The Thorn by William Wordsworth | Structure, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Thorn is a poem by William Wordsworth written in 1798 and published in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads (1798). It is a long poem famous for the issue of the speaker’s character who appears to be an unreliable narrator speaking of some gossip he has heard of. The poem is narrated by an unnamed, unreliable speaker who directly addresses the reader in a gossiping tone, telling the story of a destitute woman whose lover abandoned her and left her with a child. While the narrator is unreliable, the poem suggests how society can destroy the individual by robbing her of her innocence and then condemning her. The character of the destitute woman in the poem shows unyielding willpower, endurance of trauma, and a preserved sense of individual self.

Structure of The Thorn:

It is a long poem with 253 lines composed in 23 stanzas. Each stanza has 11 lines and all lines of every stanza are of eight syllables (iambic tetrameter) except for the 4th and 9th lines which are of six syllables (iambic trimeter). Thus, the complex structure of stanzas offers a lyrical ballad with a fast-paced meter. The elaborate rhyme scheme is ABCBDEFFEGG. The narration is by a First-person unreliable speaker who conveys the thoughts and beliefs of others in a gossiping manner.

The narrator mentions that the name of the destitute woman was Martha Ray, which can be an allusion to the British singer Martha Ray who was murdered in 1779. The poem explores the themes of social psychology, scandals, gossiping, death, and nature. The poet used Metaphors, Similes, Alliteration, Assonance, Metonymy, Synecdoche, Personification, Imagery, and Hyperbole in the poem.

Summary of the Thorn:

Stanza 1, Lines 1-11

“There is a Thorn—it looks so old,

In truth, you’d find it hard to say

How it could ever have been young,

It looks so old and grey.

Not higher than a two years' child

It stands erect, this aged Thorn;

No leaves it has, no prickly points;

It is a mass of knotted joints,

A wretched thing forlorn.

It stands erect, and like a stone

With lichens is it overgrown.”

The speaker begins by describing an old and overgrown thorn-bush. He explains how remarkably old the thorn bush appears. It is so old that it is difficult to believe it was ever alive and green. The thorn has no leaves or prickles and is a large mass covered with lichens. Lichens are a kind of symbiotic fungus that grows on decaying wood. While the speaker is unnamed and unknown, Wordsworth added a note in the Lyrical Ballad which suggests that the narrator of The Thorn is a mariner, a sea captain. He is not from the area he is describing and thus, he may be talking of some unreliable gossip.

The speaker describes the thorn as a withering plant, almost dying. The narrator repeats the word ‘old.’ Another word ‘erect’ has been repeated, first to offer a comparison to suggest the height of the dying old bush to a two-year-old child, and then to offer the Simile, ‘It stands erect, and like a stone’, as if it is a tombstone. The narrator is talking about something sinister, decaying, and death. The bush has no leaves nor any ‘prickly points’ (alliteration). The only thing that appears living is the lichens overgrowing on the thorn. However, the fungus itself suggests decaying. The poet used the words ‘wretched,’ and ‘forlorn’ that personifies the thorn, which is lonely and unhappy.

Stanza 2 Lines 12-22

“Like rock or stone, it is o’ergrown,

With lichens to the very top,

And hung with heavy tufts of moss,

A melancholy crop:

Up from the earth these mosses creep,

And this poor Thorn they clasp it round

So close, you’d say that they are bent

With plain and manifest intent

To drag it to the ground;

And all have joined in one endeavour

To bury this poor Thorn for ever.”

The speaker continues describing the disheveled and deprecating situation of the thorn-bush. It still stands like a rock (simile) but captured by the lichens and the moss that has captured the thorn trying to bury it in the ground.

The narrator again suggests that the thorn is like a tombstone, a rock. The narrator personifies the thorn again and it offers a dreadful image. The lichens have grown all over the thorn bush. If the thorn is a person, he is covered from head to toe with this invasive fungus. The moss too has overgrown to ‘heavy tufts’, the thorn bush, shackled by the lichens is weighed down by the moss and is exhausted.

The moss is presented as a destructive sinister force that creeps up from the earth to weigh down the thorn. The narrator than personifies the lichens and the moss too as foes to the thorn with an intent to bury him. “Poor Thorn”

Stanza 3 Lines 23-33

“High on a mountain’s highest ridge,

Where oft the stormy winter gale

Cuts like a scythe, while through the clouds

It sweeps from vale to vale;

Not five yards from the mountain path,

This Thorn you on your left espy;

And to the left, three yards beyond,

You see a little muddy pond

Of water—never dry,

Though but of compass small, and bare

To thirsty suns and parching air.”

In the third stanza, the speaker describes the landscape around the thorn to give an idea about its location. The thorn is located high on top of a mountain where stormy winter winds often blow, sweeping from one vale (or valley) to another. It is a vulnerable spot as the thorn must be facing cold, harsh winds again. He further suggests that the thorn is located near the mountain path and there is a small pond that always contains some water. But often that water is not enough to quench anyone’s thirst.

The narrator describes the thorn as a vulnerable, old, dying, decaying person facing the harshest conditions. The wind is so harsh and cold that it “cuts like a scythe,” (simile) offering the image of the thorn bush facing a violent mad murderer.

Stanza 4 Lines 34-44

“And, close beside this aged Thorn,

There is a fresh and lovely sight,

A beauteous heap, a hill of moss,

Just half a foot in height.

All lovely colours there you see,

All colours that were ever seen;

And mossy network too is there,

As if by hand of lady fair

The work had woven been;

And cups, the darlings of the eye,

So deep is their vermilion dye.”

In the fourth stanza, the narrator suddenly shifts the tone. He describes how a lovely heap of moss of different beautiful colors has made a small hill near the thorn. Unlike the moss that has captured the thorn, it appears beautiful and friendly. "As if by hand of lady fair/The work had woven been" (simile)—the speaker compares the elaborate design of the moss to the carefully woven tapestry that a maiden might create.

After describing the harshness of nature in the first three stanzas, the narrator now describes the beauty and delicacy of nature in the same landscape. This moss is different from the one that is trying to bury the thorn. The stanza offers the contrast of beauty and ugliness, delicacy, and harshness of human nature in close proximity.

Stanza 5 Lines 45-55

“Ah me! what lovely tints are there

Of olive green and scarlet bright,

In spikes, in branches, and in stars,

Green, red, and pearly white!

This heap of earth o’ergrown with moss,

Which close beside the Thorn you see,

So fresh in all its beauteous dyes,

Is like an infant’s grave in size,

As like as like can be:

But never, never any where,

An infant’s grave was half so fair.”

In this stanza, the speaker further describes the beauty of the moss and nature besides the decaying and deadly thorn bush. There are colorful hues surrounding this little heap of earth (or mud) covered by moss. It appears so fresh and lively with all hues of colors. The ‘olive-green’ suggests vitality as in green plants and the ‘scarlet bright’ suggests lively blood, this description suggests an image of life. The other hue that the speaker mentions is ‘pearly white’ which suggests innocence, purity, and holiness. The speaker then mentions that the heap of mud is not much in size, and it " Is like an infant's grave in size" (simile)--the heap of the earth is compared to the size of an infant's grave and that justifies the hues of red, green, and pearly white, a symbol of innocence. The speaker has just compared yet not confirmed that it is indeed an infant’s grave, but if it is, it is the loveliest grave site of its kind.
There is a macabre irony in the speaker's likening of the beautiful moss heap to a child's grave.

