Piano – Four Levels | Adventures in English Vol I

Piano
Four Levels | Adventures In English Vol I
BBA | BBA-BI | BBA-TT | BCIS
Management Notes

Unit: One (Introduction)
Written By: David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic, and painter. His collected works represent, among other things, an extended reflection upon the dehumanizing effects of modernity and industrialization. Some of the issues Lawrence explores are emotional health, vitality, spontaneity, and instinct.

• Literal Comprehension:

“Piano” is a beautiful poem composed by an English poet D.H. Lawrence, an English poet. In this poem, the poet shows the importance of bygone days. The poet is listening to the beautiful music of piano and melodious song performed by a young woman in the dusk. She is probably his beloved. The poet is enjoying the song and music very much being spellbound. She is also trying to her best to woo the poet. But at the same time, the poet remembers his childhood days. When he was a small child, his mother played the piano every Sunday evening. When she played the piano, hymns started in the cozy parlor. The poet sat on the holy lap of his mother. His manhood is east and the beautiful song and music of his beloved became a great disturbing noise for the poet. He sinks in the floods of remembrance and he weeps like a child.

• Interpretation:

This poem portrays the complex workings and dealings of the human heart.In this poem, the poet might be trying to tell us that childhood is one of the most memorable phases of life.The poet may be trying to tell us that the music has the potentiality to entertain the people of all ages. It can make us fell relief. Likewise, this poem also tells us that motherly love is superior to sensual love.

• Critical Thinking:

This is a nostalgic poem which is very interesting and beautiful.Although I agree with the moral of this poem that music has the potentiality to entertain the people of all ages, I found some parts of the poem really unconvincing and questionable.

• Did the poet really weep like a child?
• Do all people get fully entertained by the music as a poet in the poem does?
• Do all people have happy childhood that they want to recall?
• Does any responsible person want to go back in the childhood memory of past that he passed without responsibility?
• Doesn’t he get affected when a beautiful beloved is wooing?
• He calls childhood days “glamor.” Glamor is a negative word to some extent. Is it appropriate word to describe childhood?

• Assimilation:

By reading this poem I understood how good music influences human beings.I came to know that music can make us feel relief and can spellbound people of any age.I also understood the importance of motherly love.

Smirti