Summary of the Poem: The Power of Music
- Lines 1 to 8:
The poet describes how every summer, he, along with other people around him, have to endure the loud and discordant singing of Bhisma Lochan Sharma. He says that Bhisma sings so loudly and harshly that his voice echoes on the hills and in the plains all the way from Delhi to Burma (Myanmar). He keeps on singing as if he has staked his life on it and is hell-bent on it, whatever may happen. The people get confused by his continuous cacophony but they know he does not have bad intentions. Sometimes people, on hearing his harsh singing, run in panic and get trampled, whereas some others become pale and sick. Some old people plead with him that they have grown old and cannot take his singing anymore, so he should stop singing immediately. Even the animals have to suffer due to Bhisma Lochan's continuous, irritable singing. The bullock-carts are overturned and horses refuse to move and stand along the road. But unfazed by everything going on around him, Bhisma Lochan continues with his harsh singing. The whole situation here seems to be exaggerated to get the effect of slapstick comedy.
- Lines 9 to 16:
The poet continues to describe the effect of Bhisma Lochan's singing on animals, plants, and even the birds in the sky. He says that the animals are pitiful, i.e., the horses cry out in pain, stare and raise their feet in the air, and look quite upset, the moment they hear Bhisma Lochan's singing. Even the fishes, troubled by Bhisma Lochan's singing dive deep down from the surface of the lake in search of silence. And the trees collapse with the sound that can be heard a mile away. His harsh, loud sound reaches the sky, and on hearing that the birds lose control over their wings and turn upside down.
Again, the human beings request the eccentric Bhisma Lochan to stop singing for if he does not do so, they feel they would die. But Bhisma's voice continues to soar higher and higher despite continuous pleading by the people. Even the sky weeps, and the mighty buildings collapse due to the loud, unpleasant singing of Bhisma Lochan.
- Lines 17 to 20:
The poet says that now a change happens as a wise goat appears on the scene. Bending its head he attacks the singer with its horns, and its loud noise (bellowing) equals the singer's. That puts to an end Bhisma Lochan's musical spree and gives the world the 'golden gift of silence.'
Section A: Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)
Choose the correct answers to the questions from the given options.
1. 'You catch his strain on hill and plain....' What is referred to as 'his strain'?
(a) The people like Bhisma
(b) The singers like Bhisma
(c) Bhisma Lochan's singing
(d) None of the above
Ans: c) Bhisma Lochan's singing
2. What is the genre of the poem, 'The Power of Music'?
(a) Ballad
(b) Sonnet
(c) Elegy
(d) Nonsense Verse
Ans: d) Nonsense Verse
3. What kind of person was Bhisma Lochan Sharma?
(a) Determined
(b) Stubborn
(c) Gentle
(d) All of the above
Ans: a) Determined
4. Which of the following did NOT happen when people heard Bhisma Lochan's singing?
(a) They got trampled
(b) They became pale and sick
(c) They were able to make him stop singing
(d) They got confused.
Ans: c) They were able to make him stop singing
5. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below?
'The bullock-carts are overturned, and horses line the roadside.'
(a) Alliteration
(b) Simile
(c) Assonance
(d) Hyperbole
Ans: d) Hyperbole
6. Who are referred to as the 'wretched brutes'?
(a) The horses
(b) The fishes
(c) The bulls
(d) None of the above
Ans: a) The horses
7. What happens to the wretched brutes on hearing Bhisma Lochan's singing?
(a) They raise their feet in air
(b) They cry out in pain
(c) They wonder what is happening
(d) All of the above.
Ans: d) All of the above
8. What happens to birds on hearing Bhisma Lochan's loud singing?
(a) They lose control over their wings
(b) They start chirping loudly
(c) They stop flying forever
(d) None of the above.
Ans: a) They lose control over their wings
9. The billy goat has been compared to which of the following?
(a) A trained musician
(b) Bhisma Lochan
(c) A wise man
(d) None of the above
Ans: c) A wise man
10. Which of the following grants the golden gift of silence to the world?
(a) The wise man
(b) The goat
(c) Bhisma Lochan
(d) None of the above.
