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The Panacea in Prose and Poetry

Hey c’mon, am not playing the salesman for an English literature workshop – am no good there. I have never myself been a voracious reader by any stretch of imagination. Must have clocked max a 100 books in prose – both fiction and non-fiction – outside my text books. And [if I don’t consider Golden Gate as a books of poems] beyond the Poesy of Poems, Panaroma and the poetry books in Higher Secondary [cant even recollect the name] I have actually read one book of poem [a lovely collection by Gulzar]. Though am planning to read another one soon. That’s the Nobel prize winning effort from the maestro from Shantiniketan [by the way how many people know Shantiniketan boasts of having brought up 3 Nobel Prize winners….and am not kidding….but there was of course only one from Literature]. Btw, there is a collectors edition of Gitanjali with the original manuscript in the stands these days – and is a must but for anyone who once in a while soaks in with delight the incense of traditional symbolism

Having jettisoned Golden Gate from the list of book of poems – allow me another digression that I wanna indulge in. My love for the verses has a lot to do with the significant appeal this book had had on me. The style, the verses and the rhyming by this bearded man groomed in St. Michaels [Patna] and Doon / Welham Boys [Dehradun] was sheer delight. Must read for anyone who loves reading, even if a little bit.

I know, this digression business is such an antiquated style of writing. Every writer loves a brief and word limit these days. And every reader, has just those 2 minutes to reach to be moot point and dispose off a story – that’s the way it is. But these digressions are fun to a rambling writer. And sometimes to a reader with tonnes of leisure – like the reader I saw in the park the other day basking in the February Delhi afternoon sun; the same time as I was taking the post-prandial walk! the other day..yup, walks in February afternoons in Delhi is intoxicating [no post prandial is not after dinner only; the same way as dinner is not necessarily an evening meal]. Sometimes when one reads Gunter Grass, with an easy paced state of mind – one may tend to agree what I want to say. That, reading rambling stuff sometimes can be fun. Thanks! For the patience, especially if this isn’t fun for you and you are reading on only for a sense of affinity!

Well as I am about to reach my 500+ word quota. Lemme come to the point. Reminds me of PG Woodehouse in book of short stories - ‘The Man Upstairs’; where in almost all the stories he wrote poetic prose for a few healthy pages; before suddenly concluding the story with almost an anti-climactic plot.

Goes without saying the language[s] and the assortment of literature available are amongst the biggest gifts to by and for mankind. However, in context of this piece, poetry and prose are meant to intend the states of mind – akin to poetry and prose - and the panacea that is potentially ingrained in them. The understanding runs as follows. Mentally relax as if we have everything at our disposal – there is no pressure, no hurry – just be with the moment. At the same time, get involved with all your priorities every moment in your life and focus on them as if every 10 minute is the last 10 minutes of a lengthy examination. The poetry of a relaxed state and the prose of being constantly at it.

It is not like Nike in the sense its easy to be the coolest dude in town overnite – decide, acquire and wear it. But hitching an hike in that path – getting started is itself like as a cool a dude, as a person who adorns Nike. The process takes a lot of perseverance, but fun nonetheless. We certainly wont become masters of the trade in quick time – in fact far from it. Still, it ll be fun. C’mon lets do it!!


BBSR
Saturday
February 06, 2010
Ps. Hv a look at the next post; if this triggers a thought

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