Poem Television Summary in English by Roald Dahl
Summary
TLDRIn this video, English Vanessa explores Roald Dahl's poem 'Television,' where he critiques the addictive nature of TV, particularly its negative impact on children. Dahl, a renowned children's author, emphasizes the harm of letting children become entranced by television, advocating instead for the joys of reading. He suggests replacing TV sets with bookshelves, promising that children will eventually appreciate the wisdom and imagination that books provide, fostering a lifelong love for reading.
Takeaways
- 📚 The author, Roald Dahl, is celebrated as one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century, known for his novels, short stories, and screenplays.
- 📺 'Television' is a poem by Roald Dahl that criticizes the impact of television on children, suggesting it should be kept away from them.
- 👀 The poem describes children as being hypnotized by the television, staring for long hours and becoming idle, which Dahl views as harmful.
- 🧠 Dahl argues that television viewing dulls a child's mind, stifles imagination, and clogs the mind with inappropriate content.
- 📚 Before television, children were engaged in reading, spending significant portions of their lives immersed in books.
- 📚 The script highlights the richness of children's literature, mentioning popular adventure stories and characters from classic children's books.
- 📚 The poem encourages parents to replace the television with a bookshelf, promoting reading as a healthier and more enriching activity for children.
- 👶 The initial resistance from children to the absence of a television is expected, but Dahl assures that they will eventually turn to reading out of boredom.
- 📚 Once children start reading, they will experience joy and a sense of fulfillment that television cannot provide, according to the poem.
- 🌟 The long-term effect of fostering a love for reading in children will be their appreciation for the wisdom and knowledge books offer, as opposed to the superficial entertainment of television.
- 👨👩👧👦 Parents are urged to make the switch for the benefit of their children, as they will be loved and appreciated for providing a more enriching environment.
Q & A
Who is the author of the poem 'Television' discussed in the video?
-The author of the poem 'Television' is Roald Dahl, a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot, and screenwriter.
What is Roald Dahl widely recognized for?
-Roald Dahl is widely recognized as one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century.
What awards did Roald Dahl receive?
-Roald Dahl received several awards, including the Edgar Allan Poe Award, the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, the Children's Author of the Year Award, and the Millennium Children's Book Award.
What perspective does the poem 'Television' address from?
-The poem 'Television' addresses its subject from a third-person perspective.
What is the main criticism of the television in the poem?
-The main criticism of the television in the poem is that it makes children and everyone else addicted to it, causing them to do nothing but stare at the screen.
What does the speaker in the poem suggest should be done about televisions in households?
-The speaker in the poem suggests that children should not be allowed near the television set and that it would be better not to install the television at all.
What are the negative impacts on children from watching television as described in the poem?
-The negative impacts on children from watching television include becoming hypnotized by the screen, having their imagination killed, and becoming dull and blind to fantasy and fairy tales.
What does the poet suggest as an alternative to television for children's entertainment?
-The poet suggests reading books as an alternative to television for children's entertainment.
What kind of books did children read in the past according to the poem?
-According to the poem, children in the past read books with fantastic stories of dragons, gypsies, queens, whales, treasure islands, smugglers, pirates, elephants, and cannibals.
What is the poet's final advice to parents regarding television and books?
-The poet's final advice to parents is to remove the television set and replace it with a bookshelf filled with books, as this will eventually lead to children discovering the joy of reading and appreciating the wisdom that books provide.
How does the poet describe the transformation children will undergo once they start reading books?
-The poet describes the transformation as children growing keen on reading, finding it more interesting than the television, and eventually wondering what they ever saw in the 'ridiculous machine' of television.
Outlines
📺 The Impact of Television on Children
The first paragraph introduces the poem 'Television' by Roald Dahl, a renowned British author known for his storytelling prowess, particularly for children. The poem is presented from a third-person perspective, criticizing the television as an addictive object detrimental to children. It emphasizes the poet's plea to parents to keep their children away from the 'idiotic box' of television, highlighting its negative impacts, such as making children passive viewers who stare blankly at the screen. The poet uses vivid imagery to describe children's enraptured state in front of the television, suggesting that it hinders their physical activity and intellectual growth.
