THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL

 

                                THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL      

            “The Mountain And The Squirrel” is a humorous and satirical poem written by the American poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson . He was born at Boston on 25 May 1803 and died at Concord on 27 April 1882.

            Asa writer, he is best remembered for leading the 19^th century transcendentalist movement in his country.

            Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement. It emphasizes intuition, individualism, and the inherent goodness of people and nature.

            Emerson believed in a shared, universal divine spirit known as the “Over-Soul” which stands for a direct connection between the individual soul and God. It also lays emphasis on self-reliance and idealism whereby the superiority of the spiritual world has an upper hand over the physical one.

             In his poem “The Mountain And The Squirrel” which is reproduced below, Emerson deals with the relationship between the natural world and human beings; the former is represented by the mountain, and the latter by the squirrel.

            Both the mountain and the squirrel are unique due to  their individualistic .  Whether somebody is huge or small is immaterial. All beings are  to be judged by their own peculiar  qualities.  

            The poem ends with the following lines spoken by the squirrel which is a  much smaller creature than the mountain:

            Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;

            If I cannot carry forests on my back,

            Neither can you crack a nut.

 

                        What follows is the full text of the poem :   

The mountain and the squirrel

Had a quarrel,

And the former called the latter

"Little prig."

Bun replied,

"You are doubtless very big;

But all sorts of things and weather

Must be taken in together

To make up a year

And a sphere.

And I think it no disgrace

To occupy my place.

If I'm not so large as you,

You are not so small as I,

And not half so spry:

I'll not deny you make

A very pretty squirrel track.

Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;

If I cannot carry forests on my back,

Neither can you crack a nut."

 

                                                                        ********

G. R. Kanwal

14 April 2026      

   

WAR IN ALWAYS UNNESSARY

 

WAR IN ALWAYS UNNESSARY         

            Lord Buddha laid emphasis on right thinking and right doing. War is neither of the two. It is not simply wrong but undeniably criminal and unethical. Its causes death and destruction. Its ill effects are too many. The injuries inflicted by it on humanity, infrastructure, nature, birds and beasts last  for a long time. It is an enemy of prosperity and a friend of adversity. It is always a  game of tears, not of smiles.

            According a relevant  quote : War is a profound catastrophe causing massive loss to human life, widespread destruction of infrastructure, and lasting economic ruin. Beyond physical destruction, it inflicts deep psychological trauma, forces displacement and breaks down social order. It also fuels hatred, promotes brutality, and often targets innocent civilians.

            The causes of war belong to a combination of political, economic, social, and ideological factors. They do not need a war to disappear.

            Referring to inter-personal disputes, it is advised by a counsellor : The more quietly and peaceably we all get on, the better --- the better for ourselves ---the better for our neighbours. In nine cases out of ten the wisest policy is, if a man cheats you, quit dealing with him; if he is abusive, quit his company; if he slanders you, take care to live so that nobody will believe him; no matter who he is, or how he misuses you, the wisest way is generally to let him alone; for there is nothing better than this cool, calm, quiet way of dealing with the wrongs we meet with.     

            The above-mentioned suggestion may not be perfectly relevant to settle disputes between two countries; yet war will never be an effective and safe approach. It will create more problems than solve the existing ones. Here, dialogue and diplomacy, even with the help of a mutually acceptable third party will be surely helpful in settling the dispute and  avoiding war.

            War is certainly an unnecessary way to settle disputes.

             According to a  German Proverb : A great war leaves the country with three armies ---an army of cripples, an army of mourners, and an army of thieves.

 

                                                ********

G. R. Kanwal

13 April 2026

                                                     

 

AN ANCIENT PRAYER

 

                AN ANCIENT PRAYER  

                        “An Ancient Prayer” is an admirable poem written by Thomas Henry Basil Webb. His biographical details are not reliably available anywhere. But the full text of the poem is easily available at relevant sources. It is one of the best loved poems in anthologies consisting of faith and immortality poetry.

