ARGES (Romania) , No.7, July 2022 features my haiku

 

A Poem published on Spillwords, July 28, 2022

 ONE MORE POEM

I don’t long for the past that swings and rings
I don’t care for the future I colour
with empty wishes prayers and meditation

dreams’ dark inspiration carves the present
I suffer more at night than in the day
breathe hell seeking freedom in the body

through friends in spirit turn sanguine despite
the tricky degeneration in shared life
one more day passes   one more poem born

 --R.K. Singh

 https://spillwords.com/one-more-poem/?fbclid=IwAR0YSWOItjHQ8XlqtjgWIcZjHG92xKJH3KAlt3lvomGFU374gsJAa2lfYlM

My two haiku appear on VSANA, September 2022

 

On viewing Kamuikotan Stone from Hokkaido:

 

her sharp nail draws

love sign on the stone’s back

green patina

 

R. K. Singh, India

 

stone stairs on the ghat

childhood nostalgia

dog days of August

 

R.K. Singh, India

 

 

https://www.vsana.org/poems-poetry-prose 

 

 

VSANA, December 2022 carries my two haiku:

melts under the feet

grey sadness of sand on shore:

blue waves in stone

R. K. Singh, India

chaos in sky

dark with colour and light

rising waves on stone

R. K. Singh, India

呂昭彥 [Lu Zhaoyan] translates my haiku into Chinese

 

rises drowsily

after a sleepless night

a sick sun

 

--R.K.Singh

 

 

太陽病

一夜未眠

懶洋洋

Tr. by

呂昭彥  Lu Zhaoyan

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1772497686350024/permalink/3199960303603748/?comment_id=3200686773531101&__cft__[0]=AZV7AE65wKXgkU8_1d1udlmpUDptCnT-gEe3rlPNHV1JOogYqaSV6Rx-VJhu_2yyV5wow4Ha-3kIXIs5EUkBJk5AjGWTpicK1G07YjtVzicNoeazYREonY1KBe6z_1kS19hGqg0b0yyUiwpRNw7PTfzCTOg8UHP8t43sI0xn6ppJqSVmMJTTEwf1_cnk0ct_nrA&__tn__=-UK-R

Shree Ram Swodharma translates my haiku into Nepali

 

Shree Ram Swodharma translates my haiku into Nepali

 

प्रा. डा. आर के सिंह भारतका समकालीन साहित्यका वरिष्ठ कवि, समालोचक साथै पत्रकार, शिक्षाविद् एवं विज्ञान, प्रविधि विज्ञ हुनुहुन्छ । विशेषगरी अङ्ग्रेजी लेखनमा उहाँ सिद्धहस्त हुनुहुन्छ । करिब ५० पुस्तक लेख्नुभएका सिंहका १७० रिसर्च आर्टिकल र १७५ पुस्तक समीक्षा आइसकेका छन् । विश्वभरिका समकालीन हाइकुकारहरूमा पनि उहाँ अगाडि हुनुहुन्छ । हाइकु लेख्दाको सुरुवाती बेलामा म उहाँको हाइकु खोजी खोजी पढ्ने गर्थे । केही दिन अघि मैले करिब २ वर्ष अघि अनुवाद गरेको उहाँको हाइकुमा ध्यान गयो । उहाँको अनुमति मागेर अङ्ग्रेजी र अरेबिक दुई भाषामा लेखिएको "A Lone Sparrow" हाइकु सङ्ग्रहका सात हाइकु पोस्ट गरेको छु । अनुमति दिनुभएकोमा उहाँप्रति हृदय प्रान्तर हादिक कृतज्ञता व्यक्त गर्दछु ।

स्थुल रूपमा बुझ्दा हाइकु सत्र अक्षर र तीन लाइनको संसारकै छोटो कविता विधा हो । सूक्ष्म रूपमा बुझ्दा हाइकु एक वा दुई प्राकृतिक बिम्बमा लेखिएको प्राकृतिक कविता हो । अझै सूक्ष्म रूपमा या कारण रूपमा बुझ्दा हाइकु झेन बुद्धिजमको शून्यतामा आधारित ध्यानात्मक कविता हो । उहाँको हाइकुमा सरलता, गहनता, प्राकृतिक एवं ध्यानात्मक सबै पक्ष पाउन सकिन्छ । भारतले आधुनिक हाइकुलाई नेतृत्व गरिरहेको छ । उहाँको हाइकु हेरेर नेपाली हाइकुकारले हाइकुको बारेमा अझै बुझ्ने र यसको गहनताको बारेमा खोज्ने प्रयास गरेमा मेरो प्रयास सफल भएको ठान्नेछु । सायद नेपालीमा अनुवाद भएका उहाँको यी हाइकु पहिलो हुनुपर्छ । उहाँको हाइकु तपाईं पाठकहरू समक्ष शेयर गर्दा अत्यन्तै खुसी लागेको छ । हेरौं उहाँका सात हाइकु ।

 

a load of wood

in her frail back

autumn evening 

 

दाउरा भारी

(उनको) कमजोर ढाडमा

शरद साँझ ।

 

ripe on the branches

mangoes fall one by one

end of the season

 

हाँगामा पाकी

क्रमशः आँप झर्छ

ऋतु-विश्राम ।

 

drowsy eyes

sun behind the clouds

dreams wrapped up

 

उँगेका आँखा

घाम बादलभित्र

सपना टुट्छ ।

 

winter holiday

my sun chases butterflies

flower to flower

 

जाडोको बिदा

(मेरो छोरो) पुतली पछिपछि

फूल भएर ।

 

on the terrace

facing the sun

an empty chair

 

घरको छत

घामतिर फर्केका

खाली कुर्सी (आसन्द:) ।

 

a lone sparrow

atop the naked branch

viewing sunset

 

एक्लो भँगेरो

नाङ्गो हाँगाको माथि (नाङ्गिएको हाँगामा)

सुर्यास्त हेर्दै । 

 

a dew drop

at the edge of the leaf--

the wind shakes

 

शितको थोपा

पातको किनारामा

हावाले काम्छ (हावाले हल्लाउँछ) ।

 

(५/७/५ लाई संस्कृत शब्द राखेर भएपनि निरन्तरता दिइएको छ)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=5776969145666810&id=100000613440374 

 

 

Aesthetic Consciousness in R. K. Singh’s Poetry by Jindagi Kumari

 

                            Aesthetic Consciousness in R. K. Singh’s Poetry

                         Dr. Jindagi Kumari
                         Assistant Professor
                         English Language and Communication Skills
                         Maharaja Surajmal Institute of Technology
                         Janakpuri East, New Delhi, India

Abstract:

With sixteen collections of poems R.K. Singh’s contribution to
Indian English poetry is significant though not duly recognized. A
strong voice from Jharkhand, India, Singh assimilates local flavors
with universal outlook while experimenting with lyrical poetic
forms and Haiku. His brief but terse poems present human psyche
and conditions in an idiom that strikes a chord with the
contemporary life and thought process. Singh’s poems are
remarkable for reasons more than one. The paper attempts a
detailed analysis of the aesthetic value and poetic appeal in R. K.
Singh’s poetry.

