BSc BA ADP English Notes Poem The Rebel (D J Enright) Summary & Introduction

BSc BA ADP English Notes Poem The Rebel (D J Enright) Summary

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The Rebel

This poem is a criticism of the behavior of a rebel. The poet describes the attitude and point of view of a rebel as compared with ordinary normal man. The poet says that the attitude of a rebel is always opposing to the normal human attitude under various circumstances. The rebel always gives an opposite opinion. He prays for rain when everyone wants the sun to appear. At the end of the poem, the writer tells that the deviations of the rebel from norms are also beneficial for society in a way. He tells that if there is no rebel in the society, we cannot recognize the various opinions of the people.

The poet says:

It is very good that we have rebels

You may not find it very good to be one.

Summary

The rebel is an excellent poem by D.J Enright. The poet has beautifully described the likings and dislikings of a rebel in the context of various social states.  The poem is indeed a satire on the attitude of a rebel. The rebels are against every situation. They want to maintain their individuality. They are the people who are fed up with dull and boring social traditions. They want to change social norms with their behaviour and attitude.

When people have short hair, the rebel grow his hair long. He grows his hair long and become different from others. When the other grow their hair long, the rebel cuts his hair short. In this way, he looks different from others and maintains his individuality.

In the class, when there is a question-answer session and students ask questions, the rebel will not utter a word. He will be quiet listening to others carefully. But when there is a lecture and everyone is silent listening to the lecture carefully, the rebel speaks and tries to become outstanding. He disturbs the class but is satisfied with his acts.

In dressing, a rebel is again a strange man. He dresses differently from others. He wears colourful clothes when others wear plain and simple dress. When others wear colorful and showy clothes, the rebel would wear plain and simple dress. In this way, he looks different from others and is easily recognizable. 

In the company of dog lovers, the rebel would talk about cats and will show his love for cats. And when people are talking about cats, he would say some words in favour of dogs. His sole motive is to make himself distinct. 

When the people are praying of sunlight, the rebel would demand rain and clouds. He will pray for rain. When people want hot weather, he wants cold weather. And when people enjoy a rainy day, a rebel will pray for the sun to come out. Similarly, when everyone stays at home, the rebel attends functions and gatherings. And when all the people go to attend the meetings and gatherings, the rebel stays at home. When everyone says "YES" the rebel would say "NO". Hence every act of rebel is exactly the contradictory to what others do. This is his strange and conflicting acts that become his identity.

The poet says that rebel is still a good thing for society. It is good to have rebels among us. They are a source of contrast and fill colours in our life. Without rebels, the world would have only one colour. The poet has expressed his soft feelings about the rebels. The poet wants us to realize the feelings of a rebel when people start criticism on them. They bear the criticism with courage. They are considered abnormal persons of society.