Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening – Robert Frost

When we talk about poems by Robert Frost, the most popular one is always The Road Not Taken. However, one poem comes close, and that’s the one I will talk about today.

While the poem seems really simple on the surface, its meaning runs really deep. It talks about a conflict that many of us often face – the one between finding a moment of solace versus our pending obligations.

While the poem touches upon many themes, the one main theme is the journey of life. It talks about how, in isolation, we can feel tranquillity and calm; but life doesn’t stop for us. It is important to be aware of the promises one has made. We should not deviate from our path due to momentary desires, and fix our eyes on the destination.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.   
His house is in the village though;   
He will not see me stopping here   
To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   
To stop without a farmhouse near   
Between the woods and frozen lake   
The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   
To ask if there is some mistake.   
The only other sound’s the sweep   
Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   
But I have promises to keep,   
And miles to go before I sleep,   
And miles to go before I sleep.

Featured Image from Google Images (Andrea Middleton)

Mr. Nobody – Anonymous

I remember first hearing the term “Mr. Nobody” from my mom when I was a kid. My brother and I were very naughty and mischievous kids. Any time that would lead to something breaking, we would stand in a corner and simply shrug our shoulders. My mom would just reply “Of course you wouldn’t know! It must have been Mr. Nobody!”

At that time I didn’t know what she meant. When I grew up I found the poem in an old book of poetry collection that belonged to her. Intrigued, I quickly jumped to the indicated page and read it whole. It was then I realized what she meant. To this day we have a good laugh when we read that poem.

The poem is simplistic in nature and talks about the innocence of kids while gently making fun of them. It is clear from the beginning that any mischief or mishap caused in the house is blamed on Mr. Nobody – a very quiet and odd person whom no one has ever seen, and hence he never gets caught!

What intrigues me the most though, is that this is an anonymous poem written about an anonymous person!

Mr. Nobody
by Anonymous

I know a funny little man,
    As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
    In everybody’s house!
There’s no one ever sees his face,
    And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
    By Mr. Nobody.

’Tis he who always tears out books,
    Who leaves the door ajar,
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
    And scatters pins afar;
That squeaking door will always squeak,
    For prithee, don’t you see,
We leave the oiling to be done
    By Mr. Nobody.

He puts damp wood upon the fire
   That kettles cannot boil;
His are the feet that bring in mud,
   And all the carpets soil.
The papers always are mislaid;
   Who had them last, but he?
There’s no one tosses them about
   But Mr. Nobody.

The finger marks upon the door
    By none of us are made;
We never leave the blinds unclosed,
    To let the curtains fade.
The ink we never spill;   the boots
    That lying round you see
Are not our boots,—they all belong
    To Mr. Nobody.

Fireflies in the Garden – Robert Frost

There is something unique and utterly beautiful about nature. Its beauty mesmerizes everyone and leaves them in awe. What this poem does is that and more. The unique quality of this piece lies in the brilliant comparison of two aspects of nature’s beauty – one natural and one an “imitation”. The poet admires them both and yet raises one higher than the other.

This poem compares the stars and the fireflies as both of them glow at night and light up the dark sky. Though the fireflies did achieve the glory that was comparable to the stars, they were “never really stars at heart”. The poet praises the efforts of the fireflies but also states how they can never really equal the stars as they “can’t sustain the part”.

The poem shows how there is beauty in originality. There may be many imitations, but the original will always stand out. We must remember to shine in our true colours.

Fireflies in the Garden
by Robert Frost

Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart)
Achieve at times a very star-like start.
Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.

Featured Image from freepik.com

The Road Not Taken – Robert Frost

We all have that one poem that introduced us to the magical world of poetry. For me, it was Robert Frost’s popular poem The Road Not Taken. While the poem is simplistic in symbolism, the indirect and implied meanings are what make it such a beautiful read.