Keywords: Aesthetics; poetry; R.K. Singh; imagery; form

Aesthetic1 consciousness may be understood as consciousness to
art in terms of effect or responses that it generates. In the context
of poetry, it constitutes the elements that contain the aesthetic
value 2 or beauty of poetic art.

Coleridge, in Biographia Literaria, chalks out four elements of
good poetry: musicality (rhythm and rhyme), imagery / words
modified by predominant passion, thoughts, and feelings. He also
appreciates “aloofness of the poet’s own feelings”; from those
which he at once paints and analyses…”3 Eliot also seems to
prescribe objectivity of attitude in a poet when he stresses on an
artist’s need to escape from emotion and personality.4

One of the landmark explanations concerning aesthetics of poetry
can be that of I. A. Richards, who, addressing the question of “true
places of the values of the experience (poetic)”5 casts aside the
study of imagery as they are “…the point at which two readings
are most likely to differ”.6 He feels that “in the reading of poetry
the thought due simply to the words, their sense it may be called
comes first….”7 In other words, Richards defines a poem as a
group of words that evokes a particular experience that does not
vary greatly when read by different sensitive readers. The
experience of the readers counts crucially on the sequential
arrangement of words. It is the meaning of the words that
determine the success of rhyming and rhythm.

The views concerning poetic art expressed above may be summed
up as indicating thoughts and emotions along with poetic language
implying beauty of poetry.

What is poetry?

R. K. Singh in a number of poems draws on the ideals of poetic
beauty. To Singh poetry is all inclusive like life; it harmonises
positive and negative, sweet and bitter, beautiful and ugly at the
same instant:

A poem is
like life

sound
and silence

movement
and stillness

fragment
and wholeness

Avibhiktam
Vibhakteshu

like Shiva
and Shakti

lotus
and mud

( Poem no. ‘1’, 1-14, Music Must Sound) 8

The lines seem to imply that art is not justified if not allowed to
feature the darker aspect of existence along with the brighter.
Following this poetics the poet brings to the fore every puny and
petty thing that occurs in day to day life. Poetry for Singh could be
inspired even from “failed ejaculation” and “cowardice” (Sexless
Solitude and Other Poems, p. 54).9 Perhaps in the realisation of the
darkness the poet sees embodied an intent craving for light. The
poet promotes a view of assimilation and harmony as reflective of
the true artistic spirit.

Further, in Singh poetry is presented through the metaphor of
woman. The concept of woman is the key to the aesthetics of R. K.
Singh. The poet says:

The best poetry
is a woman
concrete, personal, delightful
greater than all   (Poem no. ‘7’, 1-4, My Silence)

Rabindranath Tagore also takes woman and poetry as identical and
believes that a woman unlike man “has to be picturesque and
musical to make manifest what she truly is,—because, in her
position in the world, woman is more concrete and personal than
man. She is not to be judged merely by her usefulness, but by her
delightfulness.” 10

By implication, Singh advocates personal poetry, both in terms of
themes and treatment. It is for this reason, perhaps, that the poet
draws a lot on woman; her beauty and nudity, for an instance “An
undresses woman” is depicted in R. K. Singh as “live sensuous and
delicious” (Flight of Phoenix, p.71). Besides, the poet also
explores the intimate moments of nuptial relationship: “Your lush
lips / ripple fire” (Poem no.5, ll. 5-6, My Silence). The poet seems
to attain “delightfulness” for his verses by means of the projection
of the subjective experiences. However, the poet also presents
woman and sex as an antidote to the dark abyss of existential
realities which is as equally dominant aspect of his aesthetics. The
poet often reflects on the existence as monotonous, overshadowed
by failure, guilt, humiliation, loneliness, rejection and helplessness.
He highlights lack of harmony in life: “Sleeping in the same bed,
but / isn’t it disappointing we / haven’t seen the same dreams …?”
(‘Isn’t it Disappointing?’, ll.1-3, Some Recent Poems). Further in
the poem, ‘Erection can’t Create’ one comes across a similar sad
reflection on the decay of values; “where olive rested once / now
stinks with dried blood. A famine of love / menopausal silence: /
erection can’t create” (ll.2-6)

Directness and Brevity

One notes that Singh articulates his vision in a straightforward
manner. The style of the poet develops not only with his sharing of
subjective experiences but also with liberal employment of words
and images related to sex.

at the Ganges in Kartik
old gods leer at
their wet bare backs

in bleeding cold
‘aum’ is convenient
to soothe Vasanas

no more Aswapathys please
they’re hung up, racing in jet
to catch two white moons

(Poem no. ‘27’, ll. 7-15, Music Must Sound)

In the lines the poet exhibits the moral downfall of priests at the
banks of Ganges by pinpointing their amorous activity. Here, the
firsthand references to the incidents and places add to the
directness of the artistic voice. The frankness is reinforced through
the structure of the poem consisting of phrases. The phrasal
construction also provides the poem a sort of brevity:

Mute pavements
shelters meditators
in milky silence

passing beauties
denuded in water
skin shrinks (3-6)

and

face lotus
tongue sandal
manners sweet
heart scissors
I know him
seasoned crook

(Poem no ‘40’,ll.1-5, Flight of Phoenix)

The style is an outcome of the poet’s preoccupation with haiku. In
the example one also notices other stylistic features, such as lack of
punctuation and title. This style of Singh’s seems to be akin to the
radical break in America from the1890s where writers and artists
sought to express the “immediately contemporary.”11 R. K. Singh
seems aware of the new technical problems in art and makes an
advance to create a body of verse which is more rapid, precise,
economical and bold than that of the poet of the preceding decades.

