Nose versus Eyes Appreciation and Explanation 11th Class Maharashtra State Board
Nose versus Eyes Appreciation and Explanation 11th Class Maharashtra State Board
The poem Nose versus Eyes is written by the great and most popular 18th-century poet William Cowper. The poem is about the dispute on the matter of who belongs to the spectacles. And the dispute was between Nose and Eyes. So the title is very apt to the poem that is Nose versus Eyes.
Introduction: Nose versus Eyes Appreciation and Explanation
William Cowper was one of the most popular 18th-century English poets and composers of hymns. His poems deal with Nature and everyday life. He is aptly described by Samuel T. Coleridge as the ‘Best Modern Poet’ of his times. Though he studied jurisprudence, he later admitted that he was ‘not much inclined’ to the legal profession. He wrote, “Happy is the one who knows just as much of the law to make himself as a little merry now and then with the solemnity of the juridical proceedings”.
Nose versus Eyes is a satire on the judiciary system. It also mocks at the stone blind justice in a humorous manner emphasising upon the lack of empathy and common sense.
Poem: Nose versus Eyes Appreciation and Explanation
Between Nose and Eyes a strange contest arose, –
The spectacles set them unhappily wrong;
The point in dispute was, as all the world knows,
To which the said spectacles ought to belong.
Tongue was the lawyer, and argued the cause
With great deal of skill, and a wig full of learning;
While Chief Baron Ear sat to balance the laws,
So famed for his talent in nicely discerning.
‘In behalf of the Nose it will quickly appear,
And your lordship,’ he said, ‘will undoubtedly find,
That the Nose has had spectacles always in wear,
Which amounts to possession time out of mind.’
Then holding the spectacles up to the court,
‘Your lordship observes they are made with a straddle
As wide as the ridge of the Nose is; in short,
Designed to sit close to it, just like a saddle.
‘Again would your lordship a moment suppose,
(‘Tis a case that has happened, and may be again)
That the visage or countenance had not a Nose,
Pray who would, or who could, wear spectacles then?
‘On the whole it appears, and my argument shows, Then shifting his side, as a lawyer knows how,
He pleaded again in behalf of the Eyes:
But what were his arguments few people know,
For the court did not think they were equally wise,
With a reasoning the court will never condemn,
That the spectacles plainly were made for the Nose,
And the Nose was as plainly intended for them.’
So his lordship decreed with a grave solemn tone,
Decisive and clear, without one if or but-
That, whenever the Nose put his spectacles on,
By daylight or candlelight-Eyes should be shut!
-William Cowper
Glossary:
dispute- disagreement, clash
spectacles- glasses used for clear vision
wig- a special covering for the head made of artificial hair worn by the judges.
Baron- a powerful person
discerning- showing good judgement
amounts to – becomes
straddle- extend across both sides
ridge- an edge
saddle- a low part of ridge between two high points, sit with a raised ridge
visage or countenanceface
condemn- express disapproval of
decreed- an official order that has the force of law
Solemn– formal and dignified
Explanation:
First Stanza:
Between Nose and Eyes a strange contest arose, –
The spectacles set them unhappily wrong;
The point in dispute was, as all the world knows,
To which the said spectacles ought to belong.
In the first stanza, the poet tells that an unusual contest arose between the Nose and Eyes. The point in disagreement or clash (dispute) was to whom belong the spectacles. Further, the poet tells that the entire world knows actually for what purpose the spectacles are used. So it was the case between Nose and Eyes that who really belong the spectacles and this case is in the court.
Second Stanza:
Tongue was the lawyer, and argued the cause
With great deal of skill, and a wig full of learning;
While Chief Baron Ear sat to balance the laws,
So famed for his talent in nicely discerning.
In the second stanza, the poet tells the setting of the court. So in the court, Tongue was the lawyer and argued a great deal of skill and wore the wig just to show that full of learning and knowledge. While the chief justice (Baron) was Ear who sat to maintain the laws. Just as the chief justice who is famous for his talent in nicely showing good judgment.
Third stanza:
‘In behalf of the Nose it will quickly appear,
And your lordship,’ he said, ‘will undoubtedly find,
That the Nose has had spectacles always in wear,
Which amounts to possession time out of mind.’