Stanza 6 Lines 56-66

“Now would you see this aged Thorn,

This pond, and beauteous hill of moss,

You must take care and choose your time

The mountain when to cross.

For oft there sits between the heap,

So like an infant’s grave in size,

And that same pond of which I spoke,

A Woman in a scarlet cloak,

And to herself she cries,

‘Oh misery! oh misery!

Oh woe is me! oh misery!’

The speaker further describes the vivid landscape while inviting the reader to visit the site and see it. However, he warns that if the reader is curious enough and wants to visit, he must be careful. The place is often visited by a mysterious lady who is seen sitting beside the heap of earth near the pond that the speaker discussed before, just a few yards away from the thorn. The woman wears a scarlet cloak and continues to wail and cry. The speaker warns the reader to avoid the lady if they seek to visit the place.

The poet used capitalization of the words ‘Thorn’ and ‘Woman’ which suggests that both are important for the poem. In fact, the thorn is a metaphor for the same woman whose identity is not revealed till now.

Stanza 7 Lines 67-77

“At all times of the day and night

This wretched Woman thither goes;

And she is known to every star,

And every wind that blows;

And there, beside the Thorn, she sits

When the blue daylight’s in the skies,

And when the whirlwind’s on the hill,

Or frosty air is keen and still,

And to herself she cries,

‘Oh misery! oh misery!

Oh woe is me! oh misery!’ ”

The speaker further elaborated on the lady who often visits the landscape. She is a frequent visitor who is often seen sitting beside the thorn. She can be seen during the day and the night. She visits the site even during the harsh season with a ‘whirlwind’ and when the ‘frosty air’ is still. She is such a frequent visitor that every element of nature—from the stars to the wind—knows her. And every time she visits, she is heard crying “Oh misery! Oh misery! Oh woe is me!” (Repetition). This suggests that the woman in the scarlet cloak has some emotional connection with the place, the thorn, and the heap of earth which appears like an infant’s grave. The scarlet color of her cloak also represents love and passion. She keeps repeating the word misery in this beautiful setting, which again suggests that nature is both beautiful and harsh. The scarlet may also represent blood and murder.

Stanza 8 Lines 78-88

“Now wherefore, thus, by day and night,

In rain, in tempest, and in snow,

Thus to the dreary mountain-top

Does this poor Woman go?

And why sits she beside the Thorn

When the blue daylight’s in the sky

Or when the whirlwind’s on the hill,

Or frosty air is keen and still,

And wherefore does she cry?—

O wherefore? wherefore? tell me why

Does she repeat that doleful cry?”

The speaker further concentrates on the woman and wonders why she keeps visiting this remote site in the harshest of the weather. He again mentions the dreadful site around the thorn bush where the woman often visits and sits and he asks the reader to suggest to him why does the woman keep crying? He describes the Woman as ‘wretched’ and ‘poor’ as he previously did to describe the Thorn. The speaker suggests that the woman is as lamentable as the thorn. In some way, they share a sad connection.

Stanza 9 Lines 89-99

“I cannot tell; I wish I could;

For the true reason no one knows:

But would you gladly view the spot,

The spot to which she goes;

The hillock like an infant’s grave,

The pond—and Thorn, so old and grey;

Pass by her door—’tis seldom shut—

And if you see her in her hut—

Then to the spot away!

I never heard of such as dare

Approach the spot when she is there.”

The speaker asked why the woman keeps visiting the site and crying there and he now says that he doesn’t know the reason behind it because nobody knows. This suggests that the speaker is an unreliable narrator. He is curious about knowing the secrets of the woman, whom nobody knows with certainty. This suggests that all the descriptions he has given thus far could be myths, falsehoods, or gossip. The speaker exhorts the reader to visit the site and see by themselves but insists they must visit when the woman is not there. He further asserts that the woman lives in a nearby hut. He says that if someone wishes to visit the site, they must check the door of the hut of the woman which often remains open. If the woman is present, they must run away because he has never heard of anyone visiting the graveyard in the presence of the woman.

Stanza 10 Lines 100-111

“But wherefore to the mountain-top

Can this unhappy Woman go,

Whatever star is in the skies,

Whatever wind may blow?”

“Full twenty years are past and gone

Since she (her name is Martha Ray)

Gave with a maiden’s true good-will

Her company to Stephen Hill;

And she was blithe and gay,

While friends and kindred all approved

Of him whom tenderly she loved.”

In this stanza, the speaker describes the woman as far as he knows or has heard of. He has confirmed that he is an unreliable narrator and doesn’t know the woman with certainty. Furthermore, since nobody visits the site when she is around, it's hard to say if there is actually a woman or if it is just gossip. He reveals that the woman’s name is Martha Ray. Twenty years earlier, she was a loyal maiden who loved a man named Stephen Hill. She was happy with this man, all her friends and family approved of him. He mentions her name as if it were an afterthought again suggesting that the speaker is unreliable.

Stanza 11 Lines 112-121

“And they had fixed the wedding day,

The morning that must wed them both;

But Stephen to another Maid

Had sworn another oath;

And, with this other Maid, to church

Unthinking Stephen went—

Poor Martha! on that woeful day

A pang of pitiless dismay

Into her soul was sent;

A fire was kindled in her breast,

Which might not burn itself to rest.”

In this stanza, the speaker further reveals the details of the mysterious woman in a scarlet cloak named Martha Ray. She loved a man named Stephen Hill and their wedding day was fixed. However, the man betrays her for another ‘Maid’ and marries another woman while leaving ‘Poor Martha’ alone. That filled Martha’s heart with sadness, misery, and a sense of vengeance. The speaker identifies the other woman as “another Maid,” using a generic term that implies that a man can easily exchange one woman for another. This other Maid remains unnamed but the speaker used capitalization to mention her, which suggests that this other woman is important to the story, like the ‘Thorn’ and the ‘Woman’.

The speaker describes Stephen as ‘Unthinking.’ It may mean carefree like Martha was when she fell in love with Stephen. Romanticism suggests that humankind is innocent and capable of making mistakes. Martha was carefree when she fell in love with Stephen, in the same way, it might be the case that Stephen too fell in love with ‘another Maid’ in a carefree manner, without thinking much about Martha. However, he was carefree to the point of being careless, and he consciously chose to betray Martha after impregnating her. This makes Martha the victim and Stephen the culprit. Just like an ugly thorn bush spoils the beautiful surroundings, Stephen ruined Martha’s beautiful carefree life.

Stanza 12 Lines 122-132

“They say, full six months after this,

While yet the summer leaves were green,

She to the mountain-top would go,

And there was often seen.

What could she seek?—or wish to hide?

Her state to any eye was plain;

She was with child, and she was mad;

Yet often was she sober sad

From her exceeding pain.

O guilty Father—would that death

Had saved him from that breach of faith!”

