Chapter: The Frog and the Nightingale (Poem)

Subject: English Literature

Class: X

Chapter 7: Frog and the Nightingale (Poem)

(Summary and Analysis)
Brief Summary
In the Bingle bog, under a Sumac tree a frog sang in its unpleasant voice. All the creatures in the bog
hated its harsh sound. They tried using different ways – requests, sticks, stones, insults and complaints
but the frog could not be stopped. It was proud of its voice and sang with confidence.

Nightingale’s Entry
One night when the sky was lit with the moonlight, a melodious nightingale sat on the Sumac tree and
sang beautifully. All the creatures were attracted towards the melodious voice. The frog was amazed as
it had never heard such a beautiful voice. All the creatures praised and cheered the bird and asked it to
sing more. The nightingale had never received such praise and so, it got flattered. It sang continuously
throughout the night. The next night, as the bird prepared to sing the frog who was jealous of it
interrupted it. It introduced itself as the owner of the tree on which the bird was sitting. It said that it
was famous for its deep manly voice and also wrote occasionally for the bog trumpet magazine.

Nightingale trapped by clever Frog

The frog told the nightingale that her song was not bad, but pointed out that it was too long and lacked
force. The innocent bird felt great that such a great musician has evaluated her singing talent. The frog
scolded her for being proud that her song was her own original composition. He said that she had to get
formal training to become a perfect singer. The innocent nightingale was trapped by the clever frog. It
requested the frog to train it and praised it by saying that it was the great musician Mozart. The frog
agreed hesitantly but would charge a fee. The frog forced the little delicate bird to sing in bad weather,
for long hours which made her weak. Her voice lost its melody.

Greedy Frog used Nightingale to earn money

After some rest, the nightingale’s throat felt better, and it again started singing. As a huge crowd would
gather to hear the melodious voice, the greedy frog started charging admission fee for the ‘concert’. It
attracted a royal crowd of birds and animals from distant places who attended the concert in their fine
dresses. The frog was happy that he was earning so much money but at the same time, was jealous of
the nightingale’s popularity. As the frog became greedy for more money, it would scold the poor bird,
force it to practise more and pointed out mistakes in its singing technique. All this took a toll on the
little bird.

Declining glory and death of Nightingale

As it became sad, overworked and weak, it’s song lost its melody and became boring. The crowd started
decreasing which infuriated the frog. One day as the bird tried to draw a deep breath to sing loud and
strong, a vein in it burst and it died. Now the frog calls the nightingale stupid, nervous and prone to be
influenced by others. It says that it should have had confidence rather than being influenced by what
the frog said. The frog says that it believes and so now, once again it is the unopposed singer in the bog.
Chapter: The Frog and the Nightingale (Poem)
Subject: English Literature
Class: X

Stanza-wise Explanation and Analysis

Once upon a time a frog
Croaked away in Bingle Bog
Every night from dusk to dawn
He croaked awn and awn and awn.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-1)
Bingle: name of the bog
Bog: an area of land that is very wet and muddy
Dusk: Sunset
Dawn Sunrise
Awn: ‘on’ misspelt and mispronounced as ‘awn’ so
that it rhymes with ‘dawn’

The poet is telling the story of a frog and a nightingale who lived in a marshy land called ‘Bingle Bog’. The frog
croaked all through the night from sunset till sunrise. It croaked non – stop and to emphasize the continuity of
his sound, the poet repeats the word ‘awn’ thrice.

Other creatures loathed his voice,

But, alas, they had no choice.
And the crass cacophony
Blared out from the sumac tree
At whose foot the frog each night
Minstrelled on till morning night

Word-Meaning (Stanza-2)
Loathed: hated
Crass: rude and insensitive
Cacophony: a very loud and unpleasant noise
Blared out: blew out
Sumac tree: a type of small tree
Minstrelled: sang

The other creatures in the Bingle bog like rabbits, elephants, monkeys, birds etc. disliked the harsh and unpleasant
sound made by the frog. They could do nothing about it and the rude and loud sound made by the frog could be
heard as it croaked sitting at the foot of a tree called Sumac. It croaked continuously throughout the night.

Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks,

Insults or complaints or bricks
Stilled the frog's determination
To display his heart's elation

Word-Meaning (Stanza-3)
Stilled: could stop
Elation: great pride and joy
The creatures of the bog tried different ways to stop the frog. They hit it with stones, bricks and sticks, insulted it,
complained against it and even prayed before it to stop making the unpleasant sound. They were unsuccessful as
the frog was determined to ‘sing’ as it was proud of its unique voice.
Chapter: The Frog and the Nightingale (Poem)
Subject: English Literature
Class: X

But one night a nightingale

In the moonlight cold and pale
Perched upon the Sumac tree
Casting forth her melody.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-4)
Pale: of lighter kind
Perched: sat
Casting forth: to emit or to send out, unleash

The character of the nightingale is now introduced in the poem. One night, the sky was full of the moon’s light.
The weather was cold, and everything seemed dull. A nightingale bird sat on a branch of the sumac tree and sang
in it melodious voice.

Dumbstruck sat the gaping frog.

And the whole admiring bog
Stared towards the sumac, rapt,
And, when she had ended,
clapped,
Ducks had swum and herons waded
To her as she serenaded

Word-Meaning (Stanza-5)
Dumbstruck: so shocked or surprised as to be unable to speak
Gaping: staring with mouth open
Admiring: looking at it with great pleasure
Rapt: totally interested, so that one cannot think of anything else
Heron: a water bird
Waded: walk through water
Serenaded: sang beautifully

The frog was shocked to hear the melodious voice of the nightingale. It was unable to speak. All the creatures of
the Bingle bog appreciated the song. They clapped and praised it when the song ended. Ducks and herons swam
and came near the sumac tree to hear it as the nightingale sang beautifully.

And a solitary loon

Wept, beneath the summer moon.
Toads and teals and tiddlers, captured
By her voice, cheered on, enraptured:
"Bravo!" "Too divine!" "Encore!"
So the nightingale once more,

Word-Meaning (Stanza-6)
Solitary: alone, single
Loon: a large water bird
Toads: belonging to the frog family
Teal: a small duck
Tiddlers: small fishes
Enraptured: filled with fascination and delight
Encore: 'sing some more'

A large water bird called loon who was alone felt emotional on hearing the nightingale’s melodious song. It
started weeping as the nightingale sang through the night with the moon in the sky. ‘Summer moon’ means that
it was the summer season when the moon is comparatively lower in the sky. Even the tiny creatures like the small
frogs, ducks and fishes were attracted to the melodious voice and cheered it to sing more. They cheered the
nightingale by saying that it was a brave bird, its song was heavenly and asked it to sing more.
Chapter: The Frog and the Nightingale (Poem)
Subject: English Literature
Class: X

Quite unused to such applause,

Sang till dawn without a pause.
Next night when the Nightingale
Shook her head and twitched her tail,
Closed an eye and fluffed a wing
And had cleared her throat to sing

Word-Meaning (Stanza-7)
Applause: Praise, appreciation
Twitched: A short, sudden jerk or movement

The nightingale had never received appreciation and it was so happy that it sang continuously till sunrise. The
next night it again prepared to sing – it shook its head, jerked its tail, closed an eye to concentrate on the song
and fluffed its wing. Before starting the song, it cleared its throat also.

She was startled by a croak.

"Sorry - was that you who spoke?"
She enquired when the frog
Hopped towards her from the bog.
"Yes," the frog replied.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-8)
Startled: Taken aback, surprised and shocked

The bird was interrupted by the ‘croak’ sound of the frog. As it hopped towards the nightingale, it asked the frog
whether it was the frog who spoke. The frog replied that it was his sound.

