Poetry is an overflow of strong feelings expressed in the spur of the moment. Eighty out of 100 may not have the expertise or flair for writing a story but most of them must have had written a poem or two, or at least a verse, at some point of time in their lives. Be it after falling in love or when in intense pain of losing a close one, or after failing in love, there isn’t a single person who hasn’t written or mumbled a few couplets to express his/her emotions.
Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings that takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility– William Wordsworth
Poetry is a very fragile art form but has the power to deliver strong and meaningful messages. Be it Indian or other languages, when we delve into the history of literature, its roots can be traced back to poetry. Be it Roman, Greek or Indian mythology, all popular epics like the Illiad, Odyssey, Ramayana and Mahabharata were written in verses. Even the plays during that era had a poetic narrative. Celebrated Sanskrit dramatists like Bhasa and Kalidasa also followed a lyrical style. So much so, that the folk dramas that still are a popular draw follow a poetic format.
Over the years, a lot of research has been done in this context. Perhaps, one of the primary reasons behind epics and folk dramas being written in verses was because printing technology didn’t exist at that time. Another possible reason could be that it’s easier to memorise and deliver verses compared to remembering word-heavy manuscripts. Needless to say, there is no substitute to poetry and it will exist till the end of human race.
That said, poetry writing often works as stress buster. There have been instances when poetry writing helped many come out of depression and forget personal tragedies. Keeping this in mind, and to recognise the unique ability of poetry to capture the spirit of human imagination, UNESCO started celebrating World Poetry Day March 21. Sunday POST speaks to a few prominent poets to learn more about the impact of poetry on their lives and how it is used as a tool of social change.
‘Mirror of my solitude’
Popular youth poet and a winner of Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar-2017 Suryasnata Tripathy in the preface of his book E Samparka Emiti that won him the prestigious award writes that poetry is the mirror of his solitude.
“I haven’t found another meaning of poetry. At one point, I felt suffocated with the lies and deceit being circulated around me. It seemed as if life was completely engulfed by layers of pretention, hatred, jealousy and arrogance. I was gradually becoming a stranger to myself. At such a juncture of my life, I took refuge in poetry. I took to poetry because I believe that one can’t lie, can’t wear a mask and can’t escape from reality while expressing the feelings through poetry. You can say, it bailed me out of this huge mess,” says the poet of Hazare Janhara Rati.
Poetry plays an important catalyst in Suryasnata’s life. Poetry makes him fall in love, experience separation as well as union, and also brings out the revolutionary in him. Things like book, flute and gun have become important elements in his poems.
Talking about how he has benefitted from writing poetry, the poet of Abujha Akuha says, “It is not something to gain from. Moreover, poetry is about leaving our wishes unfulfilled, an endless process of sharing ourselves with others.”
‘Poetry is song of life’
Bolangir-based poet Mukul Mishra , who has penned anthologies like Apoorna, Meghamana and Maayalagna and has a series of romantic poems to his credit, says that words spell magic for a introvert like her.
“Poetry dragged the ‘me’ out from my comfort zone. For an introvert like me, the toughest thing used to be expressing my emotions. However, they flow smoothly when I put them on a piece of paper. It is like a seed germinating on a farmland, the purest form of creativity. I am a poet, a creator. This means a lot to me. I feel one enjoys a sense of accomplishment in life when he or she starts singing. For me, poetry is that song of life,” adds Mukul who has been felicitated by several literary organisations for her works.
Ask her about the significance of poetry in her life, and the Roopasi poet says: “Today, writing poetry is like celebrating the pains inside me. Lighting myself in the darkest corner as a candle is my poetry. It burns and lights you up at the same time. Poetry also is my strength. Playing with wounds and melting away with intensity make you recreate and reinvent yourself. Words add adventure to life. They say falling in love makes you blush but I believe that magic of words makes you fall in love with the entire universe. True, I am in love.”
‘It is like balm to a wounded soul’
Dr Amiya Ranjan Mohapatra is a physician by profession but writing poems is his passion. He rediscovered the mythological character Ahalya through his book Ahalya like never before. For him, writing poems and leading the life of a poet are two separate aspects. At times, one has to make poetry his life, while the next moment life becomes as lyrical as a poem, says the Ekalavya poet.
“Poetry is something that works like balm when a poet is faced with the harsh realities of this world and feels wounded after stepping out of his fantasy world. The poet then gets a new lease of life. On the other hand, the poet sometimes feels helpless and is left with no choice but to lick his own wounds. His poems then become nothing more than a fragile tool for self-convincing himself. The poet transforms his tears and blood into words and verses on paper as he can’t cry like others. Others think that the poet has overcome his pain by writing poems but fact is that he also cries behind the veil of poems; unfortunately, without anyone noticing it,” adds the poet.
‘I am surviving because of poems’
Sunanda B Mohapatra has written scores of poems which have been published in numerous newspapers, journals and magazines over the years and have earned her both accolades and a huge fan base. Sunanda is known in the literary circuit for her distinct writing style. She is also a regular on social media and enjoys a lot of popularity. For her, poetry is the only medium to forget pain, agony and personal tragedies.
