Irony in the poem "The Frog and the Nightingale"

The poem "The Frog and the Nightingale" by Vikram Seth portrays the story of a nightingale, who was an excellent singer, and a frog, who was a mediocre singer. The irony lies in the fact that the weaker and less talented frog ends up being successful, while the nightingale, who had exceptional talent, fails miserably.

Details of irony in the poem:

1. The frog becomes a critic of the nightingale's singing
The irony begins when the frog, who is not a good singer, criticizes the nightingale's singing, who was an excellent singer. The frog's criticism is based on his jealousy and envy towards the nightingale's talent. The frog tells the nightingale that her singing is not good enough and that she needs to improve.

2. The nightingale listens to the frog's criticism and takes it seriously
The nightingale, who was naive and innocent, believes the frog's criticism and takes it seriously. She starts to change her singing style to please the frog and gain his approval. This is ironic because the nightingale was already an excellent singer, and the frog had no right to criticize her.

3. The frog takes advantage of the nightingale's talent
The frog, being cunning, takes advantage of the nightingale's talent. He invites other animals to listen to the nightingale's singing and charges them money. The nightingale, who was unaware of this, continues to sing for the frog and his audience.

4. The nightingale loses her originality and uniqueness
The nightingale's constant efforts to please the frog and his audience make her lose her originality and uniqueness. She starts to sing like the other animals and loses her exceptional singing style. This is ironic because the nightingale was trying to improve her singing, but ended up losing her talent.

Conclusion

The poem "The Frog and the Nightingale" is a satire on the society's tendency to criticize and suppress talent. The irony in the poem lies in the fact that the weaker and less talented frog ends up being successful, while the nightingale, who had exceptional talent, fails miserably. The poem teaches us that we should value and appreciate talent and not let envy and jealousy affect our judgment.

First frog said to nightingale tht u have to improve ur voice, u have to take training from great musician like me, so I will train u. The nightingale blindly believed frog. But at last frog said to nightingale ur song must be ur own creation. This is the irony, as per me.