The Frog and the Nightingale Summary, Explanation, Question Answers and Difficult Word meaning

CBSE Class 10 English Poem – The Frog and the Nightingale Summary and Explanation

CBSE class 10 English poem 1 – The Frog and the Nightingale Summary along with meanings of difficult words. Also, the Summary is followed by a Detailed Explanation of the Class 10 Poem. All the exercises and Question and Answers given at the back of the lesson.

By Ruchika Gupta

• Video Explanation of The Frog and The Nightingale Part 1
• The Frog and The Nightingale Summary
• The Frog and The Nightingale Poem and Explanation
• The Frog and The Nightingale Question and Answers
• Character Sketch of Frog and Nightingale | The frog and the nightingale

 

Author: Vikram Seth

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The Frog and The Nightingale Summary

In the Bingle bog, under a sumac tree a frog sang in its unpleasant voice. All the creatures in the bog hated its harsh sound. They tried using different ways – requests, sticks, stones, insults and complaints but the frog could not be stopped. It was proud of its voice and sang with confidence.
One night when the sky was lit with the moonlight, a melodious nightingale sat on the sumac tree and sang beautifully. All the creatures were attracted towards the melodious voice. The frog was amazed as it had never heard such a beautiful voice. All the creatures praised and cheered the bird and asked it to sing more.
The nightingale had never received such praise and so, it got flattered. It sang continuously throughout the night. The next night, as the bird prepared to sing the frog who was jealous of it interrupted it. It introduced itself as the owner of the tree on which the bird was sitting. It said that it was famous for its deep manly voice and also wrote occasionally for the bog trumpet magazine. The frog told the nightingale that her song was not bad, but pointed out that it was too long and lacked force. The innocent bird felt
that such a great musician had evaluated her singing talent. The frog scolded her for being proud that her song was her own original composition. He said that she had to get formal training to become a perfect singer.
agreed hesitantly but would charge a fee. The frog forced the little delicate bird to sing in bad weather, for long hours which made her weak. Her voice lost its melody.
After some rest, the nightingale’s throat felt better, and it again started singing. As a huge crowd would gather to hear the melodious voice, the greedy frog started charging admission fee for the ‘concert’. It attracted a royal crowd of birds and animals from distant places who attended the concert in their fine dresses.
The frog was happy that he was earning so much money but at the same time, was jealous of the nightingale’s popularity. As the frog became greedy for more money, it would scold the poor bird, force it to practise more and pointed out mistakes in its singing technique. All this took a toll on the little bird.
As it became sad, overworked and weak, it’s song lost its melody and became boring. The crowd started decreasing which infuriated the frog. One day as the bird tried to draw a deep breath to sing loud and strong, a vein in it burst and it died.
Now the frog calls the nightingale stupid, nervous and prone to be influenced by others. It says that it should have had confidence rather than being influenced by what the frog said.
The frog says that it believes and so now, once again it is the unopposed singer in the bog.

The Frog and The Nightingale – Summary (In Hindi)

