The Nightingale and the Glow worm

The Nightingale and the Glow- Worm

Q. What is the central idea/theme/message/thought/mai n idea of the poem?

Ans. This poem is written by William Cowper .It gives us  a very beautiful message.It is based on the idea "Live and let live". Everyone has some talent and quality. Everyone has his own part to play in the world. So no one should be harmed.

Stanzas For Comprehension

Stanza 1

A nightingale, that all day long?
Had cheered the village with his song.
Nor yet at eve his note suspended,
Nor yet when eventide was ended,
Began to feel as well he might,
The keen demands of appetite.

Question.
1. What did the nightingale do all day long ?
2. When did he stop singing ?
3. Where was the nightingale singing ?
4. What did he begin to feel ?
Answers
1. The nightingale sang the whole day long.
2. He stopped singing when it was dark.
3. The nightingale was singing in the village.
4. The nightingale began to feel very hungry.

Stanza 2 (For Practice)

When, looking eagerly around,
He spied far off, upon the ground,
A something shining in the dark,
And knew the glow-worm by his spark ;
So, stooping down from hawthorn top,
He thought to put him in his crop.

Questions
1. Name the poem and the poet.
2. How was the nightingale looking around ?
3. What did he see in the dark ?
4. What did he do ?
5. Where was the nightingale sitting ?

Stanza 3

The worm, aware of his intent,
Harangued him thus, right eloquent
“Did you admire my lamp,” quoth he,
“As much as I your minstrelsy?
You would abhor to do me wrong,
As much as I to spoil your song:
For’t was the self-same power divines
Taught you to sing, and me to shine.”

Questions
1. Who does ‘his’ in the first line refer to ?
2. What was his intent ?
3. What worm has been referred to in these lines ?
4. Whose intent was the worm aware of ? What was the intent ?
5. How did the glow-worm beautify the night ?
Answer:
1. The word “his’ here refers to the nightingale.
2. His intent was to have the glow-worm for his food.
3. The worm is a glow-worm.
4. The worm was aware of the nightingale’s intent. His intent was to kill the worm and eat it.
5. The glow-worm beautified the night with his light.

Stanza 4 (For Practices)

“That you with music, I with light,
Might beautify and cheer the night.”
The songster heard his short oration,

And warbling out his approbation
Released him, as my story tells,
And found a supper somewhere else.

Questions
1. Who was the songster?
2. Whose oration did he hear?
3. Whom did he release ?
4. Who found his supper somewhere else ?