The Parrot in the Cage by Lekhanath Paudyal
Summary of the poem The Parrot in the Cage by Lekhanath Paudyal
The
speaker of the poem 'The Parrot in the Cage' is a caged bird, the parrot who
laments much recalling his happy life in the jungle with relatives and parents.
At present, there is no one to hear his pain and suffering. His life is now
dead in life. His eyes have swollen due to continuous weeping. As he was in the
jungle, he would wander happily and would eat jungle fruits. He thinks that
fate deceived him and put him in the cage. He is missing his parents and his
happy past.
For
the sake of his freedom from the cage, he struggles much with cage iron. While
doing this, his beak blurred and, his wings and legs have much pain. Even in
his plight, he has to speak and sing although his throat is dry. If he did not
sing, he is beaten with a stick. Till he does not die, he has to confine
himself inside the cage. So he hates mankind and prays to God not to give the
birth of parrots till there are human beings.
In
fact, 'The Parrot in the Cage' can also be compared with Rana's atrocity injustice,
cruelty, and domination of innocent Nepal people Nepalese people had been ruled
by the Ranas for one hundred and four years. During that period, people were
deprived of enjoying their fundamental rights and freedom. Men had been forced
to live like a caged bird, the parrot. Here cage stands for Nepalese people's
confinement. In general level understanding, the parrot represents the entire
innocent Nepalese people while its master/owner stands for Rana's rule.
The Parrot in the Cage [question answer]
Who is the speaker in The Parrot in the Cage? Why does he call himself "a twice-born child?
Ans: The speaker of the poem is a caged bird, a parrot
who laments much recalling his happy life in the jungle. He calls himself a
twice-born child. He may mean that at first, he was born in the jungle but now
he is passing his days inside the cage.
His
eyes have been swollen due to continuous weeping. As he was in the jungle, he
would wander happily and eat jungle fruits. So, while staying in a cage, he
thinks that he was a twice-born child.
In The Parrot in the Cage, what is the present plight of the speakers?
Ans. The speaker's present plight is to stay in the cage
from where he laments remembering his past happy life. At present, there is no
one to hear his pain and suffering. His life is now dead in life. His eyes have
swollen due to continuous weeping. His enemies are human beings who put him in
a cage.
The
speaker utters the 'virtues fair' to indicate human irrational behavior and
mannerism. Virtue's fairness is related to fairness, justice, kindness, and
sympathy but we human being attacks other virtue fair and tries to shape other
creatures in our manner. Such practice of human beings gives undue suffering
and pain to lower creatures like a parrot. The poet through his speaker, parrot
shows our selfish and self-centered nature. Because of human one-sided nature,
many creatures are being suffered. As a matter of fun and joy, people keep many
wild animals and birds in the zoo and exploit the innocent creatures feeling.
Such practices of human beings steal their natural right.
Explain,
"fate changes her course perverse today ". What is the implicit
contrast between "yesterday" and "today"?
Ans:
Now (presently) the parrot is trapped inside the cage and is forced to live
like a prisoner. The parrot recalls how he used to fly and wander around the
jungle eating fruits. But now, he is in the cage. He is deprived of cool water,
shades, and delicious fruits. The parrot is constantly grumbling (A complaint
uttered in a low and indistinct tone) about its fate and thinks its natural
gift of speaking as the reason for its captivity.
"Excruciating
must I end my lease" suggest? Does it mean that the world, like the cage,
does not belong to the human soul or to the bird that lives the for the moment,
and the caged creature that is bound to live a very painful life before it may
finally meet its end?
Ans:
The line "Excruciating must I end my lease" suggests that the world,
like the cage, does not belong to the human soul or to the bird that lives in
the cage for the moment, and the caged creature that it is bound to live a very
painful life before it may finally meet its end. Truly, caged creatures feel
happy to live in the natural environment. As they were in the cage, they have
to be there till they die. Their only freedom from the cage is death.
It
is the great atrocity and cruelty of human beings upon the cage birds. The
parrot made several attempts to free from the cage but while doing so, he got
much injured and hurt. He is in the cage and has to speak and sing although his
throat is dry. Till he does not die, he has to stay inside the cage. Cage has
given him tremendous pain and suffering. Due to human beings' cruelty, his
dreams are destroyed.
In The Parrot in the Cage, how does the speaker move between concepts of freedom and bondage?
Ans:
In this poem, the speaker moves between concepts of freedom and bondage. To
free from his bondage, a parrot struggles much to get freedom. But his all
efforts to escape from the cage go in vain and become a meaningless struggle.
For the sake of his freedom from the cage, he made great effort and endeavor.
While doing so, his beak is injured and, his wings and legs have much pain. As
he could not gain his freedom, he also prays to the gods.
Do
you think that the speakers' judgment upon mankind is fair enough? Or, is this
an overstatement?
Ans:
While judging mankind's behavior, the speaker shows the cruel and injustice
treatment of human beings. Human beings are selfish and self-centered in their
behavior. If the parrot did not sing, people beat him and give him a bad name
like "Paji". In the poem, the parrot laments much recalling the
jungle and thinks only about his freedom. If he got freedom from the cage, he
would visit his old parents and relatives. In this regard, I don't think that
it is an overstatement but it is a realistic presentation of human atrocity
upon the parrot.
Discuss
the differences between God, Destiny, Fate, and Providence. What qualities does
the speaker attribute to each one of these in The Parrot in the Cage,?
Ans:
I think that fate is blind but providence has eyes. Fate is that which you
cannot change. Destiny is that which you're meant to do. Providence is God's
governing plan for creation as it exists in his own mind, whereas fate is God's
governing plan as it exists within creation. Providence considers God's plan
from the perspective of the unity of the divine mind. Fate considers God's plan
from the perspective of the diversity of the physical world. Providence is
general or universal, fate is specific or particular. Providence is the divine
plan. Fate is the material outworking of that plan. Among four, fate has
tricked the parrot to keep in the cage. So, his destiny is to move here and
there inside of the cage and to be insulted.
Does
the conclusion support the concept that this poem asserts Hindu or Buddhist
perspectives on life?
Ans:
In the conclusion, the poem asserts
Hindu or Buddhist perspectives on life. It tells the Hindu or Buddhist
perspective (God, fate, pray) that as we get problems and great tension, we
have a habit of praying to gods. In the poem too, the caged bird, the parrot
does the same thing. As he does not win freedom from the cage, he hates mankind
and prays the god not to give birth to parrots till there are human beings.
The
Parrot in the Cage is presented from the parrot's
point of view. How different will its belief presented from a human being's
point of view?
Ans:
The poem will be completely different if it is presented from a human being's
point of view. They would say that parrot is like their doll and can imitate
their voice. It is their friend to pass their boring time.
Discuss
the political implications of the poem The Parrot
in the Cage, based on a
close textual reading of the poem.
Ans: In fact, this poem also can be compared with Rana's atrocity, injustice, cruelty, and domination of innocent Nepali people. Nepalese people had been ruled by the Rana for one hundred and four years. During this period, people were deprived of enjoying their fundamental rights and freedom. Men had been forced to live like caged birds, a parrot. Here cage hints at Nepalese people's confinement. The parrot represents the entire innocent Nepalese people while its master stands for Rana's domination and atrocity. We should do virtuous work.