Notes by Muhammad Azam

1. A MAN OF WORDS AND NOT OF DEEDS
'A man of words and not of deeds' might have originated in the works of the Elizabethan
author John Fletcher 1579-1625 - John Fletcher was born Rye, Sussex, and buried in St.
Saviour's, Southwark. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. The quotation "Deeds,
not words" can be found in the Lover’s Progress (act III, sc. 6) by the Elizabethan playwright,
John Fletcher.
Stanza1. A man of words and not of deeds
Is like a garden full of weeds
And when the weeds begin to grow
It's like a garden full of snow
Reference: These verses have been taken from the poem “A Man of Words and Not of Deeds”,
which is written by Charles Perrault (translated by Robert Samber).
Context: In this short and thought provoking poem, the poet Charles Perrault states that a man,
who avoids practical and physical work and blows his own horn/trumpet is as useless as wild
plant that grows in a garden instead of flower. Such plant is not only unfruitful but also irritating.
When it grows up, it further spoils the situation like snow in winter. Life passes through different
phases and ultimately comes to an end with the death of a person. It is, therefore, necessary that a
man must always engage himself in some creative and fruitful activity to make the life pleasant
and useful for humanity. By using similes and analogies the poet has reflected the faults and
futility of a talkative person.
Explanation: In these verses, the poet through apt comparison has mirrored the futility of a
garrulous (chatty) person. He remarks that an idle person, who amuses the people through
flattery and hollow promises, is as useless as a garden, which appears to be very fascinating
outwardly, but from inside it is replete(full) with weeds. Such garden is not only unfruitful but
also irritating and unattractive. The situation is further spoiled, when these weeds grow
irregularly and rapidly, which are also difficult to root out easily. Similarly, a flatterer or a
garrulous person, who builds castles in air and becomes a rolling stone, which gathers no moss.
A talkative person hinders the progress just like heavy snow, which blocks the passage and
progress on the road. A talkative person is just like house of cards and spiritually hollow. He
never bothers about time and the time is like the waves that make towards the pebbled shore, so
do our minutes hasten to their end. Deciding today is less risky than waiting till all the risks
are removed.
For success in life our ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Our bodies are gardens, to
which our wills are gardeners. It is the will that trims the plant of life and nourishes it to an
inflexible mature tree of determination and a tree is known by its fruit-not by its roots. If the
soil of the garden is saline, it brings forth thorny bushes. Such a situation is wisely demonstrated
buy Sheikh Saadi, when he remarked:-
“Saline earth will not produce hyacinths
Throw not away thy seeds or work thereon”
i.e. bad soil always brings forth weeds and thorny bushes not the roses. Here in this stanza, the
poet, by using the imagery or simile of garden and snow has demonstrated his view point
regarding the inactive and talkative people. We must values time and opportunity to fulfill our
responsibilities; and only those people are successful, who give practical shape to their thoughts
and ambitions. About life, actions and opportunities Aristotle has beautifully stated in the
following words:-
“We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not figures
on a dial. We should count time by heart throbs. He

2. most lives, who thinks most, feels the noblest and
acts the best”
Stanza2. And when the snow begins to fall
It's like a bird upon the wall
And when the bird away does fly
It's like an eagle in the sky.
Explanation: In these verses, the poet further demonstrates the situation and says when snow
falls, it makes the life of birds miserable as they cannot fly actively. They shiver with cold and sit
on a wall passively. Similarly, a person who is the man of words makes the life of other people
disgusting and uncomfortable. Just like the eagle, which flies to warm its body and to search for
something fruitful, the practical and ambitious people try to escape away from the company of
talkative person. Time is also like an eagle, which is difficult to catch after it flies away. A
talkative person is always degraded in the society and he never gets self-respect.
Stanza3. And when the sky begins to roar
It's like a lion at the door
And when the door begins to crack
It's like a stick across your back
Explanation: In these verses, the poet converses about the traits of a talkative person, who sings
his own praises as if he were a lion. But ironically, he is coward and when his cowardice is
revealed, he loses courage to face the people in the society. Through his flattery, he stabs the
people in the back. He is more fascinated by boasting and baseless gossip rather than advice.
Such a person doesn’t posses courage to face any situation as Socrates says:-
“Some have courage in pleasures, and some in pains;
some in desires, and some in fears, and some are
cowards under the same situation.”
Man must make full use of opportunities, when he is young and has the courage to accomplish
them because in old age he not only loses hopes but also vigour to act.
Stanza4. And when your back begins to smart
It's like a penknife in your heart
And when your heart begins to bleed
You're dead, and dead, and dead indeed
Explanation: In this stanza, the poet says that a talkative person is the most unreliable and
hidden danger in the society. He brings discomfort and discontentment in the life of sensitive
innocent people. He stabs them in the back with his oily tongue, which is as sharp as a pen knife,
as it is well said that the injury/harm caused by tongue is deeper than that of sword. In other
words, he uses backbiting and baseless talk as a weapon to capture people just like a spider,
which weaves web artistically to capture its prey. People, who are amused by his flowery and
oily gossip, fall an easy prey to such pseudo praise. The words of a talkative person are just like
sweet poison, which make in-roads into the hearts of the affected people and it injures the heart
so critically that it cannot be healed. This hidden injury is only revealed, when this sweet poison
of flattery and boasting has done much harm. After this stage, a man becomes spiritually,
intellectually, morally and socially dead and destroyed.
MuhaMMad azaM, Shaheen acadeMy, G-6/1-3, ISlaMabad –cell-
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