Ans: b) The goat
11. Which of the following lines contains the same literary device as the one in Sukumar Ray's, "The welkin weeps to hear his screech..."?
(a) I learnt upon a coppice gate
When Frost was spectre-grey.
(b) ...life is too much like a pathless wood
Where our face burns and tickles with cobwebs.
(c) We circle well-worn grooves of water on a single note.
(d) To know I'm farther off from heaven
than when I was a boy!
Ans: a) I learnt upon a coppice gate
When Frost was spectre-grey.
Section B: Context Questions
I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
When summer comes, we hear the hums
Bhisma Lochan Sharma.
You catch his strain on hill and plain from Delhi
down to Burma
He sings as though he's staked his life, he sings
as though he's hell-bent;
The people, dazed, retire amazed although they
know it's well-meant.
(i) Who is Bhisma Lochan Sharma? How is his singing?
Ans: Bhisma Lochan Sharma is a character in the poem "The Power of Music" who is portrayed as a passionate yet unconcerned singer. He sings continuously and with great determination, as if he has staked his life on it. His singing is very loud, harsh, and discordant, and though it is well-meant, it causes discomfort and confusion to the people who hear it.
(ii) Why does the speaker say that 'his strain' can be heard 'on hill and plain from Delhi down to Burma'?
Ans: The speaker says this to highlight the extraordinary loudness and harshness of Bhisma Lochan Sharma's singing. By saying that it can be heard from hills to plains and from Delhi to Burma, the poet uses hyperbole to show that his voice spreads far and wide and disturbs everyone. This exaggerated description adds a humorous effect and shows how irritating and unavoidable his singing is.
(iii) What does the speaker say about Bhisma Lochan's continuous singing?
Ans: The speaker says that Bhisma Lochan sings continuously without stopping, as if he has staked his life on it and is hell-bent on singing. He continues singing with full determination, without caring about the trouble caused to others.
(iv) Although the people get confused on hearing Bhisma Lochan's singing, what do they think about him? What does it suggest about him?
Ans: Although the people get confused on hearing Bhisma Lochan's singing, they feel that his intention is well-meant. This suggests that Bhisma Lochan is not bad or ill-intentioned, but unaware and unconcerned about the trouble his loud singing causes to others.
(v) Explain briefly the genre of this poem. State the figure of speech used to attain the characteristics of this genre?
Ans: The poem belongs to the genre of nonsense poetry. It presents absurd, humorous, and exaggerated situations to amuse the reader. Although the situations appear illogical, the poem follows a proper structure, rhyme, and rhythm.
The main figure of speech used to achieve the characteristics of this genre is hyperbole. The poet deliberately exaggerates the effects of Bhisma Lochan's singing to create humour and comic effect.II. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
They're trampled in the panic rout or languish
pale and sickly,
And plead, 'My friend, we're near our end, oh
stop your singing quickly!"
The bullock-carts are overturned, and horses
line the roadside;
(i) Who are 'They' referred to in the first line of the extract? What happens to them?
Ans: 'They' refers to the people who hear Bhisma Lochan Sharma's singing. On hearing his loud and harsh singing, they run in panic, get trampled, and some become pale and sick. They also plead with him to stop singing.
(ii) To whom do they plead and why?
Ans: They plead to Bhisma Lochan Sharma to stop his loud and irritating singing because it causes panic and suffering and makes them feel that they are near their end.
(iii) What is the effect of their pleading? What does it suggest about the man whom they plead for?
Ans: Their pleading has no effect at all. Bhisma Lochan Sharma does not stop singing despite their requests. This suggests that he is unconcerned and stubbornly determined, and does not care about the suffering of others.
(iv) What is the effect of his singing on animals and birds?
Ans: Bhisma Lochan's loud and harsh singing disturbs animals and birds badly. Bullock-carts overturn, horses whine, raise their feet, and stand confused, while birds lose control of their wings and turn upside down while flying. The effects are exaggerated to create humour.
(v) Which poetic device is used by the poet in this extract? Why? Does he achieve his objective? Give reasons to support your answer.
