| Username |
Post |
| sparsha |
Posted
on 23-Mar-01 03:39 PM
Poetry, in my opinion, should be understood in the sense it (poetry-literary work written in verse) was (is) written. Whatever a poet writes comes not from abstract but from some sort experience. That experience should not necessarily be physical. Abstraction can be felt and the feeling of abstraction is an experience. I believe no one can write anything just by imagining, that imagination needs to be felt and only then those imagination can be turned into words. Poetry, as we all know, is not all about imagination. It’s about reality. Abstract aspect can be realized as physical albeit differently.
So, when a poet, I understand poetess is widely used for woman poet but I believe Poet as a Patriot or a leader has no gender, writes (s)he is giving a shape (poem) to her/his realization of a subject matter. That subject matter may float like a feather in the wind but does not disappear. And to understand a poem in other meaning than the poet intended is a failure to me. If, indeed, Kabi Shiromani Lekhnath Poudyal did write Pinjara Ko Suga feeling the pain caused by Absolute Rana regime then I will be doing injustice to the poet by interpreting that poetry as a mere description of pain of a single parrot in a cage. Probably, many of us familiar with this line “I have miles to go before I sleep” by Robert Frost. Once in a literature class when teacher asked what Frost meant by those words a student gave his interpretation ..he (Frost) was in a hurry to meet his girlfriend so he did not want to waste that snowy evening in the woods. I remember reading the comment of Frost on that poem. He described that poem (from where the above mentioned line is taken) saying he put down everything he knew, on it, so far in his life. Nobody in the class bought his interpretation.
If I write a poem feeling pain by the loss of a friend and somebody interprets that as something else then I will feel that the reader failed. I also understand I cannot dictate how one interprets things. Before I read any poems I always want to read more about the poet (life style, milieu..etc) before reading his/her poem.
I somewhat disagree with what Adwiti said in her reply to Ashu that poetry can be interpreted in any form as a reader wish. Adwiti, do you really feel that interpretation (how close or far it may be from the original meaning) should prevail over the experience that gave birth to a poem? I would love to have response from Adwiti, Ashu, Biswo, Home Raj, Namita, or others.
P.S.I am writing this from work (out of my personal time) and not sure how my English appears here. I apologize for the mistakes (grammar, spellings).
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| sparsha |
Posted
on 23-Mar-01 03:48 PM
" Probably, many of us familiar with this line “I have miles to go before I sleep” by Robert Frost. Once in a literature class when teacher asked what Frost meant by those words a student gave his interpretation ..he (Frost) was in a hurry to meet his girlfriend so he did not want to waste that snowy evening in the woods. I remember reading the comment of Frost on that poem. He described that poem (from where the above mentioned line is taken) saying he put down everything he knew, on it, so far in his life. Nobody in the class bought his interpretation. "
Above, "Nobody in the class bought his interpretation" means the interpretation of that student not of Frost. I apologize for poor writing.
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 23-Mar-01 05:08 PM
Dear Sparsha:
I agree with you. I guess I also raised this question to Adwiti.
It really generates kind of 'blinds and elephant' anarchy. Reader
will be like those blind people who try to fathom elephantine
poetry.
But again, I think it is a poet's freedom to let his/her poetry
in the mercy of readers. I forgot, but there was a poet in
England who once penned very difficult poem. When journalists
asked him about the meaning of the poem, he replied:'When I wrote
the poem, only god and I knew what that meant. Now, only god
knows.'If we have numerous such writers, then we should interpret
their work the way Adwiti said.
Another question is : will poet tolerate people interpret his
work so freely? Very difficult to say. When directors adapt a
famous play to a drama/movie, such questions arise frequently.
My Fair Lady strayed too far, while Shawshank Redemption sticked
closely to the novel.I don't know how Shaw reacted, but Stephen
King was all smiling after the Redemption!
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| sparsha |
Posted
on 23-Mar-01 07:00 PM
Biswo,
Poet is done after writing poetry, but the journey of readers begin after that. Poet only controls poetry while writing. After that poetry becomes public and sometimes readers do "tahas nahas" or put "mukut" to poet's words and embedded feelings therein. I seriously doubt that anyone can understand the poetry in the exact or absolute amount or in the exact form in which it (poetry)is/was written. However, readers should at least try to understand poetry in it's original meaning.
" I think it is a poet's freedom to let his/her poetry in the mercy of readers."
