Corona says
summary
The poem "Corona Says" by Vishnu S. Rai is a reflection on humanity and its relationship with the natural world. The speaker, who takes on the voice of the coronavirus, addresses human beings and tells them to stop crying and cursing the virus. The speaker explains that they did not come of their own free will but were invited, and that they are merely trying to show humanity the consequences of their actions.
The speaker questions the notion that humans are the "crown of creation" and wonders about the lives of other beings, such as animals and plants, that also inhabit the earth. The speaker also points out that the earth is not just humanity's property, but belongs to all creatures as well.
The speaker says that they are not there to give humanity a test, but rather to allow the earth to have a rest from human destruction. The speaker also warns that there are many other viruses like them, and if humanity does not change its ways, they will continue to face such challenges in the future.
In conclusion, the poem is a call to action for humanity to reflect on its actions and to consider the impact they have on the environment and other beings. The poem encourages humanity to rid itself of its ego and to consider the earth and its inhabitants as fellow inhabitants of the planet.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions:
a. Who is the speaker in the poem?
The speaker in the poem is Corona.b. Who claims that they are superior to all?
The humans of this modern world claim that they are superior to all.c. Why has the speaker come to the Earth?
The speaker has come to Earth as a result of the abuse of nature by people.d. What positive changes have occurred on Earth after the speaker’s visit?
After the speaker’s visit, the sky has been clean without dust and smoke. People have felt like caged animals do in a zoo. The disease has allowed the earth to have a little rest.Reference to the context
a. What does the speaker mean when he says:
But have you ever countedHow many have died so far
Because of you and your wars?
In the given lines, the speaker blames that the human beings themselves are responsible for wars and loss of their lives. The consequences and effects caused by wars is more terrible than the pandemic has done. Wars are the result of disputes over resources and land, or of a government’s will to increase its influence, power and authority. The parties or government involving in wars never think of the consequences people have to face. Millions of people have lost their lives and properties because of wars. Aftereffects of wars is also causing them to suffer physically and psychologically.
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, long, long ago …
In the given extract, the speaker warns us to terminate our egoistic behaviour. No matter who we are, we have to preserve the nature and shouldn’t go against the law of nature. By saying the above line the poet awares us that the pandemic can be controlled but they may suffer from other fatal diseases due to their own behaviours, and finally they can be the cause of the extinction of human civilization.
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.
In the given lines, the speaker denotes that the earth is the common habitat of all the living creatures. All of them have an equal right to use the resources available on earth, to sustain their lives. But we human beings are ruling over others thinking ourselves as superior and depriving them of using resources. The speaker is worried about growing human pressure on natural world. They have controlled all the natural resources for their own benefits though the earth is the common home for all the living organisms. In the name of development and progress, humans are destroying the sources of food and habitats of other creatures. In this way, slowly and slowly entire ecosystem is being destroyed.
Reference beyond the text
a. What human behaviours are responsible for suffering in people’s lives?
The human behaviours are the main cause behind all these sufferings of the people. Due to human egos, their greediness and bad deeds, the present world is facing a lot of crisis. Many people have lost their lives during this critical period. Due to their selfish nature, the earth have faced numerous problems of diseases. Their so-called egos and wars have snatched the lives of many people. Hence, human beings themselves are responsible for suffering in people’s lives.b. How does an epidemic differ from a 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. Epidemics occurs when an agent and susceptible hosts are present in adequate number and the agent can be effectively conveyed from a source to the susceptible hosts.Coronavirus is one of the greatest threat of the twenty-first century. This disease has taken away the lives of numerous number of people. People in the world are panic-stricken and living their life in mental fear. Businesses are down and economic crisis is seen all over the world. Many peoples are jobless, homeless and due to the scarcity of food also many peoples are dying. But due to the impact of Corona Virus, environment is clean and pollution free than before. As peoples are caged inside their houses, many of the industries are closed and the numbers of vehicles on the road is also decreased. Due to this the environment is cleaner and fresher than before.