The Cookie Lady

The Cookie Lady : Theme of Exploitation and Manipulation of the Innocence

The Cookie Lady : Theme of Human Desire of Recapture of Lost Vitality and Youth
The Cookie Lady : Theme of Horror
The Cookie Lady : Plot and Setting
The Cookie Lady : Appropriateness of the Title
The Cookie Lady : Character Sketch of Mrs. Drew

1.The Cookie Lady: Theme of Human Desire to

Recapture Lost Vitality and Youth
Question : Describe the theme of human desire to
recapture lost vitality and youth in the short story “The
Cookie Lady”.
Answer: “The Cookie Lady” by P. K. Dick is a story of a young boy Bubber and an old
lady Mrs. Drew, who lures the young and innocent boy with her cookies and steals his
youth and life force. The story explores the theme of Human Desire to Recapture Lost
Vitality and Youth as the story tells about the various attempts of the old lady, Mrs. Drew
to regain her lost youth. She feels overjoyed even thinking about regaining her youth
again “youth was so much. It was everything. What did the world mean to the old?”

The old lady often bakes cookies to lure Bubber, the young and innocent boy, and
charms him by serving these cookies with cold milk as he likes. All these efforts, that
old Mrs. Drew made is not just for his company but there are some hidden and dark
intentions. Every time Bubber visits her and sits by her, she feels “something
happening”. She feels the energy of youth in her body, her thin fragile body filling out
with youth again. Her grey hair thickened and darkened “colour coming to the wispy
strands”. Her arms filled and her “mottled flesh turning a rich hue as it had been
once, many years before”. But this transformation was not permanent. As soon as the
boy left her house, the “matron of perhaps thirty” with “full cheeks and plump arms
and legs” had turned into old and withered Mrs. Drew again.

The old lady has become so disappointed as the “tears blurred her eyes”. When she
looked at herself in the mirror she found herself old again her “eyes deep – set in a
withered face”. The “warmth” of youthfulness left her “as soon as the boy had left her
side”. She waited desperately for the next time. When the boy has come again, her
happiness and sinister intentions are shown by her evil smile and words “It makes me
feel so young again to have you come visit.”

As the boy informed her that his parents forbade him to visit her and this is “the last
time”. The old lady stunned with fear “everything seemed to leap around her, the
room twisting furiously.” She has become so anxious and desperate knowing that the
boy would never come back to her and “there would be no more time”. It would be her
last attempt to regain her vitality from the “plump” boy.
She instructed him to read a book aloud so that he could stay with her as long as
possible. The old lady sat close by the boy, “closer then ever” and waiting for the
transformation. As she remembered that it was her “last time”, she wanted to become
youthful as soon as possible. She needs to touch his arm to absorb his youth vitality to
regain her own. The old lady could feel the “pulsating vibrating youngness” of
him, “flowing between her fingers, through her arm”. It began to happen. The
youngness “carried into her by the sound of the voice and the feel of the arm”. She
could feel the flow of energy, the change and the warm rising feeling. She
was “blooming again filling with life, swelling into richness” as she had been years
ago.

She noticed her arms, rounded, her nails cleared. Her hair, black and thickened again.
She smiled, feeling her strong teeth and gums and red lips. She touched her cheeks,
wrinkles had gone and skin “pliant and soft”. On the other side the boy looked tired
and drained out, his “face fat and dull, a dead white”.This time the transformation was
full and permanent. After the boy had left for his house she still remained young and
strong as she had been years ago.

The touch and sound of the boy trigger this transformation, filling Mrs. Drew with joy
renewed sense of confidence. While the boy was left devoid of his energy and vitality. He
has become dried out, cold, exhausted. The cookie lady has stolen away the youth,
energy and vitality of the young boy and left him at the mercy of strong wind. At the end
Bubber is reduced to just a bundle of trash and is blown away by the wind.

1. The Cookie Lady: Theme of Exploitation

and Manipulation of Innocence
Philip K. Dick’s short story “The Cookie Lady” also explores the theme
of “Exploitation and Manipulation of Innocence.”The old Mrs. Drew exploits Bubber’s
innocence and craving for cookies for her own sinister intentions.

Bubber is a young teenage overweight boy, who has the irresistible craving for the
cookies. His mother also defines his love for cookies as “He’d do anything for a plate
of cookies”. The sight of a woman drinking a big chocolate soda make “Bubber’s
mouth water”. Cold milk served with freshly baked cookies is his favourite and Mrs.
Drew knows it very well and uses it for her own evil intentions. Mrs. Drew is a very old
lady, who thinks that youth is “everything” and “what did the world mean to the old
?” So she desperately wants “to be young again”. Surprisingly she has some
unexplainable powers like a sorceress that she can drew the youth and vitality from the
young boy.

Mrs. Drew lures Bubber with her tempting cookies. She bakes cookies with “nuts and
raisins in them” and serves them with cold milk as Bubber likes. Bubber visits again
and again to satisfy his temptation for delicious cookies. Every time the boy visits her
and sits by her side to read her books as she asked him to do, the old lady transforms
into a “matron of perhaps thirty”. But her transformation was seemed to be temporary,
as the boy moved away she has become old, wrinkled and withered again.
 Mrs. Drew manipulates the boy, Bubber saying, “It makes me feel so young again to
have you come visit”. She pretends to be a nice and lonely old lady who longs for his
company and help. She insists on Bubber to visit her again. Every time after her
transformation the boy is left tired, exhausted and sucked up, but Mrs. Drew doesn’t
care about him. To make her transformation permanent and long lasting, Mrs. Drew
moved away the lamp and table, so that her chair is right up next to the couch where the
boy read her books.

When she got to know that, this is his “last time” to visit her, she got furious and
anxious. She wants to regain her youth and vitality at any cost. Usually she draws the
youthful energy and life force from the boy, by the sound of his voice. But she needs to
touch him to make the transformation complete and permanent. She didn’t even think
about the young boy as she is going to drain out his energy in large amount and it can
be dangerous for the boy. She could feel a “pulsating vibrating youngness” of the
boy, “flowing between her fingers”. The “feel of life” made her dizzy and unsteady.
After some time, she sees herself in the mirror “Young” and “filled out with the sap of
vigorous youth”. She smiled and spun and overjoyed with her success.

After the transformation Mrs. Drew has become young, energetic, warm and vibrant.
On the other side the boy Bubber is left tired, sucked up, “dull” and “a dead white”. He
was exhausted, “his head ached”, and he stopped every few minutes, “rubbing his
forehead and resting”. He felt the cold wind “hammering at him, pushing and
plucking” at him. The cookie lady has stolen away his life force and he was reduces to a
bundle of “weeds and rags” at the mercy of the wind.

This way the story “The Cookie Lady” highlights the theme of exploitation and
manipulation of innocence.

2. “The Cookie Lady” : Theme of Loneliness and Isolation

The story “The Cookie Lady” also explores the theme of “Loneliness and Isolation”.
Mrs. Drew’s solitary life in an old and dilapidated house portrays a deep sense of
loneliness and isolation, that is experienced not only by her but also by many elderly
people.

Dick presents the loneliness of the old lady as. “she had been alone so long that she
found herself saying strange things and doing strange things”. Here the author
shows the psychological effects of loneliness on a human mind. There is no one in her
family and she lives alone in her house isolated from society. Her interaction is
restricted with only few people like “garbage men” and “the mailman came with her
pension check” or when she “went down to the store”.

The only effort she would have to do is to bake delicious coolies and in return she
would get the company of someone in her life. The lack of meaningful interaction with
human being is evident in her eagerness to welcome the boy into her home and
engaging him in a conversation with her. Mrs. Drew’s reliance on the boy for
companionship highlights the universal need for human being to establish connection,
whenever they feel isolated and lonely.
 “The Cookie Lady” as a Horror Story
P. K. Dick’s short story “The Cookie Lady” is a horror story as it instill all the elements
of horror.

The author is regarded as the master of paranoid fiction and imagination and he has
created the atmosphere of horror by using psychological abnormalities of the
relationship. The author creates horror by using suspense, mysterious plot and a
shocking climax which left the reader dumbfounded. Dick does not bring out
something specific to create horror but introduces the aspect of the unknown in hints.

Bubber’s abnormal craving for cookies hints something disastrous to be happened.

The “wonderful warm smell” of cookies makes his “mouth water”. His mother also
describes his craving for cookies as “He’d do anything for a plate of cookies”. Mrs.
Drew knows that the cookies are his weakness and she used these cookies as a bait to
trap him. This seems to be quite horrifying.

At first sight Mrs. Drew’s appears to be a lonely, kind, old lady, longing for
companionship so she bakes Bubber cookies. She urges Bubber to “stay and talk” to
her “for a while” and “read” to her, revealing her longing for company. But there is
something strange in the old lady, the author also describes her as “she had been
alone so long that she found herself saying strange things and doing strange
things”. Bubber’s father Ralf Surle also don’t like their interaction. He feels “something
strange about that old lady”.

When Mrs. Drew laughs cunningly “with excitement”, gazes at her “full, rounded
body” she is evil and sinister. In his last visit to her, Mrs. Drew asks Bubber, “You don’t
mind if I touch your arm, do you?” is a premonition of Bubber’s cursed fate. Mrs. Drew’s
transformation gives the reader a shock, a jolt. This shock also adds in the element of
horror in the story.

After each visit to Mrs. Drew the young and energetic Bubber is “all worn out”; ”
what’s going on?” His father Ralf Surle is suspicious. The readers are
also curious about it. When Bubber tells her that his parents forbade him to visit her
and it is his “last time”. Mrs. Drew becomes furious and desperate mto become young
again as soon as possible and at any cost. Her anxiety and desperation filled the
readers with fear.

The ending is bleak, the “plump” Bubber has lost his human texture and reduced
to “a bundle of weeds and rags” blown away by the strong wind. While the “dried up
old lady” Mrs. Drew is “blooming again” and “filled out with the sap of vigorous
youth”. This ending is quite eerie and unbelievable. Sucking out the young boy’s life
force, the cookie lady is quite scary and evokes a feeling of shock, disgust and fear in
the readers. The open ending adds to psychological horror.

The setting of the house as “shabby” and “a little grey box”, overgrown
with “weeds” along the front of the house adds an eerie to the story. The author
compares the oldness of the lady with the “dried up weeds” that “grew along the
front of the house” makes it quite strange and quite mysterious. The movement of the
old lady is compared with “rustling” of the weeds also makes her suspicious and eerie.

All these efforts makes “The Cookie Lady” a horror story.

Meaning Underneath the story:

Question : Does the story “The Cookie Lady” carry any
meaning underneath? What is it?
Answer: Yes, the story carries a deep meaning underneath. Superficially “The Cookie
Lady” is a paranormal – horror fantasy that can not possible in real but symbolically the
story tells several things about people in our society.

In this story the young boy Bubber is abnormally fond of cookies. His craving for
cookies represents the greed and desire in our society that leads them to a disastrous
end, as in the story. The innocent young boy Bubber represents all the innocent people in
our society – they may be man, women or children who are vulnerable and are victimised
to exploitation by the selfish, cunning and exploitative people in the world.

The old Lady Mrs. Drew represents the selfishness, greed and exploitative mentality in
our society. Her desire to recapture her lost youth and vitality represents the intense
desire for inaccessible things by hook or crook in these unscrupulous people. Her act of
draining out youth and vitality from the young boy represents the exploitation of young
children physically as well as mentally.

Bubber’s parents denied him for his favourite food cookies at home. They are failed
not only in providing him his favourite food or curb his craving but also to guide and
protect him against the sinister intentions of the cunning old lady. This represents their
ignorance towards their children and also their preoccupancy in their own life and their
work.

Ultimately, the young boy falls into the trap of an unethical lady who, under the
pretext of providing him his favourite food, exploits his youth and sends him back,
deprived of all his youth and energy.

The Cookie Lady: Plot and Setting

The Cookie Lady : Plot
Question : Discuss the plot of “The Cookie Lady”.
Answer:
P. K. Dick’s “The Cookie Lady” follows a linear plot sequence and the story is told in
the chronological order. The story introduces Bernard Surle or Bubber as a main
character of the story who has a great craving for delicious cookies. His frequent visits
to a strange old lady for his favourite cookies give an exposition to the story that
prepares the reader to expect something strange to be happened. At first sight, the
interaction between the young boy and old lady appears as it is a grandmotherly
affection of the old lady for the young kid but slowly the twist came in the picture. This
exposition also presents the setting of an old shabby house of Mrs. Drew, in which a
rocking chair is placed in the porch, prepares the ground for abnormal tidings to come.