बिंगल दलदल में, एक सुमेक पेड़ के नीचे एक मेंढक अपनी अप्रिय आवाज़ में गा रहा था। दलदल के सभी प्राणियों को उसकी कठोर ध्वनि से नफरत थी। उन्होंने विभिन्न तरीकों का उपयोग करने की कोशिश की – अनुरोध, लाठियां, पत्थर, अपमान और शिकायतें लेकिन मेंढक को रोका नहीं जा सका। इसे अपनी आवाज पर गर्व था और यह आत्मविश्वास के साथ गाता था।
एक रात जब आकाश चांदनी से जगमगा रहा था, एक सुरीली बुलबुल सुमाक के पेड़ पर बैठी और सुंदर गीत गा रही थी। सभी प्राणी उसकी मधुर आवाज की ओर आकर्षित हो गये। मेंढक आश्चर्यचकित रह गया क्योंकि उसने इतनी सुंदर आवाज पहले कभी नहीं सुनी थी। सभी प्राणियों ने पक्षी की प्रशंसा की और उसे प्रोत्साहित किया तथा उससे और अधिक गाने के लिए कहा।
बुलबुल को ऐसी प्रशंसा पहले कभी नहीं मिली थी, इसलिए वह खुश हो गई। यह रात भर लगातार गाती रही। अगली रात, जैसे ही पक्षी गाने के लिए तैयार हुआ, उससे ईर्ष्या करने वाले मेंढक ने उसे रोक दिया। इसने खुद को उस पेड़ का मालिक बताया जिस पर पक्षी बैठा था। इसमें कहा गया है कि यह अपनी गहरी मर्दाना आवाज के लिए मशहूर था और कभी-कभी बोग ट्रम्पेट पत्रिका के लिए भी लिखता था।
मेंढक ने बुलबुल से कहा कि उसका गाना बुरा नहीं है, लेकिन उसने बताया कि यह बहुत लंबा है और इसमें ताकत की कमी है। मासूम पक्षी को बहुत अच्छा लगा कि इतने महान संगीतकार ने उसकी गायन प्रतिभा का मूल्यांकन किया है। मेंढक ने उसे इस गर्व के लिए डांटा कि उसका गाना उसकी अपनी मौलिक रचना है। उन्होंने कहा कि एक आदर्श गायिका बनने के लिए उन्हें औपचारिक प्रशिक्षण लेना पड़ा।
मासूम बुलबुल चतुर मेंढक के जाल में फँस गई। इसने मेंढक से उसे प्रशिक्षित करने का अनुरोध किया और यह कहकर उसकी प्रशंसा की कि यह महान संगीतकार मोजार्ट है। मेंढक झिझकते हुए सहमत हुआ लेकिन शुल्क लेगा। मेंढक ने छोटी नाजुक चिड़िया को खराब मौसम में लंबे समय तक गाने के लिए मजबूर किया जिससे वह कमजोर हो गई। उसकी आवाज़ ने अपना माधुर्य खो दिया।
कुछ देर आराम करने के बाद बुलबुल का गला ठीक हो गया और उसने फिर से गाना शुरू कर दिया। चूँकि सुरीली आवाज़ सुनने के लिए भारी भीड़ जमा हो जाती थी, इसलिए लालची मेंढक ने ‘कॉन्सर्ट’ के लिए प्रवेश शुल्क लेना शुरू कर दिया। इसने दूर-दूर से पक्षियों और जानवरों की एक शाही भीड़ को आकर्षित किया, जो अपनी बढ़िया पोशाकों में संगीत कार्यक्रम में शामिल हुए।
मेंढक खुश था कि वह इतना पैसा कमा रहा था लेकिन साथ ही, उसे बुलबुल की लोकप्रियता से ईर्ष्या भी हो रही थी। जैसे-जैसे मेंढक अधिक पैसे का लालची होता गया, वह बेचारी चिड़िया को डांटता, उसे और अधिक अभ्यास करने के लिए मजबूर करता और उसकी गायन तकनीक में गलतियाँ बताता। इस सबका उस छोटी चिड़िया पर बहुत बुरा प्रभाव पड़ा।
जैसे-जैसे यह उदास, अधिक काम करने वाला और कमजोर होता गया, इसके गीत ने अपना माधुर्य खो दिया और उबाऊ हो गया। भीड़ कम होने लगी जिससे मेढक क्रोधित हो गया। एक दिन जैसे ही पक्षी ने जोर-जोर से गाने के लिए गहरी सांस लेने की कोशिश की, उसकी एक नस फट गई और वह मर गई।
अब मेंढक बुलबुल को मूर्ख, घबराई हुई और दूसरों से प्रभावित होने वाली कहता है। इसमें कहा गया है कि मेंढक ने जो कहा उससे प्रभावित होने की बजाय उसे आत्मविश्वास रखना चाहिए था।
मेंढक कहता है कि वह विश्वास करता है और इसलिए अब, एक बार फिर वह दलदल में निर्विरोध गायक है।

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The Frog and The Nightingale Poem Explanation

After going through the summary of the Poem The Frog and the Nightingale, let us go through the line by line explanation of the lessons

Poem
Once upon a time a frog
Croaked away in Bingle Bog
Every night from dusk to dawnHe croaked awn and awn and awn.
Word meaning
Bingle: name of the bog
bog: an area of land that is very wet and muddy
awn: ‘on’ misspelt and mispronounced as ‘awn’ so that it rhymes with ‘dawn’
Literary devices

1. Rhyme scheme-aa bb
2. Onomatopoeia- ‘croaked’
3. Repetition – awn and awn and awn
4. Alliteration – ‘Bingle bog’ – ‘b’ sound repeated
5. Antithesis – ‘dusk’ ‘dawn’
Explanation of the above poem – The poet is telling the story of a frog and a nightingale who lived in a marshy land called ‘Bingle Bog’. The frog croaked all through the night from sunset till sunrise. It croaked non – stop and to emphasize the continuity of his sound, the poet repeats the word ‘awn’ thrice.

