Wounded Plants by Jagadish Chandra Bose

  Wounded Plants by Jagadish Chandra Bose

About the Essay

This essay is an excerpt from Jagadish Chandra's lecture delivered at the Bose Institute on Feb 07, 1919. It was published in Anand Bazar Patrika on Feb 10, 1919. Jagadish Chandra Bose draws our attention to the fact that our reaction to human tragedy and that of the trees and plants is altogether different. We are not sympathetic to the plants because they are mute and they cannot cry out their pain. Bose shows that plants also have feelings of happiness and sadness. They also experience birth, growth, and death. The essay sensitizes all of us to develop in us sympathetic attitude towards plants and nature in general.

In the first paragraph, the author catches our attention to the damage caused to the vegetative world by wars. He quotes the example of World War I that spread over the whole of Western Europe. The beautiful fields of France and the clear blue sky were under a pall of battle smoke. A dense gloom was spread everywhere. The cries of the dying and wounded people were drowned in a hoarse roar.

 The author now points out that in such an adverse situation, only the bond of sympathy unites the suffering humanity. After that, the writer says that in the Cosmic Drama of life, plants are also the play-things of destiny like us. They also face silently all the ups and downs of life: light and darkness, the warmth of summer and frost of winter, drought and rain, the gentle breeze and whirling tornadoes, life, and death. The rude shocks of life do stir them but no cry is raised in the answer.

After that, the author, again, tries to make us understand as to how, we all human beings realise the pain suffered by our fellow beings. When a man receives a tragic blow or shock, his answering cry makes us realise that he is in some trouble. But the speechless cannot do so. He is unable to express his sorrow or pain in words. In that case, the mute person may express his feelings of pain by his agonised expressions on his face or by the convulsive movement of his body parts. Thus, we all human beings realise each other’s pain through fellow-feeling.

The writer quotes an example of a frog to prove that the animals and small creatures are also mute and they show their pain through the convulsive movement of their bodies. When a frog is struck with some object, it does not make a cry out of pain. It shows only its convulsive movement. But, it does not mean that the frog has not suffered any pain. A person who has a sensitive heart can feel the pain suffered by these so-called lower animals also. He has sympathy for all the creatures on the earth.

The author also explains that human sympathy is often shown to the superior or to the equal and not to the creatures that are thought to be of lower kinds. Many may also doubt that the lowly and the depressed possess the fine sense of feeling joy and sorrow and to oppose tyranny on them. The author seems to feel bad by explaining that human attitude is discriminating to the different grades of his own species. If this is the case with most of human beings, then, there is no possibility that they may have any sympathy for the frog in the pain.

Test of Livingness

The author proceeds to explain the test of liveliness now. He says that responsive movements are the tests to ascertain how much vitality or life is there in the living beings. The living beings answer to a shock automatically. The most lively gives the most energetic response, the dying gives the feeblest (weakest) and the dead give no answer to any shock. Thus life may be tested by the reactions or answers to the shocks the living beings give automatically. Next, the author says that the responsive movements of the creatures may be recorded by some suitable instrument. The responses to similar shocks will remain uniform if the living tissue always remains the same. But it does not happen because the living beings are constantly changing due to the changes in the environment. Sometimes we are in high spirits while at some other time we may be at the lowest in depression. Thus we pass through numerous phases between two extremes. An individual is the product of numerous changes in the mind. Our present, as well as our past, has a vital role to play in the making of an individual personality. The sum total of all such characteristics distinguishes one individual from the other.

The author also tells us that the inner reality of different living beings may be revealed by shocks and the responses received due to them.

Effect of Wound

Now the author proceeds to explain the effect of wounds on the plants. He says that three separate investigations have been carried out on the wound on plants caused by human activities or the environment. The first is the shock effect. It retards or stops the growth of plants. Then the second investigation was performed. It recorded the change of spontaneous pulsation of the leaflet of the Telegraph plant. It was found that death or decay spreads from the cut point of the leaflet and it reaches the throbbing tissue. Consequently, it becomes decayed or dead. The author says that experiments are in progress to record the march (movement) of death or decay on the leaflet that had a cut end. Previously it died in 24 hours but now it has been kept alive for more than a week.

