Summary
The poem is an emotional expression of captivity and suffering, narrated from the perspective of a parrot that has been taken from its natural habitat and confined to an iron cage. The bird mourns its lost freedom, longing for the open skies, the lush forests, and the companionship of its kind. It suffers both physically and mentally, tormented by memories of its past life and the hopelessness of its present state.
The parrot describes how fate has deceived it into a life of imprisonment. It recalls the happiness of flying through the green forests, eating fresh fruits, and enjoying the company of its family. Now, locked away, it experiences only sorrow and despair. The parrot grieves for its aging parents who must be mourning its absence, unable to understand its pain.
The harsh realities of captivity torment the bird. It struggles against the cage, trying to escape, but its efforts are in vain — its beak is worn out, its wings are restrained, and its spirit is broken. The bird suffers under the control of its human captors, who force it to talk and entertain them, even threatening it with punishment if it refuses. The little food and water it receives are barely enough to survive, making its suffering even more unbearable.
As the poem progresses, the parrot reflects on the cruelty of humans, who imprison and exploit innocent creatures for their amusement. It questions the injustice of its fate, wondering why it was given the ability to speak and reason if it was only meant to endure suffering. The bird prays to God for mercy, pleading for an end to its misery and hoping that no other creature should suffer the same fate.
In the final lines, the parrot expresses a profound realization: as long as humans exist on Earth, captivity and suffering will continue. This profound statement highlights the poem’s central theme — the conflict between freedom and oppression and the cruelty of human nature toward helpless beings. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt emotions, the poem serves as a metaphor for all beings who suffer under bondage, making it a powerful critique of oppression and captivity.
Interpretation
A Parrot in the Cage is a deeply symbolic and emotional work that expresses the agony of captivity and the longing for freedom. Through the perspective of a caged parrot, the poet explores themes of fate, oppression, suffering, and the cruelty of human beings. The poem also serves as a metaphor for the struggles of individuals who are trapped in restrictive conditions, whether physically, socially, or mentally.
The Parrot: A Symbol of Lost Freedomz
The parrot in the poem represents all beings who once lived freely but are now confined by external forces. It recalls its past life in the forest, where it had the joy of flying wherever it wished, feasting on fresh fruits, and enjoying the company of its family. This stark contrast between past happiness and present misery highlights the pain of losing one's freedom. The parrot sees itself as a "twice-born child", indicating that it was meant to live a special, free life, yet fate has deceived it and confined it within an iron cage.
The Suffering of Captivity
Throughout the poem, the parrot describes the physical and emotional torment of being caged. It experiences deep sorrow, crying in distress and longing for its family. The iron bars not only limit its movement but also symbolize the harsh restrictions imposed on its life. The bird tries to escape by striking its beak against the bars, but this only results in pain and injury, showing the futility of its resistance.
In addition to physical suffering, the parrot endures psychological torture. It is forced to speak and entertain humans, even when it does not wish to. If it refuses, it is threatened with punishment. The lack of proper food and water further intensifies its suffering, making its life in captivity unbearable.
A Reflection on Fate and Destiny
The poem questions the role of fate in shaping the parrot’s unfortunate life. The bird wonders why it was destined to be taken from the vast, open sky and imprisoned in a small cage. The idea of fate being mysterious and often cruel is a recurring theme in the poem. The parrot feels deceived by destiny and struggles to understand why it has been subjected to such suffering.
This theme extends beyond the parrot’s individual experience, serving as a broader commentary on how fate often restricts and confines people, preventing them from living the lives they desire.
The Cruelty of Human Beings
One of the strongest messages in the poem is the cruelty of humans toward innocent beings. The parrot sees its captors as heartless, treating it merely as an object of amusement rather than a living creature with emotions and desires. The humans exploit its ability to speak, forcing it to mimic words and phrases for their entertainment, completely disregarding its pain.
The poet criticizes the human tendency to control and dominate others, whether animals or fellow human beings. The parrot's suffering serves as an allegory for the oppression of weaker individuals by those in power. The poet suggests that humans, despite their intelligence and reasoning, often lack compassion and empathy.
Longing for Family and Companionship
Another major source of sorrow for the parrot is its separation from its loved ones. It remembers its parents and fellow birds, imagining that they must be grieving its absence. The thought of their pain adds to its own suffering, making its captivity even more unbearable. This emotional connection highlights the importance of family bonds and the devastating effects of forced separation.