I agree.What else can a poet do? can't vigorously defend everytime someone reads his/her poetry.
'When I wrote the poem, only god and I knew what that meant. Now, only god knows.'
If you think about his comment then you will find
he is also saying what I wrote earlier. A poet cannot write anything out of abstract. That poet knew what and why he was writing what he was writing. Even though he may have forgotton what he meant by his old words but that does not make what he wrote worthless.
The art should be understood in the original form it was written. A novel is not a drama. It (novel) may be formatted into a drama but by doing so it may loss it's true flow. When a novelist writes a novel he/she may not be writing screen play or "sambad for a movie". So, when we turn a novel into a cinema it's upto us how we do. A bad cinema (based on a novel) may not necessarily mean that the novel was bad. If we pour a crystal clear sharp tasting pure water into a stinky mug then the entire water may smell- stinky- but it is not the water. We should know.
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| seelu |
Posted
on 23-Mar-01 07:14 PM
Now this page has given me several things for puzzling about!The poet who said "now only God knows" sounds so familiar, perhaps we studied this in school? The commentary has reminded me about one famous motto, that is, "no poetry but in things," yet I can't think of the author. so I am in that troublesome state, names are on the edge of the tongue but try as I might the mystery refuses to emerge! I wish, I knew more about literature.
It is so interesting to read about these things, and also the quality of English writing in Kathmandu Post and Nepali Times is very impressive now a days, or so it seems to me, although, I am not the judge. Some years ago we used to hear a lot of criticism regarding the mushroom growth of English schools. Does anyone remember this? And it was said at the time, this was for mere profit and not always of high quality and so there was a lot of criticism.
Yet now I think we are seeing a really fine crop from these little mushrooms of ours!
Certainly we see many positive things coming out of the mixture of the negative in our country, isn't it so?
Seelu
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| rekha |
Posted
on 23-Mar-01 08:02 PM
Yes Seelu,
The crop does seem fine!!!
Thanks to the little mushrooms. While money was being made - the money spent was worth it - ki kaso???
Cheers
Rekha
p.s. I do not own a school. lol
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 23-Mar-01 09:27 PM
Dear Rekha and Seelu:
I am not 'boarding birodhi' but just wondering which of the good
writers in Nepali Times /The Kathmandu Post are product of
recently mushroomed schools?
I find most of these guys still coming from venerable
Budhanilakantha, St Xaviers and other old schools. I've actually
felt that these news schools can compromise their standard in
their crunch period by hiring substandard teachers.
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| seelu |
Posted
on 23-Mar-01 10:21 PM
Dear Biswo:
You have raised an interesting question. Perhaps I stand corrected, in fact I am making an assumption this is a crontributing factor, but as it happens I actually would lke to know. Not living in Nepal for some years of course I cannot say I know who these multiplicity of young writers may be, whether they are form new or old boarding schools or perhaps not English schools at all. Yet, I do think the growth of market for English is perhaps a related aspect for sucess of many publications?
I do hope that my feeling is right. It would be a shame to see always "the same old alma maters", if that is so. However I will confess to showing my ignorance as I cannot claim to know,not being recently in Nepal myself. Perhaps, somebody else has a better informed opinion?
Certainly you are right to speak of substandards in teaching, yet surely there must be talnted teachers and talented students rising above such limitations, regardless, and finding the pearl even in the mud! So, I shall persist in my optimism :-)
I do think more schools must be having some positive trend, regardless of draw backs.
Seelu
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 24-Mar-01 01:34 AM
Dear Seelu:
I didn't mean to insult other schools. I think if the schools are
contributing to growth of literacy rate, I think that is great. They should be commended for that.I,however, doubt their actual
contribution to overall literacy rate.PABSON may tell us later.
And I concur that it is ungainly to see same alma maters of all
good people.
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| Rekha |
Posted
on 27-Mar-01 09:27 AM
hi Biswo
I think you are right in saying that the standards of the teachers was/is compromised - I think that happens everywhere.
But I still believe that these little mushrooms have contributed one way or another to the ever evolving society.
And do all the "good" writers work for Nepali Times/The Kathmandu Post?
And lets not assume that those writers all went to Xaviers/St.Marys/etc, they might have been to Bhanu Bhakta or Banasthali, who were once upon a time - little schools that were mushrooming all over.
Cheers
Rekha
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