The speaker further reveals that while he doesn’t know the woman named Martha Ray, he has heard about her from other people. ‘They say,’ that after six months she was betrayed, she began visiting the mountain-top, the landscape he described earlier, where there is the thorn. He wonders why she began visiting there, was she trying to search for something, or was she trying to hide something from others? Then he reveals the true reason for the misery of that poor sad woman. She was pregnant and forlorn. Her beloved had betrayed her and had married another Maid. She was not only emotionally disturbed but was suffering physical pain. The speaker then accuses God of the misery of the woman. He says that it would have been better had Stephen died instead of betraying poor Martha. Death would have saved his soul, and Martha would not be in her unfortunate state.

Stanza 13 Lines 133-143

“Sad case for such a brain to hold

Communion with a stirring child!

Sad case, as you may think, for one

Who had a brain so wild!

Last Christmas-eve we talked of this,

And grey-haired Wilfred of the glen

Held that the unborn infant wrought

About its mother’s heart, and brought

Her senses back again:

And, when at last her time drew near,

Her looks were calm, her senses clear.”

The speaker sympathizes with poor Martha in this stanza. He says that it was indeed a ‘sad case’ for ‘such a brain’ to have a baby in her womb when she was already suffering the pain of betrayal and abuse. She was physically and mentally weak at that time. The speaker then mentions another character, an old man named Wilfred, who once said that the child in her womb began to soothe Martha and by the time she was near delivering the child, she began appearing calmer and sober. Now it is clear that the speaker is an unreliable narrator who is talking about a woman he doesn’t know personally, but feels sentimental by her story that he has heard of from different people.

Stanza 14 Lines 144-154

“More know I not, I wish I did,

And it should all be told to you;

For what became of this poor child

No mortal ever knew;

Nay—if a child to her was born

No earthly tongue could ever tell;

And if ’twas born alive or dead,

Far less could this with proof be said;

But some remember well,

That Martha Ray about this time

Would up the mountain often climb.”

The speaker again stresses that he doesn’t know about Martha anymore and says that if he had known her, he would have told more about her. But then, he continues the story based on the rumors he has heard. He says that while Martha was pregnant and was about to deliver the child, nobody knows what happened to her baby. Did she give birth to the baby, and if she did, was the baby born alive or dead? Nobody knows what happened to the baby, but many people remember that Martha would climb to the mountaintop when the baby was due.

Stanza 15 Lines 155-165

“And all that winter, when at night

The wind blew from the mountain-peak,

’Twas worth your while, though in the dark,

The churchyard path to seek:

For many a time and oft were heard

Cries coming from the mountain head:

Some plainly living voices were;

And others, I’ve heard many swear,

Were voices of the dead:

I cannot think, whate’er they say,

They had to do with Martha Ray.”

In this stanza, the speaker keeps up the mystery around the baby of poor Martha. He says that the following winter when she was about to deliver the baby, many people claim that they heard cries at night, coming from the mountain top where Martha often used to visit. Some of the voices that were heard seemed to come from living people, but some locals swear that other voices belonged to the dead. The speaker then suggests that he doesn’t believe what the people say and he doesn’t believe that the voices of the dead had anything to do with Martha Ray.

Stanza 16 Lines 166-176

“But that she goes to this old Thorn,

The Thorn which I described to you,

And there sits in a scarlet cloak,

I will be sworn is true.

For one day with my telescope,

To view the ocean wide and bright,

When to this country first I came,

Ere I had heard of Martha’s name,

I climbed the mountain’s height:—

A storm came on, and I could see

No object higher than my knee.”

The speaker mentioned in the previous stanza that he doesn’t believe the rumors about Martha Ray. But he stresses in this stanza that it is true that she often visits the old Thorn that he previously described and it is true. He repeats that she sits by the thorn in a scarlet cloak, and he knows this for a fact because he once headed to the mountaintop himself. Having just arrived in the region, he wished to observe the ocean through his telescope. However, when he reached the mountaintop, a storm prevented him from seeing beyond his immediate surroundings.

Stanza 17 Lines 177-187

“ ’Twas mist and rain, and storm and rain:

No screen, no fence could I discover;

And then the wind! in sooth, it was

A wind full ten times over.

I looked around, I thought I saw

A jutting crag,—and off I ran,

Head-foremost, through the driving rain,

The shelter of the crag to gain;

And, as I am a man,

Instead of jutting crag, I found

A Woman seated on the ground.”

The speaker further describes his first visit to the mountain when he arrived at this place. He says he was overwhelmed by mist, rain, and heavy winds. Under those stormy conditions, he could not find a refuge right away. As he looked around, he believed he saw a crag, or projecting piece of rock, that might shield him from the elements. However, once he ran toward the crag in the pouring rain, he was startled to find a woman seated on the ground.

Stanza 18 Lines 188-198

“I did not speak—I saw her face;

Her face!—it was enough for me;

I turned about and heard her cry,

‘Oh misery! oh misery!’

And there she sits, until the moon

Through half the clear blue sky will go;

And when the little breezes make

The waters of the pond to shake,

As all the country know,

She shudders, and you hear her cry,

‘Oh misery! oh misery!’ ”

The speaker further reveals his experience when he visited the mountain top for the first time. He saw the woman in the scarlet cloak in such a harsh weather when he could not see anything beyond a few feet because of rain, frost, and winds. He was startled, and a bit nervous. But when he saw her face, he could feel and understand her pain. He turned around and decided to leave her alone when he heard her crying ‘Oh misery! Oh misery!’

The speaker then says that the woman keeps sitting in the same spot for the whole night and day. Whenever the breeze disturbs the water in the little pond, the woman cries again.

Stanza 19 Lines 199-209

“But what’s the Thorn? and what the pond?

And what the hill of moss to her?

And what the creeping breeze that comes

The little pond to stir?”

“I cannot tell; but some will say

She hanged her baby on the tree;

Some say she drowned it in the pond,

Which is a little step beyond:

But all and each agree,

The little Babe was buried there,

Beneath that hill of moss so fair.”

The speaker now raises the question about the connection between the Thorn, the pond, the small hill of moss, the heap of earth covered by the moss, and the woman in the scarlet cloak whose name is Martha. He further asks why the ‘creeping breeze’ continues to stir the water in the pond. And again, he immediately answers all this but adds that he doesn’t know if it is true or certain but he has heard people saying all this. Some people say that after giving birth, Martha hanged the baby on the tree (poor Thorn), while some other people say that she drowned the baby in the pond. Regardless of what different people say, they all agree that after killing, Martha buried the baby under the ‘heap of earth’ covered by the moss. The baby is lying dead beneath the mossy hill. Thus, the speaker ascertains that the ‘heap of earth’ is certainly the grave of an innocent child.

Stanza 20 Lines 210-220

“I’ve heard, the moss is spotted red

With drops of that poor infant’s blood;

But kill a new-born infant thus,

I do not think she could!

Some say, if to the pond you go,

And fix on it a steady view,

The shadow of a babe you trace,

A baby and a baby’s face,

And that it looks at you;

Whene’er you look on it, ’tis plain

The baby looks at you again.”

