The Wind in the Willows _ Kenneth Grahame

Reading ‘The Wind in the Willows” brought back so many childhood memories of watching cartoons of the 90s.

So basically, the book’s about the adventures of the Mole, Rat and the Badger along the river bank in the Wild Wood.

It triggered the thoughts I had as a child. I could imagine every scene from the novel. One can easily immerse themselves into another world of the book and feel every emotion from the characters. One example is from my favourite chapter in the book, “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”

“On either side of them, as they glided onwards, the rich meadow-grass seemed that morning of a freshness and a greenness unsurpassable. Never had they noticed the roses so vivid, the willow-herb so riotous, the meadow-sweet so odorous and pervading. Then the murmur of the approaching weir began to hold the air, and they felt a consciousness that they were nearing the end, whatever it might be, that surely awaited their expedition.” (7, 114)

And during their journey, the encountered something mystical.

“Trembling he obeyed, and raised his humble head; and then, in that utter clearness of the imminent dawn, while Nature, flushed with fulness of incredible colour, seemed to hold her breath for the event, he looked in the very eyes of the Friend and Helper; saw the backward sweep of the curved horns, gleaming in the growing daylight; saw the stern, hooked nose between the kindly eyes that were looking down on them humourously, while the bearded mouth broke into a half-smile at the corners; saw the rippling muscles on the arm that lay across the broad chest, the long supple hand still holding the pan-pipes only just fallen away from the parted lips; saw the splendid curves of the shaggy limbs disposed in majestic ease on the sward; saw, last of all, nestling between his very hooves, sleeping soundly in entire peace and contentment, the little, round, podgy, childish form of the baby otter. All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered.”

Beautiful isn’t it?

The characters seem almost human-like, especially Toad’s attempt to “escape from the castle as the official washerwoman”. Grahame successfully characterize how one would see the pompous toad as would one perceive a wealthy, plum and narcissistic man. And in the Chapter, “Toad’s Adventure”, one of Toad’s climatic moments in the book to attempt to sneak pass the policemen and escape into an unknown wood.

It’s an easy read mainly because it’s a children’s novel but a mature/experienced mind of a person can also enjoy it.

Of course if you want to a more analytic post of “The Wind in the Willows”, do not fret, here’s a link I highly recommend:

http://thedancingimage.blogspot.sg/2010/09/wind-in-willows-river-bank.html

I chose the post on how the river bank plays a central image in their adventures. And like every river, braiding and streaming constantly, its network exist among the scenes and characters.

UNTIL NEXT TIME!!

Beowulf into the literary world.

The title of this post makes no sense but I made plans to read Beowulf [the longest and greatest poem in Old English]

Well right now, 11:55am, I’ve only read 421 out of the 3178 lines in the poem. It’s very complicating but the story is really interesting.

I initially thought it would be very Shakespearean with all these traditional languages since it’s “old” English.

Well, I was miles away from accuracy.

Luckily I found the translated piece and read it.

Basically it’s about heroism [Beowulf protecting the Danes from Grendel (a half human-monster who is hated by God)]. There’s a lot of destruction in an almost science fiction way.

There’s trolls and nicors [water demons], unless they are just imagery of beast-like warriors there.

 “I weathered distress in many a tight corner,

avenged injury done the Wederas –they sought woe–

the foes I crushed, and now against Grendel I am bound,

with that terrible creature, alone, to settle

the affair with the troll. “

I’ve still got 4/5 of the poem left so I have no idea what’s going to happen next.

The words they used are beautiful. And by beautiful, I actually meant having to translate imagery into objects I’m familiar with.

I didn’t know “Sea-Wood” was a ship. I always thought it was a drifting wood . . . on the surfaces of the sea water.

If I could print out the whole translated manuscript and read it in my office, I would.