LA TOUR EIFFEL (THE EIFFEL TOWER) PART--I

Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower at night

Eiffel Tower, a close view

Gustav Eiffel (1832-1923)

  Just like The statue of Liberty is the prominent symbol of U.S., the Eiffel Tower represents Paris and the odd coincidence is that both these constructions were designed by the same famous Engineer , Gustav Eiffel. This tower is seen on the left bank of the river seine at the far end of the Champ de Mars ( a green plain where many couples stand and take photographs of the tower). This tower with 1665 steps and 1063 feet in height remained as the tallest man-made structure till 1930 when Chrysler Building was constructed in New York. In 1957 by the addition of the aerial top, it surpassed the height of the Chrysler Building by 17 feet. This iron-latticed tower in Champ de Mars was designed by Gustav Eiffel, a French Civil Engineer, in 1889 as an entrance to Exposition Universelle (World Fair), an exhibition organised to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the fall of the Bastille and the launch of the French Revolution.

 In Gustav Eiffel's words, this pylon of four lattice girders standing apart at base and coming together at the top, is a kind of tribute and expression of gratitude to symbolize the art of modern engineering, the scientific spirit of eighteenth century (age of industry and science) and the noble ideals of 1789 French Revolution. Two senior engineers, Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier along with the architect of Companie des Establissements Eiffel worked together to produce this grand architectural masterpiece. Though the estimated cost was 6.5 million Francs, Eiffel got only 1.5 million Francs from the President, Jules Grevy. Eiffel spent from his own resources and collected money from donors and visiting tourists during the next twenty years to make up the requisite amount. 

  At the beginning there was much opposition from people while the construction work was going on. A committee of three hundred artists voiced their protest saying that this tower looked like "a gigantic black smoke stack crushing under its barbaric bulk Notre Dame, the Tour Saint-Jacques, the Louvre, the dome of the Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe ; all of our humiliated monuments will disappear in this ghastly dream." But Eiffel boldly defended his stance and compared his dream-structure with the great Egyptian Pyramids. The famous writer, Guillaume Apollinaire, made a nationalist poem in the shape of a tower to express his feelings about the war against Germany. 

 The construction work started on 28th January, 1887 and was completed on 15th March, 1889 at a cost of nearly 77,99,401 Franks. Nearly 18,038 pieces were joined by 2.5 million rivets. Eiffel after climbing 1710 steps hoisted the French flag on 31st March, 1889. Lifts were installed on 26th May, 1989. Each car held 65 passengers. The tower was lit by hundreds of gas lamps and two search lights were mounted on a circular rail to illuminate and highlight the features of the tower. Eiffel was given a permit for 20 years to maintain the tower up to 1909. Afterwards it was decided to dismantle the tower . But as the tower proved valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain. 

The Private Lab of Eiffel on top of the tower

 Eiffel made use of his apartment at  the top level of the tower to carry out his meteorological observations, and also to perform experiments on the impact of air resistance on falling objects. addition. He set up a laboratory to conduct experiments in astronomy, meteorology, aerodynamics and physiology. In 1900 modifications were made by providing lifts and giving more space for visitors on the second level. In 1910 Father Theodore discovered the cosmic rays while doing experiments to measure the radiant energy at the top and bottom of the Tower. In 1914 a radio transmitter located on the tower jammed the Germans' communication and hindered their advance into Paris and thus helped in procuring victory of Allied Forces at the First Battle of Marne. On May 2, 1929 a bust of Gustav Eiffel was unveiled at the base of the North leg of the Tower. In 1940 the lift cables were cut upon the German Occupation of Paris, and the lifts were not repaired until 1946. In 1964 the Eiffel Tower was declared as a historical monument. In 1982 the original lifts between second and third levels were replaced after 97 years of their service. In 1986 the motive power was shifted from the water-driven hydraulic system to a new electrically driven oil-filled hydraulic system. On 31st December, 1999 the Eiffel Tower was illuminated beautifully with 20,000 flashing bulbs and high-power search lights and with beacons sending out beams of red, white and blue light. On 6th December, 2014 a glass floor was installed on the first floor to create the illusion for tourists of walking in the air and providing a view of the landscape below through transparent floor. Still efforts are made to make this tower more enthralling and attractive to all tourists coming from various parts of the world. Every seven years sixty tons of paints in three shades are used to make this tower look glossy and shining. 