The speaker continues to delve into the mystery behind the baby of Martha who was presumably killed by herself. He continues to tell the gossip he hears from so many people. He says he heard the moss is spotted red with the infant’s blood. Suggesting that instead of hanging or drowning, Martha might have killed the baby using a dagger or scythe. However, he immediately interjects that he doesn’t believe such rumors as he doesn’t believe Martha could do such a frightening and dreadful act.

However, he shows his support to other rumors that she might have drowned the baby in the pond and says that some people claim to be able to see the baby’s reflection in the pond when looking closely. He insists that each time someone looks upon the reflection, the baby stares right back.

Stanza 21 Lines 221-231

“And some had sworn an oath that she

Should be to public justice brought;

And for the little infant’s bones

With spades they would have sought.

But instantly the hill of moss

Before their eyes began to stir!

And, for full fifty yards around,

The grass—it shook upon the ground!

Yet all do still aver

The little Babe lies buried there,

Beneath that hill of moss so fair.”

While the speaker has shown his sympathy for ‘poor Martha’, he claims that not all people believe she is the innocent victim. Some people claim that she murdered the baby and she must be brought to public justice. When they raised their voice against Martha, they proposed that they would dig up the heap of earth to find the dead body and bones of the baby to prove that she actually murdered the child. However, the speaker claims that as soon as some such people suggested digging up the hill to reveal the dead body of the child, there were tremors in the ground as the hill began to shake. Soon the whole area surrounding the hill began to shake as if an earthquake was about to come. The speaker suggests that while some of the people were determined to punish Martha for what they assumed she did to the baby, nature decided to protect her. People soon gave up the idea to dig the hill and find the body of her baby. Yet, some people are still angry and they swear she killed the baby and buried her beneath the Thorn.

Stanza 22 Lines 231-242

“I cannot tell how this may be,

But plain it is the Thorn is bound

With heavy tufts of moss that strive

To drag it to the ground;

And this I know, full many a time,

When she was on the mountain high,

By day, and in the silent night,

When all the stars shone clear and bright,

That I have heard her cry,

‘Oh misery! oh misery!

Oh woe is me! oh misery!’ ”

The speaker again shows his bewilderment about all these rumors and suggests that he is an unreliable narrator as he knows nothing certain about what he just expressed. However, he tries to bring a degree of certainty about what he said and claims that there certainly is a poor Thorn that it is weighed down by heavy tufts of moss. He also claims to know with full certainty that Martha may often be found on the mountaintop day and night, wailing about her misery, as he himself has heard her crying “‘Oh misery! oh misery! Oh woe is me! oh misery!’ ”

There are many symbols in the poem that the poet uses. The Thorn itself is a symbol suggesting the joy and sadness, the youth and decaying that one may experience in their own life. The thorn symbolizes grief and affliction that keeps growing as Martha experiences betrayal and her love, innocence, and truthfulness are lost. The thorn symbolizes that even the most beautiful and delicate things, like moss, may prove to be deadly, the moss trying to bury the thorn underneath.

The ‘beauteous Heap’ suggests that it is indeed the grave of the innocent baby of Martha and that is why it glows with hues of green, red, and pearl white. That is why Martha keeps visiting the place and she cries while remembering her baby and what happened to him.

The scarlet cloak that Martha wears is also a symbol. The scarlet color symbolizes love and passion. It also symbolizes seduction and adultery, (remember Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter). Also, the scarlet color symbolizes, blood and murder. In a way, the speaker tries to give weight to the rumors he has heard about the killing of the baby by her own mother.

The speaker tries to suggest that while society fooled Martha Ray and betrayed her, after impregnating her, they do not sympathize with her. There was no way that poor forlorn woman could have afforded to groom the baby as a bastard, without a father, in such a harsh society. There is no evidence that she actually killed the baby, she might have given birth to a stillborn child. Yet, some people despise her and wish to punish her. The moss symbolizes society, fungus, trying to weigh down and bury the Thorn, Martha, or the individual.

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

The Tyger by William Blake | Structure, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Tyger is a poem by William Blake first published in 1794 in his poetic collection Songs of Experience. He published Songs of Innocence in 1789 and then both the collections were merged and published together as Songs of Innocence and Experience in 1794. As the name suggests, the two poetic collections offer two opposite aspects, childhood vs. adulthood, life vs. death, freedom vs. imprisonment, and innocence vs. experience. The Tyger from Experience is intended as a companion poem to "The Lamb," from Innocence. The contrast between the two poems and the two books is important. The speaker of The Lamb is an innocent child who sees evidence of a loving God everywhere. The speaker of The Tyger is unspecified and anonymous but he expresses such universal concern that it appears as if he is an experienced adult representing the whole of humanity. The speaker of The Tyger wonders about all the fear and mystery that life actually brings. Both the poem (The Lamb, and The Tyger) together explores and questions God's intention and motivation for creating both the "Lamb" and the "Tyger."

Blake used the archaic spelling ‘Tyger’ instead of ‘Tiger’ to suggest that God created the lamb and the tiger much before He made humans. The poet suggests that there has always been a symmetry, if there is good, there must be evil too. The Tyger represents the destructive side of God which is necessary to maintain the balance.

Structure of The Tyger:

The poem is 24 lines long and composed in 6 four-line stanzas (or quatrains). The meter is regular and rhythmic throughout the poem in all 6 stanzas but it is complex. It appears like torchaic but it is not because none of the lines of the poem ends with an unstressed syllable. The rhyming scheme of the poem is consistently AABB. Blake wrote the poem in rhyming couplets. Thus, each of the six quatrains has two rhyming couplets.

Blake used Metaphor, Imagery, Symbolism, Apostrophe, Repetition, Personification, Enjambment, Allusion, and Alliteration in the poem.

The poem explores the themes of Creation and the Nature of God, Duality and Co-existence of Good and Evil, Innocence and Experience, Moral Ambiguity, and the existence of Contraries and Paradoxes.

Summary of The Tyger:

Stanza 1

Lines 1-4

“Tyger Tyger, burning bright,

In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye,

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”
The speaker begins by praising the tiger as he is amazed by the beauty and fierceness of the tiger. He uses Apostrophe by asking a fearsome tiger what kind of divine being could have created it: “What immortal hand or eye/ Could frame they fearful symmetry?” Neither the tiger nor the creator could answer him. However, the question is not ‘Who created the fearsome tiger.’ Rather, it is about the nature of the creator who also created the lamb. The child speaker of the poem 'The Lamb' can identify God as the creator of the lamb because the small creature seems to represent joy, love, and freedom. But the tiger is just opposite to the lamb. Only God could create such symmetry. God created the tiger too who represents fear, violence, and tyranny, but it is hard for humans to understand the motivation for this symmetry. The fearful symmetry suggests allusion, one referring to the tiger, and the other referring to the symmetry that the creator maintained by creating the tiger and the lamb.

Blake used Metaphor (burning bright) which refers to the tiger’s bright yellow fur as it roams freely in the forest at night.

Stanza 2

Lines 5-8

“In what distant deeps or skies.

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand, dare seize the fire?”