Poem
Other creatures loathed his voice,
But, alas, they had no choice.
And the crass cacophony
Blared out from the
At whose foot the frog each night
Minstrelled on till morning night
Word meaning
loathed: hated
crass: Rude and insensitive
cacophony: a very loud and unpleasant noise
minstrelled: sang
Literary devices

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘crass cacophony’ – ‘c’ sound is repeated
3. Transferred epithet – ‘And the crass cacophony Blared out from the sumac tree’
4. Antithesis- ‘morning’ ‘night’
Explanation of the above poem – The other creatures in the Bingle bog like rabbits, elephants, monkeys, birds, etc disliked the harsh and unpleasant sound made by the frog. They could do nothing about it and the rude and loud sound made by the frog could be heard as it croaked sitting at the foot of a tree called sumac. (Just like there are various trees – mango, sheesham, mahogany, acacia, bamboo, etc. this tree was of sumac). It croaked continuously throughout the night.

Poem
Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks,
Insults or complaints or bricks
Stilled the frog’s determination
To display his heart’s elation
Word meaning
elation: great pride and joy
Literary devices

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb
2. Alliteration – ‘his heart’s’ – ‘h’ sound is repeated
Explanation of the above poem – The creatures of the bog tried different ways to stop the frog. They hit it with stones, bricks and sticks, insulted it, complained against it and even prayed before it to stop making the unpleasant sound. They were unsuccessful as the frog was determined to ‘sing’ as it was proud of its unique voice.

1. Rhyme scheme- aa bb
2. Visual imagery- The poet constructs an image in the reader’s mind – The sky in moonlit and a nightingale is sitting on a sumac tree, singing a melodious song.
3. Alliteration- night nightingale – ‘n’ sound is repeated.
Explanation of the above poem – The character of the nightingale is now introduced in the poem. One night, the sky was full of the moon’s light. The weather was cold, and everything seemed dull. A nightingale bird sat on a branch of the sumac tree and sang in it melodious voice.

Poem
Dumbstruck sat the gaping frog.
And the whole admiring bog
Stared towards the sumac, rapt,
And, when she had ended, clapped,
Ducks had swum and herons waded
To her as she serenaded
Word meaning
Dumbstruck: so shocked or surprised as to be unable to speak
Rapt: totally interested, so that you cannot think of anything else
Heron: A water bird
Serenaded: sang beautifully
Literary devices
1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Transferred epithet – the whole admiring bog Stared towards the sumac
Explanation of the above poem – The frog was shocked to hear the melodious voice of the nightingale. It was unable to speak. All the creatures of the Bingle bog appreciated the song. They clapped and praised it when the song ended. Ducks and herons swam and came near the sumac tree to hear it as the nightingale sang beautifully.

Poem
And a solitary loon
Wept, beneath the summer moon.
Toads and teals and tiddlers, captured
By her voice, cheered on, enraptured:
“Bravo!” “Too divine!” “Encore!”
So the nightingale once more,
Word meaning
Solitary: alone, single
loon: a large water bird
teal: a small duck
tiddlers: small fishes
enraptured: filled with fascination and delight
encore: ‘sing some more’
Literary devices –
1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘Toads teals tiddlers’ – ‘t’ sound is repeated
Explanation of the above poem – A large water bird called loon who was alone felt emotional on hearing the nightingale’s melodious song. It started weeping as the nightingale sang through the night with the moon in the sky. ‘Summer moon’ means that it was the summer season when the moon is comparatively lower in the sky. Even the tiny creatures like the small frogs, ducks and fishes were attracted to the melodious voice and cheered it to sing more. They cheered the nightingale by saying that it was a brave bird, its song was heavenly and asked it to sing more.

