Critical Analysis of the Poem Death of A Bird by Keki N. Daruwalla

Critical Analysis of the Poem Death of A Bird by Keki N. Daruwalla

Introduction: 

The poem entitled Death of a Bird is the finest poem of K. N. Daruwalla. It depicts a hunting expedition. It reminds us of Coleridge's famous poem The Ancient Mariner. It is a morally uplifting poem and may safely be classified as an excellent work of poetic art. It poignantly expresses the violent convulsions which disturb Nature's cosiness, peace and sublimity, when someone dares taking away lives of innocent creatures. At this unlawful intrusion in Nature's realm there is upheaval and untimely the evil does have to suffer the nemesis of guilt. The poem makes a powerful appeal to us. The poet's purpose here, though not made explicit, is to show that there is some moral order in this universe.

Thought-Content: 

The hunter (narrator) along with his female companion enters the forest. When they see a male bird and a female bird engaged in a sexual act, the man takes aim at the male bird and fires. The male bird falls down to the ground. The man and his companion pick up the dying bird and deposit it into a bag. The female bird, though not hit, is badly frightened and, feeling terrified and uttering cries, flies away from the crag. The man and woman walk on after killing the bird. They commit a sin by killing the male bird. Their pony walks slowly, the man and woman give it a push to quicken its pace. But the pony loses its balance and falls down into a gorge a thousand feet below where a river flows, making a loud noise as it flows. Without feeling any sorrow, the man and the woman resume their journey. They find a cave to pass the night. As the woman feels very cold, the man lights a fire using dry grass and the dry dung of animals. He also rubs her sides and feet in order to warm her. Their limbs come into a close contact, but for some reason they inwardly feel somewhat apprehensive. Then they get ready to shoot one more bird, their last. Neither of them has any sense of guilt because they think that neither the scream of the pony, nor the death of a bird, nor the prowling bears at whom the bullets had been fired, represent any sinful acts committed by them. Both of them remain guilt- free. The woman rests her head upon the man's chest. During their sleep, they see the dream of peace and love. The wind blowing with loud noise disturbs their sleep. After waking up, the man breaks his gun into two pieces. A brown coloured bird rises from the crags flying with force and as, it passes over the heads of the man and the woman, it shrieks aloud and falls down dead on their feet. The woman recognises the dead bird as the Queen Monal. She feels that they are accused by the dead bird. 

The Moral of the Poem: 

The poem has a moral which shows that the natural forces of the universe turn against human beings if human beings go out their way to harm any creature-animal, bird, reptile, or even a tiny worm. However, the moral has not been preached in explicit terms. It reveals a moral vision. An evil doer has to pay the penalty of his or her misdeeds. The woman feeling an expression of terror in the eyes of she-monal understands that a curse would fall upon them. She thinks that they are responsible for the death of two living monals. 

Tinge of Poignancy of Love: 

It is a love poem which expresses intense and self effacing love between two monals who mated, clawed and screamed under an overhang of crags: 

"the female brown and nondescript 

the male was a king, a fire dream!" 

The hunter mercilessly killed the King (male) monal. The female monal rose in terror crying. The hunter and his beloved intensely desired to enjoy love in moonlit night but their dream of quiescence and love was upset by the moaning voice of the female monal whom the cruel hunter also killed in 'an ash grey dawn'. His wife was terrified at the sight of the female monal nearly dead. Its eyes flared terror like hits of dripping meat. People who separate lovers can never enjoy the ecstasy of love. They have to suffer the nemesis of their guilt. 

Profound Emotions, Repentance and Pathos: 

Towards the dawn, the hunter overcome by some strange feelings breaks his gun its two. Perhaps-the hunter who killed the monal is struck with repentance and breaks his gun he killed the bird with. But just then a brown-coloured bird flies with great force from the crag where it had been sitting, and just when it passes over the heads of the two human beings below, it shrieks with fear and falls down at their feet. The woman below thereupon says that the bird, which has now died is the female and the mate of the male monal which had been shot dead at the very outset of the expedition. The woman adds that now a curse would befall them, meaning that they would have to pay the penalty for having shot the male bird and having thus been indirectly responsible for the death of the female bird:

"I broke my gun in two across the back 

of an ash-grey dawn. A brown bird left the crags 

flying strongly, and as its shadow crossed us. 

it shrieked with fear and turned to stone 

dropped at our feet. 

"It's the queen monal! we are accused !"; 

she said 

‘Just watch its eyes!' for though the bird 

was near dead 

Its eyes flared terror like bits of dripping meat!" 

The Poem, Full of Incidents and Suspense: 

In the poem we have both incident and suspense which are two of the most striking characteristics of Daruwalla's poetry. The first incident in this poem is the killing of a male monal at a time when the bird was mating with its female. The man takes aim at the male bird and shoots it down. The next incident is the death of the pony. The man and woman push the animal merely to quicken its pace, but it loses its balance and falls down a thousand feet below into a roaring river. At evenfall, all kinds of jungle-noises are heard, indicating the presence of animals of various kinds, some of them dangerous. The man lights a fire to provide some warmth and comfort to his female companion. Towards the dawn, the man, overcome by some strange feeling, breaks his gun into two. Just then, a brown-coloured bird flies with great force from the crags. Flying strongly as it passes over the heads of the two hunters, it fearfully shrieks aloud and falls down on their feet.

Style and Language of Poem: 

The poem is in the narrative farm which is artistically and coherently developed. It is an artistic poem, remarkable for stylistic qualities and chaste apt and highly suggestive diction. The poet's use of chiselled phrases and picturesque colour-wards contribute the artistic excellence of the poem. For instance, "fierce bird-love", "the monals mated, clawed and screamed", "his eyes were glazed, the breast still throbbed", "pimpling like a spray of cysts", "a passion of dusky gold and blue", "dream of quiescence and love", "like a witch in the flute", and "the wolves, with the mist, went over the cliff." The poem is also remarkable for its dramatic quality. In fact, each incident has a dramatic quality. The climax of the dramatic moment reaches in the last stanza when the female monal falls dead beside the feet of the hunter and huntress: 

"It's the queen monal! we are accused!'; 

she said 

"Just watch its eyes !' for though the bird was 

near dead 

Its eyes flared terror like bits of dripping meat!"