THE
ARROW AND THE SONG
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth; I knew not where;
For so swiftly it flew, the
sight,
Could not follow it in its
flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not
where;
For who has sight, so keen and
strong,
That it can follow the flight
of song?
Long, long afterward, in an
oak,
I found the arrow still
unbroke;
And the song from beginning to
end,
I found again in the heart of
a friend.
The brief poem given above is both symbolic and
inspirational. It is the creation of the American poet, Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
(1807-1882). Short in length, it has massive breadth and depth. Simple in diction, it Is
complex in meanings. Like all the brief poems of Longfellow, this one , too, is
delightfully melodious.
Both the arrow and the song, as used in this poem, have
everlasting life. The arrow remains unbroken and the song does not fizzle out. The first one remains unchanged wherever it
falls against a person whom it was aimed at out of enmity. Its impact survives the passage of time like
enmity, hatred, hostility and bitterness which should be avoided for these negative
reasons. The song, a symbol of love,
kindness and friendship towards the entire humanity despite differences in
castes and creeds, faiths and beliefs, does not turn into nothingness. Its
soothing impact and delightful melodiousness
go on showing their balmy effect.
So, let us abandon the arrow and embrace the song in our
dealings with friends and foes.
Remember, all out actions and utterances become eternal facts
of our life and character. Therefore, don’t regard them as temporary phenomena.
------------
19th July 2022 G.
R. Kanwal
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