What Is the Main Theme of A Legend of the Northland?
The summary of the NCERT Class 9 English poem A Legend of the Northland teaches a valuable moral: we should not be selfish and must think of others too. The poem emphasizes generosity and helping those in need whenever we are capable of doing so.
About the Poem
The poem A Legend of the Northland was written by the famous poet Phoebe Cary. It is a ballad consisting of sixteen stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABCB. The story revolves around a greedy woman and a saint named St. Peter. When St. Peter, hungry and penniless, asked the woman for a piece of cake, she refused to help him despite having the means to do so. Upset by her selfishness, St. Peter cursed her for her insensitivity.
About the Poet
Phoebe Cary, an American poetess, was the sister of poetess Alice Cary. Both sisters published numerous poems together and individually. A Legend of the Northland is one of Phoebe Cary's most celebrated works, included in the poetry collection ‘Ballads for Little Folk’, published in 1873.
Theme
The poem A Legend of the Northland is a folktale passed down through generations in the Northland. It narrates the story of Saint Peter and a greedy woman who was punished for her selfishness. The poem conveys the importance of kindness and empathy.
It highlights the idea that those who lack compassion and generosity do not deserve love. The poem warns against greed and the pursuit of material pleasures at the cost of humanity. It teaches that we must treat others with empathy and recognize their struggles. Since we are all creations of God, we should show love and kindness to every living being. Those who selflessly help others are rewarded by God, while those who are greedy face the consequences of their actions.
Message
The poem conveys a beautiful message: we are all equal in the eyes of God and must treat each other with empathy and respect. It encourages us to help those in need and to show love and compassion to everyone.
Those who understand the struggles of others and show kindness are blessed with greater wealth and comforts by God. On the other hand, those who discriminate based on wealth and status or act selfishly are not favored by the Almighty. As humans, it is our duty to love, respect, and help everyone, avoiding greed and extending help to those in need whenever possible.
Poetic Devices
Phoebe Cary has used several literary devices in A Legend of the Northland:
Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds adds rhythm to the poem, as seen in the first stanza: “Away, Away.”
Metaphor: Objects or actions are used symbolically, such as “swift reindeer.”
Simile: Comparisons using “as” or “like,” such as “the children look like bear’s cubs,” where children are compared to bear cubs.
Repetition: Words, phrases, or images are repeated for emphasis, like the word “boring.”
Irony: Contrast between expectation and reality, as in: “My cakes that seem too small / When I eat of them myself / Are yet too large to give away.”
Summary of the Poem
The poem A Legend of the Northland is a folktale narrated to children to instill an important moral lesson. It tells the story of a greedy woman who was punished by Saint Peter for her selfishness.
One day, Saint Peter, after fasting and traveling for a long time, arrived at the cottage of a woman who was baking cakes. Hungry and tired, he requested her for a piece of cake. The woman, although capable of helping, refused to give him even a small piece of cake.
First, she baked a cake, but it seemed too big to give away. Then, she baked another smaller one, but even that felt too large for her to part with. Finally, she baked a wafer-thin cake, but she still thought it was too much to offer someone for free. In her greed, she put all the cakes aside and did not give anything to the hungry saint.
Saint Peter, disheartened and angered by her selfishness, cursed her. He declared that she did not deserve the comforts of human life. As punishment, he transformed her into a woodpecker. From that day on, she lived in the forest, digging into hard wood for food. Her greed and insensitivity condemned her to this fate.
Explanation by Stanzas
Stanza 1 and Stanza 2
"Away, away, away in the Northland… In their funny, furry clothes."
The poet begins the poem by describing Northland, a very cold region near the poles. In winter, the days are very short, and the nights are long. Due to the extreme cold, people in this region cannot sleep comfortably throughout the night. When the land is covered in snow, people tie their reindeers to sledges to travel from one place to another. The children of Northland wear warm, furry clothes to protect themselves from the cold, and these clothes make them look like bear cubs.
Stanza 3 and Stanza 4
"They tell them a curious story… Just as he did, you know."
In these stanzas, the poet explains that the people of Northland narrate a curious story to their children. Although the poet does not believe the story to be entirely true, she tells it for the important lesson it contains. The story is about Saint Peter, who once lived on Earth as a human being. He traveled far and wide, spreading the teachings of God.
Stanza 5 and Stanza 6
"He came to the door of a cottage… To give him a single one."
As Saint Peter traveled around the world, he came to the door of a small cottage. Inside, a woman was baking cakes on her hearth. Saint Peter, having fasted the entire day, was very tired and hungry. Since the day was almost over, he asked the woman to give him a piece of cake from her store.
Stanza 7 and Stanza 8
"So she made a very little cake… As large as the first had done."
In these stanzas, the woman decided to bake a fresh cake for Saint Peter. However, as she began to prepare the cake, she thought it was too big to give away. To avoid giving something so large, she made another cake, smaller than the first one. But when she saw the second cake, she still felt it was too large to give away.
Stanza 9 and Stanza 10
"Then she took a tiny scrap of dough… So she put them on the shelf."
