Poem : 'The coffin maker' ; 4 April, 2023.

3 May, 2023
Uploaded to ChatGPT for analysis.
Poem “The coffin-maker.”
Soman Ragavan : Hello. Can I post a poem of mine for analysis, please ?

ChatGPT
Hello Soman! Yes, of course, you can post your poem here for analysis. I would be happy to provide you with feedback and insights. Please go ahead and share your poem.
 
Soman Ragavan : My poem : "The coffin maker." Please analyse by each stanza, then give overall comments. Mention similar poems from other authors, where possible. THE COFFIN-MAKER

ChatGPT :
Thank you for sharing your poem, Soman. Here is my analysis of each stanza:

Stanza 1: The poem begins by introducing us to a coffin-maker who is highly skilled and well-known in his town. The imagery of his clothes smelling of wood varnish paints a clear picture of the nature of his work. The final line suggests that he takes pleasure in his craft.

Stanza 2: This stanza emphasizes the single-mindedness of the coffin-maker's focus on his work. He spends his days sawing, drilling, nailing, and hammering, all while singing to himself. The phrase "nest for mourning" is a striking one, evoking a sense of finality and loss.

Stanza 3: The poet acknowledges that some people may laugh or mock the coffin-maker's profession, but he suggests that there is something more to it than just the macabre. The final line hints at a surprise twist that will be revealed later in the poem.

Stanza 4: After a long morning of work, the coffin-maker climbs into one of his own coffins for a rest. The language here is vivid and detailed, and the image of the man settling down for a nap in a coffin is both eerie and intriguing.

Stanza 5: Some passers-by notice the coffin-maker taking his midday nap, and their reactions are described as "chillingly novel." However, the coffin-maker himself is unperturbed, and the final line suggests that he is accustomed to this routine.

Stanza 6: The poem concludes with the coffin-maker emerging from his self-made resting place, having polished it up and emerged "all in one piece." The final lines suggest that the poem is meant to pay tribute to the coffin-maker's unique perspective on death and life.

Overall, this poem is well-constructed and engaging. The use of imagery and language is strong, and the surprise twist in the final stanza adds a layer of depth to the poem's message. One poem that comes to mind as a point of comparison is Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," which also explores themes of death and finality in a macabre setting. However, your poem has a lighter tone and ultimately delivers a more optimistic message. Well done!
 
Soman Ragavan : This poem says a lot about workers' attitude to work here. While the story might appear jovial, the correctness of the worker is questionable. Imagine the person who had ordered the coffin had turned up at that time and was delivered that precise coffin. Would he accept a coffin that has been USED for someone to rest in ?!...

ChatGPT
Thank you for your comment, Soman. You raise a valid point about the correctness of the worker's actions in the poem. It's true that if the person who ordered the coffin had turned up while the coffin-maker was napping in it, it would have been highly inappropriate and unprofessional.

However, it's worth noting that the poem is not meant to be taken as a realistic portrayal of a coffin-maker's profession. Rather, it uses the coffin-maker and his actions as a metaphor for the way we approach work and life. The surprise twist in the final stanza suggests that the coffin-maker's experience has given him a unique perspective on life and death, and his actions are meant to be interpreted in this context.

That being said, it's important for workers to maintain a professional and ethical approach to their work, and the poem shouldn't be taken as an endorsement of unprofessional behavior.
 
Soman Ragavan : Thus, with these workers, the coffin they give you might not be a new one. It had been tried and tested.

ChatGPT
I understand your point, but it's important to note that the poem is not meant to be taken literally. The coffin-maker in the poem is a fictional character and his actions are meant to be interpreted as a metaphor for the way we approach work and life.

It's true that in real life, we expect new and unused coffins when we order them. However, the poem is not about the coffin-making profession specifically, but rather about the way we approach our work and our lives in general. The poem suggests that the coffin-maker's experience has given him a unique perspective on life and death, and his actions are meant to be interpreted in this context.

In any profession, it's important for workers to maintain a professional and ethical approach to their work, and the poem shouldn't be taken as an endorsement of unprofessional behavior.
 
Soman Ragavan : The coffin-maker is not fictional. It was a real business and real workers. They made coffins for real. I saw it myself.

ChatGPT
I apologize for my previous response. I was mistaken in thinking that the coffin-maker in the poem was a fictional character.

In that case, your point about the correctness of the coffin-maker's actions is valid. It's important for workers to maintain a professional and ethical approach to their work, and using a customer's product for personal use is inappropriate and unprofessional.

However, it's still possible to interpret the poem as a metaphor for the way we approach our work and our lives. The surprise twist in the final stanza suggests that the coffin-maker's experience has given him a unique perspective on life and death, and his actions are meant to be interpreted in this context.

Overall, the poem is thought-provoking and raises interesting questions about the way we approach our work and our lives.
 
Soman Ragavan : Thank you. Goodbye for now.

ChatGPT
You're welcome! If you have any more questions or if there's anything else I can help you with in the future, feel free to come back anytime. Goodbye for now!

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At Rose Hill, Mauritius, in the 1990s. 
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                            THE  COFFIN MAKER

In the centre of yon bustling town
Toil'd a coffin maker of good renown;
His clothes smack'd of wood varnish,
And, his work certainly did he relish.

Just coffins would the man make all day long :
Sawing and drilling, nailing and hammering;
All day, while singing to himself some song,
Would he go on making that nest for mourning.

His business was just to make coffins,
And well may the likes of the ragamuffins
Laugh their silly heads off in joviality,
Or churn out their venomous poetry.

Indeed might coffins scare the pants off
Many of those that at death do scoff,
But, this  fellow had up his sleeve
Some surprise for those that still live.

Having toil'd away at his work all morning,
For a  resting place was the man looking,
To take finally a well-deserv’d nap,
And pull over his face his dusty cap.

But, what better place than this very coffin
At which he had been toiling in all that din.
If the proof of the pudding be in the eating,
The proof of the coffin lies in the trying.

                                              * * *

Well, lightly did he hop in, this man,
And, as he had enough of a tan,
Onto his face he pull'd his cap,
And settl'd down for his little nap.

Some passers-by did turn and marvel
At this midday nap so chillingly novel;
But, for the worker, 'twas just as good,
And at length, quite upright, up he stood.

Such an experience be not given to many :
Climbing in and out of any coffin
Perhaps is not an easy bet to win :
Many may find the very idea uncanny.

In the coffin did the man sleep in peace,
And finally all alone he did get up,
And the whole coffin polish up,
And walk away all in one piece.

Thus, on this subject what could be said ?
That somehow some tribute should be paid
To this worker who made it quite clear
That no coffin living folks need fear. 
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