Poem
Quite unused to such applause,
Sang till dawn without a pause.
Next night when the Nightingale
Shook her head and twitched her tail,
Closed an eye and fluffed a wing
And had cleared her throat to sing
Word meaning
Applause: Praise, appreciation
Twitched: A short, sudden jerk or movement
Literary devices –
1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘Next night’ – ‘n’ sound is repeated
‘twitched her tail’ – ‘t’ sound is repeated
Explanation of the above poem – The nightingale had never received appreciation and it was so happy that it sang continuously till sunrise. The next night it again prepared to sing – it shook its head, jerked its tail, closed an eye to concentrate on the song and fluffed its wing. Before starting the song, it cleared its throat also.

 Poem
She was startled by a croak.
“Sorry – was that you who spoke?”
She enquired when the frog
Hopped towards her from the bog.
“Yes,” the frog replied.
Word meaning
Startled: Taken aback, surprised and shocked
Literary devices –
1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb
2. Onomatopoeia – ‘croak’ is the sound produced by the frog
Explanation of the above poem – The bird was interrupted by the ‘croak’ sound of the frog. As it hopped towards the nightingale, it asked the frog whether it was the frog who spoke. The frog replied that it was his sound.

Poem
“You see,
I’m the frog who owns this tree.
In this bog I’ve long been known
For my splendid baritone
And, of course, I wield my pen
For Bog Trumpet now and then”.
Word meaning
baritone: a male singing voice, fairly deep
wield: hold and use
Literary devices –
1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Personification – The frog has been personified – ‘I wield my pen’
3. Antithesis – now then
Explanation of the above poem – The frog introduces itself to the nightingale as the owner of the sumac tree on whose branch the bird was sitting and singing. Further it said that it was famous in the bog for singing in its unique, deep voice. It also wrote occasionally for the Bog Trumpet magazine.

 Poem
“Did you… did you like my song?”
“Not too bad – but far too long.
The technique was fine of course,
But it lacked a certain force”.
Word meaning
technique: a method of doing something
Literary devices –
1. hyme scheme – aa bb
2. Repetition – ‘Did you… did you’
3. Alliteration –‘bad – but’ – ‘b’ sound repeated
Explanation of the above poem – The humble bird asks the frog if it liked her song. The frog replies that it wasn’t bad, but it was very long. Further it comments on her skill and says that the method of singing was fine, but her voice lacked force.

 Poem
“Oh!” the nightingale confessed.
Greatly flattered and impressed
That a critic of such note
Had discussed her art and throat:
“I don’t think the song’s divine.
But – oh, well – at least it’s mine”.
Word meaning
Flattered: Happy and pleased
Impressed: influenced
Critic: A person who judges the merits of artistic works.
art: Here, singing talent
Literary devices –
1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
Explanation of the above poem – The nightingale felt bad that her singing was not upto the mark. It was happy that such an expert musician had analyzed her song and her voice. It was impressed by the frog’s style. The bird consoles itself that even if her song is not heavenly, at least it is her own composition.

 Poem
“That’s not much to boast about”.
Said the heartless frog. “Without
Proper training such as I
And few others – can supply.
You’ll remain a mere beginner.
But with me you’ll be a winner”.
Word meaning
Boast: Praise oneself
Literary devices –

Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
Explanation of the above poem – The frog scolds the bird for being proud. It is harsh towards the bird and belittles it by saying that it lacks training which only a few masters like the frog can give. The frog also says that without the training the bird will remain just a beginner all its life and if it wanted to become a winner – a perfect singer, then it had to learn from him.

 Poem
“Dearest frog”, the nightingale
Breathed: “This is a fairy tale –
And you’re Mozart in disguise
Come to earth before my eyes”.
Word meaning
Mozart: Name of a very talented musician
disguise: Cannot be recognized
Literary devices –
1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb
2. Metaphor –a comparison between two things without using like or as. – “This is a fairy tale and you’re Mozart in disguise” The nightingale compares the frog to Mozart, indicating a belief in his musical talent.
3. Allusion – The nightingale makes a reference to a famous classical composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: “And you are Mozart in disguise / Come to earth before my eyes”. This reference functions to highlight how innocent the nightingale is, that she genuinely believes the frog possesses the same level of musical genius as Mozart.
Explanation of the above poem – The nightingale praises the frog and compares it to the most famous musician Mozart. It says that this is like a fairy tale – a dream come true that such an accomplished singer is present before her.