                         Here is the full text of the poem:

                Give me a good digestion, Lord, and also something to digest;

Give me a healthy body, Lord, and sense to keep it at its best.

Give me a healthy mind, good Lord, to keep the good and pure in sight;

Which, seeing sin, is not appalled, but finds a way to set it  right.

Give me a mind that is not bound, that does not whimper, whine or sigh.

Don't let me worry overmuch about the fussy thing called I.

Give me a sense of humor, Lord; give me the grace to see a joke,

To  get some happiness from life and pass it on to other folk.

                        The above-mentioned  prayer in the poem is mainly concerned with health and happiness which, according to the poet, depend upon “good digestion” and a mind that does not “whimper, whine or sigh” and also does not allow the poet  ”to worry overmuch about the fussy thing called I.”

                        It is not wrong to say: “We do not die but kill ourselves.”  According to a  proverbial quote : One man’s meat is another’s poison.”

                        The French writer and philosopher Voltaire  (1694-1778)  believed that regimen is better than physic. Every one should be his own physician. We ought to assist, and not to force nature. Eat with moderation what agrees with your constitution. Nothing is good for the body but what we can digest. What medicine can procure digestion?  Exercise. What will recruit strength? Sleep. What will alleviate incurable evils? Patience.

                        To conclude, here  is a relevant quote by the Greek philosopher Plato (427 BC – 347 BC) : Health, beauty, vigour, riches, and all the other things called good, operate equally as evils to the vicious and unjust, as they do as benefits to the just.

                                                            *******

G. R. Kanwal

12^th  April 2026

 

PEACE QUOTES AND PRAYERS

 

PEACE QUOTES AND PRAYERS

            Peace is defined as a state of calmness, tranquility, and harmony. In another sense it means the absence of war and the cessation of hostilities between nations.

            Some common synonyms of peace are: harmony, serenity, security and accord.

            According to the American civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.:  True peace is not merely the absence of tension but also the presence of justice.

            A few famous  quotes on peace are:

1.     Peace is the happy, natural, state of man; war, his corruption, his disgrace.---James Thomson, Scottish poet (1700-1748).

2.     Five great enemies to peace inhabit with us: viz., avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride. If those enemies were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.----Italian poet Francis Petrarch (1304-1374).  

3.     Peace  is rarely denied to the peaceful.---German poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805).

4.     Peace hath her victories, no less renowned than war.----English poet John Milton (1608-1674).

5.     Peace is a dear nurse of arts,  plenties, and joyful birth.----English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616).

            Here is a famous  peace prayer from the ancient Hindu scripture Yajurveda : 36:17:

May there be peace in heaven, peace in the atmosphere, peace on earth, peace in the waters, peace in the herbs, peace in the vegetation. May all the divine powers bring peace. May there be peace in Brahman. May there be peace in all things. May that peace come to me. Om Peace, Peace, Peace.

              In the end, a  Christian peace prayer by St. Francis,   

            Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

                                                *******

G.R.Kanwal

10^th April 2026

 

                                   

SOME FAMOUS QUOTES ON WARS

 

SOME FAMOUS QUOTES ON WARS         

            Wars are not new. They have been there since the creation of the world. The difference is in their weapons and horrors. In the beginning, there were either no weapons or they were as simple as sticks and stones. Today there are various types of destructive weapons and bombs including nuclear and hydrogen bombs.

            The means of transportation and communication have also become awfully fast. Now the parties engaged in wars can have videos of all the actions taking place.

                Personally, I believe in the permanent abolition of war and the non-manufacturing of all sorts of destructive weapons.

                Wars should be declared not only  punishable crimes but also  unpardonable sins.

                  Given below are some famous war quotes.

1.     If war has its chivalry and its pageantry, it has also its hideousness and its demoniac woe. Bullets respect not beauty. They tear out the eye, and shatter the jaw, and rend the cheek. ---American clergy J .S. C. Abbott.