The middle part of the story provides us the conflict. The repeated visits of the boy,
Bubber to Mrs. Drew’s house and their abnormal interaction creates the conflict in the
story. The old lady, Mrs. Drew craftily gains proximity to the young boy and try to drain
out his youth and vitality. We finds the old Mrs. Drew tries to recapture her lost youth in
Bubber’s company while the boy feels exhausted and extremely tired after each visit to
the lady’s house.

The ending of the story is the outcome of this conflict. The reader is transformed
magically and in a conjuring manner into a “matron of thirty” and overjoyed with her
new found youth and beauty. But to their extreme horror and jolt, when the reader finds
Bubber is blown away, being reduced to a bundle of debris, by the strong winds.

This ending of the story left the readers into a chilling horror and perplexed, lost in a
world of fantasy in which anything is possible.

The Cookie Lady: Setting

Question : Discuss the setting of the short story “The Cookie
Lady”.
Answer: The major parts of the story “The Cookie Lady” is set with in Mrs. Drew’s
house. The house is located at the end of the “Elm Street”, set back a little on the lot.
The front part of the house was overgrown with weeds, “old dry weeds that rustled and
chattered in the wind”. The house was “a little gray box”, dilapidated, old and
unpainted. The porch steps were so weak and old that they look “rickety” and sagging.
There was an “old weather – beaten” rocking chair on the porch with a piece of cloth
hanging over it.

The story also presents the setting in a middle class family where the parents are so
preoccupied in their own work and life that they forget to pay attention to their children
who easily get misled by the unscrupulous, evil – minded person for their greed and
selfishness. This way the setting of the story is a dystopian world of exploitation,
selfishness and greed.

In the story “The Cookie Lady” a teenage boy Bubber, who frequently visits the
dilapidated house of an elderly and strange woman named Mrs. Drew, driven by the
desire of her delicious cookies.

The old lady appears to be lonely, kind and longing for company, possesses some
unexplainable super natural power to drain out the youth and vitality from the young
boy. She craftily gains proximity with the boy and draws out the life force and vitality
from the boy.

At the end old Mrs. Drew has transformed into a “matron of perhaps thirty” and
enjoying her newly gained youth and beauty. While the young boy is completely drained
out and reduced to just a bundle of trash and is blown away by the wind.

The story is set to tell us that the parents have failed to either provide their son his
favourite food or to curb his craving or guiding him against the evil intentions of the
strange lady. As a result the boy falls into the trap of an unethical lady who under the
pretext of providing him his favourite food, exploits his youth and sends him back,
deprived of all youth and energy.

The Cookie Lady: Appropriateness of the Title

Question : Discuss the appropriateness of the title of the
story “The Cookie Lady”.
Answer: The title of the story “The Cookie Lady” is most appropriate and relevant.
The title “The Cookie Lady” refers to an old lady Mrs. Drew. P. K. Dick plots the story on
her loneliness and isolation, her interaction with the young boy, her desire to regain her
youth and the effort she made for this. The cookies play a vital role in this story.

Mrs. Drew is a very old lady, living alone in a dilapidated house. She is isolated from
the society due to her old age and withered state. She seems to have some qualities of a
sorceress to impact the life of anyone coming in contact with her. She notices that the
weakness of the young teenage boy, Bubber is delicious food. As his mother says, “He’d
do anything for a plate of cookies”. Mrs. Drew uses his favourite cookies as a bait to
trap him.

She bakes delicious cookies and like a magician, she charms Bubber with her
tempting cookies. At first sight, it appears that she is doing all this for her craving for
companionship but soon her sinister intentions are disclosed to the readers.

As her name suggests, Mrs. Drew has some unexplainable power to draw
youthfulness and vitality from the young boy. Her innate desire is to regain her lost
vitality and youth, for this purpose she insists the young boy to come visit her again and
again.

At her last attempt, she craftily gains proximity with the young boy and succeeded to
steal his youth and vitality for herself. She has become “young” again and “a matron
of perhaps thirty”. She was overjoyed as she has “filled out with the sap of vigorous
youth”.

While the young boy is left drained out. His face has become “dull” and “a
dead white” as if his life force has been sucked out. He feels tired and weary, his arms
and legs were tired and his head ached. He was left at the mercy of cold and strong wind.
At the end he is reduced to just a rag of “weed”, blown by the wind.
 Thus, the story is built on the influence exercised by the old lady on the innocent boy
coming to her, drawn by the craving for her cookies.

Therefore the title of the story “The cookie lady” is suggestive, convincing and
appropriate.

The Cookie Lady : The Ending of the Story

Question : comment on the ending of the story. Could there
be another ending ?
Answer : The ending of the short story “The Cookie Lady” is quite abrupt and
shocking. The reader finds the old Mrs. Drew who was earlier in the story described
as “very old, a little dried – up old lady, like the weeds” has transformed into a
young “matron of perhaps thirty”.

As she has succeeded in her sinister intentions of draining out the youth and vitality
from the young boy, she was young again, “filled out with the sap of vigorous youth”.

She has bloomed again, filled with life, warmth and energy. Her arms rounded and
nails clear. Her hair “black” and “thickened” again. All the wrinkles have gone from her
skin and it has become “pliant and soft”. She smiled. A feeling of “strong white teeth
and gum” in her mouth and red lips made her to smile. Her body “secure and
confident” and her voice throaty and sensual again. She was overjoyed to recapture her
youth and vitality.

On the other hand, the boy Bubber is left tired, exhausted, cold and completely spent
up. The wind was pushing him from side to side. He could hardly walk to his home. The
boy “felt tired”, his “head ached” and his “heart labouring”. He felt the wind
was “chilling” him, “hammering at him, pushing and plucking at him”.

At the end it gives the reader a jolt and shock as Bubber has lost his human texture
and reduced to a bundle of trash being blown around by the wind. This ending shows
the extent of Mrs. Drew’s greed and her exploitative nature.

There could be another ending, if Bubber could have controlled his craving for the
cookies and realise the evil intentions of the old lady and her strange behaviour. If he
could have stopped his visits to Mrs. Drew’s house on his parents advice, he would be
able to live his life as a human being .

But this ending would become less mysterious and horrifying while the present
climax left the reader with shocked and perplexed, by its sudden unexpectedness of
change.
Character Sketch of Mrs. Drew
Question : Describe the character sketch of Mrs. Drew as
portrayed in “The Cookie Lady”.
Answer:

Character Sketch of Mrs. Drew:

Mrs. Drew is the main character of Philip K. Dick’s short story “The Cookie Lady”. Her
role in the story is like that of a vampire, without scruples to use any person to her
advantage.

In the story she is depicted as a very old lady “a little dried up” like
the “weeds” growing in front of her house. She lives an isolated life in her “shabby
and unpainted” “a little box” like house. She often sits on an old rocking chair, placed
on the porch.

Mrs. Drew is a kind woman who is an excellent cook. She bakes delicious cookies
with “nuts and raisins” in them. She serves these cookies with cold milk to satiate
Bubber’s appetite.

Mrs. Drew is a lonely lady and has been living alone since a long time so that “she
found herself saying strange things and doing strange things.” Her interaction is
restricted with only few people like “garbage men” or “mailman” coming with her
pension check or when she went down to the store. She yearns for companionship as
she urges Bubber and to “stay” and “talk” to her “for a while”. She asks him
to “read” to her and insists him to “come back again”.

But all these qualities are superficial as Mrs. Drew is entirely different woman from
within and her villainy is exposed gradually with the progress of the story.

Mrs. Drew is a strange lady, Ernie Mill is also curious about Bubber’s strange “lady
friend”. Ralf Surle also don’t want his son to hang around that “crazy old lady”. He is
suspicious about Mrs. Drew, saying “There’s something strange about that old lady”.

Mrs. Drew is a foxy, cunning, manipulative lady who bakes cookies not because of
her kindness but actually she uses these cookies as a bait to trap Bubber to exploit him.
She has some evil intentions behind her kindness.

Mrs. Drew is a greedy lady she longs to regain her lost vitality from the young boy.
She doesn’t actually long for his companionship but she wants to gain proximity with
the young boy to steal away his youth and vitality.

Her words “Ah, to be young again” and “what did the world mean to the old
?” reveal her longing for youthfulness.

Mrs. Drew possesses the powers of a witch. She can suck out the youth from the
boy like a sorceress and could feel the “youngness of him, flowing between her
fingers through her arm”. She begins to change her “gray wrinkle”, “fine lines
dimming away”. Her hair “heavy” and “black again”. Her body rounded her bosom
swelling. Her voice throaty and sensual. She was “blooming again”, filling with
life” and “swelling into richness”.

Mrs. Drew is a tricky and selfish old lady. Every time Bubber visits her she tries to
steel his youth as he comes out “always washed out”. This continues for “over a
month” now. When Bubber tells her that this is his “last” visit to her, it makes her
furious and desperate for permanent youth. She wants to be young again at any cost.
She sits by the boy “closer than ever” and ultimately she “touched his arm” to make
the transfer of energy and youth prominent and permanent.

She is remorseless, unapologetic and hideous lady, she takes pride in her
transformation without even thinking about the boy. When Mrs. Drew laughs
cunningly “with excitement”, gazes at her “full rounded body”, she is evil and sinister
and predatory.

Dick being the master of psychological horror and paranoid fiction, excellently
develops the depth of Mrs. Drew’s complex character.

The Cookie Lady: ISC Prism short Answer Questions

The Cookie Lady : Short Answer Questions –

ISC Prism
Question 1 : Why is Bernard teased by his friends ?
Where does he go ?
Answer: Bernard is teased by his friend Ernie Mill because he frequently visits a strange
old lady, Mrs. Drew. Ernie asks mockingly if Bernard is going to see his “lady
friend” again. Bernard goes to Mrs. Drew’s house, which is located at the end of Elm
Street.

Question 2 : Where was the old lady living ? What kind

of house was it?
Answer: The old lady was living in an old, dilapidated house in Elm Street. It was a
neglected and unpainted, “a little grey box” like house. The porch steps were sagging
and front of the house was overgrown with weeds. There was an “old weather -
beaten” rocking chair on the porch with a torn piece of cloth hanging over it.
 Question 3 : What tempts Bubber to the cookie lady?
Answer: Bubber is tempted by cookies. The wonderful “warm” smell of freshly baked
cookies makes his mouth “water”. Mrs. Drew bakes Bubber fresh warm cookies
with “nuts and raisins” in them. She serves them with cold milk as Bubber likes. These
cookies charms him to cookie lady, Mrs. Drew.

Question 4 : What do you know about Bubber’s

parents?
Answer : The author does not provide any details about Bubber’s family and his
parents, except that his father’s name is Ralf Surle and mother’s name is May Surle.
They could feel that “something strange” about that old lady and don’t want their son
Bubber to hang around that crazy old lady, Mrs. Drew. So they forbid him to visit Mrs.
Drew.

Question 5 : How long has Bubber been visiting the old

lady ? How would she feel in his presence ?
Answer : Bubber has been visiting the old lady for over a month. As the old lady lived
alone an isolated life, she would enjoy Bubber company and asks him to stay longer
and “talk” to her and “read” books to her. Bubber’s youthful presence makes her “feel so
young again”. She would feel a kind of physical transformation taking place in her.

Question 6 : What did the boy feel in her company and

after he left her ?
Answer: Bubber is drawn towards Mrs. Drew is due to only his craving for cookies. As
she bakes delicious cookies for him and serve them with cold milk, he enjoyed them
and felt content and satisfied. But as soon as he left her house to return home, he felt
exhausted, extremely tired and drained out.

Question 7 : What reactiin did Bubber’s parents give

when he returned from Mrs. Drew’s house ?
Answer: Bubber’s parents expressed their dislike when Bubber came back home after
visiting Mrs. Drew’s house. They are concerned about his health as he always return
home tired and exhausted after he visits Mrs. Drew. They don’t want their son to hang
around that “crazy old lady anymore”. So they forbade him to visit the old lady.

Question 8 : What wrong do you find in Bubber visiting

Mrs. Drew ?
Answer: In this short story Bubber repeatedly visits Mrs. Drew’s house out of his
craving for delicious cookies. He is not interested in either talk to her or read her books.
Bubber does not go there because of his longing for companionship, friendship or an
affection with the old lady but for his greed for cookies. This seems wrong.