Beguiling simplicity of Words

 
Singh’s verses display words related to diverse fields such as
Nature, journalism, erotica, science and technology, diseases and
medicine, and literature and scripture. The poet also deploys a few
foreign phrases such as “deo volente” (God being willing) (Music
Must Sound, p. 122), “sotto voce” (in a low voice) (Some Recent
Poems, p. 42).

Also, Singh’s poems introduce a number of indigenous (Sanskrit
and Hindi) expressions such as “Avibhiktam-Vibhakteshu” (Music
Must Sound, p. 100), Puja pandals (p.76) “Vasanas”, “sadhana”
(p.110) “gurus” (p.124), “chandan” , “geru” (p.122) , “Shivalay” ,
“sutra” (Some Recent Poems, p. 8), , “sanskar” (Memories
Unmemoried, p. 91), “monsoony mist” (My Silence, p. 144),
“Dhoopam” (p.164); and colloquial Hindi such as; “alao” (p.153),
“nullah” (Memories Unmemoried, p. 93) etc. All these words are
used symbolically in the verses and are adequately suggestive
within the context. An example is the poem ‘Bushes, Weeds and
Flowers’ (Some Recent Poems) where liturgical terms “covenant
and prophets” are used symbolically:

let’s clean the sky of tales
of covenants and prophets
and be at peace with earth’s
bushes and weeds and flowers. (ll.7-10)

Here, words “covenant” and “prophets” are symbolic of the
religious authorities who are assigned great task to explain
religion, spirituality and meaning of life. The speaker, however,
does not trust the “tales” of such prophets. He rather advocates
being “at peace with” the common masses represented through the
Botanical registers “bushes, weeds, and flowers”. In the lines the
words transcend their usual context and are worked out in a novel
context. This reflects the artist’s flair for freedom and
experimentation. In Singh “…common words lose their pedestrian
character, their ordinariness, and gain a new face.” 12
Further, the poet avoids multi-syllabic words. The poet does not
subscribe to verbosity and “romantic eloquence.” Here, one finds
Singh as a distinguished artist using “simple words” 13 which are
far from simple in their effect; the word the poet chooses are
“sharp”, “incisive”14 and terse in nature. The choice of such words
lends uniqueness to the tone marked by “electrifying rapidity”.
R. K. Singh seems more radical in his use of words. This proves
true as one examines the range of the erotic vocabulary in Singh.

The poet goes near the fringes of porn poetry in his induction of
words such as “orgasm” (Above the Earth’s Green, p. 25 )15
“ejection”, “ejaculation” (Sexless Solitude and Other Poems, p.
54), “copulation” (p.18), “”consummation” (p.22), “climax”,
“busts” (Memories Unmemoried, p. 87), “…upstanding nipples /
under transparent blouse” (Poem no. 23, ll. 7-8) “dick” (p. 2),
“fuck” (Flight of Phoenix, p. 61), “erection”(Some Recent Poems,
p.27) in his poetry. Such uses not only reflect the poet’s
excessively free spirit and poetic audacity but also decide the
overall tone of his poetry making it more candid and direct. The
poet also uses slang thus giving a casual and conversational
appearance to his poetic argument. Also the style reflects the
poet’s view of art that should not conform to any restriction. For
art “sky is the limit”. This élan for sex words has been severely
criticised but these words shock with their adequacy in the context
they have been used since their employment is symbolic and not
literal.

The sex vocabulary used in the verses produce two types of effect.
A group of them consisting of the parts of woman’s body is used to
describe the feminine beauty and evokes eroticism.

That autumn tree
from this window
looks like a young woman
naked
exciting birds
to come
kiss and play

(Poem no. ‘2’, ll. 1-7, My Silence)

The image of tree as a “naked” “young woman” creates sensual
appeal. However, there is another group of words which may
appear cruder and vulgar: “Scratching between his legs” (Flight of
Phoenix, p. 68): and “he pressed her skin.” Still cruder is the
following snippet:

A woman should complement
…wanting love
…with sweetness
of the bone in mouth or
frenzied riding high or
grinding pubic regions

(Poem no.‘48’, ll. 1-6 , Flight of Phoenix )

The speaker here shares his idea with kitschy sex expressions. His
vulgar suggestions do not appear effective even if seen as an
outcome of anger and grudge against repressive social structure.
Also the instance is not alone of its kind. One finds a number of
such uses: “Like a woman’s mind / resides between her thighs…/
man’s love and hatred / concentrate on the crevice / though he
watches face” (Poem no. ‘56’, ll. 1-6); “I smell my boneless /
semen under the pillow / weaving legends…” (Poem no. ‘59’, ll. 1-
3) and “she unzips her skirt / like the silkworm undoing / its yellow
cocoon” (Poem no.‘61’, ll. 4-6). The poets presentation of the
unspectacular sexual encounters often appear undesirable.
However, the use of the sex words and expressions by the poet
adds a new dimension to the frankness in Indian English Poetry.

Erotic Imagery

 
One of the marked features of Singh’s aesthetic is his use of erotic
imagery. The poet uses variety of sex images and constructs them
in many ways. Firstly, in many poems the poet perceives woman’s
body in terms of nature images. Examples are “forest of her body”
(My Silence, p.144), “steeps of her breast”, “body’s delta” (Above
the Earth’s Green, p. 52) and “the moon” etc. Woman’s body,
chief source of eroticism in Singh is recurrently projected with the
images of “island” (My Silence, p. 144), “ocean” and “sea” (Above
the Earth’s Green, p. 24) The image “two white moons” (Music
Must Sound, p. 110) is connotative of a woman’s bosom. Further,
the poet captures men “leer (ing)”, “wet bare backs” of women;
“An undressed woman” (Flight of Phoenix, p.70) is “live sensuous
delicious”. Singh also uses animal imagery as sex symbols; image
of “flying horse” (p.103) for example is used to convey a sexually
active persona. At another place the image “rhino horns” (Above
the Earth’s Green, p.19) is employed with a similar meaning.
Apart from these all, the poet also draws directly on bodily and
sexual images such as “ kisses” (Above the Earth’s Green, p. 94)
“voluptuous sqeezes”, “nipples” (p. 30), “navel love”
(p.27),”inside your breast space”, “your flame” “your altar”, “wet
lingerie”, “between thighs” (Sexless Solitude and Other Poems, p.
18) , “legs slide” (Some Recent Poems, p. 20), “eyes and thighs”
(p.33), “lips” and others. In some of the poems some objects and
structures such as “door” and “walls” (Music Must Sound, p.110),
“the centre” (p.19), “sitar” (p.106), “cigarette” are also used as sex
symbol.

