1.7 The Parrot in the Cage (by Lekhnath Paudyal)
⟰ First मा यो chapter चाहिं खास के को बारेमा हो?
➪ “The Parrot in the Cage” is a poem by Lekhnath Paudyal. It talks about a lively parrot in a cage, unable to fly freely. The poem shows the parrot feeling sad and wanting freedom. The cage makes its wings useless, and the parrot sheds tears, showing deep emotional pain. The poet reflects on how the parrot, though physically alive, suffers emotionally in captivity. The poem highlights the contrast between the parrot’s natural freedom and the limitations of being trapped in a cage. It symbolically reminds us of the pathetic (दर्दनाक) conditions of Nepalese people during the Rana regime that lasted for 104 years.
⟰ त्यसो भए यसको actual summary चाहिं के हो त?
Summary of the Chapter:
➪ Lekhanath Paudyal’s poem, ‘The Parrot in the Cage,’ is about a sad parrot kept in a cage. The parrot remembers its happy life in the forest with family and friends. It expresses its sadness in the cage, unable to enjoy the things it once had.
The parrot used to roam freely in the jungle, eating wild fruits and enjoying the natural life. But now, it’s trapped and can’t enjoy cool water, shade, or delicious fruits. Instead, it gets rotten food and can’t sing freely. It’s forced to speak in a language it doesn’t want to. The parrot tries to break free but fails because its beak is blunt, and its wings and legs hurt.
The parrot thinks about its parents and worries about a dark future. It feels helpless, facing torture and exploitation by humans. It curses God for giving it the ability to speak, which brings suffering. It dislikes humans for using their talents and prays that no more parrots are born as long as humans are around.
The poem symbolically represents the difficult times in Nepal during the Rana regime. It compares the rulers to the parrot’s master and the caged parrot to the common Nepalese. It shows how the powerless Nepalese were deprived of their rights and freedom during this time, lasting for 104 years.
⟰ अनि अब यो chapter बाट exam मा आउन सक्ने question हरु के के हुन् त?
Exam Questions:
Type 1 (5-Mark Question)
Q1: How does the poem depict the contrast between the parrot’s past life in the forest and its current condition in the cage?
A: The poem vividly describes how the parrot used to live freely in the jungle, enjoying nature and eating wild fruits. In contrast, its current condition in the cage is filled with sorrow and limitations, as it cannot experience the cool water, shade, and delicious fruits anymore. Instead, it gets rotten food and can’t sing freely. It’s forced to speak in a language it doesn’t want to. The parrot tries to break free but fails because its beak is blunt, and its wings and legs hurt. Overall, its current situation is very pathetic compared to its past life in the forest.
Type 2 (10-Mark Question):
Q1: What does the parrot’s struggle to break free from the cage symbolize, and why does it ultimately feel hopeless?
A1: The parrot’s efforts to break free from the cage symbolize its strong desire to regain the freedom it once had in the jungle. The blunt (not sharp) beak, painful wings, and legs represent the obstacles and difficulties it faces in escaping. These challenges mirror the struggles faced by the common people under the oppressive Rana regime. The parrot’s ultimate feeling of hopelessness reflects the harsh reality that, despite its determination, the physical limitations imposed by the cage and its weakened state prevent any successful escape. This mirrors the feeling of helplessness experienced by many Nepalese people during the difficult times of the Rana regime.
Type 3 (15-Mark Question)
Q1: How does the poem use the parrot’s suffering to comment on the socio-political situation during the Rana regime in Nepal?
A1: Lekhanath Paudyal’s poem, ‘The Parrot in the Cage,’ is about a sad parrot kept in a cage. The parrot remembers its happy life in the forest with family and friends. It expresses its sadness in the cage, unable to enjoy the things it once had.
The poem cleverly and skillfully uses the parrot’s suffering to comment on the socio-political situation in Nepal during the Rana regime. The parrot, being trapped and forced to live a caged life , symbolizes the terrible situation of the common people who were oppressed and deprived of their basic rights by the rulers. The parrot’s master in the cage is like the rulers during the Rana regime, who had a lot of power. The caged parrot is like the regular people who didn’t have any power and were trapped in a difficult situation. The poem is saying that during those 104 years, the rulers were not fair and made life hard for the common people. The parrot’s pain represents the suffering of the powerless Nepalese during that time, showing how they were kept from having their basic rights and freedom.