"You see,
I'm the frog who owns this tree.
In this bog I've long been known
For my splendid baritone
And, of course, I wield my pen
For Bog Trumpet now and then".

Word-Meaning (Stanza-9)
Baritone: a male singing voice, fairly deep
Wield: hold and use

The frog introduces itself to the nightingale as the owner of the sumac tree on whose branch the bird was sitting
and singing. Further it said that it was famous in the bog for singing in its unique, deep voice. It also wrote
occasionally for the Bog Trumpet magazine.

"Did you… did you like my song?"

"Not too bad - but far too long.
The technique was fine of course,
But it lacked a certain force".

The humble bird asks the frog if it liked her song. The frog replies that it wasn’t bad, but it was very long. Further
it comments on her skill and says that the method of singing was fine, but her voice lacked force.

"Oh!" the nightingale confessed.

Greatly flattered and impressed
That a critic of such note
Had discussed her art and throat:
"I don't think the song's divine.
But - oh, well - at least it's mine".
Chapter: The Frog and the Nightingale (Poem)
Subject: English Literature
Class: X

Word-Meaning (Stanza-11)
Flattered: happy and pleased
Impressed: influenced
Critic: a person who judges the merits of artistic works
art: here, singing talent

The nightingale felt bad that her singing was not up to the mark. It was happy that such an expert musician had
analyzed her song and her voice. It was impressed by the frog’s style. The bird consoles itself that even if her song
is not heavenly, at least it is her own composition.

"That's not much to boast about".

Said the heartless frog. "Without
Proper training such as I
And few others - can supply.
You'll remain a mere beginner.
But with me you'll be a winner".

Word-Meaning (Stanza-12)
Boast: Praise oneself

The frog scolds the bird for being proud. It is harsh towards the bird and belittles it by saying that it lacks training
which only a few masters like the frog can give. The frog also says that without the training the bird will remain
just a beginner all its life and if it wanted to become a winner – a perfect singer, then it had to learn from him.

"Dearest frog", the nightingale

Breathed: "This is a fairy tale -
And you're Mozart in disguise
Come to earth before my eyes".

Word-Meaning (Stanza-13)
Mozart: name of a very talented musician
Disguise: cannot be recognized

Poetic devices:
• Metaphor –a comparison between two things without using like or as. - "This is a fairy tale and you're Mozart
in disguise” The nightingale compares the frog to Mozart, indicating a belief in his musical talent.
• Allusion - The nightingale makes a reference to a famous classical composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
"And you are Mozart in disguise / Come to earth before my eyes". This reference functions to highlight how
innocent the nightingale is, that she genuinely believes the frog possesses the same level of musical genius as
Mozart.

The nightingale praises the frog and compares it to the most famous musician Mozart. It says that this is like a
fairy tale – a dream come true that such an accomplished singer is present before her.

"Well I charge a modest fee.

Oh!... But it won't hurt, you'll see"
Now the nightingale inspired,
Flushed with confidence, and fired
With both art and adoration,
Sang - and was a huge sensation.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-14)
Modest: small
Flushed: full of, very excited and pleased
Adoration: strong admiration
Chapter: The Frog and the Nightingale (Poem)
Subject: English Literature
Class: X

Sensation: widespread reaction of interest and excitement

The frog tells the nightingale that it will teach her the skill but will charge a small fee. It assures her that the
amount will be small and paying it will not be tough for the bird. The nightingale regains its confidence and takes
inspiration from the frog’s consent. It is full of talent and admiration for the frog. With this new-found confidence,
it sang well. The bird’s music became famous and creatures from far off places were attracted to it.

Animals for miles around

Flocked towards the magic sound,
And the frog with great precision
Counted heads and charged admission
Though next morning it was raining,
He began her vocal training.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-15)
Precision: exact and accurate

Animals gathered from far – off places to hear the magical song of the nightingale. The frog organized concerts
and charged an admission fee from all the creatures who came to hear the bird’s song. The next morning after
the concert, it was raining, and the bird did not want to sing. The frog insisted and commenced her training.