Other Images and Symbols

 
R. K. Singh’s poems abound in Nature and cosmic symbolism such
as “tree”, “flower” , “sun” (Some Recent Poems , p.2), “moon”
(p.20), “earth and sky” , “light and darkness” (p.10), “day and
night” (p.29), “hill” (Music Must Sound, p.116), “road” (Music
Must Sound, p. 116), “sea” (p.119), “ocean” (My Silence, p. 159).
The image of “hill”, for example, appears recurrently in poem no.
‘21’, ‘44’ and ‘47’ of Music Must Sound. In poem no. ‘44’ it
symbolises a link between physical and spiritual: “Across the
brown woods / I climb the naked hills / where tempests can’t reach
/ nor waves rise to collapse” (ll.1-4). In poem no. ‘47’, however,
the poet evokes the scenic beauty of a hill: “The sun sheds its
radiance / over the hills…” (ll. 1-2)

The poet uses symbols such as “death” (Flight of Phoenix, p. 78),
“ashes” (p.94), “shadows”, “dust” (Music Must Sound, p.105) and
“fog” (My Silence, p.153) suggesting decay. Besides, in a number
of poems one finds uses of animal symbolism such as “dragon”
(My Silence, p.159), “cow” (p.151), “monkey”, “snake”, “pig”,
“dogs” (pp.148,150,152), “jackal”(Music Must Sound, p.129),
“ass”, “rat” (Memories Unmemoried, p. 94), “butterfly” (Flight of
Phoenix, p.62) and others. Some words having common everyday
uses are also attributed with symbolic significance with the
recurrent employment; examples are “cup” (Some Recent Poems,
p.13), “politics”, “sex” (Sexless Solitude and Other Poems, p.16),
“road”, “child”, and “son” (My Silence, p.165). The “cup”, for
example, signifies a pastime or a hobby in the poem ‘My New
Cup’ (Some Recent Poem) whereas it symbolises life; warmth,
love, friendship and humanity in ‘Plant New Peonies”. The symbol
of “rat” in poem no. ‘37’ of Memories Unmemoried, is used for
politicians who “design new room / to negotiate disgrace” (ll.3-4).
Combined with the imagistic and symbolic quality of the words is
the use of figures such as personification. Following verse is an apt
example where all the inanimate natural objects and features have
been invested with life:

The morning’s withered flesh
and swollen skin of the day
by bloody nullah in smoke
tears shade tomorrow
like today, everyday they cry

(Poem no. ‘35’, ll.1-5, Memories Unmemoried)

The imagery in these lines has surrealistic quality as it objectifies a
state of mind reflective of utter frustration and helplessness.

Musicality

 
In Singh’s poetry words constitute the basic aesthetic device. They
startle with their sound and meaning, order and novelty. The
musical effect in his verses is largely created due to alliterative
device which also accounts for occasional finding of internal
rhythm in his verses. An instance may be the following verse:

Love leads to beauty
and vision with perfection
pillar of dust or
fleeting shadow can
turn into light revelling
pure songs wrought out of
the clay blending joys

( Poem no. ‘7’, ll. 1-7, Flight of Phoenix)

Here, one finds that the expressions have been weaved skillfully
with an ear to the repetitive sounds. In the first line the sound /l/ is
repeated in words “love” and “leads”; while in the next line
repetition of /n/ sounds occurs. Also, /p/ sound is repeated in words
“perfection” and “pillar”; /l/ sound recurs in “light” and “reveling”;
/t/ sound is repeated in line five in words “turn”, “light”,
“wrought” and “out”. One notes that apart from consonant sounds
vowel sounds are also used for musical effect: “under cloud-cover,
rising / sliding ritually in bed swallow / humiliations, arrogance
and ridicule / to escape whores in the street” (‘The Next Day’s
Sun’, ll. 13-16, Some Recent Poems). The repetition of sound helps
the poet to create internal rhyme as in “rising” “sliding”. However,
there are no end rhymes.

Mythical Allusions

 
Another pronounced feature of Singh’s verse is mythical allusions
with which the poet studs his verses. These mythical allusions are
variously drawn from the Bible; “Bashan” (Music Must Sound, p.
120), “mai? mai?” (p.121), “Eloi! Eloi!” (p.128) “Eden” (p.116),
“Sinai” (p.121) and other sources and basically have metaphoric
function. These are often hard to decode and obfuscate the
meaning of the verses.

Enjambment / Word order

 
Singh at times appeals with arrangement of words in his verses. An
example is “survive surprises” in the poem ‘Survival’ (Some
Recent Poems, p. 50). Here the inverted order of the words
foregrounds the meaning and highlight the element of surprise.
Singh’s aptitude to experimentation in word order is further seen
through the feature of enjambment whereby a single word in
association with preceding and succeeding lines create two
different meanings; an instance is the word “fruit” in the second
line and “yellow sun” in the third line of the verse.

Moonlight lingers
on mango boughs like the fruit
sweet yellow sun
in my courtyard
cool shade travels with thin cloud
I see love dance

(‘My New Cup’, ll. 1-6, Some Recent Poems)

Untitled Verses

Notwithstanding, the poet avoids giving titles to his verses and
punctuation in collections Some Recent Poems and Sexless Solitude
and Other Poems. Their being untitled seems to give an impression
of the verses as sequences of one long poem spreading to the entire
book. Also the poet believes that even if “titles tell too much” they
limit the meaning and lessen the effect of a poem, whereas the
poet’s intention is to express “poetry that is beyond the sky”.
Singh, in this respect, reflects quite unconventional an attitude. He
tries to evolve his own style as a way to transcend limitations.16
Nevertheless, regarding the poems without titles, I. K. Sharma, an
Indian English poet and critic, says, “to a common reader title is a
big help that makes a poem accessible.” 17 D.S. Maini, another,
noted Indian English poet, expresses doubt to such
experimentations: “I’m not sure if such a view can really be
sustained for long unless perhaps one has the genius of an Emily
Dickinson, as also the compulsions of her craft.”18 Probably, the
poet’s giving titles to the verses of his recent poetic volumes seems
an outcome to such critical responses.

