Poem: Travel and Tourism
by Robert Louis Stevenson
I should like to rise and go
Where the golden apples grow;—
Where below another sky
Parrot islands anchored lie,
And, watched by cockatoos and goats,
Lonely Crusoes building boats;—
Where in sunshine reaching out
Eastern cities, miles about,
Are with mosque and minaret
Among sandy gardens set,
And the rich goods from near and far
Hang for sale in the bazaar;—
Where the Great Wall round China goes,
And on one side the desert blows,
And with bell and voice and drum,
Cities on the other hum;—
Where are forests hot as fire,
Wide as England, tall as a spire,
Full of apes and cocoa-nuts
And the negro hunters’ huts;—
Where the knotty crocodile
Lies and blinks in the Nile,
And the red flamingo flies
Hunting fish before his eyes;—
Where in jungles near and far,
Man-devouring tigers are,
Lying close and giving ear
Lest the hunt be drawing near,
Or a comer-by be seen
Swinging in a palanquin:—
Where among the desert sands
Some deserted city stands,
All its children, sweep and prince,
Grown to manhood ages since,
Not a foot in street or house,
Not a stir of child or mouse,
And when kindly falls the night,
In all the town no spark of light.
There I’ll come when I’m a man
With a camel caravan;
Light a fire in the gloom
Of some dusty dining-room;
See the pictures on the walls,
Heroes fights and festivals;
And in a corner find the toys
Of the old Egyptian boys
……………………………………………
Stanza 1
I should like to rise and go
Where the golden apples grow;—
Where below another sky
Parrot islands anchored lie,
And, watched by cockatoos and goats,
Lonely Crusoes building boats;—
Paraphrase:
The speaker wishes to travel to a magical land with golden fruits, colorful islands
full of parrots, and lonely people like Robinson Crusoe building boats.
Difficult Words:
Golden apples: Magical or exotic treasures.
Anchored: Fixed or tied down like a boat.
Crusoes: Lonely explorers, based on Robinson Crusoe.
Poetic Devices:
Imagery: Colorful scenes of islands and parrots.
Allusion: Reference to Robinson Crusoe novel.
Personification: Islands "anchored" like living things.
Alliteration: "Lonely Crusoes."
Stanza 2
Where in sunshine reaching out
Eastern cities, miles about,
Are with mosque and minaret
Among sandy gardens set,
And the rich goods from near and far
Hang for sale in the bazaar;—
Paraphrase:
He imagines bright, busy Eastern cities filled with mosques, minarets, sandy
gardens, and markets selling goods from many lands.
Difficult Words:
Minaret: Tall tower next to a mosque.
Bazaar: Crowded market.
Poetic Devices:
Imagery: Lively descriptions of Eastern cities.
Alliteration: "Goods from near and far."
Enjambment: Flow of ideas without stopping at line ends.
Stanza 3
Where the Great Wall round China goes,
And on one side the desert blows,
And with bell and voice and drum,
Cities on the other hum;—
Paraphrase:
He dreams of visiting the Great Wall of China, with the silent desert on one side
and noisy, busy cities on the other.
Difficult Words:
Great Wall: Famous ancient wall of China.
Blows: Strong desert winds.
Poetic Devices:
Contrast: Quiet desert vs. noisy cities.
Onomatopoeia: Words like "hum" and "drum" sound like noises.
Personification: Desert "blows" as if alive.
Stanza 4
Where are forests hot as fire,
Wide as England, tall as a spire,
Full of apes and cocoa-nuts
And the negro hunters’ huts;—
Paraphrase:
He imagines exploring vast, hot jungles as big as England, filled with apes,
coconuts and the huts of African hunters.
Difficult Words:
Negro hunters’ huts: Small houses of African hunters (outdated term).
Spire: Tall pointed structure like a church tower.
Poetic Devices:
Simile: "Hot as fire," "wide as England," "tall as a spire."
Imagery: Wild and thick jungle.
Stanza 5
Where the knotty crocodile
Lies and blinks in the Nile,
And the red flamingo flies
Hunting fish before his eyes;—
Paraphrase:
He thinks about the Nile river, where crocodiles lie lazily and red flamingos fly
above the water hunting fish.
Difficult Words:
Knotty: Rough, twisted.
Nile: Major river in Africa.
Poetic Devices:
Alliteration: "Knotty crocodile."
Personification: Crocodile "blinks" like a human.
Visual Imagery: Beautiful river scenes.
Stanza 6
Where in jungles near and far,
Man-devouring tigers are,
Lying close and giving ear
Lest the hunt be drawing near,
Or a comer-by be seen
Swinging in a palanquin:—
Paraphrase:
He imagines dangerous jungles filled with man-eating tigers that hide and
listen for hunters or travelers carried in palanquins.
