Corona Says Vishnu S. Rai

 

Vishnu S Rai (1951-) was educated in India, Nepal, and the

UK. He taught English at Tribhuvan University for three

decades and retired as Professor of English Language

Education. Rai writes both in English and Nepali. He

has written stories Martyrs & Other Stories (English),

play Realities (English), travelogues Nau Dandapari (Nepali),

and a novel Paheli (Nepali).

But above all he is a poet and he has published Sudama (a semi epic in Nepali), Jeevan (a

collection of poems in Nepali), Vagabond Verses (a collection of poems in English),

and Tritiyaki joon (a collection of songs and gazals in Nepali, and his English poems

are taught in Nepal and abroad. Rai is known as a poet of human emotions.

The poem, Corona Says, written on the theme of the present world crisis Corona and

its devastating impact on human life, is a subtle satire on man's conduct and attitude.

It views Covid 19 as the byproduct of man's treatment to nature.

Reading

Stop crying,

Oh man,

Stop cursing me

And listen.

I didn’t come here

of my own free will.

242 English: Grade 11

I was invited.

Believe me,

I had no choice

but to visit you.

How many lives were lost

Because of me?

You count.

But have you ever counted

How many have died so far

Because of you and your wars?

You call yourself

‘the crown of creation’.

What about the others,

Those who fly in the sky,

Those who live in the ocean,

Those who crawl on the earth,

And those, the sources of your oxygen?

You think they all are your slaves

Who you can sell or kill

At your will.

Don’t blame me.

I just wanted to show you

How clean the blue sky looks

Without dust and smoke.

I wanted you to realise

How caged animals feel

In a zoo.

I came

English: Grade 11 243

Not to give you a test.

I came

So that mother Earth

Could have a little rest.

You claim that you know everything.

I just wanted you to know yourself

The earth is not your property alone -

It’s as much ours as yours.

Sure,

I will depart one day.

But remember

There’re many others like me.

They’ll come too.

If you don’t get rid of your inflated ego,

You’ll be back to your cave time

That you endured

Long, l o n g, l o n g ago …

Glossary

cursing (v.): uttering offensive words in anger

crown (n.): authority

slaves (n.): people who are legal property of another and is forced to obey them

ego (n.): a person's sense of self-importance

endured (v.): went through

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Who is the speaker in the poem?

The speaker in the poem is Corona Virus.

b. Who claim that they are superior to all?

Human beings claim that they are superior to all.

c. Why has the speaker come to the Earth?

The speaker has come to the Earth because he has been invited him to come to the Earth

d. What positive changes have occurred on Earth after the speaker's visit?

The postive changes that have occurred on Earth are: the sky looks bluer, there is no smoke and dust and earth has taken little rest

a. What does the speaker mean when he says:

But have you ever counted

How many have died so far

Because of you and your wars?

The corona is the main speaker who is talking to a man of the present world. The speaker is saying to the men about the bad aspects of war. He wants to make the men realise the impacts of inhumane wars. Here, the speaker is blaming the human for killing many people through their wars. He is asking about the calculation of dead people that have been invited by humans' war.

b. Explain the following:

I will depart one day.

But remember

There’re many others like me.

They’ll come too.

If you don’t get rid of your inflated ego,

You’ll be back to your cave time

That you endured

Long, l o n g, l o n g ago …

These beautiful lines have been taken from Vishnu S. Rai's wonderful poem "Corona Says". Here, we find corona as the main speaker who is talking to a man of the present world. Here, the speaker is warning the human about future circumstances. He is informing him about his fellows who are similar to him. He says that one day he will depart from the planet but if humans don't get rid of their inflated egos, they (fellows) will come too. In that critical situation, humans will be back to the caves as before (the stone age). That will be the worst situation for humans.

c. What does the speaker mean in the following lines? Explain.

The earth is not your property alone -

It’s as much ours as yours.

Here,  Corona as a speaker is making the human realise that the mother (Earth) belongs to all the creatures not only the humans. He reminds the human saying that the mother (Earth) isn't their property alone. He claims that the earth belongs to other creatures also apart from humans.

Reference beyond the text

a. What human behaviours are responsible for the suffering in people's lives?

The human behaviours are the sole cause behind all these sufferings of the people. Due to human egos and bad deeds, the present world is facing a crisis. Many people have lost their lives during this critical period. Due to their selfish nature, the earth and its people have faced numerous problems of diseases. Their so-called egos and wars have snatched the lives of many people.

b. How does an epidemic differ from pandemic? Briefly explain the impact of

Corona Virus on human life and environment.

An epidemic is a widespread disease that affects many people in a population whereas pandemic is a disease that affects a wide geographical area and a large proportion of the population.

Coronavirus is considered as one of the unforgettable threats of the twenty-first century. This disease has snatched the lives of people at a very high level. People in the world are panic-stricken and living their life in mental fear. Covid 19 has created devastating results in humans' history. Due to this pandemic. People are seen sanitizing the environment every time.