Two's Company

  

Two's Company

 

The poem

They said the house was haunted, but

He laughed at them and said, Tut-tut!

I never heard such title – tattle

As ghosts that groan and chains that rattle;

 

And just to prove I’m in the right

Please leave me here to spend the night;

They winked absurdly, tried to smother

Their ignorant laughter, nudged each other

 

And left him just as dusk was falling

With a hunchback moon and screech owls calling.

Not that this troubled him one bit;

In fact, he was quite glad of it;

Knowing it’s every sane man’s mission

To contradict all superstition.

 

But what is that?  Outside it seemed

As if chains rattled someone screamed!

Come, come, it’s merely nerves, he’s certain

(but just the same, he draws the curtain).

The stroke of twelve – but there’s no clock!

He shuts the door and turns the lock

(of course he knows that no –one’s there

But no harm’s done by taking care!);

Some one’s outside the silly joker,

(he may as well pick up the poker!)

 

That noise again! He checks the doors,

Shutters the windows, makes a pause

To seek the safest place to hide

(the cupboard’s strong – he creeps inside)

Not that there’s anything to fear’

He tells himself, when at his ear

A voice breathes softly, how do you do!

I am the ghost, pray who are you?’

 

Raymond Wilson (1874 -1942)

Raymond Wilson chambers was born on 12 November 1874. He was a scholar, author from Britain he was educated at university college. He was a librarian at that institution and Assistant Professor in the English Department. He served in World War 1 with the Red Cross in France. His acclaimed 1935
biography, Thomas More, was awarded the James Tait Black memorial prize.  He wrote on wide variety of subjects on English literature, history and culture.  He is the editor of Native Americans in the Twentieth Century and Indian lives.  Dr. Wilson has published over 50 essays, articles encyclopedias, and dictionaries.  He is a member of several professional Organizations.

 

Summary of Two’s Company

It is a satirical poem. The poet satirizes the people who believe that there are no ghosts. The humor is from the contrast between what he, the central character says at the beginning and what happens at the end.

 The brave boy or the main characte
r in the poem decides to spend the night in a haunted house to prove to his friends that there are no ghosts.  But during his stay in that haunted house strange things happen which frighten him. The poem ends with the whisper of the ghost near his ear inside the cupboard where the brave boy hides himself to save from the ghosts.

 

Detail Analysis:

It is a humorous poem. It happens among friends. They talk about a haunted house and one of them is not ready to believe those ghost stories. He then decides to spend the night in that haunted house to prove his friends that ghost stories are not true.

Stanza -1

“They said the house was haunted, but

He laughed at them and said, Tut-tut!

I never heard such title – tattle

As ghosts that groan and chains that rattle;

And just to prove I’m in the right

Please leave me here to spend the night;”

 In this stanza the poet brings out the natural crazy behaviour of the young boys. The friends talk among themselves about a haunted house. They believe that there is a ghost in it. But one of them is not ready to believe what they say. He considers their talk as meaningless and gossips. The friends describe him about the sound of ghost, its cry in pain, and the movement of the ghosts, as it walk they hear the sound of the chains of the ghosts. The main character, the brave boy does not believe and he decides to prove his friends that they are wrong. So he agrees to stay in that haunted house to prove that ghosts are lies and gossip. They do not exist ‘Tut-tut’. The poet uses this and refers to unbelievable expression, and Tittle, tattle means the brave boy’s friends and their gossips. In this the poet says not only the boy’s braveness but also his overconfidence.

 

Stanza – 2

“They winked absurdly, tried to smother

Their ignorant laughter, nudged each other

And left him just as dusk was falling

With a hunchback moon and screech owls calling.” 

In this lines the poet wants to shows the natural behaviors of the young boys. They closed their eyes and winked at each other foolishly just for fun and to control their laughter, for they could not accept the opinion of the brave boy.  They nudge each other to get each other’s attraction to tease the boy, after their discussion they decide to leave the brave boy alone, now the boy is alone in that haunted house, it is getting dark now, new moon appeared, the poet refers the new moon to hunch back moon, it’s a beautiful comparison to show the shape of the moon. There are owls screeching, crying and hooting, it is a fearful atmosphere. The poet has created the (start) beginning of a different atmosphere to create a sense of fear among the readers.

