Television
by Roald Dahl
The Poem:
"The most important thing we have 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 almost every house we've been,
We've watched them gasping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare untill their eyes pop out.
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they're hypnotised by it.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don't climb out the window sill.
But did you ever stop to wonder what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THEIR SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWER OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
'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!
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?'
THEY … USED … TO … READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ and then proceed
To READ some more, Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half of their life was reading books!
Such wonderous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your T.V. set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They will now begin to feel the need
Of having something to read.
And once they start - oh boy! oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did."
The Summary of the Poem:
The poet suggests that it is an important thing not to let the children be in front of television. It would be better to not install them at all. Children of every house are found staring to the television set mesmerised by it. Though it stops them to do notorious things which are dangerous to them, it has its evil effects on them.
It stops the growth of sensibility and imagination in them. They can not enjoy the magic of fantasy or fairy-tale. Their brain becomes malleable without any thinking power.
Then an obvious question arises that how would the children be entertained. Then the poet arises a cross question that how did the children entertained themselves when television was not invented.
The poet comes to the main point of the poem that the children of the pre-television period used to read books a lot. So the post-television period children should do the same. This is beneficial to them.
The children used to read wondrous, fine, fantastic tales of dragons, gypsies, queens, whales, treasures isles, and distant lands. They read the stories of smugglers and pirates.
The poet urges to install a bookshelf instead of a television set. He assures that the children will grow the habit of reading within one or two weeks. They will have keen interest in reading books and wonder how stupid they were by merely watching television all day. They will love reading more books.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
1. State if the following sentences are true or false.
a. Wondrous, fine and fantastic are three words the poet uses to describe television programmes. [F]
b. According to the poem, modern day parents find it convenient to let children watch television as it keeps them occupied and out of trouble. [T]
c. Lol, slop and lounge are actions that the poet believes all children should doing. [F]
d. The poet believes that given a chance, children will enjoy reading more than watching television. [T]
2. Read the lines given below and answer the following questions.
a. "Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all."
i. Who has written these lines?
= The poet of the poem 'Television', Roald Dahl has written these lines.
ii. Which 'idiotic' thing does the poet refers to in these lines?
= The poet refers to television as an 'idiotic' thing in these lines.
iii. What suggestion has the poet made in the lines just before these?
= The poet suggests that it is an important thing not to let the children be in front of television.
b. " '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!' "
i. Who is the poet addressing in these lines?
= The poet is addressing to the modern day parents in these lines.
ii. What counter question does the poet put to the question given in these lines?
= The poet puts the counter question that how did the children keep them contented long ago when television was not invented.
iii. What does the poet say in answer to the counter-question?
= In answer to the counter-question, the poet says that the children used to read a lot long ago when television was not invented.
c. "And once they start - oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts."
i. Who does the poet refer to as 'they'? Who does the poet refer to as 'you'?
= The poet refers to the modern day children as 'they'.
The poet refers to the modern day parents as 'you'.
ii. What will bring about the 'growing joy'?
= Reading books will bring them the 'growing joy'.
iii. Once 'they' feel this growing joy, what will 'they' wonder?
= Once 'they' feel this growing joy, they will wonder how stupid they were by merely watching television all day.
3. What, according to the poet, are the ill-effects of watching television? What contrast does the poem draw between children of today and children of the past?
= According to the poet, watching television stops the growth of sensibility and imagination in them. They can not enjoy the magic of fantasy or fairy-tale. Their brain becomes malleable without any thinking power.
The poet draws a noticeable contrast between children of today and children of past. In modern day, the children in every house, most likely to found in front of the television. They are found dressed casually and sit, lie, or stand in a lazy, relaxed way staring at the idiot box. They keep on watching television till their eyes get strained.
On the other hand, the children of the past, used to read books a lot. They used to read wondrous, fine, fantastic tales of dragons, gypsies, queens, whales, treasures isles, and distant lands. They read the stories of smugglers and pirates.
4. Do you think the poet's suggestion in the poem is extreme? Give reasons for your answer.
= Yes, I think the poet's suggestion in the poem is extreme to some extent. Technology is part and parcel of modern-life. Television and internet is the most relevant instrument of this modern world. Here the poet has suggested to not to install a television set at home. This is obviously extreme. His point of view is positive. But, we should make balance in between watching television and reading books. We can make a smooth progress taking the benefits of both television and as well as books.
5. Although the poem has a serious message, it is humorous. What makes the poem humorous?
= Although the poem has a serious message, it is humorous. The poet has described the modern day children watching television in a humorous way. He has used the phrases like -'gaping at the screen'; loll and slop and lounge about'; and 'until their eyes pop out' to add comic elements in the poem. We, the modern people, never thought that this is the actual truth of our every house. The poet has made us face to face of our reality in such a humorous way.
Next comes the question of the parents and the counter question of the poet. This also add some humorous effect in the poem. The poet says that the modern day parents will become emotional and cry for their children's entertainment. Then the poet answers them how the children of the past kept them contented without the monster i.e. the television.
6. Is the message of the poem directed to children or grown-ups or both? Explain your answer.
= The poem is directly directed to the grown-ups and indirectly directed to the children. Unless this poem might have not been added to our syllabus. If we consider the poem to its literary perspective, the poet has addressed the modern day parents as 'you' and he as mentioned the children as 'they'.
The poet has instructed the modern day parents not to let the children to be in front of the television set. He also suggested them to not to install television set at home. He also reminded them how the children long ago kept them contented by reading books. He further instructs the grown-ups to install a bookshelf instead of the television set.
He assures that the children will grow the habit of reading within one or two weeks. They will have keen interest in reading books and wonder how stupid they were by merely watching television all day. They will love reading more books.
About the Poet:
Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet and screenwriter. He had also worked as a fighter pilot. He is the author of famous children's books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and The BFG. 'Television' is song that you will find in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.