THE
NIGHTINGALE AND THE GLOW-WORM
(A poem by William Cowper)
A
NIGHNGALE that all day long
Had
cheered the village with his song,
Nor
yet at even his note suspended,
Nor
yet when even time was ended,
Began
to feel, as well he might,
The
keen demands of appetite;
When
looking eagerly around,
He
spied far off, upon the ground,
A
something shining in the dark,
And
knew the glow-worm by his spark;
So,
stooping down from hawthorn top,
He
thought to put him in his crop.
The
worm, aware of his intent,
Harangued
him thus, right eloquent;
“Did
you admire my lamp,” quoth he,
“As
much as I your minstrelsy,
You
would abhor to do me wrong,
As
much as I to spoil your song;
For
‘twas the selfsame Power Divine
Taught
you to sing, and me to shine;
That
you with music, I with light,
Might
beautify and cheer the night.”
The
songster heard this short oration,
And
warbling out his approbation,
Released
him, as my story tells,
And
found a supper somewhere .
The
English poet, William Cowper, was among the most famous of his time. He was
born on 26th November 1731 and died
of edema on 25th April 1800. According to literary history ,
his work was appreciated by a large audience. His attention to nature and
common life , which prefigured the concerns of Romantic poets like William
Wordsworth , inspired Samuel Taylor
Coleridge to regard him “the best modern poet.” He is credited to have changed
the direction of 18th century nature poetry by his writings
about the daily scenes of the
English countryside.
According to William J. Long, a literary historian,
Cowper shows the struggle between
romantic and classical ideals. As for his life , it was a pathetic story of a
shy and timid genius who found the world of men too rough, and who withdrew to
nature like a wounded animal.
On
the whole Cowper’s poems look dreary , and are only occasionally marked by a certain gentleness and a vein of
pure humor .
Of
all his works, The Task (1785) which
carries description of homely scenes, of woods and brooks , of plowmen and
teamsters is the best.
Cowper
is also famous for his numerous hymns
and a collection of letters published in
1803.
Last
and most famous of all is his humorous compositions is the ballad “John Gilpin”
which , says William J. Long, should be read
by every student , if not the whole, at least
the last stanza :
Now
let us sing, Long live the King,
And
Gilpin, long live he !
And
wen he next doth ride abroad
May
I be there to see.
Cowper
has left many remarkable quotes like:
(I)God moves in a mysterious
way. His wonders to perform, He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon
the storm. (II) Behind a frowning
providence He hides a smiling face. (III) God made the country, and man made
the town. (IV) Wisdom is humble that he knows no more. (V) O solitude , where
are the charms That sages have seen in thy face? Better dwell in the midst of alarms, Than reign in the
horrible place. (VI) Variety’s the very
spice of life, that gives it all its
flavour.
THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE GLOW-WORM is a fable with
multiple morals. Both the characters in the poem have been given human
qualities. The nightingale is a bigger creature. After delighting the village
with his melodious song , he feels keenly hungry; spots a glow-worm and decides
to eat him. The glow-worm perceiving his intention, uses his oration in such a manner that the nightingale takes no time to change his mind.
The contents of the glow-worm’s speech are quite illuminating. He tells the nightingale that both of them admired each other’s respective qualities.
The world needed both of them , one for the delightful song and the other for
much-loved light. Not only this, both of them have been assigned these roles ,
not by earthly but by the same heavenly power.
“It
was the self-same Power Divine
Taught
you to sing, me to shine;
That
you with music, I with light,
Might
beautify and cheer the night.
The
glow-worm’s oration had the magical impact upon the nightingale who released him immediately and ‘found
a supper somewhere else.”
Some of the morals conveyed through
this fable are: The creator of all
beings is one; all have their respective roles to play; all should appreciate each other’s qualities and learn to co-exist peacefully.
Briefly, the poem
is a plea for the politically pronounced policy of ‘Live and let live”. By suggestion, it is also a strong argument
for avoiding violence and treating all nations, big or small , with the same
degree of respect.
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23 August
2021 G. R. Kanwal
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