Notes of Cold Within
Extract I
Six humans
trapped…….one was black.
1.
Which figure of speech is used in the
line ‘In bleak and bitter cold’? What special significance do the adjectives
bleak and bitter have?
Alliteration,
close repetition of consonant sound.
The
adjectives bleak and bitter define the word cold. The coldness outside is comparable
to the coldness within the hearts of these six characters as they are not warm or friendly with each other.
2.
Who are the people referred to in the
above extract? Why do they need logs?
The
people referred to are six indifferent people, who are trapped together by
chance in biting cold. They need logs so that they can renew the dying fire to
prevent themselves from cold.
3.
State how the following theme is
connected with the theme of the poem:
Their
dying fire in need of logs
Literally,
it refers to the fire that is dying and needs to be kept alive with the use of
a log. Metaphorically, it can be understood as the fire of compassion in their
hearts that is dying. To keep it burning what they need is a log of wood, but
they do not use it. Thus, by the end, each one of them dies from ‘the cold
within’.
4.
What does the first one hold back and
why?
The
first person holds back her log because she was guided by her racist attitude
towards the black man. So she does not
use log to prevent the black man
from getting its warmth.
5.
What character traits would you
associate with ‘the first one’ and ‘the next man’? Why?
The
first one can be said to be holding a
racist attitude as she does not want to benefit the black man. The next man can
be said to be a bigot who on seeing that one of the men in the group does not
belong to his religion, prevents himself from using his log to renew the fire.
Extract
II
The
third one sat…..chance to spite the white.
1. What
is meant by ‘tattered clothes’? What does this expression symbolise? Why does
the ‘third one’ gives his coat a hitch?
Tattered clothes refer to the torn
clothes. This expression symbolises that the man, who was wearing them was poor
and had little money to cover himself in extreme cold.
The poor man does not intend to use his
log to renew the fire and thus to protect himself from biting cold, the pulled
up his coat to feel a little warm.
2. The
‘third one’ doesn’t want to use his log to warm the rich. Why?
The ‘third one’ is a poor man and is
envious of the rich man. He is prejudiced and thus does not put his log to use.
3. What
thoughts preoccupy the rich man’s mind? What does it say about him?
The thoughts of keeping his wealth safe
from the lazy poor man preoccupied the rich man’s mind. It reflects his class
bias.
4. What
prejudice the black man has and for whom?
The black man is filled with revenge for
the white ma. Based on colour of the skin, he considers the white man different
from himself.
5. Explain
the following lines:
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white
The lines refer to the black man, who
was filled with revenge for the white man. Therefore, to harm the white man he
does not put his log to use. Making the white man suffer in cold was his only
chance to get his revenge.
Extract III
The last man of this forlorn………….from
the cold within.
1. Explain
the phrase ‘forlorn group.’ Which figure of speech is used here?
The phrase ‘forlorn group’ is an example
of oxymoron i.e., a pair of contradictory terms. This phrase is ironical as it
refers to these six people, who were sitting together in a group and were sad
and lonely.
2. What
game is the poet referring to while mentioning the last man of the group?
The selfish game of give and take that
the last man employs-since anyone else does not offer his log to renew the
fire, he also steps back.
3. What
‘proof of human sin’ is being referred to here? Explain.
All the six people died with their logs
tightly clutched in their hands. Their indifference, animosity, discrimination
invited death. This ‘proof of human sin’ is referred here.
4. The
poet says that the characters ‘died from the cold within.’ What does he mean?
The title of the poem The Cold Within is
symbolic of lack of warmth and compassion in human beings. Six human beings are
caught against their will in ‘bleak and bitter cold,’ but none of them uses the
wooden stick each one has , due to racism, envy, arrogance, revenge and greed.
They are so cold from inside that they do not realise that by not helping
others, they themselves will perish. Their cold heartedness invites death in
the end and they die with their logs held tight in their hands.
5. What
message is the poet trying to convey in the poem? How does he succeed in carrying
out his task?
The message that the poet tries to give
is that discriminatory attitude and hatred that humans have against one another on the basis of race, class and
religion is futile. It is self-destructive.
The poem projects discrimination based on race,
class and religion by narrating the story of six individuals who are caught
together by chance in extreme cold. The people in the poem are from
different backgrounds and religions.
Owing to their prejudices against one another, it becomes difficult for them to
put their stick into the fire. The discrimination, racism and bigotry proves
futile as none of the six people stay alive
at the end. Each perishes, not because of the cold outside but of the
cold heartedness within each.
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