The King Without Clothes
by Nirendranath Chakraborty (New Skylark English Coursebook)
The Poem :
"They can all see the king is naked, bravo'-
They're all applauding.
Everyone's shouting, 'Bravo, bravo'-
Some from custom, some from fear,
Some who have pawned their own wits to others;
Some are parasites, some
Supplicants, suitors, frauds.
Some really think the royal robe's so fine
It's there though you can't see it;
At least it may be so.
Everyone knows the story.
But in that story,
There wasn't only the flattering crew
Of out-and-out cowards, opportunists, fools.
There was a child as well;
A truthful, simple, courageous little child.
That fabled king has now stepped out in state
Upon the highroad of reality.
Again there gathers
A crowd of sycophants;
Again, each moment, they break out in applause.
Only I do not find
That little child today among the crowd.
Where is he gone? Has someone
Thrust him from sight in a secret mountain-cave?
Or has he, playing
With grass and earth and rocks, fallen asleep
By a distant lonely river,
Or on some plain, under a shady tree?
Go find him,
Find him no matter how.
Let him once more before the naked king
Stand fearlessly.
Let him once raise his voice above the applause
And ask :
'King, where are your clothes?' "
Summary of the Poem :
The king is in front of all the people. He is wearing no clothes at all. Yet, everyone is applauding him. He is surrounded by people who has no self esteem. They are driven by their own self and materialistic world. They do not have the guts to call a spade a spade. They are people without wits, parasites, supplicants, suitors and frauds. They do not want to talk about the shamelessness of the king.
Some people really think that the clothes of the king may be so fine that they can not be seen by naked eyes. The poet reminds of the known story of a naked king. But in that story, there was a little child among the opportunists, fools and flattering crew. The child was truthful, simple, courageous.
Now in this world, the characters of fable are out in the society. Sycophants are busy to cheer these shameless people only to get some advantage from them.
The poet is looking for the innocent child of the fable among the flatterers. The poet doubts if someone has put the child into a far away cave. May be he is playing with grass and earth and rocks. May be he has eventually fallen asleep by a distant lonely river or on some plain, under a shady tree.
The poet asks us to find the fearless truthful child anyhow and present him before the king. He would stand fearlessly and raise his voice above the applause to ask the king where are his clothes.
Understanding the Text
A. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words from the poem.
1. The king stood naked among the subjects.
2. Yet they were applauding him.
3. Those who shouted did so out of fear or out of custom.
4. Among those applauding were parasites, supplicants, suitors and frauds.
5. Besides the flattering crew, there was a little child.
6. The child is described as being truthful, simple and courageous.
B. Answer the following questions.
1. What makes the people applaud the king?
= The people are applauding the king only to get some advantage from him. They are thinking only about their own materialistic self.
2. Who is the outstanding person in the story which everyone knows?
= A little child is the outstanding person in the story which everyone knows.
3. Where, according to the poet, is that special person today?
= According to the poet, someone has put the child into a far away mountain-cave. May be he is playing with grass and earth and rocks. May be he has eventually fallen asleep by a distant lonely river or on some plain, under a shady tree.
4. What does the poet ask the reader to find and why?
= The poet asks the reader to find the little child of the fable.
He wants that brave child to stand before the naked king and tell the truth by raising his voice above the applauds.
5. Which qualities of that special person is the poet highlighting in the poem? Why?
= The poet is highlighting that the special person is truthful, simple and courageous.
He is enough innocent to be brave to tell the truth. He has the courage to call the king as naked.
6. What specific question of that person was appealing to the poet?
= The special person asks the king about his clothes. He can fearlessly ask the king where are his clothes. This question is appealing to the poet.
7. Why doesn't anyone else ask that question to the king? What deeper message does the poet wish to convey to the reader?
= They are praising the king only from some custom or from some fear. Some are seeking opportunity to get some advantage from the king.
The poet wishes to convey the deeper message to the reader of the reality of the present world. Everyone is seeking opportunities to fulfil their own materialistic demands. No one has the courage to call a spade a spade. We are lacking values and morality. No one is ready to protest against the corruptions and fraud of the present world. They are either cowards or opportunists.
C. Answer the questions with reference to the context.
1. "Everyone's shouting, 'Bravo, bravo'-"
a. Who is everyone?
= The people gathered before the king is the everyone.
b. What reasons prompt them to shout?
= They were shouting due to custom or fear.
c. Explain the lines : "Some who have pawned their own wits to others;/Some are parasites..."
= Some people do not use their intelligence. They are accustomed to go with the flow. Others are seeking opportunities to get some advantage from the king by praising his shamelessness.
d. What do some people really think?