Paralysis of Sensibility

The author talks about another series of investigations. These were carried out on a cut-off leaf and also on its parent plant mimosa.  The investigation shows that the histories of the wounded plant and the cut-off plant were quite different. The act of cutting the leaf had caused a big shock to its parent plant. A shock wave was spread to the whole of the plant. All the leaves of the plant remained in depression for several hours. No response came from them. In a way, the shock had paralysed the plant for hours together. Gradually, the leaves regain their sensitivity. The dethatched leaf was put into a nourishing solution. It recovers very soon and it shows that it has regained its lost energy. It continued for twenty-four hours. But after it, a curious change was noted on the leaf. The power of its responses begins to decrease at a quick pace. The nourishing solution could not keep it alive continuously. At last, the leaf had to surrender in front of the ultimate death.

My Last Duchess by Robert Browning-Victorian Poetry-Victorian Poets

 My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

Robert Browning was a great Victorian poet, well known for his robust(vigorous) optimism that is best expressed in his famous lines in his poem ‘Pippa Passes’,

‘God is in His Heaven

And all’s well with the world.’

About the Poem

‘My Last Duchess’ is Robert Browning’s one of the most famous poems. It is a dramatic monologue.

A dramatic monologue is a poem in which the speaker, who is like a protagonist as we have in dramas, is placed in a critical situation. The poet remains aloof (separated) from him. The speaker reacts to the difficult situation and thus lays bare his soul. He reveals his character to the readers or the audience. The presence of a listener or the interlocutor is also felt and it makes the situation dramatic.

In this poem, the Duke of Ferrara is the speaker, whose wife is no more now. He is a widower and wants to marry the daughter of a neighbouring Count, from whom he also expects to receive a rich dowry. The Count has sent a messenger (an envoy) to negotiate with the Duke.

The Duke takes the messenger to have a glimpse of his picture gallery. Actually, the Duke is the product of the Renaissance period that originally began in Italy. He has immense love for art.

In the whole poem, the Duke keeps on speaking to the listener, and in this way, he reveals his inner self. He is greedy, possessive, jealous, cruel, despotic by nature, though he loves art and beauty also. His speech also brings about the innocent and simple nature of his previous wife, whom he killed by strangulating her just because she did not follow his strict ‘code’ of conduct while behaving with others.

 Line-to-line Explanation:

Lines 1 to 5 That's my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf's hands Worked busily a day, and there she stands. Will 't please you sit and look at her?

Important Words and Expressions: 1. a wonder: The Duke calls the painted portrait of his previous wife a wonderful piece of art. It shows his love for art and beauty. 2. Fra Pandolf: It is the name of a monk or a Friar () , who painted the portrait of his wife. He hired him with a purpose in his mind. 3. Now: The mention of the adverb ‘now’ here is also meaningful. It shows the Duke’s preference for art over life. His dead wife’s portrait is more beautiful and exquisite () for him now. 4. Will 't please you sit and look at her?: It is his invitation to the messenger to sit on a seat and look at the portrait of his wife feeling comfortable.

 Explanation: The Duke of Ferrara takes the messenger of the Count on a round to show him his picture gallery. While taking him up, he shows to him the portrait of his previous wife’s painted picture on the wall. He himself uncovered it by drawing the curtain aside. The painting is quite life-like and indeed a breathing reality. He also tells the messenger that he had engaged Fra Pandolf, a monk artist to make the portrait of his wife. He did not allow the Friar (a member of the religious group) to spend more than a day in the execution of the work of art. Then he tells the messenger to sit and see the painting comfortably so that he may view the portrait artistically.

