---Malashri Lal
Gopal
Lahiri’s sparkling and cryptic poems in this collection Anemone Morning and
other poems build an aura of mystery and intrigue. The protagonist is the
poet himself in various costumes of the forest preserver, the nature
enthusiast, the lover and the family man, the solitary wanderer, the historian,
the traveller and the social reformer. Comprising of brief and intense poems,
fluid in their imagery and captivating in their linguistic detail, this collection
appears as the work of a poet who responds to the universe by alerting his five senses
and summoning his sixth sense as a mystic.
The
opening section called ‘Resurrection’ carries biblical weight but in its
secular interpretation, the appearance of an Anemone flower, or the strains of
Azure music, or the songs of nesting birds bring the ecstasy of witnessing a
new birth. The affective ‘resurrection’ resides in Lahiri’s lines such as ‘I
revive myself in my dreams’ (19). The poem ‘Saplings’ may be cited as a paean to
the promise of revival, for the poet finds intrinsic confidence in ‘walking
with God’ (22) and striding across the world. He then writes the emotive lines:
I
will go to the pen and paper
write
my poems
two
departments with nothing
in
between,
you
read them only
to
reach the limits of ourselves. (22)
A
pertinent question at this point is how nature gets portrayed in our current
situation of global warming and climate change. Can a poet hold on to the
pieties associated with a starlit sky, an audacious red hibiscus smiling at the
sun, or the gentle moonlight casting a circle around lovers? Gopal Lahiri’s
poems, though realistic in accepting the limitations of pastoral nostalgia,
demonstrate the Wordsworthian conviction “let nature be your teacher” with a
contemporary twist. Nature’s fury may be destructive but there are aspects of
beauty too.
The
book’s second section, “Dreamer’s Search: Green Path,” assays stern portraits of
Nature as a punishing teacher. I cite the poem “First Page”:
See
the big fish on the screen
no
rippling of water
so
big yet mute.
frayed
by currents and rocks…
Some
say: Death from the toxic plastic,
Why
can some only hear it? Why? (49)
Poems
such as “Annihilation” (52), “Change” (53), “Light and Shadow” (58) reflect on
the dark side of environmental degradation. But there is slight hope and
brightness too in people who still celebrate an early dawn and the tap dance of
raindrops. Two rejuvenating poems that build faith in the sensitive side of
human nature are “Live Rain” (64) and “Rain in the Wild”. (65)
I
listen to the rain, call the red hibiscus by name
Let
me be this unguarded always
Speak
without the need for words
Because
breath is the oldest language
In
this remote village green of Thanor (65)
The
following section titled “Mind’s Eye” is partly about a social conscience which
urges the reader to ask an old question as to whether poets only depict pain or
are they acting to initiate change? I’m one of those who believes that bringing
social issues to a page is itself a contribution to understanding inequities
and injustices. Words are powerful and resonant. See these lines from “Amnesia”:
Grey
metropolis embraces the dying siren
The
pigeons read time in reverse
Indifferent
to history …
No
one talks about resistance,
How
long can we live in amnesia? (77)
This
section, however, offers a medley of themes, poetic styles, and rumination.
Grandma’s Piano with its rusted keys still carries a music from the past;
Chicago and Alpharetta introduce a new version of foreignness, Dholavira, Queen
of Hills, Chandrabhaga, bring histories of cultural remembrance.
The
final, brief section called “Miscellany”, is innovative and instructional because
it uses Japanese-form poems of which only the Haiku is known to some
readers in India. From Lahiri we see compositions in Gogyoshi, Senryu and
Haibun in addition to the Haiku. Gopal Lahiri’s adherence to the discipline
that such poetry requires demonstrates his range of achievements. Having known
his earlier works, I can confidently say that his poetry gathers more bounty
with time.
Let me end by speculating on the title poem which intrigues me. “Anemone Morning” may seem about a flower in bloom, but my etymological interest suspects a veiled reference to sea Anemone that resides deep in the ocean. It is a strange hybrid, shapeshifting creature, beautiful yet dangerous. Gopal Lahiri’s new book is aptly named for such mysteries and miracles of nature. His poetry speaks with a deep sagacity, and deliberately hints at much that the reader is encouraged to decipher. Poetry is both nourishing and unnerving. Lahiri gives you the choice.
Malashri Lal, Former Professor in the English Department, University of Delhi, has published twenty-one books of which Mandalas of Time: Poems, and Treasures of Lakshmi: The Goddess Who Gives are the most recent. Lal has received several research and writing fellowships. She is currently Convener, English Advisory Board of the Sahitya Akademi.
No comments :
Post a Comment
We welcome your comments related to the article and the topic being discussed. We expect the comments to be courteous, and respectful of the author and other commenters. Setu reserves the right to moderate, remove or reject comments that contain foul language, insult, hatred, personal information or indicate bad intention. The views expressed in comments reflect those of the commenter, not the official views of the Setu editorial board. рдк्рд░рдХाрд╢िрдд рд░рдЪрдиा рд╕े рд╕рдо्рдмंрдзिрдд рд╢ाрд▓ीрди рд╕рдо्рд╡ाрдж рдХा рд╕्рд╡ाрдЧрдд рд╣ै।