Question 9 : How did the lady feel the change in

herself when Bubber visited her on his last visit ?
Answer: In Bubber’s last visit, Mrs. Drew undergoes a shocking transformation. When
she touched his arm, “pulsating vibrating youngness” flowing between her fingers,
through her arm. The feel of life made her “dizzy” and “unsteady”. A feel of new
life rejuvenated her. She closed her eyes to feel the warm rising feeling. She
was “blooming again”, “filling with life”, swelling into richness as she had been long
ago.

Question 10 : Do you approve of the lady feeling happy

over her transformation when she ignored what had
happened to the boy ?
Answer: No, it is quite selfish and cruel that Mrs. Drew, steals away the youth and
vitality of the young boy and recaptures her lost youth and beauty. She tries to drain out
his youth and vitality again and again, every time he visits her, without any concern for
his well being. She selfishly drains out his life force not even thinking that it is taking a
toll of his youth and life. We can not approve this kind of selfish and cruel behaviour of
the old lady.

Question 11 : What fate is meted out to Bubber ?

Answer: The end of the story reveals that Bubber never made it home from his final
visit to Mrs. Drew. His face becomes “dull” and “a dead white”. On his way to home, he
felt extremely tired, his head ached and he stopped every few minutes. The cold
wind “hammering” at him, “pushing and plucking” at him. After a moment he just
reduced to a mere bundle of trash and weeds, blown away in wind.

Question 12 : What kind of boy is Bubber depicted ?

Answer In the story “The Cookie Lady”, Bubber or Bernard Surle is depicted as a young
teenage overweight “plump” boy who has the irresistible craving for cookies. The smell
of freshly baked cookies make his mouth water. The abnormal craving of cookies blinds
him to realise its harm and make him vulnerable to being exploited by the old lady. It is
because of his craving for cookies that he falls into the trap of Mrs. Drew, and pays a
heavy price by being exploited and reduced to nothingness.
Tithonus by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Tithonus : Line By Line Explanation

Tithonus : Theme of Mortality and Immortality

Tithonus : Theme of Pain and Suffering Of Old Age and Death

Tithonus : Theme of Hubris, Desire and Transgression

Tithonus : ISC Short Answer Questions

Tithonus : The Causes for his Immortality and his Unhappiness

Tithonus : As a Dramatic Monologue

Tithonus : Journey of the Goddess Across the Sky

Tithonus by Alfred Lord Tennyson : Line by line

Explanation
Line 1 to 10 :
“The woods ……… halls of morn.”
Explanation : Here Tennyson describes the remorseful mood of the speaker – Tithonus
as he addresses his beloved – Goddess of Dawn. Tithonus says – The woods rot away and
with time they fall on the ground. The air or vapour carrying the moisture, throws these
burden in the form of rain in the ground. The imagery of weeping vapours adds a layer of
sorrow, as if the skies themselves mourn the fate of all things that eventually succumb
to the gravity of time. Here, the vapours are personified to weep. Human beings are born
and works on the fields, live their lives on the earth and then buried beneath the ground.
After living for some years even swans meet their death. The swans’ death is particularly
evocative; though it lives through many summers a symbol of beauty and grace even it
is not immune to death. These lines establishes the theme of mortality that contrasts
sharply with immortal existence of Tithonus.

Here, the speaker present himself as an exception to these natural order. He says – But
I am endlessly devoured by immortality. Unlike all these woods, vapour, man and the
swan, I can not decay and fall. I am trapped by the “cruel immortality” granted by you. I
lie in your arms, Eos and wither away slowly. Old age is taken away the strength from my
body and I left here in the silence of the world’s farthest limits. Due to this immortal life
but perpetual withering I now appear like a “shadow with white hair” which
emphasises his ghostly appearance. He further adds that he is roaming around like
a “dream” floating through “ever silent spaces of the East”. He is caught between the
tangible world and some other ethereal realm, a place always covered with mist and
shining halls of the morning. This is suggestive of unattainable beauty and renewal that
dawn represents forever out of his grasp.
 Line 11 to 17 :
Alas! for the ……………they give.
Explanation : Tithonus laments that his youthful looks have withered and he is no
more than a ” grey shadow” of the person he used to be. These lines convey a sense of
loss. Tithonus recalls his past vitality and glory. Once he used to be handsome, energetic
and youthful man. He looked so handsome that the Goddess chose him as her lover
which made him the happiest man. His selection by a divine being made him feel in his
puffed up heart, that he must be a god himself. So he had asked the Goddess of dawn,
Eos to grant him the boon of eternal life so that he could love her forever. In turn she
granted this boon to him so easily with a smile like rich people give money to someone
without considering the consequences or the nature of the gift. This indicates that the
goddess gave him the gift of immortality without thinking about the consequences of
the boon for the receiver. These lines present the theme of unintended consequences of
wishing beyond the natural order of thing. These lines points out the way Eos carelessly
granted eternal life and forgot to grant him eternal youth also.

Line 18 to 23 :
But thy strong Hours ……. in ashes.
Explanation : Tithonus regretfully thinks of the time when the Goddess of dawn,
Aurora gave him the gift of eternal life without eternal youth. But the “strong
Hours” had been annoyed by the perversion of its natural law. The time is personified
as “strong Hour” here. Time has taken its revenge against him and made him weak,
withered and old. As a result of the gift or boon of immortality, Tithonus did not die. But
he is a crippled and deformed old man. There’s a sense of indignity in the way time
treats him, leaving him “maim’ d” and less then he once used to be. He still lives with
the Goddess of dawn, who is forever young. The juxtaposition of “immortal age beside
immortal youth” is tragic – Tithonus ages but does not die, while Eos remains eternally
young. His former self is now reduced to “ashes” or completely degraded which he can
never be achieve.

Line 23 to 31 :
Can thy love ……. meet for all ?
Explanation: Tithonus wants to ask Goddess Aurora, if she can make amend to her
error of giving him such a gift. Whether the love and beauty of the goddess can
compensate for the torment he endures. The “silver star”, possibly the planet Venus,
often associated with love, guides Eos and is reflected in her tearful eyes, signifying her
regret and sadness over Tithonus’ fate. Now he directly appeals to take back this
unwanted gift of immortality and let him go. Now he realises the value of natural order
of life and death from which he has been excluded. He ponders why anyone would want
to be different from rest of the mankind and in living beyond the “goal of ordinance”,
the normal human lifespan. Why should any man want to be set apart from the rest of
the gentle human race, or trespass beyond the reasonable limits of human life – the
boundary where everyone should stop as is right and fitting ? These lines again
emphasise that no human being should be an exception so far as death is concerned. It
comes to all and the one who does not follow the course of nature has to suffer.
 Line 32 to 36 :
A soft air …….. heart renewed.
Explanation : Tithonus says that a soft breeze is separating the clouds from one
another which provides a momentary glimpse into Tithonus’ past. The earth – “dark
world” can be seen through the gap created by this separation of the clouds. Here,
the “dark world” refers to the mortal world he was born into – stark contrast to the
perpetual dawn, he now inhabits. This glimpse reminds him of what he has lost, his
mortality and the natural world he was a part of.

The speaker further describes Eos’s transformation at dawn with an ethereal beauty.
He says – once again I see that old mysterious shimmer on your lovely forehead and and
on your lovely shoulders and feel your heart beating with fresh strength. The “old
mysterious glimmer” alludes to the recurring beauty of Eos that Tithonus has
witnessed countless times. The word “heart renewed” refers to the Goddess’s ever fresh
– beauty. But on the other hand, Tithonus’ world is full of darkness. These lines present
a contrast between the world of Goddess of dawn and the mortal, earthly world to which
Tithonus belongs.

Line 37 to 42 :
Thy cheek ……. flakes of fire.
Explanation: These lines describe how the Goddess of dawn appears. Tithonus says to
Aurora that cheek starts to blush and turn red through the darkness, her beautiful eyes
looking into his, slowly brighten with light. As her arrival marks the end of the darkness
of the night. Tithonus looks at her beauty and says though your eyes have not yet grown
so bright as they will be when they put out the lights of the stars and blind them to
invisibility.

Tithonus further adds, when the “wild band” of horses, who love her and rise up,
waiting eagerly to hitch them to start pulling her chariot again. As the chariot starts its
journey the horses will shake off the dark of the night from their “loosened
manes” and charge through the twilight, fanning its faded coals into the fresh flames of
sunrise. Before answering Tithonus’ request the goddess disappears again.

These lines present a vivid picture of dawn. The day dawns as if the cheeks of the
beautiful goddess were getting red. The appearance of morning light after the darkness
of the night has been beautifully depicted here. The readers can visualise the moment of
stars and the chariot of light as the day dawns.

Line: 43 to 49 :
Lo ! ever thus ………. ……recall their gifts.
Explanation : Instead of answering the request of take back the gifts of immortality
form Tithonus the Goddess silently goes back. Then Tithonus says that she always begin
shinning this way without speaking and before any answer to him she leaves him and
her tears wet his face.
 Tithonus notices her helplessness and says that he realises her helplessness in not
being able to make him mortal again. The tears of the Goddess remind him of the saying
he had heard long ago –

“Gods cannot take back the boon, granted to someone”.

Tithonus observes that the goddess can understand his pain and agony but she
herself seems to be helpless. It points out that even gods have their limitations like
human beings.

Line 50 to 61 :
Aye me ! Aye me! …………Apollo sing.
Explanation: Tithonus remembers the days when he was young lover of the beautiful
Goddess. He realises that he is perhaps not the same person, he used to be. How
differently he felt long ago and how differently he watched, as if the long lost self was
even same person as him, who used to look at the changing colours and shapes of
Aurora at dawn. At that time, he could see the shimmering light beginning to gather
around her, and her dark hair beginning to glow with sunlight as if they have caught
fire. As he watched her make this magical transformation, it brings a change in
Tithonus also. He felt his blood glow with the same sunrise’s warmth that slowly flushed
her body and her palace. While he lay there with his mouth, his forehead, his eyelids all
warm and dampened with her kisses, sweeter than newly opened spring flowers.

At that time he could hear the very lips that kissed him,whispering mysterious, wild,
sweet words which he could not understand. Her words sounded like those of the God
Apollo’s song, when he created the towers of Troy by playing upon his flute. He evokes an
image of Troy (Ilion), his homeland, appearing majestic and dream-like, rising from the
mist, possibly alluding to the legendary past and the glory of life before his
transformation into an immortal being.

These lines again express Tithonus regret and sense of loss resulting from the gifts of
immortality he received from the goddess. His talking of the days before he became
immortal and was ruined because of this, highlight the depth of his suffering and pain.

Line 62 to 74 :
Yet hold me not ……..thy silver wheel.
Explanation : Tithonus pleads with Aurora, not to keep him bound the land of the
eternal dawn, which she governs. His cold, mortal nature would not match with her
warm, immortal nature any more. The “rosy shadows” and lights of dawn, once source
of warmth and joy for him, now feel cold to him, and his withered feet fell cold as he
pass through the shimmering doorways of her palace.

On the other hand, a look at the steam floating from the home of mortal men, who are
destined to die tells him that they are very happy. They do not have to suffer eternal life
without permanent youth. He feels even the dead, lying in their grass – covered graves,
to be happier than he is.
 He further insists Goddess Aurora, to let him go and join them in the earth to end this
eternal suffering. He further adds that she can see everything and she will be able to see
him lying in his grass – covered grave after his death. He imagines a world where she
will continue to renew her beauty and youth over and over, morning by morning. While
once he returned to dust, will no longer remember this hollow palace, and forget the
sight of her returning home in her silver – wheeled chariot. The “silver wheels” refer to
her chariot which brings the dawn each day. Here, Tithonus will not want to remember
her beautiful court as he can not match her in youth and beauty. If he set free from
immortality, he will die and go to his grave.

Tithonus: His Attitude towards Immortality in his Youth and Old Age

Comparison of Tithonus’s Attitude towards

Immortality in his Youth and Old Age
Question : Compare Tithonus’ feelings and attitude towards
immortality in his youth and in his old age.
Answer: The poem “Tithonus” by Alfred Lord Tennyson highlights the stark contrast
between the vigor and beauty of youth and feebleness and despair of old age.

In this poem, Tithonus presents two entirely different views towards immortality in
two different stages of his life. In his youth Tithonus regards immortality as a boon for
himself and longs for it while in his old age Tithonus reveals that his immortality has
become a curse for him.

Tithonus recalls his youth and says –

“……once a man, /

So glorious in his beauty and thy choice”.

