Ralph Waldo Emerson's The Mountain and the Squirrel

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Introduction

Ralph Waldo Emerson is a famous American poet.  He is known for writing poems that goes across the border of his nation and thoughts.  He is the pioneer of transcendentalism.  The mountain and the Squirrel is a poem in the form of dialogue between a mountain and squirrel.  Emerson imagines a quarrel between these two inanimate objects to convey a novel idea.

 

The Quarrel

            The poem starts with a quarrel between the mountain and the squirrel.  The mountain calls the squirrel as “little prig”.  It calls so because the squirrel is proud of itself.  The mountain considers itself to be bigger in size and there by much better than the squirrel.

 

The Squirrel’s Reply

            The squirrel replies to the mountain’s complaint.  The squirrel is named as bun.  The squirrel agrees that the mountain is very big.  To count a year we must take into consideration many things like weather and time.  Similarly to consider a mountain we need to have many things together.  Comparatively the squirrel does not bother about its small place in the world.

 

The Equality

            The squirrel continues to say that it is not as big as the mountain and the mountain is not as small as the squirrel.  It acknowledges the fact that the mountain lays a track for the squirrel to run through, but the squirrel is very active than the mountain.  The squirrel concludes saying that everyone has their own talents.  The mountain is talented in carrying a forest on its back and the squirrel is talented in cracking nuts. 

 

Conclusion

            Emerson, through this poem, proves the ways of God.  God blesses every life in this earth with a special talent, which makes us all equal to one another.

 

 

Nizim Ezekiel's Goodbye Party to Miss Pushpa T.S.

 

Introduction

Nizim Ezekiel, a famous Indian poet, makes fun at Indians and their way of using English.  Indians have their own use of English, which is different.  This poem ridicules the Indian functions and the funny behaviour of Indian speakers.

 

The poem is about a send-off party to Miss Pushpa, who goes to abroad.  Her colleagues have gathered at one place to wish her bon voyage.  One speaker, through whom the poet ridicules the Indian culture and language, speaks the whole poem.

 

The character of Miss Pushpa

            The speaker, throughout the poem, talks about Miss Pushpa and slowly reveals her character.   The opening lines reveal two different characters of Miss Pushpa.  First is that she is intelligent, because she goes to some foreign country.  The second is that the speaker calls her as his sister.  This sows that Miss Pushpa is a woman of some respect.

 

            Miss Pushpa has a smiling face.  The speaker says that Miss Pushpa is always found smiling.  She takes life in a happy way.  The speaker also says that Miss Pushpa is kind.  She is kind at heart too.  She is popularly known for her kindness among many men and women.

 

The speaker also talks about her family background.  He says that she comes from a rich family.  Miss Pushpa is also known for her helping tendency and good spirit.  The speaker says that whenever someone approaches Pushpa, asking for help, she would never say no.  She helps everyone at all times.

 

The Use of Language in the Poem

            The poem right from its first stanza makes fun at the way we speak English.  In the first stanza the speaker says that Miss Pushpa will depart in “two three days” instead of “two or three days.”

 

            Instead of saying that Miss Pushpa is kindhearted and gentle woman the speaker says that she is sweet both ‘internal’ and ‘external’.  In the same stanza the speaker instead of saying that Miss Pushpa is a pleasant looking woman he says that she is “smiling and smiling even for no reason.”

 

            While giving her family background the speaker says that she come from a ‘high family’ for saying ‘rich family’.  The speaker’s deviation while talking about Surat shows the Indianism.  He remembers his past, when he went to Surat to stay with one of his uncle’s friend.

 

            “Just now only I will do”, is again a mistake committed by the speaker, when he attempts to say that Miss Pushpa would do things within minutes.

 

Conclusion

            The speaker of this poem is not given a definite identity.  We do not know whether it is male of female speaker.  Nizim Ezekiel by hiding the identity of the speaker renders the mistakes to every Indian in general.