Skytree Tower, Tokyo

T.V. Tower at Kiev

 The Eiffel Tower stands not only as an archetype of engineering skill but also as a communication Tower to broadcast both radio and T.V.signals.Today more than one hundred antennae on the tower beam radio and T.V. broadcasts around the world.
 Variations in temperature alter the height of this tower up to six inches. Throughout the world nearly thirty replicas of this fabulous tower are seen. The Tokyo Tower in Japan was built with same dimensions. Models of smaller size are Black Pool Tower in London and the tower in Paris Las Vegas Hotel at Nevada in U.S. The Eiffel Tower in Paris measures 1063 feet in height with antenna at the top, and without antenna, its height is 984 feet. The Kiev Tower built in Ukraine in 1973 measuring 1263 feet in height is the tallest lattice tower in the world. The Tokyo Sky-tree Tower built in 2011 measuring about 2080 feet in height is the tallest tower in the world. But no other tower captures our attention so much as the Eiffel Tower with its romantic associations and scenic surroundings. More than seven million tourists come to see this marvelous Tower which symbolizes Liberty, Scientific innovation, Sacrifice and universal love. This Tower is affectionately called "The Iron Lady" (La dame De fer).

                            ******************************************************
 22nd June, 2016                                                                Somaseshu Gutala
                                         

THE TALE OF A DOCTOR-WIFE (A HUMOROUS POEM)

                      1)             As a doctor she earned name and fame
                                She hiked her fee and none to blame
                                A stingy woman with growing greed
                                Not many children she has to feed.                
  
                   2)          Her husband is a teacher poor
                                An innocent guy at heart so pure           
                                His weakness lies in eating more
                                A hearty glutton up to the core.

                   3)         His  wife viewed him with angry frown
                               When ever he came from his town
                               As day by day he did grow fat
                               About his weight he never thought.

                   4)        She cut his daily portion down
                              "Don't eat too much", she roared with frown
                              The teacher's belly yearned for more
                               He waited till she crossed the door.

                    














                 5)              Out he went to have his fill
                                  A lot of dishes gave him thrill
                                 The doctor-wife found out his plot
                                  For two days did she give him naught.

                 6)             She tried to cut him down to size
                                 With her clinical techniques wise
                                 She checked his weight on weighing tool
                                 She treated him as a corpulent fool.

                 7)            She bade him do all domestic chores
                                She gave him dry bread, nothing more ;
                                The teacher went back to his town                
                                He hated her harsh commanding tone.  

                 8)           The teacher stayed in a smaller town
                               Far, far away from doctor's frown
                               Once in a month he used to meet
                               His doctor-wife with a box of sweets.

                9)          The teacher looked for recipe books
                              He keenly practiced how to cook
                             Tasty dishes in various ways
                              Immersed in cooking days and days.

              10)          He made his home a sweet retreat
                             Where he did cook many a sweet
                             He gave a few to friends to taste
                             He ate with ecstasy all the rest.

              11)          A country wench by chance he met
                             A poor widow who used to sweat
                            To tend her child she used to cook
                             A fancy for her the teacher took.

              12)         She cooked for him with superb skill
                            The teacher ate his food with thrill
                            She found her way into his heart
                             By her simple culinary art.

              13)         The teacher treated the widow's lad
                            With liberal gifts and made him glad
                            The rustic cook with her cooking ways
                            Made him enjoy her meals always.         

             14)           The doctor-wife felt little regard
                             Enraged she frowned and did discard
                             Her gluttonous husband fat at once
                             She viewed him as a useless dunce.

             15)          Far from his former wife's sharp gaze
                            Far from confusing urban maze
                            With his rustic wife in a cottage-den
                            He found at last his delicious heaven.

                                  
                     

   
     
*************************************
  



                             

Note : Enjoy reading this humorous poem which is meant to entertain and not meant to hurt with disdain. There is an undercurrent of moral tone which suggests that marital happiness depends not on wealth or status but on mutual understanding and giving value to other's ideas and opinions. 

16th June, 2016                                                       Somaseshu Gutala

                                   
          
             



                                          
                            

UNDER THE BLUE BLANKET

               1)          Under this cover of darkness cool
                                   Untethered from worldly care
                                    I feel so free, some time to spare
                                    Beyond this world of rigid rules
                                    I can fly back to realms of past
                                    When men did speak from their hearts.

                    2)           Sweet moments of friendly chat
                                    Tiny scuffles and re-unions again
                                    We ignored our bitterness and pain
                                    Funny tales of a merry plot
                                    No festering jealousies and rancor crude
                                    We laughed and made our foes, our dudes.











         





                    3)            A pall of  silence  upon my eyes alight
                                    In the flood of feelings myself lost
                                    As sleepy dawn lulls me with dreams of past.
                                    My past memories relive and hold me tight ;
                                    I feel like a denizen in an alien isle
                                    None but myself to lie down and enjoy awhile.
                     