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Poem
“Well I charge a modest fee.
Oh!… But it won’t hurt, you’ll see”
Now the nightingale inspired,
Flushed with confidence, and fired
With both art and adoration,
Sang – and was a huge sensation.
Word meaning
Modest: small
flushed: full of, very excited and pleased
adoration: Strong admiration
sensation: Widespread reaction of interest and excitement
Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘Now the nightingale’ – ‘n’ sound is repeated

Explanation of the above poem – The frog tells the nightingale that it will teach her the skill but will charge a small fee. It assures her that the amount will be small and paying it will not be tough for the bird. The nightingale regains its confidence and takes inspiration from the frog’s consent. It is full of talent and admiration for the frog. With this new-found confidence, it sang well. The bird’s music became famous and creatures from far off places were attracted to it.

Poem
Animals for miles around
Flocked towards the magic sound,
And the frog with great precision
Counted heads and charged admission
Though next morning it was raining,
He began her vocal training.
Word meaning
Precision: exact and accurate
Literary devices –
1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘He began her’ – ‘h’ sound is repeated
Explanation of the above poem – Animals gathered from far – off places to hear the magical song of the nightingale. The frog organized concerts and charged an admission fee from all the creatures who came to hear the bird’s song. The next morning after the concert, it was raining, and the bird did not want to sing. The frog insisted and commenced her training.

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb
2. Alliteration – scarf and sash – ‘s’ sound is repeated
3. Repetition – ‘ko-ash! ko-ash’
4. Onomatopoeia – ‘Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash’ is the sound produced by the frog and the nightingale

Explanation of the above poem – Despite the nightingale’s refusal to sing in the rainy weather, the frog forces it to sing. It asks her to cover her head with a scarf to save herself from the rain and to wear a sash given to her as she has joined his music class. Both sing a song – “Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!”

Poem
So the frog and nightingale
Journeyed up and down the scale
For six hours, till she was shivering
and her voice was hoarse and quivering.
Word meaning
Scale: a sequence of musical notes that go up and down, one after the another
hoarse: rough and unclear
quivering: shaking, trembling

Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme – aabb
2. Alliteration –‘she was shivering’ – ‘sh’ sound is repeated
3. Antithesis – up and down

Explanation of the above poem – The frog and the nightingale continued singing for six hours. They sang different musical notes from high to low and vice versa. By the end of the class the poor bird was trembling, and her voice became rough and shaky due to singing in an unpleasant weather and for such a long time. 

Poem
Though subdued and sleep deprived,
In the night her throat revived,
And the sumac tree was bowed,
With a breathless, titled crowd:
Owl of Sandwich, Duck of Kent,
Mallard and Milady Trent,
Word meaning
Subdued: quiet, with little energy
deprived: Not getting enough of something
revived: improved
Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘subdued and sleep’ – ‘s’ sound is repeated, ‘Mallard and 3. Milady’ – ‘m’ sound is repeated
4. Allusion- The poet makes a reference to famous titles – ‘Owl of sandwich’ refers to the Earl of Sandwich, ‘Duck of Kent’ refers to the Duke of Kent, ‘Mallard and Milady Trent’ refer to My Lord and My Lady of Trent. The poet wants to say that a royal crowd had gathered to hear the melodious bird. As the creatures were animals, so the first names have been replaced by such names of animals which create rhyming effect.
Explanation of the above poem – The sumac tree on whose branch the nightingale sat and sang in its melodious voice was crowded and it seemed that it had bent as a mark of respect to the royal gathering which had come for the concert. The royal creatures that had come were the owl of Sandwich, the duck of Kent, Mallard and Milady of Trent. The poet has added the names of animals like owl, duck, Mallard to the names of historical figures like ‘Earl of Sandwich’, ‘Duke of Kent’, ‘My Lord and My Lady of Trent’ to show that a titled crowd had gathered.