In the third stanza, the case started with the dispute that who belongs to the spectacles. So on behalf of the Nose, the Tongue quickly appeared and said the justice that your lordship there will be no doubt to find that the Nose has had always worn the spectacles, and by this those who carry the things they ought to belong them so on this point there is out of mind to discuss and spend the time that who belong the spectacles. It is clear that the Nose always wears and carries a load of spectacles so the spectacle obviously belongs to the Nose.
Fourth stanza:
Then holding the spectacles up to the court,
‘Your lordship observes they are made with a straddle
As wide as the ridge of the Nose is; in short,
Designed to sit close to it, just like a saddle
In the fourth stanza, the poet tells that for the next proof, the tongue is holding the spectacles up to the court and showing the straddle. The tongue told the Justice (Ear) that the straddles are only made as wide as the ridge of the Nose. It means a straddle is designed to sit close to the Nose just like a saddle that is made to sit fit on a horse.
Fifth stanza:
‘Again would your lordship a moment suppose,
(‘Tis a case that has happened, and may be again)
That the visage or countenance had not a Nose,
Pray who would, or who could, wear spectacles then?
In the fifth stanza, the tongue tells the court that suppose a moment just like this has happened or may happen again in the future so the face has not a Nose then who would be and who could be wearing the spectacles? In this matter, only the Nose carries a load of spectacles so the spectacles belong to the Nose.
Sixth stanza:
‘On the whole it appears, and my argument shows,
With a reasoning the court will never condemn,
That the spectacles plainly were made for the Nose,
And the Nose was as plainly intended for them.’
In the sixth stanza, the Tongue (lawyer) sums up the side of the Nose that on the whole it appears and my argument shows that the court will never condemn that the spectacles only were made for the Nose and the Nose was only made of the spectacles. It means both the Nose and spectacles are made for each other.
Seventh stanza:
Then shifting his side, as a lawyer knows how,
He pleaded again in behalf of the Eyes:
But what were his arguments few people know,
For the court did not think they were equally wise,
In the seventh stanza, the poet tells that the tongue shifts his side and argues on behalf of the eyes just as we know how the lawyer behaves. The tongue pleaded on behalf of the eyes but could not express with good reasoning what his arguments were understood by few people and for the court did not think they were equally wise on behalf of Eyes.
Eighth stanza:
So his lordship decreed with a grave solemn tone,
Decisive and clear, without one if or but-
That, whenever the Nose put his spectacles on,
By daylight or candlelight-Eyes should be shut!
In the last stanza, the Justice (Ear) gives the verdict in the court on both sides. The lordship gives the verdict in serious
tone with decreed that it is firm and clear without any doubts that whenever the Nose put his spectacles on whether it is a day (Daylight) or night (Candlelight) the Eyes should be shut because by the proof the spectacles are only made for the Nose.
Appreciation of the Poem: Nose versus Eyes Appreciation and Explanation
- About poem, poet, and tile:
The poem Nose versus Eyes is written by the great and most popular 18th-century poet William Cowper. The poem is about the dispute on the matter of who belongs to the spectacles.
And the dispute was between Nose and Eyes. So the title is very apt to the poem that is Nose versus Eyes.
- The theme:
The poem Nose versus Eyes is a satire on the judiciary system. It also mocks at the stone blind justice in a humorous manner emphasising upon the lack of empathy and common sense. In this poem, the poet wants to tell that with lack of proof the injustice happened. The court wants evidence and on the evidence, the court gives a verdict and the same things happened in the poem.
- Language and poetic devices:
The poem is based on the judiciary system so such words are used by the poet but otherwise the language of the poem is very simple and lucid to understand.
The poem has rhyming pairs such as arose-knows, wrong-belong, cause-laws, learning-discerning, etc.
The poem has a fine rhyming scheme such as abab, cdcd, etc.
The poet uses fine figures of speech to increase the beauty of the poem. The figures of speech used by the poet such as Inversion, Alliteration, Simile, Repetition, etc.
- Message, Value, Morals:
The poem has great moral on the judiciary system. In the judiciary system some time, how blind justice happens due to a lack of evidence. But the judiciary system makes the life of people easy and comfortable.
- Your opinion:
I truly like the poem Nose versus Eyes. Due to the poem, I come to know that in the judiciary system some times, how blind justice happens due to a lack of evidence. In the poem, such things are mentioned by the poet that the spectacles are actually used for the Eyes but with given arguments, the verdict goes on behalf of the Nose and only due to lack of evidence on behalf of the Eyes the injustice happened.
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