Resumo de ?the Deserted Village?-oliver Goldsmith?s Melancholy Description Of His Village ?auburn?

?The Deserted Village?-OliverGoldsmith?s melancholy description of his village ?Auburn? Macaulay?s comments on OliverGoldsmith include among others, that he has produced a Village,something which never was and never will be seen in any part of the world. Thisis true to those who happens to read his famous poem ?The Deserted Village?In his poem, Goldsmith gives us afascinating account of his sweet village Auburn. It is a matter of controversy whethersuch a village really exists. It is believed that Goldsmith might haveremembered Lissoy, a pretty Irish village, where he had spent his youthfulyears and idealized it in his imagination. The poet presents us with twointeresting contrasted pictures; a description of Auburn,the loveliest village of the plain and then how the village lost its glory onaccount of inroad of luxury and wealth.The village once teemed withlife, now, presents a melancholy and deserted appearanceIt was the days when spring cameearly to the village and blessed it with flowers. Summer lingered long with itsmany fragrant bloosoms.The cottage nestling among trees, the well cultivatedfarm, the stream that never ran dry, the busy mill and the beautiful churchcrowning the hill were among the familiar and lovely sights of the village.There were seats provided underthe hawthorn bush, where generous old people used to sit and chatter away andlovers reposed, whispering sweet nothings. On holidays, the entire villagewould indulge in merry making. Sweet sound would fill the air. The pauses inthe nightingale?s song would be filled with the watch dog?s bark, the shouts ofmerry children, the laughter of peasants, and the cackle of geese, the lowingof cattle, the milkmaid?s song and the swain?s loving response. Luxury andwealth were unknown to them. They were simple, happy and contented. Vice was unknown to the people ofthe village. Their best companions were innocence and health and their bestriches, ignorance of wealth. The only luxury that they ever permitted wasgathering at the inn to drink ale, and discuss news older than the wine. Thewhole atmosphere permeates with unbounded gaiety. Seated at the inn and sippinghis glass of ale, each villager felt as proud as a king.The village School master used to school in asmall house in the village. The school was a noisy place; indeed, the masterknew how to control the boys. Students know how the behaviour the school masterwould be on the particular day, judging from the look on his face. He had a stockof seasoned jokes with which he used to regale the boys. The boys would laughuproariously with counterfeited glee, when he repeated his jokes. If the schoolmaster is too severe, the fault had to be ascribed to his inordinate love oflearning.In contrast to this picture, thepoet presents the state of desolation and melancholy, when he revisits hisvillage after a long absence. The entire village is deserted. All the familiarfigures have vanished from there. Even the foot paths are overgrown with grass.There is no one to tell the story of its desolation except the poor old lady,who makes a precarious living by gathering water cresses. The entire village isin the grip of one master, who does not care even to cultivate it properly. Thepeople, who once made the village so beautiful and pleasant, have gone away todistant colonies to face untold adventures and earn a living, in spite of thegreatest odds.Thus we could see the Poet as an extraordinarilylovable character. We see him here in all the pathos of his life. His sufferingshave lent a sweetness and grandeur to his personality. His infinite love forhumanity enshrines him in the hearts of all readers. No one can read throughthe poem, without knowing the author and loving him.Goldsmith concludes his poemwith the following linesTo me more dear,congenial to my heartOne native charm,than all the gloss of artThe poet laments at length the passing away of the simplejoys of nature. Rich people may be inclined to treat with contempt these simplejoys of poor. No doubt, the poor man?s pleasures have something crude andunsophisticated about them. The poet feels that any day the simple and natural joys ofthe poor are more wholesome and agreeable than all artificial polish of thepleasures enjoyed in high life. His mind and heart are in tune with onlysimple, unsophisticated joys of the poor.Abstract of Oliver Goldsmith?s poem ?The Deserted Village?ByS.Suyampirakasam

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