While the poem was initially written as a joke for his friend and fellow poet Edward Thomas, Frost liked to remark “I’m never more serious than when joking.”

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Featured Image from Google Images (offset.com)

I Carry Your Heart With Me (I Carry It In My Heart) – E. E. Cummings

The first time I heard this poem was in the movie In Her Shoes. Being a poetry enthusiast I just had to find it. And when I re-read it, I knew this poem would stick with me forever.

The words are so simple, yet when they come together they leave a lasting impression on the reader. It talks of love, the everlasting kind of love, and holds true for anyone in our lives.

Cummings’ unique style of writing and expression makes the poem even more empathic. He has experimented with form, spelling, punctuation, and syntax. The end result, however, is simply touching.

[i carry your heart with me (i carry it in]
by E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

The true passions of a poet are never revealed. They must be uncovered from behind the words he pens down.

Shubhra Kr Vats

Food Lovers and Italy

The Colosseum. The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Leonardo da Vinci. Galileo. Machiavelli. Columbus. Pizza. Wine. Pasta. What do all these remind you of? Undoubtedly, of the country called Italy!

Italy is famous for its architecture, literature, music, theatre, paintings, cinema, fashion, etc. But the most popular thing about Italy is its cuisine – the food. Now, we all know about pasta and pizzas. But Italy is a lot more than these! It is about cheeses, wines, coffee, and much more. Italy is a food lover’s paradise. And that is why food lovers flock to Italy.

Italian cuisine has developed over the ages and become what it is today. Its roots can be traced back to the 4th century BC. Significant changes occurred with the introduction of the New World. But the dishes are still prepared in the traditional ways. And because of this, a large number of dishes can be cooked at home. This is one of the major reasons for the elaborate popularity of the Italian cuisine. Due to the difference in ingredients across regions, the taste and dishes vary across Italy. Cheese, wine, and coffee are a major part of the cuisine.

The cuisine earlier was not Italy’s own but derived from various other regions of the world due to the invasion and the socio-political changes in Italy. There are various books about the history of Italian cuisine written by Maestro Martino, Bartolomeo Scappi, Bartolomeo Stefani, Giovanni della Casa, Antonio Nebbia, Vincenzo Corrado, Francesco Leonardi, Giovanni Vialardi, Gian Battista, Ippolito Cavalcanti, Pellegrino Artusi, and many others. Their works talk not just about dishes but also about the ingredients and their work varies as they depict various regions.

Basic Italian Ingredients

The ingredients of Italian cuisine include fruits, vegetables, sauces, meats, fish, potatoes, rice, corn, sausages, pork, basil, nuts, olive oil, and different types of cheeses. However, the use and popularity of a dish or an ingredient varies according to the region. While one region might use sardines and tuna, the other may not. The pasta comes in a variety of shapes – penne, macaroni, spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, lasagne, etc. It can be made of durum wheat or semolina. The various parts of Italy are popular for various dishes as the cuisine of each part differs.

Italy has a proper meal structure and consists of 3-4 courses. On holidays, however, the meals can stretch for hours and every region has its own holiday cuisine. Also, there are various establishments or eateries all of which have defined roles and stick to them.

Italian Family Dinner

Italy is the home of coffee, beer, and wines with a huge variety of all. There are also various other drinks which are quite popular. And not to forget, Italians simply cannot be beaten when it comes to the ‘sweet tooth’. Their variety of desserts is remarkable! They are the home for gelato, tiramisu, confetti, etc.

So the next time you talk of Italy, don’t just brag about the pasta and pizza. Go on and let the world know about the true flavours of Italy!

The Grand Canal at Night (Venice)

Photo Credits: Google

Literature: An Art

“Literature is as old as speech. It grew out of human need for it and it has not changed except to become more needed.”

