deepundergroundpoetry.com

[ CC ] The Third Stanza

  
Seeking interpretations of the poem
"The Last Bargain" by Rabindranath Tagore,  
Mister Sykes navigated the classroom  
as if Alladdin floating on his magic carpet.  
   
Susie Speckledbottom zealously raised a hand.  
It's about how power always fails to deliver  
on it's promise of alleviating your hardships,  
symbolized by the King in the first stanza  
flaking on hiring a man desperate for work.
   
Proud of her answer, she beamed, riding    
upon a ninth cloud of her own self worth.    
   
The teacher nodded, somewhat impressed ...    
   
yet hardly satisfied with the intuitive response.  
Why is that? he queried, quite down to earth  
now in his pacing, same as anyone in his shoes.  
   
Johnny Proudfoot couldn't help blurting out:  
Because Money is Power; the more you spend  
towards easing burdens, the more you expend  
time and energy earning it back! This is evident    
by the man counting gold in the second stanza  
who didn't want to toil in the afternoon heat!
 
   
Sykes, feeling a migraine developing, rebuttled.  
Neither did the narrator turning down his offer.    
He rubbed his temple as if it were a genia's lamp  
wishing for the nagging feeling to go away  
while meandering through rows of desks  
occasionally glancing at the overbearing clock.  
   
Ann Architect timidly raised her hand.  
His poem is about doing what you love  
for the sake of enjoying yourself at play,  
without expectation of anything in return.  
Thus, you become truly free of obligations  
---no longer is there need for money or power;  
time lost and energy exerted is inconsequential.  
The final stanza is very self explanatory.
 
   
Excellent! Mister Syke exclaimed.  
   
However, he suddenly whirled about  
with a crazed look in his eyes reminiscent of  
Victor Frankenstein or Gene Wilder or both  
simultaneously grappling great mysteries of Life,  
hands slamming hard upon Bobby Rottenbrain's desk!  
   
But what of Stanza Three that reads:  
   
"It was evening. The garden hedge was all aflower.  
The fair maid came out and said, "I will hire you with a smile."  
Her smile paled and melted into tears, and she went back alone into the dark."  
   
Can anyone tell me what this means?!  
   
Bobby sort of wet himself, while the remaining  
students nervously glanced at one another.  
The entire classroom was deathly silent.  
   
The teacher sighed in exasperation, defeated.  
I was hoping you could tell me, because even  
I don't know.
 
   
The bell rang.  
Children more than less fled the room.  
On the way out, Abby Rhodescholar  
handed him an apple from her bookbag.  
   
Don't worry, Mister Sykes,    
she said with a smile wide beyond her ears.  
Now that you've asked the question  
the answer will surely come  
when it is time for you to know.
 
   
 
Written by JohnnyBlaze
Published | Edited 27th Oct 2021
Author's Note
for the Classic Corner comp "The Last Bargain" @
https://deepundergroundpoetry.com/forum/competitions/read/11600/
inspired by the poem "The Last Bargain" @
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45669/the-last-bargain
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
likes 4 reading list entries 2
comments 7 reads 476
Commenting Preference: 
The author encourages honest critique.

Latest Forum Discussions
COMPETITIONS
Today 4:55am by wallyroo92
COMPETITIONS
Today 2:24am by ajay
POETRY
Today 2:14am by ajay
SPEAKEASY
Today 1:42am by Billy_Snagg
SPEAKEASY
Today 00:10am by LunaGreyhawk
SPEAKEASY
Yesterday 11:47pm by Too_hot69