“I don’t know what would have happened to me had I not been writing poems to express myself. I can’t write poems when I am in a happy space. Most of my poems are written when I am in pain and agony. A sense of unfulfillment brings out the best in me. Writing poems often helps me fight depression and recharges me when I feel extremely low in life,” she says.
Sunanda started writing poems when she was in Class IX. Initially, her poems revolved around the country, village and patriotism. She started writing romantic poems only after completing graduation. Since then, there has been no looking back. “You can’t write on something unless you experience it,” says the poetess.
Agents of social change
Over the years, poets and authors across the globe have played an integral part in changing the course of history through their writings. Perhaps, that’s the reason the age-old saying: ‘Pen is mightier than the sword’ still holds relevance. Our country too has produced poets who stood up to their beliefs and wrote for peace, change, rights and revolution. Sunday POST lists a few names who have become the agents of social change over the past two centuries
Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894)
He not only heralded a new era in Bengali literature, he is also known as the father of the Indian national song Vande Mataram, sung by generations of Indians. Although the lyrics were penned in 1882 when the nationalism was at a very nascent stage of development, he had the power to evoke nationalism, love for thy motherland with and mother goddess.
Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899–1976)
The literateur from Bengal was also a musician. His powerful words that spewed venom on the face of British empire with strong political and social messages earned him the title of Bidrohi Kobi (The Rebel Poet). A harsh critic of the British imperialism and growing religious intolerance during his time, Nazrul was opposed to the rigid orthodoxy in the name of religion and politics. An active agitator against the British rule, he was a part of the socialist political movement of Bengal and was committed to the service of the peasant masses.
Amrita Pritam (1919-2005)
Very few in the history of Indian literature have raised issues related to women such as illiteracy, emotional trauma and their status in society, like Amrita did. She is best remembered for her poignant poem Aaj Aakhan Waris Shah Nu, an elegy to the 18th century Punjabi poet Waris Shah, expressing her anguish over the massacre during Partition. The first woman to win the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956, Amrita is helmed as the most important voice for women in India and inspired thousands to wage a fight against gender discrimination.
Daya Pawar (1935–1996)
Daya Pawar or Dagdu Maruti Pawar was a Marathi author and poet known for his contributions to Dalit literature that dealt with the atrocities experienced by Dalits or untouchables under the Hindu caste system. He was known for his deeply intellectual and reflective poetry, understanding of world literature and philosophy, as well as his connect with the grassroots. He actively participated in the social, cultural, and literary movements at the national level, but due to oppressive circumstances, suffered mentally and physically.
Rabi Singh (1931-2020)
Born to freedom fighter parents, Rabi Singh was known as a Marxist and revolutionary poet. His poems in Odia reflected the pain and sufferings of the exploited masses. His poem Charamapatra, an ultimatum to the god to vacate his throne, gained him immense popularity. He had little formal education but he had expertise in Odia, English, Bengali and Russian languages. He was a prominent figure in the Goa liberation movement.
Age of Instapoetry
Poetry never disappears from life, only the shapes change. Earlier, people used to memorise verses to keep them alive for generations in the absence of printing facilities. Following the invention of text, poetry made its presence felt first on the palm leaves and then on papyrus. Once the poems could be made available in printed format, people started assessing their worth and prices started getting fixed based on the quality of the literature. Poetry lovers started shelling out money to acquire copies of the works of their favourite poets. However, a time came, when there was a decline in demand and unsold copies piled up at the warehouses of publishers.
At this juncture, social media brought in a revolution in the literary world. Poets, who couldn’t afford to publish their works, had never thought that social media could work wonders for them. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others gave many struggling poets a fresh lease of life. Today, many such poets upload their works on social media. Neither does it cost them, nor do they require anyone’s permission to express their feelings. And most of these poets don’t have to search for readers. There are innumerable takers for their works, who come organically. The poems that could have got lost from the desks of publishers are today getting noticed by the connoisseurs.
Social media is playing an important catalyst in creating new poets, giving them an identity and of course a strong fan base.
There is a poet in every one of us and social media today is catapulting poetry to such a position that the poet in every individual is coming out from the hiding. Needless to say, amid all the debates on the negative impact of social media, it definitely is playing a significant role in creating a huge base of poets and readers, thus helping in increasing our appetite for good poetry.
Young poet, Pranay Sudha, actively uses social media to get the reactions from the readers on his poems. He is one of the new generation poets who are using social media to revive poetry. Pranay, who has so far come up with three books which are a collection of his poems, says, “Social media has not only helped me know the worth of my poems but it has also helped me evolve as a poet. The novelty of writing on social media is that you get the reactions instantly, much like a stage performer, and identify your flaws. It isn’t the same with authors. I publish my works on the basis of the feedback that I get from my social media friends.”
FACT FILE
- UNESCO celebrates World Poetry Day March 21 to recognise the unique ability of poetry to capture the spirit of human mind. In 1999, a resolution was passed in world body’s 30th session held in Paris to celebrate the day.
- One of the main objectives of the Day is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.
- It is also an occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitation, promote reading, writing and teaching poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other forms of arts.
- The observance of the day is also meant to encourage people to return to the tradition of oral poetry recitals in a bid to preserve the traditional art form