He remembers himself as a handsome young and glorious man that he was chosen
by the epitome of beauty – the goddess of dawn – Eos. This made him feel like he was a
special person, singled out for greatness. He adds –

“To his great heart none other than a God !”

Inflated with the pleasure of being “chosen” by a goddess, Tithonus saw himself as
better and different from other mortal men. His hubris made him to long for immortality
like a God.

Apart from his hubris, his desire for the Goddess also played a vital role for the gift of
immortality bestowed on him. Tithonus was so passionately in love with Eos that he
desire immortality like any other God, to be with her forever. He considered the
immortality a boon and blessing. So he asked the goddess Eos to “give (him)
immortality”.

Their desire blinded them to reality and led Eos to make a critical mistake when
she granted Tithonus immortality without perpetual youth to go along with it. She
granted him an immortal life but forgot to grant him immortal youth and beauty.

With the passage of time Tithonus realises the cruelty of ” immortal age beside
immortal youth”. He tried to go beyond the natural limits of human life and now he
suffers its consequences as an endless old age. His hubris has ruined him.

Tithonus grew more and more aged and decrepit. His life became insupportable. He
lost the charm of life but Aurora’s beauty and youth remain undiminished. He regards
himself as the only unfortunate creature who suffer acutely owing to the gift of
immortality.

He laments that everything is subject to the law of mortality but he remained

immortal to be punished for this divine gift bestowed on him. He says –

“Me only cruel immortality /

Consumes; …..”

His old age and decrepitude have exhausted him and crushed and destroyed his
youth and beauty. Since he is immortal, nothing can put and end to his life, but left him
to suffer eternally. He says –

“……thy strong Hours, indignant work’d their wills,/

And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me”

He describes his old age as – he is “marr’d” (or disfigured) and “wasted” by long
merciless passage of time. The time worked against Tithonus as it could not end him
but ruined him and left him “maim’d” (or injured) forever to live with his eternally
young and beautiful wife.

“To dwell in presence of immortal youth /

Immortal age beside immortal youth”

He cannot continue to enjoy the companionship of Aurora anymore due to his

extremely old and withered state. He has lost his zest for life. He is dead to the world of
pleasure. He no longer feels the youthful sensation which Aurora’s youth and beauty
inspired in him earlier, his blood does no longer glow with passion at the sight of her
beautiful cheeks and shoulders. He no longer desires to live. He therefore, desires that
Aurora should take away his gift so that he may die like other human beings.
 The older version of Tithonus now wonders why should man wants to escape from
the natural cycle of life and death. Why should man try to trespass beyond the
reasonable limit of life, where everybody should stop and do not try to cross the limit.

Tithonus is so sad and dissatisfied with his present painful stage of life that he
welcome death which will not come over to his life as he is blessed with immortality.

He laments to realise that the gift of immortality which he has condemned to eternal
punishment. He longs for death and sees the vapours floating upon the fields of mortal
men, he feel jealous of “Those happy men that have the power to die”. He feels even
the dead, lying under the “grassy barrows” are happier than him. So he pleads with the
goddess of dawn – Aurora, to “release” him and “restore” into the “ground”.

Now immortality, is no longer of his choice but he desires for death to be free from
this painful life and eternal sufferings.

This way his attitude towards immortality in youth and old age are completely
opposite.

Theme of Pain and Sufferings of Old Age and Death in “Tithonus” by Lord
Tennyson

Theme of Pain and Suffering of Old Age and

Death in “Tithonus” :
Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Tithonus is based on the Greek myth. According to which
Tithonus, the prince of Troy and the goddess of dawn – Eos fall in love with each other.
Eos made Tithonus immortal so that they could be together forever ; unfortunately she
forgot to specify that he should be immortally young. Thus Tithonus became impossibly
ancient.

Tennyson captures the dreadful pain of old age – and the mercy of death through the
speaker Tithonus in his poem of same name – “Tithonus”.

“Tithonus” explores the theme of pain and suffering of old age and mercy of death as
one of the important themes of the poem. Although death is painful, it left sorrow and
grief afterward but Tennyson presents a different perspective on death in this poem.
Tithonus has infinite years of life but his youth has failed him. He is old and miserable.
At this stage, Tithonus feels his death as mercy to him, which he pleads to have through
out the poem.

The aged Tithonus feels horribly out of place in the “gleaming halls of morn” – the
celestial palace he shares with his beloved Eos.
 He says –

“I wither slowly in thine arms”.

Old age is taking away the strength from his body while he is decaying to her arms.
Old age made him like a “white – hair’d shadow” who is roaming like a ghost in “ever –
silent spaces of the East”.

He has become a “grey – shadow” of his past self who used to be a handsome and
glorious prince of Troy and chosen by the Goddess of dawn – Eos.

He further adds –

“…….. thy strong Hours, indignant work’d their wills/

And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me.”

Tithonus says that the boon of immortality has become a curse to him, as he
is “marr’d” (or disfigured) and “wasted” by long, merciless passege of time. The time
worked against Tithonus as it could not end him but ruined him and left
him“maim’d” (or injured) forever.

Tithonus is not only suffering from his old age physically but it makes him feel
isolated from all, even his beloved Eos. He can no longer enjoy the pleasure of love in his
broken old body. Where once he used to share in Eos’s mysterious “change” as she
glowed and renewed every morning, now he feels alienated from that gorgeous eternal
youth. The only embrace he shares with his beloved Eos these days is one that leaves
his face wet with Eos’s guilty tears.

In an elegiac tone, he contrasts his own old age with the immortal beauty and youth
of the goddess Aurora. He says –

“To dwell in presence of immortal youth /

Immortal age beside immortal youth”.

These lines express the lack of compatibility between the two lovers because of his
old age. He has immortal old age, while she has immortal youth. He laments that all his
youth and beauty have vanished with the passing of time. He implores Aurora to
compensate him for the loss of his own youth and glory and his consequent suffering.

As a result of this gift of immortality without the eternal youth Tithonus did not die
and become crippled and deformed old man. But he still lives with his beloved Goddess
of dawn who is forever young and beautiful. These lines show psychological aspect of
man’s helplessness and sorrow of being old and living with young and passionate wife.

He can not continue to enjoy the companionship of Aurora anymore. He has lost the
zest for life. He is dead to the world of pleasure. He no longer feels the youthful sensation
which Aurora’s youth and beauty inspired in him earlier, his blood does no longer glow
with passion at the sight of her beautiful cheeks and shoulders. He no longer desires to
live.

Tithonus’ impossible, endless old age ,has robbed him of all life’s pleasure, leaving
him marooned in a world that can no longer make him happy. He can only escape from
this condition by dying, but his immortality makes it impossible.

Though he begs Eos to “take back” her gift and let him die, she doesn’t seem to be
able to do so. He tells her not to keep him in his immortal state any more, as their nature
do not match. She is forever young and beautiful whereas he is adversely impacted by
old age? His “wrinkled feet” tremble when he finds himself at her cold threshold.

The sight of vapours from the fields of the mortal men reveals their happiness. His
longing for death and envy of “those happy men that have the power to die” remember
us that death is natural necessary and merciful part of human life, while old age is far
more cruel. He says –

“grassy barrows of the happier dead”.

Here, Tithonus feels that even the graves under the grass reveal that the dead are
happy as they do not have to experience the pain of immortality without eternal youth.

He expresses the desire to die and get rid of this sorrowful existence.

Tithonus – Theme of Hubris, desire and Transgression : ISC Rhapsody

Solutions

Theme of Hubris, Desire and Transgression

in Tithonus by Lord Tennyson :
Hubris, Desire and Transgression in Tithonus:
Tennyson’s “Tithonus” based on the tragic Greek myth, also explores the theme
of “hubris, desire and transgression”.
 Throughout the poem, Tithonus laments for the pain and sufferings of his old age
caused by his immortality without the eternal youth. Meanwhile Tithonus reveals that
the real cause for this gift of immortality is his hubris and desire.

Tithonus recalls his past and says –

“…… once a man /

So glorious in his beauty and thy choice”

He remembers himself as a handsome young and glorious man that he was chosen
by the Goddess of dawn – Eos. This made him feel like he was a special person, singled
out for greatness. He adds –

“To his great heart none other than a God !”

Inflated with the pleasure of being “chosen” by a gorgeous goddess, Tithonus saw
himself as better and different than other people – in fact equals to a God. This feeling
evoked his desire to become like a god. Due to his hubris to be like a god he wanted to
become immortal and fulfill his desire for her forever. He asked the Goddess Eos
to “give (him) immortality”.

Eos granted that desire happily in response to her own desire for him. Eos responds to
Tithonus’ hubris with her own careless exercise of power. She grants his wish for
immortality as casually as “wealthy men who care not what they give”.

Their desire blinded them to reality and led Eos to make a critical mistake when she
granted Tithonus immortality without perpetual youth to go along with it. She seems to
have forgotten Tithonus’ mortal nature as much as he has. Blinded by their desire, both
Eos and Tithonus ignored the reality that he is a mortal man.

Due to his hubris and desire to become an immortal, he transgresses a grave

boundary, the law that says all mortals must one day die. Now he suffers the
consequences. Now he realises the cruelty of immortality. He says –

“Me only cruel immortality/

Consumes ;…….”

He laments that everything is subject to the law of mortality but he remains

immortal to be punished for this divine gift bestowed upon him.

Tithonus has become old, decrepit, and unsubstantial, he is reduced to a mere shadow
of a man. His old age and decrepitude have exhausted him crushed destroyed his youth
and beauty. Since he is immortal, nothing can put an end to his life. He laments that he
is unable to have an escape from the state of life.

He adds –

“…..thy strong Hours, indignant work’d their wills/

And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me”

Tithonus says that the boon of immortality has become a curse to him, he
is “marr’d” (or disfigured) and “wasted” by long,merciless passage of time.

The time worked against Tithonus as it could not end him but ruined him and left
him “maim’d” (or injured) forever.

Tithonus’ hubris ruined him. He tried to go beyond the “goal of ordinance” or the
natural limits of human life. The poem suggests that the wise mortal accepts their
reality and their nature of being mortal rather than trying to escape it.

In the end of the poem Tithonus longs for being mortal again. He asks the Goddess of
dawn – Eos to “take back” her “gift” and release him. He says –

” Let me go; take back thy gift”.

A sadder, more wiser and older version of Tithonus laments, it’s only a fool who wishes
to escape from natural order of life and death as he says –

“To vary from the kindly race of men /

Or pass beyond the goal of ordinance /

Where all should pause, as is most meet for all ?”

Tithonus wonders why should a man want to escape from this cycle of life and
death. Why should man try to trespass beyond the reasonable limit of life, where
everyone stops and do not cross this limit.

Death is inevitable, it comes to all and the one who does not follow the course of
nature has to suffer.

Tithonus is an example of those people who become over ambitious and ignore their
limitations. They start following the ways of others. It causes their downfall. The same is
true of the powerful and wealthy who arrogantly give money or grant power to someone
without thinking of its consequences, such acts are likely to cause trouble later.
Tithonus by Lord Tennyson : ISC Rhapsody Long Answer Questions

Tithonus : The Causes for his Immortality

and his Unhappiness
Question : Who has made Tithonus immortal ? Why is
he unhappy ? What does he long for?
Answer: Tithonus has made immortal by his beloved goddess of dawn – Eos. In the
past, Tithonus used to be a handsome, young and glorious prince of Troy. The goddess of
dawn Eos has fallen for him and chose him as her lover rather than any other god. This
made him feel like he was a special person, singled out for greatness. The poet says –

“To his great heart none other than a God !”

Inflated with the pleasure of being “chosen” by a gorgeous goddess, Tithonus

started to feel himself better than other people on earth. This feeling evoked his desire
to become immortal like a god. Apart from this he wanted to become immortal to fulfill
his desire for her forever. So he himself asked the Goddess Eos to “give (him)
immortality”.

Eos also wanted him to be immortal and remain with her forever so that she could
fulfill her own desire for him. So she easily and readily granted his wish without thinking
about the consequences of the immortality for a mortal man.

This gift of immortality made Tithonus unhappy. Their desires blinded them to
reality and led Eos to make a critical mistake when she granted Tithonus immortality
without perpetual youth to go along with it. Due to his hubris and desire to become an
immortal, he transgresses a grave boundary, the law that says all mortals must one day
die. He tried to go beyond the “goal of ordinance” or the natural limits of human life.
Now he suffers its consequences.