Ans: The poet uses hyperbole in this extract. He deliberately exaggerates the effects of Bhisma Lochan's singing—people getting trampled, becoming pale and sick, and bullock-carts overturning—to highlight how loud and unbearable the singing is. Yes, he achieves his objective, because the exaggeration creates a strong comic effect and clearly shows the chaos and suffering caused by the noise, which is a key feature of nonsense poetry.
III. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
But Bhisma Lochan, unconcerned, goes
booming out his broadside.
The wretched brutes resent the blare the hour
they hear it sounded,
They whine and stare with feet in air or wonder
quite confounded.
The fishes dived below the lake in frantic search
for silence,
The very trees collapse and shake - you hear the
crash a mile hence -
And in the sky the feathered fly turn turtle while
they're winging,
(i) What was Bhisma Lochan unconcerned about? What is meant by—he 'goes booming out his broadside'?
Ans: Bhisma Lochan was unconcerned about the trouble and suffering caused to people, animals, and nature by his singing. The phrase "he goes booming out his broadside" means that he continues singing very loudly and aggressively, without paying attention to anyone's complaints.
(ii) Who were the 'wretched brutes'? Why did they behave abnormally?
Ans: The "wretched brutes" refer to the horses. They behaved abnormally because Bhisma Lochan's loud and harsh singing disturbed them. As a result, they whined, raised their feet in the air, and stared in confusion, showing their discomfort.
(iii) State the three activities done by the wretched brutes on hearing Bhisma Lochan's singing?
Ans: On hearing Bhisma Lochan's loud singing, the wretched brutes (horses):
- Whine in distress,
- Stare in confusion, and
- Raise their feet in the air.
(iv) How are the fishes and the trees affected by Bhisma Lochan's singing?
Ans: The fishes dive deep below the lake in frantic search of silence to escape Bhisma Lochan's loud singing. The trees are shown to collapse and shake violently, creating a crash that can be heard from a great distance.
(v) What happens to the birds in the sky? Do you agree with the speaker of the poem? Give reasons to support your answer.
Ans: The birds in the sky lose control of their wings and turn upside down while flying on hearing Bhisma Lochan's loud singing. I agree with the speaker because this is an exaggeration (hyperbole) used to show how extremely loud and disturbing the singing is. The poet uses this absurd effect to create humour and to emphasise the chaos caused by noise, which suits the nonsense poetry genre.
IV. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
The welkin weeps to hear his screech, and mighty
mansions tumble.
But now there comes a billy goat, a most
sagacious fellow,
He downs his horns and charges straight, with
bellow answ'ring bellow.
The strains of song are tossed and whirled by
blast of brutal violence,
And Bhisma Lochan grants the world the golden
gift of silence.
(i) Who 'weeps' in this extract and why? Which figure of speech is used in the 'welkin weeps'?
Ans: In this extract, the welkin (the sky) is said to weep because Bhisma Lochan's loud and screeching singing disturbs everything around. The figure of speech used in "welkin weeps" is personification, as the sky is given a human quality of crying.
(ii) What happens to 'mighty mansions'? Which natural object met the same fate as mansions, in the earlier in the poem?
Ans: The "mighty mansions" collapse and tumble due to Bhisma Lochan's loud singing. Earlier in the poem, the trees met the same fate, as they are described to collapse and shake violently.
(iii) Why is the billy goat described as 'a most sagacious fellow'?
Ans: The billy goat is described as "a most sagacious fellow" because it acts wisely and does what no one else could do. While people fail to stop Bhisma Lochan's loud singing, the goat charges at him with its horns and puts an end to his singing, thus granting the world the golden gift of silence.
(iv) What does the billy goat do which many others could not? How?
Ans: The billy goat succeeds in stopping Bhisma Lochan's singing, which many others could not do. It does this by lowering its horns and charging straight at him, using brute force, and thus putting an end to his loud singing.
(v) Which figure of speech is used in the last line of the extract? What is the significance of this line? Give reason to support your answer.
Ans: The figure of speech used in the last line "the golden gift of silence" is metaphor. Silence is described as a "golden gift" to show its great value and importance after the chaos caused by Bhisma Lochan's loud singing. The line is significant because it marks the end of noise and suffering and highlights the poet's message that silence is far better than unpleasant noise in the name of music.