Critical Appreciations 1

1. CRITICAL APPRECIATIONS OF TEXTUAL POEMS

Q. Write a Critical Appreciation of the poems using the following points:
[5 marks]
1. Title 2. Poet
3. Rhyme Scheme 4. Figures of Speech
5. Central Idea / Theme

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. Apostrophe is a 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.

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". Will-
iam Shakespeare is regarded as one of the greatest authors of the English language. His plays have been trans-
lated 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.
Critical Appreciations 2

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, in 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 how
humans have moved away from their natural selves in an attempt to civilise themselves and have in fact de-
graded 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 textureto the poem. The poem is
laced with many figures of speech like Pun, Paradox, Extended Metaphor, 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 rest-
lessness 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, 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.
Critical Appreciations 3

3.4 The Will to Win

The poem 'The Will to Win' has been written by Berton Braley, one of the most widely read American
poets. He is known for his motivational and inspiring poems like 'Start where you Stand' and 'Success'. The poem
has no rhyme scheme. It is written in free verse. Antithesis, Tautology, Repetition and Alliteration are the figures
of speech used in the poem. Climax has been used by arranging time, peace and sleep as also capacity, strength
and sagacity, faith, hope and confidence and stern pertinacity in ascending order. It gives a dramatic effect to the
poem. 'The Will to Win' is a motivational and inspiring poem that states that a person is bound to have victory if
one has a strong and unshaken desire to have it. The central idea of the poem is that nothing is impossible in this
world to achieve, provided your will is firm.

4.1 A Thing of Beauty is a Joy For Ever

The poem 'A Thing of Beauty is a Joy For Ever' is written by the English poet John Keats. The poem is the
first stanza of the bigger poem - 'Endymion: A Poetic Romance'. The poem is written in rhyming couplets. Hence,
the rhyme scheme follows the aabb pattern. An Epigram, a short, witty statement giving a universal truth has
been used in the very first line - "A thing of beauty is a joy forever". The poet uses many Metaphors to symbolise
things of beauty. He uses 'simple sheep' to symbolise humans. Also, beauty has been compared to the fountain
of elixir (immortal drink). The bower refers to the feeling of peace and calm that a beautiful thing provides. The
poem celebrates the importance of beauty - both physical and spiritual beauty, in providing happiness amidst the
harsh realities of life. It states that beauty can be found everywhere and has the ability to cure and heal troubled
minds. This forms the central idea of the poem. It glorifies beauty as something that has the ability to transform
life.

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.