Get notes, line-by-line explanation, summary, questions and answers, critical analysis, word meanings, extras, and pdf of the poem “The Power of Music” by Sukumar Ray, which is part of ICSE Class 10 English (Treasure Chest: A Collection of ICSE Poems and Short Stories). However, the notes should only be treated as references, and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
Summary
The poem describes how the singer Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s voice spreads far and wide during the summer, from Delhi to Burma. His singing is energetic and intense, as if he has staked his life on it. The people who hear his singing are left amazed and dazed.
Though they know his intentions are good, Bhisma Lochan’s powerful singing causes chaos and havoc wherever he goes.
Bullock carts overturn on the roads, horses line the roadsides, and animals are left confused and frightened by his booming voice. Even the fish dive to the bottom of lakes and the trees shake violently, trying to get away from his singing. The birds in the sky turn upside down in panic upon hearing him. Everyone pleads for him to stop singing before he kills them.
But Bhisma Lochan is unconcerned and continues bellowing out his songs, heedless of the pleas and cries around him. The heavens weep at his screeching voice and mighty mansions collapse under its force.
Finally, a clever billy goat comes along and charges at Bhisma Lochan, bellowing right back at him. This finally makes Bhisma Lochan stop singing, granting the world silence once again.
Line-by-line explanation of the poem
When summer comes, we hear the hums/Bhisma Lochan Sharma.
These opening lines introduce us to Bhisma Lochan Sharma, who is a singer with a very loud and powerful voice. In summer, his voice spreads all over and people can hear him humming and singing loudly.
You catch his strain on hill and plain from Delhi down to Burma/He sings as though he’s staked his life, he sings as though he’s hell-bent;
Bhisma Lochan’s voice carries very far – all the way from Delhi to Burma! This shows us how loud and strong his singing is. The next lines say that he sings with full energy and passion, as if his life depended on it. He is completely obsessed with and lost in his singing.
The people, dazed, retire amazed although they know it’s well-meant./They’re trampled in the panic rout or languish pale and sickly,
Now, though Bhisma Lochan means no harm, his intense singing confuses people and leaves them astonished. In fact, his booming voice causes chaos – people get trampled and injured in the panic and become unwell and pale.
And plead, ‘My friend, we’re near our end, oh stop your singing quickly!’/The bullock-carts are overturned, and horses line the roadside;
People now desperately plead with Bhisma Lochan to stop singing soon, before they meet their end. To show how disruptive his voice is, the poet says even bullock carts overturn on the roads and horses stand frightened along the sides.
But Bhisma Lochan, unconcerned, goes booming out his broadside./The wretched brutes resent the blare the hour they hear it sounded,
However, lost in his own world of song, Bhisma Lochan pays no attention to the chaos and continues bellowing loudly. The animals strongly dislike and resent his loud singing from the moment they hear it.
They whine and stare with feet in air or wonder quite confounded./The fishes dived below the lake in frantic search for silence,
The animals are left totally confused by his voice – they whine, stand puzzled with feet in the air, and wonder what is happening. Even the fish dive to the bottom of lakes trying to escape his loud singing.
The very trees collapse and shake – you hear the crash a mile hence -/And in the sky the feathered fly turn turtle while they’re winging,
Bhisma Lochan’s powerful voice makes trees collapse, violently shaking. You can hear them crashing from a mile away! It even makes the birds in the sky flip upside down in a panic.
Again we cry, ‘We’re going to die, oh won’t you stop your singing?/But Bhisma’s soared beyond our reach, howe’er we plead and grumble;
People once more desperately plead with Bhisma Lochan to stop as they are going to die. But he is lost in his own musical world, beyond anyone’s control, ignoring all pleas and complaints.
The welkin weeps to hear his screech, and mighty mansions tumble./But now there comes a billy goat, a most sagacious fellow,
His harsh, screeching singing makes even the sky weep, and mighty mansions collapse! But then a clever billy goat comes along.
He downs his horns and charges straight, with bellow answering bellow./The strains of song are tossed and whirled by blast of brutal violence,
The goat aggressively charges at Bhisma Lochan, bleating just as loudly. The goat’s loud bleats blast and toss around Bhisma’s singing strains violently.