John Steinbeck

Some years ago in school, there was a Speech Competition in which I participated from my class. We had to learn an existing speech and recite it. My teacher put me up from my class because of my good oratory skills. This was around three years ago if I recall correctly. Though I did not win any prize, the speech I recited has become my favourite. My father brought for me the speeches of Jawaharlal Nehru, Aung San Suu Kyi, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Leaving these aside I picked up the speech by William Lyon Phelps without even knowing who he was, just because it talked about books.

William Lyon Phelps gave this speech in the year 1933. He is an American author and teacher of English Literature. The speech was titled The Pleasure of Books.

A few days ago while clearing my rack I found a clear file containing all of these speeches. As I hunted down, I rediscovered this speech. As I sat reading through I realized again that whatever I spoke that day was true. The words meant so much to me at that time and even today when I sat reading it. Though at that time I did not have a library, today I am in the process of building a good one.

The world of books has been my favourite world, to visit whenever I want and even live in it. My first introduction to this beautiful world of books was through Enid Blyton and her Famous Five. She is, to date, one of my favourites along with Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, and some others. I have been a student of literature for the past three years and I agree with Phelps when he says that through books we reach a world beyond us. Every writer has witnessed what they talk about and so their work takes us to a world we have visited. They give us an understanding of the era as their eyes become OUR eyes. These might be works of fiction, but they definitely are a window to life in a different period. This can be best explained by the quote below:

If you are unfamiliar with our times, then read my short stories. If you find my stories unbearable, it means our times are unbearable.

Saadat Hasan Manto

Phelps talks about the treatment of books when they are our own and when they are borrowed. And I couldn’t agree less with him. He calls books our best friends, and I second him. For a person who loves to read, books dominate their world. It is like visiting the place, meeting the characters in person and seeing their lives and events unfold in front of us. The most common book that everyone has read is Pride and Prejudice. It is a well-celebrated classic. We have all met and had a conversation with Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Some might have also fallen in love with them. This is simply because the writers weave characters we love; their lives become our lives, their sorrows become our sorrows, and their enemies become our enemies. This is the beauty of writing. The characters are charming and we are instantly drawn to them. They become a part of our lives just as we become a part of theirs and they become our friends.

I do not know if all of you have a library or not, or for that matter if you are an avid reader or not. But I hope this post inspires you enough to pick up one book and read.

You can read the speech here: http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/phelps.htm or scroll down below. You never know how it might inspire you.

If you know a speech which is interesting or has inspired you, let me know in the comments. I will be happy to read it.

The Pleasure of Books
by William Lyon Phelps (1933)

The habit of reading is one of the greatest resources of mankind; and we enjoy reading books that belong to us much more than if they are borrowed. A borrowed book is like a guest in the house; it must be treated with punctiliousness, with a certain considerate formality. You must see that it sustains no damage; it must not suffer while under your roof. You cannot leave it carelessly, you cannot mark it, you cannot turn down the pages, you cannot use it familiarly. And then, some day, although this is seldom done, you really ought to return it.

But your own books belong to you; you treat them with that affectionate intimacy that annihilates formality. Books are for use, not for show; you should own no book that you are afraid to mark up, or afraid to place on the table, wide open and face down. A good reason for marking favorite passages in books is that this practice enables you to remember more easily the significant sayings, to refer to them quickly, and then in later years, it is like visiting a forest where you once blazed a trail. You have the pleasure of going over the old ground, and recalling both the intellectual scenery and your own earlier self.

Everyone should begin collecting a private library in youth; the instinct of private property, which is fundamental in human beings, can here be cultivated with every advantage and no evils. One should have one's own bookshelves, which should not have doors, glass windows, or keys; they should be free and accessible to the hand as well as to the eye. The best of mural decorations is books; they are more varied in color and appearance than any wallpaper, they are more attractive in design, and they have the prime advantage of being separate personalities, so that if you sit alone in the room in the firelight, you are surrounded with intimate friends. The knowledge that they are there in plain view is both stimulating and refreshing. You do not have to read them all. Most of my indoor life is spent in a room containing six thousand books; and I have a stock answer to the invariable question that comes from strangers. "Have you read all of these books?"
"Some of them twice." This reply is both true and unexpected.