🧠 The Detrimental Effects of Television on Imagination
The second paragraph delves deeper into the negative effects of television on children's minds. It suggests that television viewing dulls the senses, stifles imagination, and clutters the mind with unrealistic and inappropriate content. The poet argues that television replaces children's natural curiosity and creativity with a passive acceptance of whatever is shown on screen. This leads to a loss of the ability to engage with fantasy and fairy tales, as the child's mind becomes preoccupied with the fictional narratives presented by television. The poet also addresses the concern of parents about how to entertain their children without television, advocating for the return to traditional forms of entertainment that existed before the advent of television.
📚 The Power of Reading and the Joy of Books
The final paragraph of the script extols the virtues of reading as a superior alternative to television. It encourages parents to replace the television set with a bookshelf filled with a variety of books. Despite initial resistance from children, the poet assures that they will eventually find joy and enrichment in reading. The paragraph celebrates the imaginative worlds and knowledge that books provide, contrasting this with the passive consumption of television. The poet envisions a future where children will appreciate the wisdom and pleasure of reading, and will thank their parents for introducing them to the world of literature over the shallow entertainment of television.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Television
💡Addiction
💡Imagination
💡Hypnotized
💡Fantasy
💡Reading
💡Storyteller
💡Award
💡Nursery
💡Bewitch
💡Bookshelf
Highlights
The poem 'Television' by Roald Dahl criticizes the addictive nature of television, especially on children.
Roald Dahl is recognized as one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century and received multiple awards for his work.
The poem is written from a third-person perspective, emphasizing the poet's observations and opinions on television's impact.
Dahl suggests that children should not be allowed near television, labeling it as an 'idiotic thing'.
The poem describes children 'gaping' at the television screen, highlighting their fixation and inactivity.
Dahl uses vivid imagery, such as 'eyes pop out', to portray the excessive time children spend watching TV.
The poem argues that television hypnotizes children, filling their minds with 'shocking, ghastly junk'.
Dahl points out that television watching leads to a lack of physical activity and interaction with the real world.
The poet suggests that television stultifies children's minds, making them 'dull and blind' to fantasy and creativity.
Dahl criticizes television for killing imagination and making children believe in a preset imaginary world.
The poem questions the impact of television on children's cognitive development, making their minds 'soft as cheese'.
Dahl proposes that parents consider the long-term effects of television on their children's imagination and intellect.
The poet contrasts the passivity of television watching with the active engagement of reading books.
Dahl reminisces about the rich children's literature of the past, encouraging a return to reading as a form of entertainment.
The poem ends with a plea to parents to replace the television with a bookshelf, fostering a love for reading in their children.
Dahl assures that children will eventually appreciate the removal of the television and the introduction of books in their lives.
The final message is that books provide true wisdom and joy, unlike the superficial entertainment of television.
Transcripts
hello everyone and welcome back to
English Vanessa in this video we are
going to discuss poem television by Ral
so before moving further let us know
about the author rall was a British
novelist short story writer fighter
pilot and a screenwriter rall widely
recognized as one of the greatest
storytellers for children of the 20th
century he received several Awards
including the Edgar Alano award World
fantasy award for life achievements
children's author of The Year award and
Millennium children's books
award the poet addresses this poem in a
third person
perspective in the poem television Ral
criticizing the object which has made
not only the kids but everyone addicted
to it he says outright that the children
should not be allowed anywhere near your
television head the speaker then goes to
describe the reason why it's
harmful as the kids do nothing but Gap
at the screen point this out at the the
first negative impact on kids from
television here he portrays the
dangerous threat which a television
possess for everyone especially the kids
and through this poem author pleads the
parents not to put their kids in front
of the idiotic box that is television so
now let's start the poem it is a lengthy
poem with a single sentence we don't
have a stanas in this let's start this
the most important thing we have learned
so far as children are concerned is
never never let them near the television
set or better is still just don't
install the idiotic thing at all so here
in this poem Dal advises from his
experience that people should never ever
allow their children to go near the
television set it is even better not to
install the idiotic thing which is
called television but why is the
television an idiotic thing according to
the poet so that only throughout the
entire poem Dal attempt to answer
it let's see the further lines in almost
every house we have been we have watched
