'Fable'- A Poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hello Friends... 

Sure, we all are doing well... Be careful, we must stay fit and shouldn't fall ill getting our studies affected. We shall eat and drink healthy, exercise regularly, and won't avoid our domestic and social responsibilities. And whatever time we get for ourselves at the end of the day, we must study hard for most of the time, so that we learn to think... and learn. We simply cannot afford to stop thinking, for we are learners, and we are the chosen ones who got the scope to learn... 

Let's learn to think first...

The Text

Today, we meet again to study a poem together. This is a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson,- Fable. Does the title ring a bell, friends? 

Then why don't we go through the poem once to see if the text reminds us anything more about 'fable'? You may click here to listen to a wonderful reading of the same text as well, if you please...

Fable

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The mountain and the squirrel

Had a quarrel;

And the former called the latter ‘Little Prig.’

Bun replied,

‘You are doubtless very big;

But all sorts of things and weather

Must be taken in together,

To make up a year

And a sphere.

And I think it no disgrace

To occupy my place.

If I'm not so large as you,

You are not so small as I,

And not half so spry.

I'll not deny you make

A very pretty squirrel track;

Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;

If I cannot carry forests on my back,

Neither can you crack a nut.’

Fables

Do you remember something definite about 'fables' now? Lets compare our memory together then...

Short Stories

Well, fables are short stories told in a simple manner to teach the common people. Since common people mostly are not as privileged as you, and have to work hard from dawn to dusk to run their household, they can not afford time to read books or go to school to learn. Hence short stories were devised long long back by wise teachers to teach them lessons during their leisure hours. Stories grab people's attention easily (don't they?), and short stories are always easy to remember. 

Simple Language

The languages in which these stories are told are mostly lucid and simple, so that nobody faces any difficulty in understanding them. Do you remember the Panchatantra stories or Aesop's fables that you have read or heard in your childhood? Aren't they short, and simple as far as the language is concerned?

Non-human Characters

Apart from being short and simple, these stories are unique as far as the characters are concerned. They are all non-human, mostly animals and birds, who talk like human beings. We never have any human characters in fables.

Reason

Why? Simple. These stories were mostly developed to make the common people aware of the tyranny of the powerful people. Now, the authors, or the story-tellers could face the wrath of the powerful section if voices were raised against them directly. So, the authors of such fables decided to go subtle behind these non-human characters indicative of real life human characters.

Back to the Text

Shall we get back to the poem now? Why don't you listen to, or read the poem once again note down whatever you find important in the text before we start discussing it in further detail?

The Dramatic Setting

Have you noticed how dramatic is the poem? Don't we have some defined characters engaged into an action in a definite setting?

The Characters

How many characters do we have in this poem?

Yes, we have two characters. We have the mountain, and the squirrel, right?

But, shouldn't we count the narrator as well?

The Action

What are these characters doing in this poem? Yes, it has been said at the very beginning of the poem that the mountain and the squirrel are engaged in a quarrel.

And the narrator is telling us the whole story about them, right?

The Setting

Well, the time and the place are not really specified here in the poem. But still, we can easily understand that the action takes place somewhere at some point of time not referred to in here directly. In fact, this space-time independence leaves the scope for us to imagine the action taking place in any real time and place that suits the content, thus turning the text more universal in its appeal. I would love to hear from you about this...

The Narrative

The narrative of this poem is undoubtedly very interesting. Have you noticed that the narrator tells us the story on his own only in the first four lines? The rest part is actually the words spoken by the squirrel,- they are not the narrator's own. We even have a similar usage of direct speech in the third line of the poem where the narrator chooses to quote the exact words of the mountain.

Use of Quoted Speech

Such use of qouted speech is very important as a method of authentic narration. It allows us to listen to the exact words of the speakers instead of a third person reporting which may include some interpolation or bias. Why don't you ask me if you need more discussion on this?

The First Three Lines

The mountain and the squirrel

Had a quarrel;

And the former called the latter ‘Little Prig.’

The Quarrel

In the first two lines, the narrator refers to the fact that the mountain and the squirrel had a quarrel some time in the past. Don't you think that the word 'quarrel' is noteworthy? It's not a debate, or an argument, but a quarrel- right? How do you think a quarrel is different from an argument or a debate?

