Maharashtra State Board Class 10 English Poem The Height of the Ridiculous Summary, Line by Line Explanation, along with difficult word meanings from English Kumarbharati Book
The Height of the Ridiculous – Are you looking for Theme, Summary and Poem Explanation for Maharashtra State Board Class 10 Chapter The Height of the Ridiculous from English Kumarbharati Book. Get Chapter Summary, Theme, Explanation along with difficult word meanings.
The Height of the Ridiculous Maharashtra State Board Class 10 English
Oliver Wendell Holmes
The Height of the Ridiculous Introduction
This poem is about a writer who writes a really funny poem. He thinks it’s so nice that everyone will love it. But when his helper reads it, something unexpected happens.
Theme / Central Idea of the Poem The Height of the Ridiculous
Humility: The poet learns that even though he thinks something is funny, others might react very differently.
Unexpected Consequences: The poet didn’t expect his funny poem to have such a big effect on his helper.
The Height of the Ridiculous Summary
Oliver Wendell Holmes’ poem is a humorous anecdote. Once, a man wrote a really funny poem. He thought it was so funny that everyone would like it. He asked his helper to take the poem to the printer.
When the helper glanced through and started reading the poem, he laughed and laughed. He laughed so hard that his clothes ripped and he fell down! The man had to watch his helper laugh for a very long time.
After that, the poet was too scared to write funny poems again because he didn’t want to make anyone laugh so hard.
The Height of the Ridiculous Summary in Hindi
ओलिवर वेंडेल होम्स की कविता एक मज़ेदार किस्सा है। एक बार एक आदमी ने बहुत ही मज़ेदार कविता लिखी। उसे लगा कि यह इतनी अच्छी है कि सभी को पसंद आएगी। उसने अपने सहायक से कहा कि वह कविता को प्रिंटर के पास ले जाए।
जब सहायक ने कविता पढ़ना शुरू किया, तो वह बहुत हँसा। वह इतना ज़ोर से हँसा कि उसके बटन टूट गए, कपड़े फट गए और वह गिर पड़ा। लेखक को अपने सहायक को बहुत देर तक हँसते देखना पड़ा।
उसके बाद, कवि इतना डर गया कि उसने फिर कभी मज़ेदार कविताएँ नहीं लिखी क्योंकि वह नहीं चाहता था कि कोई और इतना ज़ोर से हँसे।
The Height of the Ridiculous Poem Explanation
Poem: I wrote some lines once on a time
In wondrous merry mood,
And thought, as usual, men would say
They were exceeding good.
Word Meaning:
Wondrous: amazing, wonderful, extraordinary
Merry: cheerful, happy, joyful
Exceeding: extremely, very, exceptionally
Explanation: The poet is recalling a past moment when he had written some lines and was feeling very joyful. The poet expected a positive response from others, assuming his lines were exceptionally good.
Poem: They were so queer, so very queer,
I laughed as I would die;
Albeit, in the general way,
A sober man am I.
Word Meaning:
Queer: Strange, odd, or unusual
Albeit: Even though, although
Sober: Serious, not funny or playful
Explanation: The poet is emphasizing the unusual, strange, and unexpected nature of what he saw. The repetition of “queer” intensifies that the poet finds the situation very odd. Upon receiving the responses, the poet’s laughter was uncontrollable and extreme, almost to the point of death. The poet then acknowledges that he is generally a serious and composed person, in contrast with his current situation of uncontrollable laughter.
Poem: I called my servant, and he came;
How kind it was of him
To mind a slender man like me,
He of the mighty limb.
Word Meaning:
Slender: thin and graceful
Mighty: very strong or powerful
Explanation: The poet called his helper and when he came the poet expressed gratitude towards the helper. The poet describes himself as “slender”, suggesting a lean physical appearance. The poet’s physical appearance is in contrast with that of the helper. The helper is portrayed as physically strong and robust, with “mighty limb” suggesting powerful arms and legs.
Poem: “These to the printer,” I exclaimed,
And, in my humorous way,
I added (as a trifling jest,)
“There’ll be the devil to pay.”
Word Meaning:
Exclaimed: shouted out suddenly and loudly
Trifling: unimportant, small
Jest: a joke or something said in fun
Devil to pay: a lot of trouble or difficulty
Explanation: The poet is giving a direct command to his helper, telling him to take the written poem to the printer. The poet jokingly predicts a negative reaction to his poem. He playfully suggests that the poem he wrote is so funny or outrageous that it might cause trouble.
Poem: He took the paper, and I watched,
And saw him peep within
At the first line he read, his face
Was all upon the grin
Word Meaning:
Peep: to look quickly and secretly
Grin: a wide smile that shows your teeth
Explanation: The poet is observing his helper as he takes the paper for printing. The helper gives a wide smile upon taking a quick look at the lines of the poem.
Poem: He read the next; the grin grew broad
And shot from ear to ear;
He read the third; a chuckling noise
I now began to hear.
Word Meaning:
Broad: wide
Chuckling: laughing softly
Explanation: The helper is reading the poem line by line. As he progresses, his initial smile widens into a broad one. The smile is so wide that it seems to stretch from one ear to the other. Upon reading the third line of the poem, the helper’s reaction intensifies from a grin to a chuckle.
Overall, these lines paint a picture of the helper’s growing delight as he reads the humorous poem.
Poem: The fourth; he broke into a roar;
The fifth; his waistband split;
The sixth; he burst five buttons off,
And tumbled in a fit.
Word Meaning:
Roar: a loud, deep sound, like a lion’s cry. Here, it means a loud, uncontrollable laugh.
Waistband: the part of a piece of clothing that goes around your waist.
Burst: to break open suddenly and violently.
Fit: Here, it refers to a fit of laughter so strong that the person falls down.
Explanation: Upon reading the fourth line of a poem, the helper gave out a loud laugh. Upon reading the fifth line of the poem, laughter caused his clothes to tear. Upon reading the sixth, five buttons of his shirt rip off and he collapses physically, suggesting uncontrollable laughter.
Poem: Ten days and nights, with sleepless eye,
I watched that wretched man,
and since, I never dare to write
As funny as I can.
Word Meaning:
Sleepless: Unable to sleep
Wretched: Very unhappy or unfortunate
Dare: Have the courage to do something
Explanation: The poet spent ten consecutive days and nights observing the helper without sleeping. And after this experience, the poet is hesitant to write humorous poems and lines.
Rhyme Scheme of the Poem The Height of the Ridiculous
Rhyme Scheme of the poem is ABCB.
“I wrote some lines once on a time
In wondrous merry mood,
And thought, as usual, men would say
They were exceeding good.”
Poetic Devices of the Poem The Height of the Ridiculous
Hyperbole
A figure of speech that involves deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or humorous effect.
For example- “I laughed as I would die”
Alliteration
Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of several words that are close together.
For example,
grin grew
burst five buttons
Enjambment
A sentence or clause continues from one line to the next without a pause indicated by punctuation.For example,
“And saw him peep within
At the first line he read, his face
Was all upon the grin
He read the next; the grin grew broad
And shot from ear to ear;”