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London, Leicester and Kerala
I am a Medical Doctor, born and brought up in Kerala, settled in England for last 27 years. Interested in almost any and every field under the sun. I believe in 'Simple living and simple thinking'and try to follow this principle in life...This is a snapshot of what I wish to write; but many of the things I want to write are still under the iceberg! Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu

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Sunday 1 November 2009

Mani nadam 2

Manikutty was asked to write a favourite poem during this half-term holidays...It was interesting to note that she selected one of my all time favourites from school days. ie "Stopping by woods on a snowy evening". I asked her why did she liked it...she said it is because it describes the forests and snow. I tried to explain the deeper meaning of it and may be she understood a bit of the holistic perspective!




I felt that I should upload this just because of the sheer depth of meaning of life explained in such a simple style by a great poet of the twentieth century. I remember my English teacher in school reciting this poem and saying this was the favourite of Pandit Nehru's too.

'The woods are lovely, dark and deep

But I have promises to keep

And miles to go before I sleep

And miles to go before I sleep'

3 simple sentences conveying the truth of nature, of our selves......

14 comments:

mannadiar said...

that's quite wonderful a selection...my kisses to her:)
yes, those verses are shrouded in mystery, and no wonder why literature students world-wide relish at analyzing this favourite poem of theirs, trying to solve it out like a cryptic crossword, coming up with a suite of poles-apart explanations. reading it once would render us with a plain meaning, but the more you re-read it, the darker and deeper it truly gets!!!

PCV said...

Very well put....I was reading a few reviews on this and am amazed to see the different explanations and perspectives. The interesting fact to note is that Robert Frost had been up the entire night writing the long poem "New Hampshire" and had finally finished when he realized morning had come. He went out to view the sunrise and suddenly got the idea for "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". He wrote the new poem in just a few minutes and later stated that "It was as if I'd had a hallucination"!

Unknown said...

These are my favorite verses too.

I recollect my college days where i captured the attention of Pre-Degree students with these four sentences during the college election. I won the election even though it was a triangular one!

Even after my degree and Post Graduation in Literature, Where we learned a lot from different writers, these words still have the nostalgic feeling.

PCV said...

Yet another perspective...winning a triangular contest with the help of Robert Frost...Wonderful!

Unknown said...

Miles to Go before i sleep .....has endless meanings!!

It can be and still used by many to describe their urge to achieve great things in life...!!

ഒരു വഴിപോക്കന്‍ said...

I recall what my school teacher TT Antony said while he was teaching us this poem.
He was an unknown poet untill then and also quite a few years after that poem. He didn't see the hidden meaning in the poem and simply said "The woods are lovely Dark and deep" which was the case.....
I have promises to keep ( he would have given some one a promise about something)
And miles to go before I sleep ( he has not slept that day - he was writing that poem New Hampshire!- and his house was far away)

So Although Frost would have not even envisaged such a meaning, those lines could be interpreted the way we do now.

Unknown said...

Oh No!! What TT Antony taught is really ridiculous!!
Miles to go before i Sleep...It is crystal clear that he is referring to eternal sleep, "Death"

But when we use these verses in different contexts, it acquires different meaning and feels apt to the context!! :-)

Manoj said...

Maninadam valare nannayirunnu. Poetry is open to the interpretations/imaginations of the reader. I am hoping for more such maninadams.

Unknown said...

It is quite a selection for a little girl!I too remember "miles to go before I sleep" explained at school. When one gets into interpreting the poem it goes a lot beyond just stopping by the woods..Love to Manikutty.

PCV said...

Thanks....Yes the interpretations one make or rather the many different & varied interpretations by different people is the true beauty of poetry. Frost has gone to sleep, but his poem lives on......

Ramesh Panikker said...

A nice poem - reading for the first time. Gifted daughter with such deep insight. May it develop and blossom.

Sapna Anu B.George said...

Good to meet you,greet you,read you in blogers pages

PCV said...

Thank you for reading and following my blog. I will definitely try to contribute more this year...

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