The Power of Music

“THE POWER OF MUSIC”
Summary
The poem describes how the singer Bhisma Lochan Sharma's voice
spreads far and wide during the summer, from Delhi to Burma. His singing
is energetic and intense, as if he has staked his life on it. The people who
hear his singing are left amazed and dazed.
Though they know his intentions are good, Bhisma Lochan's powerful
singing causes chaos and havoc wherever he goes.
Bullock carts overturn on the roads, horses line the roadsides, and
animals are left confused and frightened by his booming voice. Even the
fish dive to the bottom of lakes and the trees shake violently, trying to get
away from his singing. The birds in the sky turn upside down in panic upon
hearing him. Everyone pleads for him to stop singing before he kills them.
But Bhisma Lochan is unconcerned and continues bellowing out his
songs, heedless of the pleas and cries around him. The heavens weep at
his screeching voice and mighty mansions collapse under its force.
Finally, a clever billy goat comes along and charges at Bhisma Lochan,
bellowing right back at him. This finally makes Bhisma Lochan stop
singing, granting the world silence once again.
Line-by-line explanation of the poem

When summer comes, we hear the hums Bhisma Lochan Sharma,
•These opening lines introduce us to Bhisma Lochan Sharma, who is a
singer with a very loud and powerful voice. In summer, his voice spreads all
over and people can hear him humming and singing loudly.
You catch his strain on hill and plain from Delhi down to Burma.He sings
as though he's staked his life, he sings as though he's hell-bent;
•Bhisma Lochan's voice carries very far all the way from Delhi to Burmal
This shows us how loud and strong his singing is. The next lines say that
he sings with full energy and passion, as if his life depended on it. He is
completely obsessed with and lost in his singing.
The people, dazed, retire amazed although they know it's well-
meant.They're trampled in the panic rout or languish, pale and sickly,
•Now, though Bhisma Lochan means no harm, his intense singing confuses
people and leaves them astonished. In fact, his booming voice causes
chaos - people get trampled and injured in the panic and become unwell
and pale.
And plead, 'My friend, we're on our end, oh stop your singing quickly The
bullock-carts are overturned, and horses line the roadside;
•People now desperately plead with Bhisma Lochan to stop singing soon,
before they meet their end. To show how disruptive his voice is, the poet
says even bullock carts overturn on the roads and horses stand
frightened along the sides. But Bhisma Lochan, unconcerned, goes
booming out his broadside./The wretched brutes resent the blare the hour
they hear it sounded, However, lost in his own world of song, Bhisma
Lochan pays no attention to the chaos and continues bellowing loudly.
The animals strongly dislike and resent his loud singing from the moment
they hear it.
They whine and stare with feet in air or wonder quite confounded.The
fishes dived below the lake in frantic search for silence,
•The animals are left totally confused by his voice; they whine, stand
puzzled with feet in the air, and wonder what is happening. Even the fish
dive to the bottom of lakes trying to escape his loud singing.
The very trees collapse and shake you hear the crash a mile hence And in
the sky the feathered fly turn turtle while they're winging,
•Bhisma Lochan's powerful voice makes trees collapse, violently shaking.
You can hear them crashing from a mile away! It even makes the birds in
the sky flip upside down in a panic.
Again we cry, 'We're going to die, oh won't you stop your singing?But
Bhisma's soared beyond our reach, howe'er we plead and grumble;
•People once more desperately plead with Bhisma Lochan to stop as they
are going to die. But he is lost in his own musical world, beyond anyone's
control, ignoring all pleas and complaints.
The welkin weeps to hear his screech, and mighty mansions tumblr./But
now there comes a billy goat, a most sagacious fellow,His harsh,
screeching singing makes even the sky weep, and mighty mansions
collapse! But then a clever billy goat comes along. He downs his horns and
charges straight, with the bellow answering below. The strains of the song
are tossed and whirled by blast of brutal violence, The goat aggressively
charges at Bhisma Lochan, bleating just as loudly. The goat's loud bleats
blast and toss around Bhisma's singing strains violently.
And Bhisma Lochan grants the world the golden gift of silence.
•Finally, Bhisma Lochan stops singing, giving the world the precious gift of
silence once again.

The Power of Music

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“THE POWER OF MUSIC”

Line-by-line explanation of the poem

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