The parrot's longing for its family can be seen as a metaphor for individuals who are separated from their loved ones due to external circumstances, such as war, migration, or imprisonment. The poem expresses the deep emotional wounds that such separations cause.
The Struggle Between Hope and Despair
Throughout the poem, the parrot experiences waves of hope and despair. It dreams of escaping and returning to its natural home, but each attempt to break free is met with failure. This repeated cycle of hope and disappointment reflects the broader human experience—many individuals trapped in difficult situations continue to dream of freedom, even when the chances of escape seem impossible.
The parrot also contemplates death as the only escape from its suffering. It realizes that unless death comes, it will be forced to endure its miserable existence. This part of the poem explores the darkest aspects of despair, showing how prolonged suffering can lead to hopelessness.
A Universal Message of Freedom and Oppression
In the final lines, the parrot makes a powerful statement: as long as humans exist, the suffering of captive beings will continue. This suggests a deep realization that the world is filled with oppression, and there will always be those who impose restrictions on others. The poem serves as a universal message about the value of freedom and the cruelty of those who take it away.
Beyond the literal meaning, A Parrot in the Cage can be interpreted as a metaphor for human oppression in different forms—colonialism, social injustice, and even personal struggles. The caged parrot represents anyone who has ever felt trapped by circumstances beyond their control.
Conclusion: An Appeal for Compassion and Freedom
Lekhanath Paudyal’s A Parrot in the Cage is a powerful and deeply moving poem that explores the pain of captivity and the universal desire for freedom. Through the parrot’s suffering, the poet sheds light on the cruelty of those who exploit and imprison others, whether animals or humans.
The poem ultimately serves as an appeal for compassion and justice. It urges the reader to reflect on their own actions and the impact they have on others. Whether taken literally as a call to treat animals with kindness or metaphorically as a critique of human oppression, the poem remains a timeless reminder of the importance of freedom and empathy.
Understanding
1. Who is the speaker of the poem? Why does he call himself "a twice-born child"?
The speaker of the poem is the parrot itself. The parrot tells its story and expresses its feelings from inside the cage.
The parrot calls itself "a twice-born child" to show that it is special and wise. In Hindu culture, "twice-born" refers to someone who has gone through a sacred ceremony (Upanayan) and gained knowledge or spiritual awakening. By using this phrase, the parrot wants to say that it is not just an ordinary bird but a creature with wisdom and deeper understanding.
This also helps us see that the parrot represents a human soul or a person who feels trapped in the world, longing for freedom and a higher purpose.
2. What is the present plight of the speaker? Compare stanzas 2 and 8 and explain how the parent-child relationship becomes significant in the poem.
In "The Parrot in the Cage," the present plight of the speaker (the parrot) is that it is trapped inside a cage, unable to fly freely. It feels lonely, sad, and helpless, even though it was once full of life and joy. The parrot longs to be free again.
In stanza 2, the parrot talks about its happy childhood with its parents. It lived in the forest, sang sweet songs, and learned from its father and mother. This shows a time of love, freedom, and care, whereas, in stanza 8, the parrot remembers its parents again but now feels deep sorrow because it has been separated from them and can no longer enjoy that love or freedom. It even says that it would have been better if it had died in its parents' care rather than live in a cage.
The parent-child relationship in the poem shows the contrast between freedom and captivity. When the parrot was with its parents, it was safe, loved, and free. Now, in the cage, it feels lost and broken without that connection. This relationship helps the reader understand how deeply the parrot (and, symbolically, a person) can suffer when taken away from love, family, and freedom. It adds emotional depth to the poem and highlights the pain of separation and imprisonment.
3. Look at the first two lines of stanza 9. Is the speaker paranoiac? Who are these enemies and how do they express their hostility towards the speaker? Pay special attention to the three speakers in stanza 17 while answering the question.
In the first two lines of stanza 9, the parrot says that enemies surround it and are waiting to attack. This might sound a little paranoid at first, but the speaker is not truly paranoid — instead, it is expressing real fear and pain from being mistreated and misunderstood.
The "enemies" the parrot refers to are the people who mock, scold, or look down on it while it is in the cage. These are not enemies in the sense of attackers, but rather people who show no sympathy for its suffering. Instead of helping or understanding the parrot, they make it feel worse.
