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*After the FortyPoems**
: Mahendra Bhatnagar, New Delhi: S.Chand & Co. Ltd., Ist Edition 1979 Reviewed by Shaleen
Kumar Singh*, Sai Neeharika, Patiyali Sarai, *Budaun* (U.P.)
*Motivational Strains in After the Forty Poems** *
*After the Forty Poems* may be an additional volume of Mahendra Bhatnagar that
consists of 25 poems of vigour, energy, liveliness and precision. Mahendra
Bhatnagar is now an acknowledged and well-established name among the literati of
the region has added one more small collection of poems in which he deals with
several themes of love, philosophy, spirituality, social consciousness,
political awareness and human psychology. Mahendra Bhatnagar not only hits at
the weakness of the society and human being but he heals and reforms through the
medium of motivational strains into his poetry and inspires the man to the noble
ideas and ideals so that humanity may rise more and more and attain perfection.
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There is no any single dominancy
of any particular school in Indo Anglian poetry, yet the most notable
achievement of modern Indo English poet is that he has succeeded in molding the
English language according to Indian ethos and Indian setting. India has a
glorious history of the dauntless warriors and fighters who struggled for the
sake of Nation and whose heart were brimming with the feeling of enthusiasm to
perform miracles in their lives and what is the most glaring fact is that they
not only attained their desired goal but also set new milestones and morals
behind them. The poet in Bhatnagar is pretty aware of the fact so he peaks
boldly bearing the ancient Indian glory in mind: |
*"Lustraus and indomitable,* *We
are the sons of the soil* *We stand by the toil* *We cherish the youthful vigour;*
*We will pull* *Thy bridle-mind you-* *To give ye direction,* *Every time!" (p.
3)*
The zeal of the poet remains
vibrant in may of the poems of collection like 'We know it well', 'Stop It', 'I
Appeal', 'The Worship of Art', 'Through the Unwanted Moments', 'How to Suffer
Pain : A Point of View', and 'A Submission',. In which the poet urges the man
not to accept defeat or take life as a burden but fight and face the devil of
destiny. Like Tagore he tries to awake ''The Countryman' into that 'heaven of
freedom' where 'the mind is without fear and head is held high' or say in the
words of Bhatnagar:
*"We'll march remaining hurdles,*
*Cleaving the dark*
*We'll march!*
*For, we know it well-*
*That lightening flashes not in the blaze of noon!' (p. 15)*
His firm credence that 'the opposing gales will in wonder/ and the adversities
will quickly end and he adds:
*"For, we know it well-*
*That the breaths of the undaunted*
*Are wasted not-no, never!" (p. 15)*
'I Appeal' is a poem in which the poet appeals 'to the millions of the exploited
world/to the sighs of the starving/ the naked and the oppressed and the hapless
ones'-not to grope in the dark or cherish any dream in their eyes but appeals
them to open their eyes for ' a new dawn' and 'a new millennium' and in the last
stanza the poet becomes utter optimistic and motivational when he sings:
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*"I appeal to those who worship life,*
*Those who are the living angels on earth,*
*Who lend their might to the common masses-*
*Dig deep the soil*
*The mother earth has been waiting for years*
*To welcome you,*
*With the gifts of silver and gold*
*Strike, Strike,*
The turn of the poor has come at last!" (p. 23)
In this world of ours, there are millions of people and all are unique in their
own ways, some are sleeping while others are harvesting the crop. The world that
is appearing before us has now been utterly changed but it is our own view point
to judge the things with our own distinction:, |
*"A new world has emerged though,*
*Some take it still to be an evil world;*
*So scared of their own shadows,*
*They are caught in illusions wild!" (p. 27)*
To the poet, the aim of life is to worship the art, fill each heart with love
and sing the songs of hope because it 'is meant to rouse a sense of beauty/in
every man.' He appeals:
*"O sing,*
*The world shall excel the heaven in beauty,*
*No man will suffer old age;*
*A man will only and angel be*
*And a woman,*
*A divine damsel she will be!" (p. 29)*
He again appeals us in 'an awareness within to fill deep the heart/with
anguish/and the compassionate eyes/tears!' because only agony is the fate and
only it will succor the man so he urges to 'accept the eyes benumbed, yet lovely
hand' and he adds:
*"Why accept the grief stricken life;*
*The tiring moments*
*The dark, dirty and tearful moments*
*Of a darksome life,*
*Accept them cheerfully." (p. 47)* The poet neither preaches nor teaches to his readers but in some poems of
confessional tone reveals his own experiences:
*"I wish I could*
*All, all my life*
*Bring the sun and the moon*
*To the deep most valleys*
*Of my heart*
*To kill darkness!" (p. 51)*
*"All, all my life*
*I caused the bewitching birds of fancy-*
*Like silken slips of multi colored cloth*
*To fly free in the immense sky!" (p. 51)*
But the poet never becomes disappointed or sullen rather he faces dauntlessly
the curse inflicted upon him or the rain of afflictions. He says:
*"O bestow of benedictions!*
*The life-giver*
*The poisonous gift*
*That you have given me*
*….I accept." (p. 45)*
The poem, 'How to Suffer Pain/A Point of View' is full of motivation to smile
and sing the songs of love burying sobs and sighs and 'being oblivious of the
sad and painful moments/of a lonely life, so that love may outlive all':
*"Sing*
*The songs of love*
*Love, that is a great boon,*
*Love, that is priceless,*
*Love, that smells like life's*
*Sweet-scented shrubs!" (p.57*)
The poems of the collection, therefore, bring to light the most distinctive
feature of Bhatnagar's poetry, the tone of motivation and inspiration. His
unspoiled optimistic attitude towards life and its surroundings, the attempt to
find identity through nature, values and art; the search for the meaning of an
instant; and the poise of harmony, peace and calm enriching the aestheticism of
experience make him the poet of progressive class and a man of higher human
values. In the realm of Indian readership, his poetry obtains a peculiar place
because it is a perennial fount of motivation to face, fight live and let live.
===============
Contributed By:
Shaleen
Kumar Singh
drshaleen999@gmail.com
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