And Bhisma Lochan grants the world the golden gift of silence.
Finally, Bhisma Lochan stops singing, giving the world the precious gift of silence once again.
Word meanings
hums: low, continuous sounds
strain: a particular style, sound or melody of music
Delhi: capital city of India
Burma: present-day Myanmar
staked his life: risked his life
hell-bent: determined to do something no matter what
dazed: stunned, confused
retire: withdraw, move away
well-meant: good intentioned
trampled: crushed underfoot
panic: sudden uncontrollable fear
rout: disorderly retreat
languish: lose strength and health
pale: lacking color or brightness
sickly: unhealthy, weak
plead: beg, appeal urgently
bullock-carts: carts pulled by bullocks/oxen
overturned: turned upside down
booming: loud, resounding
broadside: strong verbal attack
wretched: unhappy, troubled
brutes: animals/beasts
resent: feel bitter/indignant about something
blare: loud, harsh noise
sounded: produced a noise
whine: make a long, high-pitched complaining cry
stare: look fixedly with eyes wide open
confounded: confused, perplexed
fishes: fish
dived: plunged into water head first
frantic: desperate, wild with fear
silence: complete absence of noise
turn turtle: turn upside down
winging: flying with wings
welkin: sky, heavens
weeps: cries
screech: unpleasantly loud, shrill noise
mansions: large houses
tumble: fall suddenly and helplessly
billy goat: male goat
sagacious: wise, discerning
downed: lowered, bent down
horns: hard pointed growths on a goat’s head
charges: rushes forward quickly to attack
straight: directly, without deviating
bellow: loud deep cry of an animal like ox, cow etc.
strains: melodies, refrains
tossed: thrown about violently
whirled: spun round rapidly
blast: explosive noise
brutal: savage, cruel
golden: extremely valuable and precious
About the author
Sukumar Ray (1887-1923) was a pioneering Bengali humorous poet, story writer and playwright who is often considered the father of Bengali nonsense verse.
Born in Kolkata into a family of writers and artists, Sukumar started writing humorous poems, short stories and plays from an early age, drawing inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’.
His best known works include “Abol Tabol”, “Pagla Dashu” and “HaJaBaRaLa” which showcase his unique sense of humor, whimsy and imaginative wordplay. Sukumar masterfully used the rhythms and sounds of Bengali language to create new words and impossible situations that made people laugh.
Though he died young at age 36, Sukumar’s legacy and influence on Bengali literature has been immense. He is celebrated for taking Bengali poetry to a new dimension of absurd, nonsense verse that was unexplored before him.
With his wit, humor and linguistic exuberance, Sukumar Ray remains one of the most beloved icons of Bengali literature.
Workbook answers/solutions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. What kind of poem is “The Power of Music”?
A. serious B. light-hearted C. ironical D. elegiac
Answer: B. light-hearted
2. What kind of person was Bhisma Lochan Sharma?
A. pleasant B. stubborn C. gentle D. arrogant
Answer: B. stubborn
3. Which of these statements is NOT true?
A. Human listeners cannot tolerate Bhisma’s noisy singing. B. Animals too protest against Bhisma’s noisy singing. C. Only the sky remains watching carelessly. D. Big trees and buildings collapse under the impact of Bhisma’s loud voice.
Answer: C. Only the sky remains watching carelessly.
4. Which of these animals are pitied upon?
A. horses B. goats C. fishes D. flies
Answer: A. horses
5. In what state of mind are human listeners?
A. cheerful B. dazed C. indifferent D. sullen
Answer: B. dazed
6. Which of these collapse on hearing Bhisma’s voice?
A. roads B. buildings and trees C. bridges D. none of the above
Answer: B. buildings and trees
7. The satire in the poem is directed against
A. bad, loud singing B. human listeners C. fishes D. horses
Answer: A. bad, loud singing
8. “The welkin weeps to hear his screech…” Which literary device is used here?
A. simile B. metaphor C. hyperbole D. irony
Answer: B. metaphor
9. How is the billy goat described in the poem?
A. harmful B. intelligent C. silly D. eccentric
Answer: B. intelligent
10. Despite their irritation, people agree that the song is…
A. foolish B. well-meant C. moralistic D. sensuous
Answer: B. well-meant
Comprehension Passages
PASSAGE-1 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: When summer comes, we hear the hums Bhisma Lochan Sharma You catch his strain on hill and plain from Delhi down to Burma He sings as though he’s staked his life, he sings as though he’s hell-bent;
(i) Who is Bhisma Lochan Sharma? How does he sing?
