Go and Catch a Falling Star by John Donne - Poem / Poetry Appreciation / Exercises on Poem / Question-Answer on Poem / Theme and Summary of Poem / Poem Analysis
- Fakhruddin Babar
- Feb 7
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 10
Go and Catch a Falling Star
John Donne
Go and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil’s foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy’s stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.
If thou be’st born to strange sights,
Things invisible to see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till age snow white hairs on thee,
Thou, when thou return’st, wilt tell me,
All strange wonders that befell thee,
And swear,
No where
Lives a woman true, and fair.
Theme: The theme of Go and Catch a Falling Star by John Donne explores the impossibility of finding true and faithful women, using fantastical imagery to highlight the speaker’s cynicism about love and fidelity. The poem presents a skeptical view of romantic relationships, suggesting that just as it is impossible to catch a falling star or perform other magical tasks, it is equally impossible to find a woman who remains true. Donne’s tone is witty and ironic, expressing disillusionment with human nature and relationships.
Summary: In Go and Catch a Falling Star by John Donne, the speaker lists impossible tasks, such as catching a falling star or finding someone who can live forever, to emphasize the futility of searching for a faithful woman. He suggests that even if someone were to travel the world for a lifetime, they would never find a woman who remains true. The poem expresses a deep cynicism about love and fidelity, implying that such ideals are as unattainable as the magical tasks mentioned. The speaker concludes that even if a faithful woman were found, she would likely become unfaithful before long.
Paraphrasing
Here’s a detailed paraphrase of every sentence from Go and Catch a Falling Star by John Donne:
"Go and catch a falling star,"
Go and try to catch a star that is falling from the sky. (This suggests doing something impossible or highly unlikely.)
"Get with child a mandrake root,"
Try to make a mandrake root become pregnant, which is an absurd task, as it’s a plant, not a living creature.
"Tell me where all past years are,"
Tell me where all the years that have passed are now, which implies the unanswerable question of where time goes.
"Or who cleft the devil’s foot,"
Or explain who split the devil’s foot, referring to an impossible or mythical event that could never occur.
"Teach me to hear mermaids singing,"
Teach me how to hear the songs of mermaids, mythical creatures, suggesting the unattainability of this experience.
"Or to keep off envy’s stinging,"
Teach me how to avoid the painful effects of envy, which is a difficult emotion to resist or control.
"And find what wind serves to advance an honest mind."
Help me discover what direction in life would lead a morally upright person to success or progress, implying that such clarity is hard to find.
"If thou be’st born to strange sights,"
If you are destined to witness unusual or extraordinary things, suggesting that some people are meant to experience the impossible.
"Things invisible to see,"
Things that are not visible, or things that are beyond the ordinary human perception, implying the unattainability of certain experiences.
"Ride ten thousand days and nights,"
Travel for an incredibly long time, for thousands of days and nights, implying a journey that would take an unimaginable amount of time.
"Till age snow white hairs on thee,"
Until you grow old and your hair turns white, symbolizing the passage of time.
"Thou, when thou return’st, wilt tell me,"
When you return from this journey, you will tell me all that you have seen and experienced during your long life.
"All strange wonders that befell thee,"
You will recount all the incredible and extraordinary things that happened to you on your travels.
"And swear, No where Lives a woman true, and fair."
After all of your travels and experiences, you will swear that there is no place where a woman is both loyal and beautiful, suggesting that such women do not exist.
Short Answer Questions
Short Answer Questions:
What is the first impossible task mentioned in the poem?
Answer: The first impossible task is to catch a falling star.
What does the poet ask the reader to do with a mandrake root?
Answer: The poet asks the reader to make the mandrake root pregnant, an impossible task.
What question does the poet ask about past years?
Answer: The poet asks where all past years have gone.
What mythological task does the poet want to be taught?
Answer: The poet wants to be taught how to hear mermaids singing.
What does the poet want to avoid in the poem?
Answer: The poet wants to avoid the stinging of envy.
What is the poet asking about a wind for an honest mind?
Answer: The poet asks what wind serves to advance an honest mind, implying the difficulty in finding such a path.
What does the poet say about strange sights and invisible things?
Answer: The poet says that if someone is destined for strange sights, they will also see things invisible to others.