Difficult Words:
Man-devouring: Man-eating.
Palanquin: Covered chair carried by people.
Poetic Devices:
Suspense: Tension of hidden tigers.
Imagery: Fearful jungle scenes.
Alliteration: "Lying close and giving ear."
Stanza 7
Where among the desert sands
Some deserted city stands,
All its children, sweep and prince,
Grown to manhood ages since,
Not a foot in street or house,
Not a stir of child or mouse,
And when kindly falls the night,
In all the town no spark of light.
Paraphrase:
He dreams of an ancient, deserted city in the sands where everyone is
long dead and the streets are silent, with no lights at night.
Difficult Words:
Sweep: Poor boy worker (chimney-sweep).
Kindly falls the night: Night comes gently.
Poetic Devices:
Repetition: "Not a foot," "Not a stir" for stillness.
Imagery: Ghostly abandoned town.
Mood: Mysterious and haunting.
Stanza 8
There I’ll come when I’m a man
With a camel caravan;
Light a fire in the gloom
Of some dusty dining-room;
See the pictures on the walls,
Heroes fights and festivals;
And in a corner find the toys
Of the old Egyptian boys
Paraphrase:
He plans to travel with a camel caravan, camp in abandoned places,
admire ancient paintings, and find the old toys of Egyptian children.
Difficult Words:
Caravan: Group traveling together, usually with camels.
Gloom: Deep darkness or sadness.
Festivals: Celebrations.
Poetic Devices:
First-person narrative: Personal future dream.
Imagery: Ancient ruins and lost childhood.
Summary
In "Travel," Robert Louis Stevenson describes the dreams of a young boy who
longs to explore distant lands. The boy imagines visiting places filled with golden
fruits, colorful islands, bustling Eastern cities, great deserts, jungles full of wild
animals, and ancient deserted towns. Each place is full of mystery and
adventure, showing his curiosity about the world beyond his home. The poem
captures the excitement and wonder of imagining travels to far-off, magical
places.
Theme
The main theme of "Travel" is the powerful desire for exploration and adventure.
Stevenson highlights the idea that travel represents freedom, discovery, and
imagination. Through vivid imagery, the poem also explores themes like
childhood dreams, fascination with distant cultures, and the longing to experience
the unknown. It shows how the spirit of travel begins in the imagination long
before the journey itself.
Central Idea
The central idea of "Travel" is that the urge to explore new and unfamiliar
world is a natural and powerful part of human nature, especially in childhood.
Stevenson suggests that travel is not only about physical movement but also
about expanding one’s mind and connecting with the larger world. Through
travel, both real and imagined, a person grows in understanding, wonder,
and experience.
Questions/Answers:
Q1. How does the poet describe the allure of travel in the first stanza?
In the first stanza, the poet describes travel as magical and adventurous. He
imagines visiting places where golden apples grow, colorful parrots live on
islands, and lonely explorers like Crusoe build boats. The description
creates a sense of wonder and excitement about discovering unknown
lands.
Q2. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
The rhyme scheme of the poem is mostly couplets (AA, BB, CC...), where
every two lines rhyme with each other. This gives the poem a smooth and
musical flow.
Q3. What are your thoughts about the imagination of an innocent young
boy who wants to explore the world? Write a few lines about it.
The imagination of the young boy is pure and inspiring. His dreams show a
natural curiosity and an adventurous spirit that many people lose as they
grow older. His innocent longing to see the wonders of the world reminds us
of the beauty of dreaming big and keeping our sense of wonder alive.
Q4. What is the central theme of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem
"Travel," and how does the poet convey this theme through the use of
poetic devices?
The central theme of "Travel" is the desire for exploration and adventure.
Stevenson conveys this theme through vivid imagery, such as colorful islands,
grand cities, and mysterious jungles. He also uses figurative language like
similes and personification to bring distant lands to life in the reader's
imagination, making travel feel exciting and magical.
Q5. Which figurative device is used by the poet in the line "wide as
England, tall as a spire"? Explain briefly.
The figurative device used is a simile. A simile compares two different things
using the words "as" or "like." In this line, the poet compares the size of the
forest to the width of England and the height of a spire to show how vast and
tall the jungle is.
Q6. Analyse the poem with the help of starters given below:
a. In the first stanza, the poet talks about the magical lands he wishes to visit,
full of golden fruits, colorful birds, and lonely explorers building boats.
b. The tone of the poem is dreamy, adventurous, and full of excitement about
exploring unknown and exotic places.
c. The concluding lines of the poem talk about the boy’s dream of growing
up, traveling with a caravan, discovering ancient ruins, and finding traces of
old civilizations like toys left behind by Egyptian children.
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