The speaker continues Apostrophe by casting more rhetorical questions. He questions the inspiration of the creator. He focuses on the fiery eyes of the tiger. The poet is astonished by its color and stature. He questions, which wings inspire him to create such a wonder and what type of hand has the power to seize such ‘fire’. The speaker is mesmerized by his fiery eyes. He feels that the fire in his eyes came from a distant heavenly body such as hell or heaven. In this stanza, the speaker uses Imagery (hands, wings, and fire) to suggest the supernatural being who created the tiger.

Stanza 3

Lines 9-12

“And what shoulder, & what art,

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand? & what dread feet?”

In this stanza, the speaker, who is mesmerized by the fearsome tiger wonders about the supernatural being who created the tiger. He imagines the physical attributes of the supernatural power contemplating his various physical features. That supernatural power could be the Christian God, or nature itself.

Stanza 4

Lines 13-16

“What the hammer? what the chain,

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp,

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?”

In the fourth stanza, the poet again uses allusion. In this stanza, the speaker wonders about the tools the supernatural power might have used to create the tiger. He mentions ‘hammer’, ‘chain’, ‘furnace’, and ‘anvil’. These are all industrial tools, which allows the stanza to build the noisy and fiery atmosphere of a metal workshop. These tools symbolize a certain type of creativity, in which skill and vision alone are not enough. Rather, the creator also needs willpower and bravery to build meaningful creations.
These tools allude to the Industrial Revolution England was going through during that period. The lamb, the fields, and the pastoral settings suggest peace, calm, innocence, and serenity. The tiger, the factories, the chimneys, and the Industrial Revolution symbolize fear, tyranny, and evil. But there is moral ambiguity, there is symmetry. These symbols are used to suggest that artistry, ugliness, and danger all exist nearby, that the good and evil, are contrary to each other, but they are bound to co-exist.

Stanza 5

Lines 17-20

“When the stars threw down their spears

And water'd heaven with their tears:

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?”

In this stanza, the poet makes a reference to John Milton’s Paradise Lost in the first line which alludes to the fall of the archangel Satan. Then the speaker questions if God smiled after seeing what he made (the tiger). The speaker then makes the suggestion that the creator of the tiger is the same who made the lamb. Here, the lamb can be referring to Blake’s previous poem The Lamb from Songs of Innocence, and it may also be referring to Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God), sent by God on earth.

Stanza 6

Lines 21-24

“Tyger Tyger burning bright,

In the forests of the night:

What immortal hand or eye,

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?”

The last stanza is almost a repetition of the first stanza, however, there is a difference. In the first stanza, the speaker used ‘could’ but in the last stanza, he used ‘dare’. The speaker has settled with his rhetorical question of who made the tiger and now suggests that who other than God could dare to do so. He now not just wonders who ‘could’ create this fearsome beast—but who would ‘dare’. If he wasn’t God, was he Satan?

William Blake used many symbols in this poem. He mentioned the Lamb in the fifth stanza and, the whole poem is about the tiger. While the lamb seems to suggest that God is Ioving and tender, in line with the idea of a fatherly God overseeing his flock, the tiger symbolizes the destructive, punishing, and evil side of God. The poem suggests that God created the tiger, but the poet leaves space for the possibility that Satan made the tiger (Fire from hell). Even then, God is responsible for the creation of the tiger because God made heaven, earth, and hell, god made Satan. The tiger is therefore symbolic of God's ability to be violent and frightening which is contrast with the characteristics of God who created the lamb. This suggests that God is both, the perisher and the protector. 

Another symbol is fire which represents the fur of the lion, the tiger is thus symbolized as dangerous and destructive. However, fire also symbolizes the creativity of artists, craftsmen, blacksmiths, and inventors. The fire represents the harsh conditions that are necessary for making a marvelous creation, like the tiger.

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

Top Ten Creepiest Stories of American English Literature

Certainly! American English literature has a rich tradition of creepy and unsettling stories that delve into the macabre, the supernatural, and the psychologically disturbing. Here are some of the creepiest stories you might find intriguing:

1) The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

The Black Cat” is a gruesome Gothic tale that delivers on multiple fronts. There’s dread. Dawning horror. A hair-raising twist or two. And—finally—there’s the sickly satisfying ending. 

The narrator descends into madness and violence, ultimately murdering his beloved cat and his wife. The story explores themes of guilt and the duality of human nature, culminating in a shocking revelation.

Themes: Guilt, alcoholism, and the nature of evil.

2) Berenice by Edgar Allan Poe:

The story is about a particular fetish, fetish for teeth, or Odontophilia. The narrator Egaeus is betrothed to be married to Berenice, his cousin, and he’s completely obsessed with her teeth.

Unfortunately, Berenice is a woman in a Poe story, so she has to die. Egaeus, however, can’t stop thinking about her teeth even after the burial. He daydreams about them. He has visions of their pearly white sheen. This obsession leads the story to its tragic, horrifying end.

Themes: Obsession, madness, and the macabre.

3) The Lottery by Shirley Jackson:

In a small town, the residents participate in an annual lottery with a shocking and horrifying outcome. The story critiques societal norms and conformity.

Themes: Tradition, violence, and the dark side of human nature.

4) "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson

A group of people is invited to a supposedly haunted mansion to investigate paranormal phenomena. The psychological tension builds as they confront their fears.

Themes: Isolation, fear of the unknown, and the impact of trauma.

5) "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs

A family comes into possession of a magical monkey's paw that grants three wishes, but each wish has unintended and tragic consequences.

Themes: Fate, the dangers of tampering with the supernatural, and the consequences of greed.

6) "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" by H.P. Lovecraft

A man visits the decaying town of Innsmouth and uncovers its dark secrets, including a strange hybrid race that worships ancient sea deities.

Themes: Fear of the unknown, racial and cultural otherness, and the existential dread of ancient evils.

7) "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

A woman is confined to a room as a part of her "treatment" for depression. Her obsession with the room's wallpaper leads her into madness. The gradual unraveling of the protagonist's sanity and her visions of a woman trapped in the wallpaper evoke deep discomfort.

Themes: Mental illness, gender roles, and the struggle for autonomy.

8) "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor

A family's road trip turns horrific when they encounter an escaped convict known as The Misfit. The story explores themes of morality and redemption.

Themes: Violence, family dynamics, and the complexity of human nature.

9) "The Dunwich Horror" by H.P. Lovecraft

The story of Wilbur Whateley, born of a human mother and an otherworldly entity, and the horrors that ensue in Dunwich.

Themes: The cosmic horror and the dread of the unknown intertwine to create a pervasive sense of fear.

10) The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

 is a haunting tale that delves into the darker aspects of human nature, exploring the thin line between pleasure and pain. Its chilling narrative and profound themes have solidified its place as a classic in horror literature.

Themes: Desire and Obsession, Pleasure and Pain, Consequences of Actions

America by Allen Ginsberg | Structure, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse! Allen Ginsberg was a prominent poet of America and an influential figure in the Beat Generation. His literary contributions span poetry, essays, and other forms of writing. He was born on June 3 1926 and died on April 5, 1997. His major poetic collections include "Howl and Other Poems" (1956), "Kaddish and Other Poems" (1961), "The Fall of America" (1973), "Cosmopolitan Greetings: Poems 1986-1992" (1994), and "The Book of Martyrdom and Artifice" (1973). He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1995 for his book Cosmopolitan Greetings.