The Answer

The answer lies in the third line, isn't it? The mountain (the former- whoever is referred to at first earlier) called the squirrel (the latter- why don't you guess the meaning? Be sure you consult a dictionary to check the pronunciation as well...) ‘Little Prig’. Do we really turn abusive in a debate, or in a formal argument?

Yes, that's why it was a quarrel, and not just an argument...

Fourth Line

This is the last time where the narrator chooses to report the incident on his own,- that the squirrel (the bun- all the rodents are referred to as buns for their raised and longer incisors, commonly known as the bunny teeth) didn't choose to stay silent, but replied back.

The Reply

The narrator shares the exact words uttered by the squirrel (don't miss the quotation marks ueed) in his reply, and thus turns the narrative to an authentic one-

‘You are doubtless very big;

Have you noticed how the squirrel begins with a note of agreement? Surely we all understand that the mountain must had bragged about its enormous size earlier during the quarrel. Don't we? Do you think that the mountain was trying to bodyshame the squirrel? Yes, this is how we negotiate meaning contextually. And the squirrel accepts the fact without denial.

But all sorts of things and weather

Must be taken in together,

To make up a year

And a sphere.

But, we have a 'but' following immediately, right? Shouldn't we be ready for a counter argument then?

And here we are presented with a wonderful perspective. -

A year is made complete only with all sorts of weather as we experience through the different seasons that constitute the year. Only spring season cannot make a complete year, no matter how deep you long for it. To get a year complete, you have to count all the seasons together.

A sphere (would you like to agree if I interpret it as our planet, the only known living planet in the universe) also requires all sorts of things to get completed. Yes, our earth does require both the biotic factors (living components) and the abiotic components (non-living components) in perfect harmony to stay healthy. I'm sure you won't disagree. 

That doesn't mean that you can't voice your doubts. I'll be there if you have any, in your mind... Just drop a comment in the space meant for below.

Well, so what do we get from the squirrel? It's simple. Everything, and everyone are important for us. It will be unwise to ignore others thinking the roles they play are not important for us. 

I would like you to stop here for a moment and introspect. Whom do you undermine and ignore? Why do you think that they don't deserve your respect? Do you think that on the other hand, you deserve their respect? Do you feel superior to them? Think deep and see if you find any good reason to reconsider your belief... 

And I think it no disgrace

To occupy my place.

Do you hear that? The squirrel is not ashamed of its position. It's not as big as the mountain, but still, doesn't feel inferior. Do you feel this strange? Let's find out the reason...

If I'm not so large as you,

You are not so small as I,

And not half so spry.

Do you get the argument now? Well, the squirrel is not as big as the mountain, that's true. But that's not a disgrace. Why should it be? The mountain is also not as small as the squirrel either. 

Does it sound weird? It sounds so only because we attach too much value for the big size. But small size is no less important. Do you know that naval soldiers are specifically chosen by their relatively short height in order to engage them for submarine duty? Big guys just don't have a chance there?

I'll not deny you make

A very pretty squirrel track;

Yes, admitting fact is very important for an argument. That's how it's different from a quarrel. Indeed squirrels enjoy nice tracks and paths laid over mountains, don't they?

Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;

Here comes the bottom line. Everything here on our planet is important, and none can be ignored.

If I cannot carry forests on my back,

Neither can you crack a nut.’

Do I see you laughing? Why? Do you really feel that carrying a forest is a real job whereas cracking nuts is just fun, a sort of triviality? Here we go wrong again. Mountains grow forests on their back only because squirrels help the forests to grow by cracking the nuts and dispersing the seeds. Which job is more serious now?

As we have discussed earlier, both are equally serious. We tend to attach more value to some because of economic and political reasons. For instance, you may believe that being fair means being beautiful, and hence may wish to buy a lot of fairness creams. At the same time, you need to know that there are real people who prefer brown, dark and yellow skins over fairness. Their notion of beauty is different from yours. That's all.

I would love to hear from you about this. Why don't you try to relate the argument to your real life, and thus, appreciate the poem?

Back to the Title

Hey... Would you like to consider the poem as a fable now? Why don't you post and share your arguments?

And, in the process, you may share your preference for the characters you have met here in this poem. For me, it's the squirrel... Why?- I would answer only if I come to know about your preference...