GCE O/L - New syllabus
English
Literature made easy - Poetry
A minor bird by
Robert Frost
Robert
Frost was born in 1875. Being the most famous America's twentieth
century poet, Robert Frost was considered as the poet Robert Frost was
considered as the poet Laureate of America and was invited to read one
of his poems 'on the occasion of the inauguration of John Kennedy as
President of the USA".
Following the nature poets, Robert Frost favoured themes close to
nature and his poems mirror forth his own conception of nature.
Robert Frost's minor bird is a simple short poem. To begin with he
shows his intolerance of the song of the bird and later admits the fact
that one has to cultivate tolerance and live in harmony with nature and
nature's gifts.
Thus the poet gives an exceptional place to nature; coming into terms
with various conceptions of nature driving away all objections and
disagreements, Just as his poem 'The Most of It" brings alive his
perceptions of nature, with the aim of highlighting his feelings and
reactions to the bird in his garden, the poet uses the present perfect
tense, giving life to the situation described.
"I have wished a bird would fly away and not sing by my house all
day."
"Have clapped my hands at him from the door when it seemed as if I
could bear no more."
The tense pattern is made to change in order to show his sympathy to
the little bird and the act of injustice caused by chasing away the
bird; highlighting the pathetic situation and the poet's repentance.
"The fault must partly have been in me the bird was not to blame for
his key." "The bird's key is a gift of nature and 'Frost, as a result of
his maturity accepts it without objection" (Gamini Fonseka's comments)
Though the bird has been chased away no harm was caused to the bird.
The poet tries to pacify himself with excuses to establish the fact that
mere chasing has not caused any bodily harm to the innocent creature and
thus "freeing the bird from the blame for his key".
The KEY here is exceptional; it's not the piano key. It's a heavenly
gift of nature to the bird. The final couplet
"And of course there must be something wrong in wanting to silence
any song" Highlighting the true fact that a bird has the freedom to sing
as it wishes and repenting for the injustice caused by him. This is
quite symbolic and the poet trying to free himself of the vicious
situation created.
"Have clapped my hands at him from the door".
Frost's diction style is simple and direct. His ardent admiration of
nature is clearly emphasised in this poem-, A minor bird. Nearer to
spoken idiom, his language style invites the reader's attention and
admiration Thus inspiring the reader to admire and love nature's
creations, with sympathy and understanding.
"And of course there must be something wrong.
In wanting to silence any song
"Frost's syntax is clear and the tone remains conversational"
(Angela, Hussein) with the common rhyming scheme a,a,b,b,c,c,d,d,
highlighting the Theme and elegance of the poem.
Mrs. C. Ekanayake,
Retd - specialist teacher (Eng). |