Some of his most influential poems include "America" (1956), "A Supermarket in California" (1956), and "Sunflower Sutra" (1955). Ginsberg was hugely influenced by the works of the English poet and artist William Blake, the American poet Walt Whitman, and the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. In his poem America, he took inspiration from the epic, free verse style of the 19th-century American poet Walt Whitman. Both wrote passionately about the promise (and betrayal) of American democracy, the central importance of erotic experience, and the spiritual quest for the truth of everyday existence. He also took inspiration from other Modernist poets like William Carlos Williams.

Structure of America:

"America" is a poem written by Allen Ginsberg in 1956. It reflects the poet's feelings about the political and social landscape of the United States during that period. Ginsberg's work often incorporates Beat Generation themes, including counterculture, critique of materialism, and a deep exploration of personal and national identity.

It is a long poem (93 lines) written in eight stanzas of differing lengths. The poem is written in irregular meter or free verse style. The first stanza has sixteen lines, the second and third consist of twelve lines, the fourth and fifth stanzas consist of ten lines each and the last stanza has 33 lines. He followed an irregular rhythm and stream-of-consciousness style to compose this poem. The poem includes a series of rhetorical questions and statements that challenge the status quo.

The poem is a strong critique of American Society. Ginsberg critiques capitalism, war, and consumerism. The poet raises questions against nuclear warfare, foreign policy in Asia, racial unrest in the US, and resistance against communism. The poem is set in the 1950s, the period of the Cold War, the time after the World Wars, when America faced a terrible economic surge.

Ginsberg used Apostrophe, Personification, Anaphora, and Rhetorical Questions in the poem.

Summary of America:

1^st Stanza

Lines 1-16

“America I’ve given you all and now I’m nothing.
America two dollars and twentyseven cents January 17, 1956.
I can’t stand my own mind.
(…)
I’m sick of your insane demands.

When can I go into the supermarket and buy what I need with my good looks?”

In the first stanza, Ginsberg sets the tone for a poem that is both a personal and societal commentary. He introduces the idea, time, and context of the poem. The 1^st stanza sets the themes of the poem which are Disillusionment, Rebellion, and Cultural Identity.

The stanza captures a sense of disappointment with the American Dream and the reality of contemporary life. Ginsberg’s tone suggests a yearning for change and a willingness to question authority. The stanza hints at Ginsberg's struggle with his own identity within the American landscape.

The poem begins with an unnamed speaker he has given everything and now he is nothing. He claims he is only worth “two dollars and twentyseven cents” (Line 2), and that he “can’t stand [his] own mind” (Line 3). The speaker is lamenting the turmoils of economic difficulties during the aftermath of the world wars and the ongoing Cold War. The poet Personifies America and uses Apostrophe to directly question the nation as if it is a living answerable man. He accuses the militarism and nuclear proliferation of the country and he tells America to "go fuck yourself with your atom bomb" (5). Ginsberg wonders when America will end the Cold War, and he takes a strong stand against nuclear proliferation. 

The speaker declares that he doesn’t wish to continue the discussion while ignoring that he was the one who started it. He declares that he won’t write anything until "I'm in my right mind" (7). But then he mentions that he will never be in his right mind and thus, he continues to converse and write. He presents America as a lost lover, someone he once loved and saw great promise and potential in; it was a potential for salvation. But now he is frustrated and angrily laments. He asks when America will become the land it once promised to be, when will it become "angelic" (8) (Rhetorical Questioning), when will it see the death and destruction that it has caused, when will it understand that its own political oppression is greater than the political oppression of the "Trotskyites" (communists) that it denounces and goes to war with (11)? Ginsberg laments that the libraries of America, representing the potential of free information and free expression, are "full of tears" (12). In line, 13, “America when will you send your eggs to India?” he criticizes America for failing to aid countries such as India.

He denounces the Corporatism of American life symbolized by "the supermarket" and how those with "good looks" are given easy entry into American wealth (15-16).

2^nd Stanza

Lines 17-28

“America after all it is you and I who are perfect not the next world.”

Your machinery is too much for me.

You made me want to be a saint.

(…)

I haven’t read the newspapers for months, everyday somebody goes on trial for murder.

America I feel sentimental about the Wobblies.

America I used to be a communist when I was a kid I’m not sorry.”

In the second stanza, the speaker tries to find a way to make peace with his lost lover the personified America, and says, "You and I who are perfect". He expresses how much he adored the country "You made me want to be a saint. (19)". He mentions that his first calling was to be a labor lawyer and help the workers but he chose to be a poet (saint) instead because of the optimism and promise America offered him. The speaker admits that he cannot "give up my obsession (24)." It is an obsession with the promise of America, with the things that he once believed deeply in (justice, tolerance, freedom, and acceptance). Throughout the stanza, the speaker tries to find a way of reconciliation with his beloved nation America "There must be some other way to settle this argument (20)."

He mentions William S. Burroughs, who, after a run-in with the law, moved to Tangiers, Morocco where he was in a kind of exile from the United States because of legal problems related to the transport of illegal drugs from Mexico. He accuses America's demonization and isolation of its great artists and supports the idea of legalizing marijuana (Beat Generation).

In line 26 (the Plum Blossom are falling), he uses Imagery. In Eastern cultures, plum blossoms are a symbol of peace. The speaker laments America’s essence as a benevolent leader of the world is in decline. He accuses America of violence and deterioration, he has not "read the newspapers for months" and that the reason is because "everyday somebody goes on trial for murder" (27-28).

Stanza 3

Lines 29-40

“America I feel sentimental about the Wobblies.

America I used to be a communist when I was a kid I’m not sorry.   

I smoke marijuana every chance I get.

(…)

I have mystical visions and cosmic vibrations.

America I still haven’t told you what you did to Uncle Max after he came over from Russia.

I’m addressing you.”

In line 29, Ginsberg shows his support for the Wobblies. The Wobblies was a nickname given to The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)  that leaned strongly towards Socialist and leftist policies. The Wobblies were harshly criticized by the United States government which largely shut down the group during World War I by prosecuting and politically embarrassing many of its leaders. In line 30, he mentions his childhood. His own mother was a supporter of Socialists. He tells America that as a child he was a communist (30) and is not sorry for that fact.

This stanza is like a confession of Ginsberg. He also mentions his support for legalizing marijuana and says he smokes whenever he gets a chance (31). He mentions he gets drunk in Chinatown and reads the books of Karl Marx. While the speaker declares his Communist affiliations, he stresses that he is not sorry for that,  he "won't say the Lord's Prayer (37)." In line 39, he mentions his uncle Max Livergant who came to America from Russia but suffered hardship because of his socialist leanings.

Stanza 4

Lines 41-50

“Are you going to let your emotional life be run by Time Magazine?   

I’m obsessed by Time Magazine.

(...)  

It occurs to me that I am America.

I am talking to myself again.”

