NIGHTINGALE AND THE ROSE By Oscar Wilde | Question Answer | Summary | The CHSE Student

 NIGHTINGALE AND THE ROSE

By Oscar Wilde

Nightingale and the rose

Introducing the author

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854 -1900) is a gifted poet, playwright, novelist and short story writer from Ireland. His stories are marked by sparkling wit, genial humour and an insight into human nature.

 

Summary

 Once a boy was in love with the professor's daughter. She had asked him to offer her a red rose so that she would love him and dance with him at the prince's party. The college boy came to the garden, searched for a red rose and found nowhere because it was chilly weather. He looked sad and wept loudly in the garden. 

          A nightingale was living in an oak tree in the garden. She heard the pathetic cry of the student. She thought-I am singing for love. Now the boy is dying for love.I must help him. She went to the garden and requested the rose plant to give a red rose. The plant expressed its mobility and advised her to meet the rose plant near the window of the student. She went near the plant and requested a red rose. The plant said that it would not grow red roses in the snowy season. But if the nightingale pressed its chest against its thorn, poured all the blood and sang love songs, then the plant would grow a red rose. 

            The bird agreed to the condition of the rose plant, went to the student and told him that she would offer him a red rose. She returned to the rose plant. Evening came. The moon appeared in the sky. The bird pressed her chest against the thorn of the plant and began singing the song of origin of love. Gradually new leaves appeared in the tree. The plant said- press yourself more. Pour more blood, otherwise the night would be over and the red rose would be impossible. 

       The nightingale pressed her heart more. The pain made her shirk. Still she sang the song of sorrow in love. Blood came out of her body. The plant showed a rose. Gradually it became red and deep red. It looked like the loveliest flower in the world. But by that time, the nightingale had died. 

        Morning came. The student opened the window and saw the beautiful red rose. He plucked it and ran to the professor's daughter, presented her the loveliest red rose and requested her to dance with him. She laughed mockingly and said that Chamberlain's nephew had sent her real jewels and jewels were more precious than red roses. She would dance with him. She would not love a penniless student. The student threw away the red rose and returned home unhappily. He could not understand in which material the girls' hearts were made up. He opened big books and studied them to find out the answer. 

 
Nightingale And The Rose Question Answer

 

Unit-1

 

1. Why does the young student pine for a red rose ? 

Ans: The young student loved the professor's daughter. She had asked him to present a lovely red rose. She would wear it and dance with him at the prince's ball party. She would learn her head upon his shoulder. Her hand would be clasped in his hand. So he came to the garden and searched for a red rose. As he did not find it, he pined for it. 

 

2. Why does the nightingale admire the young student ? 

Ans: The nightingale was a bird of love. She sings for the promotion of love. She found the young boy pining for a red rose that would help him dance with his lady-love, without which his love would collapse. She realised that love was precious which could not be bought by wealth. She admired the young student for his faithfulness in love. 

 

3. How does the nightingale wonder at the mystery of love ? 

Ans: The nightingale was singing love songs continuously, but she had no idea that love was so deep and sincere, so precious and pious. From the boy's sorrow she realised that love was precious. It was dearer than pearl, pomegranates. It can't be purchased from the merchants. It can't be weighed out in exchange for gold. In this way she realised the mystery of love.

 

Unit-2

 

1. What does the nightingale do to get a red rose ? 

Ans: The nightingale wanted to help the student. She wanted to collect a red rose at any cost. She went to the garden. At the centre, there was a rose-tree. She told it, ``Please give me a red rose. Instead I will sing you my sweetest song. When it was denied she went to another tree. 

 

2. How does the Rose-tree growing beneath the student's door agree to give her a red rose ? 

Ans: The nightingale wanted to help a red rose to the student. So she went to the garden and met the rose-tree under the boy's window and requested it for a rose. It said that it would not be able to grow a red rose in the chilly winter. If the nightingale pressed her heart into the rose-tree's thorn, poured red blood, sang love songs all through moonlit night, then a red rose would be possible. 

 

3. Why does the nightingale decide to get a red rose at the cost of her life ? 

Ans: The nightingale heard the pathetic story of the boy. He was dying for love not being able to arrange a red rose. So Nightingale, who was a preacher of love, decided to help him by giving a red rose. The rose- tree under the boy's window gave a difficult proposal. If she obeyed it she might die. She thought that she would sacrifice her life for the sake of love. Her life is not more valuable than the boy's life.  

 

Unit-3

 

1. What does the nightingale expect from the student in exchange of a red rose ? 

Ans: The nightingale reached near the student and said that she would give him a red rose. But instead he must remain faithful, sincere in love. He would prove that love is precious, love is wiser than philosophy. He would offer the rose to the lady and confess love to her. 

 

2. What does the student write about the nightingale in his notebook ? 

Ans: The student took his notebook, when the nightingale was singing for the oak, and wrote she was from, but has she got feelings ? I am afraid not. In fact, she is like most artists. She is all style, without sincerity. She would not sacrifice herself for others. She thinks merely of music. Still, it must be admitted that she has some beautiful notes in her voice.

 

Unit-4

1. What does the nightingale do to get a red rose ? 

Ans: As per the saying of the rose tree, as the moon appeared in the sky, the nightingale flew to the rose tree, set her breast against the thorn. All night she sang with her breast against the thorn. The thorn went deeper and her life-blood ebbed away from her. The rose appeared in the tree. She sacrificed her life to get a rose. 

 

2. What kind of songs does the nightingale sing ? 

Ans: The nightingale pressed her heart against the thorn and all night long she sang songs of love. She first sang the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. Then she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid. Finally, she sang of the love that is perfected by death, of the love that dies not in the tomb. 

 

3. What is the effect of each song? 

Ans: The nightingale pressed her heart against the thorn and sang songs of love. She sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. And hearing the song, a marvellous rose blossomed in the tree. When she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid, a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose.When she sang of the love that is perfected by Death, the marvellous rose became crimson. 

 

Unit-5

 

1. What does the student do with the red rose ? 

Ans: The student opened the window, saw the red rose, plucked it and ran to the professor's house. He presented it to the professor's daughter and said, Here is the reddest rose in all the world. You will wear it to-night and dance with me. As we dance together it will tell you how I love you. 

 

2. How does the professor's daughter respond to the student's gift of the red rose ? 

Ans: The student offered the red rose to the professor's daughter and confessed love to her. She frowned and said that she loved Chamberlain's nephew who presented her real jewels, and jewels were more precious than mere red roses. Why should she marry a mere college student and spoil her life ? 

 

3. Why does the student return to his books ? 

Ans: The student had a belief that if he presented the professor's daughter with a red rose, she would love him and dance with him. He had belief in the nature of love as described in books. He collected a red rose and presented it to her. But she said that she loved Chamberlain's nephew who presented her real jewels. So, the student's theory of love failed. He wanted to return to his books, and to study metaphysics to know the nature of girls, the nature of love.