THE COLD WITHIN
THE COLD WITHIN
The Cold Within is a poem written by James Patrick Kinney. It is a poem that shows how it is the darkness and cold within our soul that is killing the human race.
KNOW THE PRIMARY THEME OF THE POEM
I.Read carefully the passage below from The Cold Within and answer the questions that follow:
Six humans trapped by happenstance
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The fire is stick of birch.
i) Name the figure of speech poet uses in the line “In bleak and bitter cold” in The Cold Within? What special significance do the adjective bleak and bitter have
Ans. The figure of speech that is used in the line, “In bleak and bitter cold” is alliteration. In the figure of speech alliteration, there is a close repetition of consonant sounds, which usually is seen at the beginning of words. In the above line the consonant ‘b’ is repeated twice – bleak and bitter cold.
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The most important significance of the adjective bleak and bitter is that it tells about the night on which the poem is set. It also signifies the lack of warmth in human relations. Bleak and bitter cold means an extremely unpleasant and biting cold. Although the poet speaks of the weather of the night, he actually intends to show the bleakness and bitterness that prevails in human hearts.
KNOW THE PRIMARY THEME OF THE POEM
ii) Who are the people poet refers to in the above extract in The Cold Within? Why do they need logs?
Ans. The people referred to in the above extract are a lady, and the only female member of the group and a Christian man. The lady is white complexioned and supported apartheid. The other person who is a Christian is very selfish in nature and does not like the ones belonging to any other religious community or even from a different church.
KNOW THE PRIMARY THEME OF THE POEM
iii) What character traits would you link with “the first one” and “the next man”? Why?
Ans. The character traits which can be associated with “the first one” and “the next man” is mean mindedness and selfishness. They judge people basing on their colour and religion. The only female member of the group who is “ the first one “ does not put in her log because she does not want to give warmth to the black person present in the group and “the next man” does not put his log in the fire because he does not want to give warmth to the man in the group who came from a different religions community or a church.
KNOW THE PRIMARY THEME OF THE POEM
iv) Explain how you will connect the following line with the theme of poem:
Their dying fire in need of logs
Ans. The primary theme of the poem “The cold within” is the lack of warmth we see in human relationship. The above line literally refers to the fire that is dying and is in need to be kept alive with logs, but it actually refers to the fire or warmth of humanity which is dying out in need of the logs of compassion in their heart for their fellow beings. The term forlorn means lonely and a group has more than two people. Hence a group can never be lonely.
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In spite of this the poet calls these six people a “forlorn group” because although they are six in numbers sitting together, they are lonely. This is because these six people are selfish and lack the warmth of humanity in this heart.
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Biased on the discrimination they remain apart from each other mentally when they are physically close to each other. The group of six people sitting around the fire in the poem represents the whole human race in general.
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These six people are devoid of the warmth of humanity. They are selfish and thinks only about their own colour, religion and social status. They are not ready to cooperate with anyone who is different from them when they were in the same situation. Each one of them held a piece of log but none ignited the fire because of the spite they bore against other in the group.
KNOW THE PRIMARY THEME OF THE POEM
II.Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow:
The third one sat in tattered clothes.
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Was a chance to spite the white.
KNOW THE PRIMARY THEME OF THE POEM
i) What do you mean by “tattered clothes”? What does this expression symbolise? Why does the “third one” or the poor man in the group gives his coat a hitch?
Ans. The expression “tattered clothes” stands for frayed, torn and faded clothes.
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The above expression symbolises the wearer of such a coat to be a poor person who is incapable to avail good clothes.
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The “third one” in the group who is a poor fellow gives his coat a hitch because his coat is torn and tattered and hence he pulls it closely around himself so that it gives him warmth and does not make him feel cold anymore.
KNOW THE PRIMARY THEME OF THE POEM
III. Read the extract below from The Cold Within and answer the questions that follow:
The last man of the forlorn group
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They died from the cold within.
i) Explain the phrase “forlorn group”. Which figure of speech the poet uses here?
Ans. Refer to ans 1 part 5.
The phrase “forlorn group” is an instance of an oxymoron. Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.
ii) What game is the poet referring to while mentioning the last man of the group in The Cold Within?
Ans. While mentioning the last man of the group, the poet says that though he had a stick in his hand he did not ignite the dying fire because he did nothing in which he did not gain any profit. He always played the game of give and take. He gave only to those who gave him in return. And by igniting the fire with his stick he knew none of the other five members were to give him anything in return.
iii) The poet says that the characters “died from the cold within”. What does he mean?
Ans. In the poem “The cold within” the poet tells about six odd people who by chance of fate were trapped in bitter cold. Although each held in his hand a piece of stick, none put it into the fire to ignite it. Each one of them was different from the rest in the group in terms of colour, religion and social status. Owing to their prejudices against one another they were over taken by the feelings of revenge, spite and anger.
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Their hatred for each other went to such an extent that inspite of having a birch stick held in their hands they did not ignite the fire. Their differences surpass their survival instinct. When the poet says the “died from the cold within”, he means to say it was not the coldness of the atmosphere but the cold-heartedness of the six individuals that resulted to their death.
v) What message is the poet trying to convey in the poem The Cold Within? How does he succeed in carrying out his task?
Ans. Refer to ans I part 5.