Experimental Punctuation

The poet avails poetic freedom and goes beyond the conventional
norms for an intentional emission of punctuation as in the lines:
“Is it the fear / of dying penting up, don’t know / can’t resist.”
(‘Survival’, ll. 1-3, Some Recent Poems) In the lines lack of
comma lends a kind of rapidity to the verse that reflects the
person’s agitation and inability. Such experimentation has its own
effect and is not used merely to show linguistic expertise.
However, the propensity does not succeed always. Singh’s poetics
is perhaps rightly deemed as “exciting but precarious” and some
critics feel that in most of his poems “language qua language is
apotheosised (…) than by some powerful sustaining thought.” 19
The poet’s experimentation and non conformity in stylistic context
is an illustration of his intent to attain balance in art and also
suggests his quest for balance in life.

Haiku-like Form

 
R.K. Singh’s verses lack a uniform pattern of rhythm or rhyme.
Nevertheless, in some poems where the poet uses haiku (the
Japanese form of verse) as stanza unit, syllabic rhythm can be
observed. The formal aspect of R.K. Singh’s verses, at large, is
guided by his practice of haiku. The poet does not always conform
to the traditional pattern of haiku (5-7-5 syllables) and tanka (5-7-
5-7-7 syllables). He, instead, uses three line stanza patterns that
appear Haiku like. In addition, he employs two lines, four lines,
and five lines stanza pattern but they occur less often. Haiku in
different beats 4-6-4, 5-7-5 and in free form are composed by the
poet in stanza form in the longer poem and individually in Haiku
collections. An example of 4-6-4 syllabic arrangements is the
following poem:

they close their eyes
or shut them with rupees
matters little

but I worry
when with sight in their hands
they free shadows

(‘They Close their Eyes’, ll.1-4, Some Recent Poems)

Similarly example of short lyric in tanka form is as follows:

I clasp your hands
and feel the blood
running savagely
through your arteries
in tulip silence

(Poem no. ‘4’, ll.1-5, My Silence)

The poet in his effort to follow stanza and syllabic pattern seems to
strive for “symmetry”. But in spite of his constant effort the poet
fails to maintain uniformity and reflects lack of consistency at each
level of his style. Every feature of style that he develops or adopts
remains a perpetual subject of variation. In this regard one seems
to agree with I. H. Rizvi’s observation: “…Singh believes in
variety, variation and originality.”20

Self-directed Irony

Irony is instrumental to the overall effect of Singh’s poetry. The
element is often self directed and used to whiplash hypocrisy and
deflate ego.21

I seek my balance in
yoga-nidra in the closed
room think his thoughts and lies
we weave to ensnare spirit
that pricks the balloon we pump
to rise above the earth’s green:

(Poem no. ‘41’, ll. 4-9, Above the Earth’s Green)

In the poem one finds irony cutting through the dual notion of
spirituality. Irony in Singh’s verses is also directed against

corruption. In the following verse irony is evoked by means of
animal imagery to expose corrupt politicians:

sucking the monkey with his antics
of love and justice he plays
the lamb, the lion, the pig, and the ape
and prove his virility in the politics
of monkey, cow, and snake

(Poem no. ‘36’, ll. 9-13, My Silence)

This depiction of inappropriate and incongruous behaviour gives
vent to irony besides producing humour. However, the notion that
the politicians treat “love and justice” as “antics” indicates the
persona’s anger against them. Irony here seems to be getting bitter.
Irony in Singh’s verses is less humorous and more sarcastic. A
similar ironical situation occurs in poem no. ‘37’ where the poet
lashes at the politicians:

It’s outrageous
with headless heads
and paper tigers
roaring from the top

(Poem no. ‘85’, ll. 1-4, Music Must Sound)

In such poems irony seems to become a tool to express displeasure
and frustration and nears sarcasm.

To sum up, in R. K. Singh one finds a successful manifestation of
an individual poetic ideology and a distinct style that is bold and
assimilative. The frank use of sexual expressions, use of
indigenous terms, words from the various field of life combined
with bleak Nature imagery are the chief aesthetic features of his
poems. Brevity of expression is largely achieved due to the
selection of perfect imagery and pithy expressions accompanying
terseness. Often arranged in stanzas of varying lines the poems
look presentable on the pages, though they rarely reflect any
rhythmic or rhyming uniformity. Musicality is evoked by proper
arrangement of words alliterating with each other.

Despite all the poetic devices employed the overall poetic effect is
not so inspiring. The boisterous eroticism, bitter realism, and
pessimism seem to aggravate the existential pain of the reader. The
speakers in Singh’s poems express their frustration and rage
against impending anarchy and corruption. The tool employed to
present the angst often evoke repulsion: “it puts me off to smell /
sweat oozing from the armpits / the thighs moist with urine”
(‘Erotics of Bygones’, ll. 4-6, Sexless Solitude and Other Poems).

The ugliness and disgust of one’s experiences are all acceptable as
an expression of one’s grudge and frustration with life but to the
reader, who himself is a victim of life, it proves too much. Though
the unmistakable effect of the poet in using phrases can never be
underestimated; expressions like “funeral dreams”, “shadows
masturbate” (Sexless Solitude and Other Poems, p. 24), “plateaus
of nightmare” (p. 26), “corroding consciousness”, (p. 42),
“crippled impulses” (p.36) “spray of years”, (p. 78) “unzipped
night” (p.97) are samples of Shingh’s creative and effective use of
language. One feels that R. K. Singh’s poetry can at best be judged
with an awareness of existential agony of an artist. Also the
abundance of subjective tendencies indicates that aesthetic impact
is more directed to the artist than to his readers. However, the
poems dealing with social and political criticism are more effective
and promise not less than a new perspective to life.

