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The paper aims to make a comparative study of the depiction of culture, both
societal and personal by R.K Singh and P.Raja, one belonging to eastern India and
the other to southern. It focuses on personal/ individual identity; depiction of
Indian culture; Indian rituals and myths, family, man/ woman relationship, and
treatment of love and sex; and reflection of modern societal system-- political,
academic, cultural, economic, and social.
Poetry is both personal and social criticism. The contemporary poets are
dissatisfied with the present state of unrest, corruption, ignorance, misery, and
identity. For them poetry serves as a medium through which while denouncing the
societal blemishes they reveal their ideology, attitude, prejudices and vision,
highlighting their personal culture. Apart from this, a writer also confronts the
problem and challenges to one’s identity in a multicultural nation; where one
feels alienated, rejected and rootless. Sometimes they even suffer the politics of
rejection at the national level. R.K Singh and P.Raja highlight the agony and
disillusionment arising out of rejection in one’s own land. R.K Singh, in spite of
being an insider feels an outsider. He expresses his disgust, saying:
The persona expresses his grudge against the superior authority, as denoted
through the image of the “sun”, who either privileges the fragile and the
marginalized men or deprives them of their individuality and freedom. There is
repetition of the expression “I do not question”, which implies the annoyance of
the character and at the same time, it reveals his agony at being alienated and
distanced. He is forced to “crouch down with odours of hate”. In spite of being an
insider, worthy of identity, the persona shrinks into himself, unnoticed and
unrecognized. This is hinted through the words “cagily” and “crumpling”.
Singh also depicts rootlessness, existential crisis and alienation in poems like
‘Sweet Savours’, ‘I Seek the Roots’, ‘Wordless Plaints’, and ‘Aloof’. The poet
expresses his crises of identity in the lines
The directness in tone generated through the expression “what if” clearly states
the grudge of the narrator. The trauma and anxiety for being unknown, and lacking
an identity is implicitly expressed through the image of “night”: a similar
darkness, like that of the night, prevails in the heart of the poet. He expresses
his loneliness resulting out of his identity crisis in “I feel alone/ like a
wandering bird/ without a nest:”6 Singh carefully chooses the images of a
“wandering bird” and “an island” to express the present state of rootlessness,
seclusion, and isolation. The persona encounters this state because of his being
away from roots, the cultural ties and people. He is like a forsaken island,
deserted, unable to adjust in an alien culture and land. However, we do not find
instances of alienation and rootlesness in Raja’s poems, for the writer is rooted
in his native place unlike Singh, though the former, too, is in search of
establishing his identity through the medium of poetry. He even projects the
commercialization of prose writings and the marginalization of poetry in:
Apart from expressing their individuality, both the poets project the culture of
the Indian society. Being rational and visionary, they sound critical of certain
rituals that retard progress, but advocate those which are cultural icons. In
Singh’s poetry, one comes across the depiction as well as the criticism of many
Hindu rituals. He questions:
The poet depicts religious tolerance through the expression “Hindu pantheon”, but
at the same time, he mocks at their pantheism with the reference to “just two
million gods”. Moreover, the poet deepens the satire by contrasting India with
other nations:
The poet also reveals the hypocrisy and irrationality of these rituals:
The poet highlights the mere superstitious beliefs of the Hindu rituals; the use
of “while” and “but” presents the stark reality. Besides, these rituals also
project the ignorance of the societies promoting these rituals.
Apart from these pretensions, P.Raja also reflects his concern for the
disappearance of certain traditions, which fail to serve any purpose of the
materialistic world. He evinces the cultural decline, resulting from the present
generation’s disregard for the traditional values. In ‘My Grandpa’s Desk’ he
ponders over a similar situation where a “desk” is considered an inheritance of
loss, due to its non-utilization. The persona expresses his agony and concern in
the lines:
However, Raja is not critical of all the rituals, superstitions, beliefs and
cultural practices; he in certain cases even highlights typical south Indian
cultures that are revered. For example, drawing of kolam, a traditional art form.
He also presents the mindset of a Hindu wife as shaped by the religious texts: she
believes that “…God sleep/ in that lump of sod?”14 However, it is to be noticed
that P.Raja presents a common Indian male ideology where a woman is considered to
be irrational, emotional, and gullible. This is evident from-
Believing is feeling.
She believes.
…Isn’t God omnipresent?
Oh, yours may not be.
But hers is.15
The title ‘The Hindu Wife’ indicates the perception of the poet, guided by the
preconceived notion of a female psyche.