Answer: Bhisma Lochan Sharma is a character known for his loud and determined singing that resonates from Delhi down to Burma.
(ii) In Lines 3-4 the poet uses a hyperbole. What is its purpose?
Answer: The hyperbole emphasizes the extreme dedication and intensity with which Bhisma Lochan Sharma sings, suggesting he sings as if his life depends on it.
(iii) What kind of person is Bhisma?
Answer: Bhisma is depicted as a stubborn and determined individual, passionate about his singing to the point of being oblivious to its effects on others.
(iv) How are people affected by his song, as revealed later in the context?
Answer: People are adversely affected; they run in panic, get trampled, or become pale and sick due to the loud and discordant nature of his singing.
(v) What do they plead with Bhisma? Does he listen to them? If not, why not?
Answer: They plead with Bhisma to stop his singing as they can bear no more. He does not listen, likely due to his stubbornness and determination to sing regardless of its impact on others.
PASSAGE-2 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: The people, dazed, retire amazed although they know it’s well-meant. They’re trampled in the panic rout or languish pale and sickly, And plead, ‘My friend, we’re near our end, oh stop your singing quickly!’
(i) What has confounded the people?
Answer: The people are confounded by Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s loud and discordant singing, which causes them distress.
(ii) Though unhappy, people do not doubt the intentions of the singer. Why?
Answer: Despite their unhappiness, people understand that Bhisma’s intentions are not malicious; he means well, even if his singing is intolerable.
(iii) How does Bhisma’s music affect them?
Answer: Bhisma’s music causes people to panic, get trampled, or become pale and sickly due to its loud and unpleasant nature.
(iv) What do they want?
Answer: They want Bhisma to stop his singing immediately, as they feel it is endangering their wellbeing.
(v) Who else besides humans are affected by Bhisma’s singing? How?
Answer: Animals, such as bullock-carts being overturned and horses lining the roadside in distress, are also negatively affected by Bhisma’s singing.
PASSAGE-3 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: The bullock-carts are overturned, and horses line the roadside; But Bhisma Lochan, unconcerned, goes booming out his broadside. The wretched brutes resent the blare the hour they hear it sounded, They whine and stare with feet in air or wonder quite confounded.
(i) What happens to bullock-carts and horses?
Answer: Bullock-carts are overturned, and horses line the roadside, affected by the loud singing.
(ii) Who are wretched brutes? Why do they behave abnormally?
Answer: The ‘wretched brutes’ are the animals, particularly horses, that behave abnormally due to distress caused by the loud and unpleasant singing.
(iii) Explain the last two lines.
Answer: The last two lines describe the animals’ confusion and distress; they whine, stare, and exhibit bewildered behavior due to the blaring music.
(iv) Even fishes in the lake are affected by Bhisma’s singing? How?
Answer: Yes, even fishes dive below the lake in a frantic search for silence, trying to escape the noise.
PASSAGE-4 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: The fishes dived below the lake in frantic search for silence, The very trees collapse and shake – you hear the crash a mile hence – And in the sky the feathered fly turn turtle while they’re winging.
(i) What exaggerated situations has the poet depicted earlier in the context? What effect do they create?
Answer: The poet has depicted exaggerated situations of chaos and distress caused by Bhisma’s singing, creating a humorous yet critical portrayal of its effects on the environment and living beings.
(ii) Why do the fishes dive below the lake?
Answer: The fishes dive below the lake in a frantic search for silence, attempting to escape the loud and disturbing noise of Bhisma’s singing.
(iii) What happens to trees?
Answer: The trees collapse and shake violently enough that the sound of their crashing can be heard from a mile away, indicating the extensive disturbance caused by the singing.
(iv) What is amusing about the image of the flying birds in Lines 5-6 here?
Answer: The image of flying birds turning turtle, or flipping over in the air, due to the confusion caused by the loud singing, is amusing because it’s an absurd and exaggerated reaction to noise.
