Six humans trapped by happenstance
In bleak and bitter cold,
Each one possessed a stick of wood
Or so the story‟s told.
i. Who are the six people? What has happened to them?
Answers
These Lines are taken from the poem 'The Cold Within'.
Q Who are the six people ?
A → The six people are those who are trapped by happenstance in bleak and bitter cold. Each one of them possess a log of wood which is needed for keeping their dying fire alive. But those six people were selfish and prejudice. They had hatred among themselves and thus no-one shared his/her part of wood and the fire went off making them die of cold.
Q What has happened to them ?
A → As the six people didn't gave their log of wood in the dying fire allowing their selfishness, prejudice, malice and suspicions, the fire went off giving them a painful death from cold holding the sticks in their sticks in their hands.
About the poem :-
The poem describes the tragic death of a group of six people standing around a fire which was in need of wood for keeping it alive. Each one were holding a log of wood but refused to give it in the fire because of their selfishness, prejudice, malice and suspicions. Eventually, the fire dies out and in the morning all six of them are found dead by cold. Their bodies have frozen but the log is still tightly hold by them. They would have not died if only they had overcome the pretty barriers of class, race and religion that divided them.
The poem is simple but powerful. It conveys the message that selfishness and prejudice can't save us from any consequences.
About the poet :-
The poem 'The Cold Within' is written by James Patrick Kinney. He is an American poet who wrote this poem in the 1960s. Although it was first rejected as being too controversial, it gained popularity rapidly after it had been read out at a council meeting of all religions.
Answer:
Six humans trapped by happenstance
In bleak and bitter cold,
Each one possessed a stick of wood
Or so the story‟s told.