The Frog and the Nightingale Summary

The frog and the Nightingale is a poem written by Vikram Seth. He explores themes like selfishness
and self-confidence through the poem. Apart from being an allegorical poem about the importance of
believing in oneself, it is also a cautionary tale about the dangers of being exploited by mercenary
individuals.

The poem speaks about a frog who had a rather unpleasant voice. Despite this, he was full of self-
confidence. He often croaked all night much to the annoyance of the other animals in the forest.
They were tired of his incessant crocking and insulted him whenever he started singing. But the frog
was adamant and didnt heed their criticism no matter how much they rebuked him. He believed that
his voice was very special and was insensitive to the distress he was causing others. His arrogance
was one day shattered by the arrival of the nightingale whose melodious voice was seen as a
welcome change from the frogs harsh cacophony. The other animals appreciated her mellifluous
voice and rewarded her with thunderous applause. The frog was threatened by the presence of the
talented rival and was jealous of all the adulation she was garnering. So, he hatched a plan to
destroy her and get her out of his way.

When the bird was about to sing the next night, the frog interrupted her by stating that he is a critic
and possesses vast knowledge in the area of singing. He commented on her style of singing by
saying she lacked a certain force. The nightingale was taken aback by the criticism and said at least
it's mine about her song. But the relentless frog convinced her that she needed his tutelage. Since
the nightingale had no confidence in her own ability, she accepted the offer put forth by the frog and
innocently compared him to Mozart. The frog took advantage of her innocence and amassed all the
money he made through her concerts. While doing so, he experienced happiness due to the money
he was earning. But at the same time, he felt a sense of bitterness as praises were heaped on the
nightingale.

He made her rehearse night and day even when it rained. He abused her on purpose and broke
down her morale. Her spirit took a beating and it was soon reflected in her singing. The animals who
paid to hear her sing no longer came to her concerts. Broken hearted, she refused to sing any
longer. The frog wouldnt listen; he coaxed her to practice. This caused her to burst a vein and fall
dead.

The frog sneered at the plight of the bird by saying he tried to teach her but she was far too stupid
and nervous to learn anything. He insensitively states that she was too prone to influence well aware
of the fact that he was the one influencing her negatively. The frog returns to his bog and continued
to sing and annoy the other creatures. He was smug after causing the downfall of the nightingale
and finally satisfied that he no longer had to compete with someone more talented than him.