THE FROG AND THE NIGHTINGALE-VIKRAM SETH

DONE BY: R.Manshi

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ABOUT THE POET

Vikram Seth is an Indian novelist and poet. He has written several novels and poetry books. He has received several awards including Padma Shri, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, WH Smith Literary Award and Crossword Book Award. A polyglot, Seth detailed in an interview (in the year 2005) in the Australian magazine Good Weekend that he has studied several languages, including Welsh, German and, later, French in addition to Mandarin, English and Urdu, which he reads and writes in Nasta'liq script. He plays the Indian flute and the cello and sings German lieder, especially Schubert.

Vikram Seth

PLOT OF THE POEMThe frog and the nightingale is a story in verse. It has a moral also. The two characters are symbolic of human beings. They behave and speak just like humans. So the poem can be called an allegory. The frog croaks and bores all the animals in the jungle. He rules supreme and unrivalled. But a nightingale unknowingly challenges his supreme position. She sings and enchants everybody with her melodious notes. The frog then plays a trick to regain his position. He makes her believe that she needs training and improvement in her style. She too starts singing loudly and fast like her trainer-the frog. By changing her style, she bores her audience and she dies….

Once time there lived a frog in bingle bog. Every night he used to croak non-stop. No animal or bird liked his song. They even tried to stop his singing by throwing stones but they were not successful in that. They were forced to hear his unpleasant singing

Frog: Crock! CrockDeer: Oh God!! again he haveStarted..Elephant: Please stop your cacophonyZebra: Oh! Frog please for gods sake stop singing. Have mercy on the poor animals who are in the forest. We can’t bear this noise. Please……Frog: If you can’t enjoy my pleasant beautiful song its your problem not mine. I do whatever I want to do. Mind your own business silly.Elephant: Lets throw stones and sticks to make him quiet.Frog: Hey..! These bits of stones can’t stop my talent. Neither stones nor prayers can stop my heart’s elation.

SOUND OF THE FROG

MEETING OF THE FROG AND THE NIGHTINGALE

Nightingale: KHOO-KHOO-KHOODeer: Wow…. What a sweet voiceRabbit: Bravo..!! Too divine..Encore!All other animals: ONCE MORE!! ONCE MOREFrog: CROAK! CROAK!Nightingale: Sorry.. Is that you spoke? Frog: Yes.. You see the Frog who owns this tree and I am very popular for my mesmerizing hypnotizing baritone.Nightingale: Oh! Then you can say me how good was my song.Frog: Not too bad-but far too long. The technique was fine of course but it lacked it lacked in certain force.Nightingale: Oh! Wow.. I am so lucky that I have got such a person to whom I share my arts. Can you please teach me….?Frog: Of course, You should be lucky to get trainer as me.

SOUND OF A NIGHTINGALE

PRACTICE SECTION WHILE RAINING

Frog: Are you ready for your vocal training.Nightingale: Oh!.. But I can’t sing in this weather.Frog: Oh. Come on my dear- we will sing togetherNightingale: KOO-OH-AH! KO-ASH! KO-ASH!

The frog and the Nightingale practiced for six hours

The frog used to earn money when nightingale sings

THE NEXT DAY MORNING: THE NIGHTINGALE’S MUSIC SHOW BEFORE AUDIENCE

Nightingale: Koo-ko-ash. Koo-koo-ash.Deer: OH!! God!! Can’t hear this anymore I am going back.Rabbit: Well… me too.

Frog: Brainless bird!! You are on the stage use your wits and fallow fashion. Puff out your lungs with fashion.!!Nightingale: Okay… I will try. (Tearfully)

(The applause became restricted. No animals enjoyed nightingale singing and the audience were going down.)

FEW DAYS LATER WHEN THEY LOST THEIR AUDIENCE

Frog: You stupid…!! You are not at all practicing we losing our audience. The box-office is crashing. I tolerate such kind of negligence. Come on sing louder and sharper.Nightingale: Sorry.. I can’t sing anymore. I am not well. (sorrowfully) Frog: You stupid bird..! I don’t want any excuse.

The frog went on scolding nightingale and insisted to sing louder and harsher for the audience, but when she blared her veins burst and she died.

Frog: Yipppieee!!! The frog is dead.!! Now I am the king of the sumac. Now all will listen to my song. Brainless bird, I tried to teach her but she was a stupid creature, far too nervous, far too tense. Far to prone to influence. Well she should have know that your song must be your own and that’s why I sing with an elegant style. Croak! Croak! Croak!

POETIC DEVICESALLITERATIONBingle bogCrass CacophonySongs of SilverNight a NightingaleBetter Billings

REPETITIONAwn and awn and awnKoo-oh-ah!Ko-ash!ko-ash

METAPHORSolitary loonMozart in disguise

A VIDEO ON “THE FROG AND THE NIGHTINGALE”

PLAY VIDEO

Characteristic Qualities of the Frog Some words that can be used to describe the Frog are – Boastful, Possessive, Patronizing, Persuasive, Arrogant, Authoritative, Heartless, Dismissive, Critical, Imposing, Commanding, Calculative, Crafty, Ambitious, Overbearing, Deceitful, Repulsive and Dominating.

CHARACTERISTIC OF FROG

CHARACTERISTIC OF THE NIGHTINGALE

Characteristics of the Nightingale Polite, Shy, Timid, Honest, Meek, Melodious, Gentle, Benevolent, Humble, Sweet, Beautiful, Foolish, Innocent, Naïve, Scared, Fawning, Servile, Submissive, Simple and Generous.

MORAL OF THE POEMFrom the words of the frog we can give the moral “DON’T BE STUPID’’.Do your work with passion and confidently. Don’t be gullible.Don’t be too innocent like the nightingale.There will always be someone willing to take away a person's beauty and joy. Most people do not understand that a coach is pushing for personal fame or a parent is pushing to relive his youth through a child until it is too late. The result could be hatred of a sport one first loved, injury, or even death.