Critical Analysis: The poem opens in a conversational tone ‘That's my last Duchess painted on the wall’. The use of the possessive adjective ‘my’ in the line ‘‘That's my last Duchess; shows the Duke’s possessive nature. He considers his wife as his personal property. His admiration for the portrait shows the Duke’s love for art and it reflects his Renaissance spirit. The Duke did not allow an ordinary artist to execute the work of painting the portrait of his late wife. He willingly engaged a monk, who is supposed to have won over his physical desires. Here also, we may say that the Duke was a man of jealous nature. He did not like other men to have a close look at his wife’s beautiful face. He appears to be a tyrant, who did not allow his wife the very basic freedom of life.

 Video Lecture 2

Lines 5 to 13

 

I said 'Frà Pandolf' by design, for never read Strangers like you that pictured countenance, The depth and passion of its earnest glance, But to myself they turned (since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, How such a glance came there; so, not the first Are you to turn and ask thus.

Important Words and Expressions: 1.by design: with purpose, intentionally 2. never read: never examined intimately 3. pictured countenance: The face on the painting 4. ‘The depth and passion of its earnest glance.: This line means that the strong feelings that were visible in the Duchess’ eyes. 5. (Since none puts by/The curtain I have drawn for you, but I): The Duke wants to inform the messenger that it was he who always uncovered the portrait to show it to the visitors. He never allowed anyone to draw the curtain from the portrait. 6.’ if they durst’: It means if they showed courage to ask that question. 7. ‘How such a glance came there;’: The visitors usually wanted to know how such a deep and passionate glance came there in the eyes of his wife. 8. ‘not the first Are you to turn and ask thus.’: The Duke wants to tell the messenger that he was not the first visitor, who turned to him to ask that question.

 

Explanation: The Duke says that he has mentioned “Fra Pandolf’ intentionally. He also says that strangers like him could never understand how such a deep passionate look had appeared in the eyes of his wife. That was the reason why they turned to him for clarification. But it seems that they did not have the courage to ask him directly about that. They just wanted to know how that deep passionate emotion appeared in the Duchess’ eyes.

 In a way, the Duke tells the messenger that he had engaged a monk, not an ordinary artist to execute the task of making a picture of his wife on the wall. He had done that intentionally. A monk is supposed to have won over physical desires as he lives a life of self-abnegation. Here we come to know the Duke’s jealousy. He does not allow his wife any type of freedom. Indirectly also, the Duke suggests to the Count’s messenger that he would like strict discipline from his would-be wife while behaving with ordinary people.

 After that, the Duke proceeds to explain why that deep passionate glow had appeared in the eyes of his previous wife.

 Lines 13 to 21

 

Sir, 'twas not Her husband's presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess' cheek: perhaps Frà Pandolf chanced to say, 'Her mantle laps Over my lady's wrist too much,' or 'Paint Must never hope to reproduce the faint Half-flush that dies along her throat:' such stuff Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough For calling up that spot of joy.

Important Words and Expressions: 1. Spot of joy: a faint blush caused by sudden joy 2. mantle: a cloak, a loose-fitting garment up to the knees 3. laps: covers 4. the faint Half-flush: the reddish glow 5. and cause enough /For calling up that spot of joy. : The Duchess was so much childish in nature that she would take such passing marks as great compliments and would blush with joy. That was the cause of the blush in the portrait.

 

Explanation: in these lines, the Duke explains to the messenger why a ‘faint blush’ had appeared on the cheeks of his wife. It did not appear due to the joy that she derived from the presence of her husband in front of her. Actually, she had a childish heart that could move even by the small acts of courtesy done to her. She did not have a sense of grace and self-dignity for being a Duke’s wife. She would react with much politeness at the remarks of ordinary people and think their appreciation of her beauty.

 The Duke quotes an example to make the Count’s messenger understand how she would violate the strict ‘code of conduct while dealing with ordinary people. For example, if the painter happened to mention that her cloak covered her wrists too much, making them look beautiful or if he remarked that he would never be able to capture the faint reddish glow caused by a light blush on her white neck and throat, she would take it as compliment and blush.

