Piano Summary | Analysis | Four Levels of Interpretation | D. H. Lawrence | BBA | BBS First Year

Neb English Support Class 12

Piano Summary | Analysis | Four Levels of Interpretation | D. H. Lawrence | BBA | BBS First Year

Piano by D. H. Lawrence

SUMMARY 

Piano by D. H. Lawrence 

This poem, "Piano" has been composed by David Herbert Lawrence, an English poet, novelist, and short story writer. This poem was composed in the year 1918. The main theme of this poem is the nostalgia that the speaker feels for his happy and memorable childhood days of the past, related to his family as well as other family members. There are altogether three different stanzas here in this poem where we can find the perfect use of imagery. Here, the speaker has related his own experiences from his own point of view.

Here in the first stanza, the poet has presented a set of comfortable rooms where the speaker is sitting along with a woman who is singing softly while playing the piano. The speaker is listening to her song. While listening to her song, the speaker remembers his early childhood days when he found himself sitting along with his mother, who was playing the piano. The speaker is a small kid, listening to the music of the piano's string and even pressing his mother's balanced feet. His mother keeps on playing the piano with a smiling face without any feeling of disturbance. This particular scene of a woman singing at the piano reminds the speaker of the lovable image of his smiling mother at the piano in his early childhood days.

In the second stanza, the speaker realises that the song of the woman at the piano betrays him and takes him to his early childhood days. He realises that it is just a romantic past. He is an adult man of the present who wants to live in the present, facing reality. But the woman at the piano is a quite skilled player with a sweet, melodious voice. Here, the speaker tries his best to control himself, but he can't. The mystery of the woman's song at the piano takes the speaker back again to his boyhood days, when he remembers his family members and even his beautiful house, to which his heart always weeps to belong. He remembers all his family members inside the warm and comfortable room in the winter season. He even remembers the tinkling music of the piano, which guides all his family members during the hymns every Sunday evening.

In the third stanza, the speaker doesn't want to hear the woman's song anymore. He tries to escape his present reality. For him, the woman's song is vain, though she sings quite passionately at the great black piano. The music of the piano has already done its tremendous task of taking the speaker to his happy and memorable childhood days of the past. The speaker feels his childhood days upon him. He doesn't want to be an adult man anymore. He wants to forget his present completely. He mentions that his manhood is cast down in the flood of remembrance. He wants to be lost in the happy reminiscences of his past days. Finally, the speaker starts crying like a baby, longing for his happy, memorable childhood days of the past.

ANALYSIS 

Piano by D. H. Lawrence 

This poem, "Piano" has presented powerful nostalgic feelings that make the speaker too sentimental. He tries his best to control himself while listening to the woman's song, but the woman is really very skilled as well as a fine singer. She keeps on singing her song. Her sweet voice and the melodious music of the piano take the speaker to his childhood days twice. At first, the speaker loses himself in the reminiscences of his early childhood days. He feels his childhood days upon him, where he remembers a fine view of his mother playing the piano and sees his mother's lovely smiling face. The speaker, as a small kid, is listening to the melodious music of the piano and seeing his mother's smiley glance at him. The speaker controls himself this time and comes to his real present, thinking that the woman's song at the piano betrays him. He realises his past is unreal and wants to live in the present, facing reality as an adult man. But the next time, the speaker again loses control over himself. This time, the powerful feelings of his boyhood days entangle him. The mastery of the woman's song at the piano makes the speaker forget his present completely. The speaker wants to be lost in his boyhood days in the memory of his family members. For him, the woman's song, his present reality, and his manhood don't have any value. He wants to forget all these things and live in the memory of his house, family members, piano music, Sunday evening's hymns, comfortable room, etc. He even cries like a baby, longing for his happy, memorable childhood days of the past. Here, the poet has presented various images in this poem, such as:

The image of the woman singing at the piano in the evening in a comfortable room.

The image of the speaker's early childhood days with his mother, who is playing the piano,.

The image of the speaker's boyhood days with his family members during the hymns every Sunday evening.

Here in this poem, the charm of the music of the piano has created nostalgic feelings for the speaker, who tries to escape his present reality and wants to live in his happy, memorable childhood days of the past. Here, the song of the woman and the melodious music of the piano have created a way for the speaker to recall his happy, memorable childhood days of the past.

FOUR LEVELS OF INTERPRETATION 

Piano by D. H. Lawrence

Literal Comprehension:

During the evening time, a woman is singing a song at the piano and trying to attract the speaker. But the speaker is distracted and recalls his childhood days. He found himself along with his mother along with the melodious music of the piano. He saw his mother's smiley face without any feeling of disturbance.

Although the speaker tries to control himself, the mastery of the song of the woman at the piano still carries him back to his boyhood days of the old Sunday evenings at his home. There was winter outside. He found himself along with his family members singing hymns (songs of praise) in the cosy parlour inside. The speaker weeps to belong to those days.

The speaker realizes that his manhood is made in the remembrance of his childhood. He wants to spend all his days just like a child. He feels that his manhood is cast down in the flood of remembrance. He wants to be lost in the happy reminiscence of his past days. Finally, the speaker starts crying like a baby longing for his happy memorable childhood days of the past time. 

Interpretation:

The speaker has shown his close attachment to his mother through his nostalgic feelings. The speaker may also be trying to reveal the idea that childhood is more pleasant than manhood and that childhood memories are dominant and stronger things even in manhood. We can't escape our childhood memories easily.

The speaker may also be trying to present the power and value of music in human beings' lives. The speaker has also focused on the happy and memorable childhood experiences that are always pleasant in life. In this way, he has presented his deep love and affection to his mother.

Critical Thinking:

I find the poem quite interesting to read. But there are some points in the poem with which I don't really agree. How is it possible for a man to weep like a child after listening to music? Now the speaker is in his manhood. So I don't think that it is natural for him to weep like a child in front of a young woman rather than be attracted to her. There are varieties of questions in my mind, such as: Is it possible that the beautiful song of a woman distracts a man? Can all the grown-ups ever hate manhood? Are all childhood memories pleasant for all?

Assimilation:

After reading this poem, I even remember my childhood days with my mother, like the speaker. It reminds me of how my mother used to tell me moral lessons by making me sit on her lap. While teaching, she used to smile and sing songs beautifully. I used to enjoy and learn her teaching quickly.

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