The gift of immortality has become a curse to him. Tithonus tells Aurora, that he
grows old slowly in her arms like a “white – haired shadow” roaming in the east.
The “strong Hours” of time has worked against Tithonus and “beat him
down” and “marr’d” and “wasted” him. Time has ruined the young and handsome
prince to a “grey shadow” of himself. His immortality has become cruelty for him as he
is bound to live with the goddess of dawn who has eternal youth and beauty while he is
a withered old man.

“To dwell in presence of immortal youth /

Immortal age beside immortal youth”

 Tithonus is not only suffering from his old age but it makes him feel isolated from
all, even from his beloved goddess of dawn. He can no longer enjoy the pleasure of in his
broken old body. Where once he used to share in Eos’s mysterious “change” as she
glowed and renewed every morning, now he feels alienated from that gorgeous
eternal youth. As a result of this gift of immortality without the eternal youth, Tithonus
did not die and become crippled and deformed old man.

Tithonus thinks that the only way to escape from this eternal suffering is death – so
he longs for death. He begs Eos –

“Let me go : take back thy gift “.

Tithonus realises that he belongs to this “dark world” – mortal earth and immortality
is not meant for human being and every living being has to die. Tithonus laments – why
should man try to trespass beyond the reasonable limit of life, where everybody should
stop and do not cross this limit.

Tithonus tells Eos not to keep him in his immortal stat anymore, as their natures do
not match, she is an immortal goddess whereas Tithonus is a mortal human being by
nature. She is forever young and beautiful while he is adversely impacted by old age.

Her “rosy shadow” bathe him cold and his “wrinkled feet” tremble when he finds
himself at er cold threshold. His immortality with this withered old state, makes him
crave for mortality. When he sees steam floating from the homes of mortal men he feels
jealous. He says –

“…….happy men that have the power to die” and even those who lie in the “grassy
barrows” are happier than him. He is envious of these mortal men and even their dead.

Tithonus pleads with Goddess Eos that

“Release me, and restore me to the ground”.

He expresses the desire to die and get rid of this sorrowful existence as being a
human being he is meant to die and leave this earth while the goddess will continue to
live and enjoy her immortality.

Tithonus : As a Dramatic Monologue – ISC Rhapsody Solutions

Tennyson’s “Tithonus” as a Dramatic
Monologue :
Question : Discuss the poem as a dramatic monologue.
Answer: A dramatic monologue is a poem written in the first person from a fictional
characters perspective. The main function of dramatic monologue is to explore a
character psychology through their speech. Dramatic monologue expresses the mental
complexities in perfect lyrical language. It is a poetic soliloquy in which the speaker
reveals his own character. Usually there is only one speaker, addressing another silent
listener, who does not speak but take part in the development of the poem. The presence
of this listener make the monologue – dramatic monologue.

The poem “Tithonus” by Tennyson is in the form of dramatic monologue. Here

Tithonus, a mythological figure, is endowed with the divine gift of immortality by the
goddess of dawn – Aurora, speaks his mind and reveals the acute pain and suffering of
his old age and decrepit state of his life in a perfect poetic language.

“Tithonus” is a dramatic monologue in which Tithonus is the one who speaks in the
poem. The Goddess’s presence can be understood from the way Tithonus comments
about her gesture and movements.

Like a typical dramatic monologue, Tithonus in the poem, speaks his mind of
melancholy caused by the immortality of his life and the loss of his youth and beauty.

Tithonus remembers himself as a handsome young and glorious man that he was
chosen by the goddess of dawn – Eos. This made him feel like he was a special person,
like a God –

“To his great heart none other than a God !”

Inflated with the pleasure of being “chosen” by a gorgeous goddess, Tithonus saw
himself as a God. He wanted to become immortal like a God to fulfill his desire for her
forever. He asks the goddess Eos to “give (him) immortality”.

The goddess granted his request for immortality happily without realising its
consequences. She made a critical mistake when she granted Tithonus immortality
without perpetual youth to go along with it. Now Tithonus has infinite years of life but
his youth has failed him.

He says –

“I wither slowly in thine arms”.

 Old age is taking away the strength from his body while he is decaying to her arms.
His old age made him to appear like a “white – haired shadow” whom is roaming like a
ghost in “ever – silent spaces of the East”.

He states his condition to the Goddess as –

“……. thy strong Hours, indignant work’d their wills /

And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me”.

Tithonus says that the boon of immortality has become a curse to him, as he
is “marr’d” (or disfigured) and “wasted” by the long, merciless passage of time. The
time worked against Tithonus as it could not end him but ruined him and left
him “maim’d” (or injured) forever. He lost the charm of life but Aurora’s beauty and
youth remain undiminished. He longs for death to be emancipated from this gift. He
says –

“Me only cruel immortality/

Consumes; ……”

He regards himself as the only unfortunate creature who suffer acutely owing to the
gift of immortality.

In an elegiac tone, Tithonus contrasts his own old age with the immortal beauty and
youth of the goddess Aurora. He has immortal old age, while she has immortal youth. He
laments that all his youth and beauty have vanished with the passing of time.

“To dwell in presence of immortal youth,/

Immortal age beside immortal youth.”

Tithonus can not continue to enjoy the companionship of Aurora anymore. He has
lost the zest for life. He is dead to the world of pleasure. He no longer feels the youthful
sensation, which Aurora’s youth and beauty inspired in him earlier, his blood, does no
longer glow with passion at the sight of her beautiful cheeks and shoulders. He no
longer desire to live. Therefore he pleads with Aurora not to let him remain in his present
plight and take back her gift of immortality so that he may die like other human beings.

The poem is a dramatic monologue as the goddess of dawn is presumably present

before Tithonus, he address all his words to the goddess. The presence of the goddess
and the conversational style of the poem adds to the dramatic elements to the speech
of the single speaker.
 We get insights into his mental state and emotions as he oscillates between
memories of his passionate youth and his current misery and decay.

In response to his plea of death, Aurora’s eyes are blurred with tears. She can not help
him with the withdrawal of the gift of immortality bestowed upon him, for divine gift
once granted can not be taken back. Tithonus understands that Aurora is helpless, she
can not liberate him from this gift.

He weeps to realise that Aurora does not have the power to grant him death and send
him back to earth to die like other mortals.

He laments to realise that the gift of immortality has proved to be a curse to him. He
sheds tears and utters frantically that none should transgress the boundary, the law of
nature that says – all mortals must one day die. Tithonus tried to go beyond the “goal of
ordinance” or the natural limit of human life and suffers the consequences.

Tithonus wonders why should a man try to trespass beyond the reasonable limit of
life, where everyone should stop and do not cross this limit.

The poem is a dramatic monologue, here Tithonus expresses his own state of mind
and analyses it in such a way that Aurora seems to be present with him and listening to
his pathetic words and reacting to them accordingly.

In the last stanza of the poem Tithonus dramatically expresses his envious feelings
for the men living in this “dark” mortal world. He says the goddess not to keep him in
her East as his feet tremble when he finds himself at her cold threshold. On the other
hand, a look at the steam floating from the homes of mortal men makes him envious of
them.

“Of happy men that have the power to die /

And grassy barrows of the happier dead”.

As he longs for death but can not die and suffers the pain eternally. On the other hand
these mortal men do not have to suffer eternal life without permanent youth because
they have the “power to die”.

This way the poem explores all these complex emotions of the speaker and proved to
be a dramatic monologue.

Tithonus by Lord Tennyson : The Journey of the goddess Aurora across

the Sky – ISC Rhapsody Solutions
The Journey of the goddess Aurora across
the Sky
Question : How does the poet describe the journey of
the goddess across the sky ?
Answer: The poet describes the journey of the goddess of dawn across the sky, by
portraying the transformation of Eos, at dawn with an ethereal beauty. He says that as a
soft breeze of cold air separates the clouds from one another, it provides a glimpse of
dawn appearing into the sky. The scene reminds Tithonus of his past when he used to
live in this “dark world” or mortal world, where he was born. Tithonus remembers the
sight and says once again I see that “old mysterious glimmer” on your lovely forehead
and on your lovely shoulders, and feel your heart beating with fresh strength.

The “old mysterious glimmer” alludes to the recurring beauty of Eos that Tithonus has
witnessed countless times.

As the goddess Eos renews her beauty “morn – by – morn” and remain eternally young
and beautiful.

Tithonus describes the journey of goddess of dawn across the sky as the onset of
dawn. Tithonus compares the beauty of morning sky when the day breaks, with the
beauty of his beloved Aurora when they used to meet every morning.

He says –

“Thy cheek begins to redden thro’ the gloom, /

Thy sweet eyes brighten slowly close to mine.”

Tithonus says to Aurora when you look closely into my eyes, your eyes slowly
brighten and your cheeks start to blush and turn red, the sky also appears to turn red
through the darkness of night. The arrival of the dawn into the sky marks the end of the
darkness of the night.

Tithonus looks at her beauty and says, though your eyes have not yet grown so bright
yet they overpower the lights of the stars and blind them to invisibility.

Tithonus further adds, when the “wild band” of her white horses, who love her and
eagerly waiting for her to hitch them to rise and start pulling her chariot again.

He says –

“And shake the darkness from their loosened manes,/

 And beat the twilight into flakes of fires.”

Tithonus says, as the chariot starts its journey the horses shake off the darkness of
the night from their “loosened manes”. As they set off, their hooves beat the darkness
into “flakes of fire” and light spreads through the sky.

This way the poet paints the picture of journey of dawn by using beautiful visual
imagery.

Question : How does Tithonus try to convince the goddess at the end of the poem that
she should not keep him in the East where she lives ?

Answer : Tithonus pleads with Aurora –

“hold me not for ever in thine East”

Tithonus requests Aurora, not to keep him bound the land of the eternal dawn, which
she governs. Since their nature do not match with each other – she is an eternally
youthful goddess, full of light and life while he is now a withered, trembling old mortal
man.

He has become so old and withered away as the beauty and charm of his beloved –
goddess of dawn – Eos, does not please him but to reminds him of his decay. The “rosy
shadows” and the lights of dawn, once source of warmth and joy for him, now feels cold
to him. Her cold light makes his withered and “wrinkled feet” cold as he pass through
the shimmering doorways of her palace.

Tithonus does not want to share immortality with her as he has grown old, wrinkled
and withered. In his deathless old age he feels no passion for her.

On the other hand, a look at the steam floating from the homes of mortal men, who
are destined to die tells him the truth that they are very happy. The sight makes him
envious of those “happy men that have the power to die”.

He feels envy of these mortal men as they do not have to suffer eternal life without
permanent youth as they have the “power to die”. Even the dead who lie beneath
their “grassy barrows” are happier to him.

Tithonus further requests Aurora –

“Release me, and restore me to the ground”

Tithonus wants to be freed and returned to the human world where he can grow old
and die naturally like all mortal men. So he requests Aurora to let him go and join them
in the earth to end this eternal suffering. He further add that she can see him lying his
grass covered grave after his death.

He imagines the world where she will “renew thy beauty morn by morn” while once
he “earn in earth” or he returned to dust beneath the ground, he will no longer
remember this hollow palace and forget the sight of her returning home in her silver
wheeled chariot.

Tithonus do not want to remember her beautiful courts as he can not match her in
youth and beauty. If he set free from immortality, he will die and go to his grave
peacefully.

Tithonus: His Attitude towards Immortality in his Youth and Old Age

Comparison of Tithonus’s Attitude towards

Immortality in his Youth and Old Age
Question : Compare Tithonus’ feelings and attitude
towards immortality in his youth and in his old age.
Answer: The poem “Tithonus” by Alfred Lord Tennyson highlights the stark contrast
between the vigor and beauty of youth and feebleness and despair of old age.

In this poem, Tithonus presents two entirely different views towards immortality in
two different stages of his life. In his youth Tithonus regards immortality as a boon for
himself and longs for it while in his old age Tithonus reveals that his immortality has
become a curse for him.

Tithonus recalls his youth and says –

“……once a man, /

So glorious in his beauty and thy choice”.

He remembers himself as a handsome young and glorious man that he was chosen
by the epitome of beauty – the goddess of dawn – Eos. This made him feel like he was a
special person, singled out for greatness. He adds –

“To his great heart none other than a God !”

Inflated with the pleasure of being “chosen” by a goddess, Tithonus saw himself as
better and different from other mortal men. His hubris made him to long for immortality
like a God.
 Apart from his hubris, his desire for the Goddess also played a vital role for the gift of
immortality bestowed on him. Tithonus was so passionately in love with Eos that he
desire immortality like any other God, to be with her forever. He considered the
immortality a boon and blessing. So he asked the goddess Eos to “give (him)
immortality”.

