Why hang'st thou lonely on yon withered bough?
Unstrung for ever, must thou there remain;
Thy music once was sweet — who hears it now?
Why doth the breeze sigh over thee in vain?
Silence hath bound thee with her fatal chain;
Neglected, mute, and desolate art thou,
Like ruined monument on desert plain:
O! many a hand more worthy far than mine
Once thy harmonious chords to sweetness gave,
And many a wreath for them did Fame entwine
Of flowers still blooming on the minstrel's grave:
Those hands are cold — but if thy notes divine
May be by mortal wakened once again,
Harp of my country, let me strike the strain!
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raphaela
From guest raphaela (contact)
hi! i am brazliam and i love this site becase i play harp of india. kiss for every than live in EUA and sorry my portuguese is good but my englich sorry,sorry,bay -
harp of india
From guest M N (contact)
From what I've learned, it is a poem written in pre-independence India. The youth of the country were too involved with the freedom struggle to learn and imbibe Indian music and art. The poet laments the loss of India's cultural ethos. The words "fatal chain" are a reference to the shackles of slavery that bound the Indian people, which led to the harp being neglected. The poet remembers that there was once a time when great musicians played melodious music using the harp; however they are now dead and there is no one left to carry forward this tradition of music and the arts in the country. The last three lines signify hope- the poet says that if there is a possibility that music of the harp could once again reverberate in Indian homes, he would like to take responsibility to ensure that the harp's position as an integral part of Indian culture is restored. It is also a call to the youth of the country to fight back with renewed rigor so that Indian youth once again become acquainted with the sweet melody of the harp. -
the harp of india
From guest vikram kumar chawla (contact)
the poet has done an excellent job by throwing light on what is wrong...he talks of the harp in reference to indian art music culture and how it hangs desolate on a withered bough.he says that there are hands more worthier than mine as he says that may be he is not good enough for the task of not just reviving the indian poetry and culture nut he says that he would like to try......amazing..and so true....lets keep the indian poetry music culture alive....cheers -
I supposed the positive in this poem is the fact that the poet is able to play something on the harp. He begins with an action of change; he no longer wishes the harp to remain as a fossil hung on a dying branch. Life returns to the harp, however crudely, by his efforts, his voice, his passion. Reading the poet's bio tends to confirm my opinion of this poem. Derozio had a way of influencing the young with his political/religious ideals. The harp, of course, is symbolic of a country that lost vision. The last line clearly indicates that the poet will pick up where the ancients left off. He will awaken people to think, to hear again, the music of reason and change. One can easily apply this poem to other movers and shakers, i.e. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr; Ghandi, Nelson Mendela, etc.
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hey..this poem is us amazin!!! love da english used
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The poet sounds quite depressed and not very hopeful for his country's future. Nature too seems to have forsaken the harp.
The usage of adjectives like mute,neglected,desolate,ruined reveal the depth of his loss.
If someone can show me the bright side of this poem and how the poet hopes to revive and resusitate his beloved country-I would be very grateful.
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