Piano- Four Levels (D.

H Lawrence)

Summary:
Piano is a beautiful poem composed by D.H. Lawrence, an English poet. In this poem, the poet
shows the importance of bygone days. The poet is listening to the beautiful music of piano and
melodious song performed by a young woman in the dusk. She is probably his beloved. The poet
is enjoying the song and music very much being spellbound. She is also trying to her best to woo
the poet. But at the same time the poet remembers his childhood days. When he was small child,
his mother played the piano every Sunday evening. When she played the piano, hymns started in
the cozy parlor. The poet sat on the holy lap of his mother. His manhood is east and the beautiful
song and music of his beloved became a great disturbing noise for the poet. He sinks in the
floods of remembrance and he weeps like a child.
OR
In this poem the poet describes that on the evening poet heard a strange womens voice who was
singing a melodious song. By hearing that womens song the poet stops for a while and starts
thinking about his past. In his past when he was child, his mother also used to sing melodious
hymns songs by playing a piano. At that time, poet used to go under the piano and touch his

mother toes and feet and after seeing her son (poet) mother used to give him a smile. By seeing
smile poet used to be very happy and entertained fully. Although poet didnt understand the
meaning of song, he used to be fully entertained by his mothers song and her smiles. But poet
cannot live by remembering his childhood stage and the mother. Suddenly, he thinks that it is
useless for women to continue any further because he couldnt live in his memory forever. He
has to come back from his deep thinking because he has to face his real life at present. He has so
many duties and responsibilities to fulfill. He realized the fact that he was no more children and
childhood is only the memorable phase of life and bursts into tears and weeps like a child.

Interpretation:
The poem PIANO tells us that childhood is the one of the most memorable phase of life. Some
moments of our childhood becomes so memorable and important like in the poem when he
(poet) heard a strange women singing a song recalls his past days. He entertains himself and gets
refreshed recalling his past childhood memories. By this means of poem, the poet may be trying
to tell us that the music has the potentiality to entertain the people of all ages. It can make us fell
relief. Likewise this poem tells us that mothers are so great because the give us lots of love and
care and make our life beautiful. Even if they are not with us, the time we spent with our mother
is so special and memorable which can make us happy for a while in life.

Critical thinking:
The poem is nostalgic .It is very interesting and beautidful poem.Although I agree with the moral
of this poem that music has potentiality to entertain the people of all ages, I found some parts of
the poem really unconvincing and questionable.

Do all people get fully entertained by the music as poet in the poem does?

Do all people have happy childhood that they want to recall?

Does any responsible person want to go back in the childhood memory of past that he
passed without responsibility?

Isnt it somewhat shameful for one grown up person to weep like a small child recalling
his past?

Doesnt he get affected when a beautiful beloved is wooing?

Does he really weep like a child?

Assimilation:

Before reading this poem, I dont used to give much more importance to music. But after reading
this poem, I came to know that music can make us feel relief and can spellbound people of any
age.The melody of the song and music touch every human being and it makes them emotional
and sentimental. This poem took me back to my childhood. When I was a small child, my mother
also played the flute and my grandmother chanted hymns. They carried me on their laps turn by
turn lovingly. Now, they are no more in this world. Today also I hear the music of flute. I go back
to my childhood and tears come out from my eyes and I became very sad. We can be physically
and mentally refreshed by enjoying music. Moreover, we can entertain ourselves even for a
while by remembering our joyous childhood in this busy life.