 As a matter of fact, the Duchess had a simple, innocent nature and she was not at all a hypocrite type of person. She could not hide her feelings. So she would feel pleased at small courtesies done to her. But all such activities were childish for to the Duke. Indirectly, the Duke tries to indicate to the messenger that he would expect dignity in behavior from his second wife.

 Thus, in the above lines, the Duke reveals his strict nature. He was class conscious. He did not want his wife to get mixed up with common men.

 Video Lecture 3

Lines 21 to 31

‘She had A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. Sir, 'twas all one! My favour at her breast, The dropping of the daylight in the West, The bough of cherries some officious fool Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule She rode with round the terrace—all and each Would draw from her alike the approving speech, Or blush, at least.’

Important words and expressions: 1. it was all one: The Duchess had no sense of discrimination between high and low, right and wrong, worthwhile & worthless, etc.  2. My favour at her breast: It means the costly ornament presented to her by the Duke was worn by her at her breast.  She could not even find the difference between the gifts presented to her by her husband and the ones presented to her by some foolish admirer. 3. The dropping of the daylight: it means the sunset 4. “Some officious fool" means some irritating (officious) fool 5. officious. The person who interferes in others’ affairs 6. Terrace: A raised area in a house for walking etc. 7. The approving speech: words of thanks and admiration

 

 

 Explanation: The Duke tells the messenger that he finds it very difficult to explain the type of childish heart his previous wife had. It was such a simple heart that it could be influenced easily by one and all. She would feel glad at anything she looked at.  She could not apply to restrain at her eyes. She should have been selective in looking at things or people. After this, the Duke quotes several examples to prove this point. He says that she had no

sense of discrimination. It was all the same all. If the duke presented her with some jewellery to wear around her neck; if she watched at the sunset; if some irritating fool brought her the bough (branch) of cherries; if she rode on a white mute round the terrace,  all these activities will excite her alike.

She should have felt more excited at the Duke’s presenting her the necklace and showed less intensity of excitement on receiving the bough of cherries that an officious fool brought to her.

After all, she was the wife of a Duke, who had a nine hundred-year-old reputation to the credit of his family. Critical Analysis: The Duke was very class-conscious.

He was not at all democratic in his ideas. He did not believe in the goodness of a human heart. That is the saran why he could not appreciate the inner beauty of the Duchess.

 Lines

She thanked men,—good! but thanked
Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody's gift.

Word meanings and Important Lines

1. Ranking: To rank means to give importance or value to someone or something.

2. My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name: The Duke’s family had a glorious history of nine hundred years and the gift he gave to her must be taken in view of that importance.

Explanation: The Duke tells the messenger that his wife did not have the sense of ranking things and behaviour. He did not mind thanking people for the little courtesies shown to her. But the way in which she thanked them was not tolerable to him. She thanked them with the same degree of intense feelings as she did to her husband.

The Duke presented her with a necklace that she wore on her breast. It was the gift that had the nine hundred-year-old dignity of family history attached to it. Even then, she ranked it with the small gifts presented to her by anyone else. She should have shown a sense of discrimination while receiving gifts from her husband and other people.

 

Critical Analysis: In the above line, we come to know how the Duke was class-conscious. He believed in social discrimination while his wife was equal to all in her behaviour. She had a simple and innocent heart.

                                         Video 4

‘Who'd stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
In speech—(which I have not)—to make your will
Quite clear to such an one, and say, 'Just this
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
Or there exceed the mark'—and if she let
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse,
—E'en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop.’

3. Stoop to blame: The word ‘stoop’ means to bend one’s head and shoulders forward and downward. It also means to feel small in front of others. Here the Duke wants to say that he did not want to lower himself in dignity by criticising his previous wife’s frivolous (/ˈfrɪv.əl.əs/ silly behaviour) activities.

