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2. TELEVISION
(By Roald Dahl)

1) In almost every house we’ve been,

We’ve watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem ‘TELEVISION’ written by Roald
Dahl, a famous British novelist and poet. The poem is an extract from his collection
‘Revolting Rhymes’.
Context: Talking about the harm the modern monster does to children, the poet writes
these words.
Explanation: Children are now greatly addicted to Television .They sit before it
watching the meaningless channels. They gape at the screen for hours together without
any physical or mental activity. They sit lonely with their tongues hanging out. They
spend their time lazily and relaxedly staring at the TV screen till their eyeballs come out
of their eyes. It stunts their creativity and imagination spoiling their health. It’s true that
parents have a Himalayan responsibility in encouraging the children to read books instead
watching TV. It kills their valuable time.
Comment: The phrases such as “Their eyes pop out “, “they loll and slop” and “gaping”
are highly descriptive and picturesque. The poet laments on this attitude and exhorts the
parents to encourage their children to read books instead of watching TV.

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2) They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they’re hypnotized by it,
Until they’re absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk

Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem ‘TELEVISION’ written by Roald
Dahl, a famous British novelist and poet. The poem is an extract from his collection
‘Revolting Rhymes’.
Context: Talking about the harm the modern monster does to children, the poet writes
these words.
Explanation: The phrases ‘sit and stare and stare and sit ‘emphasize the children’s
incessant viewing of TV. The children are hypnotized by the shocking unpleasant and
horrible useless nonsense. The entertainment that is churned out on TV intoxicates and
disables them. They become zombies having no control on their minds.
Comment: Thus, the children lose their ability to understand the beauty of life and to
respond to the environment around them.

3) It rots the sense in the head!

It kills imagination dead!
It clogs and clutters up the mind!

Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem ‘TELEVISION’ written by Roald
Dahl, a famous British novelist and poet. The poem is an extract from his collection
‘Revolting Rhymes’.
Context: Talking about the harm the modern monster does to children, the poet writes
these words.
Explanation: The poet deeply laments over the children’s repeated viewing of TV and
the ill effects that are shown on them. The incessant watching of TV rots the sense of

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mind and kills their imagination. They become unable to think as it clogs and clutters up
the mind.
Comment: In order to sustain the god’s given intelligence and individuality and not to
lose creativity and imagination, the poet urges not to watch TV.

4) So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,

Go throw your TV set away
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall
Introduction: These lines are taken from the poem ‘TELEVISION’ written by Roald
Dahl, a famous British novelist and poet. The poem is an extract from his collection
‘Revolting Rhymes’.
Context: Talking about the harm the modern monster does to children, the poet writes
these words.
Explanation: The poet ardently pleads not to watch TV but to throw it away for a better
and healthy living of children who are fascinated, intoxicated and drunk by the ghastly
junk. He recommends throwing the TV set and installing a lovely bookshelf in its place.
The children get accustomed to reading slowly may be with some difficulty. This
certainly is not impossible.
Comment: To inculcate the habit of reading in children the more seductive methods of
entertainment should be discouraged by all means. Reading makes them men.
 

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