The Frog and the Nightingale Summary Class 10 English

Poems are a rhythmic way of expressing strong messages. They often have underlined messages for readers to explore and interpret. The following blog will help you get a summary of the poem by Vikram Seth- The Frog and the Nightingale. 

Check Out – NCERT Solutions Class 10 English

The Frog and the Nightingale: Summary 

How often do we try to blend in different colours when we were all born with a unique shade? Many of us are strongly influenced by others which makes us mere pawns. Depicting the dire consequences of such behaviour, it is a unique poem by Vikram Seth which carries us through the story of The Frog and the Nightingale. The nightingale, who despite having a beautiful voice, falls under the influence of the authoritative frog. The frog exploits the nightingale for his own benefit which puts the nightingale’s life in jeopardy.

The poem begins with the frog croaking in Bingle Bog which irked the fellow creatures. Despite their constant displeasure, insults, and loathing, the frog continued croaking. This went on until one starry night, the nightingale began singing in its melodious voice. All the creatures, including the frog, were in awe of its voice. The nightingale was flattered by receiving multiple and continued singing through the night. The frog turned to be jealous of the nightingale’s voice and told the nightingale that he owned the tree on which it sang. The frog introduced itself as a renowned singer and also said that he wrote occasionally for the bog trumpet magazine. The nightingale was talented but extremely innocent which made it fall for the frog’s lies. It requested the frog to train her, described him as a “Mozart in disguise”, and also make it equally famous. 

The frog was cunning and took the opportunity to exploit the nightingale. It agreed to train the nightingale but told that the training would be charged. The frog forced the delicate bird to sing constantly in any weather and didn’t pay heed to the nightingale’s health or the bad weather. He made the nightingale sing for long hours which made her weak and soon her voice lost its melody. 

After months of rest, the nightingale gained its melodious voice back which attracted huge crowds. The guileful frog was overwhelmed with all the money he was earning due to the nightingale. Despite earning so much profit, the frog scolded the nightingale which made her weak and petrified. This reduced the crowd that used to be gathered around the nightingale to listen and admire her voice. The nightingale soon lost her charm and this eventually led to lower income for the frog

The failure infuriated the frog and he furiously asked her to puff her lungs to show the power of her voice and display her efforts. The innocent nightingale listened to the frog and puffed heavily. This, unfortunately, led to her vein burst and she died. The awfully cunning frog described her as a stupid and brainless creature and a creature who was tense, nervous, and easily influenced. The frog celebrated this because now he had the victory and began singing in his unpleasant voice in the Bingle Bog.

Through this ballad, Vikram Seth strongly addresses its readers to be themselves and not get carried away by people’s opinions about them. The nightingale would have had a much better life if she hadn’t listened to the frog who himself boasted about his ridiculous voice. 

Exercise Your Brain

The following are a few questions for you to solve based on the poem which are important for class 10 students:

1. According to you, what should the nightingale have decided?
2. Elaborate on the character of the frog.
3. Why was the frog furious in the end?
4. Why did the frog call the nightingale brainless?
5. Describe the irony in the statement of the frog when he says, “That your song must be your own”
6. What is the moral of the poem?
7. What message does the poem convey?
8. Why do you think the frog could control the Nightingale?
9. How did the frog offer to help Nightingale?
10. What did the frog do all day?

Conclusion of the Frog and the Nightingale

The moral of this story is that one should have confidence in oneself and believe in one’s own talent.

Que 1. The nightingale was sorrowful and pale because

1. she had been practicing in the rain
2. she had been performing all night
3. she was losing confidence in herself
4. she was falling ill

A. 3. she was losing confidence in herself

Que 2. The audience was tired of her song because

1. they had heard it many times
2. it had become mechanical
3. she looked tired
4. she had added trill to her song

A. 2. it had become mechanical

Que 3. She no longer enjoyed singing alone as

1. she wanted to sing only for titled crowd
2. she was now used to the appreciation she got
3. the frog was no longer with her
4. she had become proud of herself

A. 2. she was now used to the appreciation she got

Q: Which are the different ways in which the frog asserts his importance?

A: The frog asserts his importance in the following ways:

1. He says that he is the owner of that tree.
2. He is famous for his splendid voice.
3. He writes for the periodical, ‘Bog trumpet’.
4. He is a music trainer and critic like Mozart.

Q: Why is the frog’s joy both sweet and bitter?

A: The frog’s delight was sweet as the songbird was drawing in colossal groups at the show and, so he was printing large chunks of change through them. His delight was harsh because of envy as such groups had never accumulated to hear him sing. The frog was harsh as he was envious of the nightingale forever.

Q: Why was the frog angry?

A: The frog resented the nightingale since there were no groups at the show anymore. As she was drained, her voice became harsh and it was shaking. Thus, the crowd no longer came for the shows coordinated by the frog. He was unable to bring in cash as was irate with the bird.

Q4: How did the frog become the unrivaled king of the bog again?

A: Yet again the frog turned into the unparalleled lord of the swamp as the songbird had kicked the bucket. The bird had been anxious by the frog, so she kicked the bucket as one of her veins burst.

Yet again no other person except for the frog sang in the bingle lowland.

Q5: Bring out the irony in the frog’s statement – ‘Your song must be your own.

A: The incongruity in the frog’s words is that at first when he met the songbird and she said that she was fulfilled that the tune was her own synthesis, he criticizes her that it isn’t anything too extraordinary to even consider bragging about and later, when the bird is dead, he says that the helpless bird ought to have realized that she ought to have sung her own tune in her own particular manner.

Q6: Do you think the end is justified?

A: The poem helps us to believe in our capacities. It shows us the envious substance of the general public and cautions us to save ourselves from such individuals. I believe that albeit the end is brutal as the honest bird passes on, it gives a strong message and cautions us not to be inclined to impact.

Hope you understood the hidden meaning of the poem- The Frog and the Nightingale. For more such blogs and notes, stay tuned to Leverage Edu.