4. Trifles: small faults in behavior

5. You will: you desire

6. to such an : to such a childish person like his previous Duchess

7. here you miss…..the mark: In some respects, she failed in following the dignified manners and while in other respects, she totally crossed all the limits of lowering her dignity in front of others by behaving childishly

8.Set her wits to yours forsooth: Forsooth means at once. If ever she tried to make her realise her faults, he feared she would start justifying her behavior.

9. made excuses: tried to prove her behavior right

 

Explanation: in the previous lines, we came to know the Duke believed that Duchess had a childish heart, which was unable to distinguish between the valuable gifts given to her by the Duke and the ordinary courtesies shown to her by the common people.

The Duke further clarifies that he thought it below his dignity to advise the Duchess to make an amendment (correction) in her behavior. In the next line, the Duke admits that he is not so effective in speaking skills. Even if he had been so in making his will clear to her that certain points in her personality had been disgusting to him and she lacked in some points here and there and exceeded the limits there, he would have preferred not to do so.

In a way, it would again be stooping (bending to a point that is below dignity) in front of her if she tried to defend herself and argue with him. But the Duke says that he chose never to stoop.

 Next lines:

‘Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. ‘

Important Words and Expressions:

1. I gave commands: The Duke says that he gave orders. It shows his dictatorial /ˌdɪk.təˈtɔː.ri.əl/ nature.

2. ‘Then all smiles stopped together’: This single line of only ‘five words’ contains “the tragedy of a whole life” in a little space, says Robinson, a famous critic. It means a lot. When the duke could not further tolerate the duchess’ liberal behavior with others, it may be guessed clearly that he passed orders to kill her. In this way, her smiles were stopped forever.

Explanation: the Duke tells the messenger that his previous wife was very childish in her behaviour. She did not have a sense of discrimination. So, she smiled at every person. The Duke did not mind her smiling at him, but he did mind when she smiled at other people with the same intense feeling as she put in the smile at her husband. After all,, the Duke had the nine hundred years old names and fame to the credit of his family. So her frivolous (amusing but silly) habit irritated the Duke so much that he passed orders to kill her and with that all smiles stopped together. Then he indicates towards his dead wife’s portrait and says ‘There she stands/As if alive

Thus we come to know how cruel the Duke was. An eminent critic, Robinson sums up that there lies “a tragedy in five words”. i.e. ’Then all smiles stopped.”

 

Lines:

‘Will 't please you rise? We'll meet
The company below then. I repeat,
The Count your master's known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretence
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay, we'll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!’

 

                    Important Words and Phrases:

munificence: generosity 2. Ample: sufficient 3. Warrant: guarantee  4. Just pretence: reasonable claim 5. Avowed: declared/said 6. Neptune: the sea god in classical mythology 7. A rarity: that is not found everywhere 8. Claus of Innsbruck: an imaginary sculptor 9. Bronze: a metal made up with a mixture of copper and brass 10. Below: downstairs

Explanation: In the above lines, first of all, the Duke asks the messenger very politely if he could rise because they will be meeting the company downstairs.

Then he shifts the subject of criticising his previous wife to that of dowry that he expects from the Count in the marriage with his daughter. First, he indirectly hints at a rich dowry he wants to get in his second marriage. He starts telling the messenger that he knows that his master (the Count) is very liberal
 and generous and that guarantees sufficient dowry to his daughter. He further tells the messenger that he had mentioned it in the beginning also and now, again he is mentioning the same so that no doubts about dowry are left in his mind.

After that, the Duke starts moving to go downstairs, where the company is waiting for him. The messenger gives the Duke way, but he tells him politely that both of them would go together downstairs. As the Duke starts to step down, he indicates the messenger’s to see a bronze statue of Neptune. He tells the messenger that it was a rare piece of art carved by a famous sculptor Claus of Innsbruck. Thus, it shows that the Duke has a great love for art.

Here this great poem ends up.

Choosing Our Universe-Questions & Answers-Stephen Hawking-Leonard Mlodinow