Literary devices-

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Allusion -The poet makes a reference to famous titles – ‘Coot of Monte Cristo’ refers to the Count of Monte Cristo.
3. Onomatopoeia – Twittering is the sound produced by the crowd
4. Imagery – ‘Ladies with tiaras glittering In the interval sat twittering’ – The reader experiences visual and aural imagery by imagining the royal audience wearing glittering tiaras can be heard chatting among themselves.
5. Antithesis – sweet and bitter
Explanation of the above poem – The crowd included Martin cardinal Mephisto and the coot of Monte Cristo. All the royal ladies were wearing tiaras which were full of shining metal and precious stones. They talked with each other during the interval in the concert. The frog saw the royal gathering which had come to hear the nightingale’s song. He had mixed feelings of happiness and jealousy. He was happy as a huge crowd meant monetary gain. He was jealous of the nightingale’s fame as his song had never got such an exceptional audience.

Poem
Every day the frog who’d sold her
Songs for silver tried to scold her:
“You must practice even longer
Till your voice, like mine grows stronger.
In the second song last night
You got nervous in mid-flight.
Word meaning
Mid – flight: In the middle of the song

Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘Songs for silver’, ‘second song’ – ‘s’ sound is repeated

Explanation of the above poem – The greedy frog earned a lot of money by selling tickets to the nightingale’s concert. Still, he scolded the poor bird and showed it down by saying that its voice was not strong enough and that it needed to practice more. He also pointed out her mistake and said that the previous night, during the second song, she had got nervous in the middle of the song.

Poem
And, my dear, lay on more trills:
Audiences enjoy such frills.
You must make your public happier:
Give them something sharper, snappier.
We must aim for better billings.
You still owe me sixty shillings.”
Word meaning
Trills: singing two musical notes one after the other, repeatedly and very quickly
Billings: publicity for a concert, show, etc.
Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘must make’ – ‘m’ sound is repeated, ‘better billings’ – ‘b’ sound is repeated

Explanation of the above poem – The frog orders the nightingale to use fancy notes in her song so that the audience enjoys it more and more and more creatures gather to hear her sing. The frog wants her to please the audience and use sharp notes, sing snappy songs which are liked by them. He wants her to aim at earning more and more money. He reminds her that she still owes him sixty shillings (he is referring to the fee that she must pay him for the music training).

Poem
Day by day the nightingale
Grew more sorrowful and pale.
Night on night her tired song
Zipped and trilled and bounced along,
Till the birds and beasts grew tired
At a voice so uninspired
Word meaning
Zipped: sang quickly
Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘birds and beasts’ – ‘b’ sound is repeated
3. Repetition – ‘Day by day’, ‘Night on night’

Explanation of the above poem – With each passing day the nightingale became sad and weak. With each passing day, the bird’s song reflected its tiredness and lack of interest. It sang quickly and would not enjoy singing. The songs were no longer melodious, and the creatures of the bog did not enjoy them anymore. The bird’s voice did not attract crowds any longer.

Poem
And the ticket office gross
Crashed, and she grew more morose
For her ears were now addicted
To applause quite unrestricted,
And to sing into the night
All alone gave no delight.
Word meaning
Morose: miserable, bad tempered
Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘more morose’ – ‘m’ sound is repeated.

Explanation of the above poem – There was no audience for the nightingale’s concert. This made the bird sad as now, she had got used to the praise from the audience. Now, it no longer enjoyed singing alone all through the night.

Poem
Now the frog puffed up with rage.
“Brainless bird – you’re on the stage –
Use your wits and follow fashion.
Puff your lungs out with your passion.”
Word meaning
Rage: anger
Wits: intelligence
Puff: take a very deep breath
Passion: show strong emotions

Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb
2. Alliteration – ‘Brainless bird’ – ‘b’ sound is repeated.

Explanation of the above poem – As the frog’s earnings stopped, it got furious at the nightingale. It called it a ‘brainless bird’ and scolded it. It said that it should realize the importance of performing on a stage and should use its intelligence. It asked the bird to sing according to the choice of the audience and to follow the latest trends. It forced the bird to take very deep breaths and sing with lots of force and emotions.

Poem
Trembling, terrified to fail,
Blind with tears, the nightingale
Heard him out in silence, tried,
Puffed up, burst a vein, and died.

Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme- aa bb
2. Alliteration – ‘Trembling, terrified’ – ‘t’ sound is repeated

Explanation of the above poem – The nightingale was trembling with fear of the frog as it had failed to perform well. It cried and as its eyes were full of tears, it could not even see properly. It did not oppose the frog’s words. It tried to take a deep breath but could not bear it. As a result, the nightingale died as one of the vein in its body burst. 

Poem
Said the frog: “I tried to teach her,
But she was a stupid creature –
Far too nervous, far too tense.
Far too prone to influence.
Well, poor bird – she should have known
That your song must be your own.
Word meaning
Stupid: unintelligent
Prone: likely to suffer from

Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb cc
2. Alliteration – ‘tried to teach’, ‘too tense’ – ‘t’ sound is repeated, ‘she should’ – ‘sh’ sound is repeated.
3. Anaphora – repetition of ‘far too’ in line 3 and 4

Explanation of the above poem – The frog comments on the dead nightingale bird. It says that the nightingale was not intelligent and that it tried to teach her also. She was nervous, became tense and lacked self – confidence. It further added that the poor bird should have sung her own song in her own way. It should not have changed its style and get influenced by the frog. This shows that the frog is a cheat. It forced the bird into the wrong path due to jealousy. 

Poem
That’s why I sing with panache
“Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!”
And the foghorn of the frog
Blared unrivalled through the bog.
Word meaning
panache: a very confident, elegant style
foghorn: a very loud, unpleasant noise
unrivalled: unopposed
Literary devices –

1. Rhyme scheme – aa bb
2. Alliteration – ‘foghorn of the frog’ – ‘f’ sound is repeated
3. Repetition – ‘ko-ash! ko-ash’

Explanation of the above poem – The frog ends by saying that it had confidence in its singing talent and sang in its unique style. Once again, the frog sang its song – “Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!”. The frog’s song could be heard all over the bingle bog and he became the unopposed singer.

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Question and answers

Q. The following is a summary of the poem but it is jumbled up. Write out the events in their correct order to form a continuous paragraph.
a) As a result, her voice lost its beauty, and the other creatures stopped coming to hear her sing.
b) Soon the nightingale became famous, and creatures from miles around came to hear her sing.
c) All the creatures in the bog cheered and clapped at her beautiful song.
d) He offered to train the nightingale, so that she could sing even more beautifully.
e) So the frog could sing unrivalled in the bog once more.
f) The next night the frog introduced himself.
g) The frog charged an admission fee, and earned a lot of money from these concerts.
h) A frog croaked all night in a bog, in an unpleasant voice.
i) But the frog made the nightingale rehearse continuously in the rain.
j) One night a nightingale began to sing in a melodious voice.
k) Finally the nightingale burst a vein and died.

Ans.
1. h) A frog croaked all night in a bog, in an unpleasant voice.
2. j) One night a nightingale began to sing in a melodious voice.
3. c) All the creatures in the bog cheered and clapped at her beautiful song.
4. f) The next night the frog introduced himself.
5. d) He offered to train the nightingale, so that she could sing even more beautifully.
6. b) Soon the nightingale became famous, and creatures from miles around came to hear her sing.
7. g) The frog charged an admission fee, and earned a lot of money from these concerts.
8. i) But the frog made the nightingale rehearse continuously in the rain.
9. a) As a result, her voice lost its beauty, and the other creatures stopped coming to hear her sing.
10. k) Finally the nightingale burst a vein and died.
11. e) So the frog could sing unrivalled in the bog once more.

 Q1. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the sentences given below by choosing the appropriate option.

1. The frog’s aim was to
2. make the nightingale a sensation
3. make the nightingale as good a singer as him
4. maintain his supremacy in the bog
5. make a lot of money

Ans. c. maintain his supremacy in the bog

 Q2. The animals reacted to the nightingale’s song with

1. hatred
2. admiration
3. indifference
4. suggestions for improvement

Ans. b. admiration

Q3. The nightingale accepted the frog’s tutelage as she

1. was not confident of herself
2. wanted to become as good a singer as the frog
3. wanted to become a professional singer
4. was not a resident of Bingle Bog
   

Ans. a. was not confident of herself

Q. Read the stanza given below and complete the sentences by choosing the appropriate option.

Day by day the nightingale
Grew more sorrowful and pale.
Night on night her tired song
Zipped and trilled and bounced along,
Till the birds and beasts grew tired
At a voice so uninspired
And the ticket office gross
Crashed, and she grew more morose –
For her ears were now addicted
To applause quite unrestricted,
And to sing into the night
All alone gave no delight.

