Question

I.

It was six men of Hindustan

To learning much inclined,

Who went to see the Elephant

(Though all of them were blind),

That each by observation

Might satisfy his mind

II.

The First approached the Elephant,

And happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side,

At once began to bawl:

"God bless me!-but the Elephant

Is very like a wall!"

III.

The Second, feeling of the tusk,

Cried: "Ho!-what have we here

So very round and smooth and sharp?

To me't is mighty clear

This wonder of an Elephant

Is very like a spear!"

IV.

The Third approached the animal,

And happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands,

Thus boldly up and spake:

"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant

Is very like a snake!"

V.

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,

And felt about the knee.

"What most this wondrous beast is like

Is mighty plain," quoth he;

"'Tis clear enough the Elephant

Is very like a tree!"

VI.

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,

Said: "E'en the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most;

Deny the fact who can,

This marvel of an Elephant

Is very like a fan!"

VII.

The Sixth no sooner had begun

About the beast to grope,

Than, seizing on the swinging tail

That fell within his scope,

"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant

Is very like a rope!"

VIII.

And so these men of Indostan

Disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

Exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right,

And all were in the wrong!

MORAL

So, oft in theologic wars

The disputants, I ween,

Rail on in utter ignorance

Of what each other mean,

And prate about an Elephant

Not one of them has seen!

Post a response following these directions: use 40 words or less (yes, I mean 40 words or less for both 1 & 2, not each) and number your responses as below:

1. give your opinion of what the poem means

2. relate that opinion to your understanding of what is normal and abnormal

Answer 1

Answer 1- It depicts that people believes something to be true based on their limited personal experiences.

Answer 2- Normal is to form an opinion by experiencing limited truth. Abnormal is to entirely relying on that limited set of knowledge.