(v) Which, according to you, is the most absurd situation depicted in the poem?
Answer: The most absurd situation might be the trees collapsing and shaking due to the singing, as it humorously anthropomorphizes nature’s reaction to noise, showcasing the poem’s satirical tone.
PASSAGE-5 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: Again we cry, ‘We’re going to die, oh won’t you stop your singing?’ But Bhisma’s soared beyond our reach, howe’er we plead and grumble; The welkin weeps to hear his screech, and mighty mansions tumble.
(i) Who are ‘we’? Why have they to plead repeatedly with Bhisma to stop singing?
Answer: ‘We’ refers to the people and possibly animals affected by Bhisma’s singing. They plead repeatedly because his singing causes extreme distress and chaos, making them fear for their lives.
(ii) Who are badly affected by Bhisma’s singing?
Answer: Both humans and animals are badly affected, experiencing physical and psychological distress due to the loud and unpleasant nature of Bhisma’s singing.
(iii) What is personified in this extract? What is the purpose?
Answer: The sky (welkin) is personified as weeping to hear Bhisma’s screech. The purpose is to emphasize the universal distress caused by the singing, affecting even the natural world.
(iv) In what way are you affected when you read about the fate of humans, animals, and even non-living things impacted by the unpleasant voice of the singer?
Answer: Readers might feel a mix of amusement and sympathy, amused by the exaggerated reactions yet sympathetic towards those suffering from the cacophony.
(v) Who stops Bhisma from singing and how?
Answer: A sagacious (wise) billy goat stops Bhisma by charging at him and hitting him with its horns, thus ending the singing and restoring silence.
PASSAGE-6 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: But now there comes a billy goat, a most sagacious fellow, He downs his horns and charges straight, with bellow answ’ring bellow. The strains of song are tossed and whirled by blast of brutal violence, And Bhisma Lochan grants the world the golden gift of silence.
(i) Who have failed to stop Bhisma’s song? Why are they unhappy?
Answer: Humans and possibly other animals have failed to stop Bhisma’s song. They are unhappy because his loud and unpleasant singing causes them great distress and upheaval.
(ii) How is the billy goat presented here?
Answer: The billy goat is presented as a wise and decisive character, capable of taking action to end Bhisma’s disruptive singing.
(iii) In what way does the goat hit the singer, and to what effect?
Answer: The goat hits the singer with a charge straight at him, effectively ending the singing and bringing about the much-desired silence.
(iv) What do you mean by the ‘golden gift of silence’?
Answer: The ‘golden gift of silence’ refers to the precious and much-appreciated return of quietness and peace after the cessation of Bhisma’s disturbing singing.
(v) ‘bellow answering bellow’. Explain.
Answer: ‘Bellow answering bellow’ describes the confrontation between the goat’s loud challenge (bellow) and Bhisma’s singing, leading to a clash that ultimately silences the singer.
Additional/Extra questions and answers
1. Who is the poet trying to highlight in the opening line of the poem?
Answer: The poet is highlighting Bhisma Lochan Sharma in the opening line. Bhisma Lochan Sharma is being introduced as the main subject of the poem whose powerful singing will be described.
2. Where does the poet say Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing can be heard from?
Answer: The poet says Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing can be heard across a vast distance, all the way from Delhi to Burma. This tells us his voice is capable of travelling very far and wide, highlighting its strength and intensity.
3. What does the line “He sings as though he’s staked his life” tell us about Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing?
Answer: This line conveys that Bhisma Lochan sings with tremendous passion, dedication and abandon, as if his entire life depended solely on his singing. It underscores how intensely he immerses himself in his singing.
30. What message do you think the poet wants to convey through this humorous poem?
Answer: Using humour and exaggeration, the poet seems to advocate that music and singing must be done responsibly in moderation. Unrestrained loud singing can be disruptive and harmful even if well-intentioned. The poem conveys a message of using musical talents wisely.
Additional/Extra MCQs
1. Where does the poet say Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing spreads in summer?
A. Across villages B. From Lanka to China C. From Delhi to Burma D. Across all of India
Answer: C. From Delhi to Burma
20. The tone of the poem can best be described as _______.
A. Angry B. Sad C. Humorous D. Boring
Answer: C. Humorous
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