177. A Poison Tree. William Blake Poem Appreciation By P S Remesh Chandran

177

A Poison Tree. William Blake Poem Appreciation

P. S. Remesh Chandran

Editor, Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum

Article Title Image By Chulmin Park. Graphics: Adobe SP.
 

We hold the conviction that nature is kind and benevolent to man. It is not. It is a fight, a constant struggle, to remain alive in this world. From the very moment he is born, man is fighting against extinction, against death, for his continued existence. It is for continuing this struggle effectively, and efficiently, that evil as well as goodness is incorporated in man. Man harbors good and evil in him. Circumstances and instincts decide which one of them is to dominate. 

Eighteenth century-science and philosophy beautifully merges in William Blake’s poems.
 

William Blake (England, 1757-1827) was primarily a painter whose poems have great symbolic significance. Eighteenth century-science and philosophy beautifully merges in his poems. Here, a man becomes angry with his friend, reveals his anger and his hatred end. But when he became angry with his enemy, he told it to no one and his hatred grew inside him. The wrath ended in one case and grew in the other. Such is the setting of human mind. The man nurses wickedness and it grows fully into an apple tree. As the tree was nourished and nutritioned by his wickedness, it grew into a poison tree. His grief and fear was water to the tree and his inferior cunning tricks, its sunshine. The poet's description of the growth of the poison tree is logical and scientific.

Nobody will believe an apple tree became poisonous enough to kill a man.

It grew well both day and night, till it bore an apple bright. Tempted by the richness and beauty of the fruit, one night, his enemy stole into the poet's garden, ate the fruit and died then and there. In the morning, the poet was only glad to see his enemy lying stretched out under the tree. He feels no regret for his act of wickedness. But a dead man lying in his garden may sure pose problems and cause him trouble. Nobody will believe an apple tree became poisonous enough to kill a man. 

William Blake was a very religious person. The bright apple mentioned here has strong reference to the apple in the Garden of Eden, the eating of which forbidden fruit brought Death into this World. 

Written in: February 1995
First published on: 03 December 2019
 

About the Author P. S. Remesh Chandran:

Author Profile Of P S Remesh Chandran By Sahyadri Archives.

Editor of Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum. Author of several books in English and in Malayalam. And also author of Swan: The Intelligent Picture Book. Born and brought up in the beautiful village of Nanniyode in the Sahya Mountain Valley in Trivandrum, in Kerala. Father British Council trained English teacher and Mother University educated. Matriculation with distinction and Pre Degree Studies in Science with National Merit Scholarship. Discontinued Diploma studies in Electronics and entered politics. Unmarried and single.

Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/psremeshchandra.trivandrum
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSRemeshChandra
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/bloombooks/videos
Blog: http://sahyadribooks-remesh.blogspot.com/
Site: https://sites.google.com/site/timeuponmywindowsill/
E-Mail: bloombookstvm@gmail.com

Post: P. S. Remesh Chandran, Editor, Sahyadri Books, Trivandrum, Padmalayam, Nanniyode, Pacha Post, Trivandrum- 695562, Kerala State, South India.

Tags:

Children’s Literature, Free Student Notes, English Essays Articles Literature, Good And Evil, Poem Appreciations, Survival Of Man, The Poison Tree, William Blake, 

176. The Child And The Snake. Mary Lamb Poem Appreciation By P S Remesh Chandran

176

The Child And The Snake. Mary Lamb Poem Appreciation

P. S. Remesh Chandran

Editor, Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum

Article Title Image By Raphael. Graphics: Adobe SP.

Innocent children form fond relationships with birds and beasts and even snakes and play with, even embrace or sleep with them. It’s because children have no caprice. It is when children grow up and gain caprice that innocence leaves them. Dogs, dears, cows, buffaloes and even elephants have not been known to have harmed children going near them and playing with them. Perhaps they can see the halo surrounding children and recognize that it is green or blue, denoting calm, peace and loveliness. 

The fondness of children for other creations in nature established in literature.
 

It needs gentle-minded people, especially poets, to tell the tales of such ardent relationships between children and beasts. The fondness of children for other creations in nature has been a favourite subject for poetry, and poets in all ages have created such fine poems. Oscar Wilde’s story of the Child and the Beast is world famous. In William Blake’s poem The Night we see how nightly angels visit birds and animals and children and calm them in their sleep through soft whispers. Mary Lamb, the sister of the famous English writer Charles Lamb and noted for her fine pieces in children's literature, in her poem The Child And The Snake establishes that an innocent and friendly relationship is possible between a child and a snake. 

Henry’s smooth and soft-as-silk friend on the river bank.
  