"But I can't sing in this weather".

"Come my dear - we'll sing together.
Just put on your scarf and sash,
Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!"

Word-Meaning (Stanza-16)
Sash: a long piece of cloth that you wear round the waist or over the
shoulder, usually as a badge of honour

Despite the nightingale’s refusal to sing in the rainy weather, the frog forces it to sing. It asks her to cover her
head with a scarf to save herself from the rain and to wear a sash given to her as she has joined his music class.
Both sing a song – “Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!"

So the frog and nightingale

Journeyed up and down the scale
For six hours, till she was shivering
and her voice was hoarse and quivering.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-17)
Scale: a sequence of musical notes that go up and down, one after the another
hoarse: rough and unclear
quivering: shaking, trembling

The frog and the nightingale continued singing for six hours. They sang different musical notes from high to low
and vice versa. By the end of the class the poor bird was trembling, and her voice became rough and shaky due
to singing in an unpleasant weather and for such a long time.

Though subdued and sleep deprived,

In the night her throat revived,
And the sumac tree was bowed,
With a breathless, titled crowd:
Owl of Sandwich, Duck of Kent,
Mallard and Milady Trent,

Word-Meaning (Stanza-18)
Chapter: The Frog and the Nightingale (Poem)
Subject: English Literature
Class: X

Subdued: quiet, with little energy

Deprived: not getting enough of something
Revived: improved

Poetic devices:
• Allusion - The poet makes a reference to famous titles – ‘Owl of sandwich’ refers to the Earl of Sandwich,
‘Duck of Kent’ refers to the Duke of Kent, ‘Mallard and Milady Trent’ refer to My Lord and My Lady of
Trent. The poet wants to say that a royal crowd had gathered to hear the melodious bird. As the creatures
were animals, so the first names have been replaced by such names of animals which create rhyming effect.

The sumac tree on whose branch the nightingale sat and sang in its melodious voice was crowded and it seemed
that it had bent as a mark of respect to the royal gathering which had come for the concert. The royal creatures
that had come were the owl of Sandwich, the duck of Kent, Mallard and Milady of Trent. The poet has added the
names of animals like owl, duck, Mallard to the names of historical figures like ‘Earl of Sandwich’, ‘Duke of
Kent’, ‘My Lord and My Lady of Trent’ to show that a royal crowd had gathered.

Martin Cardinal Mephisto,

And the Coot of Monte Cristo,
Ladies with tiaras glittering
In the interval sat twittering -
And the frog observed them glitter
With a joy both sweet and bitter.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-19)
Tiaras: a semi - circular metal band decorated with jewels and worn by wealthy
women on formal occasions
Twittering: chatting

Poetic devices:
• Allusion -The poet makes a reference to famous titles – ‘Coot of Monte Cristo’ refers to the Count of Monte
Cristo.
• Imagery – ‘Ladies with tiaras glittering, In the interval sat twittering’ – The reader experiences visual and
aural imagery by imagining the royal audience wearing glittering tiaras can be heard chatting among
themselves.

The crowd included Martin cardinal Mephisto and the coot of Monte Cristo. All the royal ladies were wearing
tiaras which were full of shining metal and precious stones. They talked with each other during the interval in the
concert. The frog saw the royal gathering which had come to hear the nightingale’s song. He had mixed feelings
of happiness and jealousy. He was happy as a huge crowd meant monetary gain. He was jealous of the
nightingale’s fame as his song had never got such an exceptional audience.

Every day the frog who'd sold her

Songs for silver tried to scold her:
"You must practice even longer
Till your voice, like mine grows stronger.
In the second song last night
You got nervous in mid-flight.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-20)
Mid - flight: In the middle of the song wealthy women on formal occasions

The greedy frog earned a lot of money by selling tickets to the nightingale’s concert. Still, he scolded the poor
bird and showed it down by saying that its voice was not strong enough and that it needed to practice more. He
also pointed out her mistake and said that the previous night, during the second song, she had got nervous in the
middle of the song.