On the other hand, R.K Singh is critical of most of the cultural practices and
rituals. It is because they have undergone a transition in both their purpose and
practice. In poems like ‘Orgasm’, ‘Fresh Future’, ‘God’, and ‘They Call God
Loudly’, the poet presents the retarding nature of the myths and rituals,
therefore, he wishes to “…recoup/ the elements’ balance/ and create new suns/ and
moons that could light the cave”16
Apart from the social criticism, both the poets also highlight the concept of
family in their poetry. Indian family system is known for its togetherness and
unity. However, both Singh and Raja trace urban family life, where there is
segregation of the family after marriage. Singh deals with the discordances and
distancing of couples in his poems. In the poem ‘Bulli’, the poet presents an
Indian situation where, in spite of discordance, disregard, hatred, and
dissatisfaction, the wife does not leave her husband. The persona expresses:
She sees
many faults in me
points out all I shouldn’t do
…yet life
rolls on mocking
compromise of living
to keep home she conceals within
our angst.17
In spite of all complaints, an Indian wife adheres to the cultural values, and
goes on compromising. The persona, through the expression “to keep home”, presents
the Indian concept of home. Further, the agony and helplessness of an Indian wife
is suggested through “she conceals within / our angst”. This statement reflects
the ironic situation of an Indian wife which she accepts as her destiny. The poet
presents bitterness and strangeness in relationship in the poem ‘Sleeping Light’
where the persona conveys-
“The anxiety/ on her face tells of/ the gap in relationship”18. Singh tries to
present the bitter relationship of a husband and wife, reflecting only one aspect
of the relationship.
P.Raja, on the other hand, highlights that aspect of family where a daughter-in–
law is seen to be the cause of distancing and enfeebling of familial ties. In
poems like ‘Fool and God’ and ‘Curtain Lecture’, he presents the relationship
shared by a daughter-in-law with her in-laws. The persona in latter poem speaks:
“My brother is now an acquaintance. / My parents are only occasional guests.”19.
The reference to “an acquaintance” and “only occasional guests” highlights the
intense bitterness of the relationship, which is a condition that is encountered
in many Indian families. However, the poet fails to portray a holistic picture; in
fact, he reflects his chauvinistic attitude in presenting only that picture of the
Indian society where women are responsible for misfortunes and discordance. He
writes:
The narrator considers himself to be Shiva, the male principle and woman as the
embodiment of Shakti. He realizes that love and peace resides in the presence of
Shakti and not in the temple of Shiva. The persona considers his quest for
himself, Shiva, to be “vain” because union and harmony is possible only when man
and woman become one. This concept of the poet is devoid of all the societal
values and prejudices. It is the poet’s perception of man-woman relationship.
Moreover, not only the relationship between man and woman but the concept of love
and physical union, too, highlights the culture of a nation. In Singh’s poetry we
find the concept of sex playing at various connotative levels, most of them adhere
to the Indian philosophies that have permeated into its culture.
Sex is a ritual, “the climax of creation”25 just as the lingam of Shiva is divine
and one can feel the divine pulse of Shiva by its sacred touch. Similarly, through
the union of bodies, one can realize God. The poet writes: “thank the body too/
that houses the spirit”26 The poet considers the body to be a temple; bliss, for
the spirit too, requires the body to realize the divine. He wishes “to recreate /
the body, a temple/ and a prayer” 27
P.Raja also presents his concept of freedom of love. Moreover, P.Raja’s love poems
exhibit traces of influence of ancient Tamil poetics, as embodied in Sangam poetry
and expounded in ‘Porul Athikaram’ (The Book of Meaning). Tolkappiyam part III is
unique in its combination of ecology and aesthetics, for it codifies literary
themes and forms based on categories of space and time. The basis of Sangam
poetics is the division of life and literature into ‘akam’ and ‘puram’. ‘Akam’, as
Thaninayakam puts it, is supposed to be “the most internal, personal, and directly
incommunicable human experience, and that is love and all its emotional phases.”28
In addition, puram is “all that does not come under this internal and interior
experience”29 while, love poetry is akam, all the other poetry, elegiac, panegyric
and heroic, is puram. The aspect of love is called ‘uripporul’, or the subject
matter of the ‘tinai’, the region, the season and the hour are called the
‘mutalporum’ or the material, the objects of environment are denoted as
‘karupporul’.
Both the poets portray, discuss and criticize all the proponents of contemporary
Indian society-- the political, academic, cultural, economic, and social. Singh in
his poetry raises basic issues like corruption, poverty, perversion, prejudices
and pollution.
Singh’s social consciousness is reflected through the issues raised and the
scenario presented by him. He criticizes the political system and their leaders.
He considers politics to be a profession of convenience where the leaders:
blinded by politics
of convenience
…as leaders create
a new elitism
a new tyranny
of mid-term poll 32
The poet presents an Indian picture where there is no democracy. The expressions
“a new elitism”, “a new tyranny”, “mid term poll” suggest the fascist regime that
is tyrannous and favourable to only one class, the leaders. The expression “mid
term poll” also indicates the dystopian system. The words “create” and “new” have
a negative implication, these hint at the creation of a society inhabited only by
dictatorial and tyrannous rulers. The poet uses animal images to describe their
shrewdness, treachery, and deceit in My Silence poem no- 36 and Music Must Sound
poem no – 75. He also unveils political perversions by referring to the different
scams and scandals in poem no 29 and 47 of Above the Earth’s Green.