How long does the poet suggest one should travel in the poem?
Answer: The poet suggests traveling for ten thousand days and nights.
What happens to the person after such a long journey?
Answer: The person will grow old, and their hair will turn white.
What is the final statement the poet makes about women?
Answer: The poet swears that there is no place where a woman is both true and fair.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):
What is the first task the poet asks to be done in the poem? a) Catch a falling star
b) Hear mermaids singing
c) Ride ten thousand days
d) Find a wind for an honest mind
Answer: a) Catch a falling star
What mythical creature does the poet mention in the poem? a) Unicorn
b) Mermaid
c) Dragon
d) Phoenix
Answer: b) Mermaid
What is the poet's attitude toward the search for an ideal woman? a) Hopeful
b) Optimistic
c) Skeptical
d) Pessimistic
Answer: d) Pessimistic
What is suggested as a measure of time in the poem? a) Days and weeks
b) Ten thousand days and nights
c) The changing seasons
d) The passing of years
Answer: b) Ten thousand days and nights
What does the poet imply about women in the poem? a) That they are rare and special
b) That they can be found everywhere
c) That no woman is both true and fair
d) That women are divine
Answer: c) That no woman is both true and fair
What impossible task is asked regarding the mandrake root? a) Make it grow flowers
b) Make it bear fruit
c) Make it pregnant
d) Make it sing
Answer: c) Make it pregnant
What does the poet want to know about past years? a) Where they are
b) How to control them
c) Why they pass so quickly
d) What they taught
Answer: a) Where they are
What metaphor does the poet use for the passing of time? a) Sailing a ship
b) Chasing a star
c) Riding a horse
d) Walking through a forest
Answer: b) Chasing a star
What impossible sight does the poet ask to see? a) The moon falling
b) A woman true and fair
c) Things invisible to the eye
d) A talking animal
Answer: c) Things invisible to the eye
What conclusion does the poet come to about the existence of a woman who is true and fair? a) She is the ideal woman
b) She does not exist
c) She is common to find
d) She is easily found with time
Answer: b) She does not exist
Summary:
In Go and Catch a Falling Star, John Donne presents a series of impossible tasks to emphasize the difficulty of finding an ideal, pure, and faithful woman. The speaker lists impossible feats, such as catching a falling star, making a mandrake root pregnant, and hearing mermaids sing, all to express the impossibility of achieving certain things. He then refers to the idea of living a long life and witnessing strange sights, only to return with the realization that no woman can be both "true and fair." The poem conveys a sense of skepticism and disillusionment about the idea of perfect love and women, suggesting that the pursuit of such ideals is futile.
Theme:
The theme of the poem is the unattainability of ideal love and the cynicism that arises from disillusionment with unrealistic expectations of women. Donne uses impossible tasks and a skeptical perspective to critique the notion of a flawless, virtuous woman.
Bangla Translation (Summary)
"গো অ্যান্ড ক্যাচ আ ফলিং স্টার" বইয়ে জন ডন একজন আদর্শ, পবিত্র এবং বিশ্বস্ত নারী খুঁজে পাওয়ার কঠিনতার উপর জোর দেওয়ার জন্য বেশ কিছু অসম্ভব কাজ উপস্থাপন করেছেন। বক্তা অসম্ভব কীর্তিগুলির তালিকা তৈরি করেছেন, যেমন একটি পতনশীল তারা ধরা, একটি ম্যান্ড্রেক শিকড়কে গর্ভবতী করা এবং জলপরীদের গান শোনা, যা কিছু অর্জনের অসম্ভবতা প্রকাশ করে। এরপর তিনি দীর্ঘ জীবনযাপন এবং অদ্ভুত দৃশ্য দেখার ধারণার কথা উল্লেখ করেন, কিন্তু ফিরে এসে এই উপলব্ধি নিয়ে ফিরে আসেন যে কোনও নারী "সত্য এবং ন্যায্য" হতে পারে না। কবিতাটি নিখুঁত প্রেম এবং নারীর ধারণা সম্পর্কে সন্দেহ এবং হতাশার অনুভূতি প্রকাশ করে, যা ইঙ্গিত দেয় যে এই ধরনের আদর্শের সাধনা নিরর্থক।
Ad
Comments