11th English The Delight Song Poem Explanation of Stanzas

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In this post, I am sharing 1st Year English The Delight Song Poem Explanation of Stanzas for Class 11 Students. This is Poem No.17 of total 20 poems and written by the poet N. Scott Momaday. I have taken these notes from kips notes. Students are advised to visit 1st Year English Book 3 notes for all plays and poems notes.

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1st Year English Poem 17 The Delight Song by N. Scott Momaday Explanation of Lines

Reference

These lines have been taken from the poem, “The Delight Song” by N. Scott Momaday.

Context

The thing that keeps a person alive is his harmony with all that is pleasing, soothing, and inspiring. He lives a happy life when he stands in good relation to the earth he lives on, the beautiful things that please him.

Explanation of Stanza No. 1 (Lines 1-3)

The poet expresses his extreme joy through various metaphors of unique objects. He is overjoyed and feels himself in harmony with the surroundings. He feels himself like a feather flying in the infinite vastness of sky. The feelings of lightness, carefree and tension free attitude is visible in this line. He feels himself like a horse of good breed (blue horse) that runs on the ground. Energy and independence are the main features which the poet shows here. He feels himself like a fish that rolls in the infinite depths of water independently and enjoys its life to its peak. In these lines the poet gives the metaphors of all the unique things that he finds in the sky, water and on the earth.

Explanation of Stanza No.2 (Lines 4-6)

The poet uses the metaphor of a child’s shadow to show relaxation and tension-free attitude. Shadow always follows a child. It shows the height of innocence and free of materialistic desires. The poet feels happy, relaxed and care-free like a child and wants to be like his shadow following him and enjoying the same happiness. The poet uses a metaphor of evening light which is comforting and glows the meadows with its soothing light. The poet visualizes himself as an eagle that flies in the heights of the sky. The lines shows the poet’s attitude to accept challenges.

Explanation of Stanza No.3 (Lines 7-9)

The glitter and brightness of the pearls is proverbial. The poet calls himself the glittering group of pearls whose shine shows the poet’s extreme happiness. The distant things always appeal everyone. So the poet calls himself the distant start that shines softly in the blue depths of the sky. The poet calls himself the cold of down that has soothing and comforting effect in it. He feels himself the cold nip of the dawn. All the metaphors show the degree of the poet’s happiness.

Explanation of Stanza No.4 (10-12)

The poet feels himself like melodious sound of rainfall that creates a musical effect. The poet feels like the shine of the crust of snow. The metaphor perfectly describes the bright and glowing life of the poet. The poet describes the beauty of long route on which the moon seems to enjoy its promenade. The poet calls himself the same beautiful long track.

Explanation of Stanza No.5 (13-14)

The poet visualizes himself as a colourful flame. The four coloured flame depicts the variety of life of the poet. The poet expresses his extreme joy by using the metaphor of unique things in surroundings. He feels himself like a dream in which all these unique things are combined. Dream is always better than reality. The poet combines all unique things of reality in a dream to enhance their uniqueness and calmness.

Explanation of Stanza NO.6 (Lines 15-20)

The poet unfolds the secret of his happiness and colourful life in the last lines. These lines are the essence of the poem. The poet tells that good relation with his land and surrounding is the cause of his extreme joy. His love for land reflects back in his pride. The poet gives the message that love and affection for one’s country pays back in form of personal joys and happiness. Furthermore the poet tells that the love for fellow beings is also a source of permanent joy. The beautiful things around us make us happy. As Keats says, “A thing of beauty is joy forever.” Beauty is truth, hope courage and life. The poet has good connection and relation with useful constructive and beneficial things. The poet concludes the poem with the message that good relations with land, fellow beings, beautiful and useful things keep a person alive and turn this world into an earthly paradise.

Main Idea of the Poem

The poem is a description of the height of delight. Internal happiness reflects through bearings and lends a unique colour and flavor to the things in the surroundings. Thus everything seems to be in harmony with the internal feelings. This extreme joy springs from our good relationship with surroundings, people, beautiful and useful things.