There are of course no friends like living, breathing, corporeal men and women; my devotion to reading has never made me a recluse. How could it? Books are of the people, by the people, for the people. Literature is the immortal part of history; it is the best and most enduring part of personality. But book-friends have this advantage over living friends; you can enjoy the most truly aristocratic society in the world whenever you want it. The great dead are beyond our physical reach, and the great living are usually almost as inaccessible; as for our personal friends and acquaintances, we cannot always see them. Perchance they are asleep, or away on a journey. But in a private library, you can at any moment converse with Socrates or Shakespeare or Carlyle or Dumas or Dickens or Shaw or Barrie or Galsworthy. And there is no doubt that in these books you see these men at their best. They wrote for you. They "laid themselves out," they did their ultimate best to entertain you, to make a favorable impression. You are necessary to them as an audience is to an actor; only instead of seeing them masked, you look into their innermost heart of heart.

Poetry: Death, Be Not Proud

This poem is especially close to my heart. John Donne beautifully takes something as strong and powerful as death and reduces it to almost nothing. Each time I read it, I realize that powerful is only as powerful as we allow it to be.

Death, be not proud
by John Donne

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and souls deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

Gender Stereotypes…Break Them!

The other day while surfing for some material to read for my final exams, I came across a link “15 Unfair Stereotypes and Gender Roles We Wish Didn’t Exist”. It intrigued me so I immediately opened it. As I went through the article, I recalled many weird old-time notions about women and men – their “defined” roles, their capabilities, and also assumed “duties”.

Gender Roles?

A lot of times, we have been in a situation where you, or someone else, were assigned or left out because of this assumed role. Often in a group, or while randomly talking with friends, a topic would come up and we would find ourselves differing in thoughts. There are some who still hold those old and beaten down theories and slap them on our faces with a “But that’s what should be done” or a “That’s what you should do, being a girl” or even something as lame as “But it is what is expected!”

And I think to myself “Seriously? Am I supposed to conform to roles based on these baseless arguments?” I mean, how can these people/social animals expect these of us? I am glad I have parents who treat me well, love me, respect my wishes, listen to me, are there for me, and most importantly treat me as an equal to my brother. There might be things that may not be relevant in that article but broadly looking, I found a lot of it to be true.

The question, however, is what is it about people that they want us to conform? We are in the 21st century and women and men are treated equally, or so it is said. Let’s ask some basic questions and be very honest.

Why should there be defined gender roles?
Why should a man not be allowed to wash dishes when he has a wife?
Why should women need help lifting heavy things all the time? A 3kg bag is not heavy at all!
Why is it assumed that women can’t drive well?
Why is it that men shouldn’t cry? If a person has emotions they should be allowed to let them flow.

If a man wants to cry, he should. Emotions express the warmth of your heart and not weakness. Men don’t have to be all macho-ey all the time. Women don’t have to be shy and coy all the time.

A common thing girls lie about is their weight. Ever thought of asking why she did that? An overweight girl might do that to save herself the mocking. An underweight woman might be dealing with an eating disorder. They are not perfect but the people want them to be and hence they refrain.

Try giving these a thought and you might recall other many such notions and opinions. It is true that to be able to change society we must bring a change in our thoughts first. And hence, let’s strive each day to consciously make a difference. Spot the bias when you see it and raise a voice against it.

Spot the bias. Raise your voice.

Here’s the link that got me talking: http://www.gurl.com/2014/03/19/unfair-gender-roles-stereotypes-we-wish-didnt-exist/#1

And another one that might just intrigue you: http://www.gurl.com/2013/10/24/female-stereotypes-stupid-wrong/#1

Your comments are most welcome. 🙂
Thank you for going through this.

Photo Credits: Google