Frogs -- Norman MacCaig 

Guest poem submitted by Anustup Datta
(Poem #863) Frogs 
 Frogs sit more solid
 than anything sits. In mid-leap they are
 parachutists falling
 in a free fall. They die on roads
 with arms across their chests and
 heads high.

 I love frogs that sit
 like Buddha, that fall without
 parachutes, that die
 like Italian tenors.

 Above all, I love them because,
 pursued in water, they never
 panic so much that they fail
 to make stylish triangles
 with their ballet dancer's
 legs.
-- Norman MacCaig
Absolutely delightful. I think the comparison with Italian tenors is
especially perfect - it makes you really sit up and chuckle.

Anustup.

[Links etc.]

MacCaig poems on the Minstrels:
Poem #755, Gone are the days
Poem #699, Incident

There's more about MacCaig online at
[broken link] http://www.geocities.com/william_brodie/maccaig/backgr.html
This site also has a fair collection of his poetry.

Random irrelevancies:
Poem #544, Toads -- Philip Larkin
Poem #799, Mr Toad -- Kenneth Grahame
Posted on

19 comments:

  1. Swannie Karen KFebruary 13, 2008 at 8:53 PM

    Great imagery. This poem goes down well with all age levels.

    Every year I include it when teaching poetry. Sometimes I present it as
    a close exercise- leaving out some words and the students fill in with
    something meaningful- and we then share the different versions and
    finally the poet's version. Always works.

    Karen

    ReplyDelete
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  3. بلاك بيريNovember 8, 2010 at 8:01 AM

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  6. AnonymousOctober 26, 2011 at 7:19 AM

    I like this poem it is very good!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousMarch 10, 2012 at 3:13 AM

    could someone please explain the poem to me? what does it mean when the poet compare frogs to parachutists falling and die like italian tenors?

    ReplyDelete
  8. hilolaNovember 22, 2012 at 1:05 PM

    Hi there! I searched all about Italian tenors and still it is not clear to me why are dying frogs are compared to italian frogs? Any explanation????

    ReplyDelete
  9. mcs.December 29, 2012 at 4:55 PM

    @ Hilola: I read it as linking with the image of: "They die on roads
    with arms across their chests and
    heads high."

    When an opera singer dies on stage, as a generalistion the event could be described as ostentatiously dramatic and accompanied with stylised gesture. I believe MacCaig is alluding to this as well as associating the image with the common romanticised stereotypes surrounding Italian culture - drama, vivacity, artistic expression.

    ReplyDelete
  10. mcs.December 29, 2012 at 4:57 PM

    ^^^

    And I forgot to say, this has long been one of my favourite poems. Thanks for posting it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousNovember 7, 2014 at 1:25 AM

    i dont understand.

    ReplyDelete
  12. UnknownNovember 17, 2014 at 6:17 AM

    can u guys please say me the summary of this poem!!!!!!

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