POET CULTIVATE CONGENIAL CULTURE TO COLLOCATE

                                                             By: Dr. Shujaat Hussain

 

Do you agree to my dream? I have a dream last night to write a poem that covers all prevailing burning issues of human beings and humanity. I am told to express sufferings of the victims and it is also reminded me of the accountability of the poets to condemn villains/culprits honestly who are inflicting cruelties and injustice against humanism and misleading the world in the fashion of demonic deed as war on terror and axis of evils. I was warned if failing in carrying responsibility goddess of poetry will never forgive and God will burn the souls of the poets before satans and evil angels. I pray to save my soul. Will it enlighten the souls of other poets as well?

Is it true to say we live in shameless times? When the long overdue self-reflection and shame strike us, Indian poetic field will be ready for change. We have many exposes on corrupt leaders lately; it is time we did an expose on ourselves. We are a free country, the world of letters is a world full of differing views; assent and dissent, argument and counter-argument, discussion and debate are the elements which stimulate thought and ideas. What I don’t agree at all is with the emotional blackmailing arguments in creativity.

Border is the limitation of a country and citizens have to abide by it. Language is a barrier for a community and culture, to bring into existence of political party is a compulsion of politicians for politics, judge needs evidence and witness to pronounce judgment, doctor has limited resources of medicines, diagnosis and tools for treatment of the patients, but we see that the poets have no compulsion, limitation or problem like that. Poets are as free as honey bee to suck honey from any flower, free to imagine and ponder over novel ideas to frame their sublime thought into verse for the welfare of entire human beings to please God. Their imagination does not face any barrier of border. It can touch the sky. It reaches the highest peak of the mountain. Poet’s single verse can change the direction of the mightiest wave of the sea, even a single word or line inspires the sealed spirit, it provides a new vigorous life to dishearten beings. Such kind of creation attains universality and become immortal. People remember the poet. His name gets place in the history of poetry.

Readers, lovers of poetry and critics who read the mind and heart of poets whose emotion, affection and endurance towards poets have begun to erupt, lava is perceptible, as there is no smoke without fire, has caused to raise a large number of questions in their minds. All of them wish now time has come that the poets must show vision through these enigmatic questions. Who will be whistle-blower to stop killing of man? When the town is on fire can the temples make an escape? Who will be god sent angel on earth to annihilate those gone wild? Where shall I hide sighs and tears? Can I dream of fountain of hope? Is it not a sin to deprive upcoming children of nature’s natural face? Is not the time up for stopping hunting wanton? Who polluted the air above the earth’s green? When the frenzied world rejoicing in violence can I stay mute maintaining silence? Why post modern man so much averse to peace? When food is the first thought will one smell flower? And is there any victory or defeat in the unholy war of holy blood?

 

We find thrill and pragmatism in poetry through history. It is a mirror of the past and present and will build future on the basis of the past to make peace and prosperity in the present. We can view life of our society, method of the rulers how did they rule over us and prevailing conditions of the past. I have no reservation and hesitation in uttering loud that for a country that claims to have a 5000 year old civilization; Indians have a rather poor sense of history. For some reason, it has always had the culture of the here and now. There was little recording of the past, only a retelling and that too by poets who mixed fact with fiction and myth with reality. You are the witness of it as Indians are quarreling among themselves. If others say it is myth and fiction, you can’t agree to it. But I also praise poets who can bring back the past in sweet composition, and what can make it intelligible, but it must be based on fact without emotion, without mingling of own belief and free from self vested interest.

We lack- ‘Learn history, create history’. Why do I emphasize it? Count the facts. When we want to know about ancient India, we have to turn the Greeks – Herodotus’ Histories, Mejasthene’s Indica, and Ptolemy’s Geographia. Our knowledge of the “Golden Age” of Indian history is dependent on the travelogues of Chinese monks – Fa Hien, Hiuen Tsang and I-Tsing. We are indebted to Arab Travelers such as Al Beruni and Ibn Battuta for richly recording life in medieval India. If your knowledge misses one of the pillars i.e., the past (history) it is obvious whatever you compose or write will lack authenticity or class. 

We care little about the history that is part of our lives simply because we do not control our belief, emotion, sincerity and honesty while writing history or compose poems. Even the academic one tends to be too narrow and insensitive to sentiments and realities. We tend to fall in love with the dominant mythologies about ourselves. Our books ruthlessly interrogate these myths with pride and prestige. That is why often the best material on India is to be found in Western libraries. It is fact that the best known book on India Independence, Freedom at Midnight, was collaboration between French and an American.

A lot can happen through poetry. The world has experienced many revolutions. Pages of history contain several names of revolutionary poets. To love and be loved is the greatest theme. Poet’s enthusiasm for the revolutionary cause leads to abandon all caution. They don’t care for rhythm, lyricism and musicality; they long to leave lasting impression through the contents of his poetry.

 

The poets should know that poets are the unacknowledged Legislators of the world. The adage goes, “Pen is mightier than the sword”. Poets should take inspiration from all things spread around us and the wide universe is their experience. Poetry deals with the universe. To describe about own religion, caste, scripture, faith, self praise and praise of the rulers to win award and reward in their poetry will not become voice of the nation. Precisely, poetry must reflect present day life and it should be realistic in tone and express the spirit of the age. Poetry lovers lie in wait that the poets will use the magic of their pens for the re-construction of their country. We should also not forget that our politicians, bureaucrats, judges, justices, industrialists, policemen and mafias are more dangerous enemies to our citizens in various ways. Price hike, corruption, duplicity, unemployment, fake encounter, mob lynching, discrimination, poverty, illiteracy, health problems, riots, murders, violence, pogrom, genocide, suppression of the minority to put behind the bar for a decade or more to destroy their career, hatred, and fabrication of false cases against educated and technically sound youths of minority are at critical stages. Poets and writers must focus such issues otherwise nextgen will never forgive or forget them for their misuse of ink, pen, paper, time, money and energy. There is a caution, “Don’t mislead nextgen, conceal or ignore.”

 

Pen, paper and the social command are the needs of the poets but before he can write the poem he will have to work through a whole series of questions related to his culture and what he sees as his role and function. Take the case of John Milton who was with an imagination so powerful that even blind he was able to visualize that glorious world. He opened for us through his poetry.

Poet is an asset for the universe. His pen is a safety-guard for the poor, suppressed and exploited people. He wages wars through his write-up to bring systematized and well planned execution of invisible agenda to defuse and his effort yields positive outcome- definitely its effect will unmask policy, politicians, bureaucrats, and administrators etc. It becomes rays of hope in despair.

Poet’s thoughts touch the soul, caress the heart, stir the movement, and he makes efforts to make change the course of men who are Supreme Beings on the earth. He dreams his vision through the soul of his vibrant thoughts that perpetuate peace for all who shuns devils and evils, hatred and violence, discrimination and suppression in the divine garden of universal love.

Dr. Shujaat Hussain

Founder President

United Spirit of Writers Academy

4/771, Friends Colony

Aligarh – 202001 (U.P.)

India