Saturday, April 5, 2014

When Icicles Hang by the Wall


-          William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

(This poem has no moral, nor is it beautiful. Poetry may deal with common colds and greasy kitchen maids as legitimately as with sunsets and flowers, and give no message or noble truth about life, and still continue to be a favourite among readers for nearly four centuries.)

Paraphrase:

Due to the excessive cold in winter, water particles freeze and icicles are formed on the walls and roof. Dick, the shepherd, blows his nails to keep them warm. Tom thrusts logs into the fire to keep the surrounding warm. Milk, when taken home from the cowshed in a pail, is frozen. Because of extreme cold, it feels as if blood has frozen in the body. Joan, because of low visibility, capsizes the pot. At the same time, the owl sings happily: ‘To-who/ To-whit, to-who’.

In winter, the wind blows noisily. The priest gets cough and cold, so he cannot complete his wise sayings. The birds have to brood over snow. Marian, due to common cold, has to rub her nose frequently, so has got red nose. Small sour apples produce a kind of hissing sound while they are being roasted.




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