In this stanza, the speaker shifts his perspective from politics towards media. During the 1960s Ginsberg got a lot of media attention due to his political activism and Beat culture. He never shied away from the media but also kept criticizing America's growing reliance on media. He mentions how he is “obsessed with Time Magazine” (Line 40), and here he admits that in his obsession with this magazine, he has realized that he is America.
Time Magazine was the most-read periodical in America. The speaker criticizes America for not just for seeing all events through the lens of the media (represented by Time) but also for letting its "emotional life" be affected by the magazine. He suggests that the country is really being run by the media, which can affect the emotional outcry of citizens who can then strike fear into their elected representatives. Political and social decisions, therefore, are not being made on rational and humanitarian bases. Instead, they are being made by leaders who are more afraid of how the media might portray them for their decisions.

But then, he confesses that he too reads Time Magazine every week. While he accused America of being too reliant on media, he admits that he, who hopes to hold himself to a higher standard of justice and love, cannot escape the way his own perception of events is clouded by media interpretation. Thus, he admits that he is as guilty as America.

Stanza 5

Lines 51-60

“Asia is rising against me.

I haven’t got a chinaman’s chance.

(...)

I have abolished the whorehouses of France, Tangiers is the next to go.

My ambition is to be President despite the fact that I’m a Catholic.”

In this stanza, the speaker turns his perspective to politics again and begins expressing his stream of consciousness. He begins by mentioning the rise of China as a communist power in Asia. The U.S. and U.S.S.R competed to affect the internal politics of China for a long period. The Chinese Civil War ended in 1949 with the victory of the Communist Party of China. It meant that China will align with Russia which was a setback for US foreign relations in Asia. At the same time, the speaker is stressing his own alignment with Asian culture and religion. Ginsberg, along with other Beat artists (Kerouac and Neal Cassidy) adopted Buddhism and Hinduism).

In the last stanza, the speaker admits that he is America himself but Buddhism stands for peace, love, and transcendence which is against all that America represents (violence, greed, consumerism). He continues to represent himself as the personified country America and says it is "better consider my national resources." He has "two joints of marijuana millions of genitals / an unpublishable private literature..." (54). The speaker criticizes the cultural deterioration of America and how the lifestyle that he lives (drugs, sex, art) is a poor resource for the monumental challenge to his identity and the political identity of the country. He mentions “jetplanes 1400 miles an hour and twentyfive-thousand mental institutions" (55-56) and offers a stark contrast. He questions why a country with such technological advances criminalizes and punishes its insane in such inhumane ways, or, rather why if the country is so advanced, its citizens are going insane? He further notices that despite all the hype about American riches, there are many in "...my prisons...(and) the millions of underprivileged...(57)" He further accuses the discrimination in America. Ginsberg was a jew by birth but he mentions himself as a Catholic because it was believed that a Catholic could never gain success in America and be its president, Catholics suffered religious discrimination in America.

Stanza 6

Lines 61-77

“America how can I write a holy litany in your silly mood?

I will continue like Henry Ford my strophes are as individual as his automobiles more so they’re all different sexes.

(…)

Ewig-Weibliche made me cry I once saw the Yiddish orator Israel Amter plain.

Everybody must have been a spy.

America you don’t really want to go to war.”

The speaker begins striking against America’s economic policies. He accuses America of being in a "silly mood" and that this prevents him from writing a true "holy litany" of the country's faults. He mentions Henry Ford, whose assembly line method of production revolutionized industry in the beginning of the twentieth century and made America the economic superpower. The speaker suggests that maybe he too should begin producing poetry like Henry Ford and should think about profits only. He suggests this is the American way, Everything is done for profit and nothing valuable comes without business sense. However, this creates injustice, discrimination, and partiality, he laments. The speaker then demands justice from America by mentioning the historical case “free Tom Mooney (65).” Tom Mooney was a labor leader in the early twentieth century who had been falsely imprisoned for a San Francisco bombing in 1916. "...save the Spanish Loyalists" (66), the leftist army supported by the Soviet Union in the Spanish Civil War who fought the Fascist uprising supported by Nazi Germany. The speaker also mentions Sacco & Vanzetti (67) who were two Italian laborers in America who were accused of murder and tried without due process. They were executed, sparking a controversy over the rights of the accused. He continues offering similar examples of injustice being done in American courts. At the end of the stanza, the speaker makes a sarcastic comment and says that everyone must be imprisoned because "Everybody must have been a spy (76)". In the last line of the stanza, the speaker makes a plea, "America you don't really want to go to war," and asks America to correct his ways.

Stanza 7

Lines 78-86

“America its them bad Russians.

Them Russians them Russians and them Chinamen. And them Russians.   

The Russia wants to eat us alive. The Russia’s power mad. She wants to take our cars from out our garages.

Her wants to grab Chicago. Her needs a Red Reader’s Digest. Her wants our auto plants in Siberia. Him big bureaucracy running our fillingstations.

That no good. Ugh. Him make Indians learn read. Him need big black niggers. Hah. Her make us all work sixteen hours a day. Help.”  

In the penultimate stanza, the speaker mocks America’s paranoia against the socialists and communists, and rants against America's discriminatory attitudes, its unthinking patriotism, and its unjust treatment of minority racial and political groups.

He retorts that the antagonists are Russians and Chinamen, the socialists. He then makes fun of America's paranoia over communist Russia by making ridiculous statements like "Russia wants to eat us alive" "She wants to take our cars from out our garages" and "Her wants to grab Chicago" (80-82). The speaker makes fun of such misdirected fears of common American citizens who hardly know the true political discrimination being supported by their own government.

Stanza 8

Lines 87-93

“America this is quite serious.

America this is the impression I get from looking in the television set.   

America is this correct?

I’d better get right down to the job.

It’s true I don’t want to join the Army or turn lathes in precision parts factories, I’m nearsighted and psychopathic anyway.

America I’m putting my queer shoulder to the wheel.”

In the last stanza, the speaker gives up his mocking and sarcastic run and returns to serious speech. He already accused America of all the atrocities but now he is in disbelief that America could be so atrocious, discriminatory, and wrong. But then he says “this is the impression I get from looking in the television set (88)”, again accusing the media. He questions if it is correct.

He still hopes to bring the change and is willing to do as much as he could do, "get right down to the job" (90), to bring the better days. He then mentions that he cannot join the Army, nor can work in factories not only because of his political and social beliefs but also because he's "nearsighted and psychopathic anyway (92)." So he is physically and mentally unfit to be in the Army or factories. In the last line, the speaker declares that whatever he could do, he will do with utmost sincerity and devotion, “my queer shoulder to the wheel (93).” Putting one's shoulder to the wheel is an expression of hard work and labor but queer means soft and effeminate. The speaker states that he will prove that even the outcasts, the weak, and the effeminate can affect change.

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of American English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

The Last Labyrinth by Arun Joshi | Characters, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Last Labyrinth is the fourth novel by Arun Joshi which was published in 1981. Arun Joshi got the Sahitya Academy Award for the same book in 1983.

