Critical Appreciation of the Poem Nine Gold Medals
Introduction :
The poem entitled Nine Gold Medals is a simple depiction of an imaginary track event of a strange race where instead of competing with each other, the contestants cooperate with each other as one of them stumbles and falls down. It is a tribute to nine athletes who show unusual example of courage, valour and sympathy for co-runners.
The nine athletes of the Special Olympics set an example before mankind that it is not competition which makes one come out to the world in shining colours, but it is a sympathy for others, it is the ability to feel other’s pain and anguish, it is the ability to cooperate with others, it is the ability to make others happy which make us human and true hero. Medals are recognition of excellence and excellence is not in coming first in whatever one does, but in setting examples that the whole of mankind can follow.
The poem is not only about nine physically challenged athletes participating in an an event in Special Olympics, but it is about presenting to the world an instance of solidarity, amity and friendship which makes this Olympics truly special. The race that is described in the poem, the nine runners show that this usual definition of a race is something which can be challenged and a new definition of race as one of brotherhood, of kindness to other, of feeling for other’s pain, of sympathy, of fcomradeship, can be established.
Thought-Content :
In the poem, the poet describes the last race of an athletic event in which nine runners perticipated in a hundred metre race. The race was about to begin. Hie spectators were as excited as the participants. The names of the participants were announced. Nine young athletes took their position at the starting blocks. When the signal was given with the pistol fire, they began to run fast. One of the participants, the youngest of them, stumbled, staggered and fell on the track. He was more in mental anguish than in physical pain. Then something unusual and something surprising happened.
The remaining eight contestants Stopped and looked back at the fallen contestant. Instead of continuing the race, they came back to help their fellow contestant. Then they all joined hands and walked hand-in-hand to the finishing line. The audience was stunned to see this remarkable and wonderful sight. Everyone stood up and clapped. There were rune winners instead of one and each one was rewarded with a gold medal. This was how the ‘Special Olympics’ became a really special one.
Moral of the Poem :
The poem brings to us a great moral. It teaches that the sports is not only about winning medals but also they are about learning the values of cooperation, sharing, competing and complementing. Through the poem, the poet has presented the idea of empathy and how human values are as important as the spirit of competition. Then the poet conveys us that in order to enhance the quality of our life we need to develop empathy. Empathy is the ability to under-stand and accept others who are different form us. It helps us to appreciate what the other person is going through and to offer emotional support at the time of need. Empathy works wonders when applied to relationships.
It encourages positive behaviour towards people who are in need. Not only does the empathy help us to resolve conflicts but it also enables us to find solutions to problems. The poem also shows that empathetic behaviour is applauded by all.
Form and Structure of the Poem :
The poem is a heart-moving lyric. In the poem, the poet presents a simple and imaginary situations in ‘Special Olympics’. It has been divided into eight stanzas. Each stanza with the exception of the last, has four lines. The final stanza has one additional line which has been repeated to emphasise the message. It has no particular rhyme scheme but follows a rhythm that heightens its effect.
In stanza first there are no end rhymes. In stanza second, ‘men’ and ‘begin’ is the example of a near rhyme. In stanza three, ‘run’ and ‘gun’ are the two rhyming words. In stanza four the rhyme scheme is abab. Stanza five is without end rhymes. In stanza six and seven the rhyme scheme is abcb. In the final stanza, with five lines, the rhyming words are ‘still’ and ‘will’ and near rhyming words, ‘medals’ and ‘faces’.
The Use of Figure of Speech :
The poet has used the figure of speech alliteration in the following lines :
- ‘His dreams and his efforts all dashed in the dirt.
- ‘But the smallest among them, he stumbled and staggered.
Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers