KARTIK GURNANI
SUMMARY
Once upon a time a frog croaked in Bingle Bog all the night beginning from dusk to dawn. All the creatures hated his loud and unpleasant voice but still they did not have any other option. The voice came out from the sumac tree where every night the frog sang till morning. He was so determined and also shameless that neither stones, prayers or sticks nor the insults or complaints could divert him from singing.
One night, a nightingale started casting her melody in the moonlight to which both the frog and the other creatures were left dumbstruck. The whole bog remained, rapt and admired her voice and applauded her when she ended. The frog was obviously jealous of his rival and had finally decided to eliminate her. So, the next night when the nightingale was again preparing to sing, the frog's croak disturbed her. On being asked about himself by the nightingale he answered that he owned the sumac tree and he had been known for his splendid voice. Also he said that he had written a number of songs for the Bog Trumpet.
The nightingale asked him whether he liked her song or not. The frog said that the song wasn't bad but too long and it lacked some force. The nightingale was greatly impressed that such a critic had discussed her song. She said that she was happy that the song was her own creation. To this the frog said that she needed a proper training to obtain a strong voice otherwise she would remain a beginner only. He also said that he would train her but would charge some fee.
Now, the nightingale was flushed with confidence and was a huge sensation, attracting animals from miles away and the frog with a great accuracy charged all of them admission fee. The frog began her vocal training despite of the bad and rainy weather where even the nightingale had first refused to sing. But the frog forced her to sing for six hours continuously till she was shivering and her voice had become rough and unclear. But, somehow her neck got clear the next day and she was able to sing again collecting a breathless crowd including rich ladies kings queens etc. To all this, the frog had both sweet and bitter feelings. Sweet because he was earning lots of money and bitter because of jealously as his rival was earning name and fame.
Everyday, the frog scolded her to practice even longer finding out her little mistakes like nervousness not laying more trills and frills etc. He reminded her that she still owed him sixty shillings and that s why the crowd should increase.
But the condition of nightingale was getting worsened. Her tired and uninspired song could no longer attract the crowd. She could not resist this as she had become used to applause and thus had become miserable too. The heartless frog scolded her even then calling her a brainless bird. She trembled, puffed up, burst a vein and died. The frog said that he had tried to teach her but she was foolish, nervous and tensed and moreover much prone to influence. Then, once again the frog's fog horn started blearing unrivalled in the bog.
The moral of the poem is that being inspired and influenced by someone much unknown and strange is indeed a foolish work. The nightingale could have very well judged that how could the frog with such a harsh voice be music maestro and she had to suffer for her misjudgment.
Many people in the human society also try to take advantage of the innocence or ignorance of the people.
THE POEM:--------:=
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 night
Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks.
Insults or complaints or bricks
Stilled the frogs 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
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 are 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.
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 practice 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."
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-ash!"
And the foghorn of the frog
Blared unrivalled through the bog.
Posted by Rajeev at 12:22 AM Labels: Compilations
CONTACT :=------------------_________________________
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the rhyming scheme is aabb in the first para and aabbcc in the other paragraphs
The poem "The Frog and the Nightingale" by Vikram Seth follows an AABB rhyme scheme, where the first and second lines rhyme, and the third and fourth lines rhyme. This structured rhyme scheme helps create a musical and rhythmic flow in the poem.
In the poem "The Frog and the Nightingale" by Vikram Seth, the bingle bog represents the shallow, commercial world that values popularity and profit over true talent and artistry. It symbolizes the negative influence of the outside world on the nightingale's natural singing abilities and ultimately leads to her downfall. The bingle bog highlights the theme of exploitation and manipulation in the pursuit of success.
personification
It means that the Frog occasionally writes songs for the magazine, "Bog Trumpet'. And, of course, i wield my pen,For Bog trumpet, now and then.
The theme of "The Frog and the Nightingale" by Vikram Seth revolves around exploitation and manipulation. The poem explores how individuals can be taken advantage of or pushed beyond their limits by those seeking to benefit from them. It also highlights the importance of staying true to oneself and not allowing others to control or exploit one's talents.
Some poetic devices in the poem "The Louse and the Mosquito" by Vikram Seth include personification (giving human qualities to insects), imagery (vivid descriptions that appeal to the senses), and irony (contrasting the grandiose ideas of the insects with their true nature).
You can find a summary for the poem named Rakhi For Aradhana by Vikram Seth at the eNotes website.In a nutshell, the poem Rakhi For Aradhana celebrates the bond of love, respect, closeness, and protectiveness between brothers and sisters. The poem uses Hindu festivals and beliefs in its metaphors.
because the frog wants to get some food but the people won't give the frog some food.
For: The frog in the poem "The Frog and the Nightingale" should be considered a tragic hero. Despite his initial arrogance and selfishness, the frog's downfall and eventual demise serve as a cautionary tale against the toxicity of unchecked pride and ambition. Through his character development, the frog embodies the consequences of hubris and serves as a powerful symbol of the destructive nature of fame and success. Against: The frog in the poem "The Frog and the Nightingale" should not be viewed as a tragic hero but rather as a negative portrayal of arrogance and exploitation. His manipulation and mistreatment of the nightingale for personal gain highlight the vices of greed and selfishness. The frog's lack of redemption and remorse for his actions ultimately paint him as a villainous figure rather than a sympathetic hero.
In the poem "The Frog and the Nightingale" by Vikram Seth, the frog introduced himself as "Admiral" in a loud and boastful manner. He claimed to possess a loud and booming voice which he believed was perfect and superior to everyone else's.
The frog has a boastful and patronizing nature. He also portrays jealousy as the nightingale surpasses him in term of singing and admiration from a crowd who loathed his voice. He is also condescending, and scolds the nightingale in every mistake she makes in an attempt to lower his rivals self-confidence & self esteem. He succeeds in doing so. He is also shown to be money minded, with a capitalistic character (selling the nightingale's song for money).