It is an existentialist novel about a hugely successful businessman detached from his cultural and spiritual roots. The protagonist, Som Bhaskar, not yet forty, is the millionaire and should have a lot to be contented about. He is married to an intelligent girl, has two children, and is the master of a flourishing business. Yet, he continues to suffer a sense of insufficiency, an obsessive desire to want something that he doesn’t know. He tries to satiate his unknown hunger through materialistic means. He gets completely immersed in earning wealth and overtaking any company that may offer competition. Despite having a beautiful and devoted wife, he begins having affairs with other women. Yet, all these perversions fail to satisfy his hunger. Ultimately, he faces the struggle within himself and realizes that his hunger is not sensual but spiritual. Arun Joshi used symbolism throughout the nove. Labyrinth is a symbol that signifies an individual’s quest to find the purpose of his life. Life is a labyrinth, and so is death. The protagonist struggles with his identity and the labyrinth of societal expectations, love, and loss, and then he realizes that what he seeks is Nirvana or freedom from the labyrinth of life.

Characters of The Last Labyrinth:

Som Bhaskar is the main character of the novel. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and got the best education and facilities throughout his life. He appears to be a confident businessman who never faced a defeat, However, within himself, he suffers a hollowness, confusion, and a sudden urge to acquire more, and more without realizing what he actually wants. He is in his forties. Geeta is his beautiful and intelligent wife with whom he has two children. He is aware of the fact that he cannot imagine his life without his wife Geeta in spite of that he develops sexual relationships with different women in order to judge the relationship between contraries of his own life. He develops a relationship with Leela Sabnis, a professor of philosophy. However, Leela’s intellectual world fails to satiate Bhaskar who finds her phoney. Aftab Rai is another businessman from Benaras. Som-Bhaskar finds him strange, and obsolete. He wonders how Aftab could remain so calm and composed. Anuradha is Aftab Rai’s wife. Bhaskar gets infatuated with her and begins pursuing her. His infatuation soon turns into obsession and he begins trying everything possible to attain Anuradha. Like, her husband, Anuradha too is a calm and composed woman. Bhaskar feels mysteriously attracted to her. When she meets Bhaskar, she gets interested in his puzzled yet energetic approach. She develops an affair with him but when she realizes that he is getting obsessed and has made an aim to acquire the money and wife of Aftab Rai, she rejects him. Thapar is a sincere assistant and business manager of Bhaskar who tries to warn him against the ill-perceived decisions that continue to harm Bhaskar’s business and family. Gargi is a highly spiritual and intellectual woman who often remains silent. She manages to help Bhaskar.

Summary of The Last Labyrinth:

Som Bhaskar is leading a successful life as a businessman. He got married to the girl he loved at the age of 25 and now he has two children with her. He successfully runs an industrial empire and has millions in the bank. Despite having all conceivable luxury, Bhaskar continues to feel a certain unfulfillment, a hunger that he fails to ascertain. He remains confused about his wants and tries to rationalize his insatiable hunger by indulging in voracious materialism. He is a thwarted soul who is engrossed neck-deep in attaining materialistic wealth. His residence is also named Maya, echoing the web of wealth. Som is completely immersed in earning wealth and overtaking other companies and businesses. While doing so, he becomes distant from his family, his wife, and two children. He married Geeta whom he loved and he knows that he cannot imagine a life without her, yet he begins an extramarital affair with Leela Sabnis, a professor of philosophy. Som Bhaskar is an Indian man highly influenced by Western materialistic ideas. However, his own ideas fail to satiate his inner self. Leela understands that despite his materialistic success, Som Bhaskar is troubled because he has been uprooted from his spiritual and cultural berths. She tries to help him but Bhaskar feels she is a phoney and parts his ways with her.

One day, he visits Delhi to attend a meeting of the Plastic Manufacturers Association where he meets

a mysteriously impressive businessman from Benaras named Aftab Rai. Unlike other modern businessmen and technocrats, Bhaskar finds Aftab a bit obsolete and out of fashion. In the same meeting, he sees a woman named Anuradha. She too appeared as if she is from a different age. She did not look modern and clever She wore costumes of twenty years ago-brocade sari, large gold borders, sleeves up to the elbow, and antique jewelry. When he enquires about her, he comes to know that she is accompanied by Aftab Rai. He recognizes the similarity between the two and assumes that Anuradha is Aftab’s wife.

He begins feeling attracted towards Anuradha as if she can offer him all that he has been wanting throughout his life. He tries to come near to Anuradha and begins making business trips to Benaras. He visits Aftab and Anuradha at their home Lal Haveli in Benaras. Like the couple, their Haveli too appears mysteriously grand, yet obsolete. Aftab says that the Lal Haveli is a labyrinth of rooms and corridors, and he can easily get lost in the labyrinth thus he should remain cautious.

Bhaskar comes to know that Anuradha is not Aftab’s legal wife and he makes it a goal to acquire Anuradha for himself. When he observes the couple, he feels that she is an embodiment of selfless love in a world of selfish people. She represents true independence of body and of mind. Bhaskar believes that Anuradha can help him search his self because there is something in Anuradha that gives him comfort and he tries to find out the reason behind it. Anuradha realizes that Bhaskar is infatuated by her and curiously, she develops a physical relationship with him. When Anuradha realizes that Bhaskar wishes to win her heart too and not merely possess her body she simply disappears from his life. However, Bhaskar develops an obsession for her and in order to win her, he decides to take over the businesses and companies of Aftab Rai. He vehemently begins harming Aftab’s business interests. But while doing so, he begins harming his own business, family, and health. Anuradha’s conduct is beyond Bhaskar`s comprehension. She accepts, rejects, or flees from him without warning, and he even suspects that she has some agreement with Geeta. His trusty associate convinces him to return to Bombay.

Bhaskar returns to Bombay but suffers a massive heart attack which nearly kills him. As soon as he recovers he tries to contact Anuradha who refuses to meet him. Bhaskar starts feeling more isolated and lonely and a sense of inadequacy, restlessness, and aimlessness develops in him. Consumed by revenge, Bhaskar starts to buy up all shares of Aftab's company to the agony of Thapar, his assistant. But one block of shares is tied up in a temple far away in the mountains.

A frustrated Bhaskar determines to have both Anuradha and the shares and sets out on a pilgrimage. They travel the long and winding road to a small town nestling in the hills, run the gauntlet of a string of lepers, and finally get to the temple to which the shares of Aftab’s company were assigned. He meets Gargi there who appears to be a mystique and saintly. Gargi realizes that Bhaskar is spiritually troubled. He learns that Gagri is the daughter of a Sufi saint and she speaks very less. He feels that Gargi could help him. Gargi listens to him and agrees to offer him all the shares for free. Bhaskar couldn’t realize that he could attain those shares so easily. He begins a conversation with Gargi. Gargi says, "We are all children trying to reach up to a crack in the door to peep into a room."

Bhaskar says that he is an atheist who doesn’t believe in God. Gargi tells him that “there is no harm in believing that God exists”. The urge to find solutions to all his problems makes Som believe in the existence of a supreme power, a prime mover of the entire universe. Gargi has comprehended him with the existence of God. It was the eve of Janmashtami and people began celebrating the occasion. Bhaskar remembers that his mother was a deep follower of Krishna. She was suffering from cancer and still believed that Krishna would give her the power to fight the disease. He remembers that Anuradha too is a staunch devotee of Krishna. He begins feeling spiritually enlightened. He feels that to be free, he needed to sacrifice and the eternal he felt for Anuradha was what he had to sacrifice. He begins feeling satiated and devotes himself to Lord Krishna.

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of Indian English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!