"Fame and Friendship" by Henry Austin Dobson

 

   The poem "Fame and Friendship" was written by H. A. Dobson. The central theme of the poem is about the fame and friendship. Here poet describes the importance of fame and friendship as both things are important in our lives.  Here we will see it in detail that how poet criticises the 'Fame' over 'friendship'. Though, in modern time it sounds 'feel good' poem !

       Fame is A Food That Dead Men Eat

        Fame is a food that dead men eat, -
         I have no stomach for such meat.
          In little light and narrow room,
             They eat it in the silent tomb,
     With no kind voice of comrade near
          To bid the banquet be of cheer.

     In the first stanza poet tells that fame is the food that dead men eat, by this line poet tries to say that,  person should not crave for the fame,  which ultimately creates the loneliness in the life. After criticising the 'fame' poet shares his personal views by saying that he has no stomach for such meat. Whenever person becomes the looser,  he or she craves for the fame,  which is not wrong also,  but the important thing is, one needs to learn that how to digest that 'fame.' Moreover,  this fame which person enjoys,  it is temporary. For instance,  when person arranges the feast, the honor of success, but as time passes everything gets vanished.
            The another interpretation comes in our mind is that,  sometimes person works hard but doesn't get the reward while living, which demotivates the person.  But person gets the reward posthumously,  where nobody is with them to cheer.

          But friendship is a nobler thing,-
           Of friendship it is good to sing.
        For truly,  when a man shall end,
        He lives in memory of his friend,
          Who both his better part recall,
           And of his faults make funeral.

          It seems that poet has a full  experience of the long life,  may be he wants to live that moments again  ! In the preceding stanza poet provides the 'moral' but the true message of friendship.  He tells that friendship is nobler thing in the world.  Because in life,  at the certain stages we need some good friend who can guide us in every situation. Many times person can't discuss everything with their parents/ siblings, which he or she can do with their friends.  By concluding the poem,  poet becomes emotional, the mode of poetry gets change. Even after the death of a friend, best moments of life never dies, indirectly, the memory remains with the living one.  In addition poet gives the suggestion for better friendship. He tells that one should burn the past mistakes before he himself becomes the part of a funeral.  At the end of the poetry, the message poetry tries to give is,  recall the great memories which we lived with our friends,  and that memory will keep you alive during the worst time of our lives.

     The interesting thing about the 'friendship' is it is difficult to keep our friends happy at every moment, many times we think of competing with them,  and in that process we  become envious for them.  See, the competition should be their, but with ourselves rather than the others. That's why people often tell that one should not forget the humanity over friendship !

Thinking Activity : The Sense of an Ending

             Earlier in the day it was proved that, reading an original text manifolds numerous stuff in the mind of a reader.  Which you can't get by reading just a summary. Accordingly there are such a books which one should read,  And 'The Sense of an Ending' is one of it.  After a succeeding discussion on the novel it becomes mandatory for the students to show the ' Sense'. For detailed information related to the task click here... 

• How do you understand memory and history with reference to your reading of this novel ?

     The concept of memory and history remains significant in whole novel.  After reading about memory and history we can say that it helps in widening the horizon of mind.  Because after reading,  we can say that an accumulation of a memory can be wrong. We remember only those moments which we like. By passing the time it gets darker.  We narrate constructed memory only and as a consequence of it, it creates unreliable history.  Sometimes we may take benefits of defeated( Who is not present)  in describing the history. It can be said that whatever person narrates,  truth may be some where near but role of characters might be different.
         

          In addition to it,  we can take the quote of Michiko Kakutani.  " The Sense of an Ending " looks at the ways in which people distort or tailor the past in an effort to mythologize their own lives. 

   This quote gives an important aspect to look at the history. What we can say is that if person has not good relationship with others then he/she will try to distort the history. ( But in future he/she might feel remorse also)    But if person describes his own history then he/she try to tailor the history. ( Because, inadequacies of documentation )  So,  at the end we can say is that what one tells about himself can't be true. One needs to go to check history of the historians. ( That can be wrong also )

    Thus, we can say that what Adrian says is quite true... History is that certainly produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation. 

• How do you understand the concept of suicide with reference to your reading of literature ranging from Renaissance play Hamlet,  20th century Existentialist philosophy and this 21st century novel The Sense of an Ending ? 

      During our whole life we find so many characters in literature (and also in real life)  who commits suicide.  In the case of 'Hamlet' we can say that because of the moral concern he doesn't commit suicide. ( But it can be possible that 'Hamlet' has still desire for a throne ) 

         When we see from existentialist angle,  suddenly, we can recall Albert Camus.  Who explains the idea of philosophical suicide.  Means one who commits suicide they tries to escape from the responsibilities. One should grapple with the struggle in total absence of hope.  So,  Existentialist sees suicide as an act of a looser.  

            After reading The Sense of an Ending, we get different notion related to suicide.  It breaks the idea of morality. ( which is constructed by social norms)   We can say that both characters ( Robson, Adrian) suicides by their own. ( We doesn't get proper idea about their suicides. Because everything is represented by Victorious)  It seems that after living/ enjoying / Experiencing  such a life,  they thinks that they have lived their lives,  they played their role wholeheartedly and now they don't want to live furthermore. (Eros and Thanatos) ( There are such a films which shows that types of characters.  In  Ramayana also we find Rama Who drowns himself in the river. Where's Sita asks Mother Earth to take herself in her arms. And the daughter of Earth merges into her mother.

                                                Thank you...