 'ere day' - before sunrise. He gave stranger some gold coins to survive in the deserts and his basic needs. Yussouf granted him his 'swiftest' horse to run away from prying eyes of the people, and save his life.

Two lines of the stanza-

"As one lamp lights another, no grows less,

So nobleness enkindleth nobleness:"

Is the main theme of poem. As one lamp helps to enlighten the other lamp similarly kind and noble man inspires other to cultivate these qualities in them.

That inward light the stranger's face made grand,

Which shines from all self-conquest; kneeling low,

He bowed his forehead upon Yussouf's hand,

Sobbing: "O Sheik, I cannot leave thee so;

I will repay thee; all this thou hast done

Unto that Ibrahim who slew thy son!"

The service given by Yussouf to the stranger enlightened his inner light. He bowed to Yussouf sobbing, Stranger self conquest himself to Yussouf and accepted his crime for killing Yussouf's son. Stranger bows to Yussouf and requests to take his revenge and give him a chance to repay for his deeds.

'Take thrice the gold,' said Yussouf, 'but no more

into the desert, never to return,

My one black thought shall ride away from me:

First-born, for whom by day night I yearn,

Balanced and just are all God's decrees;

Thou art avenged, my first- born, sleep in peace!'

Sheikh Yussouf was shocked and sat motionless. His mind started struggling between revenge and forgiveness. He gave thrice the gold coins and asked Ibrahim to leave. Ibrahim's guts to confess his deed decreased the feeling of revenge in Yussouf. He orders Ibrahim to go away and take the thought of revenge from him. He didn't want to be less noble by refusing to redeem him. He feels giving up the thought of revenge would only make his son sleep in peace.

The poem shows the struggle in Yussouf's mind between revenge and forgiveness. The confusion to return evil for evil or good for evil. Ibrahim was culprit for him but he was also his guest and he cannot punish guest. Here the Indian custom - 'atithi Devo bhava' is reflected. At the end Yussouf pleases God for forgiving both of them. Yussouf for keeping revenge in mind and Ibrahim for murdering his son.

I hope this blog is useful to you, please comment if you have any queries.

The Slave's Dream - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

THE SLAVE'S DREAM

Henry Longfellow Wadsworth 

                                                             The poem the slave's dream is written by the American poet Henry Longfellow Wadsworth. He was born on 27 February 1827 in Portland, marine, and died on 24 march, 1882 in Cambridge Massachusetts. He has two spouses and six children. He was a commanding creature in the nineteenth century. His works include Paul river's ride, the song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. he was the first American to translate Dante Alighieri's divine. majority of collections were voices of the night, ballads, and other poems. he also wrote lyric poems and was criticized for imitating European styles.

About poem:

                       The poem the slave's dream is a long narrative poem it describes the slave's dying moment as lost in a dream. The poem describes the lost dreams and ambitions of a slave. our country has faced slavery to Britishers. poetry describes the feeling of hurt, pain, and memories of the family experienced by a slave. the poem describes the physical gesture of the slave, his dreams, his memory of family, and the way he looks towards his life as a free man.

Let's see the poem in detail...

Beside the ungathered rice he lay,

His sickle in his hand;

His breast was bare, his matted hair

Was buried in the sand.

Again, in the mist and shadow of sleep,

He saw his Native Land.

The physical image of a slave is portrayed in the first stanza of the poem. he is tired of the work assigned to him and sleeping in fields. The phase ungathered rice and sickle in his hand indicates that his work is yet incomplete. His bare breast represents the bareness of his life as a slave and matted hair buried in sand indicates the death slowly creeping over his body. as he sleeps his dreams take him to his native land.

Wide through the landscape of his dreams

The lordly Niger flowed;

Beneath the palm trees on the plain

Once more a king he strode;

And heard the tinkling caravans

Descend the mountain road

The slave is back to his homeland through his dreams. Entering his homeland he transformed into a king he rides his horse and surveys the palm trees on the plain where the lordly niger river is flowing. He hears the tinking caravans of travelers descend from the mountains. This vast expanse of land in his dream gives the smell and happiness of independence, there is the movement for freedom, and slaves avails for opportunities. This stanza shows the slave's cravings for freedom.

He saw once more his dark-eyed queen

Among her children stand; 

They clasped his neck, they kissed his cheeks, 

They held him by the hand! 

A tear burst from the sleeper’s lids 

And fell into the sand.

The third stanza shows the slave's desire to meet his family.  The slave is a respected family head, he saw his lovely wife and their adoring children. His family grasps his hand and they affectionately kiss his face. Though he is sleeping, the slave cries and his tears fall into the sand. the image of a beautiful loving family is created it shows how a slave is devoted to his family.

And then at furious speed he rode 

Along the Niger’s bank;

His bridle-reins were golden chains,

And, with a martial clank,  

At each leap he could fool his scabbard of steel 

Smiting his stallion’s flank. 

In the fourth stanza, we see how he perceives his life as a free man. He sees himself riding a horse at a furious speed with Golden chains as bridle reins warrior like he Smits his swords on his stallion's flank.

Before him, like a blood-red flag,

The bright flamingos flew;

From morn till night the followed third flight,

o'er plains where the tamarind grew,

Till he saw the roofs of coffee huts,

And he ocean rose to view.

Referring to the text, the fifth stanza is a continuation of the fourth stanza he sees himself following the flight of flamingos over the plains where tamarind was grown. He recalls the caffeine huts and the ocean through his subconscious.

At night he heard that lion roar

And the hyena scream,

And the river-horse, as he crushed the reeds

Besides some hidden stream;

And it passed, like a glorious roll of drums,

Through the triumph of his dream. 

In the sixth stanza he dreams sequentially of the lion's roar and hyena's scream and pictures himself crushing the reeds, listening to the river horse making a sound like a glorious roll of drums it passes his dream is triumphant as it successfully gives him a sense of freedom and happiness.

The forests, with their myraid tongues,

Shouted of liberty;

And the blast of the desert cried aloud,

With a voice so wild and free,

That he started in his sleep and smile

At their tempestuous glee.

The forests and deserts in the seventh stanza are personified with the quality of shouting and crying respectively for liberty and freedom. Forests are given the quality of having a human tongue which suggests a ' personification' figure of speech in the stanza. And the slave smiles in his dreams on his 'tempestuous glee' - characterized by violent emotions or actions.

He did not feel the driver's whip,

Nor the burning heat of day;

For death had illumined the land of sleep,

And his lifeless body lay

A worn-out fetter, that the soul

The last stanza of the poem describes how the slave was lost in his dream that he could not feel the driver's whip nor he felt the burning sun lying on the ground. A 'worn-out fetter' - the soul was thrown out of the body, and the lifeless still body was lying on the land of sleep. And with the width of meeting his family, he lost his life.

The poem is describing the situation of the people faced by Negros when the Britishers were ruling over them. The poem is about the period before the civil war when Negros were under slavery. The poem is an emotional poem in-sighting us the slave. This world is created by God with equal rights but humans started ruling over other humans and started dominating. Humanity is being destroyed.