In these stanzas, the woman took a tiny amount of dough and rolled it into a very thin cake. The result was a wafer-thin cake, but even then, she couldn’t bring herself to give it to Saint Peter. She thought even this small cake was too large to give away for free. Her greed blinded her, and she placed all the cakes on the shelf, refusing to give any to the tired and hungry saint.
Stanza 11 and Stanza 12
"Then good Saint Peter grew angry… And fire to keep you warm."
The woman’s selfishness made Saint Peter very angry. Despite his kindness and patience, her refusal to share a single cake provoked him. Saint Peter told her that she did not deserve to be a human being. He believed that a person who enjoys all the comforts of life, such as food, shelter, and warmth, must also have kindness and compassion. Since the woman lacked these qualities, Saint Peter cursed her, saying that she did not deserve such comforts.
Stanza 13 and Stanza 14
"Now, you shall build as the birds do… For she was changed to a bird."
In his anger, Saint Peter cursed the woman and turned her into a bird. As a bird, she would have to build her own nest and find her own food by digging into hard, dry wood. This was a punishment for her greed and selfishness. After the curse, the woman flew out of her cottage chimney without saying a word. She was transformed into a woodpecker, a bird that is often seen digging into wood to find food.
Stanza 15 and Stanza 16
"She had a scarlet cap on her head… Boring and boring for food."
The poet explains that as a human, the woman used to wear a red cap. When she was turned into a woodpecker, only her red cap remained as the red feathers on her head, while the rest of her body became black. Since then, people, especially children, have seen woodpeckers in the forest, boring holes into the wood to find food. This bird symbolizes the woman, who was punished for her selfishness and lack of compassion. She now spends her life searching for food in the forests, living with the consequences of her inhuman behavior.
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FAQs on A Legend of the Northland Summary and Moral Lesson
1. What is the central story explained in the poem 'A Legend of the Northland'?
The poem narrates a folktale about Saint Peter and a little woman. While travelling, a hungry and faint Saint Peter asks the woman for one of the cakes she is baking. Driven by greed, she finds every cake she bakes too large to give away. Her selfishness provokes the saint, who curses her, transforming her into a woodpecker destined to bore into hard wood for scarce food. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of being uncharitable.
2. What is the main moral lesson of 'A Legend of the Northland'?
The primary moral lesson of the poem is that greed and selfishness lead to severe consequences, while generosity and compassion are essential human virtues. It teaches that humans are meant to share and help one another. The poem illustrates that a person who is too selfish to enjoy their blessings with others is not fit for the comforts of human life and will ultimately face a harsh existence.
3. How do the actions of the little woman demonstrate the theme of greed?
The little woman's actions are a clear example of extreme greed and miserliness. This is shown when she:
Considers her first baked cake, which was of a normal size, too large to give away to the hungry saint.
Attempts to bake a smaller cake, but her greed makes her feel that it is also too big to be given for free.
Finally bakes a tiny, wafer-thin piece of cake but is unwilling to part with even that.
Her inability to perform a simple act of charity, despite having plenty, perfectly demonstrates the poem's theme of avarice.
4. Why is the setting of the 'Northland' important for the poem's story and message?
The setting of the Northland is crucial because it is described as an extremely cold and harsh environment where days are short and nights are long. In such a place, warmth, food, and shelter are vital for survival. The woman's refusal to share food with a weary traveller in this unforgiving landscape makes her greed appear even more shocking and unnatural. The cold setting amplifies the need for human warmth and charity, making her lack of it a greater sin.
5. What is the significance of the woman's punishment of being turned into a woodpecker?
The woman's transformation into a woodpecker is highly symbolic. As a human, she had a warm fire and easy access to cakes, yet she refused to share. As a punishment, she is turned into a bird that must 'bore and bore for food', working tirelessly for every tiny morsel. This fate is a direct consequence of her greed. Her comfortable life is replaced with a life of constant, difficult labour for very little reward, symbolising that those who are uncharitable will have to struggle for their own sustenance.
6. What are some important literary devices used by the poet in 'A Legend of the Northland'?
The poet Phoebe Cary uses several literary devices to tell the story effectively. Key examples include:
Ballad: The poem is written in the style of a ballad, a song-like poem that tells a story, often with a moral lesson.
Repetition: The phrase “boring and boring and boring” is used to emphasise the bird’s endless and tedious search for food.
Simile: A direct comparison is used to describe the final cake, such as “baked it thin as a wafer.”
Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds can be seen in phrases like “faint with fasting”.
7. How can the lesson about generosity from 'A Legend of the Northland' be applied in today's world?
The poem's lesson is timeless and highly relevant today. It reminds us that empathy and generosity are fundamental values. In a world where there is significant inequality, the story encourages sharing resources with those in need, whether it is through organised charity or simple acts of kindness. It teaches that hoarding wealth or resources for oneself, like the little woman did with her cakes, leads to a spiritually impoverished life, whereas generosity enriches both the giver and the receiver.