And, my dear, lay on more trills:

Chapter: The Frog and the Nightingale (Poem)
Subject: English Literature
Class: X

Audiences enjoy such frills.

You must make your public happier:
Give them something sharper, snappier.
We must aim for better billings.
You still owe me sixty shillings."

Word-Meaning (Stanza-21)
Trills: singing two musical notes one after the other, repeatedly and very quickly
Billings: publicity for a concert, show, etc.

The frog orders the nightingale to use fancy notes in her song so that the audience enjoys it more and more and
more creatures gather to hear her sing. The frog wants her to please the audience and use sharp notes, sing
snappy songs which are liked by them. He wants her to aim at earning more and more money. He reminds her
that she still owes him sixty shillings (he is referring to the fee that she must pay him for the music training).

Day by day the nightingale

Grew more sorrowful and pale.
Night on night her tired song
Zipped and trilled and bounced along,
Till the birds and beasts grew tired
At a voice so uninspired

Word-Meaning (Stanza-22)
Zipped: sang quickly

With each passing day the nightingale became sad and weak. With each passing day, the bird’s song reflected its
tiredness and lack of interest. It sang quickly and would not enjoy singing. The songs were no longer melodious,
and the creatures of the bog did not enjoy them anymore. The bird’s voice did not attract crowds any longer.

And the ticket office gross

Crashed, and she grew more morose
For her ears were now addicted
To applause quite unrestricted,
And to sing into the night
All alone gave no delight.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-23)
Morose: miserable, bad tempered

There was no audience for the nightingale’s concert. This made the bird sad as now, she had got used to the
praise from the audience. Now, it no longer enjoyed singing alone all through the night.

Now the frog puffed up with rage.

"Brainless bird - you're on the stage -
Use your wits and follow fashion.
Puff your lungs out with your passion."

Word-Meaning (Stanza-23)
Rage: anger
Wits: intelligence
Puff: take a very deep breath
Passion: show strong emotions

As the frog’s earnings stopped, it got furious at the nightingale. It called it a ‘brainless bird’ and scolded it. It
said that it should realize the importance of performing on a stage and should use its intelligence. It asked the
Chapter: The Frog and the Nightingale (Poem)
Subject: English Literature
Class: X

bird to sing according to the choice of the audience and to follow the latest trends. It forced the bird to take very
deep breaths and sing with lots of force and emotions.

Trembling, terrified to fail,

Blind with tears, the nightingale
Heard him out in silence, tried,
Puffed up, burst a vein, and died.

The nightingale was trembling with fear of the frog as it had failed to perform well. It cried and as its eyes were
full of tears, it could not even see properly. It did not oppose the frog’s words. It tried to take a deep breath but
could not bear it. As a result, the nightingale died as one of the vein in its body burst.

Said the frog: "I tried to teach her,

But she was a stupid creature -
Far too nervous, far too tense.
Far too prone to influence.
Well, poor bird - she should have known
That your song must be your own.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-25)
Stupid: unintelligent
Prone: likely to suffer from

The frog comments on the dead nightingale bird. It says that the nightingale was not intelligent and that it tried
to teach her also. She was nervous, became tense and lacked self - confidence. It further added that the poor bird
should have sung her own song in her own way. It should not have changed its style and get influenced by the
frog. This shows that the frog is a cheat. It forced the bird into the wrong path due to jealousy.

That's why I sing with panache

"Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!"
And the foghorn of the frog
Blared unrivalled through the bog.

Word-Meaning (Stanza-26)
Panache: a very confident, elegant style
Foghorn: a very loud, unpleasant noise
Unrivalled: unopposed

The frog ends by saying that it had confidence in its singing talent and sang in its unique style. Once again, the
frog sang its song - "Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!". The frog’s song could be heard all over the bingle bog and he
became the unopposed singer.