BSc BA ADP English Notes Poem The Huntsman (Edward Lowbury) Reference Context Explanation

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Poem:

Kagwa hunted the lion.
Though bush and forest went his spear.
One day he found the skull of a man
And said to it, "How did you come here"?
The skull opened its mouth and said
"Talking brought me here'.

Kagwa hurried home;
Went to the King's chair and spoke;
'In the forest I found a talking skull'.
The king was silent. Then he said slowly
'Never since I was born of my mother
Have I seen or heard of a skull which spoke'.

The king called out his guards.
'Two of you go with him
And find the talking skull;
But if his tale is a lie
And the skull speaks no word,
This Kagwa himself must die'.

They rode in the forest;
For days and nights they found nothing
At last they saw the skull; Kagwa
Said to it: How did you come here?
The skull said nothing. Kagwa implored,
But the skull said nothing.

The guards said 'Kneel down'
They killed him with sword and spear.
Then the skull opened its mouth;
'Huntsman, how did you come here?
And the dead man answered:
'Talking brought me here'

Edward Lowbury

British Born in London. 6 December 1913. Educated at St Paul's School London, and University College, Oxford (Newgate Prise 1934), and Matthew Arnold Memorial Prize (1937). Studied medicine, London Hospital, University of London. Specialist in Pathology, Royal Army Medical Corps 1943-47. He married Alison, daughter of the poet Andrew Young. 3 daughters. Editor, Equator magazine, Nairobi, Kenya 19450-46. Fellow, Royal College of Pathologists, Fellow Royal Society of Literature. 1974 OBE. Between 1934 and 1990 published 22 books of verse. Lowbury's devotion to his art for over half century has produced a substantial body of work distinguished by technical and imaginative richness.

Black eyes, black heads--Kamba, Kikuyu, Nandi Sprout like grapes, expert at hanging around And doing nothing, were they warrior once Now gone to seed.

Idea of Poem:

Based on Kenyan folk-lore, this little cautionary narrative with its turn and counter-turn is a good example, not of black but of sick-humour. Smile appears to disappear wanly. The poem is a blend of funny and unfunny aspects of life, the elements of suspense and irony create a shocking impact.

Reference: 

These lines have been taken from the poem “The Huntsman” written by Edward Lawbury.

Context: 

This poem tells a Kenyan folk-lore. It tells that some-times a hunter becomes hunted himself. Kagwa went hunting and found a talking skull. He came to the king and informed him to the fact. The king ordered to know the reality. When it was found not so, Kagwa was killed. Strange enough it was that after his murder the skull spoke. The story tells us that irresponsible talking can bring destruction. The elements of suspense and irony create a shocking impact.

Explanation:

Stanza 1 

Kagwa hunted the lion.
Though bush and forest went his spear.
One day he found the skull of a man
And said to it, "How did you come here"?
The skull opened its mouth and said
"Talking brought me here'.

In these lines the poet says that Kagwa, a famous hunter, hunted lions and tigers through forests and bushes. He used his spear for hunting. One day, while hunting, he found the skull of a man in the forest. The skull was talking. Kagwa asked the talking skull, how it had come there. The skull opened its mouth and replied that talking had brought it there.

Stanza 2 

Kagwa hurried home;
Went to the King's chair and spoke;
'In the forest I found a talking skull'.
The king was silent. Then he said slowly
'Never since I was born of my mother
Have I seen or heard of a skull which spoke'.

In this stanza the poet says that after getting the skull, Kagwa went home hurriedly. He appeared before the court of the king and talked about the skull Kagwa told the king that he had found a skull which was talking. On hearing these words the king was surprised so much. He thought that no dead skull ever talked. After that the king said slowly to himself that he had never heard of or seen a skull that talked. He said, since his birth from his mother he had never heard of such a thing.

Stanza 3 

The king called out his guards.
'Two of you go with him
And find the talking skull;
But if his tale is a lie
And the skull speaks no word,
This Kagwa himself must die'.

In these lines the poet says, when Kagwa told about the talking skull, the king called out his guards. The king ordered two of the guards to go with Kagwa and find the talking skull. He also told the guards if Kagwa proved a liar, and there was no such thing as the talking skull, Kagwa msut be killed himself.

Stanza 4 

They rode in the forest;
For days and nights they found nothing
At last they saw the skull; Kagwa
Said to it: How did you come here?
The skull said nothing. Kagwa implored,
But the skull said nothing.

In the given lines the poet says that Kagwa and two guards of the king rode their horses to the forest. For some days they looked for it but found nothing like a talking skull. But after some more struggle they found a skull. Kagwa asked the skull how he had come there. The skull remained silent. Kagwa again earnestly requested the skull but it did not talk. And they all were surprised.

Stanza 5 

The guards said 'Kneel down'
They killed him with sword and spear.
Then the skull opened its mouth;
'Huntsman, how did you come here?
And the dead man answered:
'Talking brought me here'

In the concluding stanza the guards ordered Kagwa to kneel down. The guards killed him with sword and lance. When Kagwa was put to death, the already dead skull opened its mouth and asked the hunter, how he had come there. The dead body of Kagwa replied, talking had brought him there. This simple story has a meaningful moral. It teaches us that irresponsible and worthless talking can bring destruction or death to the talker.

Written By: Asad Hussain