THE MAGIC OF POETRY: Paramita Mukherjee Mullick

Paramita Mukherjee Mullick

Paramita Mukherjee Mullick

For centuries humans have been searching for the elixir of life or elixir of immortality. Elixir is a potion which grants the drinker eternal life, eternal youth and cures the person of all diseases. I was thinking deeply about immortality one day and I got the answer. Robert Frost had said, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” Suddenly I realised, POETRY MAKES EMOTIONS IMMORTAL and that is the magic of poetry. Poetry is about imagination; poetry is about knowledge and poetry is about emotions.

We see poetry swirling its magic wand and healing in difficult times. At present the world is torn by unexpected events like pandemics and wars. In such unexpected challenges poetry has the power to soothe, to calm and to work a special kind of magic. The power of words in poems can make a sad person smile, the power of words in poems can lead a person’s soul from darkness to light. W. Somerset Maugham has said, “To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all miseries of life”.  Yes, reading poetry is a refuge from almost all miseries of life.

For ages poets have brought in revolution by their writing. They have tried and also been able to bring about change in the society. Their pen has brought about social change. Poets have cried out loud against atrocities, against discriminations all through the ages.

Again, poetry is the expression of new ideas; poetry is the expression of new dreams. “Without dreams, there can be no poetry. And without poetry, there is no life bearable”. This quote by Vallery-Radot reaffirms the connection between dreams and poetry.

Poetry like a painting fills us with awe. Da Vinci had said, “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen”.

The other day I came across the word ‘philocalist’ which means a lover of beauty; someone who finds and appreciates beauty in all things. And poetry is the other name of beauty. Don’t we always say, “As beautiful as a Poem”? So, poetry has the power to sieve out the positive from negative situations. Poetry with its magic wand can make ugliness of life precipitate and bring the beauty of life to the surface.  I am a scientist transformed into a poet and believe me! Poetry has given me immense mental strength. Like a Banyan root who finds nourishment in the hardest of rocks, I try to find the tiny positivity, tiny beauties hidden in negative situations. In this way poetry has not only helped me go forward without fear but it has also helped me to give strength and help others to go forward with confidence.

So, do we really need the elixir of life when we have poetry?  Poetry which is making our thoughts, our deeds and our emotions immortal. POETRY IS THE ELIXIR OF LIFE!

I end by expressing how dreams give rise to poetry through this poem of mine,

DREAMS WEAVED INTO WORDS

Some dreams tiptoed into my mind

Expanded silently and spread to my heart.

Those dreams translated into emotions,

Unique, one of a kind.

Those emotions were treasured 

Nourished and nurtured.

And then those emotions found their thoughts.

Expansive thoughts, not narrow, not measured.

Those deep thoughts found words one day.

Spilling onto paper through my quill.

Expression of my dreams, my ideas took place.

Poetry was born for other minds to sway.

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Setu, April 2022