[1181] Elephants Are Different to Different People

Raj Bandyopadhyay <rajb@> sent in an excellent followup to his
previous poem [Poem #1179]:

     Wilson and Pilcer and Snack stood before the zoo elephant.

     Wilson said, "What is its name? Is it from Asia or Africa? Who feeds
it? Is it a he or a she? How old is it? Do they have twins? How much does
it cost to feed? How much does it weigh? If it dies, how much will another
one cost? If it dies, what will they use the bones, the fat, and the hide
for? What use is it besides to look at?"

     Pilcer didn't have any questions; he was murmering to himself, "It's
a house by itself, walls and windows, the ears came from tall cornfields,
by God; the architect of those legs was a workman, by God; he stands like
a bridge out across the deep water; the face is sad and the eyes are kind;
I know elephants are good to babies."

     Snack looked up and down and at last said to himself, "He's a tough
son-of-a-gun outside and I'll bet he's got a strong heart, I'll bet he's
strong as a copper-riveted boiler inside."

     They didn't put up any arguments.
     They didn't throw anything in each other's faces.
     Three men saw the elephant three ways
     And let it go at that.
     They didn't spoil a sunny Sunday afternoon;

"Sunday comes only once a week," they told each other.

	-- Carl Sandburg

Very unorthodox poem. And the way the world should be!
Here are three men who are not blind!
Will leave to the reader to look for the metaphors.
Wish more people read this.

Raj

[Martin adds]

Brilliant poem, but here's the thing - I *had* read it, several years ago.
And I naturally did make the connection to 'Blind Men', and like Raj,
enthusiastically showed it to several people, who also appreciated it. But -
until I was reminded of it just now - I'd since forgotten it entirely, while
I can quote most of Saxe's poem from memory. As perfect a demonstration of
the value of rhyme and rhythm as any I've seen.

martin

P.S. For another nice combination of famous poem and deserving but
relatively unknown followup, see Poem #355 and Poem #357

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From: "vivian eden" <vivian@>

Two men look out through the same bars;
One sees mud -- and one sees stars.

-- Frederick Langbridge

Sandburg's elephants reminded me of this. Here is a web page with a bit of
information about the Reverend Langbridge, who in the Internet age seems to
be remembered primarily for this epigram:

http://www.pgil-eirdata.org/html/pgil_datasets/authors/l/Langbridge,F/life.htm

-- Vivian

From: Acynta@

I can see the point of Raj's comment.  But, it's only an elephant.  What does 
it matter how people see an elephant?  Seems to me this poem is beautifully 
written, but reduces itself to insignificance.

carlynn

From: Martin DeMello <martindemello@>

--- Acynta@ wrote:
> I can see the point of Raj's comment.  But, it's only an elephant.  What does
> it matter how people see an elephant?  Seems to me this poem is beautifully 
> written, but reduces itself to insignificance.

Well, Sandburg's poem is clearly a response to Saxe's more famous effort
[Poem #1179]. And there, in turn, the elephant was (unless I'm reading it very
wrongly) a metaphor for the way people argue endlessly and heatedly over things
that they have only the most limited and foggiest conception of, in particular
religion.

Given that reading, Sandburg seems to advocate a very different approach to the
issue - perhaps "The ways are many but the light is one", or perhaps simply
that to use religion as a bone of contention is to subvert its basic message
for your own ends. (As a more sarcastic quip has it, "Why argue about religion?
After all, we both serve the same God - you in your way, and I in His").
Perhaps someone familiar with Sandburg's personal religious views could comment
further on this point.

The reference to a Sunday afternoon takes on an extra significance in that
light too. So, you see, the elephant is not that insignificant (or, dare I say,
irrelephant) after all.