                                                    References

 
1. Lyas, Colin. Aesthetics. London: Routledge, 2003.4. Print.
2. “Aesthetics.” The New Encyclopedia Britannica.
Macropedia.Vol.1. Chicago: William Benton Publisher,
1973.149. Print.
3. Coleridge, S.T. Biographia Literaria. Vol. II. Ed. J.
Shawcross. London: Oxford Universsity Press,
1907.16.Print
4. Cullinane, Steven H. “Poetry’s Bones: “The Form, the
Pattern” of Four Quartets.” Web.28 Dec.2009.
<http://finitegeometry.org/sc/ph/poetrysbones.html>.
5. Richards, I. A. Principles of Literary Criticism. London:
Routledge Classics, 2001.113. Print.
6. Ibid. 112.
7. Ibid. 117.
8. Singh, R.K. My Silence and Other Selected Poems.
Bareilly: Prakash Book Depot, 1994. Print.
9. Sexless Solitude and Other Poems .Bareilly: Prakash Book
Depot, 2009. Print.
10. Devy, 144.
11. Perkins, David. A History of Modern Poetry: Modernism
and After. New Delhi: ABS Publishers and Distributors,
2006. 34. Print.
12. Sharma, I. K. Ed. Introduction. New Indian English Poetry.
Ibid. 8.
13. Prem, P. C. K. “R. K. Singh: A Poet of Nature, Beauty and
Woman.”Ibid. 74.
14. Ibid. 61.
15. Singh, R. K. Above the Earth’s Green. Calcutta: Writer’s
Workshop, 1997.Print.
16. Sinha, R. N. “In the Landscape of the Self: R. K. Singh’s
‘Flight of Phoenix’” New Indian English Poetry: An
Alternative Voice. Ibid. 332. 

17. Ibid.

18. Maini, D. S. “R. K. Singh: Search for a Rhetoric Balance.” Ibid. 28.
19. Ibid. 29.
20. Rizvi, I. H. “Some Comments on ‘Peddling Dream.’” 327-28.
21. (Paraphrased) Sharma, I. K. “Music Must Sound: An ‘Epic
with Scratchy Jargon.’” Ibid.128.

 

Published on 
Creative Flight: An International Half-Yearly Open Access Peer-Reviewed E-Journal in English
(ISSN 2582-6158), Vol. 3, No. 1 (April, 2022) Page 91-110

Impervious R K Singh: A Critical Study of the Collection Against the Waves- Selected Poems by Dr Ram Kulesh Thakur

 Impervious R K Singh: A Critical Study of the Collection Against the Waves- Selected Poems
 

                                                                                            --Dr. Ram Kulesh Thakur
                                                                                              Assistant Professor
                                                                                              Department of English
                                                                                              SRM AP University, Andhra Pradesh

The fact cannot be overlooked that in the recent times a major nonerasable
chapter has been added to the history of Human
Civilization (or may be the ‘Un-civic’ side of modern man) and it
records a difficult, anxiety-provoking, and morally debatable
decade; but yet, the silver lining may be considered to be a few
pieces of remarkable literature. To quote just an example, one can
find the rich tapestry Against the Waves- Selected Poems by Ram
Krishna Singh, Publisher: Authorspress, New Delhi, 2021.

Dr Ram Krishna Singh, one of the leading contemporary Indian
poets writing in English, celebrates his overall existence and each
experience whether dark or bright, dull or exciting, dreadful or
captivating with the simple looking but pregnant poetic lines. His
poems reflect upon his vast experience starting from his days of
journalism to being a lecturer and then a professor. Singh’s poems
cover a wide spectrum of topics such as close observations of the
daily monotonous life, traditions, cultural beliefs, religion,
superstition, history, science, academics, research, corruption,
social evils, love, sex, art, modern practices, politics, etc.

The collection Against the Waves displays a colourful mosaic of
different experiences coming from different walks of life having
different themes making it more enriching altogether. A closer
look at the Contents Pages, i.e., 7-9, with a mention of 66 titles
such as ‘Haunted’, ‘Self-Neglect’, ‘Rot’, ‘Dream’, ‘Weird Chains’,
‘Prayers’, ‘Insomnia’, ‘Quarantined’, ‘Covid- 19’, ‘NawRuz’,
‘New Gods’, ‘Flood’, ‘Test’, ‘Mahakaal’, ‘Tanshi’, ‘Warning’,
‘Creativity’, ‘Me Too’, ‘Rituals’, ‘Designs’, ‘Neighbours’,
‘Intellectuals’, ‘Enemy’, ‘Culture’, ‘Strike’, ‘Marriage’, ‘Lies’,
‘Rootless’, ‘Liberation’, ‘God Too Awaits Light’, ‘Silence: A
White Distrust’, ‘Redemption’ etc clearly bespeaks the poetic
spectrum. It is impossible to categorize Singh’s poems into specific
sub-categories or thematic headings as each poem is a different
world, and more importantly, it is a complete ‘Communicative
Event’. Nonetheless, his poems may broadly be partitioned into
two major sub-headings: first, highlight the journey with-in
(personal inward experiences) and second, the worldly experiences
(the day-to-day encounters). The most striking observation in this
collection is its use of ‘Fresh’ metaphors that are passionately
intense. Some of the poems in this collection display a classical
poise whereas a few others dramatically create the tremors that
both undermine and bolster that poise. This collection has
something for every type of reader as a few of the poems are
funny, thought-provoking, serious, challenging, evocative, storytelling,
satirical, sombre, etc.

Unlike Singh’s other popular poetry collections, in Against the
Wave she decides to give an apt title to the poems making it easy
for the readers to construct a discourse. In fact, the titles are very
wisely selected and they rightly serve the purpose of constructing a
desired suitable discourse platform for the readers.

The first poem of this collection titled ‘Haunted’ straightaway
exposes the reader to the element of surprise, which is quite
evident in his poems, with the lines: “I don’t let silence sleep /
even if none hear / the disturbed spirit / growing wild to say / what
I never say” (p 11). The 16 lines poem uses only a three hyphens,
two commas, and a colon that clearly reflects upon the severity of
tone. The major verbs: sleeps, grope, contain, hates, suffer, fear,
and hear significantly constructs a dark or negative emotion. The
poem moves inwards to project the state of being of the charred
soul; the soul that is ‘Haunted’.

In one of the poems titled ‘It’s my Time’, Singh coins a new verb
‘hydraheaded’ to show his treatment of truth: “I’ve hydraheaded
truth too” (p 12), and it clearly manifests that he falls short of
regular language vocabulary to express his unique experiences. His
poems, quite frequently, display his secular person as one can find
uses of signs, symbols, myths, images, archetypes, etc across
religions, cultures, traditions, and geography. To quote an
example, one finds the use of “Christ’s kingdom”, “divine fruit”,
“Peter”, and “prophet” in the poem ‘It’s my Time’ (p 12).