 

“Not that this troubled him one bit;

In fact, he was quite glad of it;

Knowing it’s every sane man’s mission

To contradict all superstition “

The scene changes from this point. The atmosphere of the brave boy is quite scary. But he is not troubled, by any of the strange sounds. He is a brave boy and he is quite happy that he has taken this task to prove to his friends about the fake belief of ghosts. He wants to show how people are fooled by these fake stories. The poet gives a universal message through this poem about the wrong believes and superstitions about such things. It is time to become aware of fake stories. Some time it could turn people in wrong direction. Through the brave boy the poet wants all of us to become sensible, all should believe and accept that ghosts do not exist. The purpose of the poem is to give awareness among people about the false believe of ghosts.

 

“But what is that?  Outside it seemed

As if chains rattled someone screamed!

Come, come, it’s merely nerves, he’s certain

(but just the same, he draws the curtain).”

In this situation, the poet brings out another strange experience of the brave boy. He could hear strange sounds around him. Sounds of the chains, screaming cry of someone.  All creates a fearful atmosphere, but the boy does not feel for anything. Though he feel anxiety, he just ignores what he hears, he moves the curtains and sees where nothing could be seen.  For him it is a kind of imagination, so he ignores his thoughts about ghosts, he wants to complete his purpose to prove his beliefs.

 

“The stroke of twelve – but there’s no clock!

He shuts the door and turns the lock

(of course he knows that no –one’s there

But no harm’s done by taking care!);

Some one’s outside the silly joker,

(he may as well pick up the poker!)”

 

The brave boy hears the sound of clock, there is no clock in the haunted house, may be from somewhere far.  He hears strange sound, the boy shuts the door to make it safe for him and turns the lock. Now the boy slowly losing his braveness.  He get scared, all the sounds creates a scary surrounding to him.  He could feel the absence of anyone, at the same time he could feel the unusual presence of someone outside, he comforts himself by saying that may be a silly joker.  The readers could understand the situation of the brave boy as he is scared of ghost now.  He poet slowly turns the casual situation of the boy into serious one.  He transforms the boy’s overconfidence into practical acceptance.  He could also accept the belief of ghosts now.  The poet gives a message of reality in life.

“To seek the safest place to hide

(the cupboard’s strong – he creeps inside)

Not that there’s anything to fear’

He tells himself, when at his ear

A voice breathes softly, how do you do!

I am the ghost, pray who are you?’

 

In the final stanza the poet brings out the natural anxiety of the brave boy.  Now he looks for a safe place to hide. He faces many strange incidents and wants to be safe.  He wants to escape form the ghosts so He finds a cupboard and comfortably hides inside that. He feels safé inside the cupboard, but to his great shock the ghost who was inside so long speaks in a soft voice in his ear, introducing itself. “How do you do? I am a ghost. Pray who are you?” The words from the ghosts gives a humorous touch to the end of the poem. It is not possible to hear polite conversation from ghosts. It is very scarstic from the poet that the brave boy’s challenge becomes a comedy in the end.

 

Literary Devices

Humorous poem. But composed in a different style. It is a satirical poem to those who believe ghosts. The rhyming pattern followed in this poem moves the story pretty quickly. Also it helps to brings out the dramatic atmosphere, and the element of comedy.

Whole poem ends in a neat rhyming style which gives a melodious touch to the poem

Irony is the boy who wants to prove his friends about the false stories about ghosts now turns to accept the same story.

The hero contradicts his friends about ghosts but he fails to prove it.

The start and the end contracts and giving a surprising effects to the readers.

The tone of the poem is simple with living with non-living background

Description of each scene and the use of language gives a fearful impact among the readers.

And left him just as dusk was falling

With a hunchback moon and screech owls calling.”

 

Dusk falling refers to early evening and by hunchback moon the poet compares the shape of the new moon with a great sense of imagination.  Screech owls calling creates an eerie atmosphere. The fear slowly builds up in the boy.

The ghost’s introduction creates a humor as all know no ghost could be polite.  It is end the poem with a smile.

The message is many are there in our society to contradict what they see and hear.   It is our duty to find the truth.  We could prove their superstitious faiths to a certain extend with confidence but not with over confidence. Because believes and faiths and superstitions are part and parcel of life.  They could not be separated.

Thank you