A review of 'pranayam'
In chat,I commented to Sony that he seems to be on a rollercoster ride,which
means he is producing poems at breakneck speed .As a critic,my
predicament is like that of a middle-aged soccer referee ,desperately ,trying to keep pace
pace with the youthful Messi,Ronaldo etc.Impartially speaking, I'm afraid,'pranayam'
hasn't reached the high standard of the previous ones.
'Pranayam' unnatha nilavarathilekkuyarnnilla ennu valachukettllathe parayunnathu
kettu Sony keruvikkaruthu. I'm not sure whether people today know the word
keru and keruvikkuka.It's an affectionate word meaning 'oru kochu pinakkam'
within the family, and was used generously and frequently by my parents and
their contemporaries.For instance,when I was annoyed with my parents,they
would say," entha nee keruvicho/ ninakku keruvano?".Ente niroopanam vayichu
Sony keruvichalum saramilla;ithu kudumbakaryamanu.
Nilavaram uyarnnilla ennu paraymbol moshamanennu arthamilla.Let me
explain this using the analogy of sports.Incidentally,I like to mention that
I used to represent St.thomas College Pala in Shot put and javeline in inter-
collegiate meets and was first at zonal level in the 1970s.
In the Olympics,a certain basic high standard is prescribed at every stage
of the competition.For example,in the field events,19 M for shot put,80 m for javeline,
8m for long jump,60m for Discus etc.Sometimes, an athlete's first throw or
jump is a World record,but in the next 5 rounds, he/she is nowhere near the
first attempt.Similarly, 'Pranayam' is nowhere near the previous ones.
Pranayam is a subject that has been handled inestimable times as long as
humankind has existed.But the subject never loses its lustre,every human
being is different,and the experience of pranayam is different .I think a poem
impresses the reader when he reads something that has originated from the
bottom of the poet's heart.One of my favourite poems is 'Let me not to the
marriage of true minds ....( sonnet 116) of Shakespeare.I taught this poem
on Valentine's day.I read this poem again and again and reflect on it,but there's no
stage where I can say,"Oh,this is old stuff,boring.''The sonnet is immortal
because we can hear the heart beat of the poet in it.In Sony's 'pranayam' I could
hardly hear the poet's herat beat.
The bitter-sweetness of pranayam is the lifeblood of this poem.Pranayam is
not something that is placed before you on a silver platter.Pranayam is not
smooth sailing.Pranayam is a red rose entangled in the thorny branches of the
plant.To reach that flower, one has to stretch his hands ,and in that process,the
hand may be pricked,causing sweet pain.The theme of bitter -sweetness dominates
the poem,obviously due to the poet's past experinces.Akaluvan mathrmayi
adukkunnathum, ormayude podi pidicha thalukalil olinju kidakkunna madhurikku
-unnormakale chikanjedukkunnathum oru bitter -sweet experinec aanu.
The best example of the bitter-sweetness of pranayam is in Romeo and Juliet,
Act 1 ,Scene 1,where Romeo tries to explain the puzzle of pranayam to Benvolio
in an avalanche of oxymorons:
Why then,then,O brawling love,O loving hate
O anything ,of nothing first creates
O heavy lightness!serious vanity
Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms
Feather of lead,bright smoke,cold fire,
Sick health etc etc
In South Africa,one of the tips to people embarking on long journeys by
road is : Stop after every 200 Kms, take rest and proceed.Sony may be
exhausted by his time,having written poems daily.I remember the song;
ente dukhangalkkinnu njan avadi koduthu
Swargathil njanoru muriyeduthu....
I think it's a good idea for Sony to lay down his pen during the Holy Week
as a 'pooja veypu' so that it can be used with redoubled energy after Easter.Anyway
it's only a suggestion.Paranjathu kondu keruvikkathirunnal mathi.
In chat,I commented to Sony that he seems to be on a rollercoster ride,which
means he is producing poems at breakneck speed .As a critic,my
predicament is like that of a middle-aged soccer referee ,desperately ,trying to keep pace
pace with the youthful Messi,Ronaldo etc.Impartially speaking, I'm afraid,'pranayam'
hasn't reached the high standard of the previous ones.
'Pranayam' unnatha nilavarathilekkuyarnnilla ennu valachukettllathe parayunnathu
kettu Sony keruvikkaruthu. I'm not sure whether people today know the word
keru and keruvikkuka.It's an affectionate word meaning 'oru kochu pinakkam'
within the family, and was used generously and frequently by my parents and
their contemporaries.For instance,when I was annoyed with my parents,they
would say," entha nee keruvicho/ ninakku keruvano?".Ente niroopanam vayichu
Sony keruvichalum saramilla;ithu kudumbakaryamanu.
Nilavaram uyarnnilla ennu paraymbol moshamanennu arthamilla.Let me
explain this using the analogy of sports.Incidentally,I like to mention that
I used to represent St.thomas College Pala in Shot put and javeline in inter-
collegiate meets and was first at zonal level in the 1970s.
In the Olympics,a certain basic high standard is prescribed at every stage
of the competition.For example,in the field events,19 M for shot put,80 m for javeline,
8m for long jump,60m for Discus etc.Sometimes, an athlete's first throw or
jump is a World record,but in the next 5 rounds, he/she is nowhere near the
first attempt.Similarly, 'Pranayam' is nowhere near the previous ones.
Pranayam is a subject that has been handled inestimable times as long as
humankind has existed.But the subject never loses its lustre,every human
being is different,and the experience of pranayam is different .I think a poem
impresses the reader when he reads something that has originated from the
bottom of the poet's heart.One of my favourite poems is 'Let me not to the
marriage of true minds ....( sonnet 116) of Shakespeare.I taught this poem
on Valentine's day.I read this poem again and again and reflect on it,but there's no
stage where I can say,"Oh,this is old stuff,boring.''The sonnet is immortal
because we can hear the heart beat of the poet in it.In Sony's 'pranayam' I could
hardly hear the poet's herat beat.
The bitter-sweetness of pranayam is the lifeblood of this poem.Pranayam is
not something that is placed before you on a silver platter.Pranayam is not
smooth sailing.Pranayam is a red rose entangled in the thorny branches of the
plant.To reach that flower, one has to stretch his hands ,and in that process,the
hand may be pricked,causing sweet pain.The theme of bitter -sweetness dominates
the poem,obviously due to the poet's past experinces.Akaluvan mathrmayi
adukkunnathum, ormayude podi pidicha thalukalil olinju kidakkunna madhurikku
-unnormakale chikanjedukkunnathum oru bitter -sweet experinec aanu.
The best example of the bitter-sweetness of pranayam is in Romeo and Juliet,
Act 1 ,Scene 1,where Romeo tries to explain the puzzle of pranayam to Benvolio
in an avalanche of oxymorons:
Why then,then,O brawling love,O loving hate
O anything ,of nothing first creates
O heavy lightness!serious vanity
Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms
Feather of lead,bright smoke,cold fire,
Sick health etc etc
In South Africa,one of the tips to people embarking on long journeys by
road is : Stop after every 200 Kms, take rest and proceed.Sony may be
exhausted by his time,having written poems daily.I remember the song;
ente dukhangalkkinnu njan avadi koduthu
Swargathil njanoru muriyeduthu....
I think it's a good idea for Sony to lay down his pen during the Holy Week
as a 'pooja veypu' so that it can be used with redoubled energy after Easter.Anyway
it's only a suggestion.Paranjathu kondu keruvikkathirunnal mathi.
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