The Huntsman Poem by Edward Lowbury Main Idea, Explanation, Questions

The Huntsman Poem by Edward Lowbury

About the Poet | Edward Lowbury

 

During his long poetic career, he published seven commercial collections. His fame mainly depends upon his unique use of humor, irony, paradoxes, and satire. Between 1936-85, Lowbury published seven collections and shared them in

two joint collections. 

 

 

In the last part of his career, Lowbury had delivered many lectures on literary themes to learned societies; these were finally collected, along with a few essays, in Hallmarks of Poetry (University of Salzburg, 1994). He died in 2007.

 

Main Idea | Theme of Poem | The Huntsman

The Huntsman is an interesting poem based on African folklore. It is a story of a huntsman  Kagwa. He used to hunt lions in the forest. One day, while he was hunting, he saw a talking skull of a man. He asked the skull, how did

he come there. 

 

 

 

 

Secondly, we should not speak too much. Thirdly, we should not make haste. Sometimes by our hasty nature, we become the victim of unexpected dangers. Edward Lowbury is a great English poet. He is famous for his moralistic

writing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text and Explanation of the poem

Stanza 1

Kagwa hunted the lion.

Through bush and forest went his spear.

One day he found the skull of a man

And said to it, “How did you come here”?

The skull opened its mouth and said

“Talking brought me here”.

Reference and Context

 

 

 

Explanation

 

In these lines, the poet is narrating the tragic story of the African hunter Kagwa. Kagwa was a brave hunter. He used to hunt lions in the forest with a sword and spear. One day when he was strolling in the forest, he saw the skull of a dead man. He was, amazed to meet that skull. 

 

He asked the skull, “How did you come here?” The skull opened its mouth and said, “Talking brought me here”. It was, in fact, a piece of advice for Kagwa that sometimes irresponsible and careless talking proves fatal. But Kagwa failed to understand the underlying

message of those words.

 

Stanza 2

 

Kagwa hurried home;

Went to the King’s chair and spoke;

‘In the forest, I found a talking skull’

The king was silent. Then he said slowly

‘Never since I was born of my mother

Have I seen or heard of a skull which spoke’

Woods, jungle

Reference and Context 

 

same as for the above passage

Explanation

 

 

Stanza 3

 

The king called out his quads.

‘Two of you go with him

And find the talking skull

But if his tale is a lie

And the skull speaks no word,

This Kagwa himself must die.

Reference and Context

 

Same as for the above passage

Explanation

 

 

Stanza 4

 

They rode into the forest;

For days and nights, they found nothing

At last, they saw the skull; Kagwa

Said to it: how did you come here?

The skull said nothing. Kagwa implored,

But the skull said nothing.

Reference and Context

 

Same as for the above

 

Explanation

 

 

Stanza 5

 

The guards said ‘Knee down’

They killed him with a sword and spear.

Then the skull opened its mouth,

Huntsman, how did you come here?

And the dead man answered:

“Talking brought me here”

Kneel Bent position

Spear Pierce or thrust

Reference and Context

 

Same as for the above passage

 

Explanation

 

In these lines, the poet concludes the tragic end of Kagwa’s story. When the skull

did not speak as per the order of the king, the guards promptly beheaded Kagwa. After his death, the skull opened its mouth and asked Kagwa how he had come there. 

 

 

 

In much of your talking, thinking is half murdered

He who talks too much commits a sin”.

 

Important Questions and Answers

 

Question 1