Every morning Henry was fed with milk and bread by his fond mother which he always carried to the nearby river bank, to be shared with his friend- a bird. He was very proud of this friend of his and each day he came back from the river bank, talking and talking a lot about this pretty bird which came everyday to feed from him. ‘It loved him and his milk and it was as smooth and soft as silk.’ Anyone will wonder how a friend could be ‘as smooth and soft as silk’ unless it is a new born baby. His mother too had this doubt, but wait! He told its name was Gray Pate. In a child’s innocence, everything living will have a name, and they will communicate with children easily. In his eagerness to call his friend by a name, he had named it himself based on its colour.

The child and the snake actually enjoying each other’s company.
 01. Image By ScottsLM.

The anxious mother finally decided to meet Henry's friend in person. One day she secretly followed him to the river bank and stood behind a tree hiding. She was shocked to see that her son's friend was not a bird, but a snake. Indeed it was ‘as smooth and soft as silk’ and was a fine grey in colour. Henry was not exaggerating in his description of his friend. Her conscience told her not to shriek out of fear, for any small noise she may make would make the cunning snake afraid and wily and bite the boy. Therefore she stood still under the spreading tree, unable to speak or shriek, secretly watching the activities of the child and the snake. Soon she realized that there was no ground for fear since the pair actually seemed to be satisfied and friendly with each other. They even seemed to be enjoying each other’s company.

 
The danger was over and the mother’s fear changed to joy.
 02. Image By Nghang Vũ.

The mother secretly watching the child and the snake could see that they were sharing milk and bread. They were talking like familiar friends and once Henry was even seen tapping the snake on the head with his spoon to rebuke or reprimand over something. Even then the snake remained very polite and obedient to the playful child. It was only when the child rose and bid good-bye to his friend that the mother was finally really relieved of her anxiety. The danger was over and her fear changed to joy. Innocence is the basis of true friendship, whether it is man or bird or beast. 

The legendary Aztec god Quetzalcoatl was half bird and half snake.

03. Image By Youngku Lee.

We will ask why Henry described his friend as a bird when it was a snake. It was because of movements of snakes very much resembling the movements of birds, especially movements of the head and neck. Remember that the most ancient of birds originated from reptiles. Terra Dactyls were in fact crude huge reptiles with wings and feet and beak developed. In pre-historic times, birds had not differentiated much from reptiles. Still they share many common features like man sharing many common features with monkeys. The legendary Aztec god Quetzalcoatl was half bird and half snake, actually a plumed serpent. There indeed are plenty of snake birds in nature even today.

04. Image By Nel Botha.

Written in: Not known
First published on: 02 December 2019
 
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Pictures Courtesy: Pixabay
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Image Credits:

About the Author P. S. Remesh Chandran:

05. Author Profile Of P S Remesh Chandran By Sahyadri Archives.

Editor of Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum. Author of several books in English and in Malayalam. And also author of Swan: The Intelligent Picture Book. Born and brought up in the beautiful village of Nanniyode in the Sahya Mountain Valley in Trivandrum, in Kerala. Father British Council trained English teacher and Mother University educated. Matriculation with distinction and Pre Degree Studies in Science with National Merit Scholarship. Discontinued Diploma studies in Electronics and entered politics. Unmarried and single.

Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/psremeshchandra.trivandrum
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSRemeshChandra
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/bloombooks/videos
Blog: http://sahyadribooks-remesh.blogspot.com/
Site: https://sites.google.com/site/timeuponmywindowsill/
E-Mail: bloombookstvm@gmail.com

Post: P. S. Remesh Chandran, Editor, Sahyadri Books, Trivandrum, Padmalayam, Nanniyode, Pacha Post, Trivandrum- 695562, Kerala State, South India.

Tags:

Children’s Literature, Free Student Notes, English Essays Articles Literature, Man Bird Beast Relations, Mary Lamb, The Child And The Snake,


   

169. Young And Old. Charles Kingsley Poem Appreciation By P S Remesh Chandran

169

Young And Old. Charles Kingsley Poem Appreciation

P. S. Remesh Chandran

Editor, Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum

Article Title Image 1 By Geralt. Graphics: Adobe SP.

Charles Kingsley was a nineteenth century English religious worker who wrote novels and poems. He inspired people to right living and founded the Christian Socialist Movement to promote his ideals. In his poem ‘Young And Old’ he describes the difference in the outlooks of the young people and the old people towards the world. The poem is presented in the form of an old man addressing a little boy, making clear to him how old age changes our outlook, brilliantly portraying the fine contrasting pictures of youth and old age. 

The same world looks lovely and young to a young man and dreary and dead to an old man.
 01. Carl Frederik Aagaard 1880 Lodge on Lake Como.

The world appears lovely, lusty and active to a young man who is teeming with energy, zeal and interest. Because he is young, the world also appears young and living to him. He will find the everyway inviting to lead a thrilling life in it. But the same world would not appear the same to an old man. The same world would appear dull, dreary and dead and inactive to an old man who has spent all the energies in his life. Because his days are over he will take it the world’s day are also over. 

Exaggeration and enlargement of ideas and vision is natural and common to people young.
  02. Hans Andreas Dahl 1900 Joyous Lass.
 

When we are young, the world also appears young in our eyes, though it is already millions of years old. Even old trees would appear to be young and green. That ugly flying bird Goose would appear to be like a Swan, the most beautiful bird in the world. Even an ordinary girl with no mentionable virtues would seem like a queen- proud, lovely and regal in her attitudes and behaviour. Exaggeration and enlargement of ideas and vision is natural and common to all people when they are in the young age. But it is exactly the time to call for one’s riding boots and horse and go round the world to see things and places.

 03. Barend Cornelis Koekkoek 1835 Panoramic Summer Landscape With Travellers And Castle Ruins.

Young blood should not remain stagnant and still like water in a pool. A stagnant pool would soon become polluted; a rolling stone gathers no moss. Young blood must have its course and so, must be flowing and kinetic. The poet reasons that every dog has its day and youth is the day of the dog to go seeing the world. He means that youth is that particular age of man that should be spent on sight-seeing, travel, romance and adventure. We do get an account of how the youth is and how it should be from the poem.

Article Title Image 2 By Menno de Jong. Graphics: Adobe SP.

The blessings of old age when a person has to creep back home to his remaining relatives.
 04. Alexei Kondratyevich Savrasov 1868 Early Spring In High Water.
 

In old age one has to withdraw oneself from all excitement, enjoyment and adventure that he has been indulging himself in throughout his young years. In that age the world would automatically appear to be old in the worn-out eyes of the old man. The trees which once looked evergreen would now look withered and brown. The once-interesting sports of the young age would now appear to be stale and non-interesting. The wheels of life have already run down and now one has to ‘creep back home’ for he won’t no more be able walk as easily on his legs as before. When he reaches that age he should return and stay at home among the equally spent and maimed members in his family. 

Human mind in old age will yearn for images common to both young and old ages- landmarks to fix one’s relative position in both ages.
 05. Markus Pernhart 1873 Winter.
 

There had certainly been many things in the world which demanded his constant attention and engagement and he certainly had spent his time to its fill on those things. Now nothing remains qualified and worthy enough in the outside world to receive his life-long love as before. Is there not at least one single thing in the world that remains common to the young years and also to the old years, out of which an old man can get the satisfaction and relief of shuttling between his feelings of young and old ages as if looking at a mirror?

06. Antonio Smith 1874 Crepúsculo Marino.

Human mind in old age will yearn for such images, experiences, remembrances, and feelings, common to and shared by both ages- landmarks to fix one’s relative position in both ages. God is not that unkind. For, he grants the old man the blessing of finding at least one human face at least in his home which he loved when all the world was young and which is still there, ready to receive his love still now as before- that lovely worn-out face of his old woman of long years.

 07. Hermann Ottomar Herzog 1878 Florida Sunset.

Article Title Image 3 By Geralt. Graphics: Adobe SP.

Written in: March 1995 
First published on: 05 October 2019
 
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Pictures Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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Image Credits:
 
01. Carl Frederik Aagaard 1880 Lodge on Lake Como.
02. Hans Andreas Dahl 1900 Joyous Lass.
03. Barend Cornelis Koekkoek 1835 Panoramic Summer Landscape With Travellers And Castle Ruins.
04. Alexei Kondratyevich Savrasov 1868 Early Spring In High Water.
05. Markus Pernhart 1873 Winter.
06. Antonio Smith 1874 Crepúsculo Marino.
07. Hermann Ottomar Herzog 1878 Florida Sunset.
08. Author Profile Of P S Remesh Chandran By Sahyadri Archives.

Tags:

Charles Kingsley, 19th Century Novelists Poets, Young And Old, Right Living, Young Blood, Ideas And Vision, Blessings Of Old Age, Free Student Notes, English Essays Articles Literature, Ageing,

About the Author P. S. Remesh Chandran:

08. Author Profile Of P S Remesh Chandran By Sahyadri Archives.

Editor of Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum. Author of several books in English and in Malayalam. And also author of Swan: The Intelligent Picture Book. Born and brought up in the beautiful village of Nanniyode in the Sahya Mountain Valley in Trivandrum, in Kerala. Father British Council trained English teacher and Mother University educated. Matriculation with distinction and Pre Degree Studies in Science with National Merit Scholarship. Discontinued Diploma studies in Electronics and entered politics. Unmarried and single.

Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/psremeshchandra.trivandrum
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSRemeshChandra
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/bloombooks/videos
Blog: http://sahyadribooks-remesh.blogspot.com/
Site: https://sites.google.com/site/timeuponmywindowsill/
E-Mail: bloombookstvm@gmail.com

Post: P. S. Remesh Chandran, Editor, Sahyadri Books, Trivandrum, Padmalayam, Nanniyode, Pacha Post, Trivandrum- 695562, Kerala State, South India.