This week’s choice is “Gifts” by James Thomson which I have chosen because I was mulling over birthdays.
Give a man a pipe he can smoke,
James Thomson (1700—1748)
Give a man a book he can read:
And his home is bright with a calm delight,
Though the room be poor indeed.
Poem 334. Gifts
Give a man a horse he can ride,
Give a man a boat he can sail;
And his rank and wealth, his strength and health,
On sea nor shore shall fail.
Give a man a pipe he can smoke,
Give a man a book he can read:
And his home is bright with a calm delight,
Though the room be poor indeed.
Give a man a girl he can love,
As I, O my love, love thee;
And his heart is great with the pulse of Fate,
At home, on land, on sea.
James Thomson reflects on the gifts a man might be given and the deeper meanings behind them.
The first stanza focuses on worldly gifts: a fine horse and a sleek boat signified an easy life in the 18th century, associated as they were (and still are) with the privileges of the ruling class. Thomson emphasises this point—wherever you go with symbols of wealth, you will be generally well-received by those who are wealthy themselves.
The second stanza moves to signs of comfort, rather than wealth: a pipe to smoke and a book to read provide “a calm delight” that can be enjoyed regardless of one’s station. I think this speaks of the contentment and escapism to be found in reading, whatever the material read might be.
The final stanza speaks of the benefits we derive from the gift of love—the confidence to make one’s mark on the world and the happiness of knowing that one is loved. It reminds me of the lines from the musical Les Miserables:
FANTINE & EPONINE
Take my hand
I’ll lead you to salvation
Take my love
For love is everlasting
VALJEAN, FANTINE & EPONINE
From Les Misérables, music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, and English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer.
And remember
The truth that once was spoken
To love another person
is to see the face of God.
I like it because it is simple but expressive—although the sentiments are typical of an eighteenth-century well-to-do person (he also wrote the poem “Rule, Britannia” in 1740 which was set to music and is still played at the Last Night of the Proms), his thoughts on the simple pleasures of reading and the joy derived from loving another are relevant to the present. It also made me think of the 10th anniversary performance of Les Mis, which is still my favourite version.
Links
- Listen to a performance by The Verse Place on YouTube.
- Watch Ruthie Henshall, Lea Salonga and Colm Wilkinson perform the lines from Les Mis in the 10th anniversary performance on YouTube.
- Watch Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman perform the lines from the movie version on YouTube. You might notice, if you watch this clip and the one above, that Colm Wilkinson appears in both—in the movie, he is the bishop who gives Valjean his chance at redemption and finally (at 01:38) leads Valjean to salvation.