= Some people really think that the clothes of the king may be so fine that they can not be seen by naked eyes.
e. What can everyone see and yet why do they applaud?
= Everyone can see that the king is really without a thread.
Yet they are applauding due to fear or customs. They are mean flatterers to get advantages from the king. No one is brave enough to convey the king his reality.
2. "There wasn't only the flattering crew"
a. Explain what the poet says in the given line.
= The poet reminds of the known story of a naked king. But in that fable, there was a little child among the opportunists, fools and flattering crew. The child was truthful, simple, courageous.
b. What was the role of the child in the group of people?
= The child was the exception among the group of flatterers. He was truthful, simple and courageous. He had the courage to tell the truth among all the intentional lies.
c. What is the difference between the child and the adults who come to see the king's procession?
= The child is brave enough to tell the truth. On the other hand, the adults are mere cowards or flattering opportunists.
d. Explain the phrase : "Upon the highroad reality."
= The phrase "Upon the highroad reality", means before the society. It is an open secret that the king is wearing nothing. He is all naked.
e. What difference does the poet find between the last time the king stepped out and now?
= The only difference the poet finds between the last time the king stepped out and now is the child is absent. He can not find the brave, courageous and truthful child among the opportunistic flatterers.
3. "Where is he gone?"
a. What questions arise in the poet's mind about the child?
= The poet doubts if someone has put the child into a far away cave. May be he is playing with grass and earth and rocks. May be he has eventually fallen asleep by a distant lonely river or on some plain, under a shady tree.
b. Why does the poet attribute this question to the child?
= The poet attributed this question to the child as there is no one to come forward to tell the truth. No one is honest to unveil the reality of the king.
c. Why does the poet ask the reader to find him no matter how?
= The poet asks the reader to find him no matter how because he is truthful, simple and courageous. The poet finds the little child able enough to reveal the truth of the king.
d. Which particular quality of the child has attracted the poet? Why?
= The truthfulness, simplicity and courageousness of the child has attracted the poet.
This characteristics of the child is enough to tell truth in front of the king. He is enough and much needed to open the eyes of the society.
e. Indirectly, what characteristics of man does the poet regret? Why?
= The poet is indirectly regrets the selfishness and poltroonery of man.
This ineffective characteristics of human society leading our world towards immorality and decay. We are not sympathetic enough towards others. We are indifferent against conspiracy and corruption. This will create a dangerous situation in near future.
D. Think and answer.
1. Do you think the poet is really looking out for a child? State reasons.
= Yes, the poet is really looking for a truthful soul in the metaphor of a child. He is in search of an honest person to face and protest the present reality. The poet is worried about the ignorance of the present generation towards values and morality. We deny the truth even if it is in the broad day light. Our world is in acute need of honest, courageous and brave men as soon as possible.
E. Read and appreciate the poem.
1. Analyse the poem critically by focusing on the far-reaching questions that the poet has asked the reader.
= The king is in front of all the people. He is wearing no clothes at all. Yet, everyone is applauding him. He is surrounded by people who has no self esteem. They are driven by their own self and materialistic world. They do not have the guts to call a spade a spade. They are people without wits, parasites, supplicants, suitors and frauds. They do not want to talk about the shamelessness of the king.
Some people really think that the clothes of the king may be so fine that they can not be seen by naked eyes. The poet reminds of the known story of a naked king. But in that story, there was a little child among the opportunists, fools and flattering crew. The child was truthful, simple, courageous.
Now in this world, the characters of fable are out in the society. Sycophants are busy to cheer these shameless people only to get some advantage from them.
The poet is looking for the innocent child of the fable among the flatterers. The poet doubts if someone has put the child into a far away cave. May be he is playing with grass and earth and rocks. May be he has eventually fallen asleep by a distant lonely river or on some plain, under a shady tree.
The poet asks us to find the fearless truthful child anyhow and present him before the king. He would stand fearlessly and raise his voice above the applause to ask the king where are his clothes.
The poet is worried about the ignorance of the present generation towards values and morality. We deny the truth even if it is in the broad day light. Our world is in acute need of honest, courageous and brave men as soon as possible.
The poet wishes to convey the deeper message to the reader of the reality of the present world. Everyone is seeking opportunities to fulfil their own materialistic demands. No one has the courage to call a spade a spade. We are lacking values and morality. No one is ready to protest against the corruptions and fraud of the present world. They are either cowards or opportunists.
About the Poet :
Born on 19 October 1924, Nirendranath Chakraborty was a popular contemporary Bengali poet. He won the Sahitya Academy Award in 1974 for the collection of poems Ulanga Raja (The Naked King). In 2007, the University of Calcutta awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science degree. He passed away on 25 December 2018.