‘The Tale of Melon City’ is a narrative poem. It is an ancient tale told in verse. Vikram Seth uses all poetic devices to create special effects. The whole poem runs in rhyming couplets. The last word of each line rhymes with the second. The poet adopts a narrative style of story-telling. But it is the use of humour and irony that creates a special effect in the poem.

The poem introduces us to a ‘just’ and ‘placid’ king. Both the adjectives are ironical. The irony is that the king is neither of the two. He is neither ‘just’ nor ‘placid’. His exaggerated sense of justice is the reflection of his personality. He is whimsical. The arch is too low and bangs his crown off when he rides under it. The king takes it as a ‘disgrace’. Then starts the summoning of the people to be hanged. But he is easily influenced and convinced and lets every one go scot-free. He falls in his own trap. His exaggerated sense of justice leads him to his own death.

Again it is quite humorous that an idiot chooses the next king. He names a melon. The crowning of a melon with respect and ceremony sounds quite humorous. But it is ironical as well. The irony is that the people care little if they are ruled by a man or a melon. Even when the king was alive he was no better than a melon. A melon was the right substitute for such a whimsical and idiotic king.

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Vikram Seth’s “The Tale of Melon City” describes a unique king. He is whimsical. Sometimes he looks funny. And most of the times he is ridiculous. The poet calls the king ‘just’ and ‘placid’. He is neither of the two. His sense of justice is not based on logic and reason. He can order any person to be hanged on the slightest pretext. The king is expert in making an issue of a non-issue. After all sky has not fallen if his crown is banged off by the arch. The king makes a mountain out of a mole hill. He is called placid but he loses his temper over a small thing. He carries the things too far. He becomes the victim of his own stupidity.

Yes, the king carries his notion of justice a bit too far. This leads him to summon so many persons—all to be hanged. He lacks sound judgement. He is easily influenced and convinced. The exaggerated notion of justice invites his own death. Out of all the persons who were measured by and by, only he himself fits in the noose. Ultimately, he is hanged to death by his own decree.

The king in Vikram Seth’s ‘The Tale of Melon City’ is a unique personality. He is not guided by logic and reason. Whimsical nature can drive him from one extremity to the other. We are introduced that he is ‘just’ and ‘placid’. The use of such adjectives is ironical. Actually, he is neither of the two. He can’t do justice. He has his limitations. He lacks sound judgement. Nor does he have a firm mind. He vacillates. He can be easily influenced and convinced. He is spineless and fickle-minded. He orders an arch to be constructed as a monument of his glory and victory. However, a disgraceful incident of his crown being banged off by the low arch is too much for him to bear. He orders everyone to be Hanged whom he thinks to be responsible for the faulty arch.

The king leaves no impression on his subjects. He is totally meaningless for them. His being alive or dead makes little difference to them. The ministers heave a sigh of relief when he is hanged by his own decree. The king is weak and bends under the pressure of the people. He falls in his own trap and suffers for entertaining such an exaggerated notion of justice. The people don’t care if they are ruled by a man king or a melon king. They don’t have any choice. One is a perfect substitute for the other.

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V. Imp.

The King of Melon City has been defined as ‘just’. We know what kind of justice he used to administer. He was ready to hang anyone who could be blamed for the mishap. He was whimsical and easily influenced. His exaggerated sense of justice caused even his own death. He is called ‘placid’ but loses his temper over a small incident. Actually, the king was too good to be of any use.

The king proclaimed an arch to be constructed. The arch would be a symbol of his triumph—a sort of victory-monument. He wanted the arch to be extended across the major thoroughfare of the city. It was made so grand as to ‘edify’ spectators there. The king himself rode majestically to urge others to follow him.

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