NIZHALPOOVUKAL
Sony Karackal shows no sign of slowing down in his dailly
production of poems.Due to writing reviews almost every
day,I'm under pressure to put on hold my other posts.But
it is a blessing in disguise because new ideas pop up from
nowhere,and are added up.I was about to advise SK to slow
down a bit,to avert a backlash from the readers,when I read "Nizhalpoovukal' and liked it.This is because SK has
taken a detour,and ventured into the unexplored territory
of social criticism.The poem is short,but effective.
keats's 'Ode to a nightinagale ' is a short poem,but it's
one of the greatest poems in world literature.
life is an endless search for safe havens,or shades,to
escape from the harsh realities of life,such as floods,
heat waves,fires,eartquakes etc.Nizhapoovukal' opens with
the lines:
nizhal chilappol
valiya aswasamanu
We are familiar with the Tv images of fighters and camera
persons diving for cover,in the streets of Damascus and
Aleppo,to protect themselves from rockets raining on them.
('mathilukalude')
In the second stanza,the the poet highlights the inequalities
that bedevil India.We always watch the stark contrast between the opulence of the elite of Mumbai,whose palatial
mansions breathe down on the squalid,miserable slums,just
within stone throw.'Slumdog Millionaire'opened the eyes
of the world to the inequalities in Mumbai.In the wake of
the 2008 terror attacks,the elite came under fire for looking the other way,during the previous attacks when the
common people were the victims.When the Taj was attacked,
they felt the real horror of it.
The billionare's wife, who came out to the streets,with
her baby,is an eye-opener for those who live in ivory
towers.
karayunna mukhavumai
make-up illathe
roadil irippoo kodeeswara bharya
We feel pity for the woman,whoever she is.But we have
a lesson to learn: Natural disasters do not discriminate
anybody.The wrath of Mother nature applies to everyone
equally,mercilessly.
The phrase 'galaxiyum appilum' hits the nail on the head in
denoting the luxurious life style of the elite.There is
huge concern about the whereabouts and safety of the woman.The woman is forced to share the precarious conditions of the street,where the sluum dwellers daily
toil to survive.
When I read this poem,a scene from Shakespeare's "King Lear" illuminated my mind.King lear was humiliated and
rejected by his daughters Goneril and Regan,to whom he
had given his kingdom,trusting them foolishly.Lear is
thrown out in a stormy night,without a roof over his head
The only place he finds is a cave.It's only then that
King Lear realises the sufferings of the poor and the
homeless.He tells his companion,the Fool:
Poor naked wretches,whosoever you are
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides
Your loop'd and windowed ragged ,defend you
From seasons such as these? Oh,I have taken
Too little care of this! Take physic pomp
Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel
That thou mayst shake the superflux to them
And show the heavens more just..
Thanks SK,for rekindling the above unfogettable lines
in my mind.
* * * * *
Sony Karackal shows no sign of slowing down in his dailly
production of poems.Due to writing reviews almost every
day,I'm under pressure to put on hold my other posts.But
it is a blessing in disguise because new ideas pop up from
nowhere,and are added up.I was about to advise SK to slow
down a bit,to avert a backlash from the readers,when I read "Nizhalpoovukal' and liked it.This is because SK has
taken a detour,and ventured into the unexplored territory
of social criticism.The poem is short,but effective.
keats's 'Ode to a nightinagale ' is a short poem,but it's
one of the greatest poems in world literature.
life is an endless search for safe havens,or shades,to
escape from the harsh realities of life,such as floods,
heat waves,fires,eartquakes etc.Nizhapoovukal' opens with
the lines:
nizhal chilappol
valiya aswasamanu
We are familiar with the Tv images of fighters and camera
persons diving for cover,in the streets of Damascus and
Aleppo,to protect themselves from rockets raining on them.
('mathilukalude')
In the second stanza,the the poet highlights the inequalities
that bedevil India.We always watch the stark contrast between the opulence of the elite of Mumbai,whose palatial
mansions breathe down on the squalid,miserable slums,just
within stone throw.'Slumdog Millionaire'opened the eyes
of the world to the inequalities in Mumbai.In the wake of
the 2008 terror attacks,the elite came under fire for looking the other way,during the previous attacks when the
common people were the victims.When the Taj was attacked,
they felt the real horror of it.
The billionare's wife, who came out to the streets,with
her baby,is an eye-opener for those who live in ivory
towers.
karayunna mukhavumai
make-up illathe
roadil irippoo kodeeswara bharya
We feel pity for the woman,whoever she is.But we have
a lesson to learn: Natural disasters do not discriminate
anybody.The wrath of Mother nature applies to everyone
equally,mercilessly.
The phrase 'galaxiyum appilum' hits the nail on the head in
denoting the luxurious life style of the elite.There is
huge concern about the whereabouts and safety of the woman.The woman is forced to share the precarious conditions of the street,where the sluum dwellers daily
toil to survive.
When I read this poem,a scene from Shakespeare's "King Lear" illuminated my mind.King lear was humiliated and
rejected by his daughters Goneril and Regan,to whom he
had given his kingdom,trusting them foolishly.Lear is
thrown out in a stormy night,without a roof over his head
The only place he finds is a cave.It's only then that
King Lear realises the sufferings of the poor and the
homeless.He tells his companion,the Fool:
Poor naked wretches,whosoever you are
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides
Your loop'd and windowed ragged ,defend you
From seasons such as these? Oh,I have taken
Too little care of this! Take physic pomp
Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel
That thou mayst shake the superflux to them
And show the heavens more just..
Thanks SK,for rekindling the above unfogettable lines
in my mind.
* * * * *
Comments
Post a Comment