them gaping at the screen the LA and
slope and Lounge about and stare until
their eyes pop out last week in
someone's place we saw a dozen eyeballs
on the floor now first of all let's see
the meaning of these hard words so here
the meaning of gaping nothing but
watching something by wide open eyes and
the meaning of LOL slop and Lounge is
nothing but sit or lie in a lazy or
relaxed way and pop out means come out
the eyes come out so here in these lines
the poet shares his experience that in
almost every house he visited he has
watched children gaping at the screen
they were staring with their eyes wide
open and with Absolut concentration of
mind for sitting a long time before the
television said they become tired
sometime they sit or lie in a lazy and
Casual manner that LA and slope and
Lounge about that means they sit and lie
in a lazy Manner and they get Sloopy but
still they stare at the television until
their eyes are too tired to watch
anymore means they watch television
until their eyes are pop
out and all these are not dal's
imagination he indeed saw a dozen
eyeballs that is half a dozen children
who are sitting on the floor and
watching television at someone's house
very recently when the poet visited them
last week now let's see the fourth lines
they sit and stare and stare and sit
until they are hypnotized by it until
they are absolutely drunk with all that
shocking gasly
junk so when the children are before the
television set means in front of the
television set they sit and stare and
stare and sit for long hours they don't
seem to be moving from there as they
probably forget everything around them
in the real world rather the one they
watch in the television that becomes
real for time
being they are almost hypnotized by this
idiotic box they are absolutely strung
their minds and fill those shocking
gasly junk which are mostly unreal and
inappropriate for their age those TV
shows kill their valuable time and make
them lazy with no room for the physical
play and exercise they have no scope of
spending time with books and nature and
interacting with others their mind
filled with the stories and images of a
virtual
world oh yes we know it keep keep them
still they don't climb out the window
sill they never fight or kick or punch
they leave you free to cook the lunch
and wash the dishes in the
sink now here the poet says that he
knows that the television keeps the
naughty children calm means when they
are in front of the television set they
no more do mischievous things like
climbing out the window sill fighting
kicking and punching to each other they
let the mother free to cook the lunch
and wash the dishes in the sink without
any disturb
but but that can't be an excuse to let
them sit before the television sit
because the poet thinks that the idiotic
device does more harm than good then he
further asked but did you ever stop to
think to wonder just exactly what this
does to your beloved to now the meaning
of t here the kid so here poet the
speaker asked the parents whether they
ever spent a moment to think exactly
what harm this tell Vision does to their
beloved child he himself answered in a
brilliant way it draws the sense in the
head it kills the imagination did it
clogs a clutter up the mind it makes a
child so dull and blind can no longer
understand a fantasy a fairy land so
here poet described the negative impact
of watching television like watching
television regularly damages the sense
in the head children are drawn away from
the reality the real world around them
them they just believe what they watches
without considering the context their
own environment hardly matches with the
ones the scenes on the screen like in my
childhood I used to believe in the Magic
Pencil one of the show I used to watch
in my childhood that shakalaka boom boom
the things the children watch in the
television that are unreal but the
things that are real and it also kills
the power of imagination in the mind
children start to live in a preset
imaginary world that they see on the
screen they slowly lose their own
creative thinking their own
imagination and here Ral continues to
argue on how television affect a child's
mind children watch different shows on
different Channel sometime they are
contradictory ideas sometime it does not
match with the reality and they surprise
these things clock and clutter up their
mind mess up with organized ideas and
thoughts moreover the child forget to
think on his own his entire mind is full
of images he has seen on the television
so how would he get the time and scope
to think over other things his important
time is wasted in the thoughts that are
fictional and not related to his own
life thus his study and thoughts on how
to improve his skill and personality are
neglected this is as if the child
gradually becomes dull and
blind he can no longer understand a
fantasy a fairy
land the poet here feels that due to
imposed imitation on THS the children
can no longer understand a fantasy or
fairy tale they cannot extend their
imaginative power to the level they are
now used to see an image of the likely
real world a virtual
reality his brain becomes as soft as
cheese his power of thinking rust and
freeze he cannot think he only sees Dal
no here says that by watching television
the brain of the children becomes soft
like a cheese children now believe
everything they watch or hear on
television they cannot find their own
logic to analyze and interpret the thing
power of thinking the thought process
freezes and gets Rusty they cannot think
on their own all they do is watching and
believing what others say on the
television all right he'll cry all right
he'll say but if we take the set away
what shall we do to entertain our
darling children please explain now here
poet say is that he knows what the
parents would ask him the question is
how parents shall entertain their
affectionate children if they take the
TV set away for them the poet has answer
in the following lines we'll answer this
by asking you what use the darling wants
to do how use the keep thems content
before this monster was invented have
you forgotten don't you know Bill say it
very loud and slow so here the poet
answered the above question only by
throwing a question what people people
used to do to keep themsel entertained
when television was not invented
television set is a dreaded device a
monster to him he wants people here to
remind that what they used to do in the
absence of such
device say it very loud and slow they
used to read they read and read and read
and read and then proceed to read some
more great scad gadzooks one half their
lives was reading books so here the poet
himself remind us that that children in
earlier times used to read lots of books
surprisingly people then spent half of
their lifetime by reading books like
Great Scot and
gadzooks the nursery shelves held books
gallore books clutter up the nursery
floor and in the bedroom by the bed more
books were waiting to be
read so here poet describing in those
earlier days the nursery shelves were
full of books the in their Nursery means
Library books remain scattered on the
floor even in their bedroom and by the
Bed Books clutter up everywhere such
wonders find pantastic Tales of dragons
gypsies queens and whales and treasures
is and Distant Shores where where
Smugglers rod with a muffled ORS and
Pirates wearing purple Pines and sailing
ships and sailing ships and elepants and
cannibals crouching around the part
stiring away something hot it is it is
smells so good what can it be good greci
is is penlop penlop means wife in Greek
so here you can see the poet talks about
the popular books of adventurist that
children used to read in the past time
in those days boys and girls read
fantastic stories of dragons gypsies
Queens whales Treasure Island or
Smugglers Like pirat Pirates ships
elephants and cannibals and so on
the younger ones had berrick poter with
Mr Todd and dirty rter and Squid and
nutkin pigling brand and Mrs tigy Winkle
and just How the Camel Got His Hump and
how the monkey lost his rump and Mr Toad
and bless my soul there is Mrs rat there
is Mr rat and Mr mole oh books what
books they used to know those children
leaving long ago so the younger children
used to read stories written by Helen
berrick spotter he's the author of
children's
book which featuring animals with a
colorful illustration so Dal here pays a
tribute to the children's author for her
fantastic stories on animals he also
mentions some of the stories like how
the Camel Got His Hump and some
characters like Mr Toad Mrs twinkle Etc
from those stories so this shows that
poet's love for those books and how he
enjoyed them in his Childhood Days
please we beg we pray go through your TV
set away and in its place you can
install a lovely bookshelf on the wall
then fill the shelves with a lots of
books ignoring all the dirty looks their
screams and yells their bites and kicks
and children hitting you with sticks the
poet nor request the parents for their
own good to throw away the television
set and install and install a bookshelf
in its place after installing a
bookshelf in place of a television set
the parents will face some dirty looks
screams yells bites and kicks from their
children they may even hit them with
stick but the poet insist on filling
that shelf with lots of books on various
topic ignoring all the dirty looks fear
not because we promise you that in about
a week or two of having nothing else to
do they will now begin to feel the need
of having something to read and once
they start oh boy oh boy you watch the
slowly growing joy that fills their
hearts so here the poet assures us that
after a week or two those children would
find nothing to do without a television
set around so they will finally feel the
need to read
books they will come closer to books on
their own and once they start reading
the only way is ahead of them they will
find it interesting to read more and
more books that books will give them
imagination and thoughts the knowledge
and wisdom the satisfaction of mind and
heart they they will grow so Keen they
will wonder what they had ever seen in
that ridiculous machine that no setting
fall unclean repulsive television screen
so here at one stage they will grow so
keen on reading books that they will
wonder what they had found in that silly
machine called television they will find
the television screen disused Ing and
unclean as they will discover the real
Joy of reading
books and later every kid will love you
more for what you did and finally each
and every kid will love the parents for
giving them the opportunity to find real
joy in reading the books even when they
would grow up they would thank the
parents for taking the television set
away and installing the bookshelf there
so here The Poets advocates for reading
and only reading
because all things television can never
be a substitute for books books are the
only things that can deliver real
wisdom so I hope it would be helpful for
you stay tuned for more videos and
thanks for watching
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