Poem: Poisoned Talk

Raymond Wilson Chambers was a British literary scholar, author, and academic; throughout his
career he was associated with University College London (UCL). He was born on 20 December
1925 and passed away on 21 March 1995.He last worked as Chairman of the School of
Education at University of Reading, United Kingdom. He was a prolific short story and poetry
writer. Many of his poems criticise the destructiveness of technology.

Synopsis

The title of this poem signifies the main content of the

poem itself that is the poisoning of the environment by
pollution. In each stanza, the poem reveals what has
happened to the environment. A question will be posed,
then followed by an answer. The answer given kind of
exposing or showing a confession. Throughout the poem,
we will find out that the real culprit who is responsible
polluting the environment is man. The poet was trying to
tell us how man's greed destroys the environment.
Poisoned Talk by Raymond Wilson

Who killed cock robin?

 I, said the worm,

I did him great harm.

He died on the branch of a withered tree

From the acid soil that poisoned me.

Who killed the heron?

I, mouthed the fish,

With my tainted flesh

I killed tern, duck and drake,

All the birds of the lake.

Who killed the lake?

I, boasted Industry,

I poisoned with mercury

Fish, plant and weed

To pamper mens greed.

Who killed the flowers?

I, moaned the wind,

I prowl unconfined,

Blowing acid rain

Over field, flood and fen.

Who killed the forest?

I ensured that it died,

 Said sulphur dioxide.

And all life within it,

from earthworm to linnet.

Pictures to help you understand.

Cock robin

Heron

Tern
duck and drake

Lake

Fen
 Earthworm

Linnet

MEANING OF POEM
 Who killed cock robin?

I, said the worm,

The worm said the acid soil
I did him great harm.
Stanza 1 poisoned it and now it had
poisoned cock robin after the
He died on the branch of a withered tree
bird ate the woRM
From the acid soil that poisoned me.

Who killed the heron?

I, mouthed the fish,

Stanza 2
With my tainted flesh
I killed tern, duck and drake,
The fish said its poisoned
flesh killed all the birds of the
lake.

All the birds of the lake.

Who killed the lake?

Industry (factories) said it

I, boasted Industry,
poisoned the lake with
Stanza 3
I poisoned with mercury mercury. All fish, plant and
weed died because men
Fish, plant and weed
polluted the lake.

To pamper mens greed.

Stanza 4
Who killed the flowers? The wind said it killed the
flowers because it blowed
I, moaned the wind,
acid rain over field, flood and
 I prowl unconfined,

Blowing acid rain fen.

Over field, flood and fen.

Who killed the forest?

I ensured that it died, Sulphur dioxide (from cars

Stanza 5 and factories) said it killed the
Said sulphur dioxide.
forest and everything that

And all life within it, lived in the forest.

from earthworm to linnet.