O Where are you going (Poem with explaination)

O Where are you going  (Poem) with explaination)

This poem is written by W.H.Auden

About Auther (W.H.Authen)

Read biography of Auden

W.H.Audin

 

 

O Where are you going" (Poem )

O where are you going? said reader to rider,
That valley is fatal when furnaces burn,
Yonder's the midden whose odors will madden,
That gap is the grave where the tall return.

O do you imagine,said fearer to farer,
That dusk will delay on your path to the pass,
Your diligent looking discover the lacking,
Your footsteps feel from granite to grass?

O what was that bird, said horror to hearer,
 Did you see that shape in the twisted trees?
 Behind you swiftly the figure comes softly,
The spot on your skin is a shocking disease?

 Out of this house‚ said rider to reader,
Yours never will" ‚ said farer to fearer,
They're looking for you ‚ said hearer to horror,
As he left them there, as he left them there.

Explaination of poem( O where are you going)

This poem is a dialogue between a reader and a rider. The reader is a coward and lazy person. He tries to threaten the rider of the dangers in the vaiey. But the rider is ready to face every hardship witn a stout heart. The traveller is ready to carry on his journey.He is very bold, brave and courageous. He is hopeful of reaching his destination after facing dangers and getting over them. The opposite force (reader) discourages the traveller (rider) from going beyond and says, "Where are you going? 
You are safe and sound here. The valley beyond is full of dangers. There are furnaces to burn everything. There are heaps of dung and rubbish on your way whose smell This poem is a dialogue between a reader and a rider. The reader is a coward and lazy person. He tries to threaten the rider of the dangers in the valley. But the rider is ready to face every hardship with a stout heart. The traveller said to reader that God helps those who help themselves. 
The brave and courageous people are not afraid of hardships and sufferings of1 life. They take courage and continue their struggle till success. They act on the prrnciple of "do or die". On the other hand, the cowardly persons like to remain idle in their houses. They every moment due to their fear of death. Hardships and sufferings rock around such persons.
 They become victim of their fear and die. The traveller said so and went on his way leaving opposite force behind him. It is truly said that leave your cares behind you, your happiness will find you. The poem is a dialogue between two imaginary persons personified as Reader and Rider. 
The Rider is a person who is bold, courageous and is ambitious to make his way through thick and thin. The Reader full of awe and reverence tells him that the valley beyond is full of dangers and that heaps of dung and rubbish lie on his journey ahead whose bad smell sickens and maddens the mind. 
 The opposite force is working at discouraging the traveler from going beyond. You may go farther and fare worse, the reader suggests. Fear and horror are trying to discourage the rider from going on his path. The way to glory and success is vague and uncertain, but it can be paved through with Courage and perseverance. The reader is fearer, coward and lazy. He is not ready to get out of his house to learn and earn. He is frightened of hardships and miseries of life. On the other hand, the Rider is a bold, courageous and ambitious person. 
He is willing to learn and earn well. He is ready to take his way to success. The Reader tells him that the valley beyond is full of dangers. There are heaps of dung and rubbish lying ahead whose bad smell sickens and maddens the mind.
 There are dangerous animals, evil spirits and fatal diseases on his way to success. He will die on the way in his attempt to reach the height of success. Listening this, the Rider said to the Reader that a brave person makes his way through thick and thin while a coward becomes victim of these crushing forces of life. After it, the Rider took his way leaving behind the distressed "Reader". 
 This poem teaches us a lesson that way to glory and success can be paved through with courage and perseverance. After reading this poem readers are able to understand the difference between two types of emotions i.e. courage and cowardice. "Courage" and "cowardice"are two opposite forces. 
A coward has a large number of fears. He cannot face hardships and realities of life. He also discourages other people to face hardships of life. On the other hand, a bold, brave and courageous fares hardships bravely and gets brilliant successes in his life.