interpretation of hindi poem with the help of Practical Criticism (verbal study)of I.A.Richards

Introduction

In this blog I have try to interpret the Hindi poem Vidroh  by Kedarnath Sinh with a point of view of I.A. Richard’s  Practical Criticism- Verbal and close study of the text. I.A. Richards says that meaning of the poem lies within the poem, within its structure. There is no need to go outside the text. This criticism has also its limitation that it denies to take help of other fields ( history, biography etc)  and because of this some time it becomes difficult to understand the meaning of the poem properly

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I.A. Richards notes that language of poetry is Figurative/ metaphorical/ symbolical and personified one.  Language of poetry is connotative , not denotative. Meaning lies in the context. So while reading the poetry reader should be aware about this things  otherwise there is possibility of Over- literal/ scientific reading,  which may lead the reader to the totally different meaning than the intended one of the poem.

So lets illustrate one poem with the perspective of the Practical criticism( verbal study of figurative language) of I.A. Richards. First of all we will do scientific/ over literal reading of the poem, and then the poetical, literal reading of the poem. And interestingly we will see how our reading creates problem in understanding the poetry.

केदार नाथ सिंह की एक बेहतरीन कविता- विद्रोह

आज घर में घुसा

तो वहां अजब दृश्य था

सुनिये- मेरे बिस्तर ने कहा-

यह रहा मेरा इस्तीफ़ा

मैं अपने कपास के भीतर

वापस जाना चाहता हूं

उधर कुर्सी और मेज़ का

एक संयुक्त मोर्चा था

दोनों तड़पकर बोले-

जी- अब बहुत हो चुका

आपको सहते-सहते

हमें बेतरह याद आ रहे हैं

हमारे पेड़

और उनके भीतर का वह

ज़िंदा द्रव

जिसकी हत्या कर दी है

आपने

उधर आलमारी में बंद

किताबें चिल्ला रही थीं

खोल दो-हमें खोल दो

हम जाना चाहती हैं अपने

बांस के जंगल

और मिलना चाहती हैं

अपने बिच्छुओं के डंक

और सांपों के चुंबन से

पर सबसे अधिक नाराज़ थी

वह शॉल

जिसे अभी कुछ दिन पहले कुल्लू से ख़रीद लाया था

बोली- साहब!

आप तो बड़े साहब निकले

मेरा दुम्बा भेड़ा मुझे कब से

पुकार रहा है

और आप हैं कि अपनी देह

की क़ैद में

लपेटे हुए हैं मुझे

उधर टी.वी. और फोन का

बुरा हाल था

ज़ोर-ज़ोर से कुछ कह रहे थे

वे

पर उनकी भाषा

मेरी समझ से परे थी

-कि तभी

नल से टपकता पानी तड़पा-

अब तो हद हो गई साहब!

अगर सुन सकें तो सुन

लीजिए

इन बूंदों की आवाज़-

कि अब हम

यानी आपके सारे के सारे

क़ैदी

आदमी की जेल से

मुक्त होना चाहते हैं

अब जा कहां रहे हैं-

मेरा दरवाज़ा कड़का

जब मैं बाहर निकल रहा था.

  Over-literal / scientific reading of poem:-

In the first stanza of the poem the ‘Bistar’( Bed) is giving his resignation to the poet and wants to turn/return to/into cotton again, now  Bed is not an Employee that he is giving his resignation. And it is not possible for Bed to turn into cotton again.
In the second stanza Table and Chair are revolting against the poet and remembering the trees from which they’ve made. How  a table and chair can revolt against man???. How can it speak??????. We have never seen table and chair speaking !!!!  table and chair have no sense, then how can they remember trees??? This is the big  mistake of the poet!!!
In the third stanza books are screaming for return to jungle. But we have never seen books screaming!!!. Books have no desire at all then how is it possible that they want to return to jungle? It is problematic that why books want kiss of snakes and painful stung of scorpion?
In the fourth stanza -     shawl  is lifeless(dead) thing, then how can it be unhappy? Shawl is listening to the voice of the lamb  but it is impossible. And how can it complain??
In the next stanza T.V. Telephone and Water speaks that they want to be free from the jail of the humans. But again how can dead things speak?? And at the same time how human being can understand their speech? Human have prepare no jail for them then which jail they are talking about? They ( t.v. phone etc) are not our prisoners at all. And why they want to free from human being?
This poem is problematic. Poet has made many serious mistakes in it. In this poem poet has shown that lifeless, dead things are speaking, complaining and desiring something but it is quite impossible. All this things cannot speak so at the same time poet also can not listen / understand their language!!!!! And all this have no meaning, no message at all. There is nothing fruitful in this poem. Poem is not giving aesthetic delight.



Literal/ poetical reading of the poem:-


Now we will analyze this poem from different perspective.
Language of poetry is different from the language of science one should   not forget while reading the poem. This poem falls under the category of Eco-criticism. It is about Nature versus civilization.
Poet has given voice to the all natural objects metaphorically. Bed, Table, Chair, Books, Shawl, T.V, Telephone, Water, Door all are mere VEHICLE ,metaphors, personifications  to convey what he actually wanted to say. Personifying natural objects and giving it human quality adds the poetic beauty in this poem. And so we as a reader have to take their literal meaning rather than scientific or over literal meaning.
 We have put man at the centre and Nature in periphery, But actually it is not right. On the name of development and civilization we have destroyed, harmed Nature and natural objects.
So this poem criticizes our control of natural resources. We have controlled water by making Dams, we have destroyed jungles for making furniture and books etc,  we are killing animals for their skins, wool etc. so in this sense this poem gives voice to the Nature and criticizes our so called civilization. Human beings are the colonizers of the Nature.
We all know that all this above mentioned things can’t speak, but it is poetry. Poet has that freedom of expression in which tells through paradoxical, metaphorical and figurative language. If poet directly say all this things then no one will listen or we will not call it poem also. But it is the language used by poet that is interesting, metaphorical and symbolical that we have to keep in mind.
Thus, we can study I.A. Richards views on the verbal study of poetry, that reader must be well aware while reading poetry. Don’t take dictionary meaning of the text but go deeper and deeper to bring out the meaning of the poetry.