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DateLine Sunday, 30 December 2007

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English Literature made easy - Poetry

GCE O/L - New syllabus

The Parrot

Alan Brownjohn is a popular poet, who admired nature and its creations. His poem The Parrot invites care and attention of human beings towards less fortunate living things.

Highlighting man's selfish attitudes towards innocent loving creatures for man's pleasure and esteem.

In his poem The Parrot Alan Brownjohn depicts clearly in dramatic manner the insensibility of a human being keeping a parrot as a prisoner for their own pleasure.

Maintaining the narration in the first person revealing the inner feelings of his Parrot Hero with the absolute motive of revealing the pathetic state of the caged parrot in dramatic manner.

The remarks the family makes about the parrot reserving their integrety. "... He won't talk because he's a thinking bird."

"I'm olive green and swky, and

The family say, "Oh yes."

He's a silent bird but he is listening

He thinks more that he says," and reflecting the inner feelings of the caged bird. The frustrated behaviour pattern of the innocent bird conveyed by the poet inspiring his readers to form their own judgement.

"He ponders on the things he hears,

Preferring not to chatter!"

"And this is true, but why it's true

Is quite another matter."

The parrot showing his indifference to the remarks made by the family members and the way the visitors accept and enjoy such personal remarks. Brownjohn reporting such procedure in direct speech brings life and prominence to the expressions of the bird.

"He won't talk because

He is a thinking bird."

The bird seems to feel in return the selfish and guilty conscience of the people exhibiting a Bird as a "museum piece" to invite the attention of the visitors inconsiderate about the caged bird's pathetic situation. A bird is born to enjoy the freedom of flying with its fellow birds, perching on branches of trees to enjoy a meal with its fellow birds.

This particular parrot seems to hate the remarks of the people - the family members and visitors, forgetting the sensitivity of a bird and the freedom loved by a bird.

"And when my thoughts are ready I'll

Certainly not disguise them!"

The bird's thoughts, the abusive criticism highlighting man's insensitivity, cruelty and selfishness, keeping a bird as a prisoner to boost their popularity and status. The last part of the poem reveals the bird's effort to plan out his protest against violation of the Bird's Rights - freedom of living.

"And when my thoughts are ready I'll

Certainly not disguise them," highlighting the inhuman behaviour of people showing their contempt for ease and pleasure, of minor living things.

"I'll wait and see and choose a time

When everyone is present

And clear my throat and raise my beak

And give a squawk and start to speak."

The climax of the bird's thoughts opposing the actions of the family is clearly depicted in dramatic manner.

The diction style of Alan Brownjohn is simple and direct, quite closer to spoken idiom with a "steady rhyming scheme," expressing clearly and fluently the poet's feeling for the captured bird in cage.

This poem seems to be a "cynical poem" showing the feelings of a caged bird and the inhuman nature of man violating the freedom of nature's gifts.


A worker reads history

Bertolt Brecht's 'A worker reads history' is composed to enlighten the people who create history for rulers. There is sarcasm reigning throughout the poem. The poet seems to question the people who wrote history highlighting the ruling class in prolific manner.

Least worried about the working class who performed the strenuous task and the poet seems to question the people who wrote history.

"Who built the seven gates of Thebes?

The books are filled with names of kings"

"WAS IT KINGS WHO HAULED THE CRAGGY BLOCKS OF STONE?" Why is great significance given to rulers and not even the least to the workers? Thus creating HEROES in the ruling class degrading the workers who sweated for the great monuments highlighting "allusions" and using them as the main plan for future prospectives.

"In the evening when Chinese wall was finished

Where did the mason go?....."

Depriving the working class of their benefits sweat and labour, the rulers seemed to have enjoyed the successful results of the working class.

The city of Babylon was rebuilt several times and the poet's straight question "And Babylon, so many times destroyed who built the city up each time? In which of Lima's houses

That city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?"

The Great Wall of China falls into the same category - deprivation

The workers remained only when the work is in progress. Once the work is over the workers seem to disappear and the great kings and the ruling class enjoy the benefits.

The energy of the workers involved Brecht's "Ares of triumphs" "In Imperial Rome" stressing the most important fact the bravery of the soldiers and blames historians for highlighting the royal personality, while sweat and labour of the soldiers remain in the dark deprived of their legitimate places.

"Young Alexander conquered India

He alone

Caesar beat the Gauls

was there not even a cook in his army?"

The success achieved by the soldiers is lavishly conferred on the Ruling Party while the working class is deprived of their rights.

"Fedrick triumphed in the seven years war who triumphed with him

Each page a victory

At whose expense the victory ball?"

Victory achieved by a group is enjoyed by the rulers and the poet indirectly questions as to why the rulers are so selfish and self conceited.

The reference to Byzantium confined mostly to a song and Brecht's questions are aimed at "misinterpretation of reality" Brecht seems to detest hero worshipping employed by historians and has lavishly criticised the type of "Hero worshipping" observed by most historians, their partiality boosting the ruling party highlighting their unjustifiable work procedure in sarcastic manner".

"Each page a victory

And whose expense the victory ball?

Every ten years a great man,

who paid the piper?"

Brecht, using a diction style accustomed to himself alone, showing his disgust towards the historians, exaggerating the achievements of the rulers and degrading the working class who sweated to boost the rulers.

Brecht seems to invite the intelligent attention of his readers to the various aspects cared and observed by historians in drastic and partial manner.

"......Every ten years a great man who paid the piper?"

"So many particulars

So many questions"

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