This becomes clearer in stanza 17, where three different speakers (possibly people outside the cage) talk about the parrot. Each one speaks critically or rudely:
These harsh comments show that the parrot is being judged unfairly. The speakers do not see the parrot’s pain or its longing for freedom. Instead, they blame it for its condition. This hostility is what the parrot means by having enemies — it is surrounded by those who mock or misunderstand it, not those who physically hurt it.
So, the parrot is not paranoid, but rather a victim of emotional and social cruelty. Its suffering is made worse by how others treat it, and this highlights the poem’s deeper message about misjudgment, lack of empathy, and the pain of being trapped — not just in a cage but in a society that fails to understand.
4. Are the speaker's "Dark apprehensions" (stanza 14) justifiable? Or, would you say that the speaker, seeking pity, falls prey to pathetic sentimentality?
The speaker’s “dark apprehensions” in stanza 14 — feelings of fear, sadness, and hopelessness — are justifiable. The parrot is trapped in a cage, far from its home, parents, and natural life. It has lost its freedom and joy. Anyone in such a situation would feel afraid of what the future holds. The parrot wonders if it will spend the rest of its life in this cage, without love, freedom, or happiness. These are real and painful emotions, not just a way to get pity.
Some may say the parrot is being too emotional or falling into pathetic sentimentality, but in truth, its feelings come from deep suffering and genuine loss. The poem uses strong, emotional language not to beg for sympathy but to highlight the injustice of being taken from a natural, happy life and forced into captivity. The parrot’s sorrow is not exaggerated: it shows the real pain of losing one’s freedom and being misunderstood by others.
So, the parrot’s dark thoughts are not signs of weakness but a powerful reminder of how deeply a living being can suffer when it is cut off from love, nature, and freedom.
5. How do you evaluate human sensibility towards the non-human in the poem?
6. What does the speaker mean by "virtues fair" (stanza 22)? What are these virtues because of which the speaker is exploited?
In stanza 22 of "The Parrot in the Cage," the speaker refers to its "virtues fair" as the good qualities it has — like its sweet voice, ability to speak, politeness, and beauty.
These are the very qualities that made people admire the parrot and want to keep it in a cage. Instead of letting it live freely, they exploited its talents for their own amusement. So, the speaker feels that it is being punished or trapped not because it did something wrong, but because it was gentle, gifted, and special.
Rhetoric/Language/Writing
1. Explain "fate changes her course perverse today" (l. 48). What is the implicit contrast between "yesterday" and "today"?
The line "fate changes her course perverse today" (line 48) refers to how the speaker’s life has taken a sudden, unfair turn. "Fate" or destiny, which once may have been kind or favourable, has now become cruel and harsh. The word "perverse" means unjust or cruel, suggesting that the change in the speaker’s life is not only unexpected but also undeserved.
The implicit contrast between "yesterday" and "today" is that yesterday, the speaker's life was happy, free, and full of possibilities, while today, fate has trapped the speaker (in the cage) and brought suffering. So, the line reflects the sharp difference between a good past and a painful present, emphasizing the tragic shift in the speaker’s fortune.
2. "Excruciating must I end my lease" (l. 56): the world, like the cage, does not belong to the human soul or to the bird that lives in the cage for the moment. What does the speaker mean by this expression?
The expression "Excruciating must I end my lease" (line 56) reflects the painful realization that the speaker, like the bird in the cage, does not have control over its life or its fate. The word "lease" refers to something temporary—like renting a space. The speaker compares life on earth to a temporary lease, suggesting that life, whether for the human soul or the bird, is not permanent and that they have no true ownership of it.
By saying the end must be "excruciating," the speaker expresses the suffering of realizing that life is fleeting and that, like the bird in the cage, we must face an end that may come with pain and struggle. This highlights the idea that life, like the cage, is a temporary state, and neither the bird nor the human truly possesses it.
3. "Atmaram! Read on! Be famed! A wit!" (l. 68). Atmaram is one who finds pleasure seeking spiritual knowledge. The human soul, by discovering spiritual knowledge, gets rid of ignorance and becomes famous and renowned as a wise person. Who is advising the bird to do this and why?
In the line "Atmaram! Read on! Be famed! A wit!" (line 68), it seems that someone is advising the bird to seek spiritual knowledge (like a wise person) to overcome ignorance and become famous for its wisdom. This advice is likely coming from the people or voices outside the cage who expect the bird to become wise or useful in a way that fits their own desires.