                                 
                   4)            Beyond these mocking tongues and guise
                                    Beyond this hasty world of wiles
                                    Beyond these venomous frowns and guiles 
                                    Where only outward things surprise :
                                    Far from noisy roar and confusion
                                    Far from life-draining worries and tension.
















                         

                    5)            Under this dark cover, can I pour out 
                                    The flood of grief that none can spy
                                    And release my woes with long, deep sighs
                                    The darting words and angry shouts ;
                                    Thrown out by friends like useless shit
                                    Draining our confidence bit by bit.

                    6)           Under this blanket of night unseen
                                   Let me delve my inmost feelings within
                                   Let me recall my lapses and acts of sin
                                   Feel sorry for what I have been
                                   Let me shed penitential tears free
                                   When none can mock and secretly see.

                    7)           Let me be free to love with unabashed heart
                                   With lips of intimacy can I share
                                   As she responds with loving care
                                   No prying eyes of jealousy to prick my faults
                                   Unburdened from my heavy load of grief
                                   Under this dark canopy I find much relief.


    

               
                   8)             This night not dreadful as fables say
                                     A dark blue dawn to blossom my thoughts inside
                                     A peaceful time with none beside
                                     Set free from dreary routine day
                                     The ghosts of guilt will fly away
                                     As slumber sets in to a dreamy day.
                                   
                   9)            Under this veil of shady night
                                    My heart doth yearn for God to meet
                                    A hearty prayer in silence sweet
                                    To make my consience cool and light
                                    Recalling His tales of immense grace
                                    Who guides me always in mysterious ways.

                 10)           Let me breathe in cool air of restful ease
                                   Let me relax under the starry screen
                                   As slumber weaves her web unseen
                                   Let me from dry vexations   find release
                                   I let loose my fancy to soar like a dream
                                   To show me golden worlds of joy supreme. 

                                                            **********************

 10th June, 2016                                                                   Somaseshu Gutala

                     

                               
     
                                  

                                     
                                   

DONKEY--DRIVERS

                       

                                           
                                                                   ( I )

         1                Yonder wander the donkey-drivers

                                    Dressed in diverse patched clothes so queer

                                    Shouting at their hard-working herd

                                    Which bear the load of red, soft earth

                                     Placed on either side of their backs in gunny bags

                                     Like panniers : they humbly pace onward

                                     Like submissive lads without any complaint --

                                     A train of donkeys with mute downcast looks ;

                                     Their masters walk behind their cavalry

                                     With canes in their hands and whistling soft ;

                                     The donkeys shed their load in a heap

                                     To go back again to get their sacks re-filled ;

                                     From morn to eve they drudge ; their masters

                                     Watch them as they drag on and nibble at

                                     The way-side grass with heads bent low ;

                       

                                                                       (  II  )

                                     The drivers shout "a-hey ! " to spur them move

                                     And at sundown the donkeys return

                                     The lads ride on them like brave knights ;

                                     A vagrant race, living in the lap of Nature ;

                                     They leave their beasts beside their tents

                                     To wander and graze freely in the lawn ;

                                     At night sitting beside their fire

                                     Smoking their raw country cigars

                                     They chit-chat in their queer rustic cant

                                     And play upon their flutes and drums

                                     Old tunes and sing old stories steeped 

                                     In mysterious times of yore when knights

                                     In search of heavenly dames and demons

                                     Rode freely like these lads upon their steeds

                                     Through different climes and wooded terrains

                                     Conferring with strangers and sages mild ;

                                     And fought dire battles with horned giants wild.

                                                         =================

              3rd June, 2016                                             Somaseshu Gutala


            Note : This poem written in blank verse portrays a common scene in villages where donkeys are still used to carry heavy bags and luggage. The boys who drive them appear very active and enthusiastic. They shout and participate in their work without showing any feeling of boredom. The donkeys are also very patient, hard-working and meek in their behavior. They are uncomplaining and accept their lot in performing burdensome work. After the work they are let loose to graze on the wild grassy plain on the outskirts of the village where the vagrant boys live in make-shift tents. The boys enjoy their leisure and ride on donkeys with a sense of thrill just like knights in the fables of the past who rode on their horses to fight with demons and  protect ladies from the clutches of these cruel monsters. The boys spend the night happily sitting around fire and singing songs about ancient heroes and feel a sense of adventure even in their humble tasks. As Robert Frost beautifully said " The fact is the sweetest dream that labor knows."  In short enjoy your work and find happiness in whatever you do.