Their desire blinded them to reality and led Eos to make a critical mistake when
she granted Tithonus immortality without perpetual youth to go along with it. She
granted him an immortal life but forgot to grant him immortal youth and beauty.

With the passage of time Tithonus realises the cruelty of ” immortal age beside
immortal youth”. He tried to go beyond the natural limits of human life and now he
suffers its consequences as an endless old age. His hubris has ruined him.

Tithonus grew more and more aged and decrepit. His life became insupportable. He
lost the charm of life but Aurora’s beauty and youth remain undiminished. He regards
himself as the only unfortunate creature who suffer acutely owing to the gift of
immortality.

He laments that everything is subject to the law of mortality but he remained

immortal to be punished for this divine gift bestowed on him. He says –

“Me only cruel immortality /

Consumes; …..”

His old age and decrepitude have exhausted him and crushed and destroyed his
youth and beauty. Since he is immortal, nothing can put and end to his life, but left him
to suffer eternally. He says –

“……thy strong Hours, indignant work’d their wills,/

And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me”

He describes his old age as – he is “marr’d” (or disfigured) and “wasted” by long
merciless passage of time. The time worked against Tithonus as it could not end him
but ruined him and left him “maim’d” (or injured) forever to live with his eternally
young and beautiful wife.

“To dwell in presence of immortal youth /

Immortal age beside immortal youth”

 He cannot continue to enjoy the companionship of Aurora anymore due to his
extremely old and withered state. He has lost his zest for life. He is dead to the world of
pleasure. He no longer feels the youthful sensation which Aurora’s youth and beauty
inspired in him earlier, his blood does no longer glow with passion at the sight of her
beautiful cheeks and shoulders. He no longer desires to live. He therefore, desires that
Aurora should take away his gift so that he may die like other human beings.

The older version of Tithonus now wonders why should man wants to escape from
the natural cycle of life and death. Why should man try to trespass beyond the
reasonable limit of life, where everybody should stop and do not try to cross the limit.

Tithonus is so sad and dissatisfied with his present painful stage of life that he
welcome death which will not come over to his life as he is blessed with immortality.

He laments to realise that the gift of immortality which he has condemned to eternal
punishment. He longs for death and sees the vapours floating upon the fields of mortal
men, he feel jealous of “Those happy men that have the power to die”. He feels even the
dead, lying under the “grassy barrows” are happier than him. So he pleads with the
goddess of dawn – Aurora, to “release” him and “restore” into the “ground”.

Now immortality, is no longer of his choice but he desires for death to be free from
this painful life and eternal sufferings.

This way his attitude towards immortality in youth and old age are completely
opposite.

Tithonus – ISC Rhapsody Short Answer Questions

Tithonus by Lord Tennyson : Short Answer

Questions
Question 1 : Why does Tithonus call the boon of his
immortality cruel ?
Answer: Tithonus considers his immortality cruel because he has got only the
immortality without eternal youth. The gift of immortality does not allow him to die but
he is getting old and weak day by day. He is trapped in an aged body, unable to enjoy life.
While his wife, the goddess of dawn – Eos remains youthful always. Therefore the gift of
immortality has left him old and aged “to dwell in presence of immortal youth /
Immortal age beside immortal youth.”

This way Tithonus feels that the boon of his immortality cruel.
Question 2 : Describe the place where Tithonus lives
with Aurora, the goddess of dawn.
Answer : Tithonus lives with the goddess of dawn – Aurora, in the East, above the
clouds, far away from this mortal world. He describes this place as –

“The ever silent spaces of the East /

Far – folded mists and gleaming halls of morn”.

Tithonus lives in the place of goddess Aurora, where he roams around like a ghost as
the place remains “ever silent” – quiet and cold, far away from his land Troy. The place is
always covered with mist and shinning halls of morning. This suggests that the place
has an unattainable beauty and renewal like the goddess of dawn.

Question 3 : Explain the circumstances under which

Tithonus was granted immortality.
Answer : Tithonus was granted immortality by the goddess Aurora. In his youth,
Tithonus was a very handsome and glorious man that Aurora fall for him, rather than
any other god. This made him feel like he was a special person. Tithonus himself
describes it as –

“Who madest him thy chosen, that he seem’d /

To his great heart none other than a God !”

Inflated with the pleasure of being “chosen” by the gorgeous goddess, Tithonus saw
himself as better than human being, like a god. This feeling evoked his desire to become
immortal like a god.

He wanted to become immortal like a God to fulfill his desire for her forever. So he
asked the goddess Aurora to give him immortality.

Eos granted his desire happily in response to her own desire for him, without thinking
of the consequences.

Question 4 : What similarity is mentioned between the

grant of immortality to Tithonus and the way wealthy
people give money to someone ?
Answer : Tithonus compared the grant of immortality to him, with the way rich people
give away money to someone without even thinking for a while. He says –

“Then didst thou grant mine asking with a smile/

 Like wealthy men, who care not how they give”.

Tithonus critisizes the goddess Aurora for behaving in an arrogant manner for
granting his wish so readily without considering the consequences of his wish. He says
just as rich or wealthy people give away their money without much thought, Aurora
granted Tithonus immortality so readily and happily without considering the
consequences of eternal life without eternal youth.

Question 5 : Why does the speaker want the goddess

to rectify the error she has made ?
Answer : The speaker – Tithonus wants the goddess Aurora to rectify her error of
granting him immortality without eternal youth. He says that her “strong Hours” – time
has worked against Tithonus and “beat (him) down” and “marr’d and wasted” him. He
has become old and withered away with time.

He further says –

“…………left me maim’d /

To dwell in presence of immortal youth /

Immortal age beside immortal youth”.

Time has ruined his youthful beauty and grow him old while his beloved goddess of
dawn remains young and beautiful. There is no match of his immortal age with her
immortal youth. He wants to ask if she can make amends to her error of giving him gift
of immortality without eternal youth. So he asks Aurora, the Goddess of dawn, if she can
take back the gift of eternal life given to him.

Question 6 : Give a description of the appearance of

dawn on her chariot.
Answer: Tithonus describes the ethereal beauty of Goddess of dawn Eos on her
transformation at dawn and says that at every morning he sees the “old mysterious
glimmer” on her lovely forehead and her lovely shoulders and feels her “bossom beating
with a heart renew’d”. Here the word “heart renew’d” refers to the goddess’s ever fresh
beauty which she renews it every morning.

He describes the appearance of dawn on her chariot as –

“Thy cheek begins to redden thro’ the gloom /

Thy sweet eyes brighten slowly close to mine”.

 Tithonus says to Aurora that her cheek starts to blush and turn red through the
darkness, her beautiful eyes looking into his eyes, slowly brighten with light. As her
arrival marks the end of the darkness of the night.

He further says that the “wild team” of white horses of her chariot are eagerly
waiting for her to hitch them to start pulling her chariot again. He says –

“And shake the darkness from their loosen’d manes /

And beat the twilight into flakes of fire”.

As the chariot starts its journey the horses shake off the darkness of night from
their “loosen’d manes” and charge through the twilight, fanning its faded coals into the
fresh flames of sunrise.

Question 7 : What is the limitation of the gods that

Tithonus points out ? When does he realise this ?
Answer : Tithonus found that even gods have some limitations. They can not take
back the gifts they have granted to someone. He realises this when he makes a request
to the goddess of dawn to take back the boon of immortality that she had granted to
him. Instead of giving any answer the goddess turns away with tears in eyes and
disappears. This makes him recall an old saying that “The Gods themselves can not
recall their gifts”.
Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka
Telephone conversation Poem Explanation

Telephone Conversation : Theme of Racial Discrimination and Prejudice

Telephone Conversation : Justification of the Title

Telephone Conversation : ISC Short Answer Questions

Telephone Conversation As An Indictment of Racial Discrimination and Prejudice

Telephone Conversation : Use of Story to Express the Anger of Blacks

Telephone Conversation : How and when the Language and Tone of the Speaker Changes

Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka : ISC Rhapsody Solutions

Line – by – line explanation :

Line 1 to 9 :
“The price …………..foully”
Explanation :
The poem begins on a dramatic note. Here the poet / speaker is a black African, seeking
for renting a place, and the price appears to be reasonable while the location does not
particularly excite) r bothers him. The landlady has already assured him that she lives
away from that house. As no other matter is left to be explained for the prospective
tenant so he needs to “confess” that he is an “African”.

Here, the use of the word “confession” suggests that being a black African is like
committing a crime and is considered quite negative so he should have to confess that
he is a black African. This line reveals the theme of the poem which is racial prejudice
and discrimination on the basis of colour of the skin. He does this as he does not want
to waste his time and money on travelling as he fears that his being an African may
create problems later.

The woman on the other end of the telephone line goes silent on hearing this. Her
silence convey that she belongs to a high class family, and she has been caught
between her own possible prejudices and societal norms that dictate good manners.
The “pressurised good – breeding” refers that she is trying to maintain good manners
by this silence and forced herself to not to react immediately. The moment she speaks,
he can imagine that the woman’s lips are coated with lipstick. He can also think of the
gold – coated cigarette holder in the woman’s hands. But he feel caught in a terrible and
embarrassing situation.
 Line 10 to 17 :
“HOW DARK ?……. emphasis”
Explanation :
The lady vividly enquires about the exact shade of the speaker’s colour, confirming his
earlier doubt about racial prejudice. She bluntly asks about the exact shade – “HOW
DARK ?” in a bold tone. She doesn’t twist her words and asks directly if the colour of his
skin is dark black or light black. Her question shocks the speaker making him totally
realise that he had not “misheard” and had not mistake her initial silence.

The man first thinks he has misheard but then realises that it is not true as she
repeats her question with a varying emphasis. Feeling as if he has just been reduced to
the status of a machine, similar to the telephone in front of him, and asked to choose
which button he is to choose. Here, “Button B” and “Button A” conveys the
categorisation on the basis of racial discrimination and absurdity.

The man is so disgusted that he can literally smell the stench coming from her
deceptive words. As it is a conversation it implies that this question of colour is not new
; it is already there and one can easily realise its dirty nature. The speaker then notices
the red colour of the telephone booth, the pillar box. The repeated use of “red” could
symbolise the anger and attention encapsulating his emotional state. It also refers to
the domination of white people over the black African in their own country. The reference
to “Omnibus squelching tar” also points out that he knows the possible demeaning
attitude of the white people towards the black Africans.

Realising the landlady’s blunt racism, the speaker feels a mixture of shame and
disbelief. Ironically he is the one who is ashamed by the tense and awkward silence, but
his silence is not out of manners rather from being “dumbfounded” and he is so choked
and shouts that he can not understand what the woman wants to know. The speaker is
so taken aback by her questions that he has become speechless and wants her to ask
her questions in a simplified manner and clearly. He realises that the woman is now
shifting her focus. It makes him think that she is a considerate woman and she is really
helpful by giving him options to choose from. Here “varying the emphasis” refers to the
superficiality of the lady’s attitude and her consideration.

Line 18 to 26 :
“ARE YOU DARK ? …………..altogether”
Explanation :
The woman continues to enquire about the man. She asks her question again to know
if the colour of his skin is dark black or it is light. While the speaker is fully aware of her
intentions. So he tries to bring some level of stupidity to the conversation by comparing
his own skin tone as plain or milk chocolate. This line shows that the speaker
metaphorically compare his skin with chocolate to highlight the absurdity and
dehumanising effect of reducing an individual on the basis of his or her skin tone.
 The landlady’s tone is cold and clinical, devoid of any warmth of humanity. Suddenly
the speaker’s thoughts change as he decides to answer her questions and describe
himself as “West African Sepia” as it is mentioned in his passport.

At this stage the lady remain quiet for a while, not wanting to admit to her ignorance
and it seems that she thinks of all the colours of a spectrum but still could not find the
colour mentioned to her. She remains silent until her real concern forces her to admit
that she doesn’t understand what colour the caller is referring to. Then the speaker tries
to tell her that his colour is like brunette or brown, to make it easier for her to
understand.

Line 27 to 35 :
“THAT’S DARK ………………….See for yourself”.
Explanation :
The woman on the phone emphasises that the colour of the of the speaker’s skin is
black. Now the man has enough of her insensitiveness. He disregards all constraints of
formality and mocks her outright, saying that he isn’t all black. The speaker plays with
the idea of his skin colour, saying that while his face might be dark, but the other part of
his body like palms of his hands and soles of his feet are as light as “peroxide blonde”.
He ridicules the woman by adding that sitting down has turned his bottom black
like “raven” due to the friction.

