Written 1994 Country India Form fable | First published in India Language English Meter Free verse | |
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The Frog and the Nightingale is a poem composed by Indian poet Vikram Seth in 1994.This poem is an allegory(a poem in which a moral is conveyed) The poem tells a story about a frog and a nightingale. The poem was originally published by Evergreen Publications, but it was later used by the Ministry of Education, India as a poem for school students.
Contents
Poem
The poem is written in 10-line stanza form with each couplet rhymed:
Once upon a time a frog
Croaked away in Bingle Bog
Every night from dusk to dawn
He croaked awn and awn and awn
Other creatures loathed his voice,
But, at last, they had no choice,
And the crass cacophony
Blared out from the sumac tree
At whose foot the frog each night
Minstrelled on till morning night
...
Theme
The poem is a fable, like most fables it has a moral. Various themes are intertwined. The poem can be seen as exposing the role of critics towards any fresh talent; it can be read as exploitation of a simple, genuine talent by a mediocre. Readers can also view the poem as exploitation of someone's talent for personal gain or as a poem about a jealous person who does not let real talent flourish by discouraging and finally eliminating it. There is another subject the poet touched upon: a lack of confidence that leads to disaster and the poet comments that one must recognize his own capabilities and should not try to emulate others.