HEAVEN, IF YOU ARE NOT HERE ON EARTH
KUVEMPU
The poem makes a try to give the reader a brief look into
the rationalistic viewpoint of the poet. The poet has attempted to argue that
ideas like Heaven, God, Nymphs and etc, are man's creations. Elements like
'Heaven' and 'God' exist just on the Earth and you can't find them elsewhere.
The poet recommends that one ought to should perceive divinity and enjoy the
heavenly bliss in the organization of Nature itself. The poet strongly accepts
that heavenliness and worldliness are not particular or two separate elements
and argues that there is no distinction between loving or worshipping Nature
and loving or worshiping God.
In the initial two lines the poet addresses Heaven and
declares emphatically that if Heaven doesn't exist on the Earth what other
place would it be able to be. It just implies that the reader need not search
for Heaven in the skies; if at all of the imagination there is an element
called Heaven one should find it on the earth just and no place else.
The poet refers to our convictions about Gods and heavenly
nymphs. The poet expresses his conviction that there is no particular or
significant element called 'God' and Man himself is God. There exist no
elements called heavenly nymphs. He immovably accepts that we most definitely
are the nymphs, and the nymphs are to be found no place else except for on this
planet as it were. The poet needs to dissipate the well known idea that Gods
and nymphs live in heaven. The poet, who needs to excuse such convictions, lets
the reader know that we, at the end of the day, ought to become Gods and
nymphs. The poet needs us to surrender our conviction that we go to heaven
after death where we track down Gods and Nymphs.
The poet attempts to introduce us with the various forms
or parts of heaven that exist on the earth. He presents an mesmerizing image of
'Nature' in its flawless form. The poet expresses that the 'happiness' that we
experience when we take a look at the streams that are jumping down,
thundering, from the top of the hills, the waves that come moving across the oceans
carrying surf at their edges, the delicate rays of sunlight falling on the
immense spread of green forests and the delicate sun heating up the earth make
this Earth, Heaven.
The poet refers to the beauty of the harvest season and
the twilight evening. He declares that one appreciates heavenly bliss when one
watches the quality of harvest and the twilight evening. The poet closes the
poem saying that the poet who guzzles this grand happiness, spreads the nectar
of Heaven through his verse on this planet. A poet is blessed with a higher
degree of imagination and sensibility. With these characteristics, the poet
likes nature's beauty and in turn, the poet empowers others to see the heaven
on the earth.
To summarize, the poet argues that we don't have to look
for heaven after death, yet can appreciate heavenly delight in any event, when
we are alive, if by some stroke of good luck we have the 'eyes' to see Heaven
on this planet. Heaven exists just on the earth and no place else. One is sure
to enjoy the delights of heaven when one glances at the quality of Nature. The
poet encourages the reader to see the gigantic energy that lies under the
actual beauty of Nature. This thought can be taken as the message of the poem.