He wants to say more but he realises the woman is putting the receiver down to end
the call. He struggles one last time to make her reconsider, pleading her to at least,
come and see for herself the colour of his skin.

The ending of the poem is full of irony and sarcasm. The black, prospective tenant’s
comments about his own colour and his request to the woman to come and see him are
an ironical and powerful criticism of the woman’s racist and discriminatory attitude.

Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka : The Theme of Racial

Discrimination and Prejudice

Theme of Racial Discrimination and Prejudice in “Telephone Conversation” by Wole

Soyinka:

The poem “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka explores the theme of

diadromous based on colour and race and Prejudice, which unfortunately still persist in
many societies today.

The poet has placed before his audience a telephonic conversation between a white
landlady and an African man, with the latter looking for a place to rent. The poem is a
bitter comment on racism and racist prejudices.
 In the poem Wole Soyinka talks about two strangers speaking over the telephone. It
reveals the attitudes of some people have about others, particularly judging someone,
without knowing him or her personally but by just recognising the colour of someone’s
skin.

In the poem, the poet wanted to rent an apartment from the white landlady. However,
after the statement that he is African the conversation turned to discuss the poet’s skin
colour swiftly and it lasted till the end of the conversation.

Repetition is used to emphasise on the issue of racial discrimination. “Dark” is used to

show how much the landlady cared about the speaker’s skin colour,
because “Dark” usually connects with the dark skin colour of African origin. The
landlady is obviously discriminating the other race. It could also be shown from the
question she repeatedly asking “Are you light or very dark” after he told he was an
African her tone is suddenly changed.

The beginning of the poem is on a positive note. The man is searching for a house and
the landlady has named a reasonable price, and the area where it is located doesn’t
bother the man. The man could enjoy his privacy as the landlady doesn’t live under the
same premises. The African man is ready to accept the offer, but may be there has been
a similar incident in his past, for he stops and “confess” that he is black saying –

“I hate a wasted journey – I am African”

The African man confess to the landlady that he is black. This was the first use of irony
in the poem. He feels sorry about something that he was born with and had no control
over. He says that he hates a “wasted journey” which indicates that he has been
rejected before due to racial discrimination.

In response to this confession the landlady at first becomes silent. The poet at first
interprets her silence as her being well – mannered. However she then bluntly asks
whether the speaker is dark or light, a question so absurd that the speaker briefly
wonders if he has misheard. The landlady is playing into the ignorant idea that black
people with lighter skin are superior to those with darker skin.

Her only concern is how dark the speaker is, instead of asking other relevant
questions, such as his profession, habits, and so on. She reduces it to a single attribute
which is his skin colour. Racism, the poem therefore makes it clear, is inherently
reductive and dehumanising.

A sense of anger rises inside the man and it is portrayed by repeating the word red.

“Shamed /

by ill – mannered silence, surrender /

 pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification./

Considerate she was varying emphasis”

He describes the lady in nothing but positive terms – Her goodness is seemingly
confirmed later on when the speaker says that she was “considerate” in rephrasing her
question of his skin colour. This kind description of the landlady were filled with verbal
irony. After this the poet uses nothing but irony and sarcasm in his speech as he
describes himself.

The speaker has to describe himself as “West African Sepia” a joke that goes right
over the slow – witted landlady’s head. Again she asks hinted a question about the
colour of his skin.

“THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT ?”

Mockingly – yet truthfully – the speaker admits that –

“facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see /

the rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet /

are peroxide blonde”

He admits that he is not altogether black but his face is brunette, his palms and foot
soles are “peroxide blonde”.

He then adds that his bottom is “raven black” due to the friction caused by sitting
down.

He knows that the landlady will never be convinced with his black complexion and he
senses that she might slam down the receiver anytime.

At such a crucial juncture, he struggles one last time to make her reconsider, pleading
her to at least see for herself.

“Madam, I pleaded, wouldn’t you /

rather

See for yourself ?”

The poem reflects the conflict between the black man and the white landlady. The
poem points at the absurdity of racism.
 The practice of judging someone on the basis of his skin colour and race instead of his
characteristic features, present a contaminated image of modern society.

Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka: ISC Rhapsody Solutions

Telephone Conversation : Justification of the

Title
Question : Why do you think that the poet has chosen
the title “Telephone Conversation”. Give reason to
support your answer.
Answer:

The poet Wole Soyinka has chosen the title “Telephone Conversation” to depict the
prejudice and racial discrimination by means of casual telephonic conversation. The
title has two parts – first emphasising a conversation between two people which is
telephonic, means they can not look at each other, so that they are unaware of their
physical appearance. Second part is a conversation which should be all about an
apartment to be rented and a prospective tenant but in reality, is focused only on the
colour of the black prospective tenant.

The poem is written in the first person narrative. It is a poetic satire against the widely
spread racism in the modern western society. The title “Telephone Conversation” is
justified because it captures the essence of the poem’s central theme – Prejudice and
Discrimination based on the race and colour of individuals.

A telephone conversation is usually a common day – to – day event but in this poem,
it becomes a battleground for racial tension. The title emphasises the contrast between
the normalcy of the setting and the abnormality of the prejudiced attitudes it reveals.
The telephone is usually a tool for communication ironically it becomes a medium for
misunderstanding and discrimination.

As the title suggests, the poem depicts a telephone conversation between a west
African man and a white landlady who shockingly changes her attitude towards the
man soon after he reveals his racial identity.

The poem begins with a simple phone call between an African man and a white
landlady. The man, looking for a place to live, finds the price and location good, but
decides to “confess” the landlady that he is an African, knowing it could make her not
want to rent him.

“Silence. Silenced transmission of /

pressurised good breeding …”

When he discloses that he is an African, she is silent, which he first interprets as her
being well – mannered. However, she then bluntly asks whether he is “light or very dark”.
Her rude inquiry destroys any impression he had of her as sophisticated or open –
minded.

However, unaware of the extent of the landlady’s ignorance, he is shocked and

annoyed by her cold, impersonal and demeaning approach to his confession.

As the landlady repeats the same question he understands that it is something very
important for her to know before she allows him to rent her house. At that moment he
feels disgusting and is reduced to shame as he is subjected to racial discrimination.

But the woman’s repeated questions about his skin colour are irritating, annoying and
insulting. The man at first remains polite and humble. The moment he realises the
woman’s derogatory attitude towards the black he gets annoyed starts responding in an
ironical and sarcastic way.

The man, with the woman still confused, sarcastically continues to describe himself
as –

“Not altogether/

Facially, I an brunette, but madam, you should see /

The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet /

Are a peroxide blonde.”

He told her that he is brunette, “facially brunette”, but the palm of his hand and soles
of his feet is “peroxide blonde”.

The African man is being very sarcastic about the colour of his skin but the
landlady can not accept the fact that he is black. When his sarcasm reached at a peak
he said that his bottom is “raven black” due to friction caused by prolonged sitting.
This phrase expresses his anger at her as he insults her simple mindedness and her
desire to categorise him.

The landlady is discontented with the man’s answer and hangs up the phone. Sensing
the call is ending soon, he makes one last attempt to invite the landlady to observe his
skin colour personally.

The poem concludes without divulging her final response, but implies her questions
stemmed more from prejudice than simple interest.
 This conversation exposes the landlady’s racial biases and the speaker’s anxiety
about revealing his race, turning an ordinary call into a powerful commentary on racism.

By choosing this title, Soyinka sets the stage for a critique of racial prejudice showing
how it taints even the most routine interactions. The poem points at the absurdity of
racism. The practice of judging someone on the basis of his colour or race or social
status instead of his inner capabilities, presents the highly corrupt image of modern
society.

Telephone conversation by Wole Soyinka : As an Indictment of Racial

Discrimination and Prejudice

Telephone conversation by Wole Soyinka

: As an Indictment of Racial Discrimination
and Prejudice
Question : The poem is an indictment of racial and
colour prejudice and discrimination in some societies.
Discuss with close reference to the poem.
Answer: The poem “Telephone Conversation” written by Wole Soyinka, is a poem
concerning the racial discrimination between Caucasian and African. It presents a
powerful critique of the deeply rooted racial and colour prejudices present in western
societies.

The poem focuses on the conversation between a white land lady and a black person
who wants to have accommodation on rent. The poet uses this situation to expose the
mindset of the white people who discriminate on the ground of colour and race.

The poem opens with the African speaker clarifying the essential information about
the location, the cost and similar business details. The man is aware of his his black
colour and expected dislike of the white lady. It reveals that this kind of discrimination
is not an isolated example. It is a usual happening. So he decides to “confess” that he is
an African –

” ….Madam, I warned, I /

hate a wasted journey – I am African”

The African man confesses to the landlady that he is black, as if he had done a crime.
He feels sorry about something that he was born with and had no control over.
 At first the lady remains silent, which he first interprets as her well mannered. However
she then asks with a sarcastic tone –

“HOW DARK ?….. I had not misheard.…ARE YOU LIGHT /

OR VERY DARK ?…”

This question is so absurd that the speaker briefly wonders if he has misheard. The
lady’s only concern is how dark the speaker is, instead of asking other relevant
questions like his profession, habits family and so on, she reduce it to a single attribute
which is his skin colour. He finds the “rancid breath” within her words and he quotes as
–

“……shamed /

by ill mannered silence, surrender /

Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification”

The man knows the possible demeaning attitude of the white people towards the
black Africans, but now he is in a real such situation. He is so chocked
and “dumbfounded”, he shouts that he can not understand what the woman wants to
know. Consequently, he requests the woman to explain her question in a more simple
way.

He shows his anger by repeatation of red colour –

“Red booth, Red piller – box, Red double tiered /

Omnibus squelching tar…..”

He refers to the colour of the booth, the piller – box and double tiered omnibus ; all
red. This focus on colour also refers to the racism being portrayed d in the poem.

The woman repeats her question, as roughly as she had done previously. Her repeated
questions about his skin – colour are irritating, annoying and insulting. At first he
calmly answers her question but the moment he realises the woman’s derogatory
attitude towards black, he gets annoyed and starts responding in an ironical and
sarcastic way.

He refuses to answer the woman’s questions directly, instead offering a series of

clever replies that reveal the landlady’s question to be offensive and illogical.
 He describes himself as “West African sepia” which is noted in his passport. But the
landlady is unable to recognise and fails to conceal her ignorance and apathy towards
him.

Again, she asks hinted a question about the colour of his skin. He clarifies that he
is “brunette” facially brunette, but the palm of his hand and soles of his feet
are “peroxide blonde”.

The man is being very sarcastic about his colour but the landlady can not accept the
fact that he is black.

The speaker does not just criticise the landlady’s action but also the way she thinks
about race itself. He refuses to let complexity of human identity be reduced by ignorant
choice that the landlady offers.

When his sarcasm reaches at the highest point, he sensed that the landlady is going
to hang up on him. This suggesting that, as a white person, she still holds the power in
the society to effectively silence the black speaker.

He suddenly stops and says –

“Madam’, I pleaded’, wouldn’t you rather /

see for yourself ?”

The woman’s silence at the end of the poem is also suggestive. She doesn’t bother to
tell the speaker whether she is to let the accommodation to him or not. It speaks of her
understanding about people’s mindset. She seems to believe that everybody
understands, realises and perhaps accepts racist thoughts.

Thus, the poem gives a strong message – that making judgement about a person’s
character based solely on the colour of their skin is the key absurdity of racial prejudice.

Telephone Conversation : Use of story and Express the Anger of the

Blacks

Telephone Conversation : Use of story and

Express the Anger of the Blacks
Question : How does the poet make use of the story in
this poem and express the anger of the Blacks ?
Answer:
The poem “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka is not only a powerful criticism of
the racial discrimination and prejudice but also it paints a picture of humiliation of the
person who is subjected to be discriminated.

The poem directly conveys the speaker’s feelings of anger, anxiety and bitterness
through his detailed observation of his surroundings and sarcastic responses to the
landlady’s questions about his skin colour.

The poem is based on a conversation between the two person belonging to two
different races. In this poem Soyinka captures the complicated and open form of racism
through the conversation between a black man looking for an accommodation on rent
and a white landlady.

This incident related to the conversation develops like a story. By using this incident
based story in the form of a poem, the poet expresses the feeling of shock, humiliation,
embarrassment and anger of the black against racial discrimination and colour
prejudice they have to face, in day – to – day life.

The speaker in the poem is a black and exposes the attitude of the white people
towards the blacks.

