FREEDOM
JAYANTA MAHAPUTRA
At times, as I watch,
it seems as though my country's body
floats down somewhere on the river.
Left alone, I grow into
a half-disembodied bamboo,
its lower part sunk
into itself on the bank.
Here, old widows and dying men
cherish their freedom,
bowing time after time in obstinate prayers.
While children scream
with this desire for freedom
to transform the world
without even laying hands on it.
In my blindness, at times I fear
I'd wander back to either of them.
In order for me not to lose face,
it is necessary for me to be alone.
Not to meet the woman and her child
in that remote village in the hills
who never had even a little rice
for their one daily meal these fifty years.
And not to see the uncaught, bloodied light
of sunsets cling to the tall white columns
of Parliament House.
In the new temple man has built nearby,
the priest is the one who knows freedom,
while God hides in the dark like an alien.
And each day I keep looking for the light
shadows find excuses to keep.
Trying to find the only freedom I know,
the freedom of the body when it's alone.
The freedom of the silent shale, the moonless
coal,
the beds of streams of the sleeping god.
I keep the ashes away,
try not to wear them on my forehead.
SUMMARY
STANZA 1
The
poem starts with the words, at times, as I watch implying that at whatever
point the poet watches his country which is free now (from British), it appears
to the poet as though Her (nation's) body floats down some place on the river.
The
floating body represents the Hindu Tradition wherein a body is incinerated and
its ash is let to float in the river. Thus, the lines imply that however the
nation is free yet her original condition is very unique. It has been burnt by
individuals and its ashes are left on to drift in the river for example left on
to ruins.
STANZA 2
Having
seen that, the poet feels that he is left alone like a half-disembodied bamboo
whose lower part has sunk into the river in light of its own weight. In this
stanza, I think, the poet expects himself to be the country himself which is
dying on the grounds that its own people are killing it. People who have made
it sink into the water are no others except for the rulers and the godmen.
STANZA 3
Presently
the old widows and dying men appeal to get independence from life. The line
resounds with the pain of poor who are deserted or sent the old age homes or
close to a river by their children to die on in their last stage. Having no
expectation left, they continue to praying God with a commitment to take out
their souls from the body.
STANZA 4
Having
discussed the state of the elderly people living in India, the poet comes to
the young generation. As indicated by him, children shout with this desire for
freedom to change the world without laying hands on it. The aspirations of the
young are very not quite the same as the old ones. While the elders are craving
to leave the world, the young generation is crying with the goal that they
might have the option to impact the world. The line portrays how slavery prevails
in society despite the fact that we call ourselves independent.
The
lines give a knowledge into the economic and social state of India which
obstructs the young generation to think and act openly. They don't have those
facilities and assets that they need to change the country. What's more, at
last they will also face a similar outcome as the old ones are suffering.
STANZA 5
The
poet wants to wander back to both of them for example young or old so he could
help them and thus may not lose face or in simple words, feel humiliated while
commending opportunity. For that, he should be separated from everyone else for
example free and in light of the fact that he is too involved in acquiring his
bread and butter he can't meet them. The line portrays the helplessness of
people who want to help other people but since of their own economic
conditions, they neglect to do as such.
STANZA 6
His
economic conditions and slavery to the work for earing refrains him from
meeting the woman and her child in that distant village in the hills who never
had even a little rice for their one everyday meal these fifty years. The lines
are very symbolic as they refer to the ages that are economically poor and
their condition has not improved since the independence of India. Individuals
have not nourishment for even one time a day.
STANZA 7
The
most terrible financial and social conditions have made people ignorant to the
uncaught, bloodied light of sunsets that grip to the tall white columns of
Parliament House. The lines show the poet's anxiety over the legislative issues
of India.
After
freedom, our nation should be of people, by people and for people. In any case,
even following 50 years, people don't have the foggiest idea what is happening
in parliament. The legislators are administering the nation like kings,
involving the assets for their own luxury.
Then
again, the poor are as yet battling for their life. They lack opportunity and
energy to try and look past their everyday wages. This is the very thing that
causes the rulers to do anything they desire.
STANZA 8
Having
discussed the poet then about the nation, people and government officials, , at
that point, examines the religious condition in the country. As per him,
religious organizations are no more excellent than politics. Consistently new
temples are implicit which God conceals in dark like an outsider and the priest
is the person who knows freedom.
The
lines uncover the truth of our religious places. The priests who should be the
servants of God are the ones who enjoy in the freedom and all sort of luxury. While
then again God who should be free remaining parts oppressed in the corner of
the temple like an outsider.
The
religious leaders have made temples as business centers. People battle to track
down Him and go to Him while the priest extracts cash from them and has an
luxurious life. The priest chooses the accessibility of God instead of God
Himself. Once more, where could the freedom be?
STANZA 9
As
there is in a real sense no freedom, the poet continues to search for the light
shadows for example little hope of freedom which is the freedom of body from
every one of the social and financial obstacles. This hope is a reason to
fulfill his own heart.
Assuming
we dive deep into the words, the poet implies that the opportunity that he
knows about is the death. Death is something that gives a definitive freedom to
people. What's more, especially seeing the state of people, the poet believes
death to be preferable over the daily routine they experience. This again
questions the festival of freedom.
STANZA 10
After
death, the remains float in the water are ashes. These ashes and remains of the
people are the ones in particular that enjoy the freedom, the freedom of silent
shakes, the freedom coal which is somewhere inside the earth and the freedom of
beds of rivers and streams on which river flows.
I
think in the last line, the poet would rather not take away freedom of any
people whose ashes are floating freely. Thus, he doesn't even touches wear them
on his forehead or probably they will also turn into the slave again like the
poet.
What
is the main theme of the poem Freedom by Jayant Mahapatra?
Ans:
Economically poor condition has led
them to not even a meal a day since Indian independence.
What is
the critical appreciation of the Poem Freedom by Jayanta Mahapatra?
Ans: This
poem is a study of festivity of Freedom and Independence in India. The poet
gives different guides to uncover how we are still slaves. As per him nation's
body floats down some place on the river for example she dying because that her
people have insufficient assets to carry on with life. The old generation is
appealing to leave the world while the young generation is praying God for
freedom so they might have the option to follow through with something. Certain
people are poor to the point that they can't organize nourishment for one time
a day. The politicians are as yet ruling life the British. Godmen are no more
excellent than them. They have oppressed Gods and themselves carrying on with
free existence. In this way the writer questions why we celebrate opportunity
however we are slaves even 50 years after the freedom.
How would you briefly summarize the poem
"Freedom" written by Jayanta Mahaputra?
Ans: The poet sees ashes of dead body
float down the river of his country. He resembles a half-disembodied bamboo,
the lower part trapped in the bank. He watches them attain freedom as their
ashes flow. The old widows and elderly people men find opportunity after death
however the young generation flourishes to track down the freedom to influence
the world yet they can't. The poet wonders of being both of them yet likes to
be distant from everyone else. The political system nor the religious system
saves individuals. God lives in darkness and just the priest benefits from
being a middle person among God and individuals. The Gods remain slaves, the
priest and politicians’ rule and find luxury while others are dying on from
hunger. A woman and her child have nothing to eat since Indian Independence.
They don't for even a moment have one dinner daily, yet we have constructed
temples. The poet infers that freedom is found solely after death and that he
wouldn't be essential for any religion. He says that main the coal and shale
know freedom, the body and the soul must be isolated to track down freedom.