The speaker may be mocking these expectations, as it highlights the irony of asking a caged bird, which is suffering and longing for freedom, to become spiritually wise. Instead of offering sympathy, the world seems to suggest that the bird should focus on intellectual pursuits to gain recognition, which shows the insensitivity and lack of understanding of its true suffering.
4. What qualities in the poem would you say help create a universal appeal?
The qualities in the poem that help create a universal appeal include:
These qualities make the poem appealing to a wide audience, as the feelings and struggles it describes are shared by many across cultures and situations.
5. How does the speaker move between concepts of freedom and bondage in the poem?
In the poem, the speaker moves between the concepts of freedom and bondage by contrasting the past (when the bird was free) and the present (when the bird is trapped in the cage).
Freedom is represented by the bird's life before it was caged, when it could fly, sing, and live naturally. The speaker often recalls this time with joy and longing, and bondage is seen in the bird’s current state, where it is physically confined, unable to move or express itself freely. The bird suffers from emotional and spiritual imprisonment.
The speaker highlights the painful shift from freedom to captivity, showing how the soul (human or bird) is trapped by external forces and longs for liberation. This movement between freedom and bondage is central to the poem’s emotional impact.
6. Do you think that the speaker's judgment upon mankind in stanza 23 is fair enough? Or, is this an overstatement?
The speaker’s judgment upon mankind in stanza 23 is not entirely fair, but it is understandable. The speaker criticizes humans for being cruel, selfish, and blind to the suffering of others, which is a strong statement. While many humans do show cruelty and indifference, not all people are like this. The judgment may seem like an overstatement because it generalizes all of humanity. However, the speaker's harsh view comes from the pain and frustration of being trapped and ignored, so it reflects the emotional depth of the poem rather than an objective truth about all mankind.
Discussion
1. Discuss the differences between God, Destiny, Fate and Providence. What qualities does the speaker attribute to each one of these in the poem?
In the poem, God, Destiny, Fate, and Providence are all forces that influence the speaker’s life, but they are seen differently:
That means the speaker attributes cruelty and indifference to these forces, feeling that they control the bird's fate in a way that leads to suffering without compassion or intervention.
2. Does the conclusion (stanza 23) support the concept that this poem asserts a Hindu or Buddhist perspective on life?
Yes, the conclusion in stanza 23 does suggest elements of a Hindu or Buddhist perspective on life. In these traditions, there is often a focus on suffering, the impermanence of life, and the idea of fate or destiny controlling one’s existence. The speaker’s judgment on mankind as cruel and blind to suffering aligns with the idea of human ignorance in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Additionally, the concept of bondage (samsara) and the longing for freedom or liberation (moksha or nirvana) can be seen in the bird's desire to escape the cage, symbolizing a struggle to break free from suffering and ignorance.
3. The poem is presented from the parrot's point of view. How different would it be if presented from a human being's point of view?
4. Discuss the political implications of the poem on the basis of a close textual reading of the poem.
The poem carries political implications, especially when viewed through the lens of freedom, oppression, and exploitation. The parrot’s captivity can be seen as a metaphor for political oppression — a society or government that restricts freedom and silences voices. The bird's longing for freedom and the mistreatment it faces from others reflect the struggle of oppressed people under authoritarian rule or colonial control.
The "enemies" the parrot refers to can symbolize those in power who exploit the vulnerable, while the bird’s desire for freedom represents the yearning for liberation from such oppression. The judgment of mankind in stanza 23 also points to a critique of society's indifference to the suffering of the oppressed. The poem’s focus on captivity, misunderstanding, and suffering suggests a political message about the need for empathy, justice, and the recognition of human (or animal) rights.
5. Read the following last poem by poet Lekhanath Paudyal and compare the brief poem's tone with the tone of "A Parrot in the Cage".
Last Poem -By Lekhanath Paudyal (1965)
The tone of the poem you provided is calm, reflective, and somewhat melancholic. It speaks of suffering in a quiet, resigned way, acknowledging the pain of the body and the divine presence within it, yet with a sense of acceptance.
In contrast, the tone of "A Parrot in the Cage" is more intense, emotional, and anguished. The parrot speaks with longing for freedom, frustration at being trapped, and a sense of desperation about its condition.
While the poem about God focuses on quiet sorrow and inevitability, the parrot's poem conveys active suffering and a strong desire for liberation. The tones differ in that the first is more unconcerned and reflective, while the second is filled with emotional turmoil and an appeal for freedom.
0 Comments