Question

Summary of the poem the bicycle by david malouf

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

The poem ‘Bicycle’ by David Malouf is a warning issued by the poet to mankind, reminding us of the perils involved in worshipping machines. The bicycle, initially described as a stranger from the streets, gradually acquires the qualities of the ‘godhead’. The handlebars of the bicycle remind the poet of the polished horns of a forest deity. The poet wonders whether the bicycle is a forest deity or a deity of highway and sky. He is amused to note that such a divine presence has set up residence in his flat. The poet even goes to the extent of calling the bicycle a ‘godhead invoked in a machine’.

Towards the end of the poem ‘Bicycle’, the bicycle seems to become an agent of death. The concluding parts of the poem are shrouded in mystery. However, a close reading of the poem reveals that the poem ends on a note of warning. The messengers of time appear as time itself seems to have given up on its experiment with man. The human species as a whole has failed to be successful. Instead of being the master, man becomes a slave to machines. The reference to ‘the shock-wave of collision’ at the end of the poem suggests that the bicycle, a machine, has become an agent of death and destruction. The uncertainty of events creates an eerie atmosphere. A sense of fear and anxiety grips the reader as the poem comes to an end.

I hope that will help you!

Answer 2

Towards the end of the poem 'Bicycle', the bicycle seems to become an agent of death. The concluding parts of the poem are shrouded in mystery. However, a close reading of the poem reveals that the poem ends on a note of warning. The messengers of time appear as time itself seems to have given up on its experiment with man. The human species as a whole has failed to be successful. Instead of being the master, man becomes a slave to machines. The reference to 'the shock-wave of collision' at the end of the poem suggests that the bicycle, a machine, has become an agent of death and destruction. The uncertainty of events creates an eerie atmosphere.