Some of the poems in the collection are complicated as well. Here,
one finds the words moving faster than usual, with a constantly
changing rhythm and a centre in motion, and as a result, the poems
are buoyant, often playful, as they cover ground from desire to
religion, aspiration to politics, need to action, and dream to reality.
Singh’s notable and prodigious ability of experimenting with form
and syntax surfaces in a good number of poems in the given
collection. For example, the poem ‘Energy Block’ presents the
discordant body and soul in quick bouts between words: “Frazzled
and restless / bouts of anxiety / addiction, sleeplessness / spinal
degeneration / pain in neck and back / numbness in the legs / loss
of teeth, libido / anal bleeding and what not”, and it continues
further in the lines “things get hairy and scary / with body failure /
ailments pop up / spirit dries up / mind disconnects”. (p 13)

As the poet is a world-renowned Haiku practitioner, the traces of
brevity, absolute imagery, wit, and momentous capture/depiction
can be easily found in some of the poems in this collection as well.
For example, in the poem titled ‘Post-Election’:

They don’t hear
the silent screams of
millions

tired of misfortune
play games of convenience
innocent voters

sordid lifenation’s
destiny
heaven-fed (p 15)

Here, one can find the three different stanzas (above) exactly
replicating the structure of a Haiku: the first stanza has 3-5-3
syllables in the lines respectively, the second stanza displays 6-7-5,
and again the third is composed in 3-5-3 syllables, respectively.
One cannot miss the powerful images of ‘silent screams’ and
‘innocent voters’. To quote another example, the poem titled ‘Rot’:

Moon energy
fills up the inner space –
call to wake up

or be hostage to wounds
that don’t autocorrect
astral faults

knitting the luck
amidst the waste gods spread
I smell the rot (p 16)

Here, one finds the syllabic structure of 4-6-4 in the first three lines
and last three lines respectively. Again, one cannot miss the use of
the technical term ‘autocorrect’ in connection to ‘wounds’, thus
making it a powerful imagery. Thus, one finds that Singh lives
upto his worldwide repute for capturing a ‘moment’ in his poems
and making his reader re-live the same with his sense of
perception. Undoubtedly, Singh has given a new dimension to the
practice of ‘Haiku’ in the Indian Literary Scene, but even his other
poetic forms are equally powerful and evocative. It wouldn’t be
inappropriate to quote Singh here: “Living life in a boring
environment, it is a challenge to sustain poetic creativity. Yet I
have survived the inner and outer sterility. It has been great fun to
use some small, negligible aspect of one’s behavior, or some
insignificant event, or something read or heard in the past that
stays unconsciously in the memory and gets connected some other
time while something incites me into a poem, or I get my own
thoughts as I read somebody else’s poem, or I recollect some
complex dream experiences into the garb of a poem. I see to it that
the emotion thus expressed makes sense to me as an ordinary
reader and is not mere claptrap in the form of a poem.”

As expected, a few poems in this collection are pungent satire, or
better called sarcastic, such as ‘Aftermath’: “wisdom splashed in
gonzo arguments / cocks the walk. Others too feel his sting but
prefer / silence. They know the caged parrot’s free / to shame
seven decades of democracy groomed / differently…” (p 18). The
use of the terms such as ‘gonzo’, ‘sting’, ‘caged’, ‘parrot’, and
‘shame’ undoubtedly makes the poem pungent, and the repeated
quick succession of these terms adds a strong sarcastic tone to it.
Singh can never keep himself away from his surroundings and it is
clearly reflected through a few of his poems, although he never
admits that he intends to make his poetry didactic. One
magnificent example displaying his social awareness is the poem
titled ‘Weird Chains’:

They invent new lies with periodical distractions
repeat falsehood till truth turns doubtful
teach generations the ways of hating
the porn of discriminating, dividing, killing
the innocents that love their neighbours
value diversity, equality and peace
shunning the weird chains that lock the sun for roots to
grow (p 22)

One noticeable element in the poems of this collection is the
absence of ‘period’ or ‘full stop’ from the poetic text, thus making
each line run on to each other not only adding serious tone to it but
also indicating a state of chaos that the poems’ discourse is
suggestive of. The absence of adequate pauses (not clearly
indicated) makes the poems appear somber, but to some extent
ghostly. To quote another suitable example, one finds the same in
the poem titled ‘Insomnia-II’

My brain forgets to clean toxins
create and store memories
refresh my being and bliss
by morning the sun pronounces
my time is running out fast
there’s no magic elixir
for sleep that revives before rest (p 26)

A few poems such as ‘Quarantined’, ‘Covid-19’, ‘NawRuz’, ‘New
Gods’, ‘Third Wave’ etc. in the collection reverberates the Covid
19 experiences where the poet vehemently argues “the house arrest
sickens / the fear kills the spring” (p 29) and questions the “fanatic
ambitions” (p 29). The poet labels the recent unfortunate
development as “culture of suicide” (p 29) and declares “no recreation
/ but perpetual death” (p 29).

The erotic images that come to life is yet another strong
characteristic of Singh’s poetry and the same is experienced in the
poem ‘Creativity’:

The hole between words is vaginal
if the mind could penetrate

the seed won’t question age
inside the lines it crackles

with orgasmic pleasure
meanders through the tunnel

from first breath to oblivion
stays erect, liberates the text (p 48)

One cannot miss powerful erotic images scattered here and there in
his poems: “in bed sleepless she turns / undoing a hook or two / of
her tight blouse” (p 92), “love tickles / with erect pistil: / hibiscus”
(p 92), “love making / he melts into her / time stands still” (p 93),
“the wax dips / down the long candle - / a soft hum” (p 93),
“fingers grope / the leaking pulp / moist lips” (p 100), etc.

Singh, to provide an insight into his own poetry reveals: “What is
my poetry about? Much depends on the insight into how one
responds to my poetry or how delightful to the senses or
challenging to the mind one finds it, or how one wants to interpret
my creative perception of meaning in the world. There are many
themes, individual passion, historic-mythical awareness, human
relationship, social consciousness. I am my own veil and
revelation; I am both the subject and the object and reveal others as
much as I reveal myself.” In the poem ‘Against the Waves’, the
poet uncovers his charred soul: “The crowded lift and emptiness of
the flat / doesn’t help me resurrect what’s gone”, “…invent a new
life to live with”, “the ghostly silence”, and “…straying against the
waves” (p 23).

