The poem explores how different perspectives of the same thing can lead to different understandings and conclusions. It tells the story of six blind men who each touch a different part of an elephant - one touches the side and thinks it's like a wall, one touches the tusk and thinks it's like a spear, and so on. Each man believes his limited experience defines what the entire elephant is like, showing that without seeing the whole picture, perceptions can be narrow. The moral is that reality is complex and no single perspective can explain it fully.

1. L4 Creative
Writing Task

2. The Blind Men & the Elephant
It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.
John Godfrey Saxe (1872)

3. 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!"

4. 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!"
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!"

5. The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he;
"'T is clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"
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!"

6. The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"
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!

7. 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!

8. In your own words, what is the parable of ‘the
elephant and the blind men’ really exploring?

10. The Challenge
Plan and write between 300-500
words using one of the
photographs provided as a
starting point.

11. • Some of the images have a backstory so you can learn a
little about each of the characters to help inform your work.
• Others have no context and so you’ll have to work entirely
from your imagination.
• Divide your piece into two parts, each giving voice to one of
the characters so that the relationship and dynamic
between them is revealed by the end.

12. You might think about each character’s…
• Thoughts
• Feelings
• Motivation
• Circumstances

13. • Where are they?
• What is happening?
• How are they interacting?
• What is their relationship?

14. • If you had a futuristic device that
allowed you to gaze into a person’s
unfiltered mind, what would they be
saying to themselves?

15. • Focus on the unique inner speech patterns and
characteristics of the individuals so that the differences
between them is emphasized. The tension between their
differing perspectives is the key to holding your reader’s
interest.
• Plan carefully first – the more thinking you do at the start,
the more successful your final piece of writing will be.
Writing Tips & Tricks

16. The Photographs
• Your teacher will provide
you with the back story
to some of the images
but start by jotting down
your own impressions…