On the other hand, P.Raja does not explicitly communicate political depravity.
However, he borrows the image of mosquito for the political leaders and in a
humorous way and criticizes their misdeeds thus:
This is an apt comment and image which describes the situation of an Indian,
and the political leaders. The “charming song” suggests the gullible promises of
the leaders before elections. The condition of an Indian citizen is accurately
portrayed through the statement “Yet our bread is not a full loaf”. Being in
academics, Raja authentically presents academic corruption in poems like ‘After
the Interview’ and ‘Ragging’. In poems like ‘Refresher Course’ and ‘Seminar’ he
humorously narrates the reasons behind the falling standards of academics. R. K
Singh, on the other hand, depicts the administrative loopholes and politics in
higher academic system in the poem ‘Why Should I Suffer’. Apart from this, the
poet exposes, discusses and criticizes the contemporary problems of terrorism,
population, communal conflicts, and poverty that the nation is encountering.
Corruption is a major theme in his poetry, and he exposes corruption of all kinds:
Sexual, religious, social, academic, and political.
Both the poets seem to be dissatisfied and unhappy with the present societal
condition, as reflected through their attitude, and perception of the society. It
is to be noted that both R.K Singh, and P. Raja do not provide any resolution,
whether implicitly, or explicitly, to the problems they discuss. They do not seek
to direct men, to judge events, to reform morals, or to present a philosophy.
Poetry is their only object, an art that exists for itself.
REFERENCES:
1. Singh, R. K. My Silence And Other Selected Poems; Some Recent Poems: 1990-
1994. Prakash Book Depot, 1994, p. 2.
2. Raja, P. To The Lonely Grey Hair. Pondicherry: Busy Bee Books, 1997, p.19.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Singh, R. K. My Silence And Other Selected Poems; Flight of Phoenix: 1987-
1989. Prakash Book Depot, 1994, poem no. 26.
6. Ibid., poem no. 17.
7. Raja, P. To The Lonely Grey Hair. Pondicherry: Busy Bee Books, 1997, p.59.
8. Singh, R. K. My Silence And Other Selected Poems; Some Recent Poems: 1990-
1994. Prakash Book Depot, 1994, p. 41.
9. Ibid.
10. Raja, P. To The Lonely Grey Hair. Pondicherry: Busy Bee Books, 1997, p.34.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Raja, P. From Zero to Infinity. Pondicherry: All India Books, 1987, p. 67.
14. Raja, P. To The Lonely Grey Hair. Pondicherry: Busy Bee Books, 1997, p.21.
15. Ibid.
16. Singh, R. K. Sexless Solitude And Other Poems. Bareilly: Prakash Book Depot,
2009, p.52.
17. Singh, R. K. My Silence And Other Selected Poems; Some Recent Poems: 1990-
1994. Prakash Book Depot, 1994, p. 26.
18. Singh, R. K. Sexless Solitude And Other Poems. Bareilly: Prakash Book Depot,
2009, p.28.
19. Raja, P. From Zero to Infinity. Pondicherry: All India Books, 1987, p. 32.
20. Ibid., p.38.
21. Singh, R. K. My Silence And Other Selected Poems; Flight of Phoenix: 1987-
1989. Prakash Book Depot, 1994, poem no. 6.
22. Ibid., poem no.52.
23. Raja, P. To Live in Love. Pondicherry: Busy Bee Books, 2003, p.23.
24. Singh, R. K. Sexless Solitude And Other Poems. Bareilly: Prakash Book Depot,
2009, p. 64.
25. Singh, R. K. My Silence And Other Selected Poems; My Silence: 1974-1984.
Prakash Book Depot, 1994, poem no. 63.
26. Singh, R. K. Sexless Solitude And Other Poems. Bareilly: Prakash Book Depot,
2009, p. 64.
27. Ibid., p. 33.
28. http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/ancientliterature.htm
29. Ibid.
30. http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/anthologies.htm.
31. Raja, P. To Live in Love. Pondicherry: Busy Bee Books, 2003, p. 2.
32. Singh, R. K. My Silence And Other Selected Poems; Some Recent Poems: 1990-
1994. Prakash Book Depot, 1994, p. 42.
33. Raja, P. From Zero to Infinity. Pondicherry: All India Books, 1987, p. 48.
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* Jayshree Goswami- Research Scholar, Dept of HSS, ISM, Dhanbad, India.
** Md. Mojibur Rehman - Assistant Professor, Dept of HSS, ISM, Dhanbad