So last week, we read a poem in our class named "Mike Teavee". It was explained beautifully by our class teacher. This poem was penned down by Roald Dahl in 1964. Although, this poem was written when the televisions were getting popular day by day, but I see this poem as if Roald Dahl has shown us the future of today's kid many years ago in the form of this poem. He has highly criticized the television and the parents who install the television for their kids. He is serious about the issue. He is frustrated and angry with parents who install television for their kids and children who watch television. If he would be alive today, instead of criticizing television he would criticize social media. He asks the children that instead of watching television children should read more and more books. He also says that television kills the imagination of kids.
Before I write further, first let me introduce you all to Mike Teavee. Michael (Mike Teavee) is one of the five winners of Golden Ticket from the novel, The Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (written by Roald Dahl). He is depicted as a television obsessed , gun loving and talkative-brat with an obsession for cowboy flicks. He also carried an obsession for the television set at his house, which led to his defeat at last.
(Mike Teavee)
Now, let's understand the poem stanza-wise-stanza:
The most important thing we’ve learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set —
Or better still, just don’t install
The idiotic thing at all.
In the first stanza, the poet is asking the parents that never let your children watch the television at any cost. Even if they show so much stubbornness! (The poet has written the word 'never' three times and written it in capital letters in second and third time. This shows that the poet is angry with the parents) He even advices the parents that it would be more better if they do not install television.
In almost every house we’ve been,
We’ve watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone’s place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
In the second stanza, the poet shares his experience here. In almost every house he has visited, he has seen the children with their eyes wide opened and fixed on the television with their 100% concentration and focus. They sit in front of the television in a lazy and casual manner until their eyes are too tired to watch any more (their eyes pop out).
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they’re hypnotized by it,
Until they’re absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
In the third stanza, the poet compares the children's imagination with drunk people after watching the television. The children watch the television until they are fully hypnotized or intoxicated by it. The ghastly junk refers to the shows which are violent and show nudity. They don't have time to spend with books. The ghastly junk filled in their minds are compared to drunk man's imaginary world.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don’t climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink –
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
The poet now says that he knows that television keeps the naughty kids busy. When they are sitting in front of the television they no more do mischievous things like jumping out of the window or fighting with each other. They let the mother to do kitchen chores freely. But the poet asks the parents to stop and just think that what harm does television causes to their beloved child? The poet thinks that the television causes more harm than good to children.
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK — HE ONLY SEES!‘
Here the poet answers the question of parents in a brilliant way. He tells them that television draw the children away from the real world. It kills their imagination power and fills their mind with litter and garbage. It makes the child so dull and blind that he/she even cannot understand a different world as a fairy tale. He only understand the fictional stories shown in television. The poet says that it makes the mind of children as soft as cheese. They only believe what they see and listen on television. They can't even interpret anything with their logic. Their power of thinking becomes rusty and freezes.
All right!’ you’ll cry. ‘All right!’ you’ll say,
‘But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!’
Now the poet says that he knows that the readers of the poem and parents will throw questions at him and ask that then what shall we do to entertain our beloved children? The poet gives it answers excellently by throwing a question at readers and parents.
We’ll answer this by asking you,
‘What used the darling ones to do?
‘How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?’
Have you forgotten? Don’t you know?
Now, the poet asks the parents and readers that what would your beloved children used to do before the monster (television) was invented?
We’ll say it very loud and slow:
THEY … USED … TO … READ! They’d READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more.
The poet is reminding us here that the children used to read a lot of books. They almost spent their half lifetime in reading books.
So, this is my commentary on this poem. And yes, I agree with the poet. Television and social media spoils our imagination and fills it with filthy things. The poem takes a look at a serious problem among young children today. It warns us about the dangers of watching television excessively. TV robs our minds of the power of imagination and creativity.
Thanks for reading till end :) !
~Namashya Singh Sodhi
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