2.     War is the business of barbarians. ---Former Emperor of France  Napoleon Bonaparte.

3.     War is nothing less than a temporary repeal of the principles of virtue.---English clergy Robert Hall.  

4.     War comes today as the result of one of three causes: either actual or threatened wrong by one country to another. Or suspicion by one country that another intends to do it wrong, or from bitterness of feeling. ----American lawyer Elihu Root.

5.     Only the dead have seen the end of war. Greek philosopher Plato.

6.     I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity. ---Former American President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

7.     War is a defeat for humanity.---Pope John Paul II.

8.     Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die. ---Herbert Hoover, 31^st President of United States.

9.     Militarism and warfare are childish things if they are not more horrible than anything childish can be. They must become things of the past.----English novelist and historian  H. G. Wells.

10.                         As long as war is regarded as wicked it will always have its fascinations. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular.----English writer Oscar Wilde.                 

                                                                        ********

G.R. Kanwal

9^th April 2026

 

REMEMBER

 

                REMEMBER

1.     A lie has no legs to stand upon.

2.     Truth fears no examination.

3.     Suffering is the result of your actions.

4.     Killing, stealing, falsehood, greed, hatred, arrogance, envy, revenge, sloth, deceit, fear, stealing, are among the deadly sins.

5.      Prudence (wisdom), justice, fortitude (courage), temperance, truth, forgiveness, mercy, contentment, love, humility, honesty, sharing  and caring are among the cardinal virtues.

6.     Birth, old age, sickness, and death are inescapable.

7.     Pity is the virtue of law and none but some tyrants use it cruelly.

8.     Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.

9.     We know what we are, but do not know what we may be.     

10.                        Good character is human nature in the best form.

11.                        Taste and habits change progressively.

12.                        Want of decency is want of sense.

13.                        It takes two to make a quarrel.

14.                        Forgiveness is the best punishment.

15.                         As one lamp lights another, so does nobleness enkindles nobleness.

16.                         A noble deed is a step toward God.

17.                        Do thy duty; that is best; leave unto the Lord the rest.

18.                         Beautiful is the activity which works for good.

19.                         In idleness there is perpetual despair.

20.                         Man is an animal that makes bargains; no other animal does this.

21.                         Morality is the vestibule (entryway) of religion.

22.                        Most pleasures, like flowers, when gathered, die.

23.                        Few except the poor feel for the poor.

24.                        Undeserved praise is satire (criticism) in disguise.

25.                         Sorrows remembered sweeten present joy.

26.                        Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

27.                         Talent is power; tact is skill.

28.                         Learn to say “No”.

29.                         Thoughts are but dreams till their effects be tried.

30.                         Thinking is talking of the soul with itself.                   

G. R. Kanwal

8^th April 2026

 

TO DAFFODILS

 

 

                        TO DAFFODILS

 

            Given below is a poem written by the English poet Robert Herrick . He was born in London on 24 August 1591 and died on 15 October 1674. He was not only a popular lyric poet but also an Anglican cleric.

 

               “To Daffodils” is a deeply musical  poem about the fleeting nature of life and beauty. It inspires the readers to spend their life’s transient moments as delightfully as possible. The poem succeeds in effectively highlighting the rapid transition of life from growth to decay. Daffodils, a product of nature, is used  as a metaphor, and is said to  pass quickly like human life.

 

                  Herrick’s most famous quotes, which are relevant here,   are:

(i)                “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.

(ii)              “That man lives twice that lives the first life well”.                  

 

Here is the full text of the poem “TO DAFFODILS”

 

 Fair Daffodils, we weep to see

You haste away so soon;

As yet the early-rising sun

Has not attain'd his noon.

Stay, stay,

Until the hasting day

Has run

But to the even-song;

And, having pray'd together, we

Will go with you along.

 

We have short time to stay, as you,

We have as short a spring;

As quick a growth to meet decay,

As you, or anything.

We die

As your hours do, and dry

Away,

Like to the summer's rain;

Or as the pearls of morning's dew,

Ne'er to be found again.

                                                            ********

 

G.R.Kanwal

7^th April 2026