One cannot miss the real-life aura that the poet creates through his
poems, and hence, ensures that every reader’s interest is engaged:
“Stand naked / before the mirror / see changes / from top to toe / a
tragic tale” (p 31); “Women and children / crossing the flooded
huts” (p 33); “I can’t remember / my mother’s face” (p 40); “I love
the night with you / when sleepless we yield” (p 46); “Evening
Walk: / a peep into my own / lanes and bylanes / bodily harmony /
a sense of inner calm” (p 53), etc. Most of the poems in this
celebrated collection elucidates Singh’s opinion: “Poetry is an art,
a verbal art, which when effective, generates some physical,
emotional or psychosexual sensation, stimulates some sensuous,
spiritual or exalted pleasure, or provokes some mood or aesthetic
sentiments, feelings, thoughts or ideas. It is also subjective
expression of a social vision, reality or protest and an extension of
the poet’s self.”

Talking about different opinions on Singh, it would be erstwhile to
note that R. A. Singh explains in his essay “The Poetry of R. K.
Singh” that the “. . . poetry seems to be rooted in visions and
divisions that traverse human existence, feeling the pulse in the
rhythmic flow of time. His social visions intersect with the private;
his flux of emotions creates a complex sound and silence, waving
through love, loneliness, failure, frustration, and memories in
search of home in a hostile world. His imaginings are not only
delightful to the senses but also challenging to the mind.” (170)
The comment or critical observation made here is equally valid for
his latest collection of poems as well, and it further suggests that
the poet in R K Singh is the same although he has received many
more bruises. The latest collection of poems records his present
(recent) experiences, but it records the same in his established
signature pattern.

Stephen Gill points out in his essay “R. K. Singh: A Mystic Poet of
Beauty”: “The poet’s constant analytical deliberations plunge him
often into the abyss of gloom.” (178), and the same continues till
his latest collection. He looks disturbed by the Pandemic, Politics,
Cultural Degradation, Social Behaviour, Anxiety, etc. Although a
lot of other critics have made remarkable observations on the
poetry of R K Singh, but the best comes from the poet himself: “To
tell you the truth, most of the poems I wrote have simply
happened. The poetic mood, short-lived as it is, would help create
from anything, anywhere, anytime. I can’t write a poem
deliberately on a theme on demand. Nor have I been interested in
didactic or moralistic writing. My emotions and experiences are,
therefore, genuine and sympathetic readers can relate to them.
Personally speaking, a poem’s composition helps me get a release
from myself as much as from others or whatever agitates me. I feel
free by unburdening myself in verses; I experience an inner relief,
a freedom from the built-up pressure, tension, unease, or whatever,
you know. If it turns out to be a good poem, it offers a pleasing
sensation, rest to my disturbed nerves, and peace to my inner
being. (http://creationandcriticism.com/113.html)

The poet has found a unique way of finding solace to his queasy
heart and that comes to him through his poetry. His poems serve
him a direction into which he wanders looking for the ultimate
peace, relief, escape, or in simple term ‘Nirvana’. The poet seeks
meaning of the mystery of life, its reality and pains through the
eyes of Nature, metaphors of self-contradictions, intrinsic
dissonance, harmony, and identity through his poems.

Suggested Readings

1. Singh, R K. Against the Waves- Selected Poems. New
Delhi: Authorspress, 2021.
2. R.A. Singh. The Poetry of R.K. Singh,Creative Forum,
Vol. 5, No. 1-4, January-December 1992.
3. R.S. Tiwary. A Peep into the Poetry of Dr R.K.
Singh,University News, Vol. XXXIV, No. 19, May 6, 1996.
4. Dominic, K V (ed). K.Rajni ’s “Interview with R.K.
Singh.” Critical Perspectives on the Poetry of R.K.Singh,
D.C. Chambial and I.K. Sharma. New Delhi: ACCESS, pp.
48-53.
5. Rajni Singh and Ram Krishna Singh. Indian Poetry in
English: In Search of Identity. New Delhi: Authors Press,
2012.
6. Dominic, K V. Discourses on Five Indian Poets in
English. New Delhi: Authors Press, 2011.
7. Thakur, Ram Kulesh. R. K. Singh: The Poet Who Celebrates 'senses' to attain 'Nirvana.' UOCH Journal of Linguistics & Literature, Vol. 1,Issue 1, June-December 2017.
8. Thakur, Ram Kulesh. Poetic Communication: A Study of
the Verbal Art. Jaipur: YKING Publishers. 2015.

 

Published on  :

Creative Flight: An International Half-Yearly Open Access Peer-Reviewed E-Journal in English
(ISSN 2582-6158), Vol. 3, No. 1 (April, 2022) Pages 111-121

My Poem 'New Slavery' with Spanish Translation by Joseph Berolo appears on UNILETRAS

 

My Poem 'New Slavery' with Spanish translation by Joseph Beloro appears on UNILETRAS

 

MINUTO DE POESIA

*MINUTO DE POESIA

Publicación digital   de Uniletras/ 

Edición I Vol. 2  Septiembre  2022

Su poema es bienvenido

Nuestra dirección electrónica es :berolojoseph@aveviajera.org

Copyright © Naciones Unidas de las Letras.

Derechos reservados

 

 

NEW SLAVERY

From the fifteenth floor window I watch

dreams racing on the muddied road

the ugly beauty of tomorrow 

 

the romance of the miserable

the egotist, the cunning, the heart-broken

the idealist, the maniacs, the enlightened cheats

 

the crafty and the unlucky too

who conceal cavity in their shoes

in the gallery of Great Tech Game

 

fabricating newer lies and hypocrisies

of saffron politics, secular faith, and people's power

spilling blood to heal history of wrongs

 

create new cultural fantasy

new racism, new slavery

homegrown narcissistic lords and ladies.

 

Ram Krishna Singh.

 

 

NUEVA ESCLAVITUD

 

Desde una ventana en el piso quinceavo veo

los sueños apurados entre el fango de la calle

la belleza afeada del mañana

 

el romance de los miserables

los egoístas, los astutos. los descorazonados

los idealistas, los maniacos, los engañadores iluminados

 

los creativos y los nada afortunados también

que esconden la suela rota de sus zapatos

en la galería del Gran Juego de la Tecnología

 

fabricando mentiras nuevas e hipocresías

de políticas de fe secular

y pueblo empoderado

 

creando nuevas fantasías culturales

racismo nuevo, nueva esclavitud 

lores y damas  narcisistas hechos en casa. 

 

--R K Singh, India

 Translated by Joseph Berolo