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Creative Books New Delhi, 2005, Rs. 150/- ISBN 81-8043-028-6
Pashupati Jha is Professor of English in the Department of Humanities and
social sciences : I.I.T., Roorkee (Uttrakhand). His first collection, cross
and creation (Prestige Books, New Delhi) has been widely read and reviewed. this
is his second volume of poetry. This volume contains 49 poems which have been
dedicated to his late mother. In the Preface of the volume he asserts, "Values
make life livable and worth while. The easiest way of imparting those values is
through love and sacrifice. And who can be a better source of values than
mother! keeping a child in her womb for nine long months for all the hours of
days and nights, to feed the child through her flesh and blood." In the opening
poem 'Mother' the poet laments for the demise of his mother.
"When your sudden departure was wired to me from hundreds of miles then my
smiles blacked out but tears did not surge to submerge my world."
In the next two poems 'Dot to Distance and The Tyrant', the poet begs
pardon for his misgivings.
"I keep mum, blow after blow if only the tyrant could know, it would have been a
better birth,
It would have been a different earth."
In the next poem entitled 'The Poetic Self', the poet asks such questions
as was asked by William Blake in his poems 'Lamb and Tiger' "Who are you?
What are you? What do you do? and why are you. (The Poetic Self p.16)
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In the next poem entitled 'Pages of My Life'
the poet remembers his memories and struggles. In the next poem entitled 'To My
Surgeon Son', the mother addresses his son not to post, mortem her if she dies,
because she was having countless wounds. In the next poem 'We, The Wise Men' the
poet presents discrimination on the base of caste, creed and religion. In the
poem 'Costly Questions' the poet presents the questions of his mother of going
in the theatre. In the poem 'I Want', the poet want to show his affection
towards his mother by holding him close to him :
"Is it so bad when nothing remains, to live in the bygone days? who knows, there
is
some lingering light left still in the sunset rays!"
In the next two poems entitled "I don't Want' "Balance Counterbalance",
the poet tries to remember his mother through the smiling moon : |
"Then you gesture from above and the dark clouds scatter far away and behind
them
appears a smiling moon shaking me off from my deathly swoon." (Balance Counter
balance) The poet is waiting for the lotus and to weave a
poem in his next poem "waiting for the Lotus". The poet broods over
Rebirth in his next poem 'Rebirth' "Late is better than never, perhaps, let
there be now no lapse this there be now no lapse this time, otherwise this birth
would also collapse, like the earlier one leaving behind only rage and ruin."
(Rebirth)
The poet is searching for the smile of his mother in the poem "All the
Difference", The poet presents mysticism in his poem 'He that is Down'
"Like a wretched beggar I bang at your door is your ego satisfied now when I lie
outstretched at your floor?" (He That is Down)
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The poet remembers the stories of his mother in the poem "My Mother's Story".
Prof Jha pangs for his mother's affection and entitled "The Two, Smiles" : In
the next two poems entitled "Touch Me Not, Daily Drudgery' the poet memories of
his divine mother may save his from hurdles.
"No, I am the breast-fed son of my mother, who has put so much of calcium in my
bones,
that my structure can withstand many a raging storm so, I eagerly wait for
another morn.
(Daily Drudgery) |
The poet remembers the beating of his mother, his birthday in such poems as
"Birthday, Re-living, Transformation, stony Brute etc. The poet has
reminiscences and his mother's affection in such poems as 'Eternal Wait,
Resurrection, The unfulfilled urge, A visit to the school for the Deaf, My
choice, Our Son Going to college, the Achievement, A small Me" etc.
The poet also remembers his creativity and to his becoming of a poet in such
poems as creative optimism, Becoming a poet etc.
"Then finally I fell in love to pay the price of becoming a poet, to pay the
price of becoming a poet,
spent all my days as a dog at her gate, and might's without sleep in her dreams,
but my songs never lasted more than a page."
(Becoming A Poet)
As a true son the poet pays tribute to his mother in such poems as "The Last
Glance at Romance, waiting For Another Wave, Xerox Copy, Essence, Phases and
change etc.
The poet has used various images and symbols to force his point.. The poet is
quite successful in his effort of paying tribute to his mother. This volume of
poetry is a must read for every avid reader and lovers of English Literature.
Contributed By:
Dr.
Ram Sharma, Lecturer in English,
Janta Vedic College MEERUT, U.P.
dr.ram_sharma@yahoo.co.in
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