In the street of the fruit stall

About The Author

 Jon Stallworthy was born on 18 January 1935 in London.His parents moved from Newzealand to London.His grand father John Stallworthy was also a great poet. He admitted in Dragon school and then Rugby school in his childhood. He was a great writer who began to write poems when he was only seven years old .  He also wrote biographies of famous people like Wilfred Owen and Lious Macneice. He Published seven volumes of poetry." A familiar tree " is a beautiful book. It is collection of many pretty poems of  Jon.

Theme of the poem: his is a symbolic poem. The poet highlights the major threats of war, misery and poverty to the world. He also mentions the innocence of children. He wants to show that even the threats of war, misery and poverty cannot crush the human joys, love and innocence. The children enjoy the sweet juice of fruit being unaware of the dark picture of the world. This poem highlights the threats of war, misery and poverty to the world.

Reference: These lines have been taken from the poem In the Street of fruit stalls written by Jan Stallworthy.

Context: This is a symbolic poem. The poet has expressed his idea in a fantastic way. In this miserable life, under the constant danger of the enemy, the people can still enjoy life if they want. The wants to tell us that real prosperity and peace can prevail by giving pleasure to the people. The children are happier than grown-ups because they have little understanding of the world and economics. They have little to spend but they fully enjoy it.

Poem:

Wicks balance flame, a dark dew falls

In the street of the fruit stalls,

Melon, guava, mandarin,

Pyramid-piled like cannon balls,

Glow red-hot, gold-hot, from within.

Dark children with a coin to spend,

Enter the lantern’s orbit; find Melon, guava, mandarin,

The moon compacted to a rind,

The sun in a pitted skin,

They take it, break it open, let.

A gold or silver fountain wet,

Mouth, fingers, cheek , nose chin,

Radiant as lanterns, they forget,

The dark street I am standing in.

( by Jon Stallworthy) 

Paraphrasing: It is evening. The due is falling in the dark night. There is a street of fruit stalls where fruits are piled up in pyramid form. They exhibit hot, red and golden colours. They look like bombs in the dim light of the lantern. The poor children come to buy fruit with a coin in their pockets. They look at the melon, guava, and other fruits that fill their mouths with water. They pick up the fruit and break it open. They enjoy the juice which makes their mouth, cheeks, fingers, and chin wet. They enjoy the fruit forgetting all about their surroundings. 

Stanza # 1; Explanation:

In this stanza, the poet describes the scene in the street of fruit stalls. He says that it is evening and the darkness is prevailing slowly. The dew drops fall gently making it a bit chill. The street is full of stalls of various fruits like melon, guava, and mandarin. The sellers have piled the fruit in a pyramid shape. The round fruit looks like cannonballs. The fruit reflects red-hot, gold-hot color in the light of the lantern.

Stanza # 2; Explanation:

In this stanza, the poet says that the children enter the orbit of the lantern. They have a coin to spend. They are looking for their favorite fruits. They look at the fruits like melon, guava, and mandarin. The fruit looks like moon packed in a rind. It looks like the sun with odd skin. The poet has described the fruit in a way to make the poem rhymed.

Stanza # 3; Explanation:

In this stanza, the poet describes the scene how children enjoy the fruit forgetting all the miseries around. The poor children could not afford a sufficient quantity of fruit as they had only a coin. They get little fruit with a coin. Yet, they are contented with it. They break the fruit and the juice comes out. They enjoy the fruit and the juice sticks to their fingers, cheek, nose, and chin. The children are fully absorbed in their enjoyment of fruit forgetting the darkness around. The poet is watching them standing in the dark.

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