Summary of The Parrot in the Cage
-Lekhanath Paudyal
The speaker
of the poem is a caged bird, parrot who laments much recalling his happy
life of jungle with relative 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 really 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, 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 by a stick. Till he does not die, he has to confine inside the cage. So
he hates mankind and prays to the god not to give the birth of parrot till
there are human beings.
In fact, this poem also can be compared with Rana's atrocity injustice, cruelty and domination upon innocent Nepal people Nepalese people had been ruled by the Rana's for one hundred and four years. During that period, people were deprived of enjoying from their fundamental right and freedom. Man had been forced to live like a caged bird, parrot. Here cage stands for Nepalese people's confinement. In general level understanding, parrot represents entire innocent Nepalese people while its master/owner stands for Rana's rule.
Questions and Answers
Who is the speaker of the poem? Why does he call himself "a twice-born child? (कविताको वक्ता को हो ? उसले आफूलाई दोश्रो पल्ट जन्मेको बच्चा भनेर किन भन्दछ ?)
Ans: The speaker of the poem is caged bird, parrot who laments much recalling his happy life of 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 cage, he thinks that he was a twice born child.
Visions A Thematic Anthology | 15 What is the present plight of the speakers? (वक्ताको वर्तमानको अवस्था कस्तो छ ? के वक्ता डराएका छन् ?)
Ans. The speaker's present plight is to stay in the cage from where he laments remembering for 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 the cage. The speaker utters the 'virtues fair' to indicate (d) human irrational behavior and mannerism. Virtue's fair is related. to fairness, justice, kindness and sympathy but we human being attacks for other virtue fair and tries to shape other creatures in our manner. Such practice of human being gives undue suffering and pain for lower creatures like parrot. The poet through his speaker, parrot shows our selfish and self-centred 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"? (" भाग्यले आफ्नो दिशा बदलेको छ, यसको व्याख्या गर्नुहोस्। “हिजो" र "आज" बीचको अन्तरनिहित भिन्नता के हो?)
Ans: Now(today) 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 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? ("कष्टपूर्ण ढंगले मैले सम्झौता समाप्त गर्नुपर्छ भनेर वक्ताले के आशय व्यक्त गर्न खोजेका हुन् ? यो संसार पिंजडा जस्तै हो, यो मानव आत्मा वा पिंजडामा परेको सुगासँग सम्बन्धित छैन त ? के नमरुञ्जेलसम्म पिंजडमा परेका प्राणीहरूको जीवन एकदमै कष्टकर हुन्छ त?)
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 natural environment. As they were in cage, they have to be there till they die. Their only freedom from cage is death.
It is the great atrocity and cruelty of human being 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 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.
"Atmaram! Read on! Be famed! A wit" . Atmaram is one who finds pleasure seeking spiritual knowledge. The human soul, by discovering spiritual knowledge, gets rid or ignorance becomes famous and renowned as a wise person. This is what the bird is advised to do inside his cage. Is it a good advice? Why? Why not? (आत्माराम ! पढ, प्रसिद्ध बन ज्ञानी हो ! भनिएको छ। आत्माराम त्यो हो जसले आध्यात्मिक ज्ञानको खोजी गर्दै आनन्द प्राप्ती गर्छ । आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान प्राप्त गरेको खण्डमा मनुष्य अज्ञानताबाट मुक्ती हाँसिल गर्दै प्रसिद्ध बन्छ। के यो सही सुझाव हो? कि होइन ?)
Ans: In line 68, the poet gives advice to the parrot to do something inside the cage. He tells him to lead his life with spiritual faith and energy. The bird is advised as "Atmaram! Read on! Be famed! A wit. Atmaram is one who finds pleasures by seeking spiritual knowledge. If the human soul discovers spiritual knowledge, it gets rid of ignorance, becomes famous and renowned as a wise person. If human being focuses for spiritual aspect, they will understand their atrocity and cruelty upon other lowest bird and animals. It is also important for people to have. spiritual knowledge which can correct their bad manner and behavior. So, the poet wants the parrot not to wail and mourn much.
How does the speaker move between concepts of freedom and bondage in the poem? (कसरी वक्ता बाध्यता र स्वतन्त्रताका धारणाहरुबीच घुमेका छन् ?)
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 goes in vain and becomes 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, 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? (th तपाईलाई ठीक जस्तो लाग्छ ?)
Ans: While judging mankind's behavior, the speaker shows the cruel and injustice treatments of human being. Human beings are selfish and self-centred in their behaviour. If the parrot did not sing, people beat and give him bad name like "Paji". In the poem, parrot laments much recalling the jungle and thinks only for his freedom. If he got freedom from the cage, he would visit his old parents and relatives. In this regards, personally, I don't think that it is an overstatement but it is the 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 poem ? (ईश्वर, भाग्य, भाग्य र प्रोविडेन्सबीचको भिन्नताहरू छलफल गर्नुहोस् । कवितामा यी मध्ये प्रत्येकलाई वक्ताले कुन गुणहरू दिन्छन् ?)
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 into 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 perspective on life? (के यस कविताको निष्कर्समा हिन्दु र बौद्ध धर्ममा हुने जीवनप्रतिको दृष्टिकोणलाई पुष्टी गरिएको छ ?)
Ans: In the conclusion, the poem asserts Hindu or Buddhist perspective on life. It tells that Hindu or Buddhist perspective (God, fate, pray) that as we get problem and great tension, we have habit of praying gods. In the poem too, the caged bird, parrot does same thing. As he does not win freedom from cage, he hates mankind and prays the god not to give the birth of parrot till there are human beings,
The poem is presented from the parrot's point of view. How different will it belief presented from a human being's point of view? (कविता सुगाको दृष्टिकोणबाट प्रस्तुत गरिएको छ। मानिसको दृष्टिकोणबाट प्रस्तुत गर्ने हो भने कति फरक होला ?)
Ans: The poem will be completely different if it is presented from a human beings' 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 on the basis of a close textual reading of the poem. (कविताको गहन पाठ्यको आधारमा कविताभित्रका राजनीतिक प्रभावहरूका बारेमा छलफल गर्नुहोस् ।)
Ans: In fact, this poem also can be compared with Rana's atrocity, injustice, cruelty and domination upon innocent Nepali people. Nepalese people had been ruled by the Rana's for one hundred and four years. During this period, people were deprived of enjoying from their fundamental right and freedom. Man had been forced to live like a caged bird, parrot. Here cage hints for Nepalese people's confinement. The parrot represents entire innocent Nepalese people while its master stands for Rana's domination and atrocity. We should do virtuous work.