CRITICAL APPRECIATION OF TEXTUAL POEMS

Write a Critical Appreciation of the poems using the following points: [5 marks]

1. Title [[½ mark]

2. Poet [½ mark]

3. Rhyme Scheme [1 mark]

4. Figures of Speech [ 1 mark]

5. Central Idea / Theme [2 marks]

1.1 Where the Mind is Without Fear

The poem 'Where the mind is without fear' has been written by the radical and progressive poet
Rabindranath Tagore, who was the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He is
the author of the Indian as well as the Bangladeshi National Anthem. The poem was titled 'Prarthana' in
its original Bengali composition and was translated into English by Tagore himself and published in his
work 'Gitanjali'. The poem has been written in free verse and does not have a rhyme scheme.
Apostrophe is the prime Figure of Speech used by the poet as the entire poem is written in the form of a
prayer to God. The poet uses Apostrophe by directly addressing God, who is not actually present before
him. The description of an ideal and free nation in the form of a prayer to the Almighty forms the central
idea of the poem. The poem defines freedom as not merely a political ideology but as an intellectual and
social awakening. The poet appeals to God to lead his country into that heaven where individuals
experience freedom in the truest sense and hopes for a better and positive future.

1.4 All the World's a Stage

The poem "All the World's a Stage" is a monologue taken from Shakespeare's play "As You Like It".
William Shakespeare is regarded as one of the greatest authors of the English language. His plays have
been translated in almost all the major languages and his works have been adapted into various forms
across the world. The poem is written in free verse. It does not have a rhyme scheme. The dominant
figure of speech used is Metaphor as the entire poem is an extended metaphor and directly compares
the world to a stage, and men and women to players of a play. The central idea of the poem is the
comparison of the world to a stage and all humans to actors. The poem describes the seven stages of
human life as seven acts of a play and puts forward the idea that at the end every human has to leave
the world without anything. It elaborates the theme that all human beings are here in this world only for
a brief period of time and do not have any individual significance or powers as such. It describes the
circular nature of life that begins with infancy and ends with the old person back to a dependent
infantile state.
2.1 Animals

The poem Animals has been composed by American poet Walt Whitman, who is known as the father of
free verse. The poem has no rhyme scheme. It has been written in free verse. The figures of speech
Repetition and Alliteration have been used skillfully to give a poetic effect. The poem ends with
Interrogation, a rhetorical question, making the reader think over the thoughts put forward in the entire
poem. The poem revolves around the central idea that animals are better than humans and lead a more
satisfying life. The poet elaborates on how humans have moved away from their natural selves in an
attempt to civilise themselves and have degraded in terms of values and well-being.

2.4 The Pulley

The poem 'The Pulley' is a metaphysical poem written by the Welsh poet George Herbert. The poem is in
the form of a monologue. The rhyme scheme 'ababa' gives a beautiful poetic texture to the poem. The
poem is laced with many figures of speech like Puns, Paradoxes, Extended Metaphors, and Synecdoche.
The entire poem is an extended Metaphor as the feeling of anxiety has been compared to a pulley. The
poem also compares rest, beauty, wisdom, honour and pleasure to the riches of this world (jewel). The
comparison of the feeling of restlessness in human beings to that of a pulley is the central idea of the
poem. The poet says that God uses anxiety to keep humans under control and to pull them towards him
just like a pulley is used to make it easier to pull heavy objects in a direction opposite to gravity.

3.1 Night of the Scorpion

The 'Night of the Scorpion' is a narrative poem by the Indian Jewish writer Nissim Ezekiel. He was one of
the pioneers of Indian English writing of the post-colonial era and was known for his experimentation
with form and language. The poem does not have a rhyme scheme. It has been written in free verse. The
poet employs various figures of speech like Simile, Metaphor, Personification and Transferred Epithet.
Many Onomatopoeic sounds like buzzing, clicking, and groaning have been used in the poem. The poem
describes the typical setting of a rural household in India. Through an incident of a scorpion biting the
poet's mother on a rainy night, the poem describes the belief in superstitions, the lack of scientific
knowledge and the unavailability of medical facilities in an Indian village. Towards the end, the poem
highlights the theme of selfless love of a mother, whose only concern is the safety and well-being of her
children.

3.4 The will to win

The poem ‘The Will to Win’ was written by Berton Braley, an American poet, who was the most widely-
read poet of his era. Braley himself was considered a person who was always optimistic and held the
belief that everything was possible. The title of the poem suggests that it is about the preconditions for
success. The poem is written in a free-verse format. The figures of speech beautifying the poem are
Alliteration, Antithesis, Climax, Repetition and Tautology. The central idea of the poem highlights the
criteria for achieving success. The poet teaches us to have the will to win, come what may. The poet
believes that success is the result of persistent struggle, relentless pursuit of one’s goal and unyielding
determination. The poet begins each stanza of the poem with ‘If’, symbolizing that to achieve success
we have to fulfil some conditions. He suggests that one must toil without giving up and only then with
the blessings of God, can one succeed.

4.1 A Thing of Beauty is a Joy forever

4.4 The Height of the Ridiculous

The 'The Height of the Ridiculous' is a humorous poem written by the American poet Oliver Wendell
Holmes Sr. He was one of the Fireside Poets and was famous as a comic lyricist. The rhyme scheme of
each stanza of the poem is abcb. The main figure of speech used is Irony to create humour, including the
very title of the poem. The poet uses Hyperbole like the devil paying, waistband splitting, five buttons
bursting off, and being wretched for ten days and nights. The poet's ridicule about how he decided to
never write a humorous poem again because he was extremely funny is the central idea of the poem.
His attempt to write one proved to be outrageous as it was so funny that his servant laughed for almost
ten days after reading it.