1. The nightingale was sorrowful and pale because

1. she had been practicing in the rain
2. she had been performing all night
3. she was losing confidence in herself
4. she was falling ill

Ans. 3. she was losing confidence in herself

2. The audience was tired of her song because

1. they had heard it many times
2. it had become mechanical
3. she looked tired
4. she had added trill to her song

Ans. 2. it had become mechanical

3. She no longer enjoyed singing alone as

1. she wanted to sing only for titled crowd
2. she was now used to the appreciation she got
3. the frog was no longer with her
4. she had become proud of herself
   

Ans. 2. she was now used to the appreciation she got

Q: Which are the different ways in which the frog asserts his importance? A: The frog asserts his importance in the following ways:

1. He says that he is the owner of that tree.
2. He is famous for his splendid voice.
3. He writes for the periodical, ‘Bog trumpet’.
4. He is a music trainer and critic like Mozart.

Q: Why is the frog’s joy both sweet and bitter?
A: The frog’s joy was sweet as the nightingale was attracting huge crowds at the concert and, so he was minting a lot of money through them. His joy was bitter due to jealousy as such crowds had never gathered to hear him sing. The frog was bitter as he was jealous of the nightingale.

Q: Why was the frog angry?
A: The frog was angry at the nightingale because there no crowds at the concert any more. As she was tired, her voice had become rough and it was trembling. So, the audience no longer came for the concerts organized by the frog. He could not earn money and so was angry with the bird.

Q4: How did the frog become the unrivalled king of the bog again?
A: The frog once again became the unrivalled king of the bog as the nightingale had died. The bird had been stressed by the frog and, so she died as one of her veins burst.
Once again, no one else but the frog sang in the bingle bog.

Q5: Bring out the irony in the frog’s statement – ‘Your song must be your own’.
A: The irony in the frog’s words is that initially when he met the nightingale and she said that she was satisfied that the song was her own composition, he reprimands her that it is nothing too great to boast about and later, when the bird is dead, he says that the poor bird should have known that she should have sung her own song in her own way.

Q6: Do you think the end is justified?
A: The poem teaches us to have confidence in our abilities. It shows us the jealous face of the society and warns us to save ourselves from such people. I think that although the end is harsh as the innocent bird dies but it gives a powerful message and warns us not to be prone to influence.

Q7: Do you think the nightingale is ‘brainless’? Give reasons for your answer.
A: The nightingale is not brainless, but she is innocent, meek and dismissive. As she lacks self-confidence, she is easily overpowered by the clever, crafty frog. As she wanted to become a famous singer, she accepts the frog’s offer of training her.

Q8: Inspite of having a melodious voice and being a crowd puller, the nightingale turns out to be a loser and dies. How far is she responsible for her own downfall?
A: The nightingale is herself responsible for her death as she relies upon the evil frog and is not able to judge him. Her innocence and foolishness lead her to death.

Q9: Do you agree with the Frog’s inference of the Nightingale’s character? Give reasons for your answer.
A: Yes, I agree with the frog’s verdict about the nightingale. I think that she was brainless, stupid and meek as she could not identify the real aim of the frog. The innocent, talented bird got trapped in the clever frog’s trap and lost her melodious voice and even her life.

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The Frog and The Nightingale FAQs

Q1. The nightingale compared the frog to whom?
Ans. The nightingale compared the frog to the great musician Mozart.

Q2. What traits of the nightingale led to its death?
Ans. The nightingale was innocent, meek and lacked confidence. This helped the frog to overpower her and thus, led to her death.

Q3. Was the frog a good singer?
Ans. No, the frog was not a good singer. He croaked in an unpleasant voice and disturbed the entire bog.

Q4. Who is the author of the poem ‘The Frog and the Nightingale’?
Ans. The poem The frog and the nightingale has been written by Vikram Seth.

Q5. What is the central idea of the poem ‘The Frog and the Nightingale’?
Ans. In the poem, the poet wants to convey a powerful message that one must beware of flattery. The frog exploits the innocent bird, earns a lot of money and fools it. The innocent bird’s low self-esteem costs her life.