Piano

Piano: David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930)

Summary

A lyric poem called "Piano" expresses the feelings and thoughts of a single speaker. The term piano is used as a metaphor for nostalgia in this poetry. It is a brief poem with 12 lines split into three quatrains, all of which rhyme with AABB. The poem embodies his recollection clearly thanks to its strong imagery and precise, realistic facts. The poet's goal to be a flawless man and his longing to return to his youth are at odds in the poem. Similar to that, it emphasizes the importance of music by showing how it affects nearly every living thing in the cosmos, including humans.

The poem opens with a guy hearing the soft singing of a woman, which sends him on a mental trip down memory lane and causes him to glimpse flashes of memories from his youth. The memory he recalls is of a young child listening to his mother play a grand piano while sitting beneath it, holding her poised feet in his small hands.

The song the woman is singing seems to have a slow, elusive effect on the man, and despite his reluctance, he gives in to his emotions and longs for his childhood: the chilly, snowy Sunday evenings in the winter when the mother and son used to sit in the warm, comfortable interiors and sing lyrical hymns with the aid of the piano.

The man who was listening to the woman sing now believes that it would be pointless for her to continue because he is just physically present because of how his mind is elsewhere due to his memories. He bursts into tears as he recalls the happy ignorance and innocence of his baby years without any sense of his adulthood. He begins to cry, bridging the chasm between his past and present.

Application of Four levels

• Literal Comprehension
  • David Herbert Lawrence wrote the poem "Piano" as a remembrance. In this poem, the poet expresses the emotions associated with his childhood recollections. The poet and the woman are a pair of individuals in the poem. In addition to playing the piano, the woman is singing for the poet. The poet is abruptly transported back through time by her lovely song. He achieved while still a young woman. He remembers his mum and his early years. He sees himself as a young child sitting beneath the piano and putting his feet up against his mother. His mother was a pianist and singer. She would also give him a smile. He is now adult, and it is in the past. His history and present are completely dissimilar. He is reminded of the pleasant Sunday evening by the woman singing. They used to sing carols while being led by the piano. The current song of a woman proves to be useless when the poet begins to reflect on his earlier years. He dislikes listening to the woman sing the song. His memories of the past are far better than her pleasant melody. Even if his past is beautiful and pleasant, he cannot get it back no matter how much money he spends. His past is no longer a part of him, and he will never return. He sheds tears for his past like a kid, drowning his adulthood in the sea of remembrance.
• Interpretation
  • Childhood is one of the most memorable stages of life, as the poem "PIANO" shows. Some childhood experiences become so enduring, enjoyable, and significant that we remember them, like in the poem when the poet overheard odd women singing a song that brought back memories of his earlier years. He lifts his spirits and feels revitalized as he thinks back on his earlier years. Similarly, this poem highlights the worth and significance of mothers in our lives, who shower us with love, affection, and care to make it a wonderful life. Even when they are not physically present, the time we spend with our mothers is so precious, priceless, and memorable that it can bring us happiness in later stages of life. The poet found his mother's love to be heartwarming, genuine, and pure, and the woman's song cannot bring him the same joy she did because the poet has drowned himself in the enormous flood of memories. He sadly laments his past while listening to the music and song that the woman has written. The poem might be attempting to draw attention to the strength of music. Nobody is able to stay far away from music. Music has the power to stir our emotions and evoke memories of the past. Everybody enjoys listening to and enjoying music. Our thoughts, sentiments, and emotions can be melted by music. When the music fits with our situation, we become engrossed in it.
• Critical Thinking
  • Speaking truthfully, the speaker. Those of us who find the poem admirable may do so because we believe the author is speaking truthfully about his own life. As we read the poetry, we virtually feel the vibrations in our arms and legs. He doesn't describe the experience to us; instead, he makes it possible for us to join him.As the poet uses music to recall his earlier years, we might infer that music has such a strong emotional impact that it frequently causes us to feel sentimental and emotional. The poem does contain some less persuasive themes, though. Do all people in this world like music as much as the poet does in the poem? Are there any happy childhood memories that everyone would like to relive? A responsible and busy guy doesn't have time to revisit his carefree childhood. Does he wish to do that? Isn't it a little shameful for one grown man to cry like a little boy remembering his past? Can he adopt the young woman as his own mother?
• Assimilation
  • The poem has motivated me and brought back happy memories of my youth. I had nostalgia after reading this poem, just like the speaker does. When I was little, my grandma and I used to enjoy listening to and dancing to old songs. Currently, when I hear the same song, I am taken back to my childhood, when I was raised by my grandma. After reading this poem, I realized that the past is not something that can be swiftly and easily forgotten. Sometimes they have a significant impact on the life of the person who recalls them, but those with sentimental hearts and brains are far more influenced than regular and normal people. For those with sympathetic minds and sensitive hearts, tears themselves find a way to manifest. However, the poet's skill is something that really stands out to me.

Referance

(Subedi, K.P. and Bhandari, M.B. (2014). Business English. Kathmandu: Highland Publication P. Ltd.)