The Choice (Poem)

THE CHOICE
Robert Morgan
About the Poet
Robert Morgan (born 1944) is an
American poet, short story writer, and
novelist.
He is the author of fifteen books of poetry, most
recently Terroir and Dark Energy. He has also
published nine volumes of fiction,
including Gap Creek, a New York
Times bestseller.
The Choice
SUMMARY
Sometime in the second half of the 21st Century, when the earth
was almost destroyed, a spacecraft visits an abandoned city
between two hills. In it are Captain Starglyn and Suncon, the
Celestial Geologist. They are studying the possible causes of the
destruction of this city. Having studied a meteorite that broke
away from the earth in 2048, Suncon has learnt that men on the
earth had themselves caused their end. Even though men knew
they were destroying the earth by polluting, cutting down forests
and emitting dangerous gases, they didn’t stop such activities.
They knew what was right and what was evil, but like fools, they
chose the evil way.
SETTING
Two aliens, Starglyn and Suncon, land on a stretch

of meadow between two hills that face a
crumbling city. The city was once a prosperous
one but over population and overconsumption of
natural resources brought destruction.
THEME/MESSAGE
The poem is a warning to take maximum care of

the planet and to stop harming it. Man knows
that his actions can ruin the earth yet he is
reckless. He ignores the warnings and goes on
destroying the planet. It is time to realize that
we are harming our own existence by harming
our earth.
STANZA 1
They were landing and the great thrust

Pressed like magnetism on their bodies.
The great ship hovered then slowly
Dropped on meadow grass.
Starglyn, the captain of the spacecraft and
Suncon, the celestial geologist were landing
on a meadow grass near a crumbling city
between two hills. While doing so they
experienced the upthrust of the earth’s
magnetic force.
STANZA 2
Starglyn, the captain, stared

At the green landscape.
Between two hills a deserted city,
Crumbling and overgrown, patterned
The scanning Screen. The dials
On a blue screen indicated
No human life present.
Starglyn and Suncon found the crumbled city
but no trace of human life. On their
equipment’s scanning screen they are unable
to find any humans. The city seems to be long
abandoned.
STANZA 3
Suncon, the celestial Geologist,

Smiled over his captain’s shoulder.
‘You were right,’ said Starglyn.
‘They must have been a very aggressive people.
What was your main information?’
Suncon, the geologist had studied earth
earlier also and made the prediction that no
human life was present on earth. Starglyn, the
captain said that Suncon was right and
concluded that the human beings must have
been very aggressive. He further asked Suncon
how he had made this prediction.
STANZA 4
The great meteorite which broke

From earth in 2048 A.D.
We took it to Station Z
And examined it. It told us everything.
Suncon answered that a meteorite had broken
from Earth in 2048 AD and was later examined
at their space station and from there they got
to know that human life no longer existed on
the earth.
STANZA 5
‘What?’ asked Starglyn.

‘They were allowed to choose
Between good and evil….’
‘Fools,’ muttered Straglyn.
Starglyn wanted to know what they had learned
about the planet and Suncon informs him that
humans had a choice—they could choose
good or could do evil things. In the end it is
clear that they chose evil. Hearing this,
Starglyn called them fools because they knew
what was right and what was evil, but foolishly
they had chosen the evil way.
Answer these questions.
1. Where did the spacecraft land?
It landed on a meadow grass near a crumbling
city between two hills.
2. Why were the aliens there?
They were there to study the earth.
3. Why was the earth without any human race?
Humans destroyed their race by their harmful
activities.
They were allowed to choose...
i. Who is ‘they’ here?

It refers to human.
ii. What was the choice that ‘they’ made?
They chose evil over good.
iii. What was the consequence of the choice?
As a consequence of it, the human destroyed
their whole race.
3. Why does Starglyn call people ‘fools’?
He calls them so because they could have
chosen to save themselves but didn’t do so.

The Choice (Poem)

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What did the aliens learn from examining the meteorite?

Why was the city deserted?

THE CHOICE

Two aliens, Starglyn and Suncon, land on a stretch

The poem is a warning to take maximum care of

They were landing and the great thrust

Starglyn, the captain, stared

Suncon, the celestial Geologist,

The great meteorite which broke

‘What?’ asked Starglyn.

i. Who is ‘they’ here?

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