CS Academy, Vallipurathanpalayam, Erode Class : XII
English handout
A Walk by Moonlight - Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (Explanation and Analysis) Stanza wise explanation of the poem. Verse 1: The poet says the previous night was lovely and he felt blessed knowing that the beauty of the night will be a pleasant spot for memory to find rest, calmness, inspiration and peace. Metaphorically, the poet implies that pleasant memories of time spent amongst the beauty of nature, become sources of calmness and inspiration when the mind is troubled. Happy spot (metaphor – a shaded peaceful area is being compared to a happy memory) Memory… rest (personification) ________________________ Verse 2: The poet admits that in his long past, he has had such pleasant moments which have become part of his memory. When caught in the cycle of daily life or facing life’s trials and tribulations, we turn to these hours to find peace and calm. These pleasant memories seem like an inspirational lodestar, which shines mildly at a distance, and never fade away. Those hours spent in nature are thus ‘soft’: gentle, calm, peaceful and inspirational. Poetic device – metaphor. ________________________ Verse 3: Some such memories came the poet’s way the previous night. They made the narrator’s heart feel warm and light, as if it could fly free. (metaphor) ________________________ Verse 4: The poet had gone out the previous evening to meet a friend. When he reached the friend’s home, he saw the friend with two other people. They all gelled immediately since they shared common interests. It is a universally known fact that great minds connect immediately like birds of a feather. ________________________ Verse 5: When the poet got up to leave, he asked if any of them would like to go for a walk with him. Immediately, all three stood up and joined him. ________________________ Verse 6: The poet had become fond of all three of whom two had high thoughts and were of his age group. One was a young man but the poet was fond of him too just like anyone would find a young man’s youthful antics charming. ________________________ Verse 7: Using personification, the poet describes how the moon seemed to be majestic as it stood silent in the sky and looked down upon the earth. The clouds seemed to part out of respect for her stature (as if bowing before a queen and parting for her to make her way). ________________________
Verse 8: The wind seemed to make the leaves dance as if celebrating her power (personification and metaphor). At the peak hour, the moon magically seemed to robe everything in garments of silver with moonlight (metaphor). ________________________ Verse 9: The winds seemed to sing hymns in the moon’s (her) honour. They sounded like a gentle choir which makes a soul feel intense and deeply moved. ________________________ Verse 10: There was something about the beauty of the night which captured the three friends with its magic. For they not only saw but felt the moonlight around them, like a physical presence. ________________________ Verse 11: How strange, wonders the poet, are the many mysteries in nature! These magical mysteries connect us to the earth. With their charm, they send the joy inherent in them, into our hearts. Nature’s beauty then enters our souls like divine bliss which brings us true happiness. It reminds us of John Keats’ poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ where he says that human beings constantly try to weave a connection to the earth. Even William Wordsworth says in Daffodils, that pleasant visions of nature become a soothing influence for the mind to seek when lonely or disturbed. ________________________ Verse 12: How lovely, says the poet, are such memories (phantoms) which though dim, bless us and give us an insight into ourselves such that we see everything anew and truly understand ourselves with a startling clarity and self-pride. ________________________ Verse 13: When we shed our earthly cares (which anyway do not belong to us nor will go with us to the other world), we are able to understand the immortal spirituality inherent in all elements of nature we see around us. ________________________ Verse 14: It is then that we recognize and comprehend the voice of the wind and the magical melody which seems to play through the forest like a musical instrument whose strings have been stirred. Metaphors – personification throughout. ________________________ Verse 15: It is in such moments of spiritual enlightenment that we seem to adopt the silk-like gentle language of the stars. Each element of nature then comes alive. They seem to reflect our thoughts and feelings. Even the moon becomes a person whose cheek is pale with sympathy. ________________________ Verse 16: In such moments we gain a magical insight which makes us look differently at ourselves and the world around us. As our soul awakens and we gain a new vision, all glories which seem possible. We then feel capable of achieving all the rainbow-coloured goals which usually reside only in our dreams. ________________________
Verse 17: The poet feels blessed in such moments because he finds himself a part of nature and all its bliss. People say one can achieve such pure joy only in other worlds (heaven) but in moments like these, the poet can find such bliss right here on earth. ________________________ Verse 18: The poet says that his heart feels better when he realizes that the human heart is gently bound and is part of nature’s beauty. ________________________ Verse 19: Sometimes, we perceive the elements of nature as cold and lifeless. But the poet says that these flowers, stars and sky, are more than what they seem to be and have the power to move us. ________________________ Verse 20: In such moments of bliss and poignant realization, the poet knows that all nature is alive. He finds it difficult to even crush the grass under his feet because he can hear its voice and hear its heart beat. Some important questions 1. Attempt a critical appreciation of the poem. Derozio’s ‘A walk by Moonlight’ is a essentially a romantic poem, that sings praise of an evening and thereby brings out the ethereal qualities of the evening. The poet had been to one of his friend’s house where he found three other friends. They at once joined him for a walk in the evening when urged upon by the poet. Coming out in the vast open space the poet was at once bewitched by the moonlit evening and presents a catalogue of natural events that seemed to the poet as if they were paying homage to the ethereal beauty of the moonlight. Amid such a splendid scenario, the poet turned to be a philosopher and became too sensitive to the objects of nature. The soft language of the stars sounds like the tongue we speak. And we then discover a glorious shine join them that appear to a sleeper in his colourful dream “woven of the rainbow beams. The poet feels glad to have the power to respond to the paramount joy. 2. How does Derozio intertwine”lovely old memories” and philosophy to depeict “mysterious relationship between man and nature”. Derozio talks of the ‘lovely old memories which help us in getting a better insight of ourselves. Due to this awareness we are able to connect with our spiritual selves. And when this happens, man stands ‘proud’. This is the uniqueness of man- to be touched and be enriched by nature. To understand the universe, we must first understand ourselves. There are moments in our life, when our senses become numb. We have lost the opportunity to be stirred by beauty, but Derozio feels immense joy and pleasure as his senses are awakened at once. It is only when man is able to release his soul will he survive and as the post glimpses the celestial hand of nature, he too becomes divine. Value based questions:
1. According to Derozio if we have to understand the universe, we must first understand ourselves. Explain. It is truly stated that ‘to understand the universe, we must first understand ourselves’. There are many moments in our lives when our senses become numb. We have lost the opportunity to be stirred by beauty, but Derozio feels immense joy and pleasure as his senses are awakened at once. All his memories clear up and he is enthused by the beauty of Nature. All Nature is God’s creation and he saw sadness in man. It is only when man is able to release his soul, will he survive and as Derozio glimpses the celestial hand of Nature, he too becomes divine. 2. Nature helps us to be better human beings. How does’ A Walk by Moonlight’ prove this ? The earth and all its beauty is given to us as a gift. This realization is sudden and rare. It is then that we recognize the voices that we feel. The rustling of trees, the winds and leaves….everything. Nature carries a message. These voices make the forest look like a musical instrument. We too begin speaking Nature’s language. Only then do we realize that it is sympathy that intertwines us with nature. Our eyes open and we can see the real possibilities that are within us. These glorious things may appear to others on the ‘sleep’s couch’ but we no more see them as dream. Derozio thanks God and Nature for receiving this illumination in this life itself.