At the beginning of the story, although he finds all the other things are appropriate
while looking for a house on rent, he still feels the colour of his skin may cause some
problem. So he decides to “confess” his crime of being black, towards the white land
lady. But her silence confuses him and makes him feel caught in an embarrassing
situation and he says –

“Caught I was foully”

But when she opens her mouth and asks –

“HOW DARK ……ARE YOU LIGHT /

OR VERY DARK ?…..”

He feels so ashamed, shocked and “dumbfounded” by her question that he could

not believe as he heard it right about what she just asked. Then he feels the urgent need
of “simplification”. He becomes speechless and he wants her to ask her question in a
simplified manner and clearly.

Then he finds the lady so “considerate” that she varies her “emphasis” and asks again
–

“ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT ? “

 Here, Soyinka refers to the superficiality of her attitude and her consideration. She
was nice enough to swap around the order of her words in the question. Here Soyinka
employs irony and satire to convey the anger of the blacks towards the racial prejudice.
A rage of anger came into his heart for the white landlady. He feels irritated annoyed and
insulted by her questions.

The man at first remains polite and humble. But the moment he realises the woman’s
derogatory attitude towards the black, he gets annoyed and starts responding in an
ironical and sarcastic way.

But the woman still remains rude, “clinical”, and impersonal towards the black man.
He quotes it as –

” Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light /

Impersonality …..”

As the conversation unfolds, it becomes a painful accumulation of ironic

miscommunication and blatant racism. The more the speaker tries to answer the
questions, the deeper the exchange slips into irony as the Speaker answers the woman
with cool logic that clouds rather than clarifies the situation.

The speaker settles on describing himself as “West African sepia” , a term he knows
will further confuse his listener.

Then he describes his colour as “brunette” facially brunette but palms of his hands
and soles of his feet are “peroxide blonde”. He tries to convince the lady that he is not
altogether black and human body is not just a particular colour, but different body parts
are of different colour. The speaker here is deliberately tongue – in – cheek in the
comparisons are too far complex to be reduced to a simple, binary choice between dark
or light – “Button B” or “Button A”.

The speaker does not just criticise the landlady’s action but also the way she thinks
about race itself. His responses, filled with sarcasm and unexpected analogies expose
the dehumanising effects of racism and the resentment felt by the blacks subjected to
such discrimination.

The man’s sarcastic replies are his way to protest against the racial discrimination
and prejudice based on colour of the skin of some individuals.

This way the poet has successfully developed an incident like a story and used it to
express the anger of the blacks against the discrimination they face routinely.
Telephone Conversation : ISC Rhapsody Long Answer Questions
By R Khanna / August 14, 2024

Telephone Conversation : ISC Rhapsody

Solutions
Question : How and when does the language and tone
of the speaker change in the poem ? What does it
suggest ?
Answer:

The poem “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka is a poem that satirises racism. It
depicts a conversation between a black speaker and his prospective landlady who
happens to be a white woman.

At first, the landlady seemed ready to move forward with renting to the speaker
even “swearing” that “she lived off premises”. She cant detect the speaker’s race
through the phone, a fact that emphasises that the speaker’s identity is comprised of
more than his race and that skin colour is irrelevant to the speaker’s suitability as a
tenant.

But when the speaker makes the self – confession, about being African, the
conversation abruptly shifts to a discussion of his skin tone.

After a short silence the woman asks –

“HOW DARK ?…….ARE YOU LIGHT /

OR VERY DARK ?…..”

After he discloses his identity, the woman insists on knowing the exact colour of the
man. Instead of asking about other details such as his family, occupation, income etc p,
she is more concerned about his colour and race. When hears her question he can not
believe that he “had not misheard”. Then he feels shocked, confused and ashamed.

Although he too is aware of the prevailing prejudice in the society. But this is a new
variety of colour prejudice in which, apparently the precise shade of his skin matters.
The speaker is so incredulous that he looks around his to ensure that he is still
inhabiting the real world.

At that moment he feels disgusting with the question and fancies himself to be a
machine like a phone. He reduces to being a button on that phone by the categorisation
of the woman.
 “Button B. Button A.”

He bitterly describes himself as ashamed and his silence as “ill – mannered” before
ironically calling the landlady “considerate” for changing her emphasis.

The man at first remains polite and humble but due to the lady’s repeated questions
and her attitude towards his colour and race,ma sense of anger rose inside the man
which is portrayed by repeating the word “red” –

“Red booth. Red piller – box. Red double – tiered /

Omnibus squelching tar.”

The man holds on to codes of formality which breaks down at the woman’s
insensitivity. When he realises the woman’s derogatory attitude towards the black, he
gets annoyed and this is the point when he starts responding in an ironical and
sarcastic way. At this point his tone also changes from polite and humble to sarcastic
and ironical. This change in his tone reflects his emotional transition from willingness
to engage to a defensive posture. This suggests his devastation and anger towards the
societal racism he faces in – day – day life.

The speaker describes himself as “West African sepia” a joke that goes right over the
slow – witted landlady’s head.

He further says that the soles of his feet and the palms of his hands are “peroxide
blonde” and his bottom becomes “raven black” due to the friction caused by prolonged
sitting. But he still knows that the land lady will never be convinced with his black
complexion and he senses that she might slam down the receiver anytime. At that time
he makes a final attempt pleading her to come and take a good look at him, reveals his
devastation and disappointment. He wants to shout out loud saying that is black but he
is not that black for anyone to be put to shame.

As the poem closes the landlady hangs up on the speaker suggesting that as a white
person, she still holds the power in the society to effectively silence the black speaker.

The idea behind the poem. “Telephone Conversation” is to depict how brutal and
devastating it can be for a man who is being subjected to racial discrimination. And
how he uses satirical humour to cope with this uncomfortable situation and mock his
discriminators’ prejudice.
Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka: ISC Rhapsody Question
Answers

Telephone Conversation : Character and

Behaviour of the Speaker
Question: Write a note on the character and behaviour
of the speaker ?
Answer:

The speaker in “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka, is a black, African man. He

needs an accommodation on rent. For this reason he makes a call to the white landlady.
The poem is based on their conversation. Their conversation throws light on some
features of his character.

The speaker is calm, composed, clear and self aware person. At the beginning of the
poem when he is looking for a house on rent and all the things are settled but he still
wants to disclose his racial identity to the landlady. He says –

“But self confession. ‘Madam’, I warned /

I hate a wasted journey – I am African.”

The speaker is a straight forward and open – minded person, who is aware of the
discriminatory practice of the society. He knows that the dark colour of his skin may
cause some discomfort to the landlady and it can cause a problem for renting a house
for him. May be he has experienced some similar incident before so he doesn’t want to
hide his identity. He desire for transparency and a refusal to be complicit in the racial
opinion of the time.

The selection of the word “confession” also suggests that the speaker is aware of the
discriminatory attitude of some people in the society towards the blacks.

The above mentioned lines also suggest that the speaker is a practical and worldly
person and he is aware of the possible response of the lady, so he doesn’t want to
waste his time and money on travelling and meeting her.

The speaker is quite positive person. He has a positive attitude for the white landlady.
He says –

“Silence. Silenced transmission of /

 Pressurised good – breeding.”

After disclosing his identity to the lady he interprets her silence as – she is trying to
maintain good manners by keeping silence. Further in poem when he wants her to
simplify her question about his colour and she changes her “emphasis” he
acknowledges her as “considerate” for labouring her point.

The speaker is a responsive person. He is annoyed, humiliated and ashamed by the

woman’s derogatory attitude and her discriminatory interrogation. He says –

“……It was real ! Shamed”

Although he is aware of racial discrimination deeply rooted in the society but this time
it was him, who is suggested to be discriminated. This is a new variety of colour
prejudice in which apparently, the precise shade of his skin matters. The speaker is so
incredulous that he looks around him to ensure that he is still inhibiting the real world.
He sees –

“Red booth. Red piller box. Red double tiered /

Omnibus squelching tar.”

The repetition of “Red” here shows his anger towards the discrimination. He is so
taken aback by the derogatory inquiry of the lady that he is “dumbfounded” and
needs “simplification” from the lady.

The speaker is so humiliated and reduced by the repeated questions of the lady about
his skin colour, that he chose to dehumanise himself further by describing himself like
a “plain or milk chocolate”. Then dissecting his body according to how dark each part of
it is. The reader can feel his humiliation.

The speaker is a clever person, his responses not only reflect his frustration but also
his resilience. He appropriately bounces back the lady’s discriminatory attitude. His
language shifts from straight – forward to ironic and sardonic, revealing his resilience,
intellect and his attitude towards the absurdity of racism. He quotes –

“Friction, caused –

Foolishly madam – by sitting down has turned /

My bottom raven black”

He handles the landlady’s offensive questions with a blend of poise and cutting
humour. This all dhows his resilience.
 The speaker is an intelligent man – he uses certain words like “west African
sepia” and “brunette” which the so called high class white landlady can not
understand. His ironical responses and sardonic tone also shows his intellect.

The speaker is a pride man for his racial background. The way he explains himself
as “west African sepia”, shows he has no regret and a sense of being inferior in him. His
black colour is his identity and pride, it doesn’t seem a drawback to him.

A sense of self respect is also be seen by his conversation with the lady. Instead of
making attempt to please the lady, he confidently faces her negative attitude.

All these characteristic features of the speaker, are assumed by this conversation but
the poem itself does not reveal anything about the speaker. The poem illustrates how
racism reduces and dehumanises people. It cuts away every thing that is human and
vibrant about the speaker, until only skin colour is left.

Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka: ISC Rhapsody Short Answer

Questions

Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

Short Answer Questions :
Question 1 : What were the things about the house that the speaker find attractive ?

Answer:

The speaker finds the rent of the house is quite reasonable or can be said that the rent
is quite affordable. Even the location of the house does not matter much, and does not
have any drawback. Another important thing that the landlady has already assured that
she lives away from the house and the tenant could enjoy more freedom. All these
things about the house seemed attractive to the speaker.

Question 2 : What comes as a shock to the speaker ? Why ?

Answer:

After the speaker’s revelation about his identity as an African, the landlady’s direct and
abrupt inquiry about his colour shocked him.

She asks “HOW DARK ?” The speaker is shocked and dumbfounded by her reply. He
can not believe that he “had not misheard”. The man is left in silence. The silence
emphasise the awkwardness and the unspoken discrimination that the speaker
anticipates and experience.
 Question 3 : Why does the man think that he will have a wasted journey ?

Answer:

The man is aware of the discriminatory attitude of the white people towards the black
Africans. He doubts that he may be denied the house on rent just because of the black
colour of his skin. Thus he fears that his journey to get the house on rent will be wasted.

Question 4 : What does the lady want to know about the speaker’s colour ?

Answer:

As soon as the speaker reveals his identity as an African, the landlady becomes more
concerned about the colour of his skin. The woman repeatedly wants to know whether
the speaker’s skin colour is dark black or light black. It seems that the landlady’s only
concern is to know the colour of his complexion and his social background.

Question 5 : How does the speaker explain the colour of his skin to the woman ?

Answer:

The speaker explains the colour of his skin to the woman by referring to it as “West
African sepia”, as it is mentioned in his passport. But the woman could not understand
the colour of his skin and still confused about his colour. So the man sarcastically
continues to describe himself, trying to simplify it for her by telling her that his face
is “brunette”, his palms and soles of feet are “peroxide blonde”.

Question 6 : Why does the speaker say that his colour is not altogether black ?

Answer:

The speaker sarcastically tells the woman that the colour of his skin is not altogether
black, but the colour of his face is “brunette”. He admits that the palms of his hands
and soles of his feet are “peroxide blonde”. At the peak of his sarcasm he mocks the
lady by saying that his bottom is “raven black” due to the fraction caused by his foolish
long sitting.

Question 7 : Comment on the ending of the poem.

Answer:

The ending of the poem is quite ironical and satirical. Though out the poem, the woman
is only concerned about the colour of the prospective tenant’s skin. While the African
man is sarcastic about the colour of his skin but the landlady could not accept the fact
that he was black. When his sarcasm reached a peak, he senses that the landlady is
going to hang up on him. He suddenly stops and says, “Madam, I pleaded, wouldn’t you
rather / see for yourself ?”

But the woman puts the receiver down without giving any clear response about
renting out the accommodation. Her silence at the end of the poem is suggestive that
she doesn’t bother to tell the speaker whether she is to let the accommodation to him or
not. It indicates that she believes that everybody understands, realises and perhaps
accepts racist thoughts. It also reveals her prejudiced mindset against the man based
on his race.