Week 5: Whistling of Birds

Question 1

Give effects/description of winter.
OR
Give a description of spring
OR
What are the effects of spring and the winter on birds?

Ans: D.H Lawrence has drawn a graphic picture of winter and spring in his essay “Whistling of Birds”. He describes winter as a season of death. He likes spring and calls it a season of life and happiness. The writer does not like winter season. To him, it is a very long season.

In winter the birds, the beasts and other objects or nature suspend their activity. They are frozen. The spark of life goes out in them. The wintry frosts bring destruction on the birds and the beasts. Many birds die in the Frost and intense cold. The ground is thick with dead bodies of the birds. The flesh of the dead animals and birds is eaten by invisible birds of prey. Plants and trees lose their freshness. The earth is strangled and mortified. Everybody is afraid of snow and fog. There is frost all around. Lumps of earth are frozen. Silence prevails everywhere. The whistling of birds comes to an end. Out of the dark foggy season of winter, there emerges a bright season of spring. Winter is having its end.
Winer just freezes the life and spring defreezes it- Saif Ullah Zahid
The arrival of spring has beaten winter. It is dying its own death. Its stay is temporary. The birds welcome the approaching spring weather in a state of fear and uncertainty. They are not sure of the one of spring. They whistle and welcome the spring season with dim and broken voice.

Questions 2

How does D.H Lawrence show the difference between spring and winter?
OR
How has the writer portrayed the contrast of spring and winter?

Ans: In this essay, D.H Lawrence draws a difference between winter and spring. Winter stands for death and spring stands for life. He tells us that life and death stand poles apart from each other. They are two different things but they are very essential for the working of the universe. One destroys, the other creates. One kills, the other produces. One is death, the other is life. One is symbolized by winter the other is symbolized by spring and light. Both are enemy to each other. When death comes life flies away. When life comes death flies away. The picture of the universe cannot be complete without both of them.

In writer’s view, life is the name of activity and struggle while death means the end of activity. If life creates, death destroys. One kills, the other produces. But both seasons are made by nature. We have to live with them.
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn - Hal Borland
In this essay, life is represented by spring and the death is symbolized by winter. Spring makes the birds whistle and sing happy songs while winter causes the death of thousands of the birds. Winter is marked with snow, frost and cold winds. Spring is expressed by excitement, silvery sounds, voices, pleasure, and perfumes. The blackbirds, the doves, and other small birds begin to whistle. Winter kills these birds and those dead bodies are seen lying on the ground.
Winter may be gloomy but it is followed by spring-  Saif Ullah Zahid
In winter trees are left leafless and dry. The lumps of earth are frozen. There is no sound, movement, and activity. When spring comes, everything looks fresh and bright. The flowers blossom, the birds start whistling. There is activity everywhere. When spring comes, winter flies. In this way, we see that the two aspects of nature are incompatible. The author has shown very clearly that life and that are incompatible with each other.