Corona Says

By Notes Vandar

Corona Says Summary

The poem Corona Says is written by the Nepali poet Vishnu S. Rai, who was educated in India, Nepal, and the UK. He is a retired professor of Tribhuvan University and taught English Language Education. The poem deals with the global pandemic Covid-19 and its severe impact on human life.

The poem focuses on the worldwide Corona crisis and presents a subtle satire on human behavior and attitudes. The poet views Covid-19 as a result of human cruelty and irresponsible treatment of nature. Through this perspective, the poem highlights how human actions have disturbed the natural balance.

The speaker, who represents the virus itself, asks humans not to cry and strongly criticizes them for the destruction they have caused. He claims that the irrational and selfish behavior of human beings has invited the pandemic. According to the speaker, humans have caused more deaths through wars than through diseases. Thus, the poem questions the so-called superiority of humans over other living creatures.

The pandemic forces humans to reflect on their indifference towards birds, animals, sea creatures, and trees that provide oxygen. These living beings are treated as slaves and are either killed or sold according to human desires. The poem condemns such exploitation of nature.

The poet also presents some positive effects of the pandemic. Due to reduced human activities, the sky becomes clear without dust and smoke. Humans feel like animals confined in a zoo, while the earth gets a chance to rest and heal itself.

Finally, the speaker urges humans to understand themselves before claiming control over everything. He reminds them that the earth is a shared home for all living beings. Although the disease can be cured, the poem warns that many other dangers still exist. If humans continue their immoral and destructive activities, they may cause irreversible damage and put their civilization at risk.

Corona Says Exercise

Understanding the Text

Answer the following questions:

a. Who is the speaker in the poem?
The speaker in the poem is Corona, which speaks as a voice representing the pandemic.

b. Who claims that they are superior to all?
Human beings of the modern world claim that they are superior to all other living creatures.

c. Why has the speaker come to the Earth?
The speaker has come to the Earth because of human beings’ continuous abuse and exploitation of nature.

d. What positive changes have occurred on Earth after the speaker’s visit?
After the speaker’s visit, the sky became clean and free from dust and smoke. Human beings felt confined like animals in a zoo. The pandemic also allowed the Earth to rest and recover from excessive human activities.

Reference to the Context

a. What does the speaker mean when he says:

But have you ever counted
How many have died so far
Because of you and your wars?

In these lines, the speaker reminds human beings that they are themselves responsible for a large number of deaths caused by wars. He asks humans to think about how many innocent people have lost their lives because of human violence, greed, and the desire for power. Wars are fought for land, resources, and control, but ordinary people suffer the most. Many lose their lives, homes, and loved ones, and even after wars end, people continue to suffer from pain, fear, and poverty. By saying this, the speaker wants humans to understand that the destruction caused by wars is often greater than that caused by diseases, and therefore humans should stop blaming nature and start correcting their own harmful actions.

b. Explain the following lines:

I will depart one day.
But remember
There’re many others like me.
They’ll come too.
If you don’t get rid of your inflated ego,
You’ll be back to your cave time
That you endured
Long, long, long ago…

In this extract, the speaker warns human beings to give up their pride, ego, and selfish behavior. He says that the present pandemic will not last forever and will end one day, but if humans do not change their attitude, other similar diseases may appear in the future. Humans believe that they are powerful and can control everything, but they forget to respect nature. The speaker reminds them that going against the laws of nature can bring serious problems. If people continue to harm nature and act selfishly, human civilization itself may be destroyed, and people may be forced to live a hard and primitive life like in ancient times.

c. What does the speaker mean in the following lines? Explain.

The earth is not your property alone.
It’s as much ours as yours.

In these lines, the speaker clearly says that the earth does not belong only to human beings. It is the shared home of all living creatures such as animals, birds, insects, and plants. All living beings have equal rights to use natural resources to survive. However, humans think they are superior and use all resources for their own benefit. In the name of development, humans destroy forests, rivers, and the homes of other creatures. This creates imbalance in nature and harms the entire environment. The speaker is worried that continuous human pressure on nature will destroy the ecosystem and create danger for all living beings, including humans.

Reference Beyond the Text

a. What human behaviors are responsible for suffering in people’s lives?

Human behaviors like greed, ego, selfishness, violence, and hunger for power are mainly responsible for suffering in people’s lives. Humans fight wars, destroy nature, and exploit natural resources without thinking about the results. Because of their selfish actions, many diseases have spread and many people have lost their lives. Wars and conflicts caused by human ego have destroyed families and societies. Therefore, human beings themselves are responsible for most of the problems and sufferings they face in the world.

b. How does an epidemic differ from a pandemic? Briefly explain the impact of Coronavirus on human life and the environment.

An epidemic is a disease that spreads rapidly among people in a particular area or community, whereas a pandemic spreads over many countries or the whole world and affects a very large number of people. Coronavirus is one of the biggest threats of the twenty-first century. It has caused the death of millions of people and created fear, stress, and mental pressure among people worldwide. Many businesses were closed, people lost jobs, and the global economy was badly affected. At the same time, the pandemic had some positive effects on the environment. Due to lockdowns, fewer vehicles were on the roads, industries were closed